Labor Market Effects of Pensions and Implications for Teachers. Conference Paper 2009-06

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Friedberg, Leora; Turner, Sarah

2009-01-01

While the pension plan landscape has changed remarkably over the last two decades, with most private-sector workers seeing a shift from defined benefit (DB) to defined contribution (DC) plans, DB pension plans remain the overwhelming norm for K-12 teachers employed by state and local governments. With DB plans, teachers typically receive minimal…

The HSA in Your Future: Defined Contribution Retiree Medical Coverage.

PubMed

Towarnicky, Jack M

In 2004, when evaluating health savings account (HSA) business opportunities, I predicted: "Twenty-five years ago, no one had ever heard of 401(k); 25 years from now, everyone will have an HSA." Twelve years later, growth in HSA eligibility, participation, contributions and asset accumulations suggests we just might achieve that prediction. This article shares one plan sponsor's journey to help employees accumulate assets to fund medical costs-while employed and after retirement, It documents a 30-plus-year retiree health insurance transition from a defined benefit to a defined dollar structure and culminating in a full-replacement defined contribution structure using HSA-qualifying high-deductible health plans (HDHPs) and then redeploying/repurposing the HSA to incorporate a savings incentive for retiree medical costs.

Behavioral economics perspectives on public sector pension plans

PubMed Central

BESHEARS, JOHN; CHOI, JAMES J.; LAIBSON, DAVID; MADRIAN, BRIGITTE C.

2011-01-01

We describe the pension plan features of the states and the largest cities and counties in the U.S. Unlike in the private sector, defined benefit (DB) pensions are still the norm in the public sector. However, a few jurisdictions have shifted toward defined contribution (DC) plans as their primary savings plan, and fiscal pressures are likely to generate more movement in this direction. Holding fixed a public employee’s work and salary history, we show that DB retirement income replacement ratios vary greatly across jurisdictions. This creates large variation in workers’ need to save for retirement in other accounts. There is also substantial heterogeneity across jurisdictions in the savings generated in primary DC plans because of differences in the level of mandatory employer and employee contributions. One notable difference between public and private sector DC plans is that public sector primary DC plans are characterized by required employee or employer contributions (or both), whereas private sector plans largely feature voluntary employee contributions that are supplemented by an employer match. We conclude by applying lessons from savings behavior in private sector savings plans to the design of public sector plans. PMID:21789032

Making a successful transition to cash balance. Using employee choice and financial education.

PubMed

Scahill, P; Wiley, P

2000-01-01

As employee work patterns change, the need for flexible plan design has increased. Hybrid plans such as cash balance plans offer a plan design variation that incorporates elements of the traditional defined benefit plan as well as those of defined contribution plans. This article examines plan design trends and discusses both negative and positive reactions to those trends. Finally, the solution of offering choice to plan participants is suggested, and the issues that must be considered are discussed.

The ongoing growth of defined contribution and individual account plans: issues and implications.

PubMed

Miller, Lynn

2002-03-01

This Issue Brief discusses the implications of the growth of defined contribution (DC) retirement plans and individual account plans and the subsequent impact on employers, employees, and retirement planning. It also presents a look at data regarding contributions to retirement plans, employer trends regarding retirement plans, and the potential impact of changes to the federal Social Security retirement system. The findings and data in this article are drawn from material presented at a policy forum sponsored by the Employee Benefit Research Institute Education and Research Fund (EBRI-ERF) Dec. 7, 2001, in Washington, DC. Today, prospective retirees need to be able to generate about 75 percent of their current income to maintain their standard of living in retirement, up from 63 percent of their income in 1997, according to the Replacement Ratio Study, by Aon Corporation and Georgia State University. However, the most recent data show a decline in the percentage of income that average employees are saving. While it is too early to quantify, it does not appear that the retirement provisions in the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA) are strongly influencing the movement to DC plans. However, employers appear very interested in the provisions of the new law with regard to both defined benefit (DB) retirement plans and DC plans. The number of large employers offering DB plans continues to decline, from 85 percent in 1990 to 73 percent in 2000, according to the Hewitt study. Although employers may have little influence over some factors that affect participation rates in voluntary retirement plans, they have various options to increase participation rates, such as "matching" employee contributions, offering loan features, and providing education to employees about the plans.

26 CFR 1.401(l)-2 - Permitted disparity for defined contribution plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... plan must be uniform within the meaning of paragraph (c) of this section. (5) Integration level. The integration level specified in the plan must satisfy paragraph (d) of this section. (b) Maximum permitted... compensation at the excess contribution percentage. (d) Integration level—(1) In general. The integration level...

How Will Teachers Fare in Rhode Island's New Hybrid Pension Plan? Public Pension Project Brief 4

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Richard W.; Butrica, Barbara A.; Haaga, Owen; Southgate, Benjamin G.

2014-01-01

Hybrid retirement plans that combine defined benefit pensions with 401(k) type, defined contribution accounts can play important roles in the reform of public-sector pensions. Summarizing results from our longer report ["How Will Rhode Island's New Hybrid Pension Plan Affect Teachers? A Report of the Public Pension Project" (2014)], this…

Save More Tomorrow: Using Behavioral Economics to Increase Employee Saving.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thaler, Richard H.; Benartzi, Shlomo

2004-01-01

As firms switch from defined-benefit plans to defined-contribution plans, employees bear more responsibility for making decisions about how much to save. The employees who fail to join the plan or who participate at a very low level appear to be saving at less than the predicted life cycle savings rates. Behavioral explanations for this behavior…

26 CFR 1.415(c)-1 - Limitations for defined contribution plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... section. In year 2013, XYZ church may contribute $8,000 to be allocated to F's account under the plan (the... excess of the limits under paragraph (a)(1) of this section). For years after 2013, pursuant to paragraph...

26 CFR 1.401(a)(4)-2 - Nondiscrimination in amount of employer contributions under a defined contribution plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... the allocation rates for the HCEs in the plan must not exceed the average of the allocation rates for the NHCEs in the plan. For this purpose, allocation rates are determined in accordance with paragraph (c)(2) of this section, without imputing permitted disparity and without grouping allocation rates...

26 CFR 1.401(a)(4)-2 - Nondiscrimination in amount of employer contributions under a defined contribution plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... the allocation rates for the HCEs in the plan must not exceed the average of the allocation rates for the NHCEs in the plan. For this purpose, allocation rates are determined in accordance with paragraph (c)(2) of this section, without imputing permitted disparity and without grouping allocation rates...

26 CFR 1.401(a)(4)-2 - Nondiscrimination in amount of employer contributions under a defined contribution plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... the allocation rates for the HCEs in the plan must not exceed the average of the allocation rates for the NHCEs in the plan. For this purpose, allocation rates are determined in accordance with paragraph (c)(2) of this section, without imputing permitted disparity and without grouping allocation rates...

The golden goose in the crosshairs: the transition to defined contribution pension plans in the public sector: unintended consequences.

PubMed

Johnson, Brian R

2013-01-01

State, county, and local governments are currently facing a myriad of economic issues, based on shrinking tax revenues combined with increased expenditures. Of these, the costs related to defined benefit pension plans are one of the most serious issues facing many public employers. Through a comprehensive review of the existing literature, this article examines how the shift from the defined benefit (DB) to defined contribution (DC) pension plan has the potential to enhance levels of labor unrest due to changes in union militancy, bargaining skills deficits, intra-organizational conflict, and issues related to economic trade-offs. Besides the capacity for immediate and deleterious ramifications in the collective bargaining process, the transition to the DC pension also presents some potentially negative consequences related to human resource management, including changes in the psychological contract, recruitment strategies, employee turnover, and changes in retirement patterns. Recommendations to improve labor relations and human resource management practices in the DC pension environment are also explored.

Responsibility for retirement planning shifts to employees.

PubMed

Van Gelder, N

1994-08-01

In recent years, organizations have shifted away from offering their employees defined benefit plans that promise specified income streams to employees when they retire. Instead, they are offering employees defined contribution plans, which rely on investment performance, as directed by plan participants, to generate sufficient retirement income. Healthcare financial managers who work in organizations that offer retirement plans for their employees find themselves increasingly prevailed upon to play the role of instructor to plan participants. While some financial managers may not relish the role, the more successful financial managers are at helping plan participants achieve their retirement income goals, the better the chance of healthcare organizations avoiding future liability problems.

26 CFR 1.401(e)-5 - Limitation of contribution and benefit bases to first $100,000 of annual compensation in case of...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... benefits under the plan on account of such integration. See also subsections (a)(5), (a)(15), and (d)(6) of...) for a special prohibition against integration. (c) Application of nondiscrimination requirement. (1...)(6) and all other integration requirements applicable to qualified defined contribution plans. The...

Defined contribution health benefits.

PubMed

Fronstin, P

2001-03-01

This Issue Brief discusses the emerging issue of "defined contribution" (DC) health benefits. The term "defined contribution" is used to describe a wide variety of approaches to the provision of health benefits, all of which have in common a shift in the responsibility for payment and selection of health care services from employers to employees. DC health benefits often are mentioned in the context of enabling employers to control their outlay for health benefits by avoiding increases in health care costs. DC health benefits may also shift responsibility for choosing a health plan and the associated risks of choosing a plan from employers to employees. There are three primary reasons why some employers currently are considering some sort of DC approach. First, they are once again looking for ways to keep their health care cost increases in line with overall inflation. Second, some employers are concerned that the public "backlash" against managed care will result in new legislation, regulations, and litigation that will further increase their health care costs if they do not distance themselves from health care decisions. Third, employers have modified not only most employee benefit plans, but labor market practices in general, by giving workers more choice, control, and flexibility. DC-type health benefits have existed as cafeteria plans since the 1980s. A cafeteria plan gives each employee the opportunity to determine the allocation of his or her total compensation (within employer-defined limits) among various employee benefits (primarily retirement or health). Most types of DC health benefits currently being discussed could be provided within the existing employment-based health insurance system, with or without the use of cafeteria plans. They could also allow employees to purchase health insurance directly from insurers, or they could drive new technologies and new forms of risk pooling through which health care services are provided and financed. DC health benefits differ from DC retirement plans. Under a DC health plan, employees may face different premiums based on their personal health risk and perhaps other factors such as age and geographic location. Their ability to afford health insurance may depend on how premiums are regulated by the state and how much money their employer provides. In contrast, under a DC retirement plan, employers' contributions are based on the same percentage of income for all employees, but employees are not subject to paying different prices for the same investment.

75 FR 70625 - Annual Funding Notice for Defined Benefit Plans

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-18

...This document contains a proposed regulation that, on adoption, would implement the annual funding notice requirement in the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), as amended by the Pension Protection Act of 2006 (PPA) and the Worker, Retiree, and Employer Recovery Act of 2008 (WRERA). As amended, section 101(f) of ERISA generally requires the administrators of all defined benefit plans, not just multiemployer defined benefit plans, to furnish an annual funding notice to the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation (PBGC), participants, beneficiaries, and certain other persons. A funding notice must include, among other information, the plan's funding target attainment percentage or funded percentage, as applicable, over a period of time, as well as other information relevant to the plan's funded status. This document also contains proposed conforming amendments to other regulations under ERISA, such as the summary annual report regulation, which became necessary when the PPA amended section 101(f) of ERISA. The proposed regulation would affect plan administrators and participants and beneficiaries of defined benefit pension plans, as well as labor organizations representing participants and beneficiaries and contributing employers of multiemployer plans.

20 CFR 323.6 - Treatment of benefit payments under a nongovernmental plan for purposes of contributions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... BOARD REGULATIONS UNDER THE RAILROAD UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE ACT NONGOVERNMENTAL PLANS FOR UNEMPLOYMENT... are not compensation as defined in section 1(i) of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, and...

20 CFR 323.6 - Treatment of benefit payments under a nongovernmental plan for purposes of contributions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... BOARD REGULATIONS UNDER THE RAILROAD UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE ACT NONGOVERNMENTAL PLANS FOR UNEMPLOYMENT... are not compensation as defined in section 1(i) of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, and...

20 CFR 323.6 - Treatment of benefit payments under a nongovernmental plan for purposes of contributions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... BOARD REGULATIONS UNDER THE RAILROAD UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE ACT NONGOVERNMENTAL PLANS FOR UNEMPLOYMENT... are not compensation as defined in section 1(i) of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, and...

20 CFR 323.6 - Treatment of benefit payments under a nongovernmental plan for purposes of contributions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... BOARD REGULATIONS UNDER THE RAILROAD UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE ACT NONGOVERNMENTAL PLANS FOR UNEMPLOYMENT... are not compensation as defined in section 1(i) of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, and...

20 CFR 323.6 - Treatment of benefit payments under a nongovernmental plan for purposes of contributions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... BOARD REGULATIONS UNDER THE RAILROAD UNEMPLOYMENT INSURANCE ACT NONGOVERNMENTAL PLANS FOR UNEMPLOYMENT... are not compensation as defined in section 1(i) of the Railroad Unemployment Insurance Act, and...

26 CFR 1.401(l)-2 - Permitted disparity for defined contribution plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... be considered to fail section 401(l) merely because it contains one or more provisions described in... plan must be uniform within the meaning of paragraph (c) of this section. (5) Integration level. The integration level specified in the plan must satisfy paragraph (d) of this section. (b) Maximum permitted...

26 CFR 1.401(l)-2 - Permitted disparity for defined contribution plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... be considered to fail section 401(l) merely because it contains one or more provisions described in... plan must be uniform within the meaning of paragraph (c) of this section. (5) Integration level. The integration level specified in the plan must satisfy paragraph (d) of this section. (b) Maximum permitted...

26 CFR 1.401(l)-2 - Permitted disparity for defined contribution plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... be considered to fail section 401(l) merely because it contains one or more provisions described in... plan must be uniform within the meaning of paragraph (c) of this section. (5) Integration level. The integration level specified in the plan must satisfy paragraph (d) of this section. (b) Maximum permitted...

26 CFR 1.401(l)-2 - Permitted disparity for defined contribution plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... be considered to fail section 401(l) merely because it contains one or more provisions described in... plan must be uniform within the meaning of paragraph (c) of this section. (5) Integration level. The integration level specified in the plan must satisfy paragraph (d) of this section. (b) Maximum permitted...

Retirement Savings Behavior of Higher Education Employees

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dulebohn, James H.; Murray, Brian

2007-01-01

Higher education employees often participate in university-sponsored defined contribution pension plans that place the investment decision responsibility upon them. In order to examine investment decision-making behavior with retirement savings plans we investigated attitude-mediated, individual difference determinants of risky decision-making…

26 CFR 1.401(a)(4)-6 - Contributory defined benefit plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... (b)(2)(ii)(A) merely because it eliminates employee contributions for all employees with plan year...) In general. A contributory DB plan satisfies this paragraph (b)(2)(ii)(B) if it satisfies either of... employee's base benefit percentage as required under paragraph (b)(2)(iii)(B)(1) of this section, it may be...

A Golden Opportunity to Review Higher Education Retiree Health Benefits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Powers, Ed; Straker, Garry

2004-01-01

Many higher education institutions today are struggling with the costs of their retiree health plans. The answer to controlling these costs may come in the form of a defined contribution retiree health plan for both current and future retirees. This article examines how such a plan can maximize availability of Medicare Part D prescription…

Coupling the biophysical and social dimensions of wildfire risk to improve wildfire mitigation planning

Treesearch

Alan A. Ager; Jeffrey D. Kline; A. Paige Fisher

2015-01-01

We describe recent advances in biophysical and social aspects of risk and their potential combined contribution to improve mitigation planning on fire-prone landscapes. The methods and tools provide an improved method for defining the spatial extent of wildfire risk to communities compared to current planning processes. They also propose an expanded role for social...

[Consumer satisfaction study in philanthropic hospital health plans].

PubMed

Gerschman, Silvia; Veiga, Luciana; Guimarães, César; Ugá, Maria Alicia Dominguez; Portela, Margareth Crisóstomo; Vasconcellos, Miguel Murat; Barbosa, Pedro Ribeiro; Lima, Sheyla Maria Lemos

2007-01-01

This paper presents the findings of research aimed at identifying and analyzing the argumentation and rationale that justify the satisfaction of consumers with their health plans. The qualitative method applied used the focus group technique, for which the following aspects were defined: the criteria for choosing the health plans which were considered, the composition of the group and its distribution, recruitment strategy, and infrastructure and dynamics of the meetings. The health plan beneficiaries were classified into groups according to their social class, the place where they lived, mainly, the relationship that they established with the health plan operators which enabled us to develop a typology for the plan beneficiaries. Initially, we indicated how the health plan beneficiaries assess and use the Brazilian Unified Health System (SUS), and, then, considering the types of plans defined, we evaluated their degree of satisfaction with the different aspects of health care, and identified which aspects mostly contributed explain their satisfaction.

The False Promise of Public Pensions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hess, Frederick M.; Squire, Juliet P.

2010-01-01

The vast majority of public employees--including teachers--are enrolled in defined-benefit pension plans. These plans are usually the product of state legislation that determines eligibility, benefit formulas, employer and employee contributions, and how payments will be calculated when an employee retires or leaves the system. Once an employee…

Alaska Division of Retirement and Benefits

Science.gov Websites

Enrollment Retiree News View All Headlines Legislation Programs Defined Contribution Defined Benefit Health ; Brochures Division Headlines Get My RIN ADA Accessibility Retiree Health Plan Advisory Board Welcome to and TRS CAFRs are now available online. 2017 CAFR Health and Wellness Services The Coalition Health

An Introduction to Teacher Retirement Benefits

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansen, Janet S.

2010-01-01

Like most other state and local government employees, teachers participate primarily in defined benefit pension plans whose benefits are largely based on final average salaries and length of service. Such pensions have been replaced in many private sector firms by defined contribution pensions. A number of questions have arisen about the…

Boon or bane: 401(k) loans and employee contributions.

PubMed

Wenger, Jeffrey B; Weller, Christian E

2014-09-01

Economic and behavioral theories arrive at different conclusions about the effect of being allowed to borrow from one's defined-contribution (DC) retirement plan on people's contributions to DC plans. Traditional life-cycle models unambiguously suggest that the borrowing option makes people better off than not being able to borrow. Households consequently contribute more to their DC plans than they would absent the borrowing option. Previous research finds that the ability to borrow from a DC plan increases contemporaneous contributions, consistent with traditional models. Behavioral finance, in contrast, suggests that some workers may operate with nonlinear time discounting. They plan on saving more in the future but change their mind and save less than initially planned as time passes. These workers may enjoy higher lifetime utility if they have no loan option because DC plans serve as commitment devices for retirement saving. The money cannot be used prior to retirement. Absent this commitment device, contributions may be lower for some households than would be the case without a DC loan option. We study DC plan contributions for households with heterogeneous preferences about discounting. We separate households into those that demonstrate inconsistent (or paradoxical) borrowing behavior, which may reflect nonlinear time discounting, and those with more consistent borrowing behavior. We find that a DC loan option raises current savings, but does so more for households with consistent borrowing behavior than for those with inconsistent borrowing behavior. © The Author(s) 2013.

Sensemaking in Enterprise Resource Planning Project Deescalation: An Empirical Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Battleson, Douglas Aloys

2013-01-01

Enterprise resource planning (ERP) projects, a type of complex information technology project, are very challenging and expensive to implement. Past research recognizes that escalation, defined as the commitment to a failing course of action, is common in such projects. While the factors that contribute to escalation (e.g., project conditions,…

An Introduction to Teacher Retirement Benefits. Conference Paper 2009-01

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hansen, Janet

2009-01-01

Like most other state and local government employees, teachers participate primarily in defined benefit pension plans whose benefits are based on final average salaries and length of service. Such pensions have been replaced in many private sector firms by defined contribution pensions. A number of questions have arisen about the feasibility and…

An efficient employer strategy for dealing with adverse selection in multiple-plan offerings: an MSA example.

PubMed

Pauly, M V; Herring, B J

2000-07-01

This paper outlines a feasible employee premium contribution policy, which would reduce the inefficiency associated with adverse selection when a limited coverage insurance policy is offered alongside a more generous policy. The "efficient premium contribution" is defined and is shown to lead to an efficient allocation across plans of persons who differ by risk, but it may also redistribute against higher risks. A simulation of the additional option of a catastrophic health plan (CHP) accompanied by a medical savings account (MSA) is presented. The efficiency gains from adding the MSA/catastrophic health insurance plan (CHP) option are positive but small, and the adverse consequences for high risks under an efficient employee premium are also small.

26 CFR 1.401(a)(4)-6 - Contributory defined benefit plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... to satisfy this paragraph (b)(2)(ii)(A) merely because it eliminates employee contributions for all... requirements—(1) In general. A contributory DB plan satisfies this paragraph (b)(2)(ii)(B) if it satisfies... employee's base benefit percentage as required under paragraph (b)(2)(iii)(B)(1) of this section, it may be...

26 CFR 1.401(a)(4)-6 - Contributory defined benefit plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... to satisfy this paragraph (b)(2)(ii)(A) merely because it eliminates employee contributions for all... requirements—(1) In general. A contributory DB plan satisfies this paragraph (b)(2)(ii)(B) if it satisfies... employee's base benefit percentage as required under paragraph (b)(2)(iii)(B)(1) of this section, it may be...

26 CFR 1.401(a)(4)-6 - Contributory defined benefit plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... to satisfy this paragraph (b)(2)(ii)(A) merely because it eliminates employee contributions for all... requirements—(1) In general. A contributory DB plan satisfies this paragraph (b)(2)(ii)(B) if it satisfies... employee's base benefit percentage as required under paragraph (b)(2)(iii)(B)(1) of this section, it may be...

26 CFR 1.401(a)(4)-6 - Contributory defined benefit plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... to satisfy this paragraph (b)(2)(ii)(A) merely because it eliminates employee contributions for all... requirements—(1) In general. A contributory DB plan satisfies this paragraph (b)(2)(ii)(B) if it satisfies... employee's base benefit percentage as required under paragraph (b)(2)(iii)(B)(1) of this section, it may be...

Contribution of FDOPA PET to radiotherapy planning for advanced glioma

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dowson, Nicholas; Fay, Michael; Thomas, Paul; Jeffree, Rosalind; McDowall, Robert; Winter, Craig; Coulthard, Alan; Smith, Jye; Gal, Yaniv; Bourgeat, Pierrick; Salvado, Olivier; Crozier, Stuart; Rose, Stephen

2014-03-01

Despite radical treatment with surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy, advanced gliomas recur within months. Geographic misses in radiotherapy planning may play a role in this seemingly ineluctable recurrence. Planning is typically performed on post-contrast MRIs, which are known to underreport tumour volume relative to FDOPA PET scans. FDOPA PET fused with contrast enhanced MRI has demonstrated greater sensitivity and specificity than MRI alone. One sign of potential misses would be differences between gross target volumes (GTVs) defined using MRI alone and when fused with PET. This work examined whether such a discrepancy may occur. Materials and Methods: For six patients, a 75 minute PET scan using 3,4-dihydroxy-6-18F-fluoro-L-phynel-alanine (18F-FDOPA) was taken within 2 days of gadolinium enhanced MRI scans. In addition to standard radiotherapy planning by an experienced radiotherapy oncologist, a second gross target volume (GTV) was defined by an experienced nuclear medicine specialist for fused PET and MRI, while blinded to the radiotherapy plans. The volumes from standard radiotherapy planning were compared to the PET defined GTV. Results: The comparison indicated radiotherapy planning would change in several cases if FDOPA PET data was available. PET-defined contours were external to 95% prescribed dose for several patients. However, due to the radiotherapy margins, the discrepancies were relatively small in size and all received a dose of 50 Gray or more. Conclusions: Given the limited size of the discrepancies it is uncertain that geographic misses played a major role in patient outcome. Even so, the existence of discrepancies indicates that FDOPA PET could assist in better defining margins when planning radiotherapy for advanced glioma, which could be important for highly conformal radiotherapy plans.

An Individual Perspective on Risk in a DC (Usually 401(k)) Environment.

PubMed

Rappaport, Anna M

2016-01-01

Traditional benefit packages once typically included defined benefit (DB) pension plans and focused on identifying the key financial risks facing employees, deciding which were more serious and developing strategies to protect employees from those risks. Today, defined contribution (DC) plans often are the primary retirement security vehicle, and much of the risk protection has been taken out of the benefits package. This article focuses on some of the risks facing employees, identifies which are covered by the typical 401(k) plan and which are not and provides ideas for managing risks not covered directly by the typical plan. There is substantial focus on long-term disability and longevity. The discussion spans savings and payout periods and suggests some ideas for the future, including greater integration of 401(k) plans with risk protection approaches. The article does not focus on investment risk and options.

[National plan for prevention in agriculture state of art and prosecution].

PubMed

Ariano, Eugenio

2013-01-01

Agricultural work submits to high risks for safety and health. In 2009, in execution of "workplace health protection pact" (DPCM 17.12.2007), has been defined the National Plan for prevention in agriculture and forestry, whose first three-year program ended in 2012. Goals were: to Systematize and to standardize direction and control activity, defining the number of factories to control, in most italian regions, for high and ubiquitous risks applying homogeneous standards, spending special attention to risks of fatal and serious injury; to develop agricultural machinery trade control, for new and second-hand machinery, for normalizing the whole fleet; to contribute to monitoring of risk factors and injury dynamics, for a better definition of prevention policies; to increase the knowledge of public health agency officers; to identify and to promote technical solutions, helping to define, in proper way, good practices for complex problems; to promote coordination between economic develop policies and prevention policies for agriculture, breeding and forestry, paying attention also to financial helps. The plan, divided in regional plans, obtained most of defined goals and allowed to build a permanent interregional net of referents and expert officers. Next years perspective is to enhance in developing the faced themes and objectives.

78 FR 42027 - Proposed Amendment To Advance Notice of Proposed Rulemaking for Pension Benefit Statements

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-15

...The Department of Labor is extending until August 7, 2013, the comment period for an advance notice of proposed rulemaking focusing on lifetime income illustrations given to participants in defined contribution pension plans, such as 401(k) and 403(b) plans. The ANPRM serves as a request for comments on specific language and concepts in advance of a proposed regulation.

26 CFR 1.401(a)(4)-2 - Nondiscrimination in amount of employer contributions under a defined contribution plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... greater of the allocations under two or more formulas, one of which is a top-heavy formula, the top-heavy... is the greater of the allocations under two or more formulas, and one or more of those formulas is... provide uniform allocations are permitted to satisfy this requirement by meeting one of the safe harbors...

26 CFR 1.401(a)(4)-2 - Nondiscrimination in amount of employer contributions under a defined contribution plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... greater of the allocations under two or more formulas, one of which is a top-heavy formula, the top-heavy... is the greater of the allocations under two or more formulas, and one or more of those formulas is... provide uniform allocations are permitted to satisfy this requirement by meeting one of the safe harbors...

A novel probabilistic approach to generating PTV with partial voxel contributions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsang, H. S.; Kamerling, C. P.; Ziegenhein, P.; Nill, S.; Oelfke, U.

2017-06-01

Radiotherapy treatment planning for use with high-energy photon beams currently employs a binary approach in defining the planning target volume (PTV). We propose a margin concept that takes the beam directions into account, generating beam-dependent PTVs (bdPTVs) on a beam-by-beam basis. The resulting degree of overlaps between the bdPTVs are used within the optimisation process; the optimiser effectively considers the same voxel to be both target and organ at risk (OAR) with fractional contributions. We investigate the impact of this novel approach when applied to prostate radiotherapy treatments, and compare treatment plans generated using beam dependent margins to conventional margins. Five prostate patients were used in this planning study, and plans using beam dependent margins improved the sparing of high doses to target-surrounding OARs, though a trade-off in delivering additional low dose to the OARs can be observed. Plans using beam dependent margins are observed to have a slightly reduced target coverage. Nevertheless, all plans are able to satisfy 90% population coverage with the target receiving at least 95% of the prescribed dose to D98% .

29 CFR 4003.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 9 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Definitions. 4003.2 Section 4003.2 Labor Regulations... OF AGENCY DECISIONS General Provisions § 4003.2 Definitions. The following terms are defined in § 4001.2 of this chapter: Code, contributing sponsor, controlled group, ERISA, multiemployer plan, PBGC...

29 CFR 4003.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 29 Labor 9 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Definitions. 4003.2 Section 4003.2 Labor Regulations... OF AGENCY DECISIONS General Provisions § 4003.2 Definitions. The following terms are defined in § 4001.2 of this chapter: Code, contributing sponsor, controlled group, ERISA, multiemployer plan, PBGC...

29 CFR 4003.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 29 Labor 9 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Definitions. 4003.2 Section 4003.2 Labor Regulations... OF AGENCY DECISIONS General Provisions § 4003.2 Definitions. The following terms are defined in § 4001.2 of this chapter: Code, contributing sponsor, controlled group, ERISA, multiemployer plan, PBGC...

29 CFR 4003.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 29 Labor 9 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Definitions. 4003.2 Section 4003.2 Labor Regulations... OF AGENCY DECISIONS General Provisions § 4003.2 Definitions. The following terms are defined in § 4001.2 of this chapter: Code, contributing sponsor, controlled group, ERISA, multiemployer plan, PBGC...

29 CFR 4003.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 29 Labor 9 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Definitions. 4003.2 Section 4003.2 Labor Regulations... OF AGENCY DECISIONS General Provisions § 4003.2 Definitions. The following terms are defined in § 4001.2 of this chapter: Code, contributing sponsor, controlled group, ERISA, multiemployer plan, PBGC...

Protecting drinkable water: an analysis of action plans and stakeholders' networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gascuel-Odoux, Chantal; Menard, Marjorie

2015-04-01

Since WFD the policy for protecting drinkable water has been enhanced in France. This policy establish the main components and the different steps for protecting drinkable water, and ask for defining and implementing an action plan for each contributing catchment. Despite ambitious objectives, the local implementation is difficult. Firstly there is a high diversity of stakeholders involved with local authorities, which are mainly: water agencies, agricultural chambers and consultants, authorities at regional and departmental levels. Most of the local authorities do not feel qualified enough for carrying out such a policy, as they are not really used to deal with technical and political issues related to agricultural diffuse pollutions. As a consequence assessed action plans are based on regulation and/or agri-environmental measures. More ambitious and complementary measures can be included, but without any support measure nor accurate objectives for their implementation. In the end, action plans reflect more a formal implementation of protection approaches than a search for efficiency by defining ambitious measures and the setting-up a consistent support scheme. The way stakeholders' networks mobilize knowledge have been analyzed based on ten case studies located in three different regions. Three local authorities profiles are defined: (1) the "passive" ones, not really convinced of the necessity to undertake actions against diffuse pollutions and/or having low level of knowledge to support local reflexion, that delegate project management; (2) the local authorities that support local protection approach but that, for different reasons, do not search for an effective action plan, and that only consider an improvement approach; (3) the local authorities that more rarely, aim at efficient actions, motivated by the urgent need of action for preserving threatened resources. According to these profiles, local authorities and their project coordinators will be looking for, more or less actively, mobilizing stakeholders' networks and knowledge that enable to build a strategic management. Reciprocally, institutional stakeholders push for more formal or demanding approaches, with most of the time low level of knowledge that could objectivize the relevance of action plans. This analysis contributes to help some key stakeholders, particularly local authorities, in building more efficient action plans.

Social Area Analysis in Program Evaluation and Planning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Piasecki, Joseph R.; Kamis-Gould, Edna

1981-01-01

Social area analysis (SAA) is defined, and its conceptual roots and principal applications identified. The utility of SAA is assessed by reviewing use of demographic data among several disciplines. Authors review seminal and recent contributions to the field. Ecological fallacies and other problematic facets of SAA are considered. (Author/DWH)

Coupling the Biophysical and Social Dimensions of Wildfire Risk to Improve Wildfire Mitigation Planning.

PubMed

Ager, Alan A; Kline, Jeffrey D; Fischer, A Paige

2015-08-01

We describe recent advances in biophysical and social aspects of risk and their potential combined contribution to improve mitigation planning on fire-prone landscapes. The methods and tools provide an improved method for defining the spatial extent of wildfire risk to communities compared to current planning processes. They also propose an expanded role for social science to improve understanding of community-wide risk perceptions and to predict property owners' capacities and willingness to mitigate risk by treating hazardous fuels and reducing the susceptibility of dwellings. In particular, we identify spatial scale mismatches in wildfire mitigation planning and their potential adverse impact on risk mitigation goals. Studies in other fire-prone regions suggest that these scale mismatches are widespread and contribute to continued wildfire dwelling losses. We discuss how risk perceptions and behavior contribute to scale mismatches and how they can be minimized through integrated analyses of landscape wildfire transmission and social factors that describe the potential for collaboration among landowners and land management agencies. These concepts are then used to outline an integrated socioecological planning framework to identify optimal strategies for local community risk mitigation and improve landscape-scale prioritization of fuel management investments by government entities. © 2015 Society for Risk Analysis.

[Plansalud: Decentralized and agreed sector plan for the capacity development in health, Peru 2010-2014].

PubMed

Huamán-Angulo, Lizardo; Liendo-Lucano, Lindaura; Nuñez-Vergara, Manuel

2011-06-01

Human resources are the backbone of health sector actions; however, they are not necessarily the area with the greatest attention, therefore, the Ministry of Health of Peru (MINSA) together with regional governments, led the Decentralized and Agreed Sector Plan for the Capacity Development in Health 2010-2014 (PLANSALUD) with the aim of strengthening the capacities of Human Resources for Health (HRH) and contribute to health care efficient development, quality, relevance, equity and multiculturalism, in the context of descentralization, the Universal Health Insurance (AUS) and health policies. To achieve this goal, they have proposed three components (technical assistance, joint training and education - health articulation) that bring together an important set of interventions, which are planned and defined according to the national, regional and local levels, thus contributing to improve the government capacity, capability management and delivery of health services. This paper presents a first approach of PLANSALUD, including aspects related to planning, management, financing, structure and functioning, as well as monitoring and evaluation measures.

Dorsal hippocampus contributes to model-based planning.

PubMed

Miller, Kevin J; Botvinick, Matthew M; Brody, Carlos D

2017-09-01

Planning can be defined as action selection that leverages an internal model of the outcomes likely to follow each possible action. Its neural mechanisms remain poorly understood. Here we adapt recent advances from human research for rats, presenting for the first time an animal task that produces many trials of planned behavior per session, making multitrial rodent experimental tools available to study planning. We use part of this toolkit to address a perennially controversial issue in planning: the role of the dorsal hippocampus. Although prospective hippocampal representations have been proposed to support planning, intact planning in animals with damaged hippocampi has been repeatedly observed. Combining formal algorithmic behavioral analysis with muscimol inactivation, we provide causal evidence directly linking dorsal hippocampus with planning behavior. Our results and methods open the door to new and more detailed investigations of the neural mechanisms of planning in the hippocampus and throughout the brain.

Having it all: national benefit equity and local payment parity in Medicare.

PubMed

Dowd, Bryan; Feldman, Roger

2002-01-01

The Medicare Payment Advisory Commission (MedPAC) has identified two important problems with the Medicare+Choice (M+C) program: nationwide geographic inequity in government-financed benefits, and unequal government payments for M+C plans versus fee-for-service (FFS) Medicare in the same market area. MedPAC concludes that both problems cannot be solved simultaneously. We argue that both problems could be solved if Congress discontinued its policy of underwriting the cost of FFS Medicare. Instead, Congress should define a national entitlement benefit package and have all health plans submit bids on the package in each market area. The government's premium contribution should be equal to the lowest bid submitted by a qualified health plan in each market area. The contribution could be adjusted for health risk, the special obligations of FFS Medicare, and welfare enhancements associated with FFS Medicare that are valued by both beneficiaries and taxpayers but unrelated to beneficiaries' health status.

A Study on Strategic Planning and Procurement of Medicals in Uganda’s Regional Referral Hospitals

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

This study was an analysis of the effect of strategic planning on procurement of medicals in Uganda’s regional referral hospitals (RRH’s). Medicals were defined as essential medicines, medical devices and medical equipment. The Ministry of Health (MOH) has been carrying out strategic planning for the last 15 years via the Health Sector Strategic Plans. Their assumption was that strategic planning would translate to strategic procurement and consequently, availability of medicals in the RRH’s. However, despite the existence of these plans, there have been many complaints about expired drugs and shortages in RRH’s. For this purpose, a third variable was important because it served the role of mediation. A questionnaire was used to obtain information on perceptions of 206 respondents who were selected using simple random sampling. 8 key informant interviews were held, 2 in each RRH. 4 Focus Group Discussions were held, 1 for each RRH, and between 5 and 8 staff took part as discussants for approximately three hours. The findings suggested that strategic planning was affected by funding to approximately 34% while the relationship between funding and procurement was 35%. The direct relationship between strategic planning and procurement was 18%. However when the total causal effect was computed it turned out that strategic planning and the related variable of funding contributed 77% to procurement of medicals under the current hierarchical model where MOH is charged with development of strategic plans for the entire health sector. Since even with this contribution there were complaints, the study proposed a new model called CALF which according to a simulation, if adopted by MOH, strategic planning would contribute 87% to effectiveness in procurement of medicals. PMID:28299158

A Study on Strategic Planning and Procurement of Medicals in Uganda's Regional Referral Hospitals.

PubMed

Masembe, Ishak Kamaradi

2016-12-31

This study was an analysis of the effect of strategic planning on procurement of medicals in Uganda's regional referral hospitals (RRH's). Medicals were defined as essential medicines, medical devices and medical equipment. The Ministry of Health (MOH) has been carrying out strategic planning for the last 15 years via the Health Sector Strategic Plans. Their assumption was that strategic planning would translate to strategic procurement and consequently, availability of medicals in the RRH's. However, despite the existence of these plans, there have been many complaints about expired drugs and shortages in RRH's. For this purpose, a third variable was important because it served the role of mediation. A questionnaire was used to obtain information on perceptions of 206 respondents who were selected using simple random sampling. 8 key informant interviews were held, 2 in each RRH. 4 Focus Group Discussions were held, 1 for each RRH, and between 5 and 8 staff took part as discussants for approximately three hours. The findings suggested that strategic planning was affected by funding to approximately 34% while the relationship between funding and procurement was 35%. The direct relationship between strategic planning and procurement was 18%. However when the total causal effect was computed it turned out that strategic planning and the related variable of funding contributed 77% to procurement of medicals under the current hierarchical model where MOH is charged with development of strategic plans for the entire health sector. Since even with this contribution there were complaints, the study proposed a new model called CALF which according to a simulation, if adopted by MOH, strategic planning would contribute 87% to effectiveness in procurement of medicals.

26 CFR 1.219-2 - Definition of active participant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 3 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Definition of active participant. 1.219-2... Definition of active participant. (a) In general. This section defines the term active participant for... active participant in such a plan is not allowed a deduction under section 219(a) for contributions to an...

26 CFR 1.219-2 - Definition of active participant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 3 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Definition of active participant. 1.219-2... Definition of active participant. (a) In general. This section defines the term active participant for... active participant in such a plan is not allowed a deduction under section 219(a) for contributions to an...

26 CFR 1.219-2 - Definition of active participant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 3 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Definition of active participant. 1.219-2... Definition of active participant. (a) In general. This section defines the term active participant for... active participant in such a plan is not allowed a deduction under section 219(a) for contributions to an...

26 CFR 1.219-2 - Definition of active participant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 3 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Definition of active participant. 1.219-2... Definition of active participant. (a) In general. This section defines the term active participant for... active participant in such a plan is not allowed a deduction under section 219(a) for contributions to an...

78 FR 22827 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; State of Kansas; Infrastructure SIP...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-17

... strategies to reduce air pollution. Based upon review of the state's infrastructure SIP submissions for the... the Kansas Air Quality Act through the Division of Environment within KDHE. Air pollution is defined... cause or contribute to air pollution. Furthermore, the Secretary has the authority to require such air...

Pension Choices and the Savings Patterns of Public School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldhaber, Dan; Grout, Cyrus

2016-01-01

This paper examines the savings behavior of public school teachers who are enrolled in a hybrid pension plan that includes a defined contribution (DC) component. Few states have incorporated DC features into teacher pension systems and little is known about how providing teachers with greater control over deferred compensation might affect their…

The Development of the New York State Bank of Reading Objectives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Reilly, Robert P.

This report presents the rationale, structure, content and procedures for the computerized bank of reading objectives being developed for New York State schools. The project was initiated to provide a technical resource which would contribute to planning, design, and evaluation of reading programs. The report defines the organizing concepts for…

76 FR 62635 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Commonwealth of Virginia; Section...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-11

... statute. Certain other material, such as copyrighted material, is not placed on the Internet and will be... 25162, May 12, 2005) (defining, among other things, the phrase ``contribute significantly to... independently of the assessment process; (3) that demonstrate a clear, imminent and substantial danger to the...

Connecting the Links: Narratives, Simulations and Serious Games in Prehospital Training.

PubMed

Heldal, Ilona; Backlund, Per; Johannesson, Mikael; Lebram, Mikael; Lundberg, Lars

2017-01-01

Due to rapid and substantial changes in the health sector, collaboration and supporting technologies get more into focus. Changes in education and training are also required. Simulations and serious games (SSG) are often advocated as promising technologies supporting training of many and in the same manner, or increasing the skills necessary to deal with new, dangerous, complex or unexpected situations. The aim of this paper is to illustrate and discuss resources needed for planning and performing collaborative contextual training scenarios. Based on a practical study involving prehospital nurses and different simulator technologies the often-recurring activity chains in prehospital training were trained. This paper exemplifies the benefit of using narratives and SSGs for contextual training contributing to higher user experiences. The benefits of using simulation technologies aligned by processes can be easier defined by narratives from practitioners. While processes help to define more efficient and effective training, narratives and SSGs are beneficial to design scenarios with clues for higher user experiences. By discussing illustrative examples, the paper contributes to better understanding of how to plan simulation-technology rich training scenarios.

Linking Strategic Planning and Management Control.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-03-01

contribution it intends to make to its shareholders, employees, customers, and communities . Corporate strategy defines the businesses in which a...identifies six factors to consider regarding strategy implementation. How to communicate the 42 .................... . -.......... . corporate goals is...D. Irwin, Inc., 1975. Anthony, R. N., and Welsch, G. A., Fundamentals of Management Accounting, Richard D. Irwin, Inc., 1974. Argenti , J., Corporate

Institutional Image: How to Define, Improve, Market It.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Topor, Robert S.

Advice for colleges on how to identify, develop, and communicate a positive image for the institution is offered in this handbook. The use of market research techniques to measure image is discussed along with advice on how to improve an image so that it contributes to a unified marketing plan. The first objective is to create and communicate some…

26 CFR 1.436-1 - Limits on benefits and benefit accruals under single employer defined benefit plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... information regarding a social security leveling optional form of benefit) is needed to make that... (plus any social security supplements described in the last sentence of section 411(a)(9) payable to the... rule for forms which include social security leveling or a refund of employee contributions. For an...

Tax reform options: promoting retirement security.

PubMed

VanDerhei, Jack

2011-11-01

TAX PROPOSALS: Currently, the combination of worker and employer contributions in a defined contribution plan is capped by the federal tax code at the lesser of $49,000 per year or 100 percent of a worker's compensation (participants over age 50 can make additional "catch-up" contributions). As part of the effort to lower the federal deficit and reduce federal "tax expenditures," two major reform proposals have surfaced that would change current tax policy toward retirement savings: A plan that would end the existing tax deductions for 401(k) contributions and replace them with a flat-rate refundable credit that serves as a matching contribution into a retirement savings account. The so-called "20/20 cap," included by the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform in their December 2010 report, "The Moment of Truth," which would limit the sum of employer and worker annual contributions to the lower of $20,000 or 20 percent of income, the so-called "20/20 cap." IMPACT OF PERMANENTLY MODIFYING THE EXCLUSION OF EMPLOYEE CONTRIBUTIONS FOR RETIREMENT SAVINGS PLANS FROM TAXABLE INCOME: If the current exclusion of worker contributions for retirement savings plans were ended in 2012 and the total match remains constant, the average reductions in 401(k) accounts at Social Security normal retirement age would range from a low of 11.2 percent for workers currently ages 26-35 in the highest-income groups, to a high of 24.2 percent for workers in that age range in the lowest-income group. IMPACT OF "20/20 CAP": Earlier EBRI analysis of enacting the 20/20 cap starting in 2012 showed it would, as expected, most affect those with high income. However, EBRI also found the cap would cause a significant reduction in retirement savings by the lowest-income workers as well, and younger cohorts would experience larger reductions given their increased exposure to the proposal. IMPORTANCE OF EMPLOYER-SPONSORED RETIREMENT PLANS AND AUTO-ENROLLMENT: A key factor in future retirement income security is whether a worker has access to a retirement plan at work. EBRI has found that voluntary enrollment in 401(k) plans under the current set of tax incentives has the potential to generate a sum that, when combined with Social Security benefits, would replace a sizeable portion of a worker's preretirement income, and that auto-enrollment could produce even larger retirement accumulations. POTENTIAL INCREASE OF AMERICANS FACING INADEQUATE RETIREMENT INCOME: The potential increase of at-risk percentages resulting from (1) employer modifications to existing plans, and (2) a substantial portion of low-income households decreasing or eliminating future contributions to savings plans as a reaction to the proposed elimination of the exclusion of employee contributions for retirement savings plans from taxable income, needs to be analyzed carefully when considering the overall impact of proposals to change existing tax incentives for retirement savings.

The 1989 long-range program plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

The President's National Space Policy of 1988 reaffirms that space activities serve a variety of vital national goals and objectives, including the strengthening of U.S. scientific, technological, political, economic, and international leadership. The new policy stresses that civil space activities contribute significantly to enhancing America's world leadership. Goals and objectives must be defined and redefined, and each advance toward a given objective must be viewed as a potential building block for future programs. This important evolutionary process for research and development is reflected, describing NASA's program planning for FY89 and later years. This plan outlines the direction of NASA's future activities by discussing goals, objectives, current programs, and plans for the future. The 1989 plan is consistent with national policy for both space and aeronautics, and with the FY89 budget that the President submitted to Congress in February 1988.

Questions and answers on employee benefit issues.

PubMed

1994-06-01

This Issue Brief addresses 19 topics in the areas of pensions, health insurance, and other benefits. In addition to the topics listed below, the report includes data on the prevalence of benefits, tax incentives associated with benefits, lump-sum distributions, number of private pension plans, pension coverage rates, 401(k) plans, employer spending on group health insurance, self-insured health plans, employer initiatives to reduce health care costs, and employers' response to the retiree health benefits accounting rule, and flexible benefits plans. In 1992, U.S. employers (public and private) spent $629 billion for noncash benefits, representing nearly 18 percent of total compensation, excluding paid time off. In 1992, 71 percent of the 50.1 million individuals aged 55 and over received retirement benefits, including distributions from private and public pensions, annuities, individual retirement accounts, Keoghs, 401(k)s, and Social Security. Among the 76 percent of all private pension plan participants who participated in a single plan, 30 percent named a defined benefit plan as their pension plan type, 58 percent named a defined contribution plan as their pension plan type, and 12 percent did not know their plan type. Private and public pension funds held more than $4.6 trillion in assets at the end of 1993. The 1993 year-end assets are more than triple the asset level of 1983 (nominal terms). According to the Congressional Budget Office, U.S. expenditures on health care were expected to have reached $898 billion in 1993, up from $751.8 billion in 1991, an increase of 19.4 percent in nominal terms.

MO-G-201-01: A Multi-Institutional Study Investigating the Performance of a Knowledge-Based Planning System Against Pinnacle Auto-Planning Engine in SIB-IMRT for the Head-And-Neck Cancer

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

Wu, B; Pang, D; Kusters, M

Purpose: Knowledge-based Planning (KBP) founded on prior planning experience and Auto-Planning Engine (APE; commercialized in Pinnacle v9.10 TPS) based on progressive optimization algorithm both aim to eliminate the trial-and-error process in radiotherapy inverse planning. This study investigates the performance of the approaches in a multi-institutional setting to evaluate their functionalities in oropharyngeal cancer and offers suggestions how they can be implemented in the clinic. Methods: Radboud University Medical Center (RUMC) provided 35 oropharyngeal cancer patients (SIB-IMRT with two-dose-level prescription: 68 Gy to PTV68 and 50.3 Gy to PTV50.3) with corresponding comparative APE plans. Johns Hopkins University (JHU) contributed to amore » three-dose-level (70 Gy 63 Gy and 58.1 Gy) plan library for RUMC’s patient KBP generation. MedStar Georgetown University Hospital (MGUH) contributed to a KBP approach employing overlap-volume histogram (OVH-KBP) for generating RUMC’s patient KBP plans using JHU’s plan library. Since both approaches need their own user-defined parameters as initial inputs the first 10 patients were set aside as training set to finalize them. Meanwhile cross-institutional comparisons and adjustments were implemented for investigating institutions’ protocol discrepancies and the approaches’ user-defined parameters were updated accordingly. The finalized parameters were then applied to the remaining 25 patients for OVH-KBP and APE generation. A Wilcoxon rank-sum test was used for statistical comparison with significance level of p<0.05. Results: On average PTV68’s V95 was 96.5% in APE plans vs. 97% in OVH-KBP plans (p=0.36); PTV50.3’s V95 in APE plans was 97.8% vs.97.6% in OVH-KBP plans (p=0.6); cord’s D0.1 cc was 38.6 Gy in OVH-KBP plans vs. 43.7 Gy in APE plans (p=0.0001); mean doses to larynxes oral cavities parotids and submandibular glands were similar with p>0.2. Conclusions: The study demonstrates that KBP and APE can generate plans of comparable quality in a multi-institutional setting. Variations in clinical protocols can be effectively addressed for cross-institutional adaptations. Binbin Wu and Todd McNutt are the co-inventors of a patent associated with the proposed knowledge-based planning system which was licensed to Varian Medical Systems in 2015; This research was in part supported by Philips Radiation Oncology Systems.« less

Avenues into Food Planning: A Review of Scholarly Food System Research

PubMed Central

Brinkley, Catherine

2014-01-01

This review summarizes several avenues of planning inquiry into food systems research, revealing gaps in the literature, allied fields of study and mismatches between scholarly disciplines and the food system life cycle. Planners and scholars in associated fields have identified and defined problems in the food system as ‘wicked’ problems, complex environmental issues that require systemic solutions at the community scale. While food justice scholars have contextualized problem areas, planning scholars have made a broad case for planning involvement in solving these wicked problems while ensuring that the functional and beneficial parts of the food system continue to thrive. This review maps the entry points of scholarly interest in food systems and planning’s contributions to its study, charting a research agenda for the future. PMID:24932131

Science and Observation Recommendations for Future NASA Carbon Cycle Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McClain, Charles R.; Collatz, G. J.; Kawa, S. R.; Gregg, W. W.; Gervin, J. C.; Abshire, J. B.; Andrews, A. E.; Behrenfeld, M. J.; Demaio, L. D.; Knox, R. G.

2002-01-01

Between October 2000 and June 2001, an Agency-wide planning, effort was organized by elements of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) to define future research and technology development activities. This planning effort was conducted at the request of the Associate Administrator of the Office of Earth Science (Code Y), Dr. Ghassem Asrar, at NASA Headquarters (HQ). The primary points of contact were Dr. Mary Cleave, Deputy Associate Administrator for Advanced Planning at NASA HQ (Headquarters) and Dr. Charles McClain of the Office of Global Carbon Studies (Code 970.2) at GSFC. During this period, GSFC hosted three workshops to define the science requirements and objectives, the observational and modeling requirements to meet the science objectives, the technology development requirements, and a cost plan for both the science program and new flight projects that will be needed for new observations beyond the present or currently planned. The plan definition process was very intensive as HQ required the final presentation package by mid-June 2001. This deadline was met and the recommendations were ultimately refined and folded into a broader program plan, which also included climate modeling, aerosol observations, and science computing technology development, for contributing to the President's Climate Change Research Initiative. This technical memorandum outlines the process and recommendations made for cross-cutting carbon cycle research as presented in June. A separate NASA document outlines the budget profiles or cost analyses conducted as part of the planning effort.

Contracting-out in the United Kingdom: a partnership between social security and private pension plans.

PubMed

Daykin, Chris

2002-01-01

Contracting-out was introduced in the United Kingdom in 1978 as part of the arrangements for the State Earnings-Related Pension Scheme (SERPS) in order to avoid duplication with the existing well-developed defined benefit occupational pension plan sector. Members and sponsors of contracted-out schemes were able to save on their social security contributions in recognition of the fact that they were accruing equivalent benefits through an occupational pension plan. Later on this concept was extended to those with individual money purchase pension plans. This article considers a brief history of contracting-out, the principles of contracting-out, some problems associated with contracting-out, the implications of the introduction of stakeholder pensions and State Second Pension, and the latest rebate review and rebate orders. It examines how U.K. pensions policy since 1978 has been based on a partnership between social security and private pension plans.

Pension Plan Types and Financial Literacy in Later Life.

PubMed

Li, Yang; Burr, Jeffrey A; Miller, Edward Alan

2017-09-09

The ongoing shift from defined benefit (DB) to defined contribution (DC) pension plans means that middle-aged and older adults are increasingly being called upon to manage their own fiscal security in retirement. Yet, half of older Americans are financially illiterate, lacking the knowledge and skills to manage financial resources. This study investigates whether pension plan types are associated with varying levels of financial literacy among older Americans. Cross-sectional analyses of the 2010 Health and Retirement Study (HRS) (n = 1,281) using logistic and linear regression models were employed to investigate the association between different pension plans and multiple indicators of financial literacy. The potential moderating effect of gender was also examined. Respondents with DC plans, with or without additional DB plans, were more likely to correctly answer various financial literacy questions, in comparison with respondents with DB plans only. Men with both DC and DB plans scored significantly higher on the financial literacy index than women with both types of plans, relative to respondents with DB plans only. Middle-aged and older adults, who are incentivized by participation in DC plans to manage financial resources and decide where to invest pension funds, tend to self-educate to improve financial knowledge and skills, thereby resulting in greater financial literacy. This finding suggests that traditional financial education programs may not be the only means of achieving financial literacy. Further consideration should be given to providing older adults with continued, long-term exposure to financial decision-making opportunities. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Defining Elements in the Planning of Early Childhood [Classrooms] as Parameters in the Development and Education of the Child.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bika, Anastasia

Noting that the design of the classroom used for early childhood and kindergarten classes can contribute in powerful ways to the education of young children, this paper applies principles of architecture to the organization and shaping of the interior classroom space. The paper maintains that five principles, when applied, create a climate of…

Director, Operational Test and Evaluation

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-12-01

important, and all – collectively – are necessary to properly set requirements, incentivize industry, oversee system design and development, and finally...evaluation planning which defines testing required for all system-level evaluation. • Enable access to all system-level test data by government DT...responsible for sustainment cost estimates, and with the OTAs, to contribute relevant data. As with all new missions, there is a question of resources

Improve strategic supplier performance using DMAIC to develop a Quality Improvement Plan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jardim, Kevin P.

Supplier performance that meets the requirements of the customer has long plagued quality professionals. Despite the vast efforts by organizations to improve supplier performance, little has been done to standardize the plan to improve performance. This project presents a guideline and problem-solving strategy using a Define, Measure, Analyze, Improve, and Control (DMAIC) structured tool that will assist in the management and improvement of supplier performance. An analysis of benchmarked Quality Improvement Plans indicated that this topic needs more focus on how to accomplish improved supplier performance. This project is part of a growing body of supplier continuous improvement efforts. With the input of Zodiac Aerospace quality professionals this project's results provide a solution to Quality Improvement Plans and show objective evidence of its benefits. This project contributes to the future research on similar topics.

Technical Note: A treatment plan comparison between dynamic collimation and a fixed aperture during spot scanning proton therapy for brain treatment

PubMed Central

Smith, Blake; Gelover, Edgar; Moignier, Alexandra; Wang, Dongxu; Flynn, Ryan T.; Lin, Liyong; Kirk, Maura; Solberg, Tim; Hyer, Daniel E.

2016-01-01

Purpose: To quantitatively assess the advantages of energy-layer specific dynamic collimation system (DCS) versus a per-field fixed aperture for spot scanning proton therapy (SSPT). Methods: Five brain cancer patients previously planned and treated with SSPT were replanned using an in-house treatment planning system capable of modeling collimated and uncollimated proton beamlets. The uncollimated plans, which served as a baseline for comparison, reproduced the target coverage and organ-at-risk sparing of the clinically delivered plans. The collimator opening for the fixed aperture-based plans was determined from the combined cross sections of the target in the beam’s eye view over all energy layers which included an additional margin equivalent to the maximum beamlet displacement for the respective energy of that energy layer. The DCS-based plans were created by selecting appropriate collimator positions for each row of beam spots during a Raster-style scanning pattern which were optimized to maximize the dose contributions to the target and limited the dose delivered to adjacent normal tissue. Results: The reduction of mean dose to normal tissue adjacent to the target, as defined by a 10 mm ring surrounding the target, averaged 13.65% (range: 11.8%–16.9%) and 5.18% (2.9%–7.1%) for the DCS and fixed aperture plans, respectively. The conformity index, as defined by the ratio of the volume of the 50% isodose line to the target volume, yielded an average improvement of 21.35% (19.4%–22.6%) and 8.38% (4.7%–12.0%) for the DCS and fixed aperture plans, respectively. Conclusions: The ability of the DCS to provide collimation to each energy layer yielded better conformity in comparison to fixed aperture plans. PMID:27487886

Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Institutional Plan FY 2000-2004

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

Chartock, Mike; Hansen, Todd

1999-08-01

The FY 2000-2004 Institutional Plan provides an overview of the Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (Berkeley Lab, the Laboratory) mission, strategic plan, initiatives, and the resources required to fulfill its role in support of national needs in fundamental science and technology, energy resources, and environmental quality. To advance the Department of Energy's ongoing efforts to define the Integrated Laboratory System, the Berkeley Lab Institutional Plan reflects the strategic elements of our planning efforts. The Institutional Plan is a management report that supports the Department of Energy's mission and programs and is an element of the Department of Energy's strategicmore » management planning activities, developed through an annual planning process. The Plan supports the Government Performance and Results Act of 1993 and complements the performance-based contract between the Department of Energy and the Regents of the University of California. It identifies technical and administrative directions in the context of the national energy policy and research needs and the Department of Energy's program planning initiatives. Preparation of the plan is coordinated by the Office of Planning and Communications from information contributed by Berkeley Lab's scientific and support divisions.« less

Defining community readiness for the implementation of a system of care.

PubMed

Behar, Lenore B; Hydaker, William M

2009-11-01

Developing systems of care for children with emotional disorders requires changes in the organization and delivery of services. Using concept mapping, the authors conducted a study to define factors of a community's readiness to make such changes. Participants were from 25 of 27 federally-funded, advanced sites, plus a panel of experts. The participants completed three tasks: brainstorming, rating, and sorting. This process produced eight factors: Leadership, Network of Local Partners, Shared Goals, Collaboration, Families and Youth as Partners, Accountability, Evaluation, and Plans to Expand Services. Understanding factors that contribute to successful implementation should help communities identify and make needed changes.

Family Planning Supply Environment in Kinshasa, DRC: Survey Findings and Their Value in Advancing Family Planning Programming.

PubMed

Kayembe, Patrick; Babazadeh, Saleh; Dikamba, Nelly; Akilimali, Pierre; Hernandez, Julie; Binanga, Arsene; Bertrand, Jane T

2015-12-01

Modern contraceptive prevalence was 14.1% in 2007 in Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Yet virtually nothing was known about the family planning supply environment. Three surveys of health facilities were conducted in 2012, 2013, and 2014 to determine the number, spatial distribution, and attributes of sites providing family planning services. The 2012 and 2013 surveys aimed to identify the universe of family planning facilities while obtaining a limited set of data on "readiness" to provide family planning services (defined as having at least 3 modern methods, at least 1 person training in family planning in the last 3 years, and an information system to track distribution of products to clients) and output (measured by couple-years of protection, or CYP). In contrast, the 2014 survey, conducted under the umbrella of the Performance Monitoring and Accountability 2020 (PMA2020) project, was based on 2-stage cluster sampling. This article provides detailed analysis of the 2012 and 2013 surveys, including bivariate and multivariate analysis of correlates of readiness to provide services and of output. We identified 184 health facilities that reported providing at least 1 contraceptive method in 2012 and 395 facilities in 2013. The percentage of sites defined as "ready" to provide services increased from 44.1% in 2012 to 63.3% in 2013. For the 3-month period between January and March 2013, facilities distributed between 0 and 879.2 CYP (mean, 39.7). Nearly half (49%) of the CYP was attributable to implants, followed by IUDs (24%), CycleBeads (11%), and injectables (8%). In 2013, facilities supported by PEPFAR (n = 121) were more likely than other facilities to be rated as ready to provide services (P<.0001); however, PEPFAR-supported sites generated less CYP on average than sites supported by family planning implementing agencies (P<.0001). Multivariate analysis showed 3 variables were associated with CYP: type of health facility, length of time in operation, and number of contraceptive methods available. Clinics generated higher (3-month) CYP than hospitals and health centers by 65.3 and 61.5 units, respectively (P<.01). The mean CYP for facilities in operation for 4-6 years was 26.9 units higher (P<.05), and 50.2 units higher for those operating 7+ years (P<.01), than the reference group of facilities in operation for 1 year or less. For each additional method available at a facility, CYP increased by almost 8 units (P<.01). Findings from these surveys suggest that lack of physical access is not the defining reason for low contraceptive use in Kinshasa, although it is highly likely that other service-related factors contribute to low service utilization. The results contributed to increasing the momentum for family planning in the DRC in many ways, including mobilizing partners to increase contraceptive access and increasing donor investment in family planning in the DRC. © Kayembe et al.

Workshop on Research for Space Exploration: Physical Sciences and Process Technology

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singh, Bhim S.

1998-01-01

This report summarizes the results of a workshop sponsored by the Microgravity Research Division of NASA to define contributions the microgravity research community can provide to advance the human exploration of space. Invited speakers and attendees participated in an exchange of ideas to identify issues of interest in physical sciences and process technologies. This workshop was part of a continuing effort to broaden the contribution of the microgravity research community toward achieving the goals of the space agency in human exploration, as identified in the NASA Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) strategic plan. The Microgravity program is one of NASA'a major links to academic and industrial basic research in the physical and engineering sciences. At present, it supports close to 400 principal investigators, who represent many of the nation's leading researchers in the physical and engineering sciences and biotechnology. The intent of the workshop provided a dialogue between NASA and this large, influential research community, mission planners and industry technical experts with the goal of defining enabling research for the Human Exploration and Development of Space activities to which the microgravity research community can contribute.

26 CFR 1.401(a)(9)-6 - Required minimum distributions for defined benefit plans and annuity contracts.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 5 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Required minimum distributions for defined...-Sharing, Stock Bonus Plans, Etc. § 1.401(a)(9)-6 Required minimum distributions for defined benefit plans and annuity contracts. Q-1. How must distributions under a defined benefit plan be paid in order to...

Strategic Retirement Reform: Identifying the Broader Strategic Effects from Changes in Human Capital

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-12-01

service and what factors influence their decisions?  What are the potential implications from adopting a defined contribution military retirement system...that best accommodated their personal schedules. After initial sign up , the focus groups were organized and conducted. Focus groups were scheduled to...positive or negative shock, or some other factor , compels a person to “evaluate against (a) a preexisting plan of action; (b) the individual’s values

New NATO Members: Security Consumers or Producers?

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-04-01

political constraints.3 Dr. Jamie Shea Director of Policy Planning, NATO Burden-sharing can be defined as “the distribution of costs and risks among...certainly a “guns versus butter ” debate in the allocation of resources, the demand for military expenditures is more complex. Social welfare spending...Outputs. At the end of the day, political solidarity is more important than specific notions of equal numerical contributions.64 Dr. Jamie Shea Director

State and local retirement plans: innovation and renovation.

PubMed

Rajnes, D

2001-07-01

This Special Report/Issue Brief examines the universe of state and local retirement plans. It describes how these plans have developed and continue to evolve in a number of areas, including plan features, regulatory framework, governance, and asset management. While these retirement programs differ in many respects from private-sector plans, the disparity in some areas has narrowed. This report also includes a discussion of trends and the underlying forces for change. Public-sector retirement programs provide an important source of pension coverage in the United States, and are a significant part of the total retirement market: Combined public-sector retirement assets (state, local, and federal governments) comprised 29 percent of the $11.2 trillion U.S. retirement market in 1998. State and local plans are dominant in the public-sector retirement market, holding $2.7 trillion in assets, compared with $696 billion held by federal plans (both military and civilian). More than 16 million individuals are employed by state and local jurisdictions in the United States. State and local retirement plans share certain common features because of the environment in which they operate. Legal statutes, governance, and tradition all play a role in defining what is sometimes referred to as a "public-sector culture." Despite common features, there is considerable diversity among public-sector retirement plans. To attract and retain a skilled work force, public-sector employers have increased their use of defined contribution (DC) plans to supplement defined benefit (DB) plans (or, to a lesser extent, replace or serve as an alternative to them) and improve cost-of-living adjustments. At the same time, a combined federal-state regulatory framework has encouraged certain plan design features, unavailable in the private sector, which include multiple tiers for successive generations of employees in a single plan and different strategies to increase portability. State and local retirement plans reflect an increasing role by the federal government in pension system design and operation, which has led to greater complexity in such areas as Social Security participation and deferred compensation arrangements. Complexity can be expected to increase with the recent passage of P.L. 107-16, the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001. The latest full-year data included in this report are for 1999 and in some cases 2000. After this report went to press, the Federal Reserve issued significantly revised quarterly data for state, local, and federal retirement plan assets, which were not incorporated in this Issue Brief.

Development of methodologies and procedures for identifying STS users and uses

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Archer, J. L.; Beauchamp, N. A.; Macmichael, D. C.

1974-01-01

A study was conducted to identify new uses and users of the new Space Transporation System (STS) within the domestic government sector. The study develops a series of analytical techniques and well-defined functions structured as an integrated planning process to assure efficient and meaningful use of the STS. The purpose of the study is to provide NASA with the following functions: (1) to realize efficient and economic use of the STS and other NASA capabilities, (2) to identify new users and uses of the STS, (3) to contribute to organized planning activities for both current and future programs, and (4) to air in analyzing uses of NASA's overall capabilities.

Accident Response and Investigation Plan

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1995-11-01

The purpose of this plan is to identify and define the responsibilities of the various parties involved should an accident, incident, or other occurrence (as defined herein) occur for which OCST has responsibility. In so doing, the plan: : o Defines ...

Fly-by-light flight control system technology development plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chakravarty, A.; Berwick, J. W.; Griffith, D. M.; Marston, S. E.; Norton, R. L.

1990-01-01

The results of a four-month, phased effort to develop a Fly-by-Light Technology Development Plan are documented. The technical shortfalls for each phase were identified and a development plan to bridge the technical gap was developed. The production configuration was defined for a 757-type airplane, but it is suggested that the demonstration flight be conducted on the NASA Transport Systems Research Vehicle. The modifications required and verification and validation issues are delineated in this report. A detailed schedule for the phased introduction of fly-by-light system components has been generated. It is concluded that a fiber-optics program would contribute significantly toward developing the required state of readiness that will make a fly-by-light control system not only cost effective but reliable without mitigating the weight and high-energy radio frequency related benefits.

More choice in health insurance marketplaces may reduce the value of the subsidies available to low-income enrollees.

PubMed

Taylor, Erin A; Saltzman, Evan; Bauhoff, Sebastian; Pacula, Rosalie L; Eibner, Christine

2015-01-01

Federal subsidies available to enrollees in health insurance Marketplaces are pegged to the premium of the second-lowest-cost silver plan available in each rating area (as defined by each state). People who qualify for the subsidy contribute a percentage of their income to purchase coverage, and the federal government covers the remaining cost up to the price of that premium. Because the number of plans offered and plan premiums vary substantially across rating areas, the effective value of the subsidy may vary geographically. We found that the availability of more plans in a rating area was associated with lower premiums but higher deductibles for enrollees in the second-lowest-cost silver plan. In rating areas with more than twenty plans, the average deductible in the second-lowest-cost silver plan was nearly $1,000 higher than it was in rating areas with fewer than thirteen plans. Because premium costs for second-lowest-cost silver plans are capped, deductibles may be a more salient measure of plan value for enrollees than premiums are. Greater standardization of plans or an alternative approach to calculating the subsidy could provide a more consistent benefit to enrollees across various rating areas. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

The Evolution of Gene Regulatory Networks that Define Arthropod Body Plans.

PubMed

Auman, Tzach; Chipman, Ariel D

2017-09-01

Our understanding of the genetics of arthropod body plan development originally stems from work on Drosophila melanogaster from the late 1970s and onward. In Drosophila, there is a relatively detailed model for the network of gene interactions that proceeds in a sequential-hierarchical fashion to define the main features of the body plan. Over the years, we have a growing understanding of the networks involved in defining the body plan in an increasing number of arthropod species. It is now becoming possible to tease out the conserved aspects of these networks and to try to reconstruct their evolution. In this contribution, we focus on several key nodes of these networks, starting from early patterning in which the main axes are determined and the broad morphological domains of the embryo are defined, and on to later stage wherein the growth zone network is active in sequential addition of posterior segments. The pattern of conservation of networks is very patchy, with some key aspects being highly conserved in all arthropods and others being very labile. Many aspects of early axis patterning are highly conserved, as are some aspects of sequential segment generation. In contrast, regional patterning varies among different taxa, and some networks, such as the terminal patterning network, are only found in a limited range of taxa. The growth zone segmentation network is ancient and is probably plesiomorphic to all arthropods. In some insects, it has undergone significant modification to give rise to a more hardwired network that generates individual segments separately. In other insects and in most arthropods, the sequential segmentation network has undergone a significant amount of systems drift, wherein many of the genes have changed. However, it maintains a conserved underlying logic and function. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

The global agenda on influenza surveillance and control.

PubMed

Stöhr, Klaus

2003-05-01

In collaboration with its many partners, WHO has developed a new Global Agenda on Influenza Surveillance and Control. The Global Agenda defines 17 priority activities that are critical to reducing the morbidity and mortality from annual influenza epidemics and preparing for the next pandemic. The Global Agenda will provide the foundation for global and national intervention plans, facilitate international coordination of prevention and control activities and contribute to renewed interest in epidemic influenza prevention and pandemic preparedness.

Investigating Geosparql Requirements for Participatory Urban Planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mohammadi, E.; Hunter, A. J. S.

2015-06-01

We propose that participatory GIS (PGIS) activities including participatory urban planning can be made more efficient and effective if spatial reasoning rules are integrated with PGIS tools to simplify engagement for public contributors. Spatial reasoning is used to describe relationships between spatial entities. These relationships can be evaluated quantitatively or qualitatively using geometrical algorithms, ontological relations, and topological methods. Semantic web services utilize tools and methods that can facilitate spatial reasoning. GeoSPARQL, introduced by OGC, is a spatial reasoning standard used to make declarations about entities (graphical contributions) that take the form of a subject-predicate-object triple or statement. GeoSPARQL uses three basic methods to infer topological relationships between spatial entities, including: OGC's simple feature topology, RCC8, and the DE-9IM model. While these methods are comprehensive in their ability to define topological relationships between spatial entities, they are often inadequate for defining complex relationships that exist in the spatial realm. Particularly relationships between urban entities, such as those between a bus route, the collection of associated bus stops and their overall surroundings as an urban planning pattern. In this paper we investigate common qualitative spatial reasoning methods as a preliminary step to enhancing the capabilities of GeoSPARQL in an online participatory GIS framework in which reasoning is used to validate plans based on standard patterns that can be found in an efficient/effective urban environment.

Technical Note: A treatment plan comparison between dynamic collimation and a fixed aperture during spot scanning proton therapy for brain treatment

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

Smith, Blake, E-mail: bsmith34@wisc.edu; Gelover,

Purpose: To quantitatively assess the advantages of energy-layer specific dynamic collimation system (DCS) versus a per-field fixed aperture for spot scanning proton therapy (SSPT). Methods: Five brain cancer patients previously planned and treated with SSPT were replanned using an in-house treatment planning system capable of modeling collimated and uncollimated proton beamlets. The uncollimated plans, which served as a baseline for comparison, reproduced the target coverage and organ-at-risk sparing of the clinically delivered plans. The collimator opening for the fixed aperture-based plans was determined from the combined cross sections of the target in the beam’s eye view over all energy layersmore » which included an additional margin equivalent to the maximum beamlet displacement for the respective energy of that energy layer. The DCS-based plans were created by selecting appropriate collimator positions for each row of beam spots during a Raster-style scanning pattern which were optimized to maximize the dose contributions to the target and limited the dose delivered to adjacent normal tissue. Results: The reduction of mean dose to normal tissue adjacent to the target, as defined by a 10 mm ring surrounding the target, averaged 13.65% (range: 11.8%–16.9%) and 5.18% (2.9%–7.1%) for the DCS and fixed aperture plans, respectively. The conformity index, as defined by the ratio of the volume of the 50% isodose line to the target volume, yielded an average improvement of 21.35% (19.4%–22.6%) and 8.38% (4.7%–12.0%) for the DCS and fixed aperture plans, respectively. Conclusions: The ability of the DCS to provide collimation to each energy layer yielded better conformity in comparison to fixed aperture plans.« less

Approaches to defining reference regimes for river restoration planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beechie, T. J.

2014-12-01

Reference conditions or reference regimes can be defined using three general approaches, historical analysis, contemporary reference sites, and theoretical or empirical models. For large features (e.g., floodplain channels and ponds) historical data and maps are generally reliable. For smaller features (e.g., pools and riffles in small tributaries), field data from contemporary reference sites are a reasonable surrogate for historical data. Models are generally used for features that have no historical information or present day reference sites (e.g., beaver pond habitat). Each of these approaches contributes to a watershed-wide understanding of current biophysical conditions relative to potential conditions, which helps create not only a guiding vision for restoration, but also helps quantify and locate the largest or most important restoration opportunities. Common uses of geomorphic and biological reference conditions include identifying key areas for habitat protection or restoration, and informing the choice of restoration targets. Examples of use of each of these three approaches to define reference regimes in western USA illustrate how historical information and current research highlight key restoration opportunities, focus restoration effort in areas that can produce the largest ecological benefit, and contribute to estimating restoration potential and assessing likelihood of achieving restoration goals.

Family Planning Supply Environment in Kinshasa, DRC: Survey Findings and Their Value in Advancing Family Planning Programming

PubMed Central

Kayembe, Patrick; Babazadeh, Saleh; Dikamba, Nelly; Akilimali, Pierre; Hernandez, Julie; Binanga, Arsene; Bertrand, Jane T

2015-01-01

Background: Modern contraceptive prevalence was 14.1% in 2007 in Kinshasa, the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC). Yet virtually nothing was known about the family planning supply environment. Methods: Three surveys of health facilities were conducted in 2012, 2013, and 2014 to determine the number, spatial distribution, and attributes of sites providing family planning services. The 2012 and 2013 surveys aimed to identify the universe of family planning facilities while obtaining a limited set of data on “readiness” to provide family planning services (defined as having at least 3 modern methods, at least 1 person training in family planning in the last 3 years, and an information system to track distribution of products to clients) and output (measured by couple-years of protection, or CYP). In contrast, the 2014 survey, conducted under the umbrella of the Performance Monitoring and Accountability 2020 (PMA2020) project, was based on 2-stage cluster sampling. This article provides detailed analysis of the 2012 and 2013 surveys, including bivariate and multivariate analysis of correlates of readiness to provide services and of output. Results: We identified 184 health facilities that reported providing at least 1 contraceptive method in 2012 and 395 facilities in 2013. The percentage of sites defined as “ready” to provide services increased from 44.1% in 2012 to 63.3% in 2013. For the 3-month period between January and March 2013, facilities distributed between 0 and 879.2 CYP (mean, 39.7). Nearly half (49%) of the CYP was attributable to implants, followed by IUDs (24%), CycleBeads (11%), and injectables (8%). In 2013, facilities supported by PEPFAR (n = 121) were more likely than other facilities to be rated as ready to provide services (P<.0001); however, PEPFAR-supported sites generated less CYP on average than sites supported by family planning implementing agencies (P<.0001). Multivariate analysis showed 3 variables were associated with CYP: type of health facility, length of time in operation, and number of contraceptive methods available. Clinics generated higher (3-month) CYP than hospitals and health centers by 65.3 and 61.5 units, respectively (P<.01). The mean CYP for facilities in operation for 4–6 years was 26.9 units higher (P<.05), and 50.2 units higher for those operating 7+ years (P<.01), than the reference group of facilities in operation for 1 year or less. For each additional method available at a facility, CYP increased by almost 8 units (P<.01). Conclusions: Findings from these surveys suggest that lack of physical access is not the defining reason for low contraceptive use in Kinshasa, although it is highly likely that other service-related factors contribute to low service utilization. The results contributed to increasing the momentum for family planning in the DRC in many ways, including mobilizing partners to increase contraceptive access and increasing donor investment in family planning in the DRC. PMID:26681709

SU-F-T-345: Quasi-Dead Beams: Clinical Relevance and Implications for Automatic Planning

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

Price, R; Veltchev, I; Lin, T

Purpose: Beam direction selection for fixed-beam IMRT planning is typically a manual process. Severe dose-volume limits on critical structures in the thorax often result in atypical selection of beam directions as compared to other body sites. This work demonstrates the potential consequences as well as clinical relevance. Methods: 21 thoracic cases treated with 5–7 beam directions, 6 cases including non-coplanar arrangements, with fractional doses of 150–411cGy were analyzed. Endpoints included per-beam modulation scaling factor (MSF), variation from equal weighting, and delivery QA passing rate. Results: During analysis of patient-specific delivery QA a sub-standard passing rate was found for a singlemore » 5-field plan (90.48% of pixels evaluated passing 3% dose, 3mm DTA). During investigation it was found that a single beam demonstrated a MSF of 34.7 and contributed only 2.7% to the mean dose of the target. In addition, the variation from equal weighting for this beam was 17.3% absolute resulting in another beam with a MSF of 4.6 contributing 41.9% to the mean dose to the target; a variation of 21.9% from equal weighting. The average MSF for the remaining 20 cases was 4.0 (SD 1.8) with an average absolute deviation of 2.8% from equal weighting (SD 3.1%). Conclusion: Optimization in commercial treatment planning systems typically results in relatively equally weighted beams. Extreme variation from this can result in excessively high MSFs (very small segments) and potential decreases in agreement between planned and delivered dose distributions. In addition, the resultant beam may contribute minimal dose to the target (quasi-dead beam); a byproduct being increased treatment time and associated localization uncertainties. Potential ramifications exist for automatic planning algorithms should they allow for user-defined beam directions. Additionally, these quasi-dead beams may be embedded in the libraries for model-based systems potentially resulting in inefficient and less accurate deliveries.« less

Land-use planning of Volyn region (Ukraine) using Geographic Information Systems (GIS) technologies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strielko, Irina; Pereira, Paulo

2014-05-01

Land-use development planning is carried out in order to create a favourable environment for human life, sustainable socioeconomic and spatial development. Landscape planning is an important part of land-use development that aims to meet the fundamental principles of sustainable development. Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is a fundamental tool to make a better landscape planning at different territorial levels, providing data and maps to support decision making. The objective of this work is to create spatio-temporal, territorial and ecological model of development of Volyn region (Ukraine). It is based on existing spatial raster and vector data and includes the analysis of territory dynamics as the aspects responsible for it. A spatial analyst tool was used to zone the areas according to their environmental components and economic activity. This analysis is fundamental to define the basic parameters of sustainability of Volyn region. To carry out this analysis, we determined the demographic capacity of districts and the analysis of spatial parameters of land use. On the basis of the existing natural resources, we observed that there is a need of landscape protection and integration of more are natural areas in the Pan-European Ecological Network. Using GIS technologies to landscape planning in Volyn region, allowed us to identify, natural areas of interest, contribute to a better resource management and conflict resolution. Geographic Information Systems will help to formulate and implement landscape policies, reform the existing administrative system of Volyn region and contribute to a better sustainable development.

Marine Corps Systems Command (MCSC) Program Executive Officer Land Systems (PEO LS) 2010 Advanced Planning Briefing to Industry (APBI) (BRIEFING CHARTS)

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-04-07

Commercialization Pilot Programs – Portable Fuel Analyzer – Non-woven FR Materials – Automatic Test Equipment – Night Vision Fusion • Significant efforts – Sensing...contract with the government". Advertising material , commercial item offer, or contribution, as defined in FAR 15.601 shall not be considered to...systems through the entire lifecycle. Our portfolio includes; •Individual & crew-served weapons ranging from 9 mm handguns to 87mm mortar systems

The development of internet based ship design support system for small and medium sized shipyards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shin, Sung-Chul; Lee, Soon-Sup; Kang, Dong-Hoon; Lee, Kyung-Ho

2012-03-01

In this paper, a prototype of ship basic planning system is implemented for the small and medium sized shipyards based on the internet technology and concurrent engineering concept. The system is designed from the user requirements. Consequently, standardized development environment and tools are selected. These tools are used for the system development to define and evaluate core application technologies. The system will contribute to increasing competitiveness of small and medium sized shipyards in the 21st century industrial en-vironment.

Planned Subtotal Resection of Vestibular Schwannoma Differs from the Ideal Radiosurgical Target Defined by Adaptive Hybrid Surgery.

PubMed

Sheppard, John P; Lagman, Carlito; Prashant, Giyarpuram N; Alkhalid, Yasmine; Nguyen, Thien; Duong, Courtney; Udawatta, Methma; Gaonkar, Bilwaj; Tenn, Stephen E; Bloch, Orin; Yang, Isaac

2018-06-01

To retrospectively compare ideal radiosurgical target volumes defined by a manual method (surgeon) to those determined by Adaptive Hybrid Surgery (AHS) operative planning software in 7 patients with vestibular schwannoma (VS). Four attending surgeons (3 neurosurgeons and 1 ear, nose, and throat surgeon) manually contoured planned residual tumors volumes for 7 consecutive patients with VS. Next, the AHS software determined the ideal radiosurgical target volumes based on a specified radiotherapy plan. Our primary measure was the difference between the average planned residual tumor volumes and the ideal radiosurgical target volumes defined by AHS (dRV AHS-planned ). We included 7 consecutive patients with VS in this study. The planned residual tumor volumes were smaller than the ideal radiosurgical target volumes defined by AHS (1.6 vs. 4.5 cm 3 , P = 0.004). On average, the actual post-operative residual tumor volumes were smaller than the ideal radiosurgical target volumes defined by AHS (2.2 cm 3 vs. 4.5 cm 3 ; P = 0.02). The average difference between the ideal radiosurgical target volume defined by AHS and the planned residual tumor volume (dRV AHS-planned ) was 2.9 ± 1.7 cm 3 , and we observed a trend toward larger dRV AHS-planned in patients who lost serviceable facial nerve function compared with patients who maintained serviceable facial nerve function (4.7 cm 3 vs. 1.9 cm 3 ; P = 0.06). Planned subtotal resection of VS diverges from the ideal radiosurgical target defined by AHS, but whether that influences clinical outcomes is unclear. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Integrated payload and mission planning, phase 3. Volume 1: Integrated payload and mission planning process evaluation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sapp, T. P.; Davin, D. E.

1977-01-01

The integrated payload and mission planning process for STS payloads was defined, and discrete tasks which evaluate performance and support initial implementation of this process were conducted. The scope of activity was limited to NASA and NASA-related payload missions only. The integrated payload and mission planning process was defined in detail, including all related interfaces and scheduling requirements. Related to the payload mission planning process, a methodology for assessing early Spacelab mission manager assignment schedules was defined.

Developing the academic nursing practice in the midst of new realities in higher education.

PubMed

Miller, Karen L; Bleich, Michael R; Hathaway, Donna; Warren, Carol

2004-02-01

The academic nursing practice has a role in replenishing the diminished resources that confront higher education and, if well conceived and managed, is a viable option to support existing academic program stability and growth. An alternative model for defining the academic practice--beyond traditional nurse-managed centers--is presented in this article. The cohesive interconnection of the education, research, and practice missions is addressed with examples of how each contributes to a variety of communities of interest and expands professional nursing roles through innovative care model testing and development. With effective business planning and infrastructure support, faculty practice plans can evolve to a second generation, with heightened societal accountability for service, academic, and collaborative research outcomes.

[Prerequisites for electronic systems evaluating safe and effective drug therapy. A contribution to the Action Plan of the Federal Health Ministry].

PubMed

Aly, A-F; Menges, K; Haas, C H; Zimmermann, L; Kaltschmidt, J; Criegee-Rieck, M

2011-11-01

Evaluation of effective and safe drug therapy assisted by electronic systems is based on certain prerequisites, including structured data of drugs and from patients. These prerequisites were identified in a workshop within the scope of the National Action Plan and have been reported in a 7+1-point plan: medicinal product data must be correct and up-to-date based on the summary of product characteristics approved by the responsible authorities. Product data must be available in an agreed textual structure and must use defined semantic elements within this structure. Identifiers must be allocated to all drugs and substances in order to enable unique identification and exchange across systems. Semantic structures of the product data, on the one hand, and of patient data, on the other, must be defined across system boundaries and for the whole German national health care system, and be available to every stakeholder, up-to-date, and preferably freely accessible. This consensus regarding content and structural conventions is a prerequisite for other scenarios in the health care system, such as transmitting individual case safety reports without system and media discontinuity, and is currently of great importance with respect to the European legislation on pharmacovigilance, which will be implemented nationally.

Emerging ICT for Citizens' Veillance: Theoretical and Practical Insights.

PubMed

Boucher, Philip; Nascimento, Susana; Tallacchini, Mariachiara

2018-06-01

In ubiquitous surveillance societies, individuals are subjected to observation and control by authorities, institutions, and corporations. Sometimes, citizens contribute their own knowledge and other resources to their own surveillance. In addition, some of "the watched" observe "the watchers" "through" sous-veillant activities, and various forms of self-surveillance for different purposes. However, information and communication technologies are also increasingly used for social initiatives with a bottom up structure where citizens themselves define the goals, shape the outcomes and profit from the benefits of watching activities. This model, which we define as citizens' veillance and explore in this special issue, may present opportunities for individuals and collectives to be more prepared to meet the challenges they face in various domains including environment, health, planning and emergency response.

Corporate strategic philanthropy: implications for social work.

PubMed

Marx, J D

1998-01-01

Corporate contributions to health and human services have declined from a high of 42.0 percent of total corporate giving in 1972 to 25.3 percent in 1994. At the same time, "strategic philanthropy" has become the state of the art in corporate contributions management. Strategic philanthropy is defined in this article as the process by which contributions are targeted to meet both business objectives and recipient needs. This concept represents the integration of philanthropy into the overall strategic planning of the corporation. This article describes a national survey of corporate philanthropy programs that examined the activities that characterize the strategic management of corporate philanthropy. Results suggest that corporations do not frequently evaluate their philanthropy programs. Social work professionals may use this information to increase their opportunities to provide evaluative input and to increase corporate funding of health and human services.

Scoping Planning Agents With Shared Models

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bedrax-Weiss, Tania; Frank, Jeremy D.; Jonsson, Ari K.; McGann, Conor

2003-01-01

In this paper we provide a formal framework to define the scope of planning agents based on a single declarative model. Having multiple agents sharing a single model provides numerous advantages that lead to reduced development costs and increase reliability of the system. We formally define planning in terms of extensions of an initial partial plan, and a set of flaws that make the plan unacceptable. A Flaw Filter (FF) allows us to identify those flaws relevant to an agent. Flaw filters motivate the Plan Identification Function (PIF), which specifies when an agent is is ready hand control to another agent for further work. PIFs define a set of plan extensions that can be generated from a model and a plan request. FFs and PIFs can be used to define the scope of agents without changing the model. We describe an implementation of PIFsand FFswithin the context of EUROPA, a constraint-based planning architecture, and show how it can be used to easily design many different agents.

Measuring physical activity environments: a brief history.

PubMed

Sallis, James F

2009-04-01

Physical activity is usually done in specific types of places, referred to as physical activity environments. These often include parks, trails, fitness centers, schools, and streets. In recent years, scientific interest has increased notably in measuring physical activity environments. The present paper provides an historical overview of the contributions of the health, planning, and leisure studies fields to the development of contemporary measures. The emphasis is on attributes of the built environment that can be affected by policies to contribute to the promotion of physical activity. Researchers from health fields assessed a wide variety of built environment variables expected to be related to recreational physical activity. Settings of interest were schools, workplaces, and recreation facilities, and most early measures used direct observation methods with demonstrated inter-observer reliability. Investigators from the city planning field evaluated aspects of community design expected to be related to people's ability to walk from homes to destinations. GIS was used to assess walkability defined by the 3Ds of residential density, land-use diversity, and pedestrian-oriented designs. Evaluating measures for reliability or validity was rarely done in the planning-related fields. Researchers in the leisure studies and recreation fields studied mainly people's use of leisure time rather than physical characteristics of parks and other recreation facilities. Although few measures of physical activity environments were developed, measures of aesthetic qualities are available. Each of these fields made unique contributions to the contemporary methods used to assess physical activity environments.

Human Guidance Behavior Decomposition and Modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feit, Andrew James

Trained humans are capable of high performance, adaptable, and robust first-person dynamic motion guidance behavior. This behavior is exhibited in a wide variety of activities such as driving, piloting aircraft, skiing, biking, and many others. Human performance in such activities far exceeds the current capability of autonomous systems in terms of adaptability to new tasks, real-time motion planning, robustness, and trading safety for performance. The present work investigates the structure of human dynamic motion guidance that enables these performance qualities. This work uses a first-person experimental framework that presents a driving task to the subject, measuring control inputs, vehicle motion, and operator visual gaze movement. The resulting data is decomposed into subspace segment clusters that form primitive elements of action-perception interactive behavior. Subspace clusters are defined by both agent-environment system dynamic constraints and operator control strategies. A key contribution of this work is to define transitions between subspace cluster segments, or subgoals, as points where the set of active constraints, either system or operator defined, changes. This definition provides necessary conditions to determine transition points for a given task-environment scenario that allow a solution trajectory to be planned from known behavior elements. In addition, human gaze behavior during this task contains predictive behavior elements, indicating that the identified control modes are internally modeled. Based on these ideas, a generative, autonomous guidance framework is introduced that efficiently generates optimal dynamic motion behavior in new tasks. The new subgoal planning algorithm is shown to generate solutions to certain tasks more quickly than existing approaches currently used in robotics.

26 CFR 1.423-2 - Employee stock purchase plan defined.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 26 Internal Revenue 5 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Employee stock purchase plan defined. 1.423-2 Section 1.423-2 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY (CONTINUED) INCOME TAX (CONTINUED) INCOME TAXES (CONTINUED) Certain Stock Options § 1.423-2 Employee stock purchase plan defined. (a) In general—(1) The term ...

The Contemporary Women's Movement and Women's Education in India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Patel, Ila

1998-03-01

The contemporary women's movement in India (1975-present) has played an important role in bringing gender issues to the forefront of development planning and defining feminist politics. This paper examines how this movement has addressed the issue of women's education. The first section highlights contributions of the social reformist movement in the 19th century and the nationalist movement in promoting women's education. The role of the contemporary women's movement in changing school curricula is examined in the second section, followed by discussion on how women's studies has contributed to redefining knowledge. The fourth section discusses women's empowerment and education from the perspective of the women's movement. The article concludes by highlighting challenges facing the women's movement in promoting women's education for equality and empowerment.

Community participation in fire management planning: The Trinity county fire safe council's fire plan

Treesearch

Yvonne Everett

2008-01-01

In 1999, Trinity County CA, initiated a participatory fire management planning effort. Since that time, the Trinity County Fire Safe Council has completed critical portions of a fire safe plan and has begun to implement projects defined in the plan. Completion of a GIS based, landscape scale fuels reduction element in the plan defined by volunteer fire fighters, agency...

The evolution of Japanese employer-sponsored retirement plans.

PubMed

Rajnes, David

2007-01-01

This article examines the development of Japanese voluntary employer-sponsored retirement plans with an emphasis on recent trends. Until 2001, companies in Japan offered retirement benefits as lump-sum severance payments and/or benefits from one of two types of defined benefit (DB) pension plans. One type of DB plan was based on the occupational pension model used in the United States before the adoption of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), but lacked the funding, vesting, and other protective features contained in ERISA. The other type of DB plan allowed companies to opt out of the earnings-related portion of social security, commonly referred to as "contracting out." Landmark laws passed in 2001 introduced a new generation of occupational retirement plans to employers and employees. One law increased funding requirements and enhanced employee protections for employer-sponsored DB plans, while a second law introduced defined contribution (DC) plans for several reasons, chiefly to increase retirement savings and help boost Japanese financial markets. These laws complemented earlier changes in the tax code and financial accounting standards already affecting employer-sponsored retirement plans. As a result, new retirement plan designs will replace most prereform era company retirement plans by 2012. In 2001, the experience of 401(k) plans in the United States, where 42 million participants had accumulated more than $1.8 trillion in assets over 20 years, attracted considerable attention among Japanese lawmakers finalizing provisions of the DC pension law. Even with government support and encouragement from the financial services industry, Japanese companies have not adopted these new DC plans in large numbers. As a result, occupational retirement plans in Japan have remained predominantly DB-a surprising development in light of the shift in a number of countries from DB to DC plans observed in recent decades. However, recent proposals to make DC plans more attractive to employers in Japan are likely to be implemented in the near future. This article summarizes the Japanese retirement system, with an emphasis on private-sector employees, and the complementary role played by voluntary employer-sponsored retirement plans; describes the financial pressures that faced retirement plan sponsors in the late twentieth century and the factors motivating the reform of Japanese voluntary retirement plans; examines the 2001 legislative changes that have transformed company retirement plans; and concludes with a review of trends and recent developments in employer-sponsored retirement plans since the implementation of the 2001 pension laws.

Federal Employees' Retirement System Act of 1986.

PubMed

Kerns, W L

1986-11-01

In June, President Reagan signed the Federal Employees' Retirement System Act of 1986 (Public Law 99-335), which establishes the Federal Employees' Retirement System (FERS) for employees hired after December 31, 1983. The program, which goes into effect on January 1, 1987, features a defined benefit retirement plan to augment mandatory coverage under social security. It also permits FERS participants to contribute up to 10 percent of their earnings, on a tax-deferred basis, to a thrift savings plan, with partial matching by the Government. This article describes the provisions of the new system, including survivor annuities and disability benefits. It also explains how employees covered under the Civil Service Retirement System may freeze their earned benefits under that program and transfer to FERS during the period July-December 1987.

The role of green corridors for wildlife conservation in urban landscape: A literature review

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aziz, H. A.; Rasidi, M. H.

2014-02-01

Green corridors are an attempt to mitigate negative effects of the built environment of cities and towns. The corridors act as conservation for rapidly extreme intervention and development of the urban environment. Most importantly, it enables dispersal movement of animals within city areas. Issues relate to wildlife conservation in urban areas has been studied for many years and thus, the research makes a review for how the green corridors contribute to the conservation of urban wildlife. This study reviews groups of articles in disciplines of urban landscape planning and biology conservation to discuss the relationship between elements of green corridors and urban wildlife dispersal movement behaviour in Malaysian context. Accordingly, this research is purposely studied to give understanding on how green corridors contribute to the animals' ability of moving and dispersing within the built-up areas. In advance, it is found that there are three factors contribute to the capability of colonization among urban wildlife which are individual, physical and social factor. Green corridor has been defined as one of the physical factor that influence urban wildlife behaviour movement. Consequently, safety area indicating to animals species for traversing in any time such as at night can be defined as the primary potential corridor.

Smart thermal networks for smart cities - Introduction of concepts and measures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, R. R.; Pol, O.; Basciotti, D.; Page, J.

2012-10-01

In order to contribute to high living standards, climate mitigation and energy supply security, future urban energy systems require a holistic approach. In particular an intelligent integration of thermal networks is necessary. This paper will briefly present the "smart city" concept and introduce an associated definition for smart thermal networks defined on three levels: 1. the interaction with urban planning processes and the interface to the overall urban energy system, 2. the adaptation of the temperature level and 3. supply and demand-side management strategies.

Urbanisierung und Ökologische Stadtentwicklung. Zur Integration urbaner Biodiversität und Ökosystemleistungen in Deutschland und China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kümper-Schlake, Lennart

2016-06-01

Urbanisation processes increase land-use conflicts and ecosystem destruction globally. Especially in China, a country with an outstanding urbanization rate, city governments are challenged by environmental and health problems. Urban green spaces - subsequently defined as urban biodiversity and ecosystem services - can minimize numerous environmental risks and at the same time contribute to the citizens' well-being and quality of life. In this highly relevant field of nature conservation, geographical perspectives are required - in science, politics, policy, planning and practice.

The challenge of funding hospital employee retirement benefits.

PubMed

Román, Christina

2012-12-01

Hospitals face a difficult challenge in meeting existing benefits obligations to employees while maintaining financial reserves to invest in electronic health records, quality improvement, and more effective integration of care. Although they may no longer be able to afford offering employees defined-benefit plans, many forward-looking healthcare organizations are finding ways to keep their commitments without sacrificing the balance sheet. One such organization is Scripps Health in San Diego, whose innovative benefits packages have contributed to its being ranked 56th in Fortune's "100 Best Companies to Work For" list in 2012.

Using object-based geomorphometry for hydro-geomorphological analysis in a Mediterranean research catchment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guida, Domenico; Cuomo, Albina; Palmieri, Vincenzo

2016-08-01

The aim of the paper is to apply an object-based geomorphometric procedure to define the runoff contribution areas and support a hydro-geomorphological analysis of a 3 km2 Mediterranean research catchment (southern Italy). Daily and sub-hourly discharge and electrical conductivity data were collected and recorded during a 3-year monitoring activity. Hydro-chemograph analyses carried out on these data revealed a strong seasonal hydrological response in the catchment that differed from the stormflow events that occur in the wet periods and in dry periods. This analysis enabled us to define the hydro-chemograph signatures related to increasing flood magnitude, which progressively involves various runoff components (baseflow, subsurface flow and surficial flow) and an increasing contributing area to discharge. Field surveys and water table/discharge measurements carried out during a selected storm event enabled us to identify and map specific runoff source areas with homogeneous geomorphological units previously defined as hydro-geomorphotypes (spring points, diffuse seepage along the main channel, seepage along the riparian corridors, diffuse outflow from hillslope taluses and concentrate sapping from colluvial hollows). Following the procedures previously proposed and used by authors for object-based geomorphological mapping, a hydro-geomorphologically oriented segmentation and classification was performed with the eCognition (Trimble, Inc.) package. The best agreement with the expert-based geomorphological mapping was obtained with weighted plan curvature at different-sized windows. By combining the hydro-chemical analysis and object-based hydro-geomorphotype map, the variability of the contribution areas was graphically modeled for the selected event, which occurred during the wet season, by using the log values of flow accumulation that better fit the contribution areas. The results allow us to identify the runoff component on hydro-chemographs for each time step and calculate a specific discharge contribution from each hydro-geomorphotype. This kind of approach could be useful when applied to similar, rainfall-dominated, forested and no-karst catchments in the Mediterranean eco-region.

Defining robustness protocols: a method to include and evaluate robustness in clinical plans

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McGowan, S. E.; Albertini, F.; Thomas, S. J.; Lomax, A. J.

2015-04-01

We aim to define a site-specific robustness protocol to be used during the clinical plan evaluation process. Plan robustness of 16 skull base IMPT plans to systematic range and random set-up errors have been retrospectively and systematically analysed. This was determined by calculating the error-bar dose distribution (ebDD) for all the plans and by defining some metrics used to define protocols aiding the plan assessment. Additionally, an example of how to clinically use the defined robustness database is given whereby a plan with sub-optimal brainstem robustness was identified. The advantage of using different beam arrangements to improve the plan robustness was analysed. Using the ebDD it was found range errors had a smaller effect on dose distribution than the corresponding set-up error in a single fraction, and that organs at risk were most robust to the range errors, whereas the target was more robust to set-up errors. A database was created to aid planners in terms of plan robustness aims in these volumes. This resulted in the definition of site-specific robustness protocols. The use of robustness constraints allowed for the identification of a specific patient that may have benefited from a treatment of greater individuality. A new beam arrangement showed to be preferential when balancing conformality and robustness for this case. The ebDD and error-bar volume histogram proved effective in analysing plan robustness. The process of retrospective analysis could be used to establish site-specific robustness planning protocols in proton therapy. These protocols allow the planner to determine plans that, although delivering a dosimetrically adequate dose distribution, have resulted in sub-optimal robustness to these uncertainties. For these cases the use of different beam start conditions may improve the plan robustness to set-up and range uncertainties.

Candidate functions for advanced technology implementation in the Columbus mission planning environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Loomis, Audrey; Kellner, Albrecht

1988-01-01

The Columbus Project is the European Space Agency's contribution to the International Space Station program. Columbus is planned to consist of three elements (a laboratory module attached to the Space Station base, a man-tended freeflyer orbiting with the Space Station base, and a platform in polar orbit). System definition and requirements analysis for Columbus are underway, scheduled for completion in mid-1990. An overview of the Columbus mission planning environment and operations concept as currently defined is given, and some of the challenges presented to software maintainers and ground segment personnel during mission operators are identified. The use of advanced technologies in system implementation is being explored. Both advantages of such solutions and potential problems they present are discussed, and the next steps to be taken by Columbus before targeting any functions for advanced technology implementation are summarized. Several functions in the mission planning process were identified as candidates for advanced technology implementation. These range from expert interaction with Columbus' data bases through activity scheduling and near-real-time response to departures from the planned timeline. Each function is described, and its potential for advanced technology implementation briefly assessed.

Manifestations of metacognitive activity during the collaborative planning of chemistry practical investigations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mathabathe, Kgadi Clarrie; Potgieter, Marietjie

2017-07-01

This paper elaborates a process followed to characterise manifestations of cognitive regulation during the collaborative planning of chemistry practical investigations. Metacognitive activity was defined as the demonstration of planning, monitoring, control and evaluation of cognitive activities by students while carrying out the chemistry task. Inherent in collaborative learning is the social aspect of metacognition, which in this study was evidenced in social cognitive regulation (notably of intra- and interpersonal metacognitive regulations) as groups of students went about planning their practical investigations. Discussions of two of the learning groups (n = 4; n = 3) as they planned the extended practical investigation were recorded, transcribed and analysed for indicators of any inherent metacognitive activity. The process of characterising the manifestations of metacognition resulted in the development of a coding system which specifies not only the regulatory strategies at play but the type of regulation (self or other), the area of regulation (cognition, task performance or behaviour) as well as the depth of regulatory contributions (high or low). The fine-grained coding system allowed for a finer theoretical elucidation of the social nature of metacognition. The implications of this study for metacognition and chemistry education research are highlighted.

Variations in county-level costs between traditional medicare and medicare advantage have implications for premium support.

PubMed

Biles, Brian; Casillas, Giselle; Guterman, Stuart

2015-01-01

Concern about the future growth of Medicare spending has led some in Congress and elsewhere to promote converting Medicare to a "premium support" system. Under premium support, Medicare would provide a "defined contribution" to each Medicare beneficiary to purchase either a Medicare Advantage (MA)-type private health plan or the traditional Medicare public plan. To better understand the implications of such a shift, we compared the average costs per beneficiary of providing Medicare benefits at the county level for traditional Medicare and four types of MA plans. We found that the relative costs of Medicare Advantage and traditional Medicare varied greatly by MA plan type and by geographic location. The costs of health maintenance organization-type plans averaged 7 percent less than those of traditional Medicare, but the costs of the more loosely structured preferred provider organization and private fee-for-service plans averaged 12-18 percent more than those of traditional Medicare. In some counties MA plan costs averaged 28 percent less than costs in traditional Medicare, while in other counties MA plan costs averaged 26 percent more than traditional Medicare costs. Enactment of a Medicare premium-support proposal could trigger cost increases for beneficiaries participating in Medicare Advantage as well as those in traditional Medicare. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

29 CFR 2520.101-4 - Annual funding notice for multiemployer defined benefit pension plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... pension plans. 2520.101-4 Section 2520.101-4 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) EMPLOYEE... pension plans. (a) In general. (1) Except as provided in paragraph (a)(2) of this section, pursuant to section 101(f) of the Act, the administrator of a defined benefit, multiemployer pension plan shall...

Trajectory Planning by Preserving Flexibility: Metrics and Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Idris, Husni R.; El-Wakil, Tarek; Wing, David J.

2008-01-01

In order to support traffic management functions, such as mitigating traffic complexity, ground and airborne systems may benefit from preserving or optimizing trajectory flexibility. To help support this hypothesis trajectory flexibility metrics have been defined in previous work to represent the trajectory robustness and adaptability to the risk of violating safety and traffic management constraints. In this paper these metrics are instantiated in the case of planning a trajectory with the heading degree of freedom. A metric estimation method is presented based on simplifying assumptions, namely discrete time and heading maneuvers. A case is analyzed to demonstrate the estimation method and its use in trajectory planning in a situation involving meeting a time constraint and avoiding loss of separation with nearby traffic. The case involves comparing path-stretch trajectories, in terms of adaptability and robustness along each, deduced from a map of estimated flexibility metrics over the solution space. The case demonstrated anecdotally that preserving flexibility may result in enhancing certain factors that contribute to traffic complexity, namely reducing proximity and confrontation.

Fusion Simulation Program Definition. Final report

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

Cary, John R.

2012-09-05

We have completed our contributions to the Fusion Simulation Program Definition Project. Our contributions were in the overall planning with concentration in the definition of the area of Software Integration and Support. We contributed to the planning of multiple meetings, and we contributed to multiple planning documents.

Restructuring Employee Benefits to Meet Health Care Needs in Retirement.

PubMed

Ward, Richard M; Weinman, Robert B

2015-01-01

Health care expenses in retirement are the proverbial elephant in the room. Most employees don't know how big the elephant is. As Medicare solvency and retiree health care issues receive increasing attention, it is time to rethink overall benefit approaches and assess what is appropriate and affordable for an organization to help achieve workforce renewal goals and solve delayed retirement challenges. Just as Medicare was never designed to cover all of the post-65 retiree health care costs, neither is a workplace retirement plan designed to cover 100% of preretiree income. Now employers can consider strategies that may better equip retirees to meet both income needs and health care expenses in the most tax-efficient way. By combining defined contribution retirement and health care plans, employers have the power to increase benefits for employees while maintaining total benefits cost.

Critical care medicine as a distinct product line with substantial financial profitability: the role of business planning.

PubMed

Bekes, Carolyn E; Dellinger, R Phillip; Brooks, Daniel; Edmondson, Robert; Olivia, Christopher T; Parrillo, Joseph E

2004-05-01

As academic health centers face increasing financial pressures, they have adopted a more businesslike approach to planning, particularly for discrete "product" or clinical service lines. Since critical care typically has been viewed as a service provided by a hospital, and not a product line, business plans have not historically been developed to expand and promote critical care. The major focus when examining the finances of critical care has been cost reduction, not business development. We hypothesized that a critical care business plan can be developed and analyzed like other more typical product lines and that such a critical care product line can be profitable for an institution. In-depth analysis of critical care including business planning for critical care services. Regional academic health center in southern New Jersey. None. As part of an overall business planning process directed by the Board of Trustees, the critical care product line was identified by isolating revenue, expenses, and profitability associated with critical care patients. We were able to identify the major sources ("value chain") of critical care patients: the emergency room, patients who are admitted for other problems but spend time in a critical care unit, and patients transferred to our intensive care units from other hospitals. The greatest opportunity to expand the product line comes from increasing the referrals from other hospitals. A methodology was developed to identify the revenue and expenses associated with critical care, based on the analysis of past experience. With this model, we were able to demonstrate a positive contribution margin of dollar 7 million per year related to patients transferred to the institution primarily for critical care services. This can be seen as the profit related to the product line segment of critical care. There was an additional positive contribution margin of dollar 5.8 million attributed to the critical care portion of the hospital stay of patients admitted primarily through other product lines or the emergency room. This can be seen as the profit related to the "hospital service" segment of critical care. This represented a total contribution margin of dollar 12.8 million, approximately 24% of the institution's entire contribution margin. This information was subsequently used to develop strategic plans to promote this product line. We were able to define the critical care product line, and we were able to demonstrate profitability through an analysis of revenue and expenses related to critical care services. Our experience suggests that the concept of critical care as a product line, in addition to a hospital service, may lead to a useful analysis of this new discipline. This plan provided a rational foundation for development of the operating and capital budgets for the health system.

The Radiation Environment for the LISA/Laser Interferometry Space Antenna

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barth, Janet L.; Xapsos, Michael; Poivey, Christian

2005-01-01

The purpose of this document is to define the radiation environment for the evaluation of degradation due to total ionizing and non-ionizing dose and of single event effects (SEES) for the Laser Interferometry Space Antenna (LISA) instruments and spacecraft. The analysis took into account the radiation exposure for the nominal five-year mission at 20 degrees behind Earth's orbit of the sun, at 1 AU (astronomical unit) and assumes a launch date in 2014. The transfer trajectory out to final orbit has not yet been defined, therefore, this evaluation does not include the impact of passing through the Van Allen belts. Generally, transfer trajectories do not contribute significantly to degradation effects; however, single event effects and deep dielectric charging effects must be taken into consideration especially if critical maneuvers are planned during the van Allen belt passes.

Managing the environmental impacts of land transport: integrating environmental analysis with urban planning.

PubMed

Irving, Paul; Moncrieff, Ian

2004-12-01

Ecological systems have limits or thresholds that vary by pollutant type, emissions sources and the sensitivity of a given location. Human health can also indicate sensitivity. Good environmental management requires any problem to be defined to obtain efficient and effective solutions. Cities are where transport activities, effects and resource management decisions are often most focussed. The New Zealand Ministry of Transport has developed two environmental management tools. The Vehicle Fleet Model (VFM) is a predictive database of the environmental performance of the New Zealand traffic fleet (and rail fleet). It calculates indices of local air quality, stormwater, and greenhouse gases emissions. The second is an analytical process based on Environmental Capacity Analysis (ECA). Information on local traffic is combined with environmental performance data from the Vehicle Fleet Model. This can be integrated within a live, geo-spatially defined analysis of the overall environmental effects within a defined local area. Variations in urban form and activity (traffic and other) that contribute to environmental effects can be tracked. This enables analysis of a range of mitigation strategies that may contribute, now or in the future, to maintaining environmental thresholds or meeting targets. A case study of the application of this approach was conducted within Waitakere City. The focus was on improving the understanding of the relative significance of stormwater contaminants derived from land transport.

Introduction of International Microgravity Strategic Planning Group

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rhome, Robert

1998-01-01

Established in May 6, 1995, the purpose of this International Strategic Planning Group for Microgravity Science and Applications Research is to develop and update, at least on a biennial basis, an International Strategic Plan for Microgravity Science and Applications Research. The member space agencies have agreed to contribute to the development of a Strategic Plan, and seek the implementation of the cooperative programs defined in this Plan. The emphasis of this plan is the coordination of hardware construction and utilization within the various areas of research including biotechnology, combustion science, fluid physics, materials science and other special topics in physical sciences. The Microgravity Science and Applications International Strategic Plan is a joint effort by the present members - ASI, CNES, CSA, DLR, ESA, NASA, and NASDA. It represents the consensus from a series of discussions held within the International Microgravity Strategic Planning Group (IMSPG). In 1996 several space agencies initiated multilateral discussions on how to improve the effectiveness of international microgravity research during the upcoming Space Station era. These discussions led to a recognition of the need for a comprehensive strategic plan for international microgravity research that would provide a framework for cooperation between international agencies. The Strategic Plan is intended to provide a basis for inter-agency coordination and cooperation in microgravity research in the environment of the International Space Station (ISS) era. This will be accomplished through analysis of the interests and goals of each participating agency and identification of mutual interests and program compatibilities. The Plan provides a framework for maximizing the productivity of space-based research for the benefit of our societies.

Leisure, recreation, and play from a developmental context.

PubMed

Caldwell, Linda L; Witt, Peter A

2011-01-01

Participation in activities and experiences defined as play, recreation,and leisure has important developmental implications for youth. Elements and characteristics of leisure experiences contribute directly to the development of identity, autonomy, competence,initiative, civic duty, and social connections. Whether in informal or formal, appropriately structured and organized programs,leisure experiences can help facilitate adolescent development in these areas. For example, one of the defining elements of leisure is that it is characterized by free choice and self-determination. Programs that promote leadership, choice, autonomy, and initiative can help adolescents deal with developmental challenges associated with this age group. Leisure experiences can also promote civic engagement and provide important peer-to-peer, peer to-adult, and peer-to-community connections. The social context of leisure is important to adolescent development in that it provides opportunities to learn empathy, loyalty, and intimacy in their group activities, as well as to negotiate with peers, resolve conflict,and work together for communal goals. In addition, adolescents often report positive emotional experiences in leisure, which can serve as a relief from the stress they feel in other areas of their lives and contribute to positive psychological adjustment and well-being. A case study is used to show how planned, purposive programs can be used as critical components of efforts to contribute to adolescent development. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc., A Wiley Company.

Preablation 131-I scans with SPECT/CT contribute to thyroid cancer risk stratification and 131-I therapy planning.

PubMed

Avram, Anca M; Esfandiari, Nazanene H; Wong, Ka Kit

2015-05-01

The use of preablation diagnostic radioiodine scans for risk stratification and radioiodine therapy planning for differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) remains controversial. The objective was to assess the contribution of preablation diagnostic 131-I scans with SPECT/CT (Dx 131-I scan) to (1) the risk stratification and (2) the postoperative management of DTC. The study was designed as a prospective sequential patient series. The study was conducted at a University hospital. Three hundred twenty patients (pts) with DTC (219F; 101M, mean age 47.3 ± 16.4 y, range 10-90) were studied. Using clinical and histopathology information an endocrinologist performed risk stratification and determined postoperative management with respect to radioiodine therapy (RAI) planning. The decision to withhold or to administer RAI, and the recommended low, medium or high therapeutic 131-I activity were recorded. Dx 131-I scans were performed and interpreted by two nuclear medicine physicians as showing thyroid remnant, cervical nodal, or distant metastases. The endocrinologist then reperformed risk stratification and reformulated management after consideration of Dx 131-I scans and stimulated thyroglobulin (Tg) information. Main outcome measures were changes in risk stratification and management after Dx 131-I scans. Detection of unsuspected nodal and distant metastases and elevated stimulated Tg levels resulted in a change in the estimated risk of recurrence in 15% of patients, and management in 31% of patients, as compared to initial risk stratification and management based on histopathology alone. Both imaging data and stimulated thyroglobulin levels acquired at the time of Dx 131-I scans are consequential for 131-I therapy planning, providing information that changes risk stratification in 15% of patients as compared to recurrence risk estimation based on histopathology alone. Dx 131-I scans contribute to risk stratification by defining residual nodal and distant metastatic disease, changing clinical management in 29.4% of patients.

The limits and potential of community development for personal and social change.

PubMed

Dixon, J

1989-01-01

Some health and welfare workers are making claims for community development which are both unrealistic and misleading. By tracing the history and public policy use of community development and by defining its characteristics, much of the mystique which surrounds this intervention is eliminated. Community development is revealed in this paper to have potential in the areas of personal and planned social change. However, community development's contribution to fundamental social change is circumscribed by the nature of government sponsorship and by its very process which emphasizes parochialism and the generation of self reliance.

Planning the Breast Boost: Comparison of Three Techniques and Evolution of Tumor Bed During Treatment

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

Hepel, Jaroslaw T.; Department of Radiation Oncology, Brown University, Rhode Island Hospital, Providence, RI; Evans, Suzanne B.

2009-06-01

Purpose: To evaluate the accuracy of two clinical techniques for electron boost planning compared with computed tomography (CT)-based planning. Additionally, we evaluated the tumor bed characteristics at whole breast planning and boost planning. Methods and Materials: A total of 30 women underwent tumor bed boost planning within 2 weeks of completing whole breast radiotherapy using three planning techniques: scar-based planning, palpation/clinical-based planning, and CT-based planning. The plans were analyzed for dosimetric coverage of the CT-delineated tumor bed. The cavity visualization score was used to define the CT-delineated tumor bed as well or poorly defined. Results: Scar-based planning resulted in inferiormore » tumor bed coverage compared with CT-based planning, with the minimal dose received by 90% of the target volume >90% in 53% and a geographic miss in 53%. The results of palpation/clinical-based planning were significantly better: 87% and 10% for the minimal dose received by 90% of the target volume >90% and geographic miss, respectively. Of the 30 tumor beds, 16 were poorly defined by the cavity visualization score. Of these 16, 8 were well demarcated by the surgical clips. The evaluation of the 22 well-defined tumor beds revealed similar results. A comparison of the tumor bed volume from the initial planning CT scan to the boost planning CT scan revealed a decrease in size in 77% of cases. The mean decrease in volume was 52%. Conclusion: The results of our study have shown that CT-based planning allows for optimal tumor bed coverage compared with clinical and scar-based approaches. However, in the setting of a poorly visualized cavity on CT without surgical clips, palpation/clinical-based planning can help delineate the appropriate target volumes and is superior to scar-based planning. CT simulation at boost planning could allow for a reduction in the boost volumes.« less

Teaching the Interrelationships among Costs, Expense, and Liability of a Defined Benefit Pension Plan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilson, Arlette C.; Godwin, Norman H.

2008-01-01

The Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) recently issued Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 158 "Employers' Accounting for Defined Benefit Pension and Other Postretirement Plans" (SFAS #158). Their intent is to comprehensively reconsider the accounting for postretirement benefit plans in phases. The first phase was to provide…

34 CFR 636.5 - What are the matching contribution and planning consortium requirements?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 34 Education 3 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false What are the matching contribution and planning... PROGRAM General § 636.5 What are the matching contribution and planning consortium requirements? (a) The... agreed to by the members of a planning consortium. (Authority: 20 U.S.C. 1136b, 1136e) ...

Application of SIR-B data for groundwater exploration in the Arabian shield and sand-drift monitoring in the AN Nafud and Al Jafurah fringe areas, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Berlin, G. L.; Tarabzouni, M. A.; Munshi, Z. M. N.; Chavez, P. S., Jr.

1984-01-01

The primary objectives of the investigation are to determine fully the utility of Shuttle Imaging Radar-B (SIR-B) images for providing valuable surface indicators for ground-water prospecting in the Arabian shield and to identify and assess defining characteristics of sand sheets, sand streaks, and sand dunes in the fringe areas of An Nafud and Al Jafurah. Specific objectives include the determination of the incremental contribution of incidence angle to the total information that can be extracted from SIR-B standard and digitally-enhanced images in the AL Jafurah fringe area; the determination of the incremental contribution of digitally-registered multisensor images; and the development of a groundwater exploration plan for the Ha'il test area in the Arabian Shield.

Use of PET/CT instead of CT-only when planning for radiation therapy does not notably increase life years lost in children being treated for cancer.

PubMed

Kornerup, Josefine S; Brodin, Patrik; Birk Christensen, Charlotte; Björk-Eriksson, Thomas; Kiil-Berthelsen, Anne; Borgwardt, Lise; Munck Af Rosenschöld, Per

2015-04-01

PET/CT may be more helpful than CT alone for radiation therapy planning, but the added risk due to higher doses of ionizing radiation is unknown. To estimate the risk of cancer induction and mortality attributable to the [F-18]2-fluoro-2-deoxyglucose (FDG) PET and CT scans used for radiation therapy planning in children with cancer, and compare to the risks attributable to the cancer treatment. Organ doses and effective doses were estimated for 40 children (2-18 years old) who had been scanned using PET/CT as part of radiation therapy planning. The risk of inducing secondary cancer was estimated using the models in BEIR VII. The prognosis of an induced cancer was taken into account and the reduction in life expectancy, in terms of life years lost, was estimated for the diagnostics and compared to the life years lost attributable to the therapy. Multivariate linear regression was performed to find predictors for a high contribution to life years lost from the radiation therapy planning diagnostics. The mean contribution from PET to the effective dose from one PET/CT scan was 24% (range: 7-64%). The average proportion of life years lost attributable to the nuclear medicine dose component from one PET/CT scan was 15% (range: 3-41%). The ratio of life years lost from the radiation therapy planning PET/CT scans and that of the cancer treatment was on average 0.02 (range: 0.01-0.09). Female gender was associated with increased life years lost from the scans (P < 0.001). Using FDG-PET/CT instead of CT only when defining the target volumes for radiation therapy of children with cancer does not notably increase the number of life years lost attributable to diagnostic examinations.

Competencies Framework for Climate Services.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aguilar, Enric

2016-04-01

The World Climate Conference-3 (Geneva, 2009) established the Global Framework for Climate Services (GFCS) to enable better management of the risks of climate variability and change and adaptation to climate change at all levels, through development and incorporation of science-based climate information and prediction into planning, policy and practice. The GFCS defines Climate Services as the result of transforming climate data into climate information in a way that responds to user needs and assists decision-making by individuals and organizations. Capacity Development is a cross-cutting pillar of the GFCS to ensure that services are provided by institutions with professionals whom achieved the adequate set of competencies recommended by WMO, which are yet to be fully defined. The WMO-Commission for Climatology Expert Team on Education and Training, ET-ETR, has been working to define a Competencies Framework for Climate Services to help the institutions to deliver high quality climate services in compliance with WMO standards and regulations, specifically those defined by WMO's Commission for Climatology and the GFCS. This framework is based in 5 areas or competence, closely associated to the areas of work of climate services providers: create and manage climate data sets; derive products from climate data; create and/or interpret climate forecasts and model output; ensure the quality of climate information and services; communicate climatological information with users. With this contribution, we intend to introduce to a wider audience the rationale behind these 5 top-level competency statements and the performance criteria associated with them, as well as the plans of the ET-ETR for further developing them into an instrument to support education and training within the WMO members, specially the National Meteorological and Hydrological Services.

Integrating human resources and program-planning strategies.

PubMed

Smith, J E

1989-06-01

The integration of human resources management (HRM) strategies with long-term program-planning strategies in hospital pharmacy departments is described. HRM is a behaviorally based, comprehensive strategy for the effective management and use of people that seeks to achieve coordination and integration with overall planning strategies and other managerial functions. It encompasses forecasting of staffing requirements; determining work-related factors that are strong "motivators" and thus contribute to employee productivity and job satisfaction; conducting a departmental personnel and skills inventory; employee career planning and development, including training and education programs; strategies for promotion and succession, including routes of advancement that provide alternatives to the managerial route; and recruitment and selection of new personnel to meet changing departmental needs. Increased competitiveness among hospitals and a shortage of pharmacists make it imperative that hospital pharmacy managers create strategies to attract, develop, and retain the right individuals to enable the department--and the hospital as a whole--to grow and change in response to the changing health-care environment in the United States. Pharmacy managers would be greatly aided in this mission by the establishment of a well-defined, national strategic plan for pharmacy programs and services that includes an analysis of what education and training are necessary for their successful accomplishment. Creation of links between overall program objectives and people-planning strategies will aid hospital pharmacy departments in maximizing the long-term effectiveness of their practice.

77 FR 37720 - Options Price Reporting Authority; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-22

... ``devices'' and/or ``UserIDs.'' \\4\\ OPRA defines a ``Subscriber,'' in general, as an entity or person that... Exchanges on an Unlisted Trading Privilege Basis'' (``Nasdaq/UTP Plan''). CTA and the Nasdaq/UTP Plan define... capacity.\\9\\ Second, because the definition of the term ``associated person'' is defined differently in the...

Research notes : transportation planning performance measures.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-06-01

Performance measurement can be defined as an assessment of progress toward goals. In transportation planning a good measure is clearly defined, is acceptable to stakeholders, allows for economical data collection and analysis, shows how well th...

Air quality management in Portugal: example of needs and available tools.

PubMed

Borrego, C; Miranda, A I; Coutinho, M; Ferreira, J; Carvalho, A C

2002-01-01

The Framework Directive (FWD) and the proposed Daughter Directives are the newest legislative instruments concerning a new political strategy and air quality management approach for Europe. Additionally, the member countries of the United Nations Economic Commission for Europe have included the concepts of critical load and level for planning air pollution abatement strategies and as a base of international agreements concerning limitation of the emissions of air pollutants. These concepts imply an accurate knowledge about pollutants deposition fluxes. The paper describes the main needs and the tools available to define a strategy of air quality management in Portugal. Two study cases are presented: (1) extensive monitoring plan to assess the impact of an urban incinerator plant; and (2) contribution to a methodology to estimate critical levels for a coastal region in Portugal. These different approaches allowed illustrating the complexity of the implementation of an air pollution management strategy.

Approach of ICT Application to Governance in Urban Planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Virtudes, Ana; Sá, João

2017-10-01

This article discusses the use of information and communication technologies (ICT) at the local level of governance in the field of urban planning. It is based on a literature review, in order to define a set of considerations about their use in the urban context and the challenges ahead on this domain. As a starting point, there is the need of rethinking the local governance through the use of ICT related to cities, focused on the modernization of the processes associated with urban planning. Nowadays, in several societies the paradigm about cities if shifting, from an expansionist way of acting towards a regeneration and rehabilitation approach. In the case of Portugal, the local authorities; the municipalities; are the main responsible for the coordination, and integration of policies with territorial impacts. However, these policies are generally onerous and inefficient, triggering communication and information failures in between local administration and citizens. In this sense, governance should support the decision-making process related to cities’ policies, engaging citizens and socio-economic agents. As the main result in this scenario, the use of ICT demonstrates the ability to play an important role in urban planning, by contributing as a simplifying tool, regarding the information and knowledge sharing, gathering local authorities, citizens and socio-economic agents. On the one hand, they promote the reduction of inefficiencies associated to the urban planning process. On the other hand, they boost the development of networks, and consequently the social and territorial cohesion. In summary, the use of ICT infrastructures works as a glue allowing the integration of several intelligence elements of the city, and operating as their base platform. Finally, the literature has revealed that the use of ICT in urban planning should be seen as a means to a wider social goal, and not as an end by itself. With the use of ICT, urban planning authorities are more likely to be aware of the city features in their multiple aspects, being able to define and monitoring the public policies, suitable to each situation, reinforcing the democracy and transparency of local governance.

The impact of retirement account distributions on measures of family income.

PubMed

Iams, Howard M; Purcell, Patrick J

2013-01-01

In recent decades, employers have increasingly replaced defined benefit (DB) pensions with defined contribution (DC) retirement accounts for their employees. DB plans provide annuities, or lifetime benefits paid at regular intervals. The timing and amounts of DC distributions, however, may vary widely. Most surveys that provide data on the family income of the aged either collect no data on nonannuity retirement account distributions, or exclude such distributions from their summary measures of family income. We use Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP) data for 2009 to estimate the impact of including retirement account distributions on total family income calculations. We find that about one-fifth of aged families received distributions from retirement accounts in 2009. Measured mean income for those families would be about 15 percent higher and median income would be 18 percent higher if those distributions were included in the SIPP summary measure of family income.

Retirement plan participation and features and standard of living of Americans 55 or older.

PubMed

Copeland, Craig

2002-08-01

This Issue Brief is the third in a series of Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) publications based on data collected in 1998 and released in 2002 as the Retirement and Pension Plan Coverage Topical Module of the 1996 Survey of Income and Program Participation (SIPP). This report completes the series by examining the survey's more detailed questions concerning workers' employment-based retirement plans. Specifically, it examines the percentage of workers who are participating in a plan, and also workers' reasons for not participating in a plan when working in a job where a plan is sponsored; the features of, or decisions made concerning salary reduction plans; historical participation in employment-based retirement plans; and a comparison of the standard of living of individuals age 55 or older with their living standard in their early 50s. As of June 1998, 64.3 percent of wage and salary workers age 16 or older worked for an employer or union that sponsored any type of retirement plan (defined contribution or defined benefit) for any of its employees or members (the "sponsorship rate"). Almost 47 percent of these wage and salary workers participated in a plan (the "participation rate"), with 43.2 percent being entitled to a benefit or eligible to receive a lump-sum distribution from a plan if their job terminated at the time of survey (the "vested rate"). The predominant reason for choosing not to participate in a retirement plan was that doing so was unaffordable. The eligible participation rate for salary reduction plans was 81.4 percent. Fifty-six percent of all workers have participated in some type of retirement plan sometime during their work life through 1998. For those ages 51-60, almost 72 percent have ever participated in a plan. The median account balance in salary reduction plans in 1998 was $14,000. In 1998, 12.9 percent of salary reduction plan participants eligible to take a loan had done so, and the average outstanding loan balance was $5,196. Nearly 80 percent of those age 55 or older reported that their standard of living is about the same or better now than it was when they were in their early 50s. The incidence of both pension income and health insurance from a former employer had a significant impact on retirees' ability to maintain their standard of living. In addition, those who spent their entire most recent lump-sum distribution were more likely to have a much worse standard of living in retirement than those who rolled over their entire most recent distribution.

[Nursing care priorities and problems: the nurses point of view].

PubMed

Piccoli, Michele; Di Giulio, Paola; Ruffino, Emanuele; Zollesi, Germana; Dello Russo, Carolina

2006-01-01

An experience of a tentative contribution of the nurses to the health policy planning is described. Fifty one focus groups were organized, with nurses from different contexts (hospital, district, free lance nurses; caring for paediatric, geriatric surgical and medical patients) and nurses were asked to identify problems encountered in patients care, select one, discuss contributing causes assign a weight (from 1 to 100) and define the nurses' contribution to the resolution/improvement of each cause. The problems were discussed in groups and possible solutions identified, with specific attention to the potential implications of regional health policies. The main difficulties identified were the lack of continuity in patients care (for geriatric and paediatrics patients), 12 groups, and the management of chronic patients (7 groups); the lack of information to patients, 6 groups; the appropriateness of care, from hospital admissions to waiting lists, 5 groups; the management of surgical patients, 5 groups; the lack of nursing personnel, 5 groups; the safety of patients and health personnel, 4 groups; and other problems reported by less than 3 groups. This experience allowed nurses to reflect on health care problems throughout the trajectory from the specific problem to its general implications, also for the health care policies. The solutions identified in fact, encompass a dimension relevant for health policy planning. It is also an experience of opportunity (and feasibility) of involvement of the "general nurses" and not only nurse managers, to reflect on practice and propose a specific and original contribution to the development of regional and local policies.

Contingency plan implementation.

PubMed

Neurath, D; Cober, N; Owens, W; Giulivi, A

2012-06-01

Although the National blood system in Canada reduces the risk of inventory shortages the possibility of a blood supply shortage still exists. The Ontario Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care developed a provincial plan to manage blood transfusion needs and inventory in the event of a National blood shortage. The Ontario plan was developed to align with the National plan as well as other provincial plans in order to ensure consistency in blood management strategies across the country. The Ontario plan was released in 2008, along with a toolkit to aid hospitals in developing their facility specific plans. In the Champlain region of Ontario, a group of 16 hospitals worked collaboratively to develop a regional blood shortage plan. A provincial blood shortage simulation exercise was held in 2010 to test out these plans. The Director of Transfusion Medicine of the largest facility in the group of 16 hospitals (The Ottawa Hospital) took the lead in the development of the regional blood shortage management plan. Working groups from all 16 sites contributed to the plan development. The proposed plan was presented to the Medical Advisory Committee for approval. The plan consists of activities relating to the severity of the supply shortage as defined by Amber, Red, Recovery and Green phases. The plan includes a communication plan for notifying stakeholders including patients whose treatment may be affected. Inventory management and triage guidelines are provided to reduce the demand for blood and to conserve inventory for those patients whose need is prioritized as highest. The regional blood shortage management plan was tested successfully during the provincial simulation exercise. Where regional hospitals work together to provide healthcare, it is beneficial to develop a standardized plan to provide guidance to hospital personnel in response to a blood supply shortage. A consistent plan will ensure patient care is provided in a consistent manner across a health region. Mock or simulation exercises can aid in testing plans and raising the awareness of stakeholders. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Unique aspects of impulsive traits in substance use and overeating: specific contributions of common assessments of impulsivity.

PubMed

Beaton, Derek; Abdi, Hervé; Filbey, Francesca M

2014-11-01

Abstract Background: Impulsivity is a complex trait often studied in substance abuse and overeating disorders, but the exact nature of impulsivity traits and their contribution to these disorders are still debated. Thus, understanding how to measure impulsivity is essential for comprehending addictive behaviors. Identify unique impulsivity traits specific to substance use and overeating. Impulsive Sensation Seeking (ImpSS) and Barratt's Impulsivity scales (BIS) Scales were analyzed with a non-parametric factor analytic technique (discriminant correspondence analysis) to identify group-specific traits on 297 individuals from five groups: Marijuana (n = 88), Nicotine (n = 82), Overeaters (n = 27), Marijuauna + Nicotine (n = 63), and CONTROLs (n = 37). A significant overall factor structure revealed three components of impulsivity that explained respectively 50.19% (pperm < 0.0005), 24.18% (pperm < 0.0005), and 15.98% (pperm < 0.0005) of the variance. All groups were significantly different from one another. When analyzed together, the BIS and ImpSS produce a multi-factorial structure that identified the impulsivity traits specific to these groups. The group specific traits are (1) CONTROL: low impulse, avoids thrill-seeking behaviors; (2) Marijuana: seeks mild sensation, is focused and attentive; (3) Marijuana + Nicotine: pursues thrill-seeking, lacks focus and attention; (4) Nicotine: lacks focus and planning; (5) Overeating: lacks focus, but plans (short and long term). Our results reveal impulsivity traits specific to each group. This may provide better criteria to define spectrums and trajectories - instead of categories - of symptoms for substance use and eating disorders. Defining symptomatic spectrums could be an important step forward in diagnostic strategies.

Unique aspects of impulsive traits in substance use and overeating: specific contributions of common assessments of impulsivity

PubMed Central

Beaton, Derek; Abdi, Hervé; Filbey, Francesca M.

2015-01-01

Background Impulsivity is a complex trait often studied in substance abuse and overeating disorders, but the exact nature of impulsivity traits and their contribution to these disorders are still debated. Thus, understanding how to measure impulsivity is essential for comprehending addictive behaviors. Objectives Identify unique impulsivity traits specific to substance use and overeating. Methods Impulsive Sensation Seeking (ImpSS) and Barratt’s Impulsivity scales (BIS) Scales were analyzed with a non-parametric factor analytic technique (discriminant correspondence analysis) to identify group-specific traits on 297 individuals from five groups: Marijuana (n = 88), Nicotine (n = 82), Overeaters (n = 27), Marijuauna + Nicotine (n = 63), and Controls (n = 37). Results A significant overall factor structure revealed three components of impulsivity that explained respectively 50.19% (pperm<0.0005), 24.18% (pperm<0.0005), and 15.98% (pperm<0.0005) of the variance. All groups were significantly different from one another. When analyzed together, the BIS and ImpSS produce a multi-factorial structure that identified the impulsivity traits specific to these groups. The group specific traits are (1) Control: low impulse, avoids thrill-seeking behaviors; (2) Marijuana: seeks mild sensation, is focused and attentive; (3) Marijuana + Nicotine: pursues thrill-seeking, lacks focus and attention; (4) Nicotine: lacks focus and planning; (5) Overeating: lacks focus, but plans (short and long term). Conclusions Our results reveal impulsivity traits specific to each group. This may provide better criteria to define spectrums and trajectories – instead of categories – of symptoms for substance use and eating disorders. Defining symptomatic spectrums could be an important step forward in diagnostic strategies. PMID:25115831

Characteristics of individuals with integrated pensions.

PubMed

Bender, K A

1999-01-01

Employer pensions that integrate benefits with Social Security have been the focus of relatively little research. Since changes in Social Security benefit levels and other program characteristics can affect the benefit levels and other features of integrated pension plans, it is important to know who is covered by these plans. This article examines the characteristics of workers covered by integrated pension plans, compared to those with nonintegrated plans and those with no pension coverage. Integrated pension plans are those that explicitly adjust their benefit structure to help compensate for the employer's contributions to the Social Security program. There are two basic integration methods used by defined benefit (DB) plans. The offset method causes a reduction in employer pension benefits by up to half of the Social Security retirement benefit; the excess rate method is characterized by an accrual rate that is lower for earnings below the Social Security taxable maximum than above it. Defined contribution (DC) pension plans can be integrated along the lines of the excess rate method. To date, research on integrated pensions has focused on plan characteristics, as reported to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) through its Employee Benefits Survey (EBS). This research has examined the prevalence of integration among full-time, private sector workers by industry, firm size, and broad occupational categories. However, because the EBS provides virtually no data on worker characteristics, analyses of the effects of pension integration on retirement benefits have used hypothetical workers, varying according to assumed levels of earnings and job tenure. This kind of analysis is not particularly helpful in examining the potential effects of changes in the Social Security program on workers' pension benefits. However, data on pension integration at the individual level are available, most recently from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), a nationally representative survey of individuals aged 51-61 in 1992. This dataset provides the basis for the analysis presented here. The following are some of the major findings from this analysis. The incidence of pension integration in the HRS sample is 32 percent of all workers with a pension (14 percent of all workers). The HRS can also identify integrated DC plans, a statistic that is not available from BLS data. The rate of integration for workers with only DC plans is 8 percent. After controlling for other variables, several socio-demographic characteristics are significantly related to the incidence of integration. The probability of having an integrated pension is 4.6 percentage points less for men compared to women. Non-Hispanic blacks are 6.4 percentage points less likely than non-Hispanic whites to have integrated pensions. Union members are 14 percentage points less likely to have integrated pensions, while workers with less than a graduate level education are at least 15 percentage points more likely to have a pension that is integrated. Some earnings and pension characteristics are also significantly correlated with pension integration. Earnings are positively related, with the probability of having an integrated pension increasing by 2 percentage points for an increase of $1,000 in annual pay. An even larger effect comes from earning at or above the Social Security taxable maximum. Workers at or above this income level are 10 percentage points more likely to have an integrated plan, but for those with more than one plan the probability of pension integration goes up by 13 percentage points.

Improving diversity through strategic planning: a 10-year (2002-2012) experience at theMedical University of South Carolina.

PubMed

Deas, Deborah; Pisano, Etta D; Mainous, Arch G; Johnson, Natalie G; Singleton, Myra Haney; Gordon, Leonie; Taylor, Wanda; Hazen-Martin, Debra; Burnham, Willette S; Reves, J G

2012-11-01

The Medical University of South Carolina launched a systematic plan to infuse diversity among its students, resident physicians, and faculty in 2002. The dean and stakeholders of the College of Medicine (COM) embraced the concept that a more population-representative physician workforce could contribute to the goals of providing quality medical education and addressing health care disparities in South Carolina. Diversity became a central component of the COM's strategic plan, and all departments developed diversity plans consistent with the overarching plan of the COM. Liaisons from the COM diversity committee facilitated the development of the department's diversity plans. By 2011, the efforts resulted in a doubling of the number of underrepresented-in-medicine (URM, defined as African American, Latino, Native American) students (21% of student body); matriculation of 10 African American males as first-year medical students annually for four consecutive years; more than a threefold increase in URM residents/fellows; expansion of pipeline programs; expansion of mentoring programs; almost twice as many URM faculty; integration of cultural competency throughout the medical school curriculum; advancement of women and URM individuals into leadership positions; and enhanced learning for individuals from all backgrounds. This article reports the implementation of an institutional plan to create a more racially representative workforce across the academic continuum. The authors emphasize the role of the stakeholders in promoting diversity, the value of annual assessment to evaluate outcomes, and the positive benefits for individuals of all backgrounds.

The usage of image trigonometry in bone measurements.

PubMed

Dymond, Ian W; Ashforth, James A; Dymond, Graeme F; Spirakis, Thanos; Learmonth, Ian D

2013-01-01

The entire musculo-skeletal system responds dynamically to stresses and strains applied to it. Restoring normal biomechanics contributes to the normal function that ensures that physiological stresses and strains are preserved. Appropriate preoperative planning is mandatory to restore normal biomechanics at reconstructive surgery. Effective preoperative planning depends on the ability to reproducibly make accurate measurements of lengths and angles from plain radiographs. Measurement has become an integral part of orthopaedics to define morphological abnormality, to plan for reconstruction and for comparative research. The most prevalent method of measurement is usually based on lines drawn on radiographs with no accurate reference to the actual geometry of the structures. This two-dimensional projection of an asymmetrical three-dimensional structure leads to inaccuracy and consequently to a compromise in the overall precision of many procedures. In addition it is also difficult to monitor the progression of disease as the exact relationship of the bones and joints to each other, and to prosthetics, cannot be accurately recorded. This paper presents a method of digitally measuring relevant bone parameters in a geometric manner in order to achieve accurate, repeatable measurements.

78 FR 16320 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; C2 Options Exchange, Incorporated; Notice of Filing of Proposed...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-14

... Defined,'' 6.11, ``Openings (and sometimes Closings),'' Rule 6.13, ``Complex Order Execution,'' Rule 6.15... outside of specified price bands, as defined in Section I(N) of the Plan. These requirements would be coupled with trading pauses, as defined in Section I(Y) of the Plan, to accommodate more fundamental price...

Context awareness and sensitivity in SEA implementation

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

Hilding-Rydevik, Tuija; Bjarnadottir, Holmfridur

2007-10-15

The Impact Assessment research community repeatedly asserts that the implementation of Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) should take the issue of context into consideration. The primary aim of this paper then is to attempt to give substance to the concept of 'context' in relation to the implementation of SEA. The second aim is to discuss the relevance of context consciousness and sensitivity in relation to one of the main aims given to SEA implementation i.e. to contribute to the 'integration' of environmental perspectives in planning processes. Context must be defined in relation to a certain question. In this paper the questionmore » in focus is the assumption that SEA implementation will contribute to integration of environmental issues in planning processes. Research results relating to the use of environmental tools, like for example SEA, and experiences of integration efforts, strongly indicate that the use of a single tool like SEA is not enough to achieve this integration. The current 'context free' normative and procedural assumptions concerning the aim of SEA implementation and 'best practice' in term of SEA can be criticised on the same grounds as normative and procedural planning theories, as being context free. The assumptions behind the current formulations of the aim and best practice of SEA need to be revisited. A firm empirical and theoretical knowledge and discussion is needed, especially in relation to the issue of context and integration. This paper provides a starting point in this direction.« less

Defining the Canary Islands Oceanic Platform (PLOCAN) Observing System mission

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Delory, Eric; Hernández-Brito, Joaquín.; Llínas, Octavio

2010-05-01

A permanent multidisciplinary ocean observing system is planned as both a technological and scientific infrastructure for the Canary Islands Oceanic Platform (PLOCAN). The first component of its two-fold mission is to respond to systems and processes' in-situ environmental testing, certification and benchmarking requirements. This will generally take place in dedicated oceanic experimental areas, from the vicinity of the platform to the deep ocean. While these areas and related infrastructures still are at definition stage, an anticipated prerequisite is that testbed observing assets will have to provide a broad range of measurements in agreement with, as well as in contribution to, current and upcoming environmental and technical standards. The second component is to contribute to the global effort towards continuous and real-time multidisciplinary ocean observations. Related activities will encompass climate change parameters characterization as well as important regional specificities like the preservation and study of the region's unique marine biodiversity and sparsely explored seabed. Continuous sampling is planned to progressively expand from the platform vicinity down to the end of the continental slope - to about 3000m depth, the surrounding seabed and water column, then scale up to the region, through mobile systems and fixed open-ocean stations. Such a large and diverse spectrum of observing activities stems from the fact that the PLOCAN observing system is at the center of a long-term strategy, thus granting the opportunity to plan its mission by way of an ambitious set of ocean measurement methods and technologies.

Space Science for the 21st Century: The Space Science Enterprise Strategic Plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1995-01-01

Throughout its history, the U.S. Space Science technologies program has been enormously productive. Its accomplishments have rewritten the textbooks. But now, the economic environment has changed dramatically. The Nation's scientific and technological goals are being reexamined and redefined.And the social contract between the scientific community and the Federal Government is being rewritten. There is an expectation that the American public should receive more direct benefits from its investment in science and technology. This Strategic Plan reflects this new paradigm. It presents a carefully selected set of new scientific initiatives that build on past accomplishments to continue NASA's excellence in Space Science. At the same time, it responds to fiscal constraints by defining a new approach to planning, developing, and operating Space Science missions. In particular, investments in new technologies will permit major scientific advances to be made with smaller, more focused, and less costly missions. With the introduction of advanced technologies, smaller does not have to mean less capable. The focus on new technologies also provides and opportunity for the Space Science program to enhance its direct contribution to the country's economic base. At the same time, the program can build on public interest to strengthen its contributions to education and scientific literacy. With this plan we are taking the first steps toward shaping the Space Science program of the 21st century. In doing so, we face major challenges. It will be a very different program than might have been envisioned even a few years ago. But it will be a program that remains at the forefront of science, technology, and education. We intend to continue rewriting the textbooks.

Plan demographics, participants' saving behavior, and target-date fund investments.

PubMed

Park, Youngkyun

2009-05-01

This analysis explores (1) whether plan demographic characteristics would affect individual participant contribution rates and target-date fund investments and (2) equity glide paths for participants in relation to plan demographics by considering target replacement income and its success rate. PLAN DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS IN PARTICIPANT CONTRIBUTION RATES: This study finds empirical evidence that 401(k) plan participants' contribution rates differ by plan demographics based on participants' income and/or tenure. In particular, participants in 401(k) plans dominated by those with low income and short tenure tend to contribute less than those in plans dominated by participants with high income and long tenure. Future research will explore how participant contribution behavior may also be influenced by incentives provided by employers through matching formulae. PLAN DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS IN TARGET-DATE FUND INVESTMENTS: The study also finds empirical evidence that participants' investments in target-date funds with different equity allocations differ by plan demographics based on participants' income and/or tenure. In particular, target-date fund users with 90 percent or more of their account balances in target-date funds who are in 401(k) plans dominated by low-income and short-tenure participants tend to hold target-date funds with lower equity allocations, compared with their counterparts in plans dominated by high-income and long-tenure participants. Future research will focus on the extent to which these characteristics might influence the selection of target-date funds by plan sponsors. EQUITY GLIDE PATHS: Several stylized equity glide paths as well as alternative asset allocations are compared for participants at various starting ages to demonstrate the interaction between plan demographics and equity glide paths/asset allocations in terms of success rates in meeting various replacement income targets. The equity glide path/asset allocation providing the highest success rate at a particular replacement rate target will vary with the assumed starting date of the participant (see Figure 17). Given the highly stylized nature of the simulations in this Issue Brief it is important to note that the results are not intended to provide a single equity glide path solution in relation to plan demographics. Instead, they serve as a framework to be considered when plan sponsors make a selection concerning which target-date funds to include in their plan. IMPORTANCE OF PARTICIPANT CONTRIBUTION RATES: This analysis finds that although target-date funds with different equity glide paths affect the retirement income replacement success rate, participant contribution rates corresponding to different plan demographic characteristics have a stronger impact. AUTO FEATURES OF THE PPA: This Issue Brief provides a stylized study using observed contribution rates as of the 2007 plan year. However, with the passage of the Pension Protection Act of 2006 and its likely impact on plan design in the future (increased utilization of automatic enrollment and automatic contribution escalations), it is likely that contribution rates among the participants may become more homogenous. In such a scenario, it may be more likely that a single equity glide path would meet a wide range of demographic profiles.

Joint Planning and Development Office Work Plan FY10

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-01-01

IPSA ) Division will make refinements to the NextGen Portfolio Analysis. In addition, IPSA will work with the Department of Defense (DoD) to define and...Submitted Interagency Portfolio and Systems Analysis ( IPSA ) DRAFT DoD Portfolio Analysis Criteria BASELINE DoD Portfolio Analysis Criteria DRAFT...WG Work Plan Review Prototype Capability Selected and Defined CHAs Complete Safety Metrics for IPSA Complete FINAL Prototype Report FINAL

26 CFR 1.412(c)(1)-1 - Determinations to be made under funding method-terms defined.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

...-terms defined. 1.412(c)(1)-1 Section 1.412(c)(1)-1 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT... Plans, Etc. § 1.412(c)(1)-1 Determinations to be made under funding method—terms defined. (a) Actuarial... bargained plans, see § 1.412(c)(1)-2; for principles applicable to funding methods in general, see...

26 CFR 1.412(c)(1)-1 - Determinations to be made under funding method-terms defined.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

...-terms defined. 1.412(c)(1)-1 Section 1.412(c)(1)-1 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT..., Stock Bonus Plans, Etc. § 1.412(c)(1)-1 Determinations to be made under funding method—terms defined. (a... collectively bargained plans, see § 1.412(c)(1)-2; for principles applicable to funding methods in general, see...

26 CFR 1.412(c)(1)-1 - Determinations to be made under funding method-terms defined.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

...-terms defined. 1.412(c)(1)-1 Section 1.412(c)(1)-1 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT..., Stock Bonus Plans, Etc. § 1.412(c)(1)-1 Determinations to be made under funding method—terms defined. (a... collectively bargained plans, see § 1.412(c)(1)-2; for principles applicable to funding methods in general, see...

26 CFR 1.412(c)(1)-1 - Determinations to be made under funding method-terms defined.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

...-terms defined. 1.412(c)(1)-1 Section 1.412(c)(1)-1 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT..., Stock Bonus Plans, Etc. § 1.412(c)(1)-1 Determinations to be made under funding method—terms defined. (a... collectively bargained plans, see § 1.412(c)(1)-2; for principles applicable to funding methods in general, see...

26 CFR 1.412(c)(1)-1 - Determinations to be made under funding method-terms defined.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

...-terms defined. 1.412(c)(1)-1 Section 1.412(c)(1)-1 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT..., Stock Bonus Plans, Etc. § 1.412(c)(1)-1 Determinations to be made under funding method—terms defined. (a... collectively bargained plans, see § 1.412(c)(1)-2; for principles applicable to funding methods in general, see...

Modelling a flows in supply chain with analytical models: Case of a chemical industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Benhida, Khalid; Azougagh, Yassine; Elfezazi, Said

2016-02-01

This study is interested on the modelling of the logistics flows in a supply chain composed on a production sites and a logistics platform. The contribution of this research is to develop an analytical model (integrated linear programming model), based on a case study of a real company operating in the phosphate field, considering a various constraints in this supply chain to resolve the planning problems for a better decision-making. The objectives of this model is to determine and define the optimal quantities of different products to route, to and from the various entities in the supply chain studied.

[Road map for health and safety management systems in healthcare facilities, according to the OHSAS 18001:2007 standard].

PubMed

Pugliese, F; Albini, E; Serio, O; Apostoli, P

2011-01-01

The 81/2008 Act has defined a model of a health and safety management system that can contribute to prevent the occupational health and safety risks. We have developed the structure of a health and safety management system model and the necessary tools for its implementation in health care facilities. The realization of a model is structured in various phases: initial review, safety policy, planning, implementation, monitoring, management review and continuous improvement. Such a model, in continuous evolution, is based on the responsibilities of the different corporate characters and on an accurate analysis of risks and involved norms.

Crowd-sourcing delivery system innovation: A public-private solution.

PubMed

Agrawal, Shantanu; Chen, Christopher; Tanio, Craig P

2015-03-01

We propose the establishment of a public-private approach which creates and maintains a "delivery systems innovations knowledge management system" to define, describe, and assess novel delivery approaches. The public sector could provide the foundational technology, resources and convening power for this innovations database. The private sector would contribute practical innovations that could guide annual strategic planning and implementation. A crowd-sourced effort would jump start delivery system reform. We believe that providing a comprehensive knowledge resource will not stifle competition or private sector opportunities but rather augment and speed the application of effective innovation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

SU-F-T-352: Development of a Knowledge Based Automatic Lung IMRT Planning Algorithm with Non-Coplanar Beams

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

Zhu, W; Wu, Q; Yuan, L

Purpose: To improve the robustness of a knowledge based automatic lung IMRT planning method and to further validate the reliability of this algorithm by utilizing for the planning of clinical cases with non-coplanar beams. Methods: A lung IMRT planning method which automatically determines both plan optimization objectives and beam configurations with non-coplanar beams has been reported previously. A beam efficiency index map is constructed to guide beam angle selection in this algorithm. This index takes into account both the dose contributions from individual beams and the combined effect of multiple beams which is represented by a beam separation score. Wemore » studied the effect of this beam separation score on plan quality and determined the optimal weight for this score.14 clinical plans were re-planned with the knowledge-based algorithm. Significant dosimetric metrics for the PTV and OARs in the automatic plans are compared with those in the clinical plans by the two-sample t-test. In addition, a composite dosimetric quality index was defined to obtain the relationship between the plan quality and the beam separation score. Results: On average, we observed more than 15% reduction on conformity index and homogeneity index for PTV and V{sub 40}, V{sub 60} for heart while an 8% and 3% increase on V{sub 5}, V{sub 20} for lungs, respectively. The variation curve of the composite index as a function of angle spread score shows that 0.6 is the best value for the weight of the beam separation score. Conclusion: Optimal value for beam angle spread score in automatic lung IMRT planning is obtained. With this value, model can result in statistically the “best” achievable plans. This method can potentially improve the quality and planning efficiency for IMRT plans with no-coplanar angles.« less

Encoding and choice in the task span paradigm.

PubMed

Reiman, Kaitlin M; Weaver, Starla M; Arrington, Catherine M

2015-03-01

Cognitive control during sequences of planned behaviors requires both plan-level processes such as generating, maintaining, and monitoring the plan, as well as task-level processes such as selecting, establishing and implementing specific task sets. The task span paradigm (Logan in J Exp Psychol Gen 133:218-236, 2004) combines two common cognitive control paradigms, task switching and working memory span, to investigate the integration of plan-level and task-level processes during control of sequential behavior. The current study expands past task span research to include measures of encoding processes and choice behavior with volitional sequence generation, using the standard task span as well as a novel voluntary task span paradigm. In two experiments, we consider how sequence complexity, defined separately for plan-level and task-level complexity, influences sequence encoding (Experiment 1), sequence choice (Experiment 2), sequence memory, and task performance of planned sequences of action. Results indicate that participants were sensitive to sequence complexity, but that different aspects of behavior are most strongly influenced by different types of complexity. Hierarchical complexity at the plan level best predicts voluntary sequence generation and memory; while switch frequency at the task level best predicts encoding of externally defined sequences and task performance. Furthermore, performance RTs were similar for externally and internally defined plans, whereas memory was improved for internally defined sequences. Finally, participants demonstrated a significant sequence choice bias in the voluntary task span. Consistent with past research on choice behavior, volitional selection of plans was markedly influenced by both the ease of memory and performance.

Did the Great Recession influence retirement plans?

PubMed

Szinovacz, Maximiliane E; Davey, Adam; Martin, Lauren

2015-04-01

The recent recession constitutes one of the macro forces that may have influenced workers' retirement plans. We evaluate a multilevel model that addresses the influence of macro-, meso-, and micro-level factors on retirement plans, changes in these plans, and expected retirement age. Using data from Waves 8 and 9 of the Health and Retirement Study (N=2,618), we find that individuals with defined benefit plans are more prone to change toward plans to stop work before the stock market declined, whereas the opposite trend holds for those without pensions. Debts, ability to reduce work hours, and firm unionization also influenced retirement plans. Findings suggest retirement planning education may be particularly important for workers without defined pensions, especially in times of economic volatility. © The Author(s) 2014.

Space Station Mission Planning System (MPS) development study. Volume 1: Executive summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Klus, W. J.

1987-01-01

The basic objective of the Space Station (SS) Mission Planning System (MPS) Development Study was to define a baseline Space Station mission plan and the associated hardware and software requirements for the system. A detailed definition of the Spacelab (SL) payload mission planning process and SL Mission Integration Planning System (MIPS) software was derived. A baseline concept was developed for performing SS manned base payload mission planning, and it was consistent with current Space Station design/operations concepts and philosophies. The SS MPS software requirements were defined. Also, requirements for new software include candidate programs for the application of artificial intelligence techniques to capture and make more effective use of mission planning expertise. A SS MPS Software Development Plan was developed which phases efforts for the development software to implement the SS mission planning concept.

Building Software Agents for Planning, Monitoring, and Optimizing Travel

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-01-01

defined as plans in the Theseus Agent Execution language (Barish et al. 2002). In the Web environment, sources can be quite slow and the latencies of...executor is based on a dataflow paradigm, actions are executed as soon as the data becomes available. Second, Theseus performs the actions in a...while Thesues provides an expressive language for defining information gathering and monitoring plans. The Theseus language supports capabilities

76 FR 67105 - Cash Balance Plans; Benefit Determinations and Plan Valuations for Statutory Hybrid Plans...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-31

... Balance Plans; Benefit Determinations and Plan Valuations for Statutory Hybrid Plans; Pension Protection... rules for determining benefits upon the termination of a statutory hybrid plan, such as a cash balance... cash balance plan presents unique issues for PBGC.\\2\\ In contrast to a traditional defined benefit plan...

11 CFR 114.2 - Prohibitions on contributions, expenditures and electioneering communications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... are prohibited from making a contribution, as defined in 11 CFR 114.1(a), in connection with any... law of Congress are prohibited from making expenditures as defined in 11 CFR 114.1(a) for... organization is prohibited from making a contribution as defined in 11 CFR part 100, subpart B. Any corporation...

11 CFR 114.2 - Prohibitions on contributions, expenditures and electioneering communications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... are prohibited from making a contribution, as defined in 11 CFR 114.1(a), in connection with any... law of Congress are prohibited from making expenditures as defined in 11 CFR 114.1(a) for... organization is prohibited from making a contribution as defined in 11 CFR part 100, subpart B. Any corporation...

Factors affecting long-term-care residents' decision-making processes as they formulate advance directives.

PubMed

Lambert, Heather C; McColl, Mary Ann; Gilbert, Julie; Wong, Jiahui; Murray, Gale; Shortt, Samuel E D

2005-10-01

The purpose of this study was to describe factors contributing to the decision-making processes of elderly persons as they formulate advance directives in long-term care. This study was qualitative, based on grounded theory. Recruitment was purposive and continued until saturation was reached. Nine residents of a long-term-care facility were interviewed by use of a semistructured format. Open and axial coding of interview transcripts were carried out and the factors contributing to the decision process were defined. Elders based their decisions primarily on information gathered from personal experiences with death and illness. They obtained very little information from professionals or the media. Major factors considered by elders as they weighed information included spiritual, emotional, and social considerations. The factors considered during the decision-making process were oriented more toward the individual's experiences and less on contributions from objective sources than anticipated. Decision making for advance directives is a highly personalized process. The approach of health professionals when assisting with end-of-life decision making should be planned with these contributing factors in mind, so that the services offered to the individuals in this population best meet their needs.

A Retrospective on Educational Planning in Comparative Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Farrell, Joseph P.

1997-01-01

Defines and broadly traces the history of educational planning in both developing and industrialized capitalist nations. Discusses general approaches to educational planning (technical versus political planning, top-down versus bottom-up planning, and various theoretical bases); the contingency view of planning; case examples of planned,…

An examination of the potential added value of water safety plans to the United States national drinking water legislation.

PubMed

Baum, Rachel; Amjad, Urooj; Luh, Jeanne; Bartram, Jamie

2015-11-01

National and sub-national governments develop and enforce regulations to ensure the delivery of safe drinking water in the United States (US) and countries worldwide. However, periodic contamination events, waterborne endemic illness and outbreaks of waterborne disease still occur, illustrating that delivery of safe drinking water is not guaranteed. In this study, we examined the potential added value of a preventive risk management approach, specifically, water safety plans (WSPs), in the US in order to improve drinking water quality. We undertook a comparative analysis between US drinking water regulations and WSP steps to analyze the similarities and differences between them, and identify how WSPs might complement drinking water regulations in the US. Findings show that US drinking water regulations and WSP steps were aligned in the areas of describing the water supply system and defining monitoring and controls. However, gaps exist between US drinking water regulations and WSPs in the areas of team procedures and training, internal risk assessment and prioritization, and management procedures and plans. The study contributes to understanding both required and voluntary drinking water management practices in the US and how implementing water safety plans could benefit water systems to improve drinking water quality and human health. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Transfusion service disaster planning.

PubMed

Bundy, K L; Foss, M L; Stubbs, J R

2008-01-01

The Mayo Clinic, in Rochester, Minnesota, recently set forth a directive to develop a Mayo Emergency Incident Command System (MEICS) plan to respond to major disasters. The MEICS plan that was developed interfaces with national response plans to ensure effective communication and coordination between our institution and local, state, and federal agencies to establish a common language and communication structure. The MEICS plan addresses multiple aspects of dealing with resource needs during a crisis, including the need for blood and transfusion medicine services. The MEICS plan was developed to supplement our current local emergency preparedness procedures and provide a mechanism for responding to the escalating severity of an emergency to deal with situations of a magnitude that is outside the normal experience. A plan was developed to interface the existing Transfusion Medicine disaster plan standard operating procedures (SOP) with the institutional and Department of Laboratory Medicine (DLMP) MEICS plans. The first step in developing this interface was defining MEICS. Other major steps were defining the chain of command, developing a method for visually indicating who is "in charge," planning communication, defining the actions to be taken, assessing resource needs, developing flowcharts and updating SOPs, and developing a blood rationing team to deal with anticipated blood shortages. Several key features of the interface and updated disaster plan that were developed are calling trees for response personnel, plans for relocating leadership to alternative command centers, and action sheets to assist with resource assessment. The action sheets also provide documentation of key actions by response personnel.

29 CFR 1952.160 - Description of the plan as initially approved.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... include both occupational safety and occupational health, the latter on a developmental basis. The plan defines the covered occupational safety and health issues as defined by the Secretary of Labor in 29 CFR... Section 1952.160 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH...

29 CFR 1952.320 - Description of the plan as initially approved.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... of Labor. (2) The plan defines the covered occupational safety and health issues as defined by the... Section 1952.320 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH... Board of Health, Industrial Hygiene Division, pursuant to an agreement with the Division of Labor will...

29 CFR 1952.160 - Description of the plan as initially approved.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... include both occupational safety and occupational health, the latter on a developmental basis. The plan defines the covered occupational safety and health issues as defined by the Secretary of Labor in 29 CFR... Section 1952.160 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH...

29 CFR 1952.320 - Description of the plan as initially approved.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... of Labor. (2) The plan defines the covered occupational safety and health issues as defined by the... Section 1952.320 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH... Board of Health, Industrial Hygiene Division, pursuant to an agreement with the Division of Labor will...

29 CFR 1952.310 - Description of the plan as initially approved.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Section 1952.310 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH... and Industrial Relations as the agency responsible for administering the plan throughout the State. It proposes to define the occupational safety and health issues covered by it as defined by the Secretary of...

29 CFR 1952.110 - Description of the plan as initially approved.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Section 1952.110 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH... Industrial Commission as the State agency designated to administer the plan throughout the State. It defines the covered occupational safety and health issues as defined by the Secretary of Labor in 29 CFR 1902...

29 CFR 1952.310 - Description of the plan as initially approved.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... Section 1952.310 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH... and Industrial Relations as the agency responsible for administering the plan throughout the State. It proposes to define the occupational safety and health issues covered by it as defined by the Secretary of...

29 CFR 1952.310 - Description of the plan as initially approved.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Section 1952.310 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH... and Industrial Relations as the agency responsible for administering the plan throughout the State. It proposes to define the occupational safety and health issues covered by it as defined by the Secretary of...

29 CFR 1952.110 - Description of the plan as initially approved.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... Section 1952.110 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH... Industrial Commission as the State agency designated to administer the plan throughout the State. It defines the covered occupational safety and health issues as defined by the Secretary of Labor in 29 CFR 1902...

29 CFR 1952.110 - Description of the plan as initially approved.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... Section 1952.110 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND HEALTH... Industrial Commission as the State agency designated to administer the plan throughout the State. It defines the covered occupational safety and health issues as defined by the Secretary of Labor in 29 CFR 1902...

Linear Programming for Vocational Education Planning. Interim Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Young, Robert C.; And Others

The purpose of the paper is to define for potential users of vocational education management information systems a quantitative analysis technique and its utilization to facilitate more effective planning of vocational education programs. Defining linear programming (LP) as a management technique used to solve complex resource allocation problems…

SU-F-P-35: A Multi-Institutional Plan Quality Checking Tool Built On Oncospace: A Shared Radiation Oncology Database System

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

Bowers, M; Robertson, S; Moore, J

Purpose: Late toxicity from radiation to critical structures limits the possible dose in Radiation Therapy. Perfectly conformal treatment of a target is not realizable, so the clinician must accept a certain level of collateral radiation to nearby OARs. But how much? General guidelines exist for healthy tissue sparing which guide RT treatment planning, but are these guidelines good enough to create the optimal plan given the individualized patient anatomy? We propose a means to evaluate the planned dose level to an OAR using a multi-institutional data-store of previously treated patients, so a clinician might reconsider planning objectives. Methods: The toolmore » is built on Oncospace, a federated data-store system, which consists of planning data import, web based analysis tools, and a database containing:1) DVHs: dose by percent volume delivered to each ROI for each patient previously treated and included in the database.2) Overlap Volume Histograms (OVHs): Anatomical measure defined as the percent volume of an ROI within a given distance to target structures.Clinicians know what OARs are important to spare. For any ROI, Oncospace knows for which patients’ anatomy that ROI was harder to plan in the past (the OVH is less). The planned dose should be close to the least dose of previous patients. The tool displays the dose those OARs were subjected to, and the clinician can make a determination about the planning objectives used.Multiple institutions contribute to the Oncospace Consortium, and their DVH and OVH data are combined and color coded in the output. Results: The Oncospace website provides a plan quality display tool which identifies harder to treat patients, and graphically displays the dose delivered to them for comparison with the proposed plan. Conclusion: The Oncospace Consortium manages a data-store of previously treated patients which can be used for quality checking new plans. Grant funding by Elekta.« less

Reproductive health/family planning and the health of infants, girls and women.

PubMed

Sadik, N

1997-01-01

The 1994 International Conference on Population and Development developed international consensus amongst health providers, policy makers, and group representing the whole of civil society regarding the concept of reproductive health and its definition. In line with this definition, reproductive health care is defined as the constellation of methods, techniques and services that contribute to reproductive health and well-being by preventing and solving reproductive health problems. Reproductive health care saves lives and prevents significant levels of morbidity through family planning programmes, antenatal, delivery and post-natal services, prevention and management programmes for reproductive tract infections (including sexually transmitted diseases and HIV/AIDS), prevention of abortion and management of its complications, cancers of the reproductive system, and harmful practices that impact on reproductive function. Reproductive health care needs are evident at all stages of the life cycle and account for a greater proportion of disability adjusted life years (DALYS) in girls and women than in boys and men. Reproductive health protects infant health by enabling birth spacing and birth limitation to be practiced through family planning. The prevention and early detection of reproductive tract infections, including sexually transmitted diseases and HIV, through the integration of preventive measures in family planning service delivery not only improves the quality of care provided but is also directly responsible for improvement in survival and health of infants. Addressing harmful practices such as son preference, sex selection, sexual violence and female genital mutilation complements the positive impact of planned and spaced children through family planning services on infant mortality and the reproductive health of young girls and women. They are also in addition to prenatal, delivery and postnatal services, positive determinants of low maternal mortality and morbidity and are integral to the promotion of reproductive health in women of child bearing age. Reproductive tract infections, including sexually transmitted diseases and HIV contribute to significant level of ill-health in women of reproductive age and continue to pose a threat through the menopause which in turn brings with it increasing risk of cancers of the reproductive system.

The paradox of strategic environmental assessment

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

Bidstrup, Morten, E-mail: bidstrup@plan.aau.dk; Hansen, Anne Merrild, E-mail: merrild@plan.aau.dk

Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is a tool that can facilitate sustainable development and improve decision-making by introducing environmental concern early in planning processes. However, various international studies conclude that current planning practice is not taking full advantage of the tool, and we therefore define the paradox of SEA as the methodological ambiguity of non-strategic SEA. This article explores causality through at three-step case study on aggregates extraction planning in Denmark, which consists of a document analysis; a questionnaire survey and follow-up communication with key planners. Though the environmental reports on one hand largely lack strategic considerations, practitioners express an inherentmore » will for strategy and reveal that their SEAs in fact have been an integrated part of the planning process. Institutional context is found to be the most significant barrier for a strategy and this suggests that non-strategic planning setups can prove more important than non-strategic planning in SEA practice. Planners may try to execute strategy within the confinements of SEA-restricted planning contexts; however, such efforts can be overlooked if evaluated by a narrow criterion for strategy formation. Consequently, the paradox may also spark from challenged documentation. These findings contribute to the common understanding of SEA quality; however, further research is needed on how to communicate and influence the strategic options which arguably remain inside non-strategic planning realities. - Highlights: • International studies conclude that SEAs are not strategic. = The paradox of SEA. • Even on the highest managerial level, some contexts do not leave room for strategy. • Non-strategic SEA can derive from challenged documentation. • Descriptive and emergent strategy formation can, in practice, be deemed non-strategic.« less

20 CFR 1002.266 - What are the obligations of a multiemployer pension benefit plan under USERRA?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... period of service is responsible for making the employer contribution to the multiemployer plan, if the... multiemployer pension benefit plan is one to which more than one employer is required to contribute, and which... organizations and more than one employer. The Act uses ERISA's definition of a multiemployer plan. In addition...

Building community resilience to climate change through public health planning.

PubMed

Bajayo, Rachael

2012-04-01

Nillumbik Shire Council, in partnership with La Trobe University, used the Municipal Public Health Planning process to develop an approach for building the resilience of local communities to climate-related stressors. The objective was to define an approach for building community resilience to climate change and to integrate this approach with the 'Environments for Health' framework. Key published papers and reports by leading experts the field were reviewed. Literature was selected based on its relevance to the subjects of community resilience and climate change and was derived from local and international publications, the vast majority published within the past two decades. Review of literature on community resilience revealed that four principal resource sets contribute to the capacity of communities to adapt in times of stress, these being: economic development; social capital; information and communication; and community competence. On the strength of findings, a framework for building each resilience resource set within each of the Environments for Health was constructed. This paper introduces the newly constructed 'Community Resilience Framework', which describes how each one of the four resilience resource sets can be developed within social, built, natural and economic environments. The Community Resilience Framework defines an approach for simultaneously creating supportive environments for health and increasing community capacity for adaptation to climate-related stressors. As such, it can be used by Municipal Public Health Planners as a guide in building community resilience to climate change.

Year 2015 transportation plan : Huntsville Area Transportation Study

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1995-04-01

The Year 2015 Transportation Plan is an intermodal plan that considers all modes of the existing transportation system, identifies needs, provides policy direction and defines the goals for planning and : project development in the Huntsville urban a...

Determinants of National Fire Plan Fuels Treatment Expenditures: A Revealed Preference Analysis for Northern New Mexico

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shepherd, Curt; Grimsrud, Kristine; Berrens, Robert P.

2009-10-01

The accumulation of fire fuels in forests throughout the world contributes significantly to the severity of wildfires. To combat the threat of wildfire, especially in the wildland-urban interface (WUI), US federal land management agencies have implemented a number of forest restoration and wildfire risk reduction programs. In the spirit of revealed preference analyses, the objective of this study is to investigate the pattern and determinants of National Fire Plan (NFP) expenditures for fuel reduction treatments in northern New Mexico (USA). Estimation results from a set of Generalized Estimating Equations models are mixed with respect to risk reduction hypotheses, and also raise issues regarding how risk reduction should be defined for a region characterized by both pockets of urban sprawl into the WUI and large areas of chronic rural poverty. Program preferences for project funding under the federal Collaborative Forest Restoration Program in New Mexico are shown to be distinctly different (e.g., exhibiting greater concern for social equity) than for other NFP-funded projects.

Health care cost implications of sildenafil citrate.

PubMed

Miner, Martin

2004-09-01

As prescription drug expenditures increase, third-party payors are increasingly scrutinizing costs and reimbursement guidelines, such as for medications that treat chronic conditions that are not necessarily directly life threatening (i.e., obesity, nicotine addiction, and erectile dysfunction). To review the costs and consequences of pharmacy benefit reimbursement policies related to erectile dysfunction therapies, using sildenafil citrate as the case study. Data and references were found through searches of PubMed and Google. To meet the varied health needs of a defined population under reasonable resource constraints requires analysis of cost and of the economic and non-economic consequences of a treatment. Based on analysis of sildenafil data, oral therapy of erectile dysfunction provides substantial cost savings when compared with other treatment options and contributes insignificant overall costs to health plans. Regardless, health plans impose controls to limit reimbursement. Because erectile dysfunction is often a precursor to other conditions, such limitations could compromise detection and management of underlying disease (e.g., depressive, cardiovascular, and urogenital). Reimbursement restrictions may also decrease membership satisfaction and re-enrollment rates.

The rudiments of an Internet-based health plan for consumers: an interview with John Danaher, MD, MBA. Interview by Richard L. Reece.

PubMed

Danaher, J

2000-01-01

Richard L. Reece, MD, interviewed John Danaher, MD, MBA, on August 16, 2000, to discuss how his new company is preparing for the perfect storm--the looming convergence of demanding consumers, defined contributions, and Internet-based health plans. He describes how his firm is putting financial and clinical tools in the hands of consumers and physicians, so consumers can be more enlightened in their health care choices. Danaher says, "We're not about buying goods and services online. We are transforming the way consumers buy health care and seek insurance. We're trying to be a 401 k where people get on, knowing their risk profile and return horizons. We aim to motivate consumers to be proactive in making health care choices. How do we make consumers responsible and motivated enough to take control of managing their health care costs? How well we articulate this call to consumer action will be the key to our success."

Techniques for estimating magnitude and frequency of floods in Minnesota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Guetzkow, Lowell C.

1977-01-01

 Estimating relations have been developed to provide engineers and designers with improved techniques for defining flow-frequency characteristics to satisfy hydraulic planning and design requirements. The magnitude and frequency of floods up to the 100-year recurrence interval can be determined for most streams in Minnesota by methods presented. By multiple regression analysis, equations have been developed for estimating flood-frequency relations at ungaged sites on natural flow streams. Eight distinct hydrologic regions are delineated within the State with boundaries defined generally by river basin divides. Regression equations are provided for each region which relate selected frequency floods to significant basin parameters. For main-stem streams, graphs are presented showing floods for selected recurrence intervals plotted against contributing drainage area. Flow-frequency estimates for intervening sites along the Minnesota River, Mississippi River, and the Red River of the North can be derived from these graphs. Flood-frequency characteristics are tabulated for 201 paging stations having 10 or more years of record.

Zero-Gravity Atmospheric Cloud Physics Experiment Laboratory engineering concepts/design tradeoffs. Volume 1: Study results

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Greco, R. V.; Eaton, L. R.; Wilkinson, H. C.

1974-01-01

The work is summarized which was accomplished from January 1974 to October 1974 for the Zero-Gravity Atmospheric Cloud Physics Laboratory. The definition and development of an atmospheric cloud physics laboratory and the selection and delineation of candidate experiments that require the unique environment of zero gravity or near zero gravity are reported. The experiment program and the laboratory concept for a Spacelab payload to perform cloud microphysics research are defined. This multimission laboratory is planned to be available to the entire scientific community to utilize in furthering the basic understanding of cloud microphysical processes and phenomenon, thereby contributing to improved weather prediction and ultimately to provide beneficial weather control and modification.

Small Explorer project: Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite (SWAS). Mission operations and data analysis plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Melnick, Gary J.

1990-01-01

The Mission Operations and Data Analysis Plan is presented for the Submillimeter Wave Astronomy Satellite (SWAS) Project. It defines organizational responsibilities, discusses target selection and navigation, specifies instrument command and data requirements, defines data reduction and analysis hardware and software requirements, and discusses mission operations center staffing requirements.

26 CFR 1.401(l)-3 - Permitted disparity for defined benefit plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... requirement of this paragraph (b). Thus, for example, if the form of a defined benefit plan's normal... the optional form (the “offset amount”). (D) Post-retirement cost-of-living adjustments—(1) In general... merely because it provides an automatic post-retirement cost-of-living adjustment that satisfies...

26 CFR 1.401(l)-3 - Permitted disparity for defined benefit plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... of this paragraph (b). Thus, for example, if the form of a defined benefit plan's normal retirement... the optional form (the “offset amount”). (D) Post-retirement cost-of-living adjustments—(1) In general... merely because it provides an automatic post-retirement cost-of-living adjustment that satisfies...

12 CFR 390.339 - Pension plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

..., an opinion signed by an enrolled actuary (as defined by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act... plan's experience and expectations, and represent the actuary's best estimate of the plan's projected...

12 CFR 390.339 - Pension plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

..., an opinion signed by an enrolled actuary (as defined by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act... plan's experience and expectations, and represent the actuary's best estimate of the plan's projected...

12 CFR 390.339 - Pension plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

..., an opinion signed by an enrolled actuary (as defined by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act... plan's experience and expectations, and represent the actuary's best estimate of the plan's projected...

Strategic planning: getting from here to there.

PubMed

Kaleba, Richard

2006-11-01

Hospitals should develop a strategic plan that defines specific actions in a realistic time frame. Hospitals can follow a five-phase process to develop a strategic plan. The strategic planning process requires a project leader and medical staff buy-in.

DOT Performance Plan FY 1999

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-01-01

The Department of Transportation Performance Plan is a companion piece to the DOT Strategic Plan and to the DOT Fiscal Year 1999 Budget Request. The Performance Plan defines those performance indicators and goals that will be used to mark progress to...

Mission support plan STS-2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ibanez, F.

1981-01-01

The plan defines the anticipated GSTDN/DOD station support and configuration requirements for a nominal flight with an orbital inclination of 38.4 degrees and a circular orbit of 120 nautical miles for the first 5 orbits and 137 nautical miles thereafter. A complete set of preliminary site configuration messages (SCM) define nominal station AOS/LOS times and configurations for S-Band and UHF support. This document is intended for use as a planning tool, providing the necessary guidelines and data base for SCM generation in support of STS-2.

26 CFR 1.401(a)(26)-8 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... defined in § 1.410(b)-9. Section 401(k) plan. Section 401(k) plan means a plan consisting of elective....401(k)-1(a)(4)(i). Section 401(m) plan. Section 401(m) plan means a plan consisting of employee... unless otherwise provided. Collective bargaining agreement. Collective bargaining agreement means an...

Intelligent transportation systems business plan for Kentucky : final report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-09-01

This report presents a Business Plan for Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) in Kentucky. The purpose of the Business Plan is to define ITS projects that are planned for implementation from 2002 through 2007. The list of projects contained withi...

Laredo District Coahuila/Nuevo Leon/Tamaulipas border master plan : executive summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-06-01

Border Master Plans, as defined and supported by the U.S./Mexico Joint Working : Committee on Transportation Planning and Programming, the Federal Highway Administration, : and the U.S. Department of State, are comprehensive long range plans to inven...

Hydrology of the Jackson, Tennessee, area and delineation of areas contributing ground water to the Jackson well fields

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bailey, Z.C.

1993-01-01

A comprehensive hydrologic investigation of the Jackson area in Madison County, Tennessee, was conducted to provide information for the development of a wellhead-protection program for two municipal well fields. The136-square-mile study area is between the Middle Fork Forked Deer and South Fork Forked Deer Rivers and includes the city of Jackson. The formations that underlie and crop out in the study area, in descending order, are the Memphis Sand, Fort Pillow Sand, and Porters Creek Clay. The saturated thickness of the Memphis Sand ranges from 0 to 270 feet; the Fort Pillow Sand, from 0 to 180 feet. The Porters Creek Clay, which ranges from 130 to 320 feet thick, separates a deeper formation, the McNairy Sand, from the shallower units. Estimates by other investigators of hydraulic conductivity for the Memphis Sand range from 80 to 202 feet per day. Estimates of transmissivity of the Memphis Sand range from 2,700 to 33,000 feet squared per day. Estimates of hydraulic conductivity for the Fort Pillow Sand range from 68 to 167 feet per day, and estimates of transmissivity of that unit range from 6,700 to 10,050 feet squared per day. A finite-difference, ground-water flow model was calibrated to steady-state hydrologic conditions of April 1989, and was used to simulate hypothetical pumping plans for the North and South Well Fields. The aquifers were represented as three layers in the model to simulate the ground-water flow system. Layer 1 is the saturated part of the Memphis Sand; layer 2 is the upper half of the Fort Pillow Sand; and layer 3 is the lower half of the Fort Pillow Sand. The steady-state water budget of the simulated system showed that more than half of the inflow to the ground-water system is underflow from the model boundaries. Most of this inflow is discharged as seepage to the rivers and to pumping wells. Slightly less than half of the inflow is from areal recharge and recharge from streams. About 75 percent of the discharge from the system is into the streams, lakes, and out of the model area through a small quantity of ground-water underflow. The remaining 25 percent is discharge to pumping wells. The calibrated model was modified to simulate the effects on the ground-water system of three hypothetical pumping plans that increased pumping from the North Well Field to up to 20 million gallons per day, and from the South Well Field, to up to 15 million gallons per day. Maximum drawdown resulting from the 20 million-gallons-per-day rate of simulated pumping was 44.7 feet in a node containing a pumping well, and maximum drawdown over an extended area was about 38 feet. Up to 34 percent of ground-water seepage to streams in the calibrated model was intercepted by pumping in the simulations. A maximum of 9 percent more water was induced through model boundaries. A particle-tracking program, MODPATH, was used to delineate areas contributing water to the North and South Well Fields for the calibrated model and the three pumping simulations, and to estimate distances for different times-of-travel to the wells. The size of the area contributing water to the North Well Field, defined by the 5-year time-of-travel capture zone, is about 0.8 by 1.8 miles for the calibrated model and pumping plan 1. The size of the area for pumping plan 2 is 1.1 by 2.0 miles and, for pumping plan 3, 1.6 by 2.2 miles. The range of distance for l-year time-of-travel to individual wells is 200 to 800 feet for the calibrated model and plan 1, and 350 to 950 feet for plans 2 and 3. The size of the area contributing water to the South Well Field, defined by the 5-year time-of-travel capture zone, is about 0.8 by 1.4 miles for the calibrated model. The size of the area for pumping plans 1 and 3 is 1.6 by 2.2 miles and, for pumping plan 2, 1.1 by 1.7 miles. The range of distance for l-year time-of-travel to individual wells is 120 to 530 feet for the calibrated model, 670 to 1,300 feet for pumping plans 1 and 3, and 260 to 850 feet

A Vocabulary of Motives: Understanding How Parents Define Quality Time

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Snyder, Karrie Ann

2007-01-01

Although discussions of parenting refer to quality time, parents' views of quality time have not been explored. Using the Sloan 500 Family Study, this article examines how 220 parents from 110 dual-parent families define the spending quality time with their families and finds 3 distinct views: Structured-planning parents saw it as planned family…

42 CFR 423.855 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... contract period- (1) Is a PDP sponsor that does not have to be a risk-bearing entity (or, if applying to... fallback entity that— (1) Offers only defined standard or actuarially equivalent standard prescription drug... prescription drug plan, as defined in § 423.258, or an MA-PD plan described in section 1851(a)(2)(A)(i) of the...

42 CFR 423.855 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... contract period- (1) Is a PDP sponsor that does not have to be a risk-bearing entity (or, if applying to... fallback entity that— (1) Offers only defined standard or actuarially equivalent standard prescription drug... prescription drug plan, as defined in § 423.258, or an MA-PD plan described in section 1851(a)(2)(A)(i) of the...

42 CFR 423.855 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... contract period- (1) Is a PDP sponsor that does not have to be a risk-bearing entity (or, if applying to... fallback entity that— (1) Offers only defined standard or actuarially equivalent standard prescription drug... prescription drug plan, as defined in § 423.258, or an MA-PD plan described in section 1851(a)(2)(A)(i) of the...

Mega Thinking and Planning: An Introduction to Defining and Delivering Individual and Organizational Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaufman, Roger

2009-01-01

All organizations are means to societal ends, and thus Mega thinking and planning starts with a primary focus on adding value for all stakeholders, including our shared society. It is pragmatic, realistic, practical, and ethical. Defining and achieving continual organizational success is possible. It relies on three basic elements: (1) a societal…

Employer contribution and premium growth in health insurance.

PubMed

Liu, Yiyan; Jin, Ginger Zhe

2015-01-01

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

The shift from defined benefit pensions to 401(k) plans and the pension assets of the baby boom cohort

PubMed Central

Poterba, James; Venti, Steven; Wise, David A.

2007-01-01

The rise of 401(k) plans and the decline of defined benefit plans will have an important effect on the wealth of future retirees. Changing demographic structure also will affect the aggregate stock of retirement wealth. We project the stock of assets held in retirement plans and the average retirement saving of retirees through 2040. Our projections show large increases in wealth at retirement, especially if the returns on corporate equities are comparable with historical returns. Retirement wealth will grow, however, even if equity returns fall substantially below their historical level. PMID:17686989

Persistence with biologic therapies in the Medicare coverage gap.

PubMed

Tamariz, Leonardo; Uribe, Claudia L; Luo, Jiacong; Hanna, John W; Ball, Daniel E; Krohn, Kelly; Meadows, Eric S

2011-11-01

To describe persistence with teriparatide and other biologic therapies in Medicare Part D plans with and without a coverage gap. Retrospective (2006) cohort study of Medicare Part D prescription drug plan beneficiaries from a large benefits company. Two plans with a coverage gap (defined as "basic") were combined and compared with a single plan with coverage for generic and branded medications (defined as "complete"). Patients taking alendronate (nonbiologic comparator), teriparatide, etanercept, adalimumab, interferon β-1a, or glatiramer acetate were selected for the study. For patients with complete coverage, equivalent financial thresholds were used to define the "gap."The definition of discontinuation was failure to fill the index prescription after reaching the gap. For alendronate, 27% of 133,260 patients had enrolled in the complete plan. Patients taking biologic therapies had more commonly enrolled in complete plans: teriparatide (66% of 6221), etanercept (58% of 1469), adalimumab (52% of 824), interferon β-1a (60% of 438), and glatiramer acetate (53% of 393). For patients taking either alendronate or teriparatide, discontinuation rates were higher in the basic, versus complete, plan (adjusted odds ratios, 2.02 and 3.56, respectively). Discontinuation did not significantly vary by plan type for etanercept, adalimumab, interferon β-1a, or glatiramer acetate. For patients who reached the coverage gap, discontinuation was more likely for patients taking osteoporosis (OP) medication. Not having a coverage gap was associated with improved persistence with OP treatment.

Dosimetric inter-institutional comparison in European radiotherapy centres: Results of IAEA supported treatment planning system audit.

PubMed

Gershkevitsh, Eduard; Pesznyak, Csilla; Petrovic, Borislava; Grezdo, Joseph; Chelminski, Krzysztof; do Carmo Lopes, Maria; Izewska, Joanna; Van Dyk, Jacob

2014-05-01

One of the newer audit modalities operated by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) involves audits of treatment planning systems (TPS) in radiotherapy. The main focus of the audit is the dosimetry verification of the delivery of a radiation treatment plan for three-dimensional (3D) conformal radiotherapy using high energy photon beams. The audit has been carried out in eight European countries - Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Serbia, Slovakia, Poland and Portugal. The corresponding results are presented. The TPS audit reviews the dosimetry, treatment planning and radiotherapy delivery processes using the 'end-to-end' approach, i.e. following the pathway similar to that of the patient, through imaging, treatment planning and dose delivery. The audit is implemented at the national level with IAEA assistance. The national counterparts conduct the TPS audit at local radiotherapy centres through on-site visits. TPS calculated doses are compared with ion chamber measurements performed in an anthropomorphic phantom for eight test cases per algorithm/beam. A set of pre-defined agreement criteria is used to analyse the performance of TPSs. TPS audit was carried out in 60 radiotherapy centres. In total, 190 data sets (combination of algorithm and beam quality) have been collected and reviewed. Dosimetry problems requiring interventions were discovered in about 10% of datasets. In addition, suboptimal beam modelling in TPSs was discovered in a number of cases. The TPS audit project using the IAEA methodology has verified the treatment planning system calculations for 3D conformal radiotherapy in a group of radiotherapy centres in Europe. It contributed to achieving better understanding of the performance of TPSs and helped to resolve issues related to imaging, dosimetry and treatment planning.

Strategic Planning, Management and Decision Making. AAHE-ERIC/Higher Education Research Report No. 9, 1981.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cope, Robert G.

Recent applications of the strategic planning approach in colleges and universities and techniques necessary for its application are reviewed. In addition, the intellectual roots of strategic planning are traced, and strategic planning is defined and contrasted with long-range planning. It is suggested that strategic planning addresses the total…

26 CFR 11.404(a)(6)-1 - Time when contributions to “H.R. 10” plans considered made.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

.... Smith, a sole proprietor whose taxable year is the calendar year, made a contribution to the Smith... within a plan year which began after December 31, 1974, the contribution may be deducted on Mr. Smith's...

Investigation on factors that contribute to the abandonment of building in construction industry in Malaysia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Farhayu Ariffin, Nur; Jaafar, Mohd Faizal Md; Idris Ali, Mohamad; Irwan Ramli, Noram; Muthusamy, Khairunisa; Shukor Lim, Nor Hasanah Abdul

2018-03-01

In Malaysia, the construction sector is one of the important sectors that contribute to economic growth and employments. However, a major concern facing the construction industry is the growing rate of delays in project delivery. In the worse cases, the projects were abandoned due to some reasons when the contract period ended. Abandoned building defines as construction work that has been continuously stalled for 6 months or more, during the project completion period or beyond the scheduled date of completion. When the projects become abandoned, it gives an adverse effect on many parties such as the developer, contractor, consultant and also client. According to previous researchers, the abandonment of building causes a serious problem and need some mitigation plan to avoid this problem from occurring. This study will investigate the fundamental factors that contribute to the abandonment of building and projects in Malaysia based on the current data of the abandoned building in most states in Malaysia. The data was collected from the respondents who is in the construction industry and had experience working with abandoned housing project. Form the respondents perspective, it shows that the main factor contribute to the building abandonment is due to the financial problem facing by the developer company.

Differential diagnosis of adults with ADHD: the role of executive function and self-regulation.

PubMed

Barkley, Russell A

2010-07-01

Adult ADHD is conceptualized as a disorder of age-inappropriate behavior that occurs because of maldevelopment of 2 related neuropsychological domains. The neuropsychological symptoms seen in adults with ADHD may be explained by deficits in executive function, which can be broadly defined as a set of neurocognitive processes that allow for the organization of behavior across time so as to attain future goals. Executive function is comprised of 2 broad domains: inhibition and metacognition. Inhibition encompasses the ability to inhibit motor, verbal, cognitive, and emotional activities. In turn, deficits in inhibition contribute to deficits in the development of 4 aspects of executive function in the domain of metacognition, which include nonverbal working memory, verbal working memory, planning and problem-solving, and emotional self-regulation. Understanding the ways in which deficits in executive function contribute to the symptoms of ADHD can help in differentiating ADHD from disorders that share similar characteristics. (c) Copyright 2010 Physicians Postgraduate Press, Inc.

Neuron hemilineages provide the functional ground plan for the Drosophila ventral nervous system

PubMed Central

Harris, Robin M; Pfeiffer, Barret D; Rubin, Gerald M; Truman, James W

2015-01-01

Drosophila central neurons arise from neuroblasts that generate neurons in a pair-wise fashion, with the two daughters providing the basis for distinct A and B hemilineage groups. 33 postembryonically-born hemilineages contribute over 90% of the neurons in each thoracic hemisegment. We devised genetic approaches to define the anatomy of most of these hemilineages and to assessed their functional roles using the heat-sensitive channel dTRPA1. The simplest hemilineages contained local interneurons and their activation caused tonic or phasic leg movements lacking interlimb coordination. The next level was hemilineages of similar projection cells that drove intersegmentally coordinated behaviors such as walking. The highest level involved hemilineages whose activation elicited complex behaviors such as takeoff. These activation phenotypes indicate that the hemilineages vary in their behavioral roles with some contributing to local networks for sensorimotor processing and others having higher order functions of coordinating these local networks into complex behavior. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.04493.001 PMID:26193122

'Our shared responsibility': participation in ecological projects as a means of empowering communities to contribute to coastal management processes.

PubMed

Evans, Stewart M; Gebbels, Susan; Stockill, Joanna M

2008-01-01

The objective of this project was to empower people of Blyth Valley in Northumberland (northeast England) to contribute to the management of their coastal heritage. A group of volunteers, the Links Conservation Group, working in collaboration with the environmental managers (Blyth Valley Borough Council), scientists, local specialists and other volunteers, surveyed the biodiversity, social, cultural and industrial history and profiles of the dunes, as well as their perceived value to local residents. The Group used this information to develop management plans for the dunes. The recommendations have contributed to planning processes at three levels: (i) national coastal management plans; (ii) regional plans; and (iii) plans for further action at the local community level.

Strategic planning--the role of the chief executive.

PubMed

Daniel, A L

1992-04-01

Failure to see strategic planning as a process and ineffective CEO involvement are two reasons for failures in strategic planning. This article outlines the stages in an effective strategic planning process, discusses the appropriate role or roles for the CEO or leader in each stage, and defines the expected results from effective strategic planning.

Long Range Plan: 1992-1995.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pennsylvania Coll. of Technology, Williamsport.

Intended to enhance strategic planning and enable staff to work as a team toward a shared vision and common goals, this report presents the 1992-95 long-range plan of the Pennsylvania College of Technology (PCT). Part I defines long-range planning; describes the structure and use of the plan at PCT; presents PCT's philosophy, mission, and vision…

32 CFR 245.11 - General description of the ESCAT plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 32 National Defense 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false General description of the ESCAT plan. 245.11... (CONTINUED) MISCELLANEOUS PLAN FOR THE EMERGENCY SECURITY CONTROL OF AIR TRAFFIC (ESCAT) The ESCAT Plan § 245.11 General description of the ESCAT plan. The part defines the authorities, responsibilities, and...

77 FR 35873 - Approval, Disapproval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plan; Utah; Maintenance Plan...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-15

... change the maintenance plan's trigger for contingency measures. Instead of a defined trigger, the revised plan would allow the State to consider several factors in deciding whether contingency measures should... the maintenance plan, the State must commit to implement one or more contingency measures within a set...

A Typology of Alternative Compensation Plans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sailer, Robert Conrad

2017-01-01

This study created a typology of alternative teacher-compensation plans in use in Wisconsin as of the fall of 2015. Eight plan types were identified with defining, common, and unique components. Of 125 districts that reported alternative plans, the most prevalent reported type was a hybrid type that combined components. Hybrid plans were found to…

Basic Concepts Required in the Development of a Planning Information System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kennedy, F. D.

This report, the result of developmental research on a planning information system for North Carolina, describes the planning process at higher levels of State government, defines a general information system and derives a planning information system from various types of planning, provides guidelines for system design and evaluation, and…

The Turkish Educational Planning Experience in a Comparative Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aypay, Ahmet; Isik, Halil

2006-01-01

The purpose of this article is to reexamine the 40 years of educational planning experience in Turkey comparatively with the educational planning experience in the international arena. Turkey has used educational planning since 1963. Planning in general has been defined as a decision-making process to reach certain goals in the future. This study…

Connected vehicle pilot deployment program phase 1, deployment outreach plan -- New York City.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-07-19

This document is a high level plan that describes the Outreach Plan for the New York City Connected Vehicle Pilot Deployment. The plan defines the communications strategy for the CV Pilot Deployment; identifies roles and responsibilities of persons t...

What's at Stake in the Lives of People with Intellectual Disability? Part II: Recommendations for Naming, Defining, Diagnosing, Classifying, and Planning Supports

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luckasson, Ruth; Schalock, Robert L.

2013-01-01

This article focuses on recommendations for naming, defining, diagnosing, classifying, and planning supports for individuals with intellectual disability (ID). The article provides an overview of the essential questions addressed by the respective functions and provides a series of specific recommendations that address the high stakes involved for…

What's at Stake in the Lives of People with Intellectual Disability? Part I: The Power of Naming, Defining, Diagnosing, Classifying, and Planning Supports

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schalock, Robert L.; Luckasson, Ruth

2013-01-01

This article focuses on the power of naming, defining, diagnosing, classifying, and planning supports for people with intellectual disability. The article summarizes current thinking regarding these five functions, states the essential question addressed by the respective function, and provides an overview of the high stakes involved for people…

Fifteen-foot diameter modular space station Kennedy Space Center launch site support definition (space station program Phase B extension definition)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bjorn, L. C.; Martin, M. L.; Murphy, C. W.; Niebla, J. F., V

1971-01-01

This document defines the facilities, equipment, and operational plans required to support the MSS Program at KSC. Included is an analysis of KSC operations, a definition of flow plans, facility utilization and modifications, test plans and concepts, activation, and tradeoff studies. Existing GSE and facilities that have a potential utilization are identified, and new items are defined where possible. The study concludes that the existing facilities are suitable for use in the space station program without major modification from the Saturn-Apollo configuration.

29 CFR 2509.94-3 - Interpretive bulletin relating to in-kind contributions to employee benefit plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... employee benefit plans. 2509.94-3 Section 2509.94-3 Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) EMPLOYEE BENEFITS SECURITY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR GENERAL INTERPRETIVE BULLETINS RELATING TO...-kind contributions to employee benefit plans. (a) General. This bulletin sets forth the views of the...

29 CFR 4204.13 - Net income and net tangible assets tests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... LIABILITY FOR MULTIEMPLOYER PLANS VARIANCES FOR SALE OF ASSETS Variance of the Statutory Requirements § 4204... purchaser was not obligated to contribute to the plan before the sale, the amount of unfunded vested... date of determination, or (ii) If the purchaser was obligated to contribute to the plan before the sale...

Morristown National Historical Park (NHP) alternative transportation system planning study

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-12-01

This alternative transportation plan aims to define a more efficient transit plan for visitors to Morristown. Goals include protecting environmental resources, improving visitor experiences and safety, maximizing use of infrastructure, ensuring compa...

20 CFR 416.1226 - What is a plan to achieve self-support (PASS)?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... include a business plan that defines the business, provides a marketing strategy, details financial data, outlines the operational procedures, and describes the management plan. (d) Your progress will be reviewed...

20 CFR 1002.264 - Is the employee allowed to repay a previous distribution from a pension benefits plan upon being...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... distribution from a pension benefits plan upon being reemployed? 1002.264 Section 1002.264 Employees' Benefits... and Benefits Pension Plan Benefits § 1002.264 Is the employee allowed to repay a previous distribution from a pension benefits plan upon being reemployed? Yes, provided the plan is a defined benefit plan...

Comprehensive Planning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pavlenko, Victor V.

Comprehensive planning, defined as the work of those who engage in efforts, within a delimited geographic area, to identify and order the physical, social, and economic relationships of that area, is discussed in the four sections of this paper. Section I, Introduction, describes what "planning" and "comprehensive planning" are. In Section II, Why…

78 FR 60099 - Nontank Vessel Response Plans and Other Response Plan Requirements

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-30

... Convention for the Prevention of Pollution From Ships MEPC Marine Environment Protection Committee NAICS... vessels to prepare and submit oil spill response plans. The Federal Water Pollution Control Act defines.... Additionally, this final rule updates the international Shipboard Oil Pollution Emergency Plan requirements...

New trends in transportation and land use scenario planning : five case studies of regional and local scenario planning efforts

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-04-01

This report summarizes important findings from a literature review on scenario planning processes and a scan of stakeholders. It also presents case studies on innovative, next generation scenario planning efforts. The project team defined next ...

9th Annual CMMI Technology Conference and User Group-Tuesday

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-11-19

evaluating and quantifying risk likelihood and severity risks. Step 4 Project defines thresholds for each risk category. Step 5 Project defines bounds on the...defines consistent criteria for evaluating and quantifying risk likelihood and severity risks in the Risk Management Plan. Step 4 Project defines

South Dakota ITS/CVO business plan : final business plan

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-01-18

This report defines an Intelligent Transportation Systems/Commercial Vehicle Operations (ITS/CVO) program for the State of South Dakota. Structured as a business plan, the document includes the following components: 1) description of the current CVO ...

Defining effective regional planning in Virginia.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-01-01

One of the most visible mechanisms for considering major transportation investments is the regional long-range transportation plan (LRP) (also referred to as the urbanized long-range transportation plan). With a typical cost of $3 to $5 million, Virg...

Intellectual Disability, Mild Cognitive Impairment, and Risk for Dementia

PubMed Central

Silverman, Wayne P.; Zigman, Warren B.; Krinsky-McHale, Sharon J.; Ryan, Robert; Schupf, Nicole

2013-01-01

People with intellectual disability (ID) are living longer than ever before, raising concerns about old-age associated disorders. Dementia is among the most serious of these disorders, and theories relating cognitive reserve to risk predict that older adults with ID should be particularly vulnerable. Previous estimates of relative risk for dementia associated with ID have been inconsistent, and the present analyses examined the possible influence of variation in diagnostic criteria on findings. As expected, relaxation in the stringency of case definition for adults with ID increased relative risk, underscoring the importance of developing valid criteria for defining mild cognitive impairment, early dementia, and distinguishing between the two in adults with ID. Once available, these standards will contribute to more effective evidence-based planning. PMID:24273589

Parastomal hernia: an exploration of the risk factors and the implications.

PubMed

McGrath, Anthony; Porrett, Theresa; Heyman, Bob

Risk may be defined as 'the chance that something may happen to cause loss or an adverse effect' (Concise Oxford Medical Dictionary, 2003). Patients undergoing stoma formation are at risk of developing a wide range of complications following surgery. A parastomal hernia is an adverse effect that can contribute to postoperative morbidity. The risk of developing a parastomal hernia is dependent upon a number of variables, and stoma care nurses need to be aware of these to plan the appropriate care for patients undergoing stoma formation. This article discusses the issues surrounding the development of parastomal hernias and also looks at ways in which the risk factors associated with the development of a parastomal hernia may be minimized.

6. Monitoring and the Northwest Forest Plan

Treesearch

Leslie M. Reid

1994-01-01

Abstract - Monitoring will ensure that the Northwest Forest Plan is implemented as intended, determine whether the plan is achieving its intended objectives, and provide information needed to improve the plan. The credibility of the Forest Plan rests on the credibility of its monitoring program. If the monitoring program is to succeed, it must focus on well-defined...

20 CFR 1002.260 - What pension benefit plans are covered under USERRA?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What pension benefit plans are covered under... REEMPLOYMENT RIGHTS ACT OF 1994 Reemployment Rights and Benefits Pension Plan Benefits § 1002.260 What pension...) defines an employee pension benefit plan as a plan that provides retirement income to employees, or defers...

External Review of GPS LifePlan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arendale, David R.

2008-01-01

The GPS LifePlan is an interactive resource that helps students succeed in reaching their career, education and personal goals. GPS stands for "GOALS + PLANS = SUCCESS". http://gpslifeplan.org This holistic academic and student development program provides a structure for students to define their goals and helps them establish plans to…

29 CFR 2530.201-2 - Plans covered by part 2530.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... employee welfare benefit plan as defined in section 3(1) of the Act and § 2510.3-1; (b) A plan which is... Labor Regulations Relating to Labor (Continued) EMPLOYEE BENEFITS SECURITY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF LABOR MINIMUM STANDARDS FOR EMPLOYEE PENSION BENEFIT PLANS UNDER THE EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT INCOME SECURITY...

North Dakota Metropolitan Planning Organization's peer exchange on introducing performance management into the MPO planning process : A TPCB Exchange

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-02-01

This technical memorandum was developed as part of the study, Systems Planning for Automated Commercial Vehicle Licensing and Permitting Systems. The objective of this study was to define the requirements and develop a plan for a national progr...

14 CFR 415.41 - Accident investigation plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Accident investigation plan. 415.41 Section... Launch Range § 415.41 Accident investigation plan. An applicant must file an accident investigation plan... reporting and responding to launch accidents, launch incidents, or other mishaps, as defined by § 401.5 of...

14 CFR 415.41 - Accident investigation plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 14 Aeronautics and Space 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Accident investigation plan. 415.41 Section... Launch Range § 415.41 Accident investigation plan. An applicant must file an accident investigation plan... reporting and responding to launch accidents, launch incidents, or other mishaps, as defined by § 401.5 of...

26 CFR 1.430(i)-1 - Special rules for plans in at-risk status.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... to determining the funding target and making other computations for certain defined benefit plans... is in at-risk status for a plan year, including the determination of a plan's funding target attainment percentage and at-risk funding target attainment percentage. Paragraph (c) of this section...

26 CFR 1.430(i)-1 - Special rules for plans in at-risk status.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... to determining the funding target and making other computations for certain defined benefit plans... is in at-risk status for a plan year, including the determination of a plan's funding target attainment percentage and at-risk funding target attainment percentage. Paragraph (c) of this section...

26 CFR 1.430(i)-1 - Special rules for plans in at-risk status.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... to determining the funding target and making other computations for certain defined benefit plans... is in at-risk status for a plan year, including the determination of a plan's funding target attainment percentage and at-risk funding target attainment percentage. Paragraph (c) of this section...

26 CFR 1.430(i)-1 - Special rules for plans in at-risk status.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... to determining the funding target and making other computations for certain defined benefit plans... is in at-risk status for a plan year, including the determination of a plan's funding target attainment percentage and at-risk funding target attainment percentage. Paragraph (c) of this section...

Managed care quality of care and plan choice in New York SCHIP.

PubMed

Liu, Hangsheng; Phelps, Charles E; Veazie, Peter J; Dick, Andrew W; Klein, Jonathan D; Shone, Laura P; Noyes, Katia; Szilagyi, Peter G

2009-06-01

To examine whether low-income parents of children enrolled in the New York State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) choose managed care plans with better quality of care. 2001 New York SCHIP evaluation data; 2001 New York State Managed Care Plan Performance Report; 2000 New York State Managed Care Enrollment Report. Each market was defined as a county. A final sample of 2,325 new enrollees was analyzed after excluding those in markets with only one SCHIP plan. Plan quality was measured using seven Consumer Assessment of Health Plans Survey (CAHPS) and three Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set (HEDIS) scores. A conditional logit model was applied with plan and individual/family characteristics as covariates. There were 30 plans in the 45 defined markets. The choice probability increased 2.5 percentage points for each unit increase in the average CAHPS score, and the association was significantly larger in children with special health care needs. However, HEDIS did not show any statistically significant association with plan choice. Low-income parents do choose managed care plans with higher CAHPS scores for their newly enrolled children, suggesting that overall quality could improve over time because of the dynamics of enrollment.

26 CFR 1.404(a)-7 - Pension and annuity plans; contributions in excess of limitations under section 404(a)(1...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... years 15,000 Taxable Year Ending Dec. 31, 1956 Amount of contributions paid in year $10,000 Carried over...)(D). When contributions paid by an employer in a taxable year to or under a pension or annuity plan... contributions are carried over and are deductible in succeeding taxable years of the employer in order of time...

Defining Advancement Career Paths and Succession Plans: Critical Human Capital Retention Strategies for High-Performing Advancement Divisions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Croteau, Jon Derek; Wolk, Holly Gordon

2010-01-01

There are many factors that can influence whether a highly talented staff member will build a career within an institution or use it as a stepping stone. This article defines and explores the notions of developing career paths and succession planning and why they are critical human capital investment strategies in retaining the highest performers…

The Nature Conservancy's Gulf Wings Project – A Case Study in Conservation Planning for Migratory Birds

Treesearch

Charles Duncan; Becky Abel; Danny Kwan; David Mehlman

2005-01-01

The Nature Conservancy has adopted a framework for mission success called Conservation by Design. We plan at the ecoregional level to define conservation targets and the portfolio of sites needed to protect them. We consider threats and strategies for abating them at these key sites, and we define measures of success to hold ourselves accountable. Migratory birds...

29 CFR 2550.408e - Statutory exemption for acquisition or sale of qualifying employer securities and for acquisition...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... or sale by a plan of qualifying employer securities (as defined in section 407(d)(5) of the Act), or any acquisition, sale or lease by a plan of qualifying employer real property (as defined in section... 29 Labor 9 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Statutory exemption for acquisition or sale of qualifying...

26 CFR 1.401(a)(5)-1 - Special rules relating to nondiscrimination requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... compensation for A's final 5 plan years is as follows: 1995 plan year $10,500 1994 plan year $20,000 1993 plan... this section, an employee's final pay from the employer as of a plan year is the employee's compensation (as defined in section 414(q)(7)) for the year (ending with or within the 5-plan-year period...

Specific application for Oak Ridge National Laboratory dismantlement of Building 3004. Appendix A -- Quality assurance plan; Appendix B -- Records management plan

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

NONE

This quality assurance (QA) plan defines the QA requirements for the dismantlement and removal of Building 3004 at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL). The building is a four-story wooden trained structure with wooden siding, which resides approximately 150 ft west of the Bulk Shielding Reactor, and only several feet away from the visitors entrance to the Graphite Reactor museum. Complete descriptions and sketches are in the Performance Specification document for this project. This project is being conducted as a non-CERCLA maintenance action. This plan is an appendix to the QA plan for the ORNL Environmental Restoration (ER) Program. ORNL/ER-225, whichmore » is the source of the project QA requirements, tailors those QA requirements to the specific needs of this project as defined in ORNL/ER-225. Project-specific description and organization are also provided in this plan. Appendix B, Records Management Plan, is included.« less

What moves you Arizona : long-range transportation plan : 2010-2035.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-11-01

"What Moves You Arizona is the Arizona Department of Transportations (ADOT) Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP). The LRTP, or Plan, defines visionary, yet pragmatic, investment choices Arizona will make over the next 25 years to maintain a...

TU-F-12A-04: Differential Radiation Avoidance of Functional Liver Regions Defined by 99mTc-Sulfur Colloid SPECT/CT with Proton Therapy

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

Bowen, S; Miyaoka, R; Kinahan, P

2014-06-15

Purpose: Radiotherapy for hepatocellular carcinoma patients is conventionally planned without consideration of spatial heterogeneity in hepatic function, which may increase risk of radiation-induced liver disease. Pencil beam scanning (PBS) proton radiotherapy (pRT) plans were generated to differentially decrease dose to functional liver volumes (FLV) defined on [{sup 99m}Tc]sulfur colloid (SC) SPECT/CT images (functional avoidance plans) and compared against conventional pRT plans. Methods: Three HCC patients underwent SC SPECT/CT scans for pRT planning acquired 15 min post injection over 24 min. Images were reconstructed with OSEM following scatter, collimator, and exhale CT attenuation correction. Functional liver volumes (FLV) were defined bymore » liver:spleen uptake ratio thresholds (43% to 90% maximum). Planning objectives to FLV were based on mean SC SPECT uptake ratio relative to GTV-subtracted liver and inversely scaled to mean liver dose of 20 Gy. PTV target coverage (V{sub 95}) was matched between conventional and functional avoidance plans. PBS pRT plans were optimized in RayStation for single field uniform dose (SFUD) and systematically perturbed to verify robustness to uncertainty in range, setup, and motion. Relative differences in FLV DVH and target dose heterogeneity (D{sub 2}-D{sub 98})/D50 were assessed. Results: For similar liver dose between functional avoidance and conventional PBS pRT plans (D{sub mean}≤5% difference, V{sub 18Gy}≤1% difference), dose to functional liver volumes were lower in avoidance plans but varied in magnitude across patients (FLV{sub 70%max} D{sub mean}≤26% difference, V{sub 18Gy}≤8% difference). Higher PTV dose heterogeneity in avoidance plans was associated with lower functional liver dose, particularly for the largest lesion [(D{sub 2}-D{sub 98})/D{sub 50}=13%, FLV{sub 90%max}=50% difference]. Conclusion: Differential avoidance of functional liver regions defined on sulfur colloid SPECT/CT is feasible with proton therapy. The magnitude of benefit appears to be patient specific and dependent on tumor location, size, and proximity to functional volumes. Further investigation in a larger cohort of patients may validate the clinical utility of functional avoidance planning of HCC radiotherapy.« less

International Space Station Increment Operations Services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Michaelis, Horst; Sielaff, Christian

2002-01-01

The Industrial Operator (IO) has defined End-to-End services to perform efficiently all required operations tasks for the Manned Space Program (MSP) as agreed during the Ministerial Council in Edinburgh in November 2001. Those services are the result of a detailed task analysis based on the operations processes as derived from the Space Station Program Implementation Plans (SPIP) and defined in the Operations Processes Documents (OPD). These services are related to ISS Increment Operations and ATV Mission Operations. Each of these End-to-End services is typically characterised by the following properties: It has a clearly defined starting point, where all requirements on the end-product are fixed and associated performance metrics of the customer are well defined. It has a clearly defined ending point, when the product or service is delivered to the customer and accepted by him, according to the performance metrics defined at the start point. The implementation of the process might be restricted by external boundary conditions and constraints mutually agreed with the customer. As far as those are respected the IO has the free choice to select methods and means of implementation. The ISS Increment Operations Service (IOS) activities required for the MSP Exploitation program cover the complete increment specific cycle starting with the support to strategic planning and ending with the post increment evaluation. These activities are divided into sub-services including the following tasks: - ISS Planning Support covering the support to strategic and tactical planning up to the generation - Development &Payload Integration Support - ISS Increment Preparation - ISS Increment Execution These processes are tight together by the Increment Integration Management, which provides the planning and scheduling of all activities as well as the technical management of the overall process . The paper describes the entire End-to-End ISS Increment Operations service and the implementation to support the Columbus Flight 1E related increment and subsequent ISS increments. Special attention is paid to the implications caused by long term operations on hardware, software and operations personnel.

The relationship between hunger and mental health outcomes among school-going Ecuadorian adolescents.

PubMed

Romo, Matthew L; Abril-Ulloa, Victoria; Kelvin, Elizabeth A

2016-06-01

Mental health and food insecurity are major public health issues among adolescents in Ecuador. Our objective was to determine the relationship between hunger, symptoms of depression, and suicidal ideation among school-going Ecuadorian adolescents. We conducted crude and multivariable logistic regression models using data from the 2007 Global School-based Student Health Survey from Quito, Guayaquil, and Zamora, Ecuador (N = 5524). Hunger was defined as having gone hungry in the past 30 days due to lack of food in the home. Outcomes of interest were symptoms of depression and suicidal ideation with or without planning in the past year. Overall, 41.2 % (2200/5467) of students reported experiencing hunger. In multivariable logistic regression models, hunger had an increasing exposure-response relationship with symptoms of depression [sometimes hungry odds ratio (OR) 1.80, P = 0.0001; most of the time or always hungry OR 2.01, P < 0.0001] and suicidal ideation with planning (sometimes hungry OR 1.55, P = 0.04; most of the time or always hungry OR 2.63, P = 0.001). Hunger was associated with increased odds of symptoms of depression and suicidal ideation with planning. Strategies to improve mental health among adolescents in Ecuador should consider the potential contribution of hunger and food insecurity.

Determining land use changes by radar-optic fused images and monitoring its environmental impacts in Edremit region of western Turkey.

PubMed

Balik Sanli, Fusun; Kurucu, Yusuf; Esetlili, Mustafa Tolga

2009-04-01

Rapid and unplanned urbanization and industrialization are the main reasons of environmental problems. If urban growth is not based on resource sustainability criteria and urban plans are not applied, natural and human resources are damaged dramatically. In this study, land use change and urban expansion in Edremit region of Turkey is determined by means of remote sensing techniques between 1971 and 2002. To improve the accuracy of land use/cover maps, the contribution of SAR images to optic images in defining land cover types was investigated. To determine the situation of land use/cover types in 2002 accurately, Landsat-5 images and Radarsat-1 images were fused, and the land use/cover types were defined from the fused images. Comparisons with the ground truth reveal that land use maps generated using the fuse technique are improved about 6% with an accuracy of 81.20%. To define land use types and urban expansion, screen digitizing and classification methods were used. The results of the study indicate that the urban areas have been increased 1,826 ha across the agricultural fields which are in land use capability classes of I and II, and significant environmental changes such as land degradation and degeneration of ground water quality occurred.

Volumetric modulated arc therapy planning for primary prostate cancer with selective intraprostatic boost determined by 18F-choline PET/CT.

PubMed

Kuang, Yu; Wu, Lili; Hirata, Emily; Miyazaki, Kyle; Sato, Miles; Kwee, Sandi A

2015-04-01

This study evaluated expected tumor control and normal tissue toxicity for prostate volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) with and without radiation boosts to an intraprostatically dominant lesion (IDL), defined by (18)F-choline positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT). Thirty patients with localized prostate cancer underwent (18)F-choline PET/CT before treatment. Two VMAT plans, plan79 Gy and plan100-105 Gy, were compared for each patient. The whole-prostate planning target volume (PTVprostate) prescription was 79 Gy in both plans, but plan100-105 Gy added simultaneous boost doses of 100 Gy and 105 Gy to the IDL, defined by 60% and 70% of maximum prostatic uptake on (18)F-choline PET (IDLsuv60% and IDLsuv70%, respectively, with IDLsuv70% nested inside IDLsuv60% to potentially enhance tumor specificity of the maximum point dose). Plan evaluations included histopathological correspondence, isodose distributions, dose-volume histograms, tumor control probability (TCP), and normal tissue complication probability (NTCP). Planning objectives and dose constraints proved feasible in 30 of 30 cases. Prostate sextant histopathology was available for 28 cases, confirming that IDLsuv60% adequately covered all tumor-bearing prostate sextants in 27 cases and provided partial coverage in 1 case. Plan100-105 Gy had significantly higher TCP than plan79 Gy across all prostate regions for α/β ratios ranging from 1.5 Gy to 10 Gy (P<.001 for each case). There were no significant differences in bladder and femoral head NTCP between plans and slightly lower rectal NTCP (endpoint: grade ≥ 2 late toxicity or rectal bleeding) was found for plan100-105 Gy. VMAT can potentially increase the likelihood of tumor control in primary prostate cancer while observing normal tissue tolerances through simultaneous delivery of a steep radiation boost to a (18)F-choline PET-defined IDL. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Computer-aided resource planning and scheduling for radiological services

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia, Hong-Mei C.; Yun, David Y.; Ge, Yiqun; Khan, Javed I.

1996-05-01

There exists tremendous opportunity in hospital-wide resource optimization based on system integration. This paper defines the resource planning and scheduling requirements integral to PACS, RIS and HIS integration. An multi-site case study is conducted to define the requirements. A well-tested planning and scheduling methodology, called Constrained Resource Planning model, has been applied to the chosen problem of radiological service optimization. This investigation focuses on resource optimization issues for minimizing the turnaround time to increase clinical efficiency and customer satisfaction, particularly in cases where the scheduling of multiple exams are required for a patient. How best to combine the information system efficiency and human intelligence in improving radiological services is described. Finally, an architecture for interfacing a computer-aided resource planning and scheduling tool with the existing PACS, HIS and RIS implementation is presented.

Optimization and planning of operating theatre activities: an original definition of pathways and process modeling.

PubMed

Barbagallo, Simone; Corradi, Luca; de Ville de Goyet, Jean; Iannucci, Marina; Porro, Ivan; Rosso, Nicola; Tanfani, Elena; Testi, Angela

2015-05-17

The Operating Room (OR) is a key resource of all major hospitals, but it also accounts for up 40% of resource costs. Improving cost effectiveness, while maintaining a quality of care, is a universal objective. These goals imply an optimization of planning and a scheduling of the activities involved. This is highly challenging due to the inherent variable and unpredictable nature of surgery. A Business Process Modeling Notation (BPMN 2.0) was used for the representation of the "OR Process" (being defined as the sequence of all of the elementary steps between "patient ready for surgery" to "patient operated upon") as a general pathway ("path"). The path was then both further standardized as much as possible and, at the same time, keeping all of the key-elements that would allow one to address or define the other steps of planning, and the inherent and wide variability in terms of patient specificity. The path was used to schedule OR activity, room-by-room, and day-by-day, feeding the process from a "waiting list database" and using a mathematical optimization model with the objective of ending up in an optimized planning. The OR process was defined with special attention paid to flows, timing and resource involvement. Standardization involved a dynamics operation and defined an expected operating time for each operation. The optimization model has been implemented and tested on real clinical data. The comparison of the results reported with the real data, shows that by using the optimization model, allows for the scheduling of about 30% more patients than in actual practice, as well as to better exploit the OR efficiency, increasing the average operating room utilization rate up to 20%. The optimization of OR activity planning is essential in order to manage the hospital's waiting list. Optimal planning is facilitated by defining the operation as a standard pathway where all variables are taken into account. By allowing a precise scheduling, it feeds the process of planning and, further up-stream, the management of a waiting list in an interactive and bi-directional dynamic process.

42 CFR 422.50 - Eligibility to elect an MA plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Eligibility to elect an MA plan. 422.50 Section 422... § 422.50 Eligibility to elect an MA plan. For this subpart, all references to an MA plan include MA-PD and both MA local and MA regional plans, as defined in § 422.2 unless specifically noted otherwise. (a...

42 CFR 422.50 - Eligibility to elect an MA plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Eligibility to elect an MA plan. 422.50 Section 422... § 422.50 Eligibility to elect an MA plan. For this subpart, all references to an MA plan include MA-PD and both MA local and MA regional plans, as defined in § 422.2 unless specifically noted otherwise. (a...

42 CFR 422.50 - Eligibility to elect an MA plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Eligibility to elect an MA plan. 422.50 Section 422... Eligibility to elect an MA plan. For this subpart, all references to an MA plan include MA-PD and both MA local and MA regional plans, as defined in § 422.2 unless specifically noted otherwise. (a) An...

42 CFR 422.50 - Eligibility to elect an MA plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Eligibility to elect an MA plan. 422.50 Section 422... § 422.50 Eligibility to elect an MA plan. For this subpart, all references to an MA plan include MA-PD and both MA local and MA regional plans, as defined in § 422.2 unless specifically noted otherwise. (a...

A Guide to Food Service Operation Planning with Information on Preparing and Submitting Plans and Specifications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohio State Dept. of Health, Columbus.

Guidelines are presented for planning a food service operation which is defined as any place kept or maintained for the purpose of preparing or serving meals or lunches for a consideration. Brief discussions are presented pertaining to the value of planning and the preparation and use of plans and specifications. Recommendations and specifications…

Fluor Hanford (FH) River Corridor Transition Plan

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

MCBRIDE, D.J.

2002-08-28

This Transition Plan defines the scope and schedule for actions that are critical for a smooth transition of the River Corridor scope of work and to ensure the achievement of transition as planned, with minimal or no impact to ongoing baseline activities.

Creating a Marketing Plan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sevier, Robert A.

1989-01-01

A guide to developing a college marketing plan defines key marketing terms, outlines the development of a plan (including institutional analysis, market research, strategy formation and execution, and program evaluation), and provides a list of important principles with which to operate a program. (MSE)

Airport Surface Traffic Control Visual Ground Aids Engineering and Development Plan

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1977-01-01

The plan described in this document supports the overall program at the Transportation Systems Center to define, design, develop, and evaluate systems that meet the requirements of airport surface traffic control. This plan is part of documentation s...

Social marketing: the family planning experience.

PubMed

El-ansary, A I; Kramer Oe, J

1973-07-01

The authors explore social marketing applications in the Louisiana model of statewide program for family planning. The marketing concept has 4 major elements: 1) consumer orientation; 2) social process; 3) integrated effort; 4) profitable operation. Success of program and continued growth are the results of defining services needed by consumer; determining market target; taking services to customer; and emphasizing concept of selling family planning rather than giving free birth control method. Another important facet is the recognition of many participants--community agencies, the church, the American Medical Association, funding sources, and hospitals. This project used anyaltical marketing tools and defined services as human services rather than the narrow family planning services. It also extended activities to multinational environment and adapted the product offering to meet these needs.

Tank waste remediation system configuration management implementation plan

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

Vann, J.M.

1998-03-31

The Tank Waste Remediation System (TWRS) Configuration Management Implementation Plan describes the actions that will be taken by Project Hanford Management Contract Team to implement the TWRS Configuration Management program defined in HNF 1900, TWRS Configuration Management Plan. Over the next 25 years, the TWRS Project will transition from a safe storage mission to an aggressive retrieval, storage, and disposal mission in which substantial Engineering, Construction, and Operations activities must be performed. This mission, as defined, will require a consolidated configuration management approach to engineering, design, construction, as-building, and operating in accordance with the technical baselines that emerge from themore » life cycles. This Configuration Management Implementation Plan addresses the actions that will be taken to strengthen the TWRS Configuration Management program.« less

Benefit or Burden? On the Intergenerational Inequity of Teacher Pension Plans

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Backes, Ben; Goldhaber, Dan; Grout, Cyrus; Koedel, Cory; Ni, Shawn; Podgursky, Michael; Xiang, P. Brett; Xu, Zeyu

2016-01-01

Most public school teachers in the United States are enrolled in defined benefit (DB) pension plans. Using administrative microdata from four states, combined with national pension funding data, we show these plans have accumulated substantial unfunded liabilities--effectively debt--owing to previous plan operations. On average across 49 state…

General Guide for Community College System Physical Planning. 2nd Printing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mogi, Hitoshi

Part I describes a general outline for producing long range development plans for the Hawaii Community College System. Long-range planning is defined and discussed in terms of basic elements of academic requirements, quality of campus, space requirements, environmental factors, administrative factors, and adjustment factors of the general plans.…

45 CFR 146.145 - Special rules relating to group health plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... HEALTH CARE ACCESS REQUIREMENTS FOR THE GROUP HEALTH INSURANCE MARKET Preemption and Special Rules § 146... group health insurance coverage) for any plan year, if on the first day of the plan year, the plan has...— (A) Medicare supplemental health insurance (as defined under section 1882(g)(1) of the Social...

26 CFR 1.436-1 - Limits on benefits and benefit accruals under single employer defined benefit plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... reduce funding balances. (b) Limitation on shutdown benefits and other unpredictable contingent event... effect. (6) Treatment of mergers, consolidations, and transfers of plan assets into a plan. [Reserved] (d... accruals for plans with severe funding shortfalls. (1) In general. (2) Exemption if section 436...

26 CFR 1.436-1 - Limits on benefits and benefit accruals under single employer defined benefit plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... reduce funding balances. (b) Limitation on shutdown benefits and other unpredictable contingent event... effect. (6) Treatment of mergers, consolidations, and transfers of plan assets into a plan. [Reserved] (d... accruals for plans with severe funding shortfalls. (1) In general. (2) Exemption if section 436...

26 CFR 1.430(i)-1 - Special rules for plans in at-risk status.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... determining the funding target and making other computations for certain defined benefit plans that are in at... status for a plan year, including the determination of a plan's funding target attainment percentage and at-risk funding target attainment percentage. Paragraph (c) of this section describes the funding...

42 CFR 422.252 - Terminology.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... supplemental benefit, as described at § 422.266(b)(1). MA-PD plan means an MA local or regional plan that...). MA monthly prescription drug beneficiary premium is the MA-PD plan base beneficiary premium, defined... and the national average bid (as described in § 422.256(c)) less the amount of rebate the MA-PD plan...

42 CFR 422.252 - Terminology.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... supplemental benefit, as described at § 422.266(b)(1). MA-PD plan means an MA local or regional plan that...). MA monthly prescription drug beneficiary premium is the MA-PD plan base beneficiary premium, defined... and the national average bid (as described in § 422.256(c)) less the amount of rebate the MA-PD plan...

42 CFR 422.252 - Terminology.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... supplemental benefit, as described at § 422.266(b)(1). MA-PD plan means an MA local or regional plan that...). MA monthly prescription drug beneficiary premium is the MA-PD plan base beneficiary premium, defined... and the national average bid (as described in § 422.256(c)) less the amount of rebate the MA-PD plan...

26 CFR 1.401(l)-5 - Overall permitted disparity limits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... fractions under Plan P as well as the employee's annual defined benefit excess plan disparity fractions... disparity rules apply to limit the disparity provided for a plan year if an employee benefits under more... the disparity provided for an employee's total years of service, either in a single plan or in more...

Argonne Physics Division - ATLAS

Science.gov Websites

Strategic Plan (2014) ATLAS Gus Savard Guy Savard, Director of ATLAS Welcome to ATLAS, the Argonne Tandem users. ATLAS mission statement and strategic plan guide the operation of the facility. The strategic plan defines the facilities main goals and is aligned with the US Nuclear Physics long-range plan

A Model of Workflow Composition for Emergency Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xin, Chen; Bin-ge, Cui; Feng, Zhang; Xue-hui, Xu; Shan-shan, Fu

The common-used workflow technology is not flexible enough in dealing with concurrent emergency situations. The paper proposes a novel model for defining emergency plans, in which workflow segments appear as a constituent part. A formal abstraction, which contains four operations, is defined to compose workflow segments under constraint rule. The software system of the business process resources construction and composition is implemented and integrated into Emergency Plan Management Application System.

Value-focused framework for defining landscape-scale conservation targets

USGS Publications Warehouse

Romañach, Stephanie; Benscoter, Allison M.; Brandt, Laura A.

2016-01-01

Conservation of natural resources can be challenging in a rapidly changing world and require collaborative efforts for success. Conservation planning is the process of deciding how to protect, conserve, and enhance or minimize loss of natural and cultural resources. Establishing conservation targets (also called indicators or endpoints), the measurable expressions of desired resource conditions, can help with site-specific up to landscape-scale conservation planning. Using conservation targets and tracking them through time can deliver benefits such as insight into ecosystem health and providing early warnings about undesirable trends. We describe an approach using value-focused thinking to develop statewide conservation targets for Florida. Using such an approach allowed us to first identify stakeholder objectives and then define conservation targets to meet those objectives. Stakeholders were able to see how their shared efforts fit into the broader conservation context, and also anticipate the benefits of multi-agency and -organization collaboration. We developed an iterative process for large-scale conservation planning that included defining a shared framework for the process, defining the conservation targets themselves, as well as developing management and monitoring strategies for evaluation of their effectiveness. The process we describe is applicable to other geographies where multiple parties are seeking to implement collaborative, large-scale biological planning.

Industry and Consumers Awareness for Effective Management of Functional Animal-based Foods in South Korea

PubMed Central

Wi, Seo-Hyun; Park, Jung-Min; Wee, Sung-Hwan; Park, Jae-Woo; Kim, Jin-Man

2013-01-01

In recent years, manufacturers of animal-based foods with health claims have encountered difficulties in the labeling of their products because of a lack of regulation on defining the functionality of animal-based foods. Therefore, this study was conducted to establish the basic requirements for the development of a definition for functional animal-based foods by investigating consumer and industry awareness. Survey data were collected from 114 industry representatives and 1,100 consumers. The questions of the survey included items on production status and future production plans, functionality labeling, promotion plans, establishment of definition, the role of the government, consumer perception, and selection of products. The results show that both industry representatives and consumers believe that legislation and the provision of scientific evidence should be improved for the development of a functional animal-based foods market. The results obtained from this study will contribute to consumer trust by supplying correct information and can be utilized in the industry as basic data for the development of functional animal-based food products. PMID:24551825

Large Reactional Osteogenesis in Maxillary Sinus Associated with Secondary Root Canal Infection Detected Using Cone-beam Computed Tomography.

PubMed

Estrela, Carlos; Porto, Olavo César Lyra; Costa, Nádia Lago; Garrote, Marcel da Silva; Decurcio, Daniel Almeida; Bueno, Mike R; Silva, Brunno Santos de Freitas

2015-12-01

Inflammatory injuries in the maxillary sinus may originate from root canal infections and lead to bone resorption or regeneration. This report describes the radiographic findings of 4 asymptomatic clinical cases of large reactional osteogenesis in the maxillary sinus (MS) associated with secondary root canal infection detected using cone-beam computed tomographic (CBCT) imaging. Apical periodontitis, a consequence of root canal infection, may lead to a periosteal reaction in the MS and osteogenesis seen as a radiopaque structure on imaging scans. The use of a map-reading strategy for the longitudinal and sequential slices of CBCT images may contribute to the definition of diagnoses and treatment plans. Root canal infections may lead to reactional osteogenesis in the MS. High-resolution CBCT images may reveal changes that go unnoticed when using conventional imaging. Findings may help define initial diagnoses and therapeutic plans, but only histopathology provides a definitive diagnosis. Surgical enucleation of the periapical lesion is recommended if nonsurgical root canal treatment fails to control apical periodontitis. Copyright © 2015 American Association of Endodontists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Mining level of control in medical organizations.

PubMed

Çalimli, Olgu; Türkeli, Serkan; Eken, Emir Gökberk; Gönen, Halil Emre

2014-01-01

In literature of strategic management, there are three layers of control defined in organizational structures. These layers are strategic, tactical and operational, in which resides senior, medium level and low level managers respectively. In strategic level, institutional strategies are determined according to senior managers' perceived state of organization. In tactical level, this strategy is processed into methods and activities of a business management plan. Operational level embodies actions and functions to sustain specified business management plan. An acknowledged lead organization in Turkish medical area is examined using case study and data mining method in the scope of this paper. The level of decisions regarded in managerial purposes evaluated through chosen organization's business intelligence event logs report. Hence specification of management level importance of medical organizations is made. Case study, data mining and descriptive statistical method of taken case's reports present that positions of "Chief Executive Officer", "Outpatient Center Manager", "General Manager", monitored and analyzed functions of operational level management more frequently than strategic and tactical level. Absence of strategic management decision level research in medical area distinguishes this paper and consequently substantiates its significant contribution.

Measurement and Analysis Plan for Investigation of Spent-Fuel Assay Using Lead Slowing-Down Spectroscopy

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

Smith, Leon E.; Haas, Derek A.; Gavron, Victor A.

2009-09-25

Under funding from the Department of Energy Office of Nuclear Energy’s Materials, Protection, Accounting, and Control for Transmutation (MPACT) program (formerly the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative Safeguards Campaign), Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) are collaborating to study the viability of lead slowing-down spectroscopy (LSDS) for spent-fuel assay. Based on the results of previous simulation studies conducted by PNNL and LANL to estimate potential LSDS performance, a more comprehensive study of LSDS viability has been defined. That study includes benchmarking measurements, development and testing of key enabling instrumentation, and continued study of time-spectra analysis methods.more » This report satisfies the requirements for a PNNL/LANL deliverable that describes the objectives, plans and contributing organizations for a comprehensive three-year study of LSDS for spent-fuel assay. This deliverable was generated largely during the LSDS workshop held on August 25-26, 2009 at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute (RPI). The workshop itself was a prominent milestone in the FY09 MPACT project and is also described within this report.« less

Crisis management, capabilities and preparedness: the case of public hospitals in Iran.

PubMed

Najafbagy, Reza

2010-01-01

Crises occurred in recent decades show that organizations' preparedness to predict and respond to undesired problems is directly related to the degree of their capabilities and preparedness to manage crises in this context, hospitals compared to other organizations are more viable to suffer damages if a crisis occurs. This study investigates the degree of public hospitals capabilities and preparedness to handled possible crises. Responses from hospital managers and directors show that most of them were not familiar with crisis management, while majority of them mentioned that they had crisis management plan and committee in their hospitals. Moreover, most of the respondents believed that if a crisis occurs in the hospital, patients, personnel and documents will be the first victims of the crisis. The study also indicates that having a crisis plan and crisis committee without being familiar with knowledge of crisis management, do not help managers to cope with crisis. Moreover, correlations show that older managers were more familiar with crisis management experiences abroad, and defined responsibilities contributed to setting up crisis committee, and taking crisis seriously.

Phase I Transport Model of Corrective Action Units 101 and 102: Central and Western Pahute Mesa, Nevada Test Site, Nye County, Nevada with Errata Sheet 1, 2, 3, Revision 1

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

Greg Ruskauff

2009-02-01

As prescribed in the Pahute Mesa Corrective Action Investigation Plan (CAIP) (DOE/NV, 1999) and Appendix VI of the Federal Facility Agreement and Consent Order (FFACO) (1996, as amended February 2008), the ultimate goal of transport analysis is to develop stochastic predictions of a contaminant boundary at a specified level of uncertainty. However, because of the significant uncertainty of the model results, the primary goal of this report was modified through mutual agreement between the DOE and the State of Nevada to assess the primary model components that contribute to this uncertainty and to postpone defining the contaminant boundary until additionalmore » model refinement is completed. Therefore, the role of this analysis has been to understand the behavior of radionuclide migration in the Pahute Mesa (PM) Corrective Action Unit (CAU) model and to define, both qualitatively and quantitatively, the sensitivity of such behavior to (flow) model conceptualization and (flow and transport) parameterization.« less

12 CFR 163.47 - Pension plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... by an enrolled actuary (as defined by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974) affirming... expectations, and represent the actuary's best estimate of the plan's projected experiences. ...

12 CFR 163.47 - Pension plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... by an enrolled actuary (as defined by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974) affirming... expectations, and represent the actuary's best estimate of the plan's projected experiences. ...

12 CFR 163.47 - Pension plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... by an enrolled actuary (as defined by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974) affirming... expectations, and represent the actuary's best estimate of the plan's projected experiences. ...

Managed Care Quality of Care and Plan Choice in New York SCHIP

PubMed Central

Liu, Hangsheng; Phelps, Charles E; Veazie, Peter J; Dick, Andrew W; Klein, Jonathan D; Shone, Laura P; Noyes, Katia; Szilagyi, Peter G

2009-01-01

Objective To examine whether low-income parents of children enrolled in the New York State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) choose managed care plans with better quality of care. Data Sources 2001 New York SCHIP evaluation data; 2001 New York State Managed Care Plan Performance Report; 2000 New York State Managed Care Enrollment Report. Study Design Each market was defined as a county. A final sample of 2,325 new enrollees was analyzed after excluding those in markets with only one SCHIP plan. Plan quality was measured using seven Consumer Assessment of Health Plans Survey (CAHPS) and three Health Plan Employer Data and Information Set (HEDIS) scores. A conditional logit model was applied with plan and individual/family characteristics as covariates. Principle Findings There were 30 plans in the 45 defined markets. The choice probability increased 2.5 percentage points for each unit increase in the average CAHPS score, and the association was significantly larger in children with special health care needs. However, HEDIS did not show any statistically significant association with plan choice. Conclusions Low-income parents do choose managed care plans with higher CAHPS scores for their newly enrolled children, suggesting that overall quality could improve over time because of the dynamics of enrollment. PMID:19208091

Evaluation of nonmetallic thermal protection materials for the manned space shuttle. Volume 1, task 1: Assessment of technical risks associated with utilization of nonmetallic thermal protection system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilkinson, W. H.; Kirkhart, F. P.; Kistler, C. W.; Duckworth, W. H.; Ungar, E. W.; Foster, E. L.

1970-01-01

Technical problems of design and flight qualification of the proposed classes of surface insulation materials and leading edge materials were reviewed. A screening test plan, a preliminary design data test plan and a design data test plan were outlined. This program defined the apparent critical differences between the surface insulators and the leading edge materials, structuring specialized screening test plans for each of these two classes of materials. Unique testing techniques were shown to be important in evaluating the structural interaction aspects of the surface insulators and a separate task was defined to validate the test plan. In addition, a compilation was made of available information on proposed material (including metallic TPS), previous shuttle programs, pertinent test procedures, and other national programs of merit. This material was collected and summarized in an informally structured workbook.

Earth Observation in Environmental and Societal Impacts of Mineral Resources Exploitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chevrel, Stephane

Several national and international initiatives, both from the private or the institutional sectors, arised to address the sustainable development of the extractive industry and the reduction of its environmental footprint. Meanwhile, the extractive industry is facing increasing environmental and societal pressures, being regulatory or not, during all phases of a project, from exploration to exploitation and closure. The social acceptability of a project is among the major key issues to be dealt with. The EO-MINERS project (Earth Observation for Monitoring and Observing Environmental and Societal Impacts of Mineral Resources Exploration and Exploitation) is a newly EU funded Research and Technological Development project started in February 2010. EO-MINERS scientific and technical objectives are to: i) assess policy requirements at macro (public) and micro (mining companies) levels and define environmental, socio-economic, societal and sustainable development criteria and indicators to be possibly dealt using EO (Earth Observation); ii) use existing EO knowledge and carry out new developments on demonstration sites to further demonstrate the capabilities of integrated EO-based methods and tools in monitoring, managing and contributing reducing the environmental and societal footprints of the extractive industry during all phases of a mining project, from the exploration to the exploitation and closure stages; iii) contribute making reliable and objective information about affected ecosystems, populations and societies, to serve as a basis for a sound "trialogue" between industrialists, governmental organisations and stakeholders. EO-MINERS also is designed to embed the outcomes of the project firmly in the GEO process through a review the existing GEO Tasks covering the 9 societal benefit and 5 transverse areas defined by GEO work plan 2007-2009. This analysis will be used to identify synergies and gaps between EO-MINERS and GEO, with the aim of mapping mining and environmental observa-tion systems into the 9 GEOSS Societal Benefit Areas, identifying EO-MINERS contributions to existing GEOSS targets and defining new, EO-MINERS activities in support of GEOSS. EO-MINERS will run a minerals workshop with GEO members and/or the GEO Secretariat.

26 CFR 1.436-1 - Limits on benefits and benefit accruals under single employer defined benefit plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... take effect in a plan year if the adjusted funding target attainment percentage for the plan year is... provides rules relating to funding-based limitations on certain benefits under section 436, and the... limitations in effect immediately before the termination of a plan do not cease to apply thereafter. (B...

Shaping the College Curriculum: Academic Plans in Action.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stark, Joan S.; Lattuca, Lisa R.

This book proposes a broad view of the college curriculum, suggesting that it be defined as an "academic plan." The plan included decisions about what, why, and how students learn; ways to determine whether students have learned what they are supposed to learn; and methods of using this information to improve the plan. Taking both a macro and a…

Planning for Health: Development and Application of Social Change Theory.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blum, Henrik L.

This book undertakes the task of portraying the application of planning theory to health concerns. It defines the purposes planning is meant to serve; analyzes the dynamics of social change; identifies the major determinants of change; and examines how planning can best affect those determinants. The book is organized into five major sections: (1)…

26 CFR 1.411(b)(5)-1 - Reduction in rate of benefit accrual under a defined benefit plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... describes safe harbors for certain plan designs (including statutory hybrid plans) that are deemed to... this section. (b) Safe harbors for certain plan designs—(1) Accumulated benefit testing—(i) In general... a participant. Thus, this test involves a comparison of the accumulated benefit of an individual who...

MCC/shuttle test plan. Volume 1: Philosophy and guidelines

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1976-01-01

The Mission Control Center/Shuttle Test Plan is defined from development through operations to a level of detail which will support the National Aeronautics and Space Administration and contractor management in the following areas: test management, test tool development, and resource and schedule planning.

Marketing Academic Libraries: A Necessary Plan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dodsworth, Ellen

1998-01-01

To coordinate an academic-library marketing effort effectively, a comprehensive plan is essential. A traditional marketing plan consists of four activities: determining what to promote, defining target audiences, choosing type of outreach, and evaluating program. Suggestions for promotional activities, forms of publicity, and examples from the…

78 FR 53704 - Employee Retirement Benefit Plan Returns Required on Magnetic Media

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-30

... at (202) 622-7180 (not toll-free numbers). SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Background Electronic filing of... Actuarial Information,'' and the Schedule MB, ``Multiemployer Defined Benefit Plan and Certain Money... its successor). (ii) Multiemployer and certain money purchase plans. For multiemployer and certain...

Instructional Program Planning for Outdoor Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garbutt, Barbara; And Others

A guide on instructional program planning for outdoor education, prepared for Oakland County (Michigan) teachers, contains suggestions for program planning and lists information sources on suitable outdoor activities. The purpose of outdoor education is defined as being: "to enrich, vitalize and complement content areas of the school…

Nuclear Thermal Propulsion Technology - Summary of FY 1991 Interagency Panel Planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clark, John S.; Mcdaniel, Patrick; Howe, Steven; Stanley, Marland

1991-01-01

An Interagency (NASA/DOE/DOD) technical panel has been working in 1991 to evaluate nuclear thermal propulsion (NTP) concepts on a consistent basis, and to continue technology development project planning for a joint project in nuclear propulsion for Space Exploration Initiative (SEI). This paper summarizes the efforts of the panel to date and summarizes the technology plans defined for NTP. Concepts were categorized based on probable technology readiness data, and innovative 'proof-of-concept' tests and analyses were defined. While further studies will be required to provide a consistent comparison of all of the NTP concepts, the current status of the studies is presented.

Integrated systems optimization model for biofuel development: The influence of environmental constraints

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Housh, M.; Ng, T.; Cai, X.

2012-12-01

The environmental impact is one of the major concerns of biofuel development. While many other studies have examined the impact of biofuel expansion on stream flow and water quality, this study examines the problem from the other side - will and how a biofuel production target be affected by given environmental constraints. For this purpose, an integrated model comprises of different sub-systems of biofuel refineries, transportation, agriculture, water resources and crops/ethanol market has been developed. The sub-systems are integrated into one large-scale model to guide the optimal development plan considering the interdependency between the subsystems. The optimal development plan includes biofuel refineries location and capacity, refinery operation, land allocation between biofuel and food crops, and the corresponding stream flow and nitrate load in the watershed. The watershed is modeled as a network flow, in which the nodes represent sub-watersheds and the arcs are defined as the linkage between the sub-watersheds. The runoff contribution of each sub-watershed is determined based on the land cover and the water uses in that sub-watershed. Thus, decisions of other sub-systems such as the land allocation in the land use sub-system and the water use in the refinery sub-system define the sources and the sinks of the network. Environmental policies will be addressed in the integrated model by imposing stream flow and nitrate load constraints. These constraints can be specified by location and time in the watershed to reflect the spatial and temporal variation of the regulations. Preliminary results show that imposing monthly water flow constraints and yearly nitrate load constraints will change the biofuel development plan dramatically. Sensitivity analysis is performed to examine how the environmental constraints and their spatial and the temporal distribution influence the overall biofuel development plan and the performance of each of the sub-systems. Additional scenarios are analyzed to show the synergies of crop pattern choice (first versus second generation of biofuel crops), refinery technology adaptation (particularly on water use), refinery plant distribution, and economic incentives in terms of balanced environmental protection and bioenergy development objectives.

VCE testbed program planning and definition study

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Westmoreland, J. S.; Godston, J.

1978-01-01

The flight definition of the Variable Stream Control Engine (VSCE) was updated to reflect design improvements in the two key components: (1) the low emissions duct burner, and (2) the coannular exhaust nozzle. The testbed design was defined and plans for the overall program were formulated. The effect of these improvements was evaluated for performance, emissions, noise, weight, and length. For experimental large scale testing of the duct burner and coannular nozzle, a design definition of the VCE testbed configuration was made. This included selecting the core engine, determining instrumentation requirements, and selecting the test facilities, in addition to defining control system and assembly requirements. Plans for a comprehensive test program to demonstrate the duct burner and nozzle technologies were formulated. The plans include both aeroacoustic and emissions testing.

Spend Now or Spend Later: The Role of a Business Education and Critical Thinking Skills in Increasing Retirement Plan Saving Rates for New, Young Enrollees

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arling, Priscilla A.; Kirby, Jill; Saajasto, Kegan

2015-01-01

For college graduates entering the workforce, contributing to an employer-sponsored 401(k) retirement plan can be an important way of saving for the future. However, contribution rates for young people in these plans are far below recommended percentages, leading to concerns about future financial stability for these individuals. Prior work has…

European Space Agency lidar development programs for remote sensing of the atmosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Armandillo, Errico

1992-12-01

Active laser remote sensing from space is considered an important step forward in the understanding of the processes which regulate weather and climate changes. The planned launching into polar orbit in the late 1990s of a series of dedicated Earth observation satellites offer new possibilities for flying lidar in space. Among the various lidar candidates, ESA has recognized in the backscattering lidar and Doppler wind lidar the instruments which can most contribute to the Earth observation program. To meet the schedule of the on-coming flight opportunities, ESA has been engaged over the past years in a preparatory program aimed to define the instruments and ensure timely availability of the critical components. This paper reviews the status of the ongoing developments and highlights the critical issues addressed.

Influence of gamma-ray skyshine on nuclear facilities design

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

Ohta, M.; Tsuji, M.; Kimura, Y.

1986-01-01

In safety analysis of nuclear facilities, skyshine dose rate at site boundary is one of the most important shielding design problems. For nuclear power stations in Japan, the skyshine dose rate at the site boundary has been specified not to exceed 5 mR/yr by the authorities, including total dose contribution from all structures on site, and this guide is commonly applied to other nuclear fuel cycle facilities. Therefore the design criterion dose of each structure on site is, considering plot planning, shielding condition, and so on, defined as a value <5 mR/yr. The purpose of this study is to investigatemore » how skyshine dose standards or other factors have an influence on the design of nuclear facilities, in a parametric survey of gamma-ray skyshine.« less

Natural Hazard Problem and Solution Definition in the News Media: the Case of Tropical Storm Allison

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindquist, Eric; Mosher-Howe, Katrina

2010-05-01

Focusing events such as natural or technological disasters can have significant impacts on public policy and planning in both the near and long term. These impacts can manifest at different temporal scales ranging from the period of immediate attention and disaster relief through the period of recovery and reconstruction and beyond. These impacts and associated decisions can be studied in retrospect and understood as not only short-term reactions, but as long-term components of subsequent natural hazard planning and public policy. By studying in detail how an event was defined, and the policy and planning alternatives that were raised or recommended in response to a disaster event, we can better understand the role that disaster-related focusing events play in the long-term evolution of a community's public policy, infrastructural planning efforts, and responses to natural disasters. This paper will use a focusing event framework to explore the local and regional policy impacts over time of a major urban flood in Houston, Texas, Tropical Storm Allison. Tropical Storm Allison (TSA), dropped 36 inches of rain on Houston over a period of four days in early June 2001, and was responsible for 22 deaths, 70,000 flood damaged homes, and 5 billion in damage to the region. The primary data source for this effort is a database of 500 articles from the major regional newspaper, the Houston Chronicle, over the period of 2001 through 2008. These articles were coded for multiple variables, including, cause, effect and impact (financial and social), blame, problem and solution definition and solution acceptance). This paper focuses primarily on the measures of problem definition (how was TSA, as an event, defined in the media, for example, as an act of God, or as a result of poor planning or decision making, etc), and on solution definition (what solutions were proposed to mitigate or adapt to future storms of this magnitude, how were they linked to the definition of the problem, and what was the perceived acceptability of such solutions among divers stakeholders). As such, this paper will contribute to our efforts to further link the social and policy sciences theory and methods with natural hazards research.

Long-Range Strategic Planning: The Rochester Experience.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schultz, John M.; Anthony, Deborah L.

The administration of Rochester Community Schools (Michigan) initiated a process for long-range strategic planning in 1984, described in this synopsis. Strategic planning is an ongoing, evolutionary process of defining the business one is in or should be in; establishing organizational goals and objectives; and developing and implementing…

Facility Master Plans: An Essential First Step in the Building Development Process.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wickerham, Wendell E.

2002-01-01

Discusses the importance of the facility master plan (FMP) in defining project scope and validating or challenging the work of consultants. Offers three case studies illustrating how facility master plans averted problems or led to unanticipated benefits for the colleges involved. (EV)

How Does a Lesson Plan?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

New York City Board of Education, Brooklyn, NY. Div. of Curriculum and Instruction.

This manual for secondary school teachers offers sample lesson plans that may be used to guide and stimulate experimentation and development of creative instructional units. Lesson plan components are defined, and various types of lessons and their significant characteristics are identified. These characteristic types of lessons are illustrated,…

Strategic Planning for Educational Reform and Improvement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

D'Amico, Joseph J.

1988-01-01

Defines strategic planning, outlines its key elements and activities, and summarizes the difficulties of applying a top-down, profit-driven process to education. Explains Strategic Planning for Educational Reform and Improvement (SPERI), a set of manageable, concise procedures for top school administrators. Describes SPERI applications in an…

76 FR 23109 - Enhancing Airline Passenger Protections

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-25

... Department; expanding the group of carriers that are required to adopt, follow, and audit customer service... carriers to those required to include their contingency plans and customer service plans on their websites..., and audit customer service plans. The rule also defined chronically delayed flights and deemed them to...

An Aid for Planning Programs in Career Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Illinois State Board of Vocational Education and Rehabilitation, Springfield. Div. of Vocational and Technical Education.

Offered as an aid for developing sequential occupational education programs, the publication presents a concept in career education planning beginning with kindergarten and continuing through adult years. Career education goals are defined, and steps in planning sequential programs are outlined as follows: (1) organization of the occupational…

Campus Planning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dober, Richard P.

This book suggests ways and means by which the development of campuses can be controlled so that functional goals can be aesthetically expressed. The first section, "Prospectus," defines campus planning, illuminating through historical examples the evolution of the campus as a design form, and describes the conditions that make campus planning so…

23 CFR 420.103 - How does the FHWA define the terms used in this part?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... the Transportation Research Board, National Academy of Sciences. Procurement contract means a legal...? 420.103 Section 420.103 Highways FEDERAL HIGHWAY ADMINISTRATION, DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION PLANNING AND RESEARCH PLANNING AND RESEARCH PROGRAM ADMINISTRATION Administration of FHWA Planning and Research...

Evaluation of participatory planning: Lessons from Hungarian Natura 2000 management planning processes.

PubMed

Kovács, Eszter; Kelemen, Eszter; Kiss, Gabriella; Kalóczkai, Ágnes; Fabók, Veronika; Mihók, Barbara; Megyesi, Boldizsár; Pataki, György; Bodorkós, Barbara; Balázs, Bálint; Bela, Györgyi; Margóczi, Katalin; Roboz, Ágnes; Molnár, Dániel

2017-12-15

Stakeholder participation in nature conservation policies and especially in the management of protected areas has gained importance in the last decades. These changes are underlined by democratic principles and the perceived contribution of stakeholder involvement to the effectiveness of conservation management. Evaluating participatory processes is essential to learn about the past and thus increase the quality of future processes. The evaluation can be useful for the organisations responsible for planning and management, stakeholders and policy makers as well. The present paper shows the results of a systematic evaluation of 25 participatory processes related to the development of management plans for Natura 2000 sites in Hungary between 2007 and 2015. A conceptual framework was developed to evaluate the process and outcome of participatory management planning processes. Criteria were based on the scientific literature on public participation and tailored to conservation-related management planning and stakeholder involvement. Evaluated processes were grouped in three cases based on their time range and financial sources. Overall, the analysed processes scored at a medium level, showing better performance in the process criteria than in the outcome criteria. The best case scored significantly higher in four criteria compared to the other cases: representativeness, resource availability for facilitation, new, creative ideas and impact on the plan. The main factors behind the success were (1) embeddedness of the planning process in a larger project, where the plan was a tool for conservation, (2) carrying out only one process at a time, (3) previous experience of facilitators and planners with participatory planning and (4) the opportunity and capacity to propose a payment scheme as an incentive. But even this case received low scores in some criteria: conflict resolution, early involvement and well defined goals. Based on the results we suggest that more data is needed to evaluate the implementation of the plans and, in many cases, the impact of the process on the plan. Performance can be improved with the assistance of policy makers by further developing guidelines, harmonising payment schemes with the conservation measures of the plans and providing training on conflict resolution. The evaluation framework proved to be suitable for the assessment of a large set of conservation related management planning processes, but it also had some limitations, e.g. concerning the incorporation of stakeholders' views in the evaluation. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Microgravity strategic plan, 1988

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1988-01-01

The NASA agency-wide microgravity strategic plan is presented, and its research, applications, and commercialization for the 1990's is addressed. The plan presents an analysis of the current situation, identifies critical factors, and defines goals, objectives, and strategies, which are intended to: (1) provide a context for decision making; (2) assure realism in long-range planning and direction for hardware development; and (3) establish a framework for developing a national microgravity research plan.

The NASA planning process, appendix D. [as useful planning approach for solving urban problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Annett, H. A.

1973-01-01

The planning process is outlined which NASA used in making some fundamental post-Apollo decisions concerning the reuseable space shuttle and the orbiting laboratory. It is suggested that the basic elements and principles of the process, when combined, form a useful planning approach for solving urban problems. These elements and principles are defined along with the basic strengths of the planning model.

32 CFR 245.15 - Appropriate military authority.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

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

29 CFR 2510.3-102 - Definition of “plan assets”-participant contributions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... in cash. (c) Maximum time period for welfare benefit plans. With respect to an employee welfare...) of this section shall apply to such plan as if such plan were an employee welfare benefit plan. (i...) of this section shall apply to such plan as if such plan were an employee welfare benefit plan. [61...

The Role of a National Biocontainment Laboratory in Emergencies.

PubMed

Le Duc, James W; Ksiazek, Thomas G

2015-01-01

Over a decade ago, the National Institutes of Health awarded partial support for the construction and operation of 2 National Biocontainment Laboratories, with the condition that they would be available to assist in the event of public health emergencies-although how a biocontainment facility located on an academic campus might contribute was not defined. Here we offer examples of how one of these laboratories has contributed to a coordinated response to 2 recent international public health emergencies. Essential assets for success include highly trained and experienced staff, access to reference pathogens and reagents, cutting-edge knowledge of the field, appropriate biocontainment facilities, robust biosafety and biosecurity programs, and availability of modern instrumentation. The ability to marry the strengths of academia in basic and applied research with access to appropriate biocontainment facilities while drawing on a highly skilled cadre of experienced experts has proven extremely valuable in the response to recent national emergencies and will continue to do so in the future. Areas where additional planning and preparation are needed have also been identified through these experiences.

Does a fixed-dollar premium contribution lower spending?

PubMed

Buchmueller, T C

1998-01-01

In a multiple-option health benefits program, the employer's premium contribution determines the incentives facing employees and participating health plans. Advocates of managed contribution argue that a fixed-dollar contribution policy will result in lower health spending by encouraging cost-conscious choices by employees and price competition among plans. The University of California (UC), which adopted a fixed-dollar contribution policy in 1994, provides a useful case study for assessing this claim. This DataWatch documents the effect of this policy on health maintenance organization (HMO) premiums and per employee health spending in the UC health benefits program.

26 CFR 301.6057-1 - Employee retirement benefit plans; identification of participant with deferred vested retirement...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... subject to forfeiture by reason of an event or condition occurring subsequent to the close of the plan... considered to separate from service covered by the plan solely because the participant incurs a break in... the second of two consecutive one-year breaks in service (as defined in the plan for vesting...

26 CFR 1.412(c)(2)-1 - Valuation of plan assets; reasonable actuarial valuation methods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... valuation method must take into account fair market value by making use of the— (i) Fair market value... market value (under paragraph (c) of this section). (4) Defined benefit plans. (i) To satisfy the... changes in the fair market value of plan assets. The funding of plan benefits and the charges and credits...

26 CFR 1.412(c)(2)-1 - Valuation of plan assets; reasonable actuarial valuation methods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... valuation method must take into account fair market value by making use of the— (i) Fair market value... market value (under paragraph (c) of this section). (4) Defined benefit plans. (i) To satisfy the... changes in the fair market value of plan assets. The funding of plan benefits and the charges and credits...

26 CFR 1.412(c)(2)-1 - Valuation of plan assets; reasonable actuarial valuation methods.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... valuation method must take into account fair market value by making use of the— (i) Fair market value... market value (under paragraph (c) of this section). (4) Defined benefit plans. (i) To satisfy the... changes in the fair market value of plan assets. The funding of plan benefits and the charges and credits...

75 FR 64197 - Additional Rules Regarding Hybrid Retirement Plans

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-19

... defined benefit plan to provide that an employee who has completed at least 3 years of service has a... are the 3 percent method of section 411(b)(1)(A), the 133\\1/3\\ percent rule of section 411(b)(1)(B... plan satisfies the requirements of the 133\\1/3\\ percent rule for a particular plan year if, under the...

12 CFR 563.47 - Pension plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... by an enrolled actuary (as defined by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974) affirming... expectations, and represent the actuary's best estimate of the plan's projected experiences. [59 FR 66159, Dec...

12 CFR 563.47 - Pension plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... by an enrolled actuary (as defined by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974) affirming... expectations, and represent the actuary's best estimate of the plan's projected experiences. [59 FR 66159, Dec...

12 CFR 563.47 - Pension plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... by an enrolled actuary (as defined by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974) affirming... expectations, and represent the actuary's best estimate of the plan's projected experiences. [59 FR 66159, Dec...

12 CFR 563.47 - Pension plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... by an enrolled actuary (as defined by the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974) affirming... expectations, and represent the actuary's best estimate of the plan's projected experiences. [59 FR 66159, Dec...

Marine spatial planning in practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collie, Jeremy S.; (Vic) Adamowicz, W. L.; Beck, Michael W.; Craig, Bethany; Essington, Timothy E.; Fluharty, David; Rice, Jake; Sanchirico, James N.

2013-01-01

Multiple competing uses of continental-shelf environments have led to a proliferation of marine spatial planning initiatives, together with expert guidance on marine spatial planning. This study provides an empirical review of marine spatial plans, their attributes, and the extent to which the expert guidance is actually being followed. We performed a structured review of 16 existing marine spatial plans and created an idealized marine spatial plan from the steps included in recent expert papers. A cluster analysis of the yes/no answers to 28 questions was used to ordinate the 16 marine spatial plans and to compare them with the idealized plan. All the plans that have been implemented have a high-level government mandate and the authority to implement spatial planning vested in existing institutions. Almost all the plans used data with clear criteria for data inclusion. Stakeholders were included in almost all the plans; they did not participate in all stages of the planning process but their roles were generally clearly defined. Decision-support tools were applied inconsistently across plans and were seldom used dynamically over time. Most spatial planning processes did not select specific outcomes, such as preferred use scenarios. Success is defined inconsistently across plans; in half the cases there are no metrics of success with reference benchmarks. Although monitoring is included in the majority of plans, only in some cases do monitoring results feed back into management decisions. The process of marine spatial planning had advanced in that some of the more recent plans were developed more quickly and contain more desirable attributes than earlier plans. Even so, existing marine spatial plans are heterogeneous—there are essential ingredients, but no single recipe for success.

Santa Barbara City College: 2002-05 College Plan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Santa Barbara City Coll., CA.

This document summarizes the Santa Barbara City College 2002-2005 College Plan. The plan's goals are: (1) to develop and implement strategies to increase assistance to students in identifying learning needs and defining educational, career, and life goals; (2) to increase the percentage of students attaining educational goals; (3) to increase…

A Descriptive and Evaluative Analysis of Program Planning Literature, 1950-1983.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sork, Thomas J.; Buskey, John H.

1986-01-01

Literature that presents a complete program planning model was described and analyzed using explicitly defined and uniformly applied descriptive and evaluative dimensions. Several observations about the current state of the program planning literature are made, and recommendations designed to strengthen the literature are offered. (Author/CT)

Planning for Applications of Communications Satellites in Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Connell, William K.

This report of a project to develop and test a prototype system for the delivery of continuing education (CE) to two defined target groups of registered dietitians includes user needs, alternative approaches, the operational plan, the management plan, and personnel. Major tasks involved in the project are described: (1) development,…

78 FR 75939 - Bay Delta Habitat Conservation Plan and Natural Community Conservation Plan, Sacramento, CA...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-13

... patterns, including breeding, feeding, and sheltering (50 CFR 17.3(c)). NMFS defines ``harm'' to include... impairing essential behavioral patterns, including breeding, spawning, rearing, migrating, feeding, or... permit in recognition of the conservation benefits provided to them under a habitat conservation plan...

Productivity Gainsharing--A Scanlon Overview.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kovac, James S.

1986-01-01

Provides an overview to an organization which is considering the initiation of a plan to share gains with its workers. Defines productivity, explains the benefits of improved productivity, examines a number of approaches to sharing productivity gains with workers, compares individual incentive plans with gain sharing plans, and finally, briefly,…

Planning, Conducting, and Documenting Data Analysis for Program Improvement

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Winer, Abby; Taylor, Cornelia; Derrington, Taletha; Lucas, Anne

2015-01-01

This 2015 document was developed to help technical assistance (TA) providers and state staff define and limit the scope of data analysis for program improvement efforts, including the State Systemic Improvement Plan (SSIP); develop a plan for data analysis; document alternative hypotheses and additional analyses as they are generated; and…

Research Plan for the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Inst. of Child Health and Human Development (NIH), Bethesda, MD.

This research plan describes a framework for defining and developing the field of rehabilitation sciences and research opportunities for the National Center for Medical Rehabilitation Research (NCMRR) and other agencies funding medical rehabilitation research. The plan addresses the needs of both persons who are involved in habilitation and in…

Economic Modeling as a Component of Academic Strategic Planning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacKinnon, Joyce; Sothmann, Mark; Johnson, James

2001-01-01

Computer-based economic modeling was used to enable a school of allied health to define outcomes, identify associated costs, develop cost and revenue models, and create a financial planning system. As a strategic planning tool, it assisted realistic budgeting and improved efficiency and effectiveness. (Contains 18 references.) (SK)

75 FR 49928 - California Independent System Operator Corporation; Green Energy Express LLC; 21st Century...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-16

... (CAISO) proposed Revised Transmission Planning Process (RTPP).\\1\\ Take notice that such conference will... California Transmission Planning Group, and complies with the transmission planning principles of Order No. 890; How the various categories of transmission projects will be defined and differentiated; To what...

Long Range Plan, 1997-2000.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pennsylvania Coll. of Technology, Williamsport. Office of Strategic Planning and Research.

At Pennsylvania College of Technology (PCT), long range planning is used to define institutional philosophy and mission and determine strategies to make the best use of available resources and implement actions to fulfill institutional mission. This document presents PCT's long-range plan for 1997-2000 in three parts. The first part describes long…

Strategic Planning in Education: A Guide for Policymakers.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooper, Harry A.

As defined in chapter I of this guide for policymakers, strategic planning is the method by which an organization identifies relevant trends in its environment, analyzes their potential implications, and projects an integrated strategy to address these future events and their contingencies. This process differs from formalized planning, based on…

Space Guidelines for Planning Educational Facilities. Planning for Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Oklahoma State Dept. of Education, Oklahoma City.

In 1983 the Oklahoma Legislature adopted facility guidelines for the purpose of defining, organizing, and encouraging the planning of adequate environments for education. The guidelines contained in this booklet have been designed to allow for the requirements of all Oklahoma school districts regardless of size or educational program. The…

13 CFR 124.402 - How does a Participant develop a business plan?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Participant must develop a comprehensive business plan setting forth its business targets, objectives, and... future plans to enter into one or more new markets; (2) The applicant's designation of its primary industry classification, as defined in § 124.3; (3) An analysis of market potential, competitive...

Using component technology to facilitate external software reuse in ground-based planning systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chase, A.

2003-01-01

APGEN (Activity Plan GENerator - 314), a multi-mission planning tool, must interface with external software to vest serve its users. AP-GEN's original method for incorporating external software, the User-Defined library mechanism, has been very successful in allowing APGEN users access to external software functionality.

20 CFR 416.1181 - What is a plan to achieve self-support (PASS)?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... earnings level reached. (c) If your employment goal is self-employment, you must include a business plan that defines the business, provides a marketing strategy, details financial data, outlines the operational procedures, and describes the management plan. (d) Your progress will be reviewed at least...

Manifestations of Metacognitive Activity during the Collaborative Planning of Chemistry Practical Investigations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mathabathe, Kgadi Clarrie; Potgieter, Marietjie

2017-01-01

This paper elaborates a process followed to characterise manifestations of cognitive regulation during the collaborative planning of chemistry practical investigations. Metacognitive activity was defined as the demonstration of planning, monitoring, control and evaluation of cognitive activities by students while carrying out the chemistry task.…

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

Taylor, Antoniette J

Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) uses external peer review to measure and continuously improve the quality of its science, technology and engineering (STE). LANL uses capability reviews to assess the STE quality and institutional integration and to advise Laboratory Management on the current and future health of the STE. Capability reviews address the STE integration that LANL uses to meet mission requirements. STE capabilities are define to cut across directorates providing a more holistic view of the STE quality, integration to achieve mission requirements, and mission relevance. The scope of these capabilities necessitate that there will be significant overlap inmore » technical areas covered by capability reviews (e.g ., materials research and weapons science and engineering). In addition, LANL staff may be reviewed in different capability reviews because of their varied assignments and expertise. LANL plans to perform a complete review of the Laboratory's STE capabilities (hence staff) in a three-year cycle. The principal product of an external review is a report that includes the review committee's assessments, commendations, and recommendations for STE. The Capability Review Committees serve a dual role of providing assessment of the Laboratory's technical contributions and integration towards its missions and providing advice to Laboratory Management. The assessments and advice are documented in reports prepared by the Capability Review Committees that are delivered to the Director and to the Principal Associate Director for Science, Technology and Engineering (PADSTE). This report will be used by Laboratory Management for STE assessment and planning. The report is also provided to the Department of Energy (DOE) as part of LANL's Annual Performance Plan and to the Los Alamos National Security (LANS) LLC's Science and Technology Committee (STC) as part of its responsibilities to the LANS Board of Governors. LANL has defined fourteen STE capabilities. Table 1 lists the five STE capabilities that LANL Management (Director, PADSTE, technical Associate Directors) have identified for review in Fiscal Year (FY) 2009.« less

Developing a clinical academic career pathway for nursing.

PubMed

Coombs, Maureen; Latter, Sue; Richardson, Alison

Since the publication of the UK Clinical Research Collaboration's (UKRC, 2007) recommendations on careers in clinical research, interest has grown in the concept of clinical academic nursing careers, with increased debate on how such roles might be developed and sustained (Department of Health, 2012). To embed clinical academic nursing roles in the NHS and universities, a clear understanding and appreciation of the contribution that such posts might make to organisational objectives and outcomes must be developed. This paper outlines an initiative to define the potential practice and research contribution of clinical academic roles through setting out role descriptors. This exercise was based on our experience of a clinical academic career initiative at the University of Southampton run in partnership with NHS organisations. Role descriptors were developed by a group of service providers, academics and two clinical academic award-holders from the local programme. This paper outlines clinical academic roles from novice to professor and describes examples of role descriptors at the different levels of a career pathway. These descriptors are informed by clinical academic posts in place at Southampton as well as others at the planning stage. Understanding the nature of clinical academic posts and the contribution that these roles can make to healthcare will enable them to become embedded into organisational structures and career pathways.

Children's high-level writing skills: development of planning and revising and their contribution to writing quality.

PubMed

Limpo, Teresa; Alves, Rui A; Fidalgo, Raquel

2014-06-01

It is well established that the activity of producing a text is a complex one involving three main cognitive processes: Planning, translating, and revising. Although these processes are crucial in skilled writing, beginning and developing writers seem to struggle with them, mainly with planning and revising. To trace the development of the high-level writing processes of planning and revising, from Grades 4 to 9, and to examine whether these skills predict writing quality in younger and older students (Grades 4-6 vs. 7-9), after controlling for gender, school achievement, age, handwriting fluency, spelling, and text structure. Participants were 381 students from Grades 4 to 9 (age 9-15). Students were asked to plan and write a story and to revise another story by detecting and correcting mechanical and substantive errors. From Grades 4 to 9, we found a growing trend in students' ability to plan and revise despite the observed decreases and stationary periods from Grades 4 to 5 and 6 to 7. Moreover, whereas younger students' planning and revising skills made no contribution to the quality of their writing, in older students, these high-level skills contributed to writing quality above and beyond control predictors. The findings of this study seem to indicate that besides the increase in planning and revising, these skills are not fully operational in school-age children. Indeed, given the contribution of these high-level skills to older students' writing, supplementary instruction and practice should be provided from early on. © 2013 The British Psychological Society.

HOV systems analysis.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1994-01-01

This study focuses on defining HOV systems and their components, criteria, and related issues in a systems planning context (as compared with the conventional project level planning). Definitions are provided to establish the physical and socioeconom...

Moving towards the goals of FP2020 - classifying contraceptives.

PubMed

Festin, Mario Philip R; Kiarie, James; Solo, Julie; Spieler, Jeffrey; Malarcher, Shawn; Van Look, Paul F A; Temmerman, Marleen

2016-10-01

With the renewed focus on family planning, a clear and transparent understanding is needed for the consistent classification of contraceptives, especially in the commonly used modern/traditional system. The World Health Organization Department of Reproductive Health and Research and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) therefore convened a technical consultation in January 2015 to address issues related to classifying contraceptives. The consultation defined modern contraceptive methods as having a sound basis in reproductive biology, a precise protocol for correct use and evidence of efficacy under various conditions based on appropriately designed studies. Methods in country programs like Fertility Awareness Based Methods [such as Standard Days Method (SDM) and TwoDay Method], Lactational Amenorrhea Method (LAM) and emergency contraception should be reported as modern. Herbs, charms and vaginal douching are not counted as contraceptive methods as they have no scientific basis in preventing pregnancy nor are in country programs. More research is needed on defining and measuring use of emergency contraceptive methods, to reflect their contribution to reducing unmet need. The ideal contraceptive classification system should be simple, easy to use, clear and consistent, with greater parsimony. Measurement challenges remain but should not be the driving force to determine what methods are counted or reported as modern or not. Family planning programs should consider multiple attributes of contraceptive methods (e.g., level of effectiveness, need for program support, duration of labeled use, hormonal or nonhormonal) to ensure they provide a variety of methods to meet the needs of women and men. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Temporal Changes of Land Use Capability Classification Depending on the Urban Development: Case Study of Trabzon Province

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Colak, H. E.; Memisoglu, T.

2017-11-01

Achieving high efficiency by taking advantage of agricultural land at a high level allows the continued vitality of the soil and also contributes to the country's economy. The land with the most fertilizer from agricultural land is generally the first class agricultural land (I.) followed by second (II.) and third class (III.) agricultural lands. It is accepted that all these lands are considered to be protected and various restrictions have been introduced to these lands. Soil conservation, use and development of balanced is possible to be defined in detail by exploiting the developing science and technology possibilities, determination well-defined properties and the implementation of policies by making the necessary plans. For this reason, Trabzon province is selected as the pilot region land use capability of agricultural land classes (especially urban-rural area and plateau) ongoing changes in the past years until today are examined depending on the land use first, second and third class. In this context, satellite images for 2002, 2005, 2009 and 2017 and land use data including the non-agricultural use of the province of Trabzon has been discussed and the temporal changes of agricultural areas depending on land use capability have been examined using Geographic Information Systems (GIS). In all the productive areas of Trabzon Province, the increase in urban-rural development has been examined in detail because of especially the creation of planned areas and the occurrence of construction needs. This study is a small-scale case study and the results are examined and analyzed using GIS.

Barriers and facilitators to cooking from 'scratch' using basic or raw ingredients: A qualitative interview study.

PubMed

Lavelle, Fiona; McGowan, Laura; Spence, Michelle; Caraher, Martin; Raats, Monique M; Hollywood, Lynsey; McDowell, Dawn; McCloat, Amanda; Mooney, Elaine; Dean, Moira

2016-12-01

Previous research has highlighted an ambiguity in understanding cooking related terminology and a number of barriers and facilitators to home meal preparation. However, meals prepared in the home still include convenience products (typically high in sugars, fats and sodium) which can have negative effects on health. Therefore, this study aimed to qualitatively explore: (1) how individuals define cooking from 'scratch', and (2) their barriers and facilitators to cooking with basic ingredients. 27 semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants (aged 18-58 years) living on the island of Ireland, eliciting definitions of 'cooking from scratch' and exploring the reasons participants cook in a particular way. The interviews were professionally transcribed verbatim and Nvivo 10 was used for an inductive thematic analysis. Our results highlighted that although cooking from 'scratch' lacks a single definition, participants viewed it as optimal cooking. Barriers to cooking with raw ingredients included: 1) time pressures; (2) desire to save money; (3) desire for effortless meals; (4) family food preferences; and (5) effect of kitchen disasters. Facilitators included: 1) desire to eat for health and well-being; (2) creative inspiration; (3) ability to plan and prepare meals ahead of time; and (4) greater self-efficacy in one's cooking ability. Our findings contribute to understanding how individuals define cooking from 'scratch', and barriers and facilitators to cooking with raw ingredients. Interventions should focus on practical sessions to increase cooking self-efficacy; highlight the importance of planning ahead and teach methods such as batch cooking and freezing to facilitate cooking from scratch. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Integrating impact assessment and conflict management in urban planning: Experiences from Finland

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

Peltonen, Lasse, E-mail: lasse.peltonen@tkk.f; Sairinen, Rauno, E-mail: rauno.sairinen@joensuu.f

2010-09-15

The article examines the interlinkages between recent developments in conflict management and impact assessment procedures in the context of urban planning in Finland. It sets out by introducing the fields of impact assessment and conflict mediation. It then proceeds to discuss the development of impact assessment practices and the status of conflict mediation in Finnish land use planning. The case of Korteniitty infill development plan in Jyvaeskylae is used to demonstrate how the Finnish planning system operates in conflict situations - and how social impact assessment can contribute to managing planning conflicts. The authors ask how the processes of impactmore » assessment contribute to conflict management. Based on the Finnish experience, it is argued that social impact assessment of land use plans can contribute to conflict management, especially in the absence of institutionalised conflict mediation processes. In addition, SIA may acquire features of conflict mediation, depending on extent and intensity of stakeholder participation in the process, and the quality of linkages it between knowledge production and decision-making. Simultaneously, conflict mediation practices and theoretical insights can inform the application of SIA to help it address land use conflicts more consciously.« less

Artificial intelligence for the EChO mission planning tool

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia-Piquer, Alvaro; Ribas, Ignasi; Colomé, Josep

2015-12-01

The Exoplanet Characterisation Observatory (EChO) has as its main goal the measurement of atmospheres of transiting planets. This requires the observation of two types of events: primary and secondary eclipses. In order to yield measurements of sufficient Signal-to-Noise Ratio to fulfil the mission objectives, the events of each exoplanet have to be observed several times. In addition, several criteria have to be considered to carry out each observation, such as the exoplanet visibility, its event duration, and no overlapping with other tasks. It is expected that a suitable mission plan increases the efficiency of telescope operation, which will represent an important benefit in terms of scientific return and operational costs. Nevertheless, to obtain a long term mission plan becomes unaffordable for human planners due to the complexity of computing the huge number of possible combinations for finding an optimum solution. In this contribution we present a long term mission planning tool based on Genetic Algorithms, which are focused on solving optimization problems such as the planning of several tasks. Specifically, the proposed tool finds a solution that highly optimizes the defined objectives, which are based on the maximization of the time spent on scientific observations and the scientific return (e.g., the coverage of the mission survey). The results obtained on the large experimental set up support that the proposed scheduler technology is robust and can function in a variety of scenarios, offering a competitive performance which does not depend on the collection of exoplanets to be observed. Specifically, the results show that, with the proposed tool, EChO uses 94% of the available time of the mission, so the amount of downtime is small, and it completes 98% of the targets.

The contributions of managed care plans to public health practice: evidence from the nation's largest local health departments.

PubMed Central

Mays, G. P.; Halverson, P. K.; Stevens, R.

2001-01-01

OBJECTIVE: The authors examine the extent and nature of managed care plans participating in local public health activities. METHODS: In 1998, the authors surveyed the directors of all US local health departments serving jurisdictions of at least 100,000 residents to collect information about public health activities performed in their jurisdictions and about organizations participating in the activities. Multivariate logistic and linear regression models were used to examine organizational and market characteristics associated with managed care plan participation in public health activities. RESULTS: Managed care plans were reported to participate in public health activities in 164 (46%) of the jurisdictions surveyed, and to contribute to 13% of the public health activities performed in the average jurisdiction. Plans appeared most likely to participate in public health activities involving the delivery or management of personal health services and the exchange of health-related information. Managed care participation was more likely to occur in jurisdictions with higher HMO penetration, fewer competing plans, and larger proportions of plans enrolling Medicaid recipients. Participation was positively associated with the overall scope and perceived effectiveness of local public health activities. CONCLUSIONS: Although plans participate in a narrow range of activities, these contributions may complement the work of public health agencies. PMID:11889275

Use of remote sensing and a geographical information system in a national helminth control programme in Chad.

PubMed Central

Brooker, Simon; Beasley, Michael; Ndinaromtan, Montanan; Madjiouroum, Ester Mobele; Baboguel, Marie; Djenguinabe, Elie; Hay, Simon I.; Bundy, Don A. P.

2002-01-01

OBJECTIVE: To design and implement a rapid and valid epidemiological assessment of helminths among schoolchildren in Chad using ecological zones defined by remote sensing satellite sensor data and to investigate the environmental limits of helminth distribution. METHODS: Remote sensing proxy environmental data were used to define seven ecological zones in Chad. These were combined with population data in a geographical information system (GIS) in order to define a sampling protocol. On this basis, 20 schools were surveyed. Multilevel analysis, by means of generalized estimating equations to account for clustering at the school level, was used to investigate the relationship between infection patterns and key environmental variables. FINDINGS: In a sample of 1023 schoolchildren, 22.5% were infected with Schistosoma haematobium and 32.7% with hookworm. None were infected with Ascaris lumbricoides or Trichuris trichiura. The prevalence of S. haematobium and hookworm showed marked geographical heterogeneity and the observed patterns showed a close association with the defined ecological zones and significant relationships with environmental variables. These results contribute towards defining the thermal limits of geohelminth species. Predictions of infection prevalence were made for each school surveyed with the aid of models previously developed for Cameroon. These models correctly predicted that A. lumbricoides and T. trichiura would not occur in Chad but the predictions for S. haematobium were less reliable at the school level. CONCLUSION: GIS and remote sensing can play an important part in the rapid planning of helminth control programmes where little information on disease burden is available. Remote sensing prediction models can indicate patterns of geohelminth infection but can only identify potential areas of high risk for S. haematobium. PMID:12471398

GIS and Transportation Planning

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-09-16

Two main objectives of transportation planning are to simulate the current : traffic volume and to forecast the future traffic volume on a transportation : network. Traffic demand modeling typically consists of the following : tasks (1)defining traff...

A Framework for Curriculum Research.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kimpston, Richard D.; Rogers, Karen B.

1986-01-01

A framework for generating curriculum research is proposed from a synthesis of Dunkin and Biddle's model of teaching variables with Beauchamp's "curriculum system" planning functions. The framework systematically defines variables that delineate curriculum planning processes. (CJH)

Louisiana ITS business plan : technical summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-03-01

The objectives are defined under: 1. Development of the plan, which identifies the preferred program of projects and policy initiatives and outlines the purpose, requirements, responsibilities, estimated cost, and implementation schedule for each pla...

Everett Transit 1994,Comprehensive Plan

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1994-09-07

Everett Transit's Comprehensive Plann provides the long-term framework to guide : the development of public transportation services in Everett over the next : twenty years. In this plan, Everett Transit clearly defines its mission, future : direction...

Differential contributions of executive and episodic memory functions to problem solving in younger and older adults.

PubMed

Vandermorris, Susan; Sheldon, Signy; Winocur, Gordon; Moscovitch, Morris

2013-11-01

The relationship of higher order problem solving to basic neuropsychological processes likely depends on the type of problems to be solved. Well-defined problems (e.g., completing a series of errands) may rely primarily on executive functions. Conversely, ill-defined problems (e.g., navigating socially awkward situations) may, in addition, rely on medial temporal lobe (MTL) mediated episodic memory processes. Healthy young (N = 18; M = 19; SD = 1.3) and old (N = 18; M = 73; SD = 5.0) adults completed a battery of neuropsychological tests of executive and episodic memory function, and experimental tests of problem solving. Correlation analyses and age group comparisons demonstrated differential contributions of executive and autobiographical episodic memory function to well-defined and ill-defined problem solving and evidence for an episodic simulation mechanism underlying ill-defined problem solving efficacy. Findings are consistent with the emerging idea that MTL-mediated episodic simulation processes support the effective solution of ill-defined problems, over and above the contribution of frontally mediated executive functions. Implications for the development of intervention strategies that target preservation of functional independence in older adults are discussed.

DO EMPLOYER PENSION CONTRIBUTIONS REFLECT EMPLOYEE PREFERENCES? EVIDENCE FROM A RETIREMENT SAVINGS REFORM IN DENMARK

PubMed Central

Fadlon, Itzik; Laird, Jessica

2016-01-01

This paper studies how firms set contributions to employer-provided 401(k)-type pension plans. Using a reform that decreased the subsidy to contributions to capital pension accounts for Danish workers in the top income tax bracket, we provide strong evidence that employers’ contributions are based on their employees’ savings preferences. We find an immediate decrease in employer contributions to capital accounts, whose magnitude increased in the share of employees directly affected by the reform. This response was large relative to average employee responses within private IRA-type plans and was accompanied by a similar-magnitude shift of employer contributions to annuity accounts. PMID:27917259

Fluvial geomorphology and river engineering: future roles utilizing a fluvial hydrosystems framework

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gilvear, David J.

1999-12-01

River engineering is coming under increasing public scrutiny given failures to prevent flood hazards and economic and environmental concerns. This paper reviews the contribution that fluvial geomorphology can make in the future to river engineering. In particular, it highlights the need for fluvial geomorphology to be an integral part in engineering projects, that is, to be integral to the planning, implementation, and post-project appraisal stages of engineering projects. It should be proactive rather than reactive. Areas in which geomorphologists will increasingly be able to complement engineers in river management include risk and environmental impact assessment, floodplain planning, river audits, determination of instream flow needs, river restoration, and design of ecologically acceptable channels and structures. There are four key contributions that fluvial geomorphology can make to the engineering profession with regard to river and floodplain management: to promote recognition of lateral, vertical, and downstream connectivity in the fluvial system and the inter-relationships between river planform, profile, and cross-section; to stress the importance of understanding fluvial history and chronology over a range of time scales, and recognizing the significance of both palaeo and active landforms and deposits as indicators of levels of landscape stability; to highlight the sensitivity of geomorphic systems to environmental disturbances and change, especially when close to geomorphic thresholds, and the dynamics of the natural systems; and to demonstrate the importance of landforms and processes in controlling and defining fluvial biotopes and to thus promote ecologically acceptable engineering. Challenges facing fluvial geomorphology include: gaining full acceptance by the engineering profession; widespread utilization of new technologies including GPS, GIS, image analysis of satellite and airborne remote sensing data, computer-based hydraulic modeling and geophysical techniques; dovetailing engineering approaches to the study of river channels which emphasize reach-scale flow resistance, shear stresses, and material strength with catchment scale geomorphic approaches, empirical predictions, bed and bank processes, landform evolution, and magnitude-frequency concepts; producing accepted river channel typologies; fundamental research aimed at producing more reliable deterministic equations for prediction of bed and bank stability and bedload transport; and collaboration with aquatic biologists to determine the role and importance of geomorphologically and hydraulically defined habitats.

The role of CQI in the strategic planning process.

PubMed

Sahney, V K; Warden, G L

1993-01-01

This article describes the strategic planning process used to define the health care needs of a region and to prepare Henry Ford Health System (HFHS) to meet the needs of the 21st century. It presents key applications of continuous quality improvement in the development and implementation of the strategic plans for HFHS; explains how HFHS adapted the Deming/Shewhart cycle of continuous improvement for the purpose of improving its planning process; and delineates how the strategic planning, financial planning, and quality planning processes have been integrated.

An industrial robot singular trajectories planning based on graphs and neural networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Łęgowski, Adrian; Niezabitowski, Michał

2016-06-01

Singular trajectories are rarely used because of issues during realization. A method of planning trajectories for given set of points in task space with use of graphs and neural networks is presented. In every desired point the inverse kinematics problem is solved in order to derive all possible solutions. A graph of solutions is made. The shortest path is determined to define required nodes in joint space. Neural networks are used to define the path between these nodes.

The space shuttle payload planning working groups. Volume 2: Atmospheric and space physics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1973-01-01

The findings of the Atmospheric and Space Physics working group of the space shuttle mission planning activity are presented. The principal objectives defined by the group are: (1) to investigate the detailed mechanisms which control the near-space environment of the earth, (2) to perform plasma physics investigations not feasible in ground-based laboratories, and (3) to conduct investigations which are important in understanding planetary and cometary phenomena. The core instrumentation and laboratory configurations for conducting the investigations are defined.

Goal clarity and financial planning activities as determinants of retirement savings contributions.

PubMed

Stawski, Robert S; Hershey, Douglas A; Jacobs-Lawson, Joy M

2007-01-01

Retirement counselors, financial service professionals, and retirement intervention specialists routinely emphasize the importance of developing clear goals for the future; however, few empirical studies have focused on the benefits of retirement goal setting. In the present study, the extent to which goal clarity and financial planning activities predict retirement savings practices was examined among 100 working adults. Path analysis techniques were used to test two competing models, both of which were designed to predict savings contributions. Findings provide support for the model in which retirement goal clarity is a significant predictor of planning practices, and planning, in turn, predicts savings tendencies. Two demographic variables-income and age-were also revealed to be important elements of the model, with income accounting for roughly half of the explained variance in savings contributions. The results of this study have implications for the development of age-based models of planning, as well as implications for retirement counselors and financial planners who advise workers on long-term saving strategies.

Simplification and Saving

PubMed Central

Beshears, John; Choi, James J.; Laibson, David; Madrian, Brigitte C.

2012-01-01

The daunting complexity of important financial decisions can lead to procrastination. We evaluate a low-cost intervention that substantially simplifies the retirement savings plan participation decision. Individuals received an opportunity to enroll in a retirement savings plan at a pre-selected contribution rate and asset allocation, allowing them to collapse a multidimensional problem into a binary choice between the status quo and the pre-selected alternative. The intervention increases plan enrollment rates by 10 to 20 percentage points. We find that a similar intervention can be used to increase contribution rates among employees who are already participating in a savings plan. PMID:24443619

Defining the Future; Planning with and for Technology in Higher Education. Proceedings of the EDUCOM Spring Conference (Washington, D.C., April 3-4, 1975).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Interuniversity Communications Council (EDUCOM), Princeton, NJ.

Following the keynote address on the importance of planning and the changing style of management in colleges and universities, various prepared papers developed the meeting theme of using technology in college and university planning. William Massey described the development and use of a computer model for strategic planning at Stanford. Edmund…

25 CFR 170.406 - How must tribes use planning funds?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false How must tribes use planning funds? 170.406 Section 170... Transportation Planning § 170.406 How must tribes use planning funds? (a) IRR Program funds as defined in 23 U.S... Guidelines (TPPG) or listed in § 170.402. (b) A tribe may ask the BIA regional office to enter into a self...

25 CFR 170.406 - How must tribes use planning funds?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2012-04-01 2011-04-01 true How must tribes use planning funds? 170.406 Section 170... Transportation Planning § 170.406 How must tribes use planning funds? (a) IRR Program funds as defined in 23 U.S... Guidelines (TPPG) or listed in § 170.402. (b) A tribe may ask the BIA regional office to enter into a self...

25 CFR 170.406 - How must tribes use planning funds?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false How must tribes use planning funds? 170.406 Section 170... Transportation Planning § 170.406 How must tribes use planning funds? (a) IRR Program funds as defined in 23 U.S... Guidelines (TPPG) or listed in § 170.402. (b) A tribe may ask the BIA regional office to enter into a self...

25 CFR 170.406 - How must tribes use planning funds?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 25 Indians 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false How must tribes use planning funds? 170.406 Section 170... Transportation Planning § 170.406 How must tribes use planning funds? (a) IRR Program funds as defined in 23 U.S... Guidelines (TPPG) or listed in § 170.402. (b) A tribe may ask the BIA regional office to enter into a self...

Proposal of Constraints Analysis Method Based on Network Model for Task Planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tomiyama, Tomoe; Sato, Tatsuhiro; Morita, Toyohisa; Sasaki, Toshiro

Deregulation has been accelerating several activities toward reengineering business processes, such as railway through service and modal shift in logistics. Making those activities successful, business entities have to regulate new business rules or know-how (we call them ‘constraints’). According to the new constraints, they need to manage business resources such as instruments, materials, workers and so on. In this paper, we propose a constraint analysis method to define constraints for task planning of the new business processes. To visualize each constraint's influence on planning, we propose a network model which represents allocation relations between tasks and resources. The network can also represent task ordering relations and resource grouping relations. The proposed method formalizes the way of defining constraints manually as repeatedly checking the network structure and finding conflicts between constraints. Being applied to crew scheduling problems shows that the method can adequately represent and define constraints of some task planning problems with the following fundamental features, (1) specifying work pattern to some resources, (2) restricting the number of resources for some works, (3) requiring multiple resources for some works, (4) prior allocation of some resources to some works and (5) considering the workload balance between resources.

77 FR 66915 - Amendment of Prohibited Payment Option Under Single-Employer Defined Benefit Plan of Plan Sponsor...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-08

... contains regulatory documents #0;having general applicability and legal effect, most of which are keyed #0.... These regulations affect administrators, employers, participants, and beneficiaries of such a plan... of the monthly amount paid under a single life annuity (plus any social security supplements...

77 FR 37349 - Amendment of Prohibited Payment Option Under Single-Employer Defined Benefit Plan of Plan Sponsor...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-21

... schedule, timing, commencement, medium of distribution (for example, in cash or in kind), election rights... the plan if certain specified conditions are satisfied. These proposed regulations would affect... under a single life annuity (plus any social security supplements described in the last sentence of...

Resiliency Planning for the Quinault Indian Nation | Integrated Energy

Science.gov Websites

into its community planning. Landscape photo of a shoreline After two seawall breaches and associated disaster declarations, the Quinault Indian Nation partnered with NREL and DOE to incorporate resilience Indian Nation to define how a resilient community might look and develop a strategic energy plan. After

Health Plan Performance Measurement within Medicare Subvention.

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-06-01

the causes of poor performance (Siren & Laffel, 1996). Although outcomes measures such as nosocomial infection rates, admission rates for select...defined. Traditional outcomes measures include infection rates, morbidity, and mortality. The problem with these traditional measures is... Maternal /Child Care Indicators Nursing Staffing Indicators Outcome Indicators Technical Outcomes Plan Performance Stability of Health Plan

Curriculum Planning and the Concept of Participation in the Reggio Emilia Pedagogical Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hocevar, Andreja; Šebart, Mojca Kovac; Štefanc, Damijan

2013-01-01

The article analyses two defining assumptions about the Reggio Emilia (RE) approach: the absence of a planned curriculum designed in advance as a basis for educational work and children's participation in preschools. The authors demonstrate that different approaches to planning preschool education have advantages and disadvantages, which we cannot…

The Place of Education in Manpower Planning in Developing Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fapohunda, Olanrewaju J.

1974-01-01

Defines manpower planning and outlines its objectives, describes the effects of education on economic growth in developing countries, and discusses problems of education in manpower planning: questions of the source of education, the content, and the percentage of the population ot be educated at a given time. Important political limitations are…

Administering Adult Literacy Programs: The Role of Strategic Planning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michael, Steve Olu

In an era of rising public criticism of education and decreasing resources, strategic planning can be a major tool for educational administrators who wish to respond to the increasing challenges their adult literacy programs face. Strategic planning can be defined as a disciplined effort to produce fundamental decisions and actions that shape and…

Space shuttle program: Shuttle Avionics Integration Laboratory. Volume 7: Logistics management plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

The logistics management plan for the shuttle avionics integration laboratory defines the organization, disciplines, and methodology for managing and controlling logistics support. Those elements requiring management include maintainability and reliability, maintenance planning, support and test equipment, supply support, transportation and handling, technical data, facilities, personnel and training, funding, and management data.

Human Resource Planning: An Introduction. Report 312.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reilly, Peter

This report is designed to give readers an introduction to the principles of human resource planning (HRP) and the areas in which it can be used, including those facing today's managers. Chapter 1 outlines why some organizations no longer plan, describes the background of change and uncertainty that discouraged them, and defines HRP. Chapter 2…

14 CFR 151.113 - Advance planning proposals: Sponsor eligibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... Engineering Proposals § 151.113 Advance planning proposals: Sponsor eligibility. The sponsor of an advance planning and engineering proposal must be a public agency, as defined in § 151.37(a), and must be legally... agreement; (c) Provide enough funds to pay all estimated proposal costs not borne by the United States; and...

14 CFR 151.113 - Advance planning proposals: Sponsor eligibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Engineering Proposals § 151.113 Advance planning proposals: Sponsor eligibility. The sponsor of an advance planning and engineering proposal must be a public agency, as defined in § 151.37(a), and must be legally... agreement; (c) Provide enough funds to pay all estimated proposal costs not borne by the United States; and...

Comprehensive Interpretive Plans: A Framework of Questions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Marianna; Koke, Judy

2008-01-01

As explored elsewhere in this publication, the purpose of a Comprehensive or Institution-wide Interpretive Plan (CIP) is to define or articulate the intellectual framework that connects the mission of an organization and its collections with the needs and interests of its audiences. In so doing, it should follow that this plan, shaped by the…

29 CFR 825.209 - Maintenance of employee benefits.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... maintain the employee's coverage under any group health plan (as defined in the Internal Revenue Code of... of “group health plan” is set forth in § 825.800. For purposes of FMLA, the term “group health plan... not increase in the event the employment relationship terminates. (b) The same group health plan...

Making Decisions in a Time of Fiscal Stringency: The Longer-Term Implications.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowen, Frank M.

The concept of traditional planning, programming, and budgeting systems (PPBS) is defined and compared with imperative planning, a term used to refer to whatever procedures higher education officials use to integrate program planning and budgeting. The University of Wisconsin system is described as an example of emerging budgetary practice in…

Sandia National Laboratories Advanced Simulation and Computing (ASC) software quality plan : ASC software quality engineering practices Version 3.0.

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

Turgeon, Jennifer L.; Minana, Molly A.; Hackney, Patricia

2009-01-01

The purpose of the Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) Advanced Simulation and Computing (ASC) Software Quality Plan is to clearly identify the practices that are the basis for continually improving the quality of ASC software products. Quality is defined in the US Department of Energy/National Nuclear Security Agency (DOE/NNSA) Quality Criteria, Revision 10 (QC-1) as 'conformance to customer requirements and expectations'. This quality plan defines the SNL ASC Program software quality engineering (SQE) practices and provides a mapping of these practices to the SNL Corporate Process Requirement (CPR) 001.3.6; 'Corporate Software Engineering Excellence'. This plan also identifies ASC management's and themore » software project teams responsibilities in implementing the software quality practices and in assessing progress towards achieving their software quality goals. This SNL ASC Software Quality Plan establishes the signatories commitments to improving software products by applying cost-effective SQE practices. This plan enumerates the SQE practices that comprise the development of SNL ASC's software products and explains the project teams opportunities for tailoring and implementing the practices.« less

Strategic planning for pain practice growth.

PubMed

Van Horn, L M

2000-01-01

Strategy formation involves understanding the environment and strengths and weaknesses of a practice to develop a game plan to achieve goals. It starts with the creation of a mission statement that defines a long-term vision of what the practice seeks to be and the markets it seeks to serve. Once the mission of the practice is understood, the target markets and competition must be analyzed prior to defining the goals. Once a strategic plan is developed, communication with all employees is crucial. Everything that the practice does should be in support of the strategic plan and in pursuit of obtaining the goals contained within. Once created, the strategic plan is the foundation of the practice and should only be changed for compelling reasons such as a competitive threat, environmental changes, or trends in purchasing behavior. Reviewing the strategic plan once a year, making periodic reappraisals and fine-tuning adjustments as the environment changes is crucial. This helps ensure that the practice avoids complacency and affirms that it is in the right business and achieving the desired results.

Controlling Distributed Planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clement, Bradley; Barrett, Anthony

2004-01-01

A system of software implements an extended version of an approach, denoted shared activity coordination (SHAC), to the interleaving of planning and the exchange of plan information among organizations devoted to different missions that normally communicate infrequently except that they need to collaborate on joint activities and/or the use of shared resources. SHAC enables the planning and scheduling systems of the organizations to coordinate by resolving conflicts while optimizing local planning solutions. The present software provides a framework for modeling and executing communication protocols for SHAC. Shared activities are represented in each interacting planning system to establish consensus on joint activities or to inform the other systems of consumption of a common resource or a change in a shared state. The representations of shared activities are extended to include information on (1) the role(s) of each participant, (2) permissions (defined as specifications of which participant controls what aspects of shared activities and scheduling thereof), and (3) constraints on the parameters of shared activities. Also defined in the software are protocols for changing roles, permissions, and constraints during the course of coordination and execution.

77 FR 59321 - Approval and Promulgation of Implementation Plans; Revisions to the Nevada State Implementation...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-27

... includes a rescission of one definition from the existing SIP (the definition of ``special mobile equipment... mobile equipment'' 10/05/10 (repealed) 01/24/11 defined. NAC 445B.187 ``Stationary source'' defined... permit'' defined........ 49 FR 11626; (March 27, 1984). NAQR article 1.182--Special mobile equipment...

Test Plan Procedure for Experiment T-003

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1971-05-19

This document defines the type, sequence, and procedural details required to perform each test on the T-003 experiment aerosol analyzer, its subsystems and components. This plan utilizes the flexibility allowed for instruments in criticality category...

IVHS Denver Metro Area, Strategic Plan

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1992-10-01

THE IVHS STRATEGIC PLAN WHICH FOLLOWS DEFINES THE CURRENT SITUATION AND EXISTING CONDITIONS IN THE DENVER AREA; PROVIDES BACKGROUND INFORMATION DESCRIBING IVHS SYSTEMS; DETAILS REGIONAL GOALS AND OBJECTIVES; LISTS AND DESCRIBES THE MENU OF 44 POTENTI...

Airport Landside. Volume I. Planning Guide.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1982-01-01

This volume describes a methodology for performing airport landside planning by applying the Airport Landside Simulation Model (ALSIM) developed by TSC. For this analysis, the airport landside is defined as extending from the airport boundary to the ...

42 CFR 423.884 - Requirements for qualified retiree prescription drug plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... written agreement with its health insurance issuer (as defined in 45 CFR 160.103), or group health plan... email address. (iv) Actuarial attestation that satisfies the standards specified in paragraph (d) of...

Technical aspects of virtual liver resection planning.

PubMed

Glombitza, G; Lamadé, W; Demiris, A M; Göpfert, M R; Mayer, A; Bahner, M L; Meinzer, H P; Richter, G; Lehnert, T; Herfarth, C

1998-01-01

Operability of a liver tumor is depending on its three dimensional relation to the intrahepatic vascular trees which define autonomously functioning liver (sub-)segments. Precise operation planning is complicated by anatomic variability, distortion of the vascular trees by the tumor or preceding liver resections. Because of the missing possibility to track the deformation of the liver during the operation an integration of the resection planning system into an intra-operative navigation system is not feasible. So the main task of an operation planning system in this domain is a quantifiable patient selection by exact prediction of post-operative liver function and a quantifiable resection proposal. The system quantifies the organ structures and resection volumes by means of absolute and relative values. It defines resection planes depending on security margins and the vascular trees and presents the data in visualized form as a 3D movie. The new 3D operation planning system offers quantifiable liver resection proposals based on individualized liver anatomy. The results are visualized in digital movies as well as in quantitative reports.

Primate amygdala neurons evaluate the progress of self-defined economic choice sequences

PubMed Central

Grabenhorst, Fabian; Hernadi, Istvan; Schultz, Wolfram

2016-01-01

The amygdala is a prime valuation structure yet its functions in advanced behaviors are poorly understood. We tested whether individual amygdala neurons encode a critical requirement for goal-directed behavior: the evaluation of progress during sequential choices. As monkeys progressed through choice sequences toward rewards, amygdala neurons showed phasic, gradually increasing responses over successive choice steps. These responses occurred in the absence of external progress cues or motor preplanning. They were often specific to self-defined sequences, typically disappearing during instructed control sequences with similar reward expectation. Their build-up rate reflected prospectively the forthcoming choice sequence, suggesting adaptation to an internal plan. Population decoding demonstrated a high-accuracy progress code. These findings indicate that amygdala neurons evaluate the progress of planned, self-defined behavioral sequences. Such progress signals seem essential for aligning stepwise choices with internal plans. Their presence in amygdala neurons may inform understanding of human conditions with amygdala dysfunction and deregulated reward pursuit. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.18731.001 PMID:27731795

Defining conservation targets on a landscape-scale

USGS Publications Warehouse

Benscoter, A.M.; Romañach, Stephanie; Brandt, Laura A.

2015-01-01

Conservation planning, the process of deciding how to protect, conserve, enhance and(or) minimize loss of natural and cultural resources, is a fundamental process to achieve conservation success in a time of rapid environmental change. Conservation targets, the measurable expressions of desired resource conditions, are an important tool in biological planning to achieve effective outcomes. Conservation targets provide a focus for planning, design, conservation action, and collaborative monitoring of environmental trends to guide landscape-scale conservation to improve the quality and quantity of key ecological and cultural resources. It is essential to have an iterative and inclusive method to define conservation targets that is replicable and allows for the evaluation of the effectiveness of conservation targets over time. In this document, we describe a process that can be implemented to achieve landscape-scale conservation, which includes defining conservation targets. We also describe what has been accomplished to date (September 2015) through this process for the Peninsular Florida Landscape Conservation Cooperative (PFLCC).

Primate amygdala neurons evaluate the progress of self-defined economic choice sequences.

PubMed

Grabenhorst, Fabian; Hernadi, Istvan; Schultz, Wolfram

2016-10-12

The amygdala is a prime valuation structure yet its functions in advanced behaviors are poorly understood. We tested whether individual amygdala neurons encode a critical requirement for goal-directed behavior: the evaluation of progress during sequential choices. As monkeys progressed through choice sequences toward rewards, amygdala neurons showed phasic, gradually increasing responses over successive choice steps. These responses occurred in the absence of external progress cues or motor preplanning. They were often specific to self-defined sequences, typically disappearing during instructed control sequences with similar reward expectation. Their build-up rate reflected prospectively the forthcoming choice sequence, suggesting adaptation to an internal plan. Population decoding demonstrated a high-accuracy progress code. These findings indicate that amygdala neurons evaluate the progress of planned, self-defined behavioral sequences. Such progress signals seem essential for aligning stepwise choices with internal plans. Their presence in amygdala neurons may inform understanding of human conditions with amygdala dysfunction and deregulated reward pursuit.

A framework for developing objective and measurable recovery criteria for threatened and endangered species.

PubMed

Himes Boor, Gina K

2014-02-01

For species listed under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and National Marine Fisheries Service are tasked with writing recovery plans that include "objective, measurable criteria" that define when a species is no longer at risk of extinction, but neither the act itself nor agency guidelines provide an explicit definition of objective, measurable criteria. Past reviews of recovery plans, including one published in 2012, show that many criteria lack quantitative metrics with clear biological rationale and are not meeting the measureable and objective mandate. I reviewed how objective, measureable criteria have been defined implicitly and explicitly in peer-reviewed literature, the ESA, other U.S. statutes, and legal decisions. Based on a synthesis of these sources, I propose the following 6 standards be used as minimum requirements for objective, measurable criteria: contain a quantitative threshold with calculable units, stipulate a timeframe over which they must be met, explicitly define the spatial extent or population to which they apply, specify a sampling procedure that includes sample size, specify a statistical significance level, and include justification by providing scientific evidence that the criteria define a species whose extinction risk has been reduced to the desired level. To meet these 6 standards, I suggest that recovery plans be explicitly guided by and organized around a population viability modeling framework even if data or agency resources are too limited to complete a viability model. When data and resources are available, recovery criteria can be developed from the population viability model results, but when data and resources are insufficient for model implementation, extinction risk thresholds can be used as criteria. A recovery-planning approach centered on viability modeling will also yield appropriately focused data-acquisition and monitoring plans and will facilitate a seamless transition from recovery planning to delisting. © 2013 Society for Conservation Biology.

A soft-contact model for computing safety margins in human prehension.

PubMed

Singh, Tarkeshwar; Ambike, Satyajit

2017-10-01

The soft human digit tip forms contact with grasped objects over a finite area and applies a moment about an axis normal to the area. These moments are important for ensuring stability during precision grasping. However, the contribution of these moments to grasp stability is rarely investigated in prehension studies. The more popular hard-contact model assumes that the digits exert a force vector but no free moment on the grasped object. Many sensorimotor studies use this model and show that humans estimate friction coefficients to scale the normal force to grasp objects stably, i.e. the smoother the surface, the tighter the grasp. The difference between the applied normal force and the minimal normal force needed to prevent slipping is called safety margin and this index is widely used as a measure of grasp planning. Here, we define and quantify safety margin using a more realistic contact model that allows digits to apply both forces and moments. Specifically, we adapt a soft-contact model from robotics and demonstrate that the safety margin thus computed is a more accurate and robust index of grasp planning than its hard-contact variant. Previously, we have used the soft-contact model to propose two indices of grasp planning that show how humans account for the shape and inertial properties of an object. A soft-contact based safety margin offers complementary insights by quantifying how humans may account for surface properties of the object and skin tissue during grasp planning and execution. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Family Health Services project: the way forward.

PubMed

Dabiri, O M

1993-01-01

Nigerians did not readily accept family planning when Family Health Services (FHS) began in 1988. FHS has made much headway in training, IEC (information, education, and communication), and constituency building and advocacy. Its staff have identified obstacles to implementation, especially program sustainability and management structure. Key limits to sustainability of IEC efforts were inadequately trained personnel and inability of trained personnel to apply what they learned at work stations. The Federal Ministry and Social Services' role in the FHS project was not clearly defined. Some private sector factors contributing to a confused management structure were inadequate method mix, high contraceptive cost, poor monitoring of quality of care, and no coordination of family planning training with the public factor. FHS has since decided to focus its efforts on increasing the demand for and availability of modern contraceptives and improving the quality of family planning services of both the public and private sectors. FHS hopes that accomplishing these activities will reduce fertility, morbidity, and mortality. Strategic plans include a regional focus, quality of care, a variety of methods offered, intensification, hospital and clinics, a management information system, contraceptive logistics, distribution regulations, and addressing social, cultural, and behavioral factors. To effectively implement the strategy, USAID and the Federal Ministry held a workshop in 1993 to effect full integration of Nigerian experience in the 2nd phase of the project (FHS II). Participants reviewed the strengths and weaknesses of the first phase and agreed on implementation. For example, nongovernmental organizations should implement FHS II. FHS II includes training, IEC, and commodities/logistics.

Department of Defense Tri-Service Precision Machine-Tool Program. Quarterly report, February--April 1978

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

Not Available

1978-06-01

Following a planning period during which the Lawrence Livermore Laboratory and the Department of Defense managing sponsor, the USAF Materials Laboratory, agreed on work statements, the Department of Defense Tri-Service Precision Machine-Tool Program began in February 1978. Milestones scheduled for the first quarter have been met. Tasks and manpower requirements for two basic projects, precision-machining commercialization (PMC) and a machine-tool task force (MTTF), were defined. Progress by PMC includes: (1) documentation of existing precision machine-tool technology by initiation and compilation of a bibliography containing several hundred entries: (2) identification of the problems and needs of precision turning-machine builders and ofmore » precision turning-machine users interested in developing high-precision machining capability; and (3) organization of the schedule and content of the first seminar, to be held in October 1978, which will bring together representatives from the machine-tool and optics communities to address the problems and begin the process of high-precision machining commercialization. Progress by MTTF includes: (1) planning for the organization of a team effort of approximately 60 to 80 international experts to contribute in various ways to project objectives, namely, to summarize state-of-the-art cutting-machine-tool technology and to identify areas where future R and D should prove technically and economically profitable; (2) preparation of a comprehensive plan to achieve those objectives; and (3) preliminary arrangements for a plenary session, also in October, when the task force will meet to formalize the details for implementing the plan.« less

42 CFR 422.4 - Types of MA plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 42 Public Health 3 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Types of MA plans. 422.4 Section 422.4 Public...) MEDICARE PROGRAM MEDICARE ADVANTAGE PROGRAM General Provisions § 422.4 Types of MA plans. (a) General rule. An MA plan may be a coordinated care plan, a combination of an MA MSA plan and a contribution into an...

Recovering activity and illusion: the nephrology day care unit.

PubMed

Remón Rodríguez, C; Quirós Ganga, P L; González-Outón, J; del Castillo Gámez, R; García Herrera, A L; Sánchez Márquez, M G

2011-01-01

Day Care Units are an alternative to hospital care that improves more efficiency. The Nephrology, by its technical characteristics, would be benefit greatly from further development of this care modality. The objectives of this study are to present the process we have developed the Nephrology Day Care Unit in the Puerto Real University Hospital (Cádiz, Spain). For this project we followed the Deming Management Method of Quality improvement, selecting opportunities, analyzing causes, select interventions, implement and monitor results. The intervention plan includes the following points: 1) Define the place of the Day Care Unit in the organization of our Clinical Department of Nephrology, 2) Define the Manual of organization, 3) Define the structural and equipment resources, 4) Define the Catalogue of services and procedures, 5) Standards of Care Processes. Protocols and Clinical Pathways; and 6) Information and Registration System. In the first 8 months we have been performed nearly 2000 procedures, which corresponds to an average of about 10 procedures per day, and essentially related to Hemodialysis in critical or acute patients, the Interventional Nephrology, the Clinical Nephrology and Peritoneal Dialysis. The development of the Nephrology Day Care Units can help to increase our autonomy, our presence in Hospitals, recover the progressive loss of clinical activity (diagnostic and therapeutic skills) in the past to the benefit of other Specialties. It also contributes to: Promote and develop the Diagnostic and Interventional Nephrology; improve the clinical management of patients with Primary Health Level, promote the Health Education and Investigation, collaborate in the Resources Management, and finally, to make more attractive and exciting our Specialty, both for nephrologists to training specialists.

Variability in source sediment contributions by applying different statistic test for a Pyrenean catchment.

PubMed

Palazón, L; Navas, A

2017-06-01

Information on sediment contribution and transport dynamics from the contributing catchments is needed to develop management plans to tackle environmental problems related with effects of fine sediment as reservoir siltation. In this respect, the fingerprinting technique is an indirect technique known to be valuable and effective for sediment source identification in river catchments. Large variability in sediment delivery was found in previous studies in the Barasona catchment (1509 km 2 , Central Spanish Pyrenees). Simulation results with SWAT and fingerprinting approaches identified badlands and agricultural uses as the main contributors to sediment supply in the reservoir. In this study the <63 μm sediment fraction from the surface reservoir sediments (2 cm) are investigated following the fingerprinting procedure to assess how the use of different statistical procedures affects the amounts of source contributions. Three optimum composite fingerprints were selected to discriminate between source contributions based in land uses/land covers from the same dataset by the application of (1) discriminant function analysis; and its combination (as second step) with (2) Kruskal-Wallis H-test and (3) principal components analysis. Source contribution results were different between assessed options with the greatest differences observed for option using #3, including the two step process: principal components analysis and discriminant function analysis. The characteristics of the solutions by the applied mixing model and the conceptual understanding of the catchment showed that the most reliable solution was achieved using #2, the two step process of Kruskal-Wallis H-test and discriminant function analysis. The assessment showed the importance of the statistical procedure used to define the optimum composite fingerprint for sediment fingerprinting applications. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

From Framework to Practice: Person-Directed Planning in the Real World.

PubMed

Martin, Lynn; Grandia, Philip; Ouellette-Kuntz, Hélène; Cobigo, Virginie

2016-11-01

Person-directed planning (PDP) is an approach to planning supports that aims to redistribute power from the service system to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) and natural supports, improve relationships and build community. To do this, the right people with the right attitudes engaging in the right actions are needed. This paper examines how key elements in PDP contribute to successes in planning. Researchers worked with three planning teams from different community service agencies using participatory action research techniques (i.e. free list and pile sort, Socratic wheel, whys/hows exercise). Most key elements of PDP were relevant to each team. Perceptions of which had most contributed to planning successes differed. The various elements of PDP are used by and useful to planning teams, although some may be more relevant to some successes than others because of specific goals, or the person's strengths and needs. © 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

75 FR 78877 - Employee Contribution Elections and Contribution Allocations; Uniformed Services Accounts...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-17

... From the Thrift Savings Plan; Death Benefits; Thrift Savings Plan AGENCY: Federal Retirement Thrift... beneficiary of a TSP participant must either transfer his or her TSP death benefit payment to another eligible... allow a spouse of a deceased participant to retain a lump sum death benefit payment in the TSP. This...

An Economic Approach to Setting Contribution Limits in Qualified State-Sponsored Tuition Savings Plans.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ma, Jennifer; Warshawsky, Mark J.; Ameriks, John; Blohm, Julia A.

This study used an expected utility framework with a mean-lower partial moment specification for investor utility to determine the asset allocation and the allowable contribution limits for qualified state-sponsored tuition savings plans. Given the assumptions about state policymakers' perceptions of investor utility, the study determined the…

R-CMap-An open-source software for concept mapping.

PubMed

Bar, Haim; Mentch, Lucas

2017-02-01

Planning and evaluating projects often involves input from many stakeholders. Fusing and organizing many different ideas, opinions, and interpretations into a coherent and acceptable plan or project evaluation is challenging. This is especially true when seeking contributions from a large number of participants, especially when not all can participate in group discussions, or when some prefer to contribute their perspectives anonymously. One of the major breakthroughs in the area of evaluation and program planning has been the use of graphical tools to represent the brainstorming process. This provides a quantitative framework for organizing ideas and general concepts into simple-to-interpret graphs. We developed a new, open-source concept mapping software called R-CMap, which is implemented in R. This software provides a graphical user interface to guide users through the analytical process of concept mapping. The R-CMap software allows users to generate a variety of plots, including cluster maps, point rating and cluster rating maps, as well as pattern matching and go-zone plots. Additionally, R-CMap is capable of generating detailed reports that contain useful statistical summaries of the data. The plots and reports can be embedded in Microsoft Office tools such as Word and PowerPoint, where users may manually adjust various plot and table features to achieve the best visual results in their presentations and official reports. The graphical user interface of R-CMap allows users to define cluster names, change the number of clusters, select rating variables for relevant plots, and importantly, select subsets of respondents by demographic criteria. The latter is particularly useful to project managers in order to identify different patterns of preferences by subpopulations. R-CMap is user-friendly, and does not require any programming experience. However, proficient R users can add to its functionality by directly accessing built-in functions in R and sharing new features with the concept mapping community. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Accuracy of patient-specific guided glenoid baseplate positioning for reverse shoulder arthroplasty.

PubMed

Levy, Jonathan C; Everding, Nathan G; Frankle, Mark A; Keppler, Louis J

2014-10-01

The accuracy of reproducing a surgical plan during shoulder arthroplasty is improved by computer assistance. Intraoperative navigation, however, is challenged by increased surgical time and additional technically difficult steps. Patient-matched instrumentation has the potential to reproduce a similar degree of accuracy without the need for additional surgical steps. The purpose of this study was to examine the accuracy of patient-specific planning and a patient-specific drill guide for glenoid baseplate placement in reverse shoulder arthroplasty. A patient-specific glenoid baseplate drill guide for reverse shoulder arthroplasty was produced for 14 cadaveric shoulders based on a plan developed by a virtual preoperative 3-dimensional planning system using thin-cut computed tomography images. Using this patient-specific guide, high-volume shoulder surgeons exposed the glenoid through a deltopectoral approach and drilled the bicortical pathway defined by the guide. The trajectory of the drill path was compared with the virtual preoperative planned position using similar thin-cut computed tomography images to define accuracy. The drill pathway defined by the patient-matched guide was found to be highly accurate when compared with the preoperative surgical plan. The translational accuracy was 1.2 ± 0.7 mm. The accuracy of inferior tilt was 1.2° ± 1.2°. The accuracy of glenoid version was 2.6° ± 1.7°. The use of patient-specific glenoid baseplate guides is highly accurate in reproducing a virtual 3-dimensional preoperative plan. This technique delivers the accuracy observed using computerized navigation without any additional surgical steps or technical challenges. Copyright © 2014 Journal of Shoulder and Elbow Surgery Board of Trustees. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Next generation terminology infrastructure to support interprofessional care planning.

PubMed

Collins, Sarah; Klinkenberg-Ramirez, Stephanie; Tsivkin, Kira; Mar, Perry L; Iskhakova, Dina; Nandigam, Hari; Samal, Lipika; Rocha, Roberto A

2017-11-01

Develop a prototype of an interprofessional terminology and information model infrastructure that can enable care planning applications to facilitate patient-centered care, learn care plan linkages and associations, provide decision support, and enable automated, prospective analytics. The study steps included a 3 step approach: (1) Process model and clinical scenario development, and (2) Requirements analysis, and (3) Development and validation of information and terminology models. Components of the terminology model include: Health Concerns, Goals, Decisions, Interventions, Assessments, and Evaluations. A terminology infrastructure should: (A) Include discrete care plan concepts; (B) Include sets of profession-specific concerns, decisions, and interventions; (C) Communicate rationales, anticipatory guidance, and guidelines that inform decisions among the care team; (D) Define semantic linkages across clinical events and professions; (E) Define sets of shared patient goals and sub-goals, including patient stated goals; (F) Capture evaluation toward achievement of goals. These requirements were mapped to AHRQ Care Coordination Measures Framework. This study used a constrained set of clinician-validated clinical scenarios. Terminology models for goals and decisions are unavailable in SNOMED CT, limiting the ability to evaluate these aspects of the proposed infrastructure. Defining and linking subsets of care planning concepts appears to be feasible, but also essential to model interprofessional care planning for common co-occurring conditions and chronic diseases. We recommend the creation of goal dynamics and decision concepts in SNOMED CT to further enable the necessary models. Systems with flexible terminology management infrastructure may enable intelligent decision support to identify conflicting and aligned concerns, goals, decisions, and interventions in shared care plans, ultimately decreasing documentation effort and cognitive burden for clinicians and patients. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

[Comprehensive drug safety plan in a health department].

PubMed

Bujaldón-Querejeta, N; Aznar-Saliente, T; Esplá-González, S; Ruíz-Darbonnéns, S; Pons-Martínez, L; Talens-Bolos, A; Martínez-Ramírez, M; Camacho-Romera, D; Aranaz-Andrés, J M

2014-01-01

To develop and implement a comprehensive drug safety plan in a hospital for the years 2009-2011. Applying the Strengths Weaknesses/Limitations Opportunities Threats (SWOT) methodology, the baseline situation was analyzed and a broad strategy or plan was subsequently developed, defining the scope, responsibilities, objectives and strategic actions and indicators in order to measure the achievement of the results. A comprehensive drug safety plan with the main objective of identifying and reducing the medication-related problems in patients treated in the Hospital de San Juan in Alicante has been developed. The plan contains five strategic objectives, twenty strategic actions and the indicators to assess its outcomes. It also contains a timetable for its establishment and evaluation. Developing a comprehensive strategic plan allows the current situation relating to drug safety to be determined. The results obtained after its introduction will define its applicability. Due to the lack of publications of similar plans and results, the evaluation of this plan will be useful whether it is favorable or not. As a side benefit of the development, the multidisciplinary team continues to work on improving patient safety in the care process, and the safety culture continues to grow among the professionals. Copyright © 2013 SECA. Published by Elsevier Espana. All rights reserved.

The HAL 9000 Space Operating System Real-Time Planning Engine Design and Operations Requirements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stetson, Howard; Watson, Michael D.; Shaughnessy, Ray

2012-01-01

In support of future deep space manned missions, an autonomous/automated vehicle, providing crew autonomy and an autonomous response planning system, will be required due to the light time delays in communication. Vehicle capabilities as a whole must provide for tactical response to vehicle system failures and space environmental effects induced failures, for risk mitigation of permanent loss of communication with Earth, and for assured crew return capabilities. The complexity of human rated space systems and the limited crew sizes and crew skills mix drive the need for a robust autonomous capability on-board the vehicle. The HAL 9000 Space Operating System[2] designed for such missions and space craft includes the first distributed real-time planning / re-planning system. This paper will detail the software architecture of the multiple planning engine system, and the interface design for plan changes, approval and implementation that is performed autonomously. Operations scenarios will be defined for analysis of the planning engines operations and its requirements for nominal / off nominal activities. An assessment of the distributed realtime re-planning system, in the defined operations environment, will be provided as well as findings as it pertains to the vehicle, crew, and mission control requirements needed for implementation.

Intelligent Vehicle Initiative: Business Plan

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-11-01

The U.S. Department of Transportation (USDOT) is embarking on a new program called the Intelligent Vehicle Initiative (IVI). The USDOT intends to jointly define the program plan and conduct the IVI in cooperation with the motor vehicle, trucking, and...

43 CFR 10005.13 - Geographic and ecological context for the plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... evaluated, from a state-wide perspective and that, within the state, an ecosystem-based approach is appropriate. There is no one correct way to define an ecosystem or to approach ecosystem planning. The...

43 CFR 10005.13 - Geographic and ecological context for the plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... evaluated, from a state-wide perspective and that, within the state, an ecosystem-based approach is appropriate. There is no one correct way to define an ecosystem or to approach ecosystem planning. The...

43 CFR 10005.13 - Geographic and ecological context for the plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... evaluated, from a state-wide perspective and that, within the state, an ecosystem-based approach is appropriate. There is no one correct way to define an ecosystem or to approach ecosystem planning. The...

National ITS/CVO program

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1997-02-01

This report was developed as part of the study, Systems Planning for Automated Commercial Vehicle Licensing and Permitting Systems. The objective of this study was to define the requirements and develop a plan for a national program to apply In...

Continual improvement plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

NASA's approach to continual improvement (CI) is a systems-oriented, agency-wide approach that builds on the past accomplishments of NASA Headquarters and its field installations and helps achieve NASA's vision, mission, and values. The NASA of the future will fully use the principles of continual improvement in every aspect of its operations. This NASA CI plan defines a systematic approach and a model for continual improvement throughout NASA, stressing systems integration and optimization. It demonstrates NASA's constancy of purpose for improvement - a consistent vision of NASA as a worldwide leader in top-quality science, technology, and management practices. The CI plan provides the rationale, structures, methods, and steps, and it defines NASA's short term (1-year) objectives for improvement. The CI plan presents the deployment strategies necessary for cascading the goals and objectives throughout the agency. It also provides guidance on implementing continual improvement with participation from top leadership and all levels of employees.

Plan of research for integrated soil moisture studies. Recommendations of the Soil Moisture Working Group

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1980-01-01

Soil moisture information is a potentially powerful tool for applications in agriculture, water resources, and climate. At present, it is difficult for users of this information to clearly define their needs in terms of accuracy, resolution and frequency because of the current sparsity of data. A plan is described for defining and conducting an integrated and coordinated research effort to develop and refine remote sensing techniques which will determine spatial and temporal variations of soil moisture and to utilize soil moisture information in support of agricultural, water resources, and climate applications. The soil moisture requirements of these three different application areas were reviewed in relation to each other so that one plan covering the three areas could be formulated. Four subgroups were established to write and compile the plan, namely models, ground-based studies, aircraft experiments, and spacecraft missions.

Earth Observing System/Meteorological Satellite (EOS/METSAT). Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit-A (AMSU-A) Contamination Control Plan

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fay, M.

1998-01-01

This Contamination Control Plan is submitted in response the Contract Document requirements List (CDRL) 007 under contract NAS5-32314 for the Earth Observing System (EOS) Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit A (AMSU-A). In response to the CDRL instructions, this document defines the level of cleanliness and methods/procedures to be followed to achieve adequate cleanliness/contamination control, and defines the required approach to maintain cleanliness/contamination control through shipping, observatory integration, test, and flight. This plan is also applicable to the Meteorological Satellite (METSAT) except where requirements are identified as EOS-specific. This plan is based on two key factors: a. The EOS/METSAT AMSU-A Instruments are not highly contamination sensitive. b. Potential contamination of other EOS Instruments is a key concern as addressed in Section 9/0 of the Performance Assurance Requirements for EOS/METSAT Integrated Programs AMSU-A Instrument (MR) (NASA Specification S-480-79).

29 CFR 2590.715-1251 - Preservation of right to maintain existing coverage.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... equal to $5 increased by medical inflation, as defined in paragraph (g)(3)(i) of this section (that is, $5 times medical inflation, plus $5), or (B) The maximum percentage increase (as defined in paragraph... percentage. (v) Decrease in contribution rate by employers and employee organizations—(A) Contribution rate...

29 CFR 2590.715-1251 - Preservation of right to maintain existing coverage.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... equal to $5 increased by medical inflation, as defined in paragraph (g)(3)(i) of this section (that is, $5 times medical inflation, plus $5), or (B) The maximum percentage increase (as defined in paragraph... percentage. (v) Decrease in contribution rate by employers and employee organizations—(A) Contribution rate...

26 CFR 54.9815-1251T - Preservation of right to maintain existing coverage (temporary).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... equal to $5 increased by medical inflation, as defined in paragraph (g)(3)(i) of this section (that is, $5 times medical inflation, plus $5), or (B) The maximum percentage increase (as defined in paragraph... percentage. (v) Decrease in contribution rate by employers and employee organizations—(A) Contribution rate...

29 CFR 2590.715-1251 - Preservation of right to maintain existing coverage.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... equal to $5 increased by medical inflation, as defined in paragraph (g)(3)(i) of this section (that is, $5 times medical inflation, plus $5), or (B) The maximum percentage increase (as defined in paragraph... percentage. (v) Decrease in contribution rate by employers and employee organizations—(A) Contribution rate...

26 CFR 54.9815-1251T - Preservation of right to maintain existing coverage (temporary).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... equal to $5 increased by medical inflation, as defined in paragraph (g)(3)(i) of this section (that is, $5 times medical inflation, plus $5), or (B) The maximum percentage increase (as defined in paragraph... percentage. (v) Decrease in contribution rate by employers and employee organizations—(A) Contribution rate...

26 CFR 54.9815-1251T - Preservation of right to maintain existing coverage (temporary).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... equal to $5 increased by medical inflation, as defined in paragraph (g)(3)(i) of this section (that is, $5 times medical inflation, plus $5), or (B) The maximum percentage increase (as defined in paragraph... percentage. (v) Decrease in contribution rate by employers and employee organizations—(A) Contribution rate...

Measurement in Sensory Modulation: The Sensory Processing Scale Assessment

PubMed Central

Miller, Lucy J.; Sullivan, Jillian C.

2014-01-01

OBJECTIVE. Sensory modulation issues have a significant impact on participation in daily life. Moreover, understanding phenotypic variation in sensory modulation dysfunction is crucial for research related to defining homogeneous groups and for clinical work in guiding treatment planning. We thus evaluated the new Sensory Processing Scale (SPS) Assessment. METHOD. Research included item development, behavioral scoring system development, test administration, and item analyses to evaluate reliability and validity across sensory domains. RESULTS. Items with adequate reliability (internal reliability >.4) and discriminant validity (p < .01) were retained. Feedback from the expert panel also contributed to decisions about retaining items in the scale. CONCLUSION. The SPS Assessment appears to be a reliable and valid measure of sensory modulation (scale reliability >.90; discrimination between group effect sizes >1.00). This scale has the potential to aid in differential diagnosis of sensory modulation issues. PMID:25184464

Managing your practice's first impression: the process of front-desk reengineering.

PubMed

Walsh, Alison L

2004-01-01

Patients must be regarded as consumers. As such, they are increasingly informed, questioning, cost-conscious, technologically savvy, and demanding. Just as health plans have developed defined contribution products that offer consumers more control over how and where their health-care dollars are spent, practice success is linked to reengineering office operations to offer consumers and patients greater choice, control, autonomy, and service. Patients and consumers want practices that deliver clinical and business services that meet the criteria of reliability, effciency, service offerings, patient focus, enthusiasm, customization, and trust. Physician practices must also take care to avoid destructive and disruptive behaviors and conditions such as noise, interference, excessive repetition, long waits, appointment delays, and staff rudeness. A successful patient-focused practice emerges when physicians and office staff begin to look at the clinical and service experience through the patient's eyes.

The ABAG biogenic emissions inventory project

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Carson-Henry, C. (Editor)

1982-01-01

The ability to identify the role of biogenic hydrocarbon emissions in contributing to overall ozone production in the Bay Area, and to identify the significance of that role, were investigated in a joint project of the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG) and NASA/Ames Research Center. Ozone, which is produced when nitrogen oxides and hydrocarbons combine in the presence of sunlight, is a primary factor in air quality planning. In investigating the role of biogenic emissions, this project employed a pre-existing land cover classification to define areal extent of land cover types. Emission factors were then derived for those cover types. The land cover data and emission factors were integrated into an existing geographic information system, where they were combined to form a Biogenic Hydrocarbon Emissions Inventory. The emissions inventory information was then integrated into an existing photochemical dispersion model.

The consumer choice model: a humane reconstruction of the U.S. health care system.

PubMed

Coulter, C H

2000-01-01

"Consumer choice," "defined contribution health programs," "voucher systems," and "health marts" are variations on a theme: employees buying their own health care. This new approach to health care purchasing, which is designed to minimize the role of employers, is being proposed by an array of economists and by both Republican and Democratic legislators as the best way to address the nation's health care ills. Although enabling national legislation is unlikely to pass soon, the debate will nevertheless change the face of health care in America. The prospect is reminiscent of the debate over "Clinton Care" in 1993--although legislation was never passed, managed care rapidly came to dominate the U.S. health care system. As this reform takes hold, beneficiaries will make their own health plan selections but will have more responsibility and may bear more cost. Providers will have to adapt to new, customer-driven requirements for performance, accountability, and communications but will also find opportunities in a marketplace that they will have a major role in shaping. Physicians, health plans, and insurers should understand how these proposals will transform their role in health care.

Best practices: a review of company activity on HIV / AIDS in South Africa.

PubMed

Michael, K

1999-01-01

This article presents the 1998 survey results conducted by the Health Economics and HIV/AIDS Research Division of the University of Natal in South Africa with the goal of documenting the best practices of managing HIV/AIDS in the workplace. The five key areas of the study are: HIV prevention; managing ill health; human resource development and industrial relations; employee benefits and survivor support; monitoring and planning for change in the workplace. The research comprised 14 companies used during the case studies. A few notable cases were observed among companies attempting to create awareness about HIV/AIDS. The Best Practice Survey highlighted issues about the private sectors in South Africa and their HIV management. First, companies conceptualize AIDS as either a health or poverty problem. Second, the environment is affected by the hazards of economic downturns, labor action, and economic inflation while the AIDS problem is neglected. Third, indirect costs were not considered and most companies feel that the conversion to a defined contribution arrangement compensates against escalating payouts for benefits. Fourth, long-term plans of the companies did not utilize the ill health statistics for the past 5 years.

Formulation of an Integrated Community Based Disaster Management for Hydroelectric facilities: The Malaysia Case

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hijazzi, Norshamirra; Thiruchelvam, Sivadass; Sabri Muda, Rahsidi; Nasharuddin Mustapha, Kamal; Che Muda, Zakaria; Ghazali, Azrul; Kamal Kadir, Ahmad; Hakimie, Hazlinda; Sahari, Khairul Salleh Mohamed; Hasini, Hasril; Mohd Sidek, Lariyah; Itam, Zarina; Fadhli Mohamad, Mohd; Razad, Azwin Zailti Abdul

2016-03-01

Dams, however significant their contributions are to the society, are not immune to failures and diminishing lifespan not unlike other structural elements in our infrastructure. Despite continuing efforts on design, construction, operation, and maintenance of dams to improve the safety of the dams, the possibility of unforeseen events of dam failures is still possible. Seeing that dams are usually integrated into close approximities with the community, dam failures may consequent in tremendous loss of lives and properties. The aims of formulation of Integrated Community Based Disaster Management (ICBDM) is to simulate evacuation modelling and emergency planning in order to minimize loss of life and property damages in the event of a dam-related disaster. To achieve the aim above, five main pillars have been identified for the formulation of ICBDM. A series of well-defined program inclusive of hydrological 2-D modelling, life safety modelling, community based EWS and CBTAP will be conducted. Finally, multiple parties’ engagement is to be carried out in the form of table top exercise to measure the readiness of emergency plans and response capabilities of key players during the state of a crisis.

The Human Genome Diversity (HGD) Project. Summary document

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

NONE

1993-12-31

In 1991 a group of human geneticists and molecular biologists proposed to the scientific community that a world wide survey be undertaken of variation in the human genome. To aid their considerations, the committee therefore decided to hold a small series of international workshops to explore the major scientific issues involved. The intention was to define a framework for the project which could provide a basis for much wider and more detailed discussion and planning--it was recognized that the successful implementation of the proposed project, which has come to be known as the Human Genome Diversity (HGD) Project, would notmore » only involve scientists but also various national and international non-scientific groups all of which should contribute to the project`s development. The international HGD workshop held in Sardinia in September 1993 was the last in the initial series of planning workshops. As such it not only explored new ground but also pulled together into a more coherent form much of the formal and informal discussion that had taken place in the preceding two years. This report presents the deliberations of the Sardinia workshop within a consideration of the overall development of the HGD Project to date.« less

The highest priority: how can the NAM countries continue to expand and improve the ways they learn from each other?

PubMed

Suyono, H

1994-06-01

The author opens with a discussion of the content of population programs and the ongoing process of learning from and helping each other. Population programs used to be so narrowly defined that they were detached from important sociocultural, economic, and political realities. That definition, however, is now expanding beyond the notions of demography and family planning to accommodate the need to adjust programs to meet family needs and not vice versa. Family development is called for instead of family planning. His experience in Indonesia has shown him that simple solutions tend not to work; strong and consistent political commitment to the promotion of development is needed; bureaucrats must be honest, competent, and committed to national development; self-sustained development will not happen unless people feel they have a stake in it as both recipients and decision makers; a community-based approach is required; coercion has no place in population programs; and women are more important than men. The author also discusses how advances in science and technology initially exacerbate inequalities, the potentially positive role of governments, keys to a viable population program, making a stronger contribution, and how to pay for South-South collaboration.

[The White Paper of the health professions of Catalonia].

PubMed

Pomés, Xavier; Oriol, Albert; de Oleza, Rafael; Ania, Olinda; Avila, Alicia; Branda, Luis; Brugulat, Pilar; Gual, Arcadi; Creus, Mariona; Zurro, Amando Martin

2003-01-01

The White Paper of the Health Professions of Catalonia (WPHPC) is a strategic document for the development of the health professions. It deals with the main components of the manpower development (education, management and planning) in relation to the health services development required to attain the objectives defined in the Catalan Health Plan. The WPHPC fosters the coherence between social needs and professional competencies required to respond to them, as well as to the quantitative aspects of service needs under adequate standards of quality, effectiveness and efficiency. The WPHPC has followed a methodological process with maximum stakeholder participation and transparency. Citizens, professionals and health organizations have contributed significantly. The conclusions and recommendations of the WPHPC are organized around four axis: the citizenship, the professionals, the health care organizations and the health care model. Key elements are: the requirement of a new social contract between the different stakeholders, the values of professionalism, the need for a new credentialism of professional competencies, innovation in the education process, innovation of governance and management for organization of knowledge, the redistribution of work inside teams requires deregulation and reregulation of the professions, the need for actualized data on workforce and job positions and the permanent requirement of sociological research.

A qualitative study of medical educators' perspectives on remediation: Adopting a holistic approach to struggling residents.

PubMed

Krzyzaniak, Sara M; Wolf, Stephen J; Byyny, Richard; Barker, Lisa; Kaplan, Bonnie; Wall, Stephen; Guerrasio, Jeannette

2017-09-01

During residency, some trainees require the identification and remediation of deficiencies to achieve the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary for independent practice. Given the limited published frameworks for remediation, we characterize remediation from the perspective of educators and propose a holistic framework to guide the approach to remediation. We conducted semistructured focus groups to: explore methods for identifying struggling residents; categorize common domains of struggle; describe personal factors that contribute to difficulties; define remediation interventions and understand what constitutes successful completion. Data were analyzed through conventional content analysis. Nineteen physicians across multiple specialties and institutions participated in seven focus groups. Thirteen categories emerged around remediation. Some themes addressed practical components of remediation, while others reflected barriers to the process and the impact of remediation on the resident and program. The themes were used to inform development of a novel holistic framework for remediation. The approach to remediation requires comprehensive identification of individual factors impacting performance. The intervention should not only include a tailored learning plan but also address confounders that impact likelihood of remediation success. Our holistic framework intends to guide educators creating remediation plans to ensure all domains are addressed.

Opportunities and challenges of international coordination efforts in space exploration - the DLR perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boese, Andrea

The German Aerospace Center and German Space Agency DLR has defined internationalisation one of the four pillars of its corporate strategy. Driven by global challenges, national space agencies like DLR are seeking partnerships to contribute to essential societal needs, such as human welfare, sustainability of life, economic development, security, culture and knowledge. All partnerships with both traditional and non-traditional partners must reflect a balanced approach between national requirements and needs of the international community. In view of the challenges emerging from this complexity, endeavours like space exploration must be built on mutual cooperation especially in a challenging political environment. Effective and efficient exploitation of existing expertise, human resources, facilities and infrastructures require consolidated actions of stakeholders, interest groups and authorities. This basic principle applies to any space exploration activity. DLR is among the agencies participating in the International Space Exploration Coordination Group (ISECG) from its beginning in 2007. The strategic goals of DLR regarding space exploration correspond to the purpose of ISECG as a forum to share objectives and plans to take concrete steps towards partnerships for a globally coordinated effort in space exploration. DLR contributes to ISECG publications especially the “Global Exploration Roadmap” and the “Benefits stemming from Space Exploration” to see those messages reflected that support cooperation with internal and external exploration stakeholders in science and technology and communication with those in politics and society. DLR provides input also to other groups engaging in space exploration. However, taking into account limited resources and expected results, the effectiveness of multiple coordination and planning mechanisms needs to be discussed.

77 FR 32686 - Proposed Exemptions From Certain Prohibited Transaction Restrictions

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-01

...This document contains notices of pendency before the Department of Labor (the Department) of proposed exemptions from certain of the prohibited transaction restrictions of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA or the Act) and/or the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (the Code). This notice includes the following proposed exemptions: D-11649, Meridian Medical Associates, S.C, Employees' Retirement Plan and Trust (the Plan); D-11710, El Paso Corporation Retirement Savings Plan (the Plan); and D-11714, Ed Laur Defined Benefit Plan (the Plan).

Architectures for paediatric palliative care: how to improve quality of life and environmental well-being.

PubMed

Gola, Marco; Francalanza, Paolo Carlo; Galloni, Giulio; Pagella, Bianca; Capolongo, Stefano

2016-01-01

The influence of the environment on wellness, not only for patients themselves but for all care-givers as well, refers to the humanisation principles of spaces of care. Commencing with an analysis of existing paediatric hospices, the paper examines design suggestions for prosthetic environments, considered as a fundamental component in the healing process. A prosthetic environment can be created only through a specific knowledge of the real needs of users. Therefore, some scholars have conducted research work for defining the best practices for healing environments, supported by an assessment and comparison of case studies. The methodology is based on two phases: the first is based on interviews with experts in hospice design and management and the second, through the application of a questionnaire to several users. Discussion and Results. The output of the work is the achievement of a logical, sequential and participatory broad-spectrum process in the design of health facilities in order to cause a sustainable awareness in paediatric hospices. Starting from the research work, it is necessary to define a scientific method for implementing knowledge on health, psychological, perceptual and behavioural needs to contribute towards proper planning for meeting the real requirements of users.

Radiation Gene-expression Signatures in Primary Breast Cancer Cells.

PubMed

Minafra, Luigi; Bravatà, Valentina; Cammarata, Francesco P; Russo, Giorgio; Gilardi, Maria C; Forte, Giusi I

2018-05-01

In breast cancer (BC) care, radiation therapy (RT) is an efficient treatment to control localized tumor. Radiobiological research is needed to understand molecular differences that affect radiosensitivity of different tumor subtypes and the response variability. The aim of this study was to analyze gene expression profiling (GEP) in primary BC cells following irradiation with doses of 9 Gy and 23 Gy delivered by intraoperative electron radiation therapy (IOERT) in order to define gene signatures of response to high doses of ionizing radiation. We performed GEP by cDNA microarrays and evaluated cell survival after IOERT treatment in primary BC cell cultures. Real-time quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to validate candidate genes. We showed, for the first time, a 4-gene and a 6-gene signature, as new molecular biomarkers, in two primary BC cell cultures after exposure at 9 Gy and 23 Gy respectively, for which we observed a significantly high survival rate. Gene signatures activated by different doses of ionizing radiation may predict response to RT and contribute to defining a personalized biological-driven treatment plan. Copyright© 2018, International Institute of Anticancer Research (Dr. George J. Delinasios), All rights reserved.

Historical Delineation of Landscape Units Using Physical Geographic Characteristics and Land Use/Cover Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campos-Campos, Oswaldo; Cruz-Cárdenas, Gustavo; Aquino, Roque Juan Carrasco; Moncayo-Estrada, Rodrigo; Machuca, Martha Alicia Velázquez; Meléndez, Luis Arturo Ávila

2018-03-01

Landscape units are conceived as a part of the territory that share similar physical and geographic characteristics. Their delineation can contribute to identify the physical and social dynamics that emerge in the spatial environment and to propose strategies of planning and management of the territory. The main objective was to make a historical delineation of landscape units in the Duero river basin that demonstrate the dynamics of changes in the territory, the description of the actors involved, and the affectations in the natural and social environment. We analyzed the vegetation change and urban growth from 1983 to 2014, incorporating climatic, edaphic, and topographic variables. A Principal Component Analysis was performed with the information and results were used in Maximum Likelihood procedure to define different clusters based on environmental characteristics. We defined five categories from the Landsat images. Results showed landscape units with homogeneous environmental characteristics and some differences in the units' delineation were mainly influenced by political and socioeconomic factors. Temporally there was an increased tendency of landscape units, three in 1983, nine in 1990, 1995, 2000 and 2011, and eight in 2014. This increase resulted from territory fragmentation because of berries and avocado cultivars expansion over wooded area.

GUIDOS: tools for the assessment of pattern, connectivity, and fragmentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vogt, Peter

2013-04-01

Pattern, connectivity, and fragmentation can be considered as pillars for a quantitative analysis of digital landscape images. The free software toolbox GUIDOS (http://forest.jrc.ec.europa.eu/download/software/guidos) includes a variety of dedicated methodologies for the quantitative assessment of these features. Amongst others, Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis (MSPA) is used for an intuitive description of image pattern structures and the automatic detection of connectivity pathways. GUIDOS includes tools for the detection and quantitative assessment of key nodes and links as well as to define connectedness in raster images and to setup appropriate input files for an enhanced network analysis using Conefor Sensinode. Finally, fragmentation is usually defined from a species point of view but a generic and quantifiable indicator is needed to measure fragmentation and its changes. Some preliminary results for different conceptual approaches will be shown for a sample dataset. Complemented by pre- and post-processing routines and a complete GIS environment the portable GUIDOS Toolbox may facilitate a holistic assessment in risk assessment studies, landscape planning, and conservation/restoration policies. Alternatively, individual analysis components may contribute to or enhance studies conducted with other software packages in landscape ecology.

Hydrogeological and multi-isotopic approach to define nitrate pollution and denitrification processes in a coastal aquifer (Sardinia, Italy)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pittalis, Daniele; Carrey, Raul; Da Pelo, Stefania; Carletti, Alberto; Biddau, Riccardo; Cidu, Rosa; Celico, Fulvio; Soler, Albert; Ghiglieri, Giorgio

2018-02-01

Agricultural coastal areas are frequently affected by the superimposition of various processes, with a combination of anthropogenic and natural sources, which degrade groundwater quality. In the coastal multi-aquifer system of Arborea (Italy)—a reclaimed morass area identified as a nitrate vulnerable zone, according to Nitrate Directive 91/676/EEC—intensive agricultural and livestock activities contribute to substantial nitrate contamination. For this reason, the area can be considered a bench test for tuning an appropriate methodology aiming to trace the nitrate contamination in different conditions. An approach combining environmental isotopes, water quality and hydrogeological indicators was therefore used to understand the origins and attenuation mechanisms of nitrate pollution and to define the relationship between contaminant and groundwater flow dynamics through the multi-aquifer characterized by sandy (SHU), alluvial (AHU), and volcanic hydrogeological (VHU) units. Various groundwater chemical pathways were consistent with both different nitrogen sources and groundwater dynamics. Isotope composition suggests a mixed source for nitrate (organic and synthetic fertilizer), especially for the AHU and SHU groundwater. Moreover, marked heterotrophic denitrification and sulfate reduction processes were detected; although, for the contamination related to synthetic fertilizer, the attenuation was inefficient at removing NO3 - to less than the human consumption threshold of 50 mg/L. Various factors contributed to control the distribution of the redox processes, such as the availability of carbon sources (organic fertilizer and the presence of lagoon-deposited aquitards), well depth, and groundwater flow paths. The characterization of these processes supports water-resource management plans, future actions, and regulations, particularly in nitrate vulnerable zones.