Blockchain Based Decentralized Management of Demand Response Programs in Smart Energy Grids

PubMed Central

Pop, Claudia; Cioara, Tudor; Antal, Marcel; Anghel, Ionut; Salomie, Ioan; Bertoncini, Massimo

2018-01-01

In this paper, we investigate the use of decentralized blockchain mechanisms for delivering transparent, secure, reliable, and timely energy flexibility, under the form of adaptation of energy demand profiles of Distributed Energy Prosumers, to all the stakeholders involved in the flexibility markets (Distribution System Operators primarily, retailers, aggregators, etc.). In our approach, a blockchain based distributed ledger stores in a tamper proof manner the energy prosumption information collected from Internet of Things smart metering devices, while self-enforcing smart contracts programmatically define the expected energy flexibility at the level of each prosumer, the associated rewards or penalties, and the rules for balancing the energy demand with the energy production at grid level. Consensus based validation will be used for demand response programs validation and to activate the appropriate financial settlement for the flexibility providers. The approach was validated using a prototype implemented in an Ethereum platform using energy consumption and production traces of several buildings from literature data sets. The results show that our blockchain based distributed demand side management can be used for matching energy demand and production at smart grid level, the demand response signal being followed with high accuracy, while the amount of energy flexibility needed for convergence is reduced. PMID:29315250

Automated Demand Response Approaches to Household Energy Management in a Smart Grid Environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adika, Christopher Otieno

The advancement of renewable energy technologies and the deregulation of the electricity market have seen the emergence of Demand response (DR) programs. Demand response is a cost-effective load management strategy which enables the electricity suppliers to maintain the integrity of the power grid during high peak periods, when the customers' electrical load is high. DR programs are designed to influence electricity users to alter their normal consumption patterns by offering them financial incentives. A well designed incentive-based DR scheme that offer competitive electricity pricing structure can result in numerous benefits to all the players in the electricity market. Lower power consumption during peak periods will significantly enhance the robustness of constrained networks by reducing the level of power of generation and transmission infrastructure needed to provide electric service. Therefore, this will ease the pressure of building new power networks as we avoiding costly energy procurements thereby translating into huge financial savings for the power suppliers. Peak load reduction will also reduce the inconveniences suffered by end users as a result of brownouts or blackouts. Demand response will also drastically lower the price peaks associated with wholesale markets. This will in turn reduce the electricity costs and risks for all the players in the energy market. Additionally, DR is environmentally friendly since it enhances the flexibility of the power grid through accommodation of renewable energy resources. Despite its many benefits, DR has not been embraced by most electricity networks. This can be attributed to the fact that the existing programs do not provide enough incentives to the end users and, therefore, most electricity users are not willing to participate in them. To overcome these challenges, most utilities are coming up with innovative strategies that will be more attractive to their customers. Thus, this dissertation presents various demand response schemes that can be deployed by electricity providers to manage customer loads. This study also addresses the problem of manual demand response by proposing smart systems that will autonomously execute the DR programs without the direct involvement of the customers.

Growth in Malaysian Demand for Business Education--the Australian Response.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Philip E. T.; Pratt, Graham R.

1996-01-01

Increasing Malaysian demand for business education is examined from the perspective of Australia, one of the largest suppliers to the region. Topics discussed include: origins and nature of the demand; Malaysian enrollment patterns in Australia; "twinning programs," in which a Malaysian college and a foreign university collaborate to…

Prospective Impact of Responsibility Center Budgeting on Communication and Theatre Programs: View from a State Supported University.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dick, Robert C.

In response to the nationwide trend toward increased financial pressures and growing demands by state legislatures for accountability, several large universities (including Indiana University) have adopted various forms of "responsibility center budgeting" (RCB), which has fiscal implications for programs in speech communication and…

Impact of Practice-Based Instruction on Graduate Programs in the Pharmaceutical Sciences--A Response.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gourley, Dick R.

1979-01-01

Issues concerning graduate programs in the pharmaceutical sciences are discussed, including: recent trends, recruitment, clinical instruction, doctoral programs, graduate faculty, master's programs, competition, supply and demand, and professional education of professionals. (SF)

Demand Response at the Naval Postgraduate School

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-12-01

service, cost avoidance of starting extra power plants during emergencies, and reduction of negative environmental impact . The illustration below...on. Refraining from starting a peak performance plant means less pollution and lower environmental impact . Operations at the Naval Postgraduate...affect the environment. F. STEP 5: MONETIZE ALL IMPACTS The environmental impact that a Demand Response program has is an intangible one. Over

Essays on Mathematical Optimization for Residential Demand Response in the Energy Sector

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Palaparambil Dinesh, Lakshmi

In the electric utility industry, it could be challenging to adjust supply to match demand due to large generator ramp up times, high generation costs and insufficient in-house generation capacity. Demand response (DR) is a technique for adjusting the demand for electric power instead of the supply. Direct Load Control (DLC) is one of the ways to implement DR. DLC program participants sign up for power interruption contracts and are given financial incentives for curtailing electricity usage during peak demand time periods. This dissertation studies a DLC program for residential air conditioners using mathematical optimization models. First, we develop a model that determines what contract parameters to use in designing contracts between the provider and residential customers, when to turn which power unit on or off and how much power to cut during peak demand hours. The model uses information on customer preferences for choice of contract parameters such as DLC financial incentives and energy usage curtailment. In numerical experiments, the proposed model leads to projected cost savings of the order of 20%, compared to a current benchmark model used in practice. We also quantify the impact of factors leading to cost savings and study characteristics of customers picked by different contracts. Second, we study a DLC program in a macro economic environment using a Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) model. A CGE model is used to study the impact of external factors such as policy and technology changes on different economic sectors. Here we differentiate customers based on their preference for DLC programs by using different values for price elasticity of demand for electricity commodity. Consequently, DLC program customers could substitute demand for electricity commodity with other commodities such as transportation sector. Price elasticity of demand is calculated using a novel methodology that incorporates customer preferences for DLC contracts from the first model. The calculation of elasticity based on our methodology is useful since the prices of commodities are not only determined by aggregate demand and supply but also by customers' relative preferences for commodities. In addition to this we quantify the indirect substitution and rebound effects on sectoral activity levels, incomes and prices based on customer differences, when DLC is implemented.

The Supply of and Demand for Graduates of Post-Secondary School Institutions in the Next Decade

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodman, F. V. S.

1969-01-01

Joint responsibility of education authorities and the Department of Manpower and Immigration is to accelerate research and to develop programs which will ease the process of adjustment to changing conditions in manpower demand. The inevitable prerequisite of closer matching of demand for and supply of qualified manpower is increased specialization…

Non-Formal Educator Use of Evaluation Results

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baughman, Sarah; Boyd, Heather H.; Franz, Nancy K.

2012-01-01

Increasing demands for accountability in educational programming have resulted in increasing calls for program evaluation in educational organizations. Many organizations include conducting program evaluations as part of the job responsibilities of program staff. Cooperative Extension is a complex organization offering non-formal educational…

Joint Planning Of Energy Storage and Transmission Considering Wind-Storage Combined System and Demand Side Response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huang, Y.; Liu, B. Z.; Wang, K. Y.; Ai, X.

2017-12-01

In response to the new requirements of the operation mode of wind-storage combined system and demand side response for transmission network planning, this paper presents a joint planning of energy storage and transmission considering wind-storage combined system and demand side response. Firstly, the charge-discharge strategy of energy storage system equipped at the outlet of wind farm and demand side response strategy are analysed to achieve the best comprehensive benefits through the coordination of the two. Secondly, in the general transmission network planning model with wind power, both energy storage cost and demand side response cost are added to the objective function. Not only energy storage operation constraints and but also demand side response constraints are introduced into the constraint condition. Based on the classical formulation of TEP, a new formulation is developed considering the simultaneous addition of the charge-discharge strategy of energy storage system equipped at the outlet of the wind farm and demand side response strategy, which belongs to a typical mixed integer linear programming model that can be solved by mature optimization software. The case study based on the Garver-6 bus system shows that the validity of the proposed model is verified by comparison with general transmission network planning model. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that the joint planning model can gain more economic benefits through setting up different cases.

Using high frequency consumption data to identify demand response potential for solar energy integration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jin, L.; Borgeson, S.; Fredman, D.; Hans, L.; Spurlock, A.; Todd, A.

2015-12-01

California's renewable portfolio standard (2012) requires the state to get 33% of its electricity from renewable sources by 2020. Increased share of variable renewable sources such as solar and wind in the California electricity system may require more grid flexibility to insure reliable power services. Such grid flexibility can be potentially provided by changes in end use electricity consumptions in response to grid conditions (demand-response). In the solar case, residential consumption in the late afternoon can be used as reserve capacity to balance the drop in solar generation. This study presents our initial attempt to identify, from a behavior perspective, residential demand response potentials in relation to solar ramp events using a data-driven approach. Based on hourly residential energy consumption data, we derive representative daily load shapes focusing on discretionary consumption with an innovative clustering analysis technique. We aggregate the representative load shapes into behavior groups in terms of the timing and rhythm of energy use in the context of solar ramp events. Households of different behavior groups that are active during hours with high solar ramp rates are identified for capturing demand response potential. Insights into the nature and predictability of response to demand-response programs are provided.

Task force implementation guidelines for the development of state and community alcohol highway safety programs

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1984-01-01

Because of the alarming death and injury statistics of alcohol-related traffic crashes, the public and private sectors have demanded an organized approach to the driving-while-intoxicated (DWI) problem. In response to this demand, a definitive strate...

Price elasticity matrix of demand in power system considering demand response programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qu, Xinyao; Hui, Hongxun; Yang, Shengchun; Li, Yaping; Ding, Yi

2018-02-01

The increasing renewable energy power generations have brought more intermittency and volatility to the electric power system. Demand-side resources can improve the consumption of renewable energy by demand response (DR), which becomes one of the important means to improve the reliability of power system. In price-based DR, the sensitivity analysis of customer’s power demand to the changing electricity prices is pivotal for setting reasonable prices and forecasting loads of power system. This paper studies the price elasticity matrix of demand (PEMD). An improved PEMD model is proposed based on elasticity effect weight, which can unify the rigid loads and flexible loads. Moreover, the structure of PEMD, which is decided by price policies and load types, and the calculation method of PEMD are also proposed. Several cases are studied to prove the effectiveness of this method.

Aggregate modeling of fast-acting demand response and control under real-time pricing

DOE PAGES

Chassin, David P.; Rondeau, Daniel

2016-08-24

This paper develops and assesses the performance of a short-term demand response (DR) model for utility load control with applications to resource planning and control design. Long term response models tend to underestimate short-term demand response when induced by prices. This has two important consequences. First, planning studies tend to undervalue DR and often overlook its benefits in utility demand management program development. Second, when DR is not overlooked, the open-loop DR control gain estimate may be too low. This can result in overuse of load resources, control instability and excessive price volatility. Our objective is therefore to develop amore » more accurate and better performing short-term demand response model. We construct the model from first principles about the nature of thermostatic load control and show that the resulting formulation corresponds exactly to the Random Utility Model employed in economics to study consumer choice. The model is tested against empirical data collected from field demonstration projects and is shown to perform better than alternative models commonly used to forecast demand in normal operating conditions. Finally, the results suggest that (1) existing utility tariffs appear to be inadequate to incentivize demand response, particularly in the presence of high renewables, and (2) existing load control systems run the risk of becoming unstable if utilities close the loop on real-time prices.« less

Aggregate modeling of fast-acting demand response and control under real-time pricing

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

Chassin, David P.; Rondeau, Daniel

This paper develops and assesses the performance of a short-term demand response (DR) model for utility load control with applications to resource planning and control design. Long term response models tend to underestimate short-term demand response when induced by prices. This has two important consequences. First, planning studies tend to undervalue DR and often overlook its benefits in utility demand management program development. Second, when DR is not overlooked, the open-loop DR control gain estimate may be too low. This can result in overuse of load resources, control instability and excessive price volatility. Our objective is therefore to develop amore » more accurate and better performing short-term demand response model. We construct the model from first principles about the nature of thermostatic load control and show that the resulting formulation corresponds exactly to the Random Utility Model employed in economics to study consumer choice. The model is tested against empirical data collected from field demonstration projects and is shown to perform better than alternative models commonly used to forecast demand in normal operating conditions. Finally, the results suggest that (1) existing utility tariffs appear to be inadequate to incentivize demand response, particularly in the presence of high renewables, and (2) existing load control systems run the risk of becoming unstable if utilities close the loop on real-time prices.« less

Aggregate modeling of fast-acting demand response and control under real-time pricing

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

Chassin, David P.; Rondeau, Daniel

This paper develops and assesses the performance of a short-term demand response (DR) model for utility load control with applications to resource planning and control design. Long term response models tend to underestimate short-term demand response when induced by prices. This has two important consequences. First, planning studies tend to undervalue DR and often overlook its benefits in utility demand management program development. Second, when DR is not overlooked, the open-loop DR control gain estimate may be too low. This can result in overuse of load resources, control instability and excessive price volatility. Our objective is therefore to develop amore » more accurate and better performing short-term demand response model. We construct the model from first principles about the nature of thermostatic load control and show that the resulting formulation corresponds exactly to the Random Utility Model employed in economics to study consumer choice. The model is tested against empirical data collected from field demonstration projects and is shown to perform better than alternative models commonly used to forecast demand in normal operating conditions. The results suggest that (1) existing utility tariffs appear to be inadequate to incentivize demand response, particularly in the presence of high renewables, and (2) existing load control systems run the risk of becoming unstable if utilities close the loop on real-time prices.« less

Energy Demand-Side Management: New Perspectives for a New Era

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carley, Sanya

2012-01-01

Over the past decade and a half, state governments have assumed greater responsibility over demand-side management (DSM) operations. Whereas DSM programs formerly were initiated primarily by utilities or state public utility commissions, they are now becoming increasingly state-initiated and incentivized through funding mechanisms or…

Understanding the response of commercial and institutional organizations to the California energy crisis. A report to the California Energy Commission - Sylvia Bender, Project Manager

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

Lutzenhiser, Loren; Janda, Kathryn; Kunkle, Rick

2002-07-24

Beginning in the summer of 2000, California experienced serious energy supply problems, sharp increases in wholesale (and retail) electricity and natural gas prices, and isolated blackouts. In response to the rapidly worsening electricity situation in California in late 2000, the state set, as an initial goal, the reduction of the state's peak demand for the summer of 2001 by 5,000 megawatts. To meet this goal, the governor and legislature took a variety of steps to enhance supply, encourage rapid voluntary reductions in demand, and provide incentives for actions that would result in load reductions. Three bills-Assembly Bill 970, Senate Billmore » X1 5 and Assembly Bill X1 29-allocated roughly $950 million for consumption and demand reduction programs. The governor also enacted a variety of additional measures, including the ''Flex Your Power'' (media awareness and direct business involvement) campaign, requirements for retail sector outdoor lighting reductions, and toughening of energy efficiency building codes. There were, in fact, significant reductions in electricity demand in California during the summer of 2001 and the large number of expected supply disruptions was avoided. To understand the nature of these demand reductions and the motivations for consumer response, Washington State University (WSU) undertook a study for the California Energy Commission (CEC) focusing on conservation behavior in the residential, commercial, and agricultural sectors. The research presented in this report represents an exploration of the response of commercial and institutional organizations to the California energy situation and the unique set of influences that existed during this time. These influences included informational messages and media attention, program interventions, price changes, and external triggering events (e.g., blackouts). To better understand the effects of these influences on organizational response to the energy situation, we conducted 84 semi-structured inter views with members of commercial and institutional organizations (many of which participated in three different California Energy Commission Programs) and with 21 key informants representing program managers, administrators, and aggregators as well as a small number of energy service providers and utilities. Separate reports examine the consumer response in the residential and agricultural sectors.« less

Dynamic management of integrated residential energy systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muratori, Matteo

This study combines principles of energy systems engineering and statistics to develop integrated models of residential energy use in the United States, to include residential recharging of electric vehicles. These models can be used by government, policymakers, and the utility industry to provide answers and guidance regarding the future of the U.S. energy system. Currently, electric power generation must match the total demand at each instant, following seasonal patterns and instantaneous fluctuations. Thus, one of the biggest drivers of costs and capacity requirement is the electricity demand that occurs during peak periods. These peak periods require utility companies to maintain operational capacity that often is underutilized, outdated, expensive, and inefficient. In light of this, flattening the demand curve has long been recognized as an effective way of cutting the cost of producing electricity and increasing overall efficiency. The problem is exacerbated by expected widespread adoption of non-dispatchable renewable power generation. The intermittent nature of renewable resources and their non-dispatchability substantially limit the ability of electric power generation of adapting to the fluctuating demand. Smart grid technologies and demand response programs are proposed as a technical solution to make the electric power demand more flexible and able to adapt to power generation. Residential demand response programs offer different incentives and benefits to consumers in response to their flexibility in the timing of their electricity consumption. Understanding interactions between new and existing energy technologies, and policy impacts therein, is key to driving sustainable energy use and economic growth. Comprehensive and accurate models of the next-generation power system allow for understanding the effects of new energy technologies on the power system infrastructure, and can be used to guide policy, technology, and economic decisions. This dissertation presents a bottom-up highly resolved model of a generic residential energy eco-system in the United States. The model is able to capture the entire energy footprint of an individual household, to include all appliances, space conditioning systems, in-home charging of plug-in electric vehicles, and any other energy needs, viewing residential and transportation energy needs as an integrated continuum. The residential energy eco-system model is based on a novel bottom-up approach that quantifies consumer energy use behavior. The incorporation of stochastic consumer behaviors allows capturing the electricity consumption of each residential specific end-use, providing an accurate estimation of the actual amount of available controllable resources, and for a better understanding of the potential of residential demand response programs. A dynamic energy management framework is then proposed to manage electricity consumption inside each residential energy eco-system. Objective of the dynamic energy management framework is to optimize the scheduling of all the controllable appliances and in-home charging of plug-in electric vehicles to minimize cost. Such an automated energy management framework is used to simulate residential demand response programs, and evaluate their impact on the electric power infrastructure. For instance, time-varying electricity pricing might lead to synchronization of the individual residential demands, creating pronounced rebound peaks in the aggregate demand that are higher and steeper than the original demand peaks that the time-varying electricity pricing structure intended to eliminate. The modeling tools developed in this study can serve as a virtual laboratory for investigating fundamental economic and policy-related questions regarding the interplay of individual consumers with energy use. The models developed allow for evaluating the impact of different energy policies, technology adoption, and electricity price structures on the total residential electricity demand. In particular, two case studies are reported in this dissertation to illustrate application of the tools developed. The first considers the impact of market penetration of plug-in electric vehicles on the electric power infrastructure. The second provides a quantitative comparison of the impact of different electricity price structures on residential demand response. Simulation results and an electricity price structure, called Multi-TOU, aimed at solving the rebound peak issue, are presented.

In Designing a Preschool Program, We Went Straight to the Source: Parents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zorn, Robert L.

1988-01-01

In response to overwhelming demand, Poland (Ohio) Schools proposed a pilot program to demonstrate that people wanted preschool and day care services that could pay for themselves. The program integrated early childhood programs with the regular school curriculum to stimulate children's interest in art, music, health, and sciences and develop motor…

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

Marks, Gary; Wilcox, Edmund; Olsen, Daniel

California agricultural irrigation consumes more than ten billion kilowatt hours of electricity annually and has significant potential for contributing to a reduction of stress on the grid through demand response, permanent load shifting, and energy efficiency measures. To understand this potential, a scoping study was initiated for the purpose of determining the associated opportunities, potential, and adoption challenges in California agricultural irrigation. The primary research for this study was conducted in two ways. First, data was gathered and parsed from published sources that shed light on where the best opportunities for load shifting and demand response lie within the agriculturalmore » irrigation sector. Secondly, a small limited survey was conducted as informal face-to-face interviews with several different California growers to get an idea of their ability and willingness to participate in permanent load shifting and/or demand response programs. Analysis of the data obtained from published sources and the survey reveal demand response and permanent load shifting opportunities by growing region, irrigation source, irrigation method, grower size, and utility coverage. The study examines some solutions for demand response and permanent load shifting in agricultural irrigation, which include adequate irrigation system capacity, automatic controls, variable frequency drives, and the contribution from energy efficiency measures. The study further examines the potential and challenges for grower acceptance of demand response and permanent load shifting in California agricultural irrigation. As part of the examination, the study considers to what extent permanent load shifting, which is already somewhat accepted within the agricultural sector, mitigates the need or benefit of demand response for agricultural irrigation. Recommendations for further study include studies on how to gain grower acceptance of demand response as well as other related studies such as conducting a more comprehensive survey of California growers.« less

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

Piette, Mary Ann; Sezgen, Osman; Watson, David S.

This report describes the results of a research project to develop and evaluate the performance of new Automated Demand Response (Auto-DR) hardware and software technology in large facilities. Demand Response (DR) is a set of activities to reduce or shift electricity use to improve electric grid reliability, manage electricity costs, and ensure that customers receive signals that encourage load reduction during times when the electric grid is near its capacity. The two main drivers for widespread demand responsiveness are the prevention of future electricity crises and the reduction of electricity prices. Additional goals for price responsiveness include equity through costmore » of service pricing, and customer control of electricity usage and bills. The technology developed and evaluated in this report could be used to support numerous forms of DR programs and tariffs. For the purpose of this report, we have defined three levels of Demand Response automation. Manual Demand Response involves manually turning off lights or equipment; this can be a labor-intensive approach. Semi-Automated Response involves the use of building energy management control systems for load shedding, where a preprogrammed load shedding strategy is initiated by facilities staff. Fully-Automated Demand Response is initiated at a building or facility through receipt of an external communications signal--facility staff set up a pre-programmed load shedding strategy which is automatically initiated by the system without the need for human intervention. We have defined this approach to be Auto-DR. An important concept in Auto-DR is that a facility manager is able to ''opt out'' or ''override'' an individual DR event if it occurs at a time when the reduction in end-use services is not desirable. This project sought to improve the feasibility and nature of Auto-DR strategies in large facilities. The research focused on technology development, testing, characterization, and evaluation relating to Auto-DR. This evaluation also included the related decisionmaking perspectives of the facility owners and managers. Another goal of this project was to develop and test a real-time signal for automated demand response that provided a common communication infrastructure for diverse facilities. The six facilities recruited for this project were selected from the facilities that received CEC funds for new DR technology during California's 2000-2001 electricity crises (AB970 and SB-5X).« less

Physicians in Hospital Emergency Departments. [Proceedings, New Jersey Training Program].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Health Services and Mental Health Administration (DHEW), Rockville, MD. Div. of Emergency Health Services.

This program was organized in response to the rapidly increasing demands placed upon the emergency departments of general hospitals, and in recognition of the fact that the crucial ingredient in emergency department services is physician capability. The training program was implemented for hospital department physicians and other interested…

Evaluation of an Educational Program for Adolescents with Asthma

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berg, Jill; Tichacek, Mary J.; Theodorakis, Renee

2004-01-01

In addition to challenges of adolescence itself, teens with asthma face demands of asthma management and risks of asthma sequelae, including fatalities. Few asthma educational programs specifically address their needs. In response to school nurse concern, this pilot study evaluated an adolescent asthma education program, the "Power Breathing[TM]…

Responsive Meta-Evaluation: A Participatory Approach to Enhancing Evaluation Quality

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sturges, Keith M.; Howley, Caitlin

2017-01-01

In an era of ever-deepening budget cuts and a concomitant demand for substantiated programs, many organizations have elected to conduct internal program evaluations. Internal evaluations offer advantages (e.g., enhanced evaluator program knowledge and ease of data collection) but may confront important challenges, including credibility threats,…

Work and Family Responsibilities: Achieving a Balance. A Program Paper of the Ford Foundation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ford Foundation, New York, NY.

The relationship between work and family is an issue of growing concern in the United States. The increasing participation of women in the labor force has created new demands for services, especially for low-income families, to offset women's dual responsibilities at work and home. This paper describes a Ford Foundation program to study the place…

Northwest Open Automated Demand Response Technology Demonstration Project

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

Kiliccote, Sila; Piette, Mary Ann; Dudley, Junqiao

The Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) Demand Response Research Center (DRRC) demonstrated and evaluated open automated demand response (OpenADR) communication infrastructure to reduce winter morning and summer afternoon peak electricity demand in commercial buildings the Seattle area. LBNL performed this demonstration for the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA) in the Seattle City Light (SCL) service territory at five sites: Seattle Municipal Tower, Seattle University, McKinstry, and two Target stores. This report describes the process and results of the demonstration. OpenADR is an information exchange model that uses a client-server architecture to automate demand-response (DR) programs. These field tests evaluated the feasibilitymore » of deploying fully automated DR during both winter and summer peak periods. DR savings were evaluated for several building systems and control strategies. This project studied DR during hot summer afternoons and cold winter mornings, both periods when electricity demand is typically high. This is the DRRC project team's first experience using automation for year-round DR resources and evaluating the flexibility of commercial buildings end-use loads to participate in DR in dual-peaking climates. The lessons learned contribute to understanding end-use loads that are suitable for dispatch at different times of the year. The project was funded by BPA and SCL. BPA is a U.S. Department of Energy agency headquartered in Portland, Oregon and serving the Pacific Northwest. BPA operates an electricity transmission system and markets wholesale electrical power at cost from federal dams, one non-federal nuclear plant, and other non-federal hydroelectric and wind energy generation facilities. Created by the citizens of Seattle in 1902, SCL is the second-largest municipal utility in America. SCL purchases approximately 40% of its electricity and the majority of its transmission from BPA through a preference contract. SCL also provides ancillary services within its own balancing authority. The relationship between BPA and SCL creates a unique opportunity to create DR programs that address both BPA's and SCL's markets simultaneously. Although simultaneously addressing both market could significantly increase the value of DR programs for BPA, SCL, and the end user, establishing program parameters that maximize this value is challenging because of complex contractual arrangements and the absence of a central Independent System Operator or Regional Transmission Organization in the northwest.« less

Demand for pneumococcal vaccination under subsidy program for the elderly in Japan.

PubMed

Kondo, Masahide; Yamamura, Mariko; Hoshi, Shu-Ling; Okubo, Ichiro

2012-09-12

Vaccination programs often organize subsidies and public relations in order to obtain high uptake rates and coverage. However, effects of subsidies and public relations have not been studied well in the literature. In this study, the demand function of pneumococcal vaccination among the elderly in Japan is estimated, incorporating effects of public relations and subsidy. Using a data from a questionnaire survey sent to municipalities, the varying and constant elasticity models were applied to estimate the demand function. The response variable is the uptake rate. Explanatory variables are: subsidy supported shot price, operating years of the program, target population size for vaccination, shot location intensity, income and various public relations tools. The best model is selected by c-AIC, and varying and constant price elasticities are calculated from estimation results. The vaccine uptake rate and the shot price have a negative relation. From the results of varying price elasticity, the demand for vaccination is elastic at municipalities with a shot price higher than 3,708 JPY (35.7 USD). Effects of public relations on the uptake rate are not found. It can be suggested that municipalities with a shot price higher than 3,708 JPY (35.7 USD) could subsidize more and reduce price to increase the demand for vaccination. Effects of public relations are not confirmed in this study, probably due to measurement errors of variables used for public relations, and studies at micro level exploring individual's response to public relations would be required.

Demand response, behind-the-meter generation and air quality.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiyue; Zhang, K Max

2015-02-03

We investigated the implications of behind-the-meter (BTM) generation participating in demand response (DR) programs. Specifically, we evaluated the impacts of NOx emissions from BTM generators enrolled in the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO)'s reliability-based DR programs. Through analyzing the DR program enrollment data, DR event records, ozone air quality monitoring data, and emission characteristics of the generators, we found that the emissions from BTM generators very likely contribute to exceedingly high ozone concentrations in the Northeast Corridor region, and very likely account for a substantial fraction of total NOx emissions from electricity generation. In addition, a companion study showed that the emissions from BTM generators could also form near-source particulate matter (PM) hotspots. The important policy implications are that the absence of up-to-date regulations on BTM generators may offset the current efforts to reduce the emissions from peaking power plants, and that there is a need to quantify the environmental impacts of DR programs in designing sound policies related to demand-side resources. Furthermore, we proposed the concept of "Green" DR resources, referring to those that not only provide power systems reliability services, but also have verifiable environmental benefits or minimal negative environmental impacts. We argue that Green DR resources that are able to maintain resource adequacy and reduce emissions at the same time are key to achieving the cobenefits of power system reliability and protecting public health during periods with peak electricity demand.

MTBE, Oxygenates, and Motor Gasoline (Short-Term Energy Outlook Supplement October 1999)

EIA Publications

1999-01-01

The blending of methyl tertiary butyl ether (MTBE) into motor gasoline has increased dramatically since it was first produced 20 years ago. MTBE usage grew in the early 1980's in response to octane demand resulting initially from the phaseout of lead from gasoline and later from rising demand for premium gasoline. The oxygenated gasoline program stimulated an increase in MTBE production between 1990 and 1994. MTBE demand increased from 83,000 in 1990 to 161,000 barrels per day in 1994. The reformulated gasoline (RFG) program provided a further boost to oxygenate blending. The MTBE contained in motor gasoline increased to 269,000 barrels per day by 1997.

From Student Follow-Up Responses to a Statewide Supply/Demand Analysis of Educational Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, Toni

The Texas Student Follow-up Information System (Tex-SIS) for comprehensive postsecondary follow-up and the supply/demand analysis work of the Texas 1202 Commission, Office of Postsecondary Education Planning, together may provide a valuable prototype for other states and perhaps even for a national system of data collection and analysis. Tex-SIS…

Analysis of a 10% Renewable Portfolio Standard, Addendum

EIA Publications

2003-01-01

On May 8, 2003, Senator Jeff Bingaman, the Ranking Minority Member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, requested an analysis of a nationwide Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) program proposed to be amended to energy legislation currently pending before the U.S. Senate. With his request Sen. Bingaman provided specific information on the program to be analyzed. This analysis was prepared in response to his request and projects the impact of the proposed program on energy supply, demand, prices, and emissions. The analysis is based on the Annual Energy Outlook 2003 (AEO2003) projections of energy supply, demand, and prices through 2025, as updated in May 2003.

Analysis of a 10% Renewable Portfolio Standard

EIA Publications

2003-01-01

On May 8, 2003, Senator Jeff Bingaman, the Ranking Minority Member of the Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, requested an analysis of a nationwide Renewable Portfolio Standard (RPS) program proposed to be amended to energy legislation currently pending before the U.S. Senate. With his request Sen. Bingaman provided specific information on the program to be analyzed. This analysis was prepared in response to his request and projects the impact of the proposed program on energy supply, demand, prices, and emissions. The analysis is based on the Annual Energy Outlook 2003 (AEO2003) projections of energy supply, demand, and prices through 2025, as updated in May 2003.

Ambitions and Responsibilities: A Textual Analysis of the Norwegian National Curriculum Regulations for Nursing Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solbrekke, Tone Dyrdal; Heggen, Kristin; Engebretsen, Eivind

2014-01-01

Society assigns professional educational programs the responsibility to aid students in learning and dedicate expert knowledge to furthering the well-being of citizens. This demand calls for addressing the how educational policies prioritize learning professionals' responsibility. Inspired by the theory of Jacques Derrida, we deconstruct the…

Essential Elements for a Pharmacy Practice Mentoring Program

PubMed Central

Hardy, Yolanda M.; Jarvis, Courtney; Stoner, Steven C.; Pitlick, Matthew; Hilaire, Michelle L.; Hanes, Scott; Carey, Katherine; Burke, Jack; Lodise, Nicole M.

2013-01-01

Formal guidelines for mentoring faculty members in pharmacy practice divisions of colleges and schools of pharmacy do not exist in the literature. This paper addresses the background literature on mentoring programs, explores the current state of mentoring programs used in pharmacy practice departments, and provides guidelines for colleges and schools instituting formal mentoring programs. As the number of pharmacy colleges and schools has grown, the demand for quality pharmacy faculty members has dramatically increased. While some faculty members gain teaching experience during postgraduate residency training, new pharmacy practice faculty members often need professional development to meet the demands of their academic responsibilities. A mentoring program can be 1 means of improving faculty success and retention. Many US colleges and schools of pharmacy have developed formal mentoring programs, whereas several others have informal processes in place. This paper discusses those programs and the literature available, and makes recommendations on the structure of mentoring programs. PMID:23519448

The cost of demand creation activities and voluntary medical male circumcision targeting school-going adolescents in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Background Voluntary medical male circumcision is an integral part of the South African government’s response to the HIV and AIDS epidemic. However, there remains a limited body of economic analysis on the cost of VMMC programming, and the demand creation activities used to mobilize males, especially among adolescent boys in school. This study addresses this gap by presenting the costs of a VMMC program which adopted two demand creation strategies targeting school-going males in South Africa. Methods Cost data was collected from a VMMC program in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. A retrospective, micro-costing ingredient approach was applied to identify, measure and value resources of two demand creation strategies targeting young males. Results The program circumcised 4987 young males between May 2011 and February 2013, at a cost of $127.68 per circumcision. Demand creation activities accounted for 32% of the total cost, HCT contributing 10% with the medical circumcision procedure accounting for 58% of the total cost. Using the first demand creation strategy, 2168 circumcisions were performed at a cost of $149.57 per circumcision. Following this first strategy, a second demand creation strategy was adopted which saw the cost fall to $110.85 per circumcision. More young males were recruited following the second strategy with clinic services more efficiently utilized. Whilst the cost per circumcision of demand activities rose slightly between the first ($39.94) and second ($41.65) strategy, there was a substantial reduction in the cost of the circumcision procedure; $90.01 under the first strategy falling to $60.60 following the adoption of the second demand creation strategy. Conclusion Ensuring the optimal use of clinic facilities was the primary driver in reducing the cost per circumcision. This VMMC program has illustrated the value of evaluating progress and instituting changes to attain better cost efficiencies. This adjustment resulted in a substantial reduction in the cost per circumcision. PMID:28632768

The cost of demand creation activities and voluntary medical male circumcision targeting school-going adolescents in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa.

PubMed

George, Gavin; Strauss, Michael; Asfaw, Elias

2017-01-01

Voluntary medical male circumcision is an integral part of the South African government's response to the HIV and AIDS epidemic. However, there remains a limited body of economic analysis on the cost of VMMC programming, and the demand creation activities used to mobilize males, especially among adolescent boys in school. This study addresses this gap by presenting the costs of a VMMC program which adopted two demand creation strategies targeting school-going males in South Africa. Cost data was collected from a VMMC program in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. A retrospective, micro-costing ingredient approach was applied to identify, measure and value resources of two demand creation strategies targeting young males. The program circumcised 4987 young males between May 2011 and February 2013, at a cost of $127.68 per circumcision. Demand creation activities accounted for 32% of the total cost, HCT contributing 10% with the medical circumcision procedure accounting for 58% of the total cost. Using the first demand creation strategy, 2168 circumcisions were performed at a cost of $149.57 per circumcision. Following this first strategy, a second demand creation strategy was adopted which saw the cost fall to $110.85 per circumcision. More young males were recruited following the second strategy with clinic services more efficiently utilized. Whilst the cost per circumcision of demand activities rose slightly between the first ($39.94) and second ($41.65) strategy, there was a substantial reduction in the cost of the circumcision procedure; $90.01 under the first strategy falling to $60.60 following the adoption of the second demand creation strategy. Ensuring the optimal use of clinic facilities was the primary driver in reducing the cost per circumcision. This VMMC program has illustrated the value of evaluating progress and instituting changes to attain better cost efficiencies. This adjustment resulted in a substantial reduction in the cost per circumcision.

Key Residential Building Equipment Technologies for Control and Grid Support PART I (Residential)

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

Starke, Michael R; Onar, Omer C; DeVault, Robert C

2011-09-01

Electrical energy consumption of the residential sector is a crucial area of research that has in the past primarily focused on increasing the efficiency of household devices such as water heaters, dishwashers, air conditioners, and clothes washer and dryer units. However, the focus of this research is shifting as objectives such as developing the smart grid and ensuring that the power system remains reliable come to the fore, along with the increasing need to reduce energy use and costs. Load research has started to focus on mechanisms to support the power system through demand reduction and/or reliability services. The powermore » system relies on matching generation and load, and day-ahead and real-time energy markets capture most of this need. However, a separate set of grid services exist to address the discrepancies in load and generation arising from contingencies and operational mismatches, and to ensure that the transmission system is available for delivery of power from generation to load. Currently, these grid services are mostly provided by generation resources. The addition of renewable resources with their inherent variability can complicate the issue of power system reliability and lead to the increased need for grid services. Using load as a resource, through demand response programs, can fill the additional need for flexible resources and even reduce costly energy peaks. Loads have been shown to have response that is equal to or better than generation in some cases. Furthermore, price-incentivized demand response programs have been shown to reduce the peak energy requirements, thereby affecting the wholesale market efficiency and overall energy prices. The residential sector is not only the largest consumer of electrical energy in the United States, but also has the highest potential to provide demand reduction and power system support, as technological advancements in load control, sensor technologies, and communication are made. The prevailing loads based on the largest electrical energy consumers in the residential sector are space heating and cooling, washer and dryer, water heating, lighting, computers and electronics, dishwasher and range, and refrigeration. As the largest loads, these loads provide the highest potential for delivering demand response and reliability services. Many residential loads have inherent flexibility that is related to the purpose of the load. Depending on the load type, electric power consumption levels can either be ramped, changed in a step-change fashion, or completely removed. Loads with only on-off capability (such as clothes washers and dryers) provide less flexibility than resources that can be ramped or step-changed. Add-on devices may be able to provide extra demand response capabilities. Still, operating residential loads effectively requires awareness of the delicate balance of occupants health and comfort and electrical energy consumption. This report is Phase I of a series of reports aimed at identifying gaps in automated home energy management systems for incorporation of building appliances, vehicles, and renewable adoption into a smart grid, specifically with the intent of examining demand response and load factor control for power system support. The objective is to capture existing gaps in load control, energy management systems, and sensor technology with consideration of PHEV and renewable technologies to establish areas of research for the Department of Energy. In this report, (1) data is collected and examined from state of the art homes to characterize the primary residential loads as well as PHEVs and photovoltaic for potential adoption into energy management control strategies; and (2) demand response rules and requirements across the various demand response programs are examined for potential participation of residential loads. This report will be followed by a Phase II report aimed at identifying the current state of technology of energy management systems, sensors, and communication technologies for demand response and load factor control applications for the residential sector. The purpose is to cover the gaps that exist in the information captured by the sensors for energy management system to be able to provide demand response and load factor control. The vision is the development of an energy management system or other controlling enterprise hardware and software that is not only able to control loads, PHEVs, and renewable generation for demand response and load factor control, but also to do so with consumer comforts in mind and in an optimal fashion.« less

78 FR 4425 - Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Comment Request; Debt Resolution Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-22

... collect debt owed to the agency. As part of the collection process, demand for repayment is made on the... offers to repay the debt result in information collections. Borrowers who wish to pay less than the full... process, demand for repayment is made on the debtor(s). In response, debtors opt to ignore the debt, pay...

Designing for Culturally Responsive Science Education through Professional Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Julie C.; Crippen, Kent J.

2016-01-01

Educational stakeholders across the globe are demanding science education reform that attends simultaneously to culturally diverse students' needs and promotes academic excellence. Although professional development programs can foster science teachers' growth as culturally responsive educators, effective supports to this end are not well…

Accurate Estimation of Target amounts Using Expanded BASS Model for Demand-Side Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Hyun-Woong; Park, Jong-Jin; Kim, Jin-O.

2008-10-01

The electricity demand in Korea has rapidly increased along with a steady economic growth since 1970s. Therefore Korea has positively propelled not only SSM (Supply-Side Management) but also DSM (Demand-Side Management) activities to reduce investment cost of generating units and to save supply costs of electricity through the enhancement of whole national energy utilization efficiency. However study for rebate, which have influence on success or failure on DSM program, is not sufficient. This paper executed to modeling mathematically expanded Bass model considering rebates, which have influence on penetration amounts for DSM program. To reflect rebate effect more preciously, the pricing function using in expanded Bass model directly reflects response of potential participants for rebate level.

Demand for pneumococcal vaccination under subsidy program for the elderly in Japan

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Vaccination programs often organize subsidies and public relations in order to obtain high uptake rates and coverage. However, effects of subsidies and public relations have not been studied well in the literature. In this study, the demand function of pneumococcal vaccination among the elderly in Japan is estimated, incorporating effects of public relations and subsidy. Methods Using a data from a questionnaire survey sent to municipalities, the varying and constant elasticity models were applied to estimate the demand function. The response variable is the uptake rate. Explanatory variables are: subsidy supported shot price, operating years of the program, target population size for vaccination, shot location intensity, income and various public relations tools. The best model is selected by c-AIC, and varying and constant price elasticities are calculated from estimation results. Results The vaccine uptake rate and the shot price have a negative relation. From the results of varying price elasticity, the demand for vaccination is elastic at municipalities with a shot price higher than 3,708 JPY (35.7 USD). Effects of public relations on the uptake rate are not found. Conclusions It can be suggested that municipalities with a shot price higher than 3,708 JPY (35.7 USD) could subsidize more and reduce price to increase the demand for vaccination. Effects of public relations are not confirmed in this study, probably due to measurement errors of variables used for public relations, and studies at micro level exploring individual’s response to public relations would be required. PMID:22970727

Barriers and Opportunities to Broader Adoption of Integrated Demand Side Management at Electric Utilities: A Scoping Study

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

Potter, Jennifer; Stuart, Elizabeth; Cappers, P

Integrated demand-side management (IDSM) is a strategic approach to designing and delivering a portfolio of demand side management (DSM) programs to customers. IDSM typically delivers customer centric strategies with the goal of increasing the amount of DSM in the field, but doing so in a way that integrates various measures and technologies to improve their collective performance and/or penetration. Specifically, IDSM can be defined as the integrated or coordinated delivery of three or more of: (1) energy efficiency (EE), (2) demand response (DR), (3) distributed generation (DG), (4) storage, (5) electric vehicle (EV) technologies, and (6) time-based rate programs tomore » residential and commercial electric utility customers. The electric industry’s limited experience deploying IDSM to date suggests that significant barriers may exist. A Berkeley Lab report “Barriers and Opportunities to Broader Adoption of Integrated Demand Side Management at Electric Utilities: A Scoping Study” explores recent electric utility experience with IDSM to provide an assessment of the barriers and potential benefits perceived or experienced by program administrators in their attempts to implement integrated programs. The research draws on surveys and interviews with eleven staff from a sample of eight DSM program administrators and program implementers who were currently implementing or had previously attempted to implement an IDSM program or initiative. Respondents provided their perspectives on drivers for IDSM and barriers to broader deployment. They also reported on actions they had undertaken to promote expanded delivery of IDSM and provided their assessments of the most important under-tapped opportunities for expanding IDSM efforts, both for program administrator and regulatory organizations.« less

Press and Community Relations. School Board Library Series, Volume 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kanige, Jeffrey; Ritterbusch, Peg

In response to the public's demand for information, school boards are advised to develop a properly managed and executed public information and community relations program. Goals of such a public relations (PR) program are outlined as: honesty in the dissemination of information, an organization oriented toward community involvement, and…

Industry into Teaching: An Alternative Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Annette; Randall, Rachael; Francis, Rod

2004-01-01

Teacher shortages have encouraged initiatives to tailor training programs to meet the demand in both past, current and future contexts. Such programs have been streamlined to ensure a rapid response to shortages, in addition to also drawing participants from non-traditional groups as a source of potential educators. More broadly in teacher…

Work-Integrated Curricula in University Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bates, Merrelyn

2008-01-01

Higher education is under increasing pressure to re-evaluate the place of practice in its programs and there are increasing demands for workplace-based experiences to be built into undergraduate degrees. The paper reports on an extended responsive case study conducted in the School of Criminology and Criminal Justice at Griffith University between…

Program Transition Challenges in International Baccalaureate Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hallinger, Philip; Lee, Moosung; Walker, Allan

2011-01-01

International Baccalaureate (IB) schools have experienced dramatic growth worldwide over the past decade in response to burgeoning demand for high-quality education with an international orientation. One increasingly common trend has found international schools adopting two or more of the three programs offered by the IB: the Diploma, Middle Years…

Skin bank development and critical incident response.

PubMed

Hamilton, Kellie T; Herson, Marisa R

2011-05-01

The Donor Tissue Bank of Victoria (DTBV), situated in Melbourne, Australia developed a skin banking program in 1994. It remains Australia's only operational skin bank, processing cryopreserved human cadaveric skin for the treatment of burns. The demand for allograft skin in Australia has steadily increased since the development of the program. The bank has been involved in the provision of skin for a number of critical incidences or disasters both in Australia and overseas. Demand always exceeds supply, and in the absence of other local skin banks, the DTBV has needed to develop strategies to enable increased provision of allograft skin nationally.

Enhancing Price Response Programs through Auto-DR: California's 2007 Implementation Experience

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

Kiliccote, Sila; Wikler, Greg; Chiu, Albert

2007-12-18

This paper describes automated demand response (Auto-DR) activities, an innovative effort in California to ensure that DR programs produce effective and sustainable impacts. Through the application of automation and communication technologies coupled with well-designed incentives and DR programs such as Critical Peak Pricing (CPP) and Demand Bidding (DBP), Auto-DR is opening up the opportunity for many different types of buildings to effectively participate in DR programs. We present the results of Auto-DR implementation efforts by the three California investor-owned utilities for the Summer of 2007. The presentation emphasizes Pacific Gas and Electric Company's (PG&E) Auto-DR efforts, which represents the largestmore » in the state. PG&E's goal was to recruit, install, test and operate 15 megawatts of Auto-DR system capability. We describe the unique delivery approaches, including optimizing the utility incentive structures designed to foster an Auto-DR service provider community. We also show how PG&E's Critical Peak Pricing (CPP) and Demand Bidding (DBP) options were called and executed under the automation platform. Finally, we show the results of the Auto-DR systems installed and operational during 2007, which surpassed PG&E's Auto-DR goals. Auto-DR is being implemented by a multi-disciplinary team including the California Investor Owned Utilities (IOUs), energy consultants, energy management control system vendors, the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), and the California Energy Commission (CEC).« less

Democracy at Work: The Struggle To Renorm One Middle Level Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williamson, Ronald

Disagreement exists about the role and function of middle schools. Demand for improved student achievement, greater accountability, improved test scores, and greater responsiveness to parents characterize tensions. This paper reports on the efforts of one community to examine its middle-school program and reposition it to become more effective at…

Exploring the Beliefs of Commencing Early Childhood Education Graduate Students: Providing Insights to Improve Teacher Education Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garvis, Susanne; Fluckiger, Beverley; Twigg, Danielle

2012-01-01

In response to the increased demand for qualified early childhood educators in Queensland, many universities are being challenged to tailor make programs and identify innovative practices that support individuals interested in pursuing such a teaching qualification. Although research indicates that beliefs and perceptions are an important…

Auto-DR and Pre-cooling of Buildings at Tri-City Corporate Center

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

Yin, Rongxin; Xu, Peng; Kiliccote, Sila

2008-11-01

Over the several past years, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) has conducted field tests for different pre-cooling strategies in different commercial buildings within California. The test results indicated that pre-cooling strategies were effective in reducing electric demand in these buildings during peak periods. This project studied how to optimize pre-cooling strategies for eleven buildings in the Tri-City Corporate Center, San Bernardino, California with the assistance of a building energy simulation tool -- the Demand Response Quick Assessment Tool (DRQAT) developed by LBNL's Demand Response Research Center funded by the California Energy Commission's Public Interest Energy Research (PIER) Program. From themore » simulation results of these eleven buildings, optimal pre-cooling and temperature reset strategies were developed. The study shows that after refining and calibrating initial models with measured data, the accuracy of the models can be greatly improved and the models can be used to predict load reductions for automated demand response (Auto-DR) events. This study summarizes the optimization experience of the procedure to develop and calibrate building models in DRQAT. In order to confirm the actual effect of demand response strategies, the simulation results were compared to the field test data. The results indicated that the optimal demand response strategies worked well for all buildings in the Tri-City Corporate Center. This study also compares DRQAT with other building energy simulation tools (eQUEST and BEST). The comparison indicate that eQUEST and BEST underestimate the actual demand shed of the pre-cooling strategies due to a flaw in DOE2's simulation engine for treating wall thermal mass. DRQAT is a more accurate tool in predicting thermal mass effects of DR events.« less

Developing medical students as teachers: an anatomy-based student-as-teacher program with emphasis on core teaching competencies.

PubMed

Andrew Jay, Erie; Starkman, Sidney J; Pawlina, Wojciech; Lachman, Nirusha

2013-01-01

Teaching is an increasingly recognized responsibility of the resident physician. Residents, however, often assume teaching responsibilities without adequate preparation. Consequently, many medical schools have implemented student-as-teacher (SAT) programs that provide near-peer teaching opportunities to senior medical students. Near-peer teaching is widely regarded as an effective teaching modality; however, whether near-peer teaching experiences in medical school prepare students for the teaching demands of residency is less understood. We explored whether the anatomy-based SAT program through the Human Structure didactic block at Mayo Medical School addressed the core teaching competencies of a medical educator and prepared its participants for further teaching roles in their medical careers. A web-based survey was sent to all teaching assistants in the anatomy-based SAT program over the past five years (2007-2011). Survey questions were constructed based on previously published competencies in seven teaching domains--course development, course organization, teaching execution, student coaching, student assessment, teacher evaluation, and scholarship. Results of the survey indicate that participants in the anatomy-based SAT program achieved core competencies of a medical educator and felt prepared for the teaching demands of residency. Copyright © 2013 American Association of Anatomists.

Technical and Economic Aspects of Designing an Efficient Room Air-Conditioner Program in India

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

Abhyankar, Nikit; Shah, Nihar; Phadke, Amol

Several studies have projected a massive increase in the demand for air conditioners (ACs) over the next two decades in India. By 2030, room ACs could add 140 GW to the peak load, equivalent to over 30% of the total projected peak load. Therefore, there is significant interest among policymakers, regulators, and utilities in managing room AC demand by enhancing energy efficiency. Building on the historical success of the Indian Bureau of Energy Efficiency’s star-labeling program, Energy Efficiency Services Limited recently announced a program to accelerate the sale of efficient room ACs using bulk procurement, similar to their successful UJALAmore » light-emitting diode (LED) bulk procurement program. This report discusses some of the key considerations in designing a bulk procurement or financial incentive program for enhancing room AC efficiency in India. We draw upon our previous research to demonstrate the overall technical potential and price impact of room AC efficiency improvement and its technical feasibility in India. We also discuss the importance of using low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants and smart AC equipment that is demand response (DR) ready.« less

Faculty Motivation to Participate in Program Learning Outcomes Assessment at a Research University

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brey, Amanda M.

2017-01-01

External stakeholders have demanded evidence that college students learn what their institutions and programs say they will learn (Ewell, 2009; Hutchings 2010; Kuh, 2001). As the architects of curriculum and the defenders of academic freedom, faculty are responsible for any initiatives that may affect those pedagogical goals (Kuh, et al., 2015).…

Inside the Pre-K Classroom: A Study of Staffing and Stability in State-Funded Prekindergarten Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bellm, Dan; Burton, Alice; Whitebook, Marcy; Broatch, Linda; Young, Marci P.

In response to increasing concerns about preparing young children to succeed in the primary grades, many states have increased their investment in prekindergarten programs over the past decade. Noting that increased demand for prekindergarten education coincides with a staffing shortage in the early care and education, this study documented the…

Jail Operations: Programmed Instruction, Book 2. Jail Operations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blumer, Alice Howard

The programed course was written to help jail officers assume the demands of jail work and emphasizes that, in addition to routine tasks, officers must be fully prepared to serve an important function for society as well-trained, responsible professionals. Much of the officer's job will depend on his ability to make decisions and to avoid the…

The Market for Community Services for Older People.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hereford, Russell W.

The Supportive Services Program for Older Persons is designed to demonstrate that a private market for home and community-based health related services can be developed in response to the demand expressed by older people and their families. The objective of the program is to expand the service options available to older people by letting market…

Head Start Turns to Tribal Colleges for Professional Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ambler, Marjane

2000-01-01

Relates Congress's demand that by the year 2003, more than half of the teachers in the Head Start programs must have at least an associate degree in Early Childhood Education. Summarizes the funding initiatives provided by the American Indian Program Branch to tribal colleges to begin educating Head Start personnel in their areas in response to…

An Historical Overview of the Production Requirement for the Satellite Technology Demonstration. Technical Report No. 0504.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Myron P.; Sosey, Phillip

The Satellite Technology Demonstration employs the latest telecommunications technology to deliver community oriented programing to rural areas. To meet the demand for contemporary broadcasts responsive to community needs, a studio was constructed in the Denver area to produce and coordinate future programs for the Rocky Mountains area. Problems…

Adult Education & Literacy Needs Assessment. New Jersey 1995. A Report on Local Demand for Professional Development and Training.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Merkel-Keller, Claudia; Streeter, Sandra

In response to the National Goals 2000 Literacy initiative, literacy programs in New Jersey increased their efforts to meet literacy goals. In the summer of 1993, a needs assessment survey was conducted to determine the training and program development needs of adult education classroom teachers, teacher aides, substitute teachers, program…

Technology Acquisition Reform

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-03-01

technologies until they are ready to be handed over to an established program. This office would also provide a home for disruptive technologies emerging...the development and acquisition of disruptive technologies .3 Disruptive technologies threaten programs of record but are essential to future Naval...and rarely emerge in response to customer demand. Disruptive technologies have features that a few fringe (and generally new) customers value

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

Russell, J.S.

Several factors in the development of the East Wilmington oil field by THUMS Long Beach Co. are described. These include: critical path scheduling, complex stratigraphy, reservoir engineering, drilling program, production methods, pressure maintenance, crude oil processing, automation, transportation facilities, service lines, and electrical facilities. The complexity and closely scheduled operational events interwoven in the THUMS project demands a method for the carefully planned sequence of jobs to be done, beginning with island construction up through routine production and to the LACT system. These demanding requirements necessitated the use of a critical path scheduling program. It was decided to use themore » program evaluation technique. This technique is used to assign responsibilities for individual assignments to time assignments, and to keep the overall program on schedule. The stratigraphy of East Wilmington complicates all engineering functions associated with recovery methods and reservoir evaluation. At least 5 major faults are anticipated.« less

Efforts to monitor Global progress on individual and community demand for immunization: Development of definitions and indicators for the Global Vaccine Action Plan Strategic Objective 2.

PubMed

Hickler, Benjamin; MacDonald, Noni E; Senouci, Kamel; Schuh, Holly B

2017-06-16

The Second Strategic Objective of the Global Vaccine Action Plan, "individuals and communities understand the value of vaccines and demand immunization as both their right and responsibility", differs from the other five in that it does not focus on supply-side aspects of immunization programs but rather on public demand for vaccines and immunization services. This commentary summarizes the work (literature review, consultations with experts, and with potential users) and findings of the UNICEF/World Health Organization Strategic Objective 2 informal Working Group on Vaccine Demand, which developed a definition for demand and indicators related to Strategic Objective 2. Demand for vaccines and vaccination is a complex concept that is not external to supply systems but rather encompasses the interaction between human behaviors and system structure and dynamics. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Photovoltaic venture analysis. Final report. Volume I. Executive summary

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

Costello, D.; Posner, D.; Schiffel, D.

1978-07-01

The objective of the study, government programs under investigation, and a brief review of the approach are presented. Potential markets for photovoltaic systems relevant to the study are described. The response of the photovoltaic supply industry is then considered. A model which integrates the supply and demand characteristics of photovoltaics over time was developed. This model also calculates the economic benefits associated with various government subsidy programs. Results are derived under alternative possible supply, demand, and macroeconomic conditions. A probabilistic analysis of the costs and benefits of a $380 million federal photovoltaic procurement initiative, as well as certain alternative strategies,more » is summarized. Conclusions and recommendations based on the analysis are presented.« less

Commercial equipment loads: End-Use Load and Consumer Assessment Program (ELCAP)

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

Pratt, R.G.; Williamson, M.A.; Richman, E.E.

1990-07-01

The Office of Energy Resources of the Bonneville Power Administration is generally responsible for the agency's power and conservation resource planning. As associated responsibility which supports a variety of office functions is the analysis of historical trends in and determinants of energy consumption. The Office of Energy Resources' End-Use Research Section operates a comprehensive data collection program to provide pertinent information to support demand-side planning, load forecasting, and demand-side program development and delivery. Part of this on-going program is known as the End-Use Load and Consumer Assessment Program (ELCAP), an effort designed to collect electricity usage data through direct monitoringmore » of end-use loads in buildings. This program is conducted for Bonneville by the Pacific Northwest Laboratory. This report provides detailed information on electricity consumption of miscellaneous equipment from the commercial portion of ELCAP. Miscellaneous equipment includes all commercial end-uses except heating, ventilating, air conditioning, and central lighting systems. Some examples of end-uses covered in this report are office equipment, computers, task lighting, refrigeration, and food preparation. Electricity consumption estimates, in kilowatt-hours per square food per year, are provided for each end-use by building type. The following types of buildings are covered: office, retail, restaurant, grocery, warehouse, school, university, and hotel/motel. 6 refs., 35 figs., 12 tabs.« less

Designing the Game: How a Project-Based Media Production Program Approaches STEAM Career Readiness for Underrepresented Young Adults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bass, Kristin M.; Hu Dahl, Ingrid; Panahandeh, Shirin

2016-01-01

Numerous studies have indicated a need for a diverse workforce that is more highly educated in STEM and ICT fields, and one that is capable of responding creatively to demands for continual innovation. This paper, in response, chronicles the implementation of the Digital Pathways (DP) program, a two-time ITEST recipient and an ongoing initiative…

Data Analytics vs. Data Science: A Study of Similarities and Differences in Undergraduate Programs Based on Course Descriptions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aasheim, Cheryl L.; Williams, Susan; Rutner, Paige; Gardiner, Adrian

2015-01-01

The rate at which data is produced and accumulated today is greater than at any point in history with little prospect of slowing. As organizations attempt to collect and analyze this data, there is a tremendous unmet demand for appropriately skilled knowledge workers. In response, universities are developing degree programs in data science and…

Modelling Per Capita Water Demand Change to Support System Planning

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia, M. E.; Islam, S.

2016-12-01

Water utilities have a number of levers to influence customer water usage. These include levers to proactively slow demand growth over time such as building and landscape codes as well as levers to decrease demands quickly in response to water stress including price increases, education campaigns, water restrictions, and incentive programs. Even actions aimed at short term reductions can result in long term water usage declines when substantial changes are made in water efficiency, as in incentives for fixture replacement or turf removal, or usage patterns such as permanent lawn watering restrictions. Demand change is therefore linked to hydrological conditions and to the effects of past management decisions - both typically included in water supply planning models. Yet, demand is typically incorporated exogenously using scenarios or endogenously using only price, though utilities also use rules and incentives issued in response to water stress and codes specifying standards for new construction to influence water usage. Explicitly including these policy levers in planning models enables concurrent testing of infrastructure and policy strategies and illuminates interactions between the two. The City of Las Vegas is used as a case study to develop and demonstrate this modeling approach. First, a statistical analysis of system data was employed to rule out alternate hypotheses of per capita demand decrease such as changes in population density and economic structure. Next, four demand sub-models were developed including one baseline model in which demand is a function of only price. The sub-models were then calibrated and tested using monthly data from 1997 to 2012. Finally, the best performing sub-model was integrated with a full supply and demand model. The results highlight the importance of both modeling water demand dynamics endogenously and taking a broader view of the variables influencing demand change.

Dynamic Price Vector Formation Model-Based Automatic Demand Response Strategy for PV-Assisted EV Charging Stations

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

Chen, Qifang; Wang, Fei; Hodge, Bri-Mathias

A real-time price (RTP)-based automatic demand response (ADR) strategy for PV-assisted electric vehicle (EV) Charging Station (PVCS) without vehicle to grid is proposed. The charging process is modeled as a dynamic linear program instead of the normal day-ahead and real-time regulation strategy, to capture the advantages of both global and real-time optimization. Different from conventional price forecasting algorithms, a dynamic price vector formation model is proposed based on a clustering algorithm to form an RTP vector for a particular day. A dynamic feasible energy demand region (DFEDR) model considering grid voltage profiles is designed to calculate the lower and uppermore » bounds. A deduction method is proposed to deal with the unknown information of future intervals, such as the actual stochastic arrival and departure times of EVs, which make the DFEDR model suitable for global optimization. Finally, both the comparative cases articulate the advantages of the developed methods and the validity in reducing electricity costs, mitigating peak charging demand, and improving PV self-consumption of the proposed strategy are verified through simulation scenarios.« less

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

Bennett, D.A.

The hazardous waste cleanup program under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (Superfund) is delegated to the ten Regions of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and has, to date, identified more than 33,000 sites for consideration. The size and complexity of the program places great demands on those who would provide information to achieve national consistency in application of risk assessment while meeting site-specific needs for risk management and risk communication.

Survey of Injuries and Injury Risk Factors in the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, November 2014 - January 2015

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-07-10

physical training programs, health behaviors, and perceptions of leadership and medical support related to injury. Survey responses were received...illness, and health behavior data is recommended for monitoring of physical training program effects and collection of data necessary to inform future...calculated for demographics, personal characteristics, physical fitness and occupational demands, leadership and medical support, health behaviors

Water scarcity, market-based incentives, and consumer response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Krause, K.; Chermak, J. M.; Brookshire, D. S.

2003-04-01

Water is an increasingly scarce resource and the future viability of many regions will depend in large part on how efficiently resources are utilized. A key factor to this success will be a thorough understanding of consumers and the characteristics that drive their water use. In this research test and find support for the hypothesis that residential water consumers are heterogeneous. We combine experimental and survey responses to test for statistically significant consumer characteristics that are observable factors of demand for water. Significant factors include "stage of life" (i.e., student versus workforce versus retired), as well as various social and cultural factors including age, ethnicity, political affiliation and religious affiliation. Identification of these characteristics allows us to econometrically estimate disaggregated water demand for a sample of urban water consumers in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. The results provide unique parameter estimates for different consumer types. Using these results we design an incentive compatible, non-linear pricing program that allows individual consumers to choose a fixed fee/commodity charge from a menu that not only allows the individual to maximize his or her utility, while meeting the conservation goals of the program. We show that this program, with the attention to consumer differences is more efficient than the traditional "one size fits all" programs commonly employed by many water utilities.

Design and Implementation of Demand Response Information Interactive Service Platform Based on “Internet Plus” Smart Energy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Gaoying; Fan, Jie; Qin, Yuchen; Wang, Dong; Chen, Guangyan

2017-05-01

In order to promote the effective use of demand response load side resources, promote the interaction between supply and demand, enhance the level of customer service and achieve the overall utilization of energy, this paper briefly explain the background significance of design demand response information platform and current situation of domestic and foreign development; Analyse the new demand of electricity demand response combined with the application of Internet and big data technology; Design demand response information platform architecture, construct demand responsive system, analyse process of demand response strategy formulate and intelligent execution implement; study application which combined with the big data, Internet and demand response technology; Finally, from information interaction architecture, control architecture and function design perspective design implementation of demand response information platform, illustrate the feasibility of the proposed platform design scheme implemented in a certain extent.

A Hybrid Demand Response Simulator Version 1.0

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

2012-05-02

A hybrid demand response simulator is developed to test different control algorithms for centralized and distributed demand response (DR) programs in a small distribution power grid. The HDRS is designed to model a wide variety of DR services such as peak having, load shifting, arbitrage, spinning reserves, load following, regulation, emergency load shedding, etc. The HDRS does not model the dynamic behaviors of the loads, rather, it simulates the load scheduling and dispatch process. The load models include TCAs (water heaters, air conditioners, refrigerators, freezers, etc) and non-TCAs (lighting, washer, dishwasher, etc.) The ambient temperature changes, thermal resistance, capacitance, andmore » the unit control logics can be modeled for TCA loads. The use patterns of the non-TCA can be modeled by probability of use and probabilistic durations. Some of the communication network characteristics, such as delays and errors, can also be modeled. Most importantly, because the simulator is modular and greatly simplified the thermal models for TCA loads, it is very easy and fast to be used to test and validate different control algorithms in a simulated environment.« less

Transportation energy strategy: Project {number_sign}5 of the Hawaii Energy Strategy Development Program

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

NONE

1995-08-01

This study was prepared for the State Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism (DBEDT) as part of the Hawaii Energy Strategy program. Authority and responsibility for energy planning activities, such as the Hawaii Energy Strategy, rests with the State Energy Resources Coordinator, who is the Director of DBEDT. Hawaii Energy Strategy Study No. 5, Transportation Energy Strategy Development, was prepared to: collect and synthesize information on the present and future use of energy in Hawaii`s transportation sector, examine the potential of energy conservation to affect future energy demand; analyze the possibility of satisfying a portion of the state`s futuremore » transportation energy demand through alternative fuels; and recommend a program targeting energy use in the state`s transportation sector to help achieve state goals. The analyses and conclusions of this report should be assessed in relation to the other Hawaii Energy Strategy Studies in developing a comprehensive state energy program. 56 figs., 87 tabs.« less

Teach, Watch, Learn

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cohen, Alan

2017-01-01

Research shows that a child's healthy growth and development hinges on high-quality and consistent caregivers and teachers. This demands a stable, highly skilled, and qualified workforce. In response to the science, the federal Head Start program and a growing number of states now require early learning professionals, especially lead teachers, to…

JPRS Report, China

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-02-14

payments are due as stipulated in the national debt- for the better in the market slump, and there will still be payment program. The banks are responsible ...pluck up met, as well as the demands on the international market . their courage and confidence in conquering their diffi- The adjustment of the product...ruled that those involved in and which planned prices were primary and market regula- those responsible for adulteration and deception when tion prices

Feasibility of Department of Defense Used Lubricating Oil Re-refining.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-12-01

greater product selectivity (increasing cost effec- tiveness by tailoring the process to meet market demand ). In addition most processes have high yields...However, several issues were surfaced. The question of who in DLA is responsible for the administra- tion of a re-refining program must be resolved...Both the Property Disposal and Supply groups have a role. The Disposal group now has responsibility for .1%- iv -. d

Change and Continuity in Experiential Education: A Case Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

James, Thomas

1989-01-01

Traces program development at the North Carolina Outward Bound school from 1967 to 1987. Describes changes in the standard three-week challenge course, evolution of short intensive courses, and introduction of tailored contract courses in response to changing market demands. Discusses implications for institutional mission, identity, and…

Financing the College in the Community.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Frank G.

Although off-campus or community service courses have historically been sparsely funded, these types of programs have grown more rapidly than the on-campus traditional ones, especially in response to the demands of part-time adult students. Three patterns have commonly been used to finance community services and each has shortcomings. These are…

Live Broadcasting Online: Interactive Training for Rural Special Educators.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ludlow, Barbara L.; Duff, Michael C.

Since 1990 West Virginia University has offered a distance education program leading to teaching certification and a master's degree in either severe/multiple disabilities or early intervention/early childhood special education. The courses were offered via satellite transmission, but in response to demand for these courses in areas without…

Shared Governance in Times of Change: A Practical Guide for Universities and Colleges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bahls, Steven S.

2014-01-01

Today's challenging higher education environment demands a new way of making decisions. Changing business models and methodologies for delivering academic programs present new opportunities (as well as risks) and call for innovative responses. This publication aims to "reboot" dialogues among boards, presidents, and faculties. It creates…

Rights, Respect and Responsibilities Online--Reflections and Efficacy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eady, Michelle J.; Jones, Michael L.; Alony, Irit; Berry, Yoke

2018-01-01

Demands for moral development are increasing in business and professional training. Mixed results of diversity training programs in the higher education sector suggest that innovative approaches are required for preparing students to become morally upright leaders and teachers. This research looks at the implementation of an online interactive…

Funding, Reputation and Targets: The Discursive Logics of High-Stakes Testing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lewis, Steven; Hardy, Ian

2015-01-01

This paper provides insights into teacher and school-based administrators' responses to policy demands for improved outcomes on high-stakes, standardised literacy and numeracy tests in Australia. Specifically, the research reveals the effects of the National Assessment Program--Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN), and associated policies, in the state…

Teachers' Perceptions of Difficulties in Teaching Ethics in Residencies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Strong, Carson; And Others

1992-01-01

Analysis of responses of 63 medical faculty involved in formal ethics teaching programs for medical residents indicated such perceived problems as time constraints resulting from residents' heavy schedules; attitudes of residents; logistical problems; time demands on faculty; lack of reinforcement for teaching ethics; and deficiencies in faculty…

Stemming the Tide: Retaining and Supporting Science Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pirkle, Sheila F.

2011-01-01

Chronically high rates of new and experienced science teacher attrition and the findings of new large-scale mentoring programs indicate that administrators should adopt new approaches. A science teacher's role encompasses demanding responsibilities, such as observing laboratory safety and OSHA mandates, as well as management of a business-like,…

An Exploration of Principal Instructional Technology Leadership

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Townsend, LaTricia Walker

2013-01-01

Nationwide the demand for schools to incorporate technology into their educational programs is great. In response, North Carolina developed the IMPACT model in 2003 to provide a comprehensive model for technology integration in the state. The model is aligned to national educational technology standards for teachers, students, and principals.…

Drivers for the Value of Demand Response under Increased Levels of Wind and Solar Power; NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)

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

Hale, Elaine

Demand response may be a valuable flexible resource for low-carbon electric power grids. However, there are as many types of possible demand response as there are ways to use electricity, making demand response difficult to study at scale in realistic settings. This talk reviews our state of knowledge regarding the potential value of demand response in several example systems as a function of increasing levels of wind and solar power, sometimes drawing on the analogy between demand response and storage. Overall, we find demand response to be promising, but its potential value is very system dependent. Furthermore, demand response, likemore » storage, can easily saturate ancillary service markets.« less

Smart Grid Risk Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abad Lopez, Carlos Adrian

Current electricity infrastructure is being stressed from several directions -- high demand, unreliable supply, extreme weather conditions, accidents, among others. Infrastructure planners have, traditionally, focused on only the cost of the system; today, resilience and sustainability are increasingly becoming more important. In this dissertation, we develop computational tools for efficiently managing electricity resources to help create a more reliable and sustainable electrical grid. The tools we present in this work will help electric utilities coordinate demand to allow the smooth and large scale integration of renewable sources of energy into traditional grids, as well as provide infrastructure planners and operators in developing countries a framework for making informed planning and control decisions in the presence of uncertainty. Demand-side management is considered as the most viable solution for maintaining grid stability as generation from intermittent renewable sources increases. Demand-side management, particularly demand response (DR) programs that attempt to alter the energy consumption of customers either by using price-based incentives or up-front power interruption contracts, is more cost-effective and sustainable in addressing short-term supply-demand imbalances when compared with the alternative that involves increasing fossil fuel-based fast spinning reserves. An essential step in compensating participating customers and benchmarking the effectiveness of DR programs is to be able to independently detect the load reduction from observed meter data. Electric utilities implementing automated DR programs through direct load control switches are also interested in detecting the reduction in demand to efficiently pinpoint non-functioning devices to reduce maintenance costs. We develop sparse optimization methods for detecting a small change in the demand for electricity of a customer in response to a price change or signal from the utility, dynamic learning methods for scheduling the maintenance of direct load control switches whose operating state is not directly observable and can only be inferred from the metered electricity consumption, and machine learning methods for accurately forecasting the load of hundreds of thousands of residential, commercial and industrial customers. These algorithms have been implemented in the software system provided by AutoGrid, Inc., and this system has helped several utilities in the Pacific Northwest, Oklahoma, California and Texas, provide more reliable power to their customers at significantly reduced prices. Providing power to widely spread out communities in developing countries using the conventional power grid is not economically feasible. The most attractive alternative source of affordable energy for these communities is solar micro-grids. We discuss risk-aware robust methods to optimally size and operate solar micro-grids in the presence of uncertain demand and uncertain renewable generation. These algorithms help system operators to increase their revenue while making their systems more resilient to inclement weather conditions.

Effect of prenatal programming on heifer development.

PubMed

Funston, Richard N; Summers, Adam F

2013-11-01

In beef cattle, the main factors influencing nutrient partitioning between the dam and fetus include age of the dam, number of fetuses, production demand, and environmental stress. These factors play a critical role in programming the fetus for its future environment and available resources. Fetal programming reportedly affects neonatal mortality and morbidity, postnatal growth rate, body composition, health, and reproduction. Two main mechanisms responsible for fetal programming include DNA methylation and histone modifications. Alterations in the genome can be passed through multiple generations. Maternal environment (nutrition, age, physiologic status) can program progeny heifer growth and reproductive performance. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Approaches to Enable Demand Response by Industrial Loads for Ancillary Services Provision

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Xiao

Demand response has gained significant attention in recent years as it demonstrates potentials to enhance the power system's operational flexibility in a cost-effective way. Industrial loads such as aluminum smelters, steel manufacturers, and cement plants demonstrate advantages in supporting power system operation through demand response programs, because of their intensive power consumption, already existing advanced monitoring and control infrastructure, and the strong economic incentive due to the high energy costs. In this thesis, we study approaches to efficiently integrate each of these types of manufacturing processes as demand response resources. The aluminum smelting process is able to change its power consumption both accurately and quickly by controlling the pots' DC voltage, without affecting the production quality. Hence, an aluminum smelter has both the motivation and the ability to participate in demand response. First, we focus on determining the optimal regulation capacity that such a manufacturing plant should provide. Next, we focus on determining its optimal bidding strategy in the day-ahead energy and ancillary services markets. Electric arc furnaces (EAFs) in steel manufacturing consume a large amount of electric energy. However, a steel plant can take advantage of time-based electricity prices by optimally arranging energy-consuming activities to avoid peak hours. We first propose scheduling methods that incorporate the EAFs' flexibilities to reduce the electricity cost. We then propose methods to make the computations more tractable. Finally, we extend the scheduling formulations to enable the provision of spinning reserve. Cement plants are able to quickly adjust their power consumption rate by switching on/off the crushers. However, switching on/off the loading units only achieves discrete power changes, which restricts the load from offering valuable ancillary services such as regulation and load following, as continuous power changes are required for these services. We propose methods that enable these services with the support of an on-site energy storage device. As demonstrated by the case studies, the proposed approaches are effective and can generate practical production instructions for the industrial loads. This thesis not only provides methods to enable demand response by industrial loads but also potentially encourages industrial loads to be active in electricity markets.

How to HAMMER home hazardous materials training

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

Ollero, J.

1994-10-01

This article describes HAMMER - the Hazardous Materials Management and Emergency Response Training - program being developed at the Hanford Reservation. The program uses true-to-life props and facilities to simulate emergencies and hazardous conditions. Topics covered include the set-up of the facility and training; the demand for such training; the involvement of the Army Corps of Engineers; the props to be constructed; the educational involvement of Tulane and Xavier Univerisities of Louisiana; temporary facility for the program; partnership with Indian Nations and Stakeholders; and budget plans and constriction. 9 figs.

Data Mining for Understanding and Impriving Decision-Making Affecting Ground Delay Programs

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kulkarni, Deepak; Wang, Yao Xun; Sridhar, Banavar

2013-01-01

The continuous growth in the demand for air transportation results in an imbalance between airspace capacity and traffic demand. The airspace capacity of a region depends on the ability of the system to maintain safe separation between aircraft in the region. In addition to growing demand, the airspace capacity is severely limited by convective weather. During such conditions, traffic managers at the FAA's Air Traffic Control System Command Center (ATCSCC) and dispatchers at various Airlines' Operations Center (AOC) collaborate to mitigate the demand-capacity imbalance caused by weather. The end result is the implementation of a set of Traffic Flow Management (TFM) initiatives such as ground delay programs, reroute advisories, flow metering, and ground stops. Data Mining is the automated process of analyzing large sets of data and then extracting patterns in the data. Data mining tools are capable of predicting behaviors and future trends, allowing an organization to benefit from past experience in making knowledge-driven decisions. The work reported in this paper is focused on ground delay programs. Data mining algorithms have the potential to develop associations between weather patterns and the corresponding ground delay program responses. If successful, they can be used to improve and standardize TFM decision resulting in better predictability of traffic flows on days with reliable weather forecasts. The approach here seeks to develop a set of data mining and machine learning models and apply them to historical archives of weather observations and forecasts and TFM initiatives to determine the extent to which the theory can predict and explain the observed traffic flow behaviors.

An Examination of Charitable Meal Programs in Five Canadian cities.

PubMed

Pettes, Tyler; Dachner, Naomi; Gaetz, Stephen; Tarasuk, Valerie

2016-01-01

While there has recently been considerable research and public investment in strategies to address homelessness in Canada, food charity remains the primary response to hunger, with little evaluation of current efforts and no initiatives to develop more effective approaches. Using data from a 2010-2011 survey of charitable food assistance in five Canadian cities, this study was undertaken to describe charitable meal provisioning in each city and to compare the relative roles of emergency programs and multi-service agencies and their capacity to meet food needs. Most meals were provided by multi-service agencies, but like emergency programs, these agencies were heavily dependent on donations and they were more likely than emergency programs to report constraints and service interruptions because demands exceeded available supplies. Our findings underscore the resource-limited and often fragile nature of charitable meal programs in Canada and highlight the need for more effective models of response to problems of hunger.

Culturally responsive middle school science: A case study of needs, demands, and challenges

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Woodrow, Kelli Ellen

2007-12-01

Culturally responsive programming has been proposed as a remedy for the well-documented disconnect between schools and the ethnically and culturally diverse students who attend them. These programs often focus on creating instructional materials and pedagogical practices that are aligned with the knowledges, perspectives and practices of these students. This study builds on that literature and examines the needs, demands, and challenges of developing a culturally responsive health science program for ethnically and culturally diverse urban middle school students. I approached this problem through a content analysis of the intended curriculum and a microethnography of the enacted curriculum. In my analysis of the intended curriculum, I adapted a science textbook analysis instrument created by the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) to include criteria related to identified features of culturally responsive education. Using these modified analytic criteria, I found that the pilot drafts of the curricular materials excelled in the areas of engaging students in relevant phenomenon but lacked many of these specifically culturally responsive elements. Recommendations were made to redress these deficiencies. In my analysis of the enacted curriculum, I observed in five eighth grade classrooms where the program was being implemented. I used participant observation, audio and video tape recordings, artifacts, and interviews over a six-month period to investigate teacher/student interactions, the social organization of the classrooms, and students' culturally distinctive knowledge resources---or what is sometimes referred to as their "funds of knowledge." I found that the affective interactions between teachers and students were precursors to any reform, and that students and teachers similarly defined these interactions as "teacher care." In addition, I found that the social organization of the classroom often privileged official content and ways of knowing while limiting students' ability to publicly draw on their unique funds of knowledge or to access their scientific sensemaking resources. Through the use of data accumulated from my curriculum analysis and classroom observations, I concluded that culturally responsive program development must incorporate both curricular development and inservice professional development focused not only on science but also on fundamental aspects of classroom interactions.

Pilot Testing of Commercial Refrigeration-Based Demand Response

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

Hirsch, Adam; Clark, Jordan; Deru, Michael

Supermarkets potentially offer a substantial demand response (DR) resource because of their high energy intensity and use patterns. This report describes a pilot project conducted to better estimate supermarket DR potential. Previous work has analyzed supermarket DR using heating, ventilating, and air conditioning (HVAC), lighting, and anti-condensate heaters. This project was concerned with evaluating DR using the refrigeration system and quantifying the DR potential inherent in supermarket refrigeration systems. Ancillary aims of the project were to identify practical barriers to the implementation of DR programs in supermarkets and to determine which high-level control strategies were most appropriate for achieving certainmore » DR objectives. The scope of this project does not include detailed control strategy development for DR or development of a strategy for regional implementation of DR in supermarkets.« less

Environmental Education Activities Manual, Book 1: Concerning Spaceship Earth.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stapp, William B., Ed.; Cox, Dorothy A., Ed.

This book is the first part of a series of six books designed to provide valuable resources to teachers and curriculum specialists as they construct viable environmental education programs for their students. The material in this manual was produced in response to student and teacher demand for material to support the environmental education model…

Latin Vibes Curriculum: Sixth and Seventh Grades.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lederer, Debra; And Others

A sixth- and seventh-grade program "Latin Vibes," developed in response to a rising demand within the community for more student understanding of the evolution of the English language, is outlined. The courses for each grade chronicle the influences of Latin and the romance languages on the development of English over the centuries. The program…

Competency-Based Evaluation in Higher Education--Design and Use of Competence Rubrics by University Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Velasco-Martínez, Leticia-Concepción; Tójar-Hurtado, Juan-Carlos

2018-01-01

Competency-based learning requires making changes in the higher education model in response to current socio-educational demands. Rubrics are an innovative educational tool for competence evaluation, for both students and educators. Ever since arriving at the university systems, the application of rubrics in evaluation programs has grown…

2 CFR Appendix A to Part 225 - General Principles for Determining Allowable Costs

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... in the financing of a particular program or project. The principles are designed to provide that... its own unique combination of staff, facilities, and experience, will have the primary responsibility... services may be allocated or billed to users. 5. “Claim” means a written demand or written assertion by the...

Dynamic alterations of hepatocellular function by on-demand elasticity and roughness modulation.

PubMed

Uto, K; Aoyagi, T; DeForest, C A; Ebara, M

2018-05-01

Temperature-responsive cell culture substrates reported here can be dynamically programmed to induce bulk softening and surface roughness changes in the presence of living cells. Alterations in hepatocellular function following temporally controlled substrate softening depend on the extent of stiff mechanical priming prior to user-induced material transition.

Colleges Respond to Student Binge Drinking: Reducing Student Demand or Limiting Access.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wechsler, Henry; Seibring, Mark; Liu, I-Chao; Ahl, Marilyn

2004-01-01

Administrators at 68% of 4-year colleges nationwide (N = 747) responded to a survey concerning the types of programs and policies they used in response to students" heavy drinking. Most schools conducted targeted alcohol education and invested in institutional prevention efforts; half conducted social norms campaigns; a sizeable minority…

Robotics and Office Automation: Implications for Vocational Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fraser, Jeannette L.; And Others

Directed to individuals responsible for program planning in vocational education at the national and state levels, this review and synthesis of technological developments in robotics and office automation identifies the potential demand for skills in these technologies in the next 3 to 5 years. The procedures for the study are described in the…

Assessing Program Coverage of Two Approaches to Distributing a Complementary Feeding Supplement to Infants and Young Children in Ghana

PubMed Central

Aaron, Grant J.; Strutt, Nicholas; Boateng, Nathaniel Amoh; Guevarra, Ernest; Siling, Katja; Norris, Alison; Ghosh, Shibani; Nyamikeh, Mercy; Attiogbe, Antoine; Burns, Richard; Foriwa, Esi; Toride, Yasuhiko; Kitamura, Satoshi; Tano-Debrah, Kwaku; Sarpong, Daniel; Myatt, Mark

2016-01-01

The work reported here assesses the coverage achieved by two sales-based approaches to distributing a complementary food supplement (KOKO Plus™) to infants and young children in Ghana. Delivery Model 1 was conducted in the Northern Region of Ghana and used a mixture of health extension workers (delivering behavior change communications and demand creation activities at primary healthcare centers and in the community) and petty traders recruited from among beneficiaries of a local microfinance initiative (responsible for the sale of the complementary food supplement at market stalls and house to house). Delivery Model 2 was conducted in the Eastern Region of Ghana and used a market-based approach, with the product being sold through micro-retail routes (i.e., small shops and roadside stalls) in three districts supported by behavior change communications and demand creation activities led by a local social marketing company. Both delivery models were implemented sub-nationally as 1-year pilot programs, with the aim of informing the design of a scaled-up program. A series of cross-sectional coverage surveys was implemented in each program area. Results from these surveys show that Delivery Model 1 was successful in achieving and sustaining high (i.e., 86%) effective coverage (i.e., the child had been given the product at least once in the previous 7 days) during implementation. Effective coverage fell to 62% within 3 months of the behavior change communications and demand creation activities stopping. Delivery Model 2 was successful in raising awareness of the product (i.e., 90% message coverage), but effective coverage was low (i.e., 9.4%). Future programming efforts should use the health extension / microfinance / petty trader approach in rural settings and consider adapting this approach for use in urban and peri-urban settings. Ongoing behavior change communications and demand creation activities is likely to be essential to the continued success of such programming. PMID:27755554

Assessing Program Coverage of Two Approaches to Distributing a Complementary Feeding Supplement to Infants and Young Children in Ghana.

PubMed

Aaron, Grant J; Strutt, Nicholas; Boateng, Nathaniel Amoh; Guevarra, Ernest; Siling, Katja; Norris, Alison; Ghosh, Shibani; Nyamikeh, Mercy; Attiogbe, Antoine; Burns, Richard; Foriwa, Esi; Toride, Yasuhiko; Kitamura, Satoshi; Tano-Debrah, Kwaku; Sarpong, Daniel; Myatt, Mark

2016-01-01

The work reported here assesses the coverage achieved by two sales-based approaches to distributing a complementary food supplement (KOKO Plus™) to infants and young children in Ghana. Delivery Model 1 was conducted in the Northern Region of Ghana and used a mixture of health extension workers (delivering behavior change communications and demand creation activities at primary healthcare centers and in the community) and petty traders recruited from among beneficiaries of a local microfinance initiative (responsible for the sale of the complementary food supplement at market stalls and house to house). Delivery Model 2 was conducted in the Eastern Region of Ghana and used a market-based approach, with the product being sold through micro-retail routes (i.e., small shops and roadside stalls) in three districts supported by behavior change communications and demand creation activities led by a local social marketing company. Both delivery models were implemented sub-nationally as 1-year pilot programs, with the aim of informing the design of a scaled-up program. A series of cross-sectional coverage surveys was implemented in each program area. Results from these surveys show that Delivery Model 1 was successful in achieving and sustaining high (i.e., 86%) effective coverage (i.e., the child had been given the product at least once in the previous 7 days) during implementation. Effective coverage fell to 62% within 3 months of the behavior change communications and demand creation activities stopping. Delivery Model 2 was successful in raising awareness of the product (i.e., 90% message coverage), but effective coverage was low (i.e., 9.4%). Future programming efforts should use the health extension / microfinance / petty trader approach in rural settings and consider adapting this approach for use in urban and peri-urban settings. Ongoing behavior change communications and demand creation activities is likely to be essential to the continued success of such programming.

PRSEUS Acoustic Panel Fabrication

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nicolette, Velicki; Yovanof, Nicolette P.; Baraja, Jaime; Mathur, Gopal; Thrash, Patrick; Pickell, Robert

2011-01-01

This report describes the development of a novel structural concept, Pultruded Rod Stitched Efficient Unitized Structure (PRSEUS), that addresses the demanding fuselage loading requirements for the Hybrid Wing or Blended Wing Body (BWB) airplane configuration with regards to acoustic response. A PRSEUS panel was designed and fabricated and provided to NASA-LaRC for acoustic response testing in the Structural Acoustics Loads and Transmission (SALT) facility). Preliminary assessments of the sound transmission characteristics of a PRSEUS panel subjected to a representative Hybrid Wing Body (HWB) operating environment were completed for the NASA Environmentally Responsible Aviation (ERA) Program.

Evaluating Outdoor Water Use Demand under Changing Climatic and Demographic Conditions: An Agent-based Modeling Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanta, L.

2016-12-01

Outdoor water use for landscape and irrigation constitutes a significant end use in residential water demand. In periods of water shortages, utilities may reduce garden demands by implementing irrigation system audits, rebate programs, local ordinances, and voluntary or mandatory water use restrictions. Because utilities do not typically record outdoor and indoor water uses separately, the effects of policies for reducing garden demands cannot be readily calculated. The volume of water required to meet garden demands depends on the housing density or lawn size, type of vegetation, climatic conditions, efficiency of garden irrigation systems, and consumer water-use behaviors. Many existing outdoor demand estimation methods are deterministic and do not include consumer responses to conservation campaigns. In addition, mandatory restrictions may have a substantial impact on reducing outdoor demands, but the effectiveness of mandatory restrictions depends on the timing and the frequency of restrictions, in addition to the distribution of housing density and consumer types within a community. This research investigates a garden end-use model by coupling an agent-based modeling approach and a mechanistic-stochastic water demand model to create a methodology for estimating garden demand and evaluating demand reduction policies. The garden demand model is developed for two water utilities, using a diverse data sets, including residential customer billing records, records of outdoor conservation programs, frequency and type of mandatory water use restrictions, lot size distribution, population growth, and climatic data. A set of garden irrigation parameter values, which are based on the efficiency of irrigation systems and irrigation habits of consumers, are determined for a set of conservation ordinances and restrictions. The model parameters are then validated using customer water usage data from the participating water utilities. A sensitivity analysis is conducted for garden irrigation parameters to determine the most significant factors that should be considered by water utilities to reduce outdoor demand. Data from multiple sources and the agent-based modeling methodology are integrated using a holistic approach to assist utilities in efficiently and sustainably managing outdoor demand.

Evaluating Outdoor Water Use Demand under Changing Climatic and Demographic Conditions: An Agent-based Modeling Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kanta, L.; Berglund, E. Z.; Soh, M. H.

2017-12-01

Outdoor water-use for landscape and irrigation constitutes a significant end-use in total residential water demand. In periods of water shortages, utilities may reduce garden demands by implementing irrigation system audits, rebate programs, local ordinances, and voluntary or mandatory water-use restrictions. Because utilities do not typically record outdoor and indoor water-uses separately, the effects of policies for reducing garden demands cannot be readily calculated. The volume of water required to meet garden demands depends on the housing density, lawn size, type of vegetation, climatic conditions, efficiency of garden irrigation systems, and consumer water-use behaviors. Many existing outdoor demand estimation methods are deterministic and do not include consumer responses to conservation campaigns. In addition, mandatory restrictions may have a substantial impact on reducing outdoor demands, but the effectiveness of mandatory restrictions depends on the timing and the frequency of restrictions, in addition to the distribution of housing density and consumer types within a community. This research investigates a garden end-use model by coupling an agent-based modeling approach and a mechanistic-stochastic water demand model to create a methodology for estimating garden demand and evaluating demand reduction policies. The garden demand model is developed for two water utilities, using a diverse data sets, including residential customer billing records, outdoor conservation programs, frequency and type of mandatory water-use restrictions, lot size distribution, population growth, and climatic data. A set of garden irrigation parameter values, which are based on the efficiency of irrigation systems and irrigation habits of consumers, are determined for a set of conservation ordinances and restrictions. The model parameters are then validated using customer water usage data from the participating water utilities. A sensitivity analysis is conducted for garden irrigation parameters to determine the most significant factors that should be considered by water utilities to reduce outdoor demand. Data from multiple sources and the agent-based modeling methodology are integrated using a holistic approach to assist utilities in efficiently and sustainably managing outdoor demand.

Essays on measurement and evaluation of demand side management programs in the electricity industry, and impacts of firm strategy on stock price in the biotechnology industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bandres Motola, Miguel A.

Essay one estimates changes in small business customer energy consumption (kWh) patterns resulting from a seasonally differentiated pricing structure. Econometric analysis leverages cross-sectional time series data across the entire population of affected customers, from 2007 through the present. Observations include: monthly energy usage (kWh), relevant customer segmentations, local daily temperature, energy price, and region-specific economic conditions, among other variables. The study identifies the determinants of responsiveness to seasonal price differentiation. In addition, estimated energy consumption changes occurring during the 2010 summer season are reported for the average customer and in aggregate grouped by relevant customer segments, climate zone, and total customer base. Essay two develops an econometric modeling methodology to evaluate load impacts for short duration demand response events. The study analyzes time series data from a season of direct load control program tests aimed at integrating demand response into the wholesale electricity market. I have combined "fuzzy logic" with binary variables to create "fuzzy indicator variables" that allow for measurement of short duration events while using industry standard model specifications. Typically, binary variables for every hour are applied in load impact analysis of programs dispatched in hourly intervals. As programs evolve towards integration with the wholesale market, event durations become irregular and often occur for periods of only a few minutes. This methodology is innovative in that it conserves the degrees of freedom in the model while allowing for analysis of high frequency data using fixed effects. Essay three examines the effects of strategies, intangibles, and FDA news on the stocks of young biopharmaceutical firms. An event study methodology is used to explore those effects. This study investigates 20,839 announcements from 1990 to 2005. Announcements on drug development, alliances, publications, presentations, and FDA approval have a positive effect on the short-term performance of young biopharmaceutical firms. Announcements on goals not met, FDA drug approval denied, and changes in structural organizations have a negative effect on the short-term performance of young biopharmaceutical firms.

Large group intervention for military reintegration: peer support & Yellow Ribbon enhancements.

PubMed

Castellano, Cherie; Everly, George S

2010-01-01

University Behavioral HealthCare, University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey in partnership with the New Jersey Department of Military & Veterans Affairs established a program entitled the "New Jersey Veterans Helpline," modeled after the "Cop 2 Cop Helpline," in 2005 to assist veterans and their families within the state. The events of September 11, 2001, demanded an unprecedented response to address the behavioral health care needs of first responders in New Jersey and highlighted the similarities amongst the military population in their response. Although the New Jersey Veterans Helpline program was initiated as a peer based helpline, the need for support in pre- and post-deployment quickly emerged. This paper describes the application of the Cop 2 Cop interventions with the Port Authority Police Department (PAPD) entitled "Acute Stress Management Reentry Program." This program was adapted and combined with Yellow Ribbon Guideline enhancements to create a "60 Day Resiliency & Reintegration Program" led by the New Jersey Veterans program to over 2,400 soldiers returning from war.

Colloquy and workshops: regional implications of the engineering manpower requirements of the National Energy Program

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

Segool, H. D.

1979-05-01

The crucial interrelationships of engineering manpower, technological innovation, productivity and capital re-formaton were keynoted. Near-term, a study has indicated a much larger New England energy demand-reduction/economic/market potential, with a probably larger engineering manpower requirement, for energy-conservation measures characterized by technological innovation and cost-effective capital services than for alternative energy-supply measures. Federal, regional, and state energy program responsibilities described a wide-ranging panorama of activities among many possible energy options which conveyed much endeavor without identifiable engineering manpower demand coefficients. Similarly, engineering manpower assessment data was described as uneven and unfocused to the energy program at the national level, disaggregated data asmore » non-existent at the regional/state levels, although some qualitative inferences were drawn. A separate abstract was prepared for each of the 16 individual presentations for the DOE Energy Data Base (EDB); 14 of these were selected for Energy Abstracts for Policy Analysis (EAPA) and 2 for Energy Research Abstracts (ERA).« less

California DREAMing: The design of residential demand responsive technology with people in mind

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peffer, Therese Evelyn

Electrical utilities worldwide are exploring "demand response" programs to reduce electricity consumption during peak periods. Californian electrical utilities would like to pass the higher cost of peak demand to customers to offset costs, increase reliability, and reduce peak consumption. Variable pricing strategies require technology to communicate a dynamic price to customers and respond to that price. However, evidence from thermostat and energy display studies as well as research regarding energy-saving behaviors suggests that devices cannot effect residential demand response without the sanction and participation of people. This study developed several technologies to promote or enable residential demand response. First, along with a team of students and professors, I designed and tested the Demand Response Electrical Appliance Manager (DREAM). This wireless network of sensors, actuators, and controller with a user interface provides information to intelligently control a residential heating and cooling system and to inform people of their energy usage. We tested the system with computer simulation and in the laboratory and field. Secondly, as part of my contribution to the team, I evaluated machine-learning to predict a person's seasonal temperature preferences by analyzing existing data from office workers. The third part of the research involved developing an algorithm that generated temperature setpoints based on outdoor temperature. My study compared the simulated energy use using these setpoints to that using the setpoints of a programmable thermostat. Finally, I developed and tested a user interface for a thermostat and in-home energy display. This research tested the effects of both energy versus price information and the context of sponsorship on the behavior of subjects. I also surveyed subjects on the usefulness of various displays. The wireless network succeeded in providing detailed data to enable an intelligent controller and provide feedback to the users. The learning algorithm showed mixed results. The adaptive temperature setpoints saved energy in both annual and summertime simulations. The context in which I introduced the DREAM interface affected behavior, but the type of information displayed did not. The subjects responded that appliance-level feedback and tools that provided choices would be useful in a dynamic tariff environment.

Minds “At Attention”: Mindfulness Training Curbs Attentional Lapses in Military Cohorts

PubMed Central

Jha, Amishi P.; Morrison, Alexandra B.; Dainer-Best, Justin; Parker, Suzanne; Rostrup, Nina; Stanley, Elizabeth A.

2015-01-01

We investigated the impact of mindfulness training (MT) on attentional performance lapses associated with task-unrelated thought (i.e., mind wandering). Periods of persistent and intensive demands may compromise attention and increase off-task thinking. Here, we investigated if MT may mitigate these deleterious effects and promote cognitive resilience in military cohorts enduring a high-demand interval of predeployment training. To better understand which aspects of MT programs are most beneficial, three military cohorts were examined. Two of the three groups were provided MT. One group received an 8-hour, 8-week variant of Mindfulness-based Mind Fitness Training (MMFT) emphasizing engagement in training exercises (training-focused MT, n = 40), a second group received a didactic-focused variant emphasizing content regarding stress and resilience (didactic-focused MT, n = 40), and the third group served as a no-training control (NTC, n = 24). Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) performance was indexed in all military groups and a no-training civilian group (CIV, n = 45) before (T1) and after (T2) the MT course period. Attentional performance (measured by A’, a sensitivity index) was lower in NTC vs. CIV at T2, suggesting that performance suffers after enduring a high-demand predeployment interval relative to a similar time period of civilian life. Yet, there were significantly fewer performance lapses in the military cohorts receiving MT relative to NTC, with training-focused MT outperforming didactic-focused MT at T2. From T1 to T2, A’ degraded in NTC and didactic-focused MT but remained stable in training-focused MT and CIV. In sum, while protracted periods of high-demand military training may increase attentional performance lapses, practice-focused MT programs akin to training-focused MT may bolster attentional performance more than didactic-focused programs. As such, training-focused MT programs should be further examined in cohorts experiencing protracted high-demand intervals. PMID:25671579

Minds "at attention": mindfulness training curbs attentional lapses in military cohorts.

PubMed

Jha, Amishi P; Morrison, Alexandra B; Dainer-Best, Justin; Parker, Suzanne; Rostrup, Nina; Stanley, Elizabeth A

2015-01-01

We investigated the impact of mindfulness training (MT) on attentional performance lapses associated with task-unrelated thought (i.e., mind wandering). Periods of persistent and intensive demands may compromise attention and increase off-task thinking. Here, we investigated if MT may mitigate these deleterious effects and promote cognitive resilience in military cohorts enduring a high-demand interval of predeployment training. To better understand which aspects of MT programs are most beneficial, three military cohorts were examined. Two of the three groups were provided MT. One group received an 8-hour, 8-week variant of Mindfulness-based Mind Fitness Training (MMFT) emphasizing engagement in training exercises (training-focused MT, n = 40), a second group received a didactic-focused variant emphasizing content regarding stress and resilience (didactic-focused MT, n = 40), and the third group served as a no-training control (NTC, n = 24). Sustained Attention to Response Task (SART) performance was indexed in all military groups and a no-training civilian group (CIV, n = 45) before (T1) and after (T2) the MT course period. Attentional performance (measured by A', a sensitivity index) was lower in NTC vs. CIV at T2, suggesting that performance suffers after enduring a high-demand predeployment interval relative to a similar time period of civilian life. Yet, there were significantly fewer performance lapses in the military cohorts receiving MT relative to NTC, with training-focused MT outperforming didactic-focused MT at T2. From T1 to T2, A' degraded in NTC and didactic-focused MT but remained stable in training-focused MT and CIV. In sum, while protracted periods of high-demand military training may increase attentional performance lapses, practice-focused MT programs akin to training-focused MT may bolster attentional performance more than didactic-focused programs. As such, training-focused MT programs should be further examined in cohorts experiencing protracted high-demand intervals.

Dynamic ambulance reallocation for the reduction of ambulance response times using system status management.

PubMed

Lam, Sean Shao Wei; Zhang, Ji; Zhang, Zhong Cheng; Oh, Hong Choon; Overton, Jerry; Ng, Yih Yng; Ong, Marcus Eng Hock

2015-02-01

Dynamically reassigning ambulance deployment locations throughout a day to balance ambulance availability and demands can be effective in reducing response times. The objectives of this study were to model dynamic ambulance allocation plans in Singapore based on the system status management (SSM) strategy and to evaluate the dynamic deployment plans using a discrete event simulation (DES) model. The geographical information system-based analysis and mathematical programming were used to develop the dynamic ambulance deployment plans for SSM based on ambulance calls data from January 1, 2011, to June 30, 2011. A DES model that incorporated these plans was used to compare the performance of the dynamic SSM strategy against static reallocation policies under various demands and travel time uncertainties. When the deployment plans based on the SSM strategy were followed strictly, the DES model showed that the geographical information system-based plans resulted in approximately 13-second reduction in the median response times compared to the static reallocation policy, whereas the mathematical programming-based plans resulted in approximately a 44-second reduction. The response times and coverage performances were still better than the static policy when reallocations happened for only 60% of all the recommended moves. Dynamically reassigning ambulance deployment locations based on the SSM strategy can result in superior response times and coverage performance compared to static reallocation policies even when the dynamic plans were not followed strictly. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Superwoman in the third world.

PubMed

Clift, E; Goldberg, M

1987-01-01

Women play crucial roles in both production and reproduction, but development planners have focused on women as childbearers and homemakers rather than as individuals with their own needs and problems. Women are vehicles to achieve a project's ends. As a result, many ambitious development programs have failed. Women's health, necessary for their participation in programs, and traditional women's tasks have been neglected. Planners frequently disregard the demands and inflexibility of women's existing responsibilities. Most rural women work 10 to 12 hours per week and can not set aside family survival tasks to participate in classes, clinic visits or demonstrations. The 1st step in designing successful programs is to recognize the realities of poor women's lives, and to focus on the women themselves, their basic needs, health and responsibilities. Women must participate in planning their own development. Women's voices must be heard for programs that depend on their participation to succeed.

Exploring the Issue of Failure to Fail in Professional Education Programs: A Multidisciplinary Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Luhanga, Florence L.; Larocque, Sylvie; MacEwan, Leigh; Gwekwerere, Yovita N.; Danyluk, Patricia

2014-01-01

There is a universal demand for well-prepared professionals in all disciplines, and society has entrusted professional schools with the task of preparing such individuals (Ralph, Walker, and Wimmer, 2008). Within this context, field or clinical instructors and university faculty have an academic and professional responsibility to teach, supervise,…

Twenty-First Century Skills and School Programs: Implementation at a Suburban Elementary School

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Uduigwome, George Esele

2012-01-01

Under-utilization of human potential coupled with the need to maintain alignment with the demands imposed by globalization (e.g. sustainable development, citizenship, self-actualization, ability to respond to the emergence of cutting-edge technologies) have led to calls for policy and practice reorientations in the field of education. In response,…

International ESL Graduate Student Perceptions of Online Learning in the Context of Second Language Acquisition and Culturally Responsive Facilitation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tan, Fujuan; Nabb, Lee; Aagard, Steven; Kim, Kioh

2010-01-01

The development of technology has made adult and higher education learning opportunities increasingly more accessible to a growing number of people. With the number of courses steadily increasing to meet students' needs and demands, and because programs are likewise changing to incorporate more online learning opportunities, international, English…

''Can I Drop It This Time?'' Gender and Collaborative Group Dynamics in an Engineering Design-Based Afterschool Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schnittka, Jessica; Schnittka, Christine

2016-01-01

The 21st century has brought an increasing demand for expertise in science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM). Although strides have been made towards increasing gender diversity in several of these disciplines, engineering remains primarily male dominated. In response, the U.S. educational system has attempted to make engineering…

Physical Activity Promotion: A Responsibility for Both K-12 Physical Education and Kinesiology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corbin, Charles B.; McKenzie, Thomas L.

2008-01-01

As the discipline and the various professions evolved over time, the content of disciplinary classes offered at universities sometimes became less "connected" with physical education. "Core" courses in the discipline were required to try to meet the demands of the expanding professional programs, while at the same time meeting the knowledge…

Evaluation of Hybrid Learning in a Construction Engineering Context: A Mixed-Method Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Karabulut-Ilgu, Aliye; Jahren, Charles

2016-01-01

Engineering educators call for a widespread implementation of hybrid learning to respond to rapidly changing demands of the 21st century. In response to this call, a junior-level course in the Construction Engineering program entitled Construction Equipment and Heavy Construction Methods was converted into a hybrid learning model. The overarching…

The High Impact of Education Abroad: College Students' Engagement in International Experiences and the Development of Intercultural Competencies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stebleton, Michael J.; Soria, Krista M.; Cherney, Blythe T.

2013-01-01

Study abroad opportunities continue to be a popular choice for U.S. college students looking to expand their undergraduate education. In response to the increasing demand for international opportunities, campuses have diversified their study abroad program models. On many campuses, students not only have opportunities to study abroad during…

Teaching the Practice of Compassion to Nursing Students within an Online Learning Environment: A Qualitative Study Protocol

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hofmeyer, Anne; Toffoli, Luisa; Vernon, Rachael; Taylor, Ruth; Fontaine, Dorrie; Klopper, Hester C.; Coetzee, Siedine Knobloch

2016-01-01

Background: There is an increasing global demand for higher education to incorporate flexible delivery. Nursing education has been at the forefront of developing flexible online education and offering programs "anywhere and anytime". In response to calls to teach compassion in nursing education, there is an abundance of literature…

The effect of a public health card program on the supply of health care.

PubMed

Johar, Meliyanni

2010-05-01

The supply-side responsiveness to public programs targeted to consumers is not widely studied. However, it is unlikely that supply variables remain constant, particularly when their link to the demand initiative is weak. The aim of this study is to provide such analysis, using the experience of the Indonesian health card program, which is a demand-sided program. Without an increase in staff or an appropriate salary revision, the salary payment system of the public sector may not adequately reward the existing health workers, lowering their incentives to maintain their public position. Using data from the Indonesian Family Life Surveys on public health centres, the leading providers of outpatient services in the public sector, this study found some evidence that the health card program resulted in a reduction in the number of full-time GPs working in these facilities. Other conditions not related to workers' compensation, such as infrastructure conditions and registration fees, were not adversely affected. Identification of this program's effect is achieved by variations in time and the intensity of health card distribution across communities. The findings highlight the importance of public policy management in general, and sheds light on physicians' behaviour in developing countries, about which we know very little. Copyright (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A pilot-study of a worksite based participatory intervention program: Its acceptability and short-term effects on work climate and attitudes in human service employees.

PubMed

Nylén, Eva Charlotta; Lindfors, Petra; Ishäll, Lars; Göransson, Sara; Aronsson, Gunnar; Kylin, Camilla; Sverke, Magnus

2017-01-01

Psychosocial factors, including job demands and poor resources, have been linked to stress, health problems, and negative job attitudes. However, worksite based interventions and programs targeting psychosocial factors may change employees' perceptions of their work climate and work attitudes. This pilot study describes a newly developed worksite based participatory organizational intervention program that was tested in the social service sector. It is evaluated using participants' perceptions of the intervention to investigate its acceptability as a feature of feasibility and its short-term effects on work climate factors (job demands and resources) and work-related attitudes. Forty employees of a Swedish social service unit provided self-reports before, during, and after the intervention. As for effects, quantitative role overload and social support decreased while turnover intention increased. Responses to an open-ended question showed that participants considered the intervention program valuable for addressing issues relating to the psychosocial work climate. Although the findings are preliminary, it was possible to carry out this worksite based participatory organizational program in this particular setting. Also, the preliminary findings underscore the challenges associated with designing and implementing this type of intervention program, thus adding to the methodological discussion on implementation and evaluation.

Design of demand side response model in energy internet demonstration park

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Q.; Liu, D. N.

2017-08-01

The implementation of demand side response can bring a lot of benefits to the power system, users and society, but there are still many problems in the actual operation. Firstly, this paper analyses the current situation and problems of demand side response. On this basis, this paper analyses the advantages of implementing demand side response in the energy Internet demonstration park. Finally, the paper designs three kinds of feasible demand side response modes in the energy Internet demonstration park.

Robust Unit Commitment Considering Uncertain Demand Response

DOE PAGES

Liu, Guodong; Tomsovic, Kevin

2014-09-28

Although price responsive demand response has been widely accepted as playing an important role in the reliable and economic operation of power system, the real response from demand side can be highly uncertain due to limited understanding of consumers' response to pricing signals. To model the behavior of consumers, the price elasticity of demand has been explored and utilized in both research and real practice. However, the price elasticity of demand is not precisely known and may vary greatly with operating conditions and types of customers. To accommodate the uncertainty of demand response, alternative unit commitment methods robust to themore » uncertainty of the demand response require investigation. In this paper, a robust unit commitment model to minimize the generalized social cost is proposed for the optimal unit commitment decision taking into account uncertainty of the price elasticity of demand. By optimizing the worst case under proper robust level, the unit commitment solution of the proposed model is robust against all possible realizations of the modeled uncertain demand response. Numerical simulations on the IEEE Reliability Test System show the e ectiveness of the method. Finally, compared to unit commitment with deterministic price elasticity of demand, the proposed robust model can reduce the average Locational Marginal Prices (LMPs) as well as the price volatility.« less

Designing an Academic Project Management Program: A Collaboration between a University and a PMI Chapter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poston, Robin S.; Richardson, Sandra M.

2011-01-01

The demand for project management skills in industry is increasing resulting in a higher demand for project management educational programs. Universities are addressing industry demand by developing project management courses, degree offerings and certificate programs that focus on both technical and general project management skills. While…

A Microcomputer Program that Simulates the Baumol-Tobin Transactions Demand for Money.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beckman, Steven

1987-01-01

This article describes an economic model dealing with the demand for money and a microcomputer program which enables students to experiment with cash management techniques. By simulating personal experiences, the program teaches how changes in income, interest rates, and charges for exchanging bonds and cash affect money demand. (Author/JDH)

Three essays on the incentive structure of energy conservation programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okwelum, Edson Ogochukwu

This dissertation is comprised of three related essays examining the potential effectiveness of government energy efficiency programs from both the producer and consumer perspectives. The first chapter is based on a paper I coauthored with Corey Lang. In this manuscript, I address the question of whether strategic behavior by consumers could result in the erosion of energy savings in a demand response program. Understanding how the strategic behavior of consumers affects the net benefits from a demand response program has policy implications because of the increasing importance that demand response has come to play in utility load and reliability management during peak times. Using data from a large field experiment in California in 2007, we test the hypothesis that under a technology program, consumers' strategic behavior results in outcomes that are opposite what is obtainable under a program with price incentive or based of behavior. Chapter II is also an empirical study which explores how the preferences of consumers for large and heavy vehicles imposes costs on society in the form of external costs of accident. This chapter looks at how fleet changes in weight distribution due to corporate average fuel economy and consumer demand for heavier vehicles results in fatalities. It is important to understand how consumer behavior affects the accident rates so that one can obtain unbiased estimates of accident costs that go into benefit-cost analysis of the impact of regulations in automobiles. Chapter three addresses how unobserved heterogeneity and sorting affect the estimates of the consumer willingness to pay for reduction in future gasoline costs. This tradeoff is important to policy makers and manufactures because it could help explain why manufacturers fail to adopt technologies for which the fuel savings far outweigh the costs. The remainder of the abstract provides a more detailed outlines of the three essays. Chapter 1 explores strategic behavior by consumers in demand response programs. The chapter looks at how the confluences of consumer strategic behavior, technology and price incentives in demand response lead to conflicting outcomes. Demand response has become an important tool for utilities to manage load during peak periods. While the effects of demand response programs on peak load reductions are well studied and intuitive, assessments typically fail to recognize the potential for off-peak behavioral responses that may mitigate the total benefits of the program. Using smart meter consumption data on residential air conditioning units enrolled in a direct load control program, this paper examines changes in consumption prior to and after curtailment events. The manuscript rigorously estimates both peak and off peak changes in consumption to better understand net benefits of DR programs. We examine Pacific Gas and Electric's (PG&E) SmartAC program, which is designed to reduce peak cooling load by directly controlling air conditioning units of participants. Usually, program evaluation uses the availability of a control group to obtain unbiased estimates of program impacts. However, we do not have the luxury of a control group in our data. Instead we estimate unit-specific non-linear consumption models and then compare load on event days to predicted load. Importantly, we use data from the summer 2007 training period from a stratified random sample of 294 participating AC units. In contrast to subsequent summers and normal DR designs, during the training period curtailment days were called for many different temperature levels, not just the hottest days. This aspect means we are not predicting out of sample, and we can have greater confidence in our econometric evidence. Our methodology is validated by a falsification test in which we find no changes in consumption during peak or off-peak times on non-curtailment days that match the temperature and timing profile of actual curtailment days. Several key results emerge from this analysis. First, we confirm that the SmartAC program, like other DR and DLC programs, reduces peak load during event days. In this case, peak consumption was reduced 19% on average. However, we also find substantial increases in consumption in the hours preceding and the hours following an event by 8% and 7% respectively. Essentially, load is being displaced from peak to off-peak times. These behavioral changes mitigate the monetary benefits of the program by 41%. Chapter II addresses the question of how much accident risks would change if consumers who purchase larger, heavier vehicles of the existing fleet where to behave strategically given regulatory constraints imposed by corporate average fuel economy. The paper estimates both the risk of dying given a crash and the crash frequencies of different vehicles in the fleet. We use a unique data set that combines data from fatality analysis reporting system (FARS) and NASS General Estimates Systems. The estimation strategy used corrects for selection bias due to moral hazard problems. The two equations are estimated simultaneously using simulated maximum likelihood without the need for exclusion restrictions (Green 2003, 2007). This approach allows us to obtain estimates that are causal. One of the main issues that have been left unanswered in earlier works is the existence of Peltzman-type moral hazard problems and endogeneity of vehicle choice. In the presence of Peltzman-type moral hazard problems, drivers in heavier vehicles will find it advantageous to change their behavior in ways that have opposite effect to regulations. From a public policy perspective if increasing the weight of a vehicle increases the probability of its being involved in collisions, then we might be interested in more than the impact of heavier vehicles conditional on a crash occurring. We find that increasing the weight of any vehicle increases the probability of it being the heavier vehicle in a collision and the probability of it being involved in a fatal accident. The external costs translate to about 38 cents/gallon of gasoline. Chapter III explores how individual unobserved heterogeneity in tastes could lead to different customers sorting into different classes of fuel efficient vehicles and therefore affect estimates of consumer's ability to tradeoff vehicle costs and discounted future gasoline costs. The research question is important for several reasons. First, it is interesting from a theoretical basis if consumers make this trade off optimally. Many theoretical models in economics make the fundamental assumption that consumers equally weigh current and future events when making decisions today. However, plenty empirical and laboratory evidence conclude the contrary. Second, Regulatory Impact Analyses (RIA) of regulations on energy efficiency standards usually find that the benefits of these programs are in many times larger than the costs, with the fuel savings over the life of the vehicle accounting for the majority of the benefits. However, if fuel savings are large relative to costs, then the question is why are manufacturers not incorporating these technologies in their product offerings? Therefore understanding energy paradox is critical for evaluating the standards and regulations so that policy makers can identify baseline for assessment in cost-benefit analyses. In this paper, we contribute to the literature on Energy Paradox in Fuel Economy by providing empirical evidence that unobserved consumer heterogeneity could result in different consumers sorting into different classes of fuel efficient cars which results in consumers undervaluing fuel economy. Unlike existing literature in this topic, this paper accounts for sorting bias due unobserved heterogeneity by using a random coefficient logit with error components (Train and Winston 2007). We pair the random coefficient discrete choice model with a supply side model in which firms compete in Bertrand Nash fashion where price depends on elasticity of demand and marginal costs. With the random utility model, we can allow taste to vary across consumers. We treat the discounted operating costs and vehicle costs as random variables. We find that a substantial portion of upper the 95% of households in our sample correctly value fuel economy (61%) as they are willing to pay 0.99 to reduce obtain a 1.00 discounted future gasoline costs over the lifetime of the vehicle. And 29% of the upper 95% overvalue fuel economy as they are willing to pay $1.57. These results are in contrast to those reported elsewhere by Alcott and Wozny (2009) but support results from the simulation study by Bento et al 2012 who find that not accounting for sorting bias and consumer heterogeneity could lead to a conclusion that consumers undervalue fuel economy.

Waiting lists and elective surgery: ordering the queue.

PubMed

Curtis, Andrea J; Russell, Colin O H; Stoelwinder, Johannes U; McNeil, John J

2010-02-15

In the Australian public health system, access to elective surgery is rationed through the use of waiting lists in which patients are assigned to broad urgency categories. Surgeons are principally responsible for referring patients to waiting lists, deciding on the appropriate urgency category, and selecting patients from the waiting list to receive surgery. There are few agreed-upon criteria to help surgeons make these decisions, leading to striking differences between institutions in proportions of patients allocated to urgency categories. In other countries with publicly funded health systems, programs have been developed that aim to make prioritisation more consistent and access to surgery more equitable. As demand for health care increases, similar programs should be established in Australia using relevant clinical and psychosocial factors. Prioritisation methodology adapted for elective surgery may have a role in prioritising high-demand procedures in other areas of health care.

Automated Dynamic Demand Response Implementation on a Micro-grid

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

Kuppannagari, Sanmukh R.; Kannan, Rajgopal; Chelmis, Charalampos

In this paper, we describe a system for real-time automated Dynamic and Sustainable Demand Response with sparse data consumption prediction implemented on the University of Southern California campus microgrid. Supply side approaches to resolving energy supply-load imbalance do not work at high levels of renewable energy penetration. Dynamic Demand Response (D 2R) is a widely used demand-side technique to dynamically adjust electricity consumption during peak load periods. Our D 2R system consists of accurate machine learning based energy consumption forecasting models that work with sparse data coupled with fast and sustainable load curtailment optimization algorithms that provide the ability tomore » dynamically adapt to changing supply-load imbalances in near real-time. Our Sustainable DR (SDR) algorithms attempt to distribute customer curtailment evenly across sub-intervals during a DR event and avoid expensive demand peaks during a few sub-intervals. It also ensures that each customer is penalized fairly in order to achieve the targeted curtailment. We develop near linear-time constant-factor approximation algorithms along with Polynomial Time Approximation Schemes (PTAS) for SDR curtailment that minimizes the curtailment error defined as the difference between the target and achieved curtailment values. Our SDR curtailment problem is formulated as an Integer Linear Program that optimally matches customers to curtailment strategies during a DR event while also explicitly accounting for customer strategy switching overhead as a constraint. We demonstrate the results of our D 2R system using real data from experiments performed on the USC smartgrid and show that 1) our prediction algorithms can very accurately predict energy consumption even with noisy or missing data and 2) our curtailment algorithms deliver DR with extremely low curtailment errors in the 0.01-0.05 kWh range.« less

Research opportunities in human behavior and performances

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christensen, J. M.; Talbot, J. M.

1985-01-01

The NASA research program in the biological and medical aspects of space flight includes investigations of human behavior and performance. The research focuses on psychological and psychophysiological responses to operational and environmental stresses and demands of spaceflight, and encompasses problems in perception, cognition, motivation, psychological stability, small group dynamics, and performance. The primary objective is to acquire the knowledge and methodology to aid in achieving high productivity and essential psychological support of space and ground crews in the Space Shuttle and space station programs. The Life Sciences Research Office (LSRO) of the Federation of American Societies for Experimental Biology reviewed its program in psychology and identified its research for future program planning to be in line with NASA's goals.

A Game Theoretical Model for Location of Terror Response Facilities under Capacitated Resources

PubMed Central

Kang, Qi; Xu, Weisheng; Wu, Qidi

2013-01-01

This paper is concerned with the effect of capacity constraints on the locations of terror response facilities. We assume that the state has limited resources, and multiple facilities may be involved in the response until the demand is satisfied consequently. We formulate a leader-follower game model between the state and the terrorist and prove the existence and uniqueness of the Nash equilibrium. An integer linear programming is proposed to obtain the equilibrium results when the facility number is fixed. The problem is demonstrated by a case study of the 19 districts of Shanghai, China. PMID:24459446

Demand Response Resource Quantification with Detailed Building Energy Models

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

Hale, Elaine; Horsey, Henry; Merket, Noel

Demand response is a broad suite of technologies that enables changes in electrical load operations in support of power system reliability and efficiency. Although demand response is not a new concept, there is new appetite for comprehensively evaluating its technical potential in the context of renewable energy integration. The complexity of demand response makes this task difficult -- we present new methods for capturing the heterogeneity of potential responses from buildings, their time-varying nature, and metrics such as thermal comfort that help quantify likely acceptability of specific demand response actions. Computed with an automated software framework, the methods are scalable.

Customer response to day-ahead wholesale market electricity prices: Case study of RTP program experience in New York

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

Goldman, C.; Hopper, N.; Sezgen, O.

2004-07-01

There is growing interest in policies, programs and tariffs that encourage customer loads to provide demand response (DR) to help discipline wholesale electricity markets. Proposals at the retail level range from eliminating fixed rate tariffs as the default service for some or all customer groups to reinstituting utility-sponsored load management programs with market-based inducements to curtail. Alternative rate designs include time-of-use (TOU), day-ahead real-time pricing (RTP), critical peak pricing, and even pricing usage at real-time market balancing prices. Some Independent System Operators (ISOs) have implemented their own DR programs whereby load curtailment capabilities are treated as a system resource andmore » are paid an equivalent value. The resulting load reductions from these tariffs and programs provide a variety of benefits, including limiting the ability of suppliers to increase spot and long-term market-clearing prices above competitive levels (Neenan et al., 2002; Boren stein, 2002; Ruff, 2002). Unfortunately, there is little information in the public domain to characterize and quantify how customers actually respond to these alternative dynamic pricing schemes. A few empirical studies of large customer RTP response have shown modest results for most customers, with a few very price-responsive customers providing most of the aggregate response (Herriges et al., 1993; Schwarz et al., 2002). However, these studies examined response to voluntary, two-part RTP programs implemented by utilities in states without retail competition.1 Furthermore, the researchers had limited information on customer characteristics so they were unable to identify the drivers to price response. In the absence of a compelling characterization of why customers join RTP programs and how they respond to prices, many initiatives to modernize retail electricity rates seem to be stymied.« less

Final Report on Third and Fourth Year Operations of the Alum Rock Voucher Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sequoia Inst., San Jose, CA.

Covered in this report are the main events that occurred in the Alum Rock voucher project between July 1974 and January 1976. Measures considered to be functioning effectively at the beginning of this time span were the concepts of alternative education, open enrollment, programs that vary their capacity in response to parent demand within the…

Who Is the Building Leader?: Commentary on Educational Leadership Preparation Programs for the Future

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mercer, Debbie K.

2016-01-01

In this commentary, the Dean of the Kansas State University College of Education states that the job of a school leader is more complex and more demanding than ever before. As institutions of higher education contemplate the question "Who is the Building Leader?," defining the roles and responsibilities of the school building leader is…

Thermal Profiling of Residential Energy Use

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

Albert, A; Rajagopal, R

This work describes a methodology for informing targeted demand-response (DR) and marketing programs that focus on the temperature-sensitive part of residential electricity demand. Our methodology uses data that is becoming readily available at utility companies-hourly energy consumption readings collected from "smart" electricity meters, as well as hourly temperature readings. To decompose individual consumption into a thermal-sensitive part and a base load (non-thermally-sensitive), we propose a model of temperature response that is based on thermal regimes, i.e., unobserved decisions of consumers to use their heating or cooling appliances. We use this model to extract useful benchmarks that compose thermal profiles ofmore » individual users, i.e., terse characterizations of the statistics of these users' temperature-sensitive consumption. We present example profiles generated using our model on real consumers, and show its performance on a large sample of residential users. This knowledge may, in turn, inform the DR program by allowing scarce operational and marketing budgets to be spent on the right users-those whose influencing will yield highest energy reductions-at the right time. We show that such segmentation and targeting of users may offer savings exceeding 100% of a random strategy.« less

49 CFR 37.77 - Purchase or lease of new non-rail vehicles by public entities operating a demand responsive...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... public entities operating a demand responsive system for the general public. 37.77 Section 37.77...-rail vehicles by public entities operating a demand responsive system for the general public. (a) Except as provided in this section, a public entity operating a demand responsive system for the general...

49 CFR 37.77 - Purchase or lease of new non-rail vehicles by public entities operating a demand responsive...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... public entities operating a demand responsive system for the general public. 37.77 Section 37.77...-rail vehicles by public entities operating a demand responsive system for the general public. (a) Except as provided in this section, a public entity operating a demand responsive system for the general...

49 CFR 37.77 - Purchase or lease of new non-rail vehicles by public entities operating a demand responsive...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... public entities operating a demand responsive system for the general public. 37.77 Section 37.77...-rail vehicles by public entities operating a demand responsive system for the general public. (a) Except as provided in this section, a public entity operating a demand responsive system for the general...

49 CFR 37.77 - Purchase or lease of new non-rail vehicles by public entities operating a demand responsive...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... public entities operating a demand responsive system for the general public. 37.77 Section 37.77...-rail vehicles by public entities operating a demand responsive system for the general public. (a) Except as provided in this section, a public entity operating a demand responsive system for the general...

User's instructions for the Grodins' respiratory control model using the UNIVAC 1110 remote batch and demand processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1974-01-01

The transient and steady state response of the respiratory control system for variations in volumetric fractions of inspired gases and special system parameters are modeled. The program contains the capability to change workload. The program is based on Grodins' respiratory control model and can be envisioned as a feedback control system comprised of a plant (the controlled system) and the regulating component (controlling system). The controlled system is partitioned into 3 compartments corresponding to lungs, brain, and tissue with a fluid interconnecting patch representing the blood.

Competition and rural primary care programs.

PubMed

Ricketts, T C

1990-04-01

Rural primary care programs were established in areas where there was thought to be no competition for patients. However, evidence from site visits and surveys of a national sample of subsidized programs revealed a pattern of competitive responses by the clinics. In this study of 193 rural primary care programs, mail and telephone surveys produced uniform data on the organization, operation, finances, and utilization of a representative sample of clinics. The programs were found to compete in terms of: (1) price, (2) service mix, (3) staff availability, (4) structural accessibility, (5) outreach, and (6) targeting a segment of the market. The competitive strategies employed by the clinics had consequences that affected their productivity and financial stability. The strategies were related to the perceived missions of the programs, and depended heavily upon the degree of isolation of the program and the targeting of the services. The competitive strategy chosen by a particular program could not be predicted based on service area population and apparent competitors in the service area. The goals and objectives of the programs had more to do with their competitive responses than with market characteristics. Moreover, the chosen strategies may not meet the demands of those markets.

A Generalized Formulation of Demand Response under Market Environments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nguyen, Minh Y.; Nguyen, Duc M.

2015-06-01

This paper presents a generalized formulation of Demand Response (DR) under deregulated electricity markets. The problem is scheduling and controls the consumption of electrical loads according to the market price to minimize the energy cost over a day. Taking into account the modeling of customers' comfort (i.e., preference), the formulation can be applied to various types of loads including what was traditionally classified as critical loads (e.g., air conditioning, lights). The proposed DR scheme is based on Dynamic Programming (DP) framework and solved by DP backward algorithm in which the stochastic optimization is used to treat the uncertainty, if any occurred in the problem. The proposed formulation is examined with the DR problem of different loads, including Heat Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC), Electric Vehicles (EVs) and a newly DR on the water supply systems of commercial buildings. The result of simulation shows significant saving can be achieved in comparison with their traditional (On/Off) scheme.

Estimating Ridership of Rural Demand-Response Transit Services for the General Public : 21177060-NCTR-NDSU08.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-08-01

The objective of this study is to develop a model for estimating demand for rural demand-response transit services for the general public. Lack of data for demand-response service characteristics and geographic coverage has limited the development of...

Sleep technologists educational needs assessment: a survey of polysomnography, electroneurodiagnostic technology, and respiratory therapy education program directors.

PubMed

Wells, Mary Ellen; Vaughn, Bradley V

2013-10-15

In this study, we assessed the community and educational needs for sleep technologists by surveying program directors of nationally accredited polysomnography, electroneurodiagnostic technology, and respiratory care educational programs. Currently, little is known about our educational capacity and the need for advanced degrees for sleep medicine technical support. A questionnaire was developed about current and future community and educational needs for sleep technologists. The questionnaire was sent to directors of CAAHEP-accredited polysomnography and electroneurodiagnostic technology programs (associate degree and certificate programs), and directors of CoARC-accredited respiratory therapy associate degree and bachelor degree programs (n = 358). Qualitative and quantitative data were collected via an internet survey tool. Data analysis was conducted with the IBM SPSS statistical package and included calculating means and standard deviations of the frequency of responses. Qualitative data was analyzed and classified based on emerging themes. One hundred seven of 408 program directors completed the survey. Seventy-four percent agreed that demand for qualified sleep technologists will increase, yet 50% of those surveyed believe there are not enough educational programs to meet the demand. Seventy-eight percent of those surveyed agreed that the educational requirements for sleep technologists will soon increase; 79% of those surveyed believe sleep centers have a need for technologists with advanced training or specialization. Our study shows educators of associate and certificate degree programs believe there is a need for a bachelor's degree in sleep science and technology.

Opportunities for Energy Efficiency and Automated Demand Response in Industrial Refrigerated Warehouses in California

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

Lekov, Alex; Thompson, Lisa; McKane, Aimee

2009-05-11

This report summarizes the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory's research to date in characterizing energy efficiency and open automated demand response opportunities for industrial refrigerated warehouses in California. The report describes refrigerated warehouses characteristics, energy use and demand, and control systems. It also discusses energy efficiency and open automated demand response opportunities and provides analysis results from three demand response studies. In addition, several energy efficiency, load management, and demand response case studies are provided for refrigerated warehouses. This study shows that refrigerated warehouses can be excellent candidates for open automated demand response and that facilities which have implemented energy efficiencymore » measures and have centralized control systems are well-suited to shift or shed electrical loads in response to financial incentives, utility bill savings, and/or opportunities to enhance reliability of service. Control technologies installed for energy efficiency and load management purposes can often be adapted for open automated demand response (OpenADR) at little additional cost. These improved controls may prepare facilities to be more receptive to OpenADR due to both increased confidence in the opportunities for controlling energy cost/use and access to the real-time data.« less

29 CFR 20.55 - Second and subsequent notifications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... second and subsequent demands for payment, if payment or other appropriate response is not received within the time specified by the initial demand. Unless a response to the first or second demand indicates that a further demand would be futile or the debtor's response does not require rebuttal, the...

Opportunities for Automated Demand Response in California Wastewater Treatment Facilities

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

Aghajanzadeh, Arian; Wray, Craig; McKane, Aimee

Previous research over a period of six years has identified wastewater treatment facilities as good candidates for demand response (DR), automated demand response (Auto-­DR), and Energy Efficiency (EE) measures. This report summarizes that work, including the characteristics of wastewater treatment facilities, the nature of the wastewater stream, energy used and demand, as well as details of the wastewater treatment process. It also discusses control systems and automated demand response opportunities. Furthermore, this report summarizes the DR potential of three wastewater treatment facilities. In particular, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) has collected data at these facilities from control systems, submetered processmore » equipment, utility electricity demand records, and governmental weather stations. The collected data were then used to generate a summary of wastewater power demand, factors affecting that demand, and demand response capabilities. These case studies show that facilities that have implemented energy efficiency measures and that have centralized control systems are well suited to shed or shift electrical loads in response to financial incentives, utility bill savings, and/or opportunities to enhance reliability of service. In summary, municipal wastewater treatment energy demand in California is large, and energy-­intensive equipment offers significant potential for automated demand response. In particular, large load reductions were achieved by targeting effluent pumps and centrifuges. One of the limiting factors to implementing demand response is the reaction of effluent turbidity to reduced aeration at an earlier stage of the process. Another limiting factor is that cogeneration capabilities of municipal facilities, including existing power purchase agreements and utility receptiveness to purchasing electricity from cogeneration facilities, limit a facility’s potential to participate in other DR activities.« less

Optimal Technology Investment and Operation in Zero-Net-Energy Buildings with Demand Response

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

Stadler , Michael; Siddiqui, Afzal; Marnay, Chris

The US Department of Energy has launched the Zero-Net-Energy (ZNE) Commercial Building Initiative (CBI) in order to develop commercial buildings that produce as much energy as they use. Its objective is to make these buildings marketable by 2025 such that they minimize their energy use through cutting-edge energy-efficient technologies and meet their remaining energy needs through on-site renewable energy generation. We examine how such buildings may be implemented within the context of a cost- or carbon-minimizing microgrid that is able to adopt and operate various technologies, such as photovoltaic (PV) on-site generation, heat exchangers, solar thermal collectors, absorption chillers, andmore » passive / demand-response technologies. We use a mixed-integer linear program (MILP) that has a multi-criteria objective function: the minimization of a weighted average of the building's annual energy costs and carbon / CO2 emissions. The MILP's constraints ensure energy balance and capacity limits. In addition, constraining the building's energy consumed to equal its energy exports enables us to explore how energy sales and demand-response measures may enable compliance with the CBI. Using a nursing home in northern California and New York with existing tariff rates and technology data, we find that a ZNE building requires ample PV capacity installed to ensure electricity sales during the day. This is complemented by investment in energy-efficient combined heat and power equipment, while occasional demand response shaves energy consumption. A large amount of storage is also adopted, which may be impractical. Nevertheless, it shows the nature of the solutions and costs necessary to achieve ZNE. For comparison, we analyze a nursing home facility in New York to examine the effects of a flatter tariff structure and different load profiles. It has trouble reaching ZNE status and its load reductions as well as efficiency measures need to be more effective than those in the CA case. Finally, we illustrate that the multi-criteria frontier that considers costs and carbon emissions in the presence of demand response dominates the one without it.« less

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009: Final Report on Customer Acceptance, Retention, and Response to Time-Based Rates from Consumer Behavior Studies

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

Cappers, Peter; Scheer, Rich

Time-based rate programs, enabled by utility investments in advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), are increasingly being considered by utilities as tools to reduce peak demand and enable customers to better manage consumption and costs. Under the Smart Grid Investment Grant Program (SGIG), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) partnered with several electric utilities to conduct consumer behavior studies (CBS). The goals involved applying randomized and controlled experimental designs for estimating customer responses more precisely and credibly to advance understanding of time-based rates and customer systems, and provide new information for improving program designs, implementation strategies, and evaluations. The intent was tomore » produce more robust and credible analysis of impacts, costs, benefits, and lessons learned and assist utility and regulatory decision makers in evaluating investment opportunities involving time-based rates.« less

12 CFR 602.23 - Responses to demands served on FCA employees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Responses to demands served on FCA employees. 602.23 Section 602.23 Banks and Banking FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS RELEASING....23 Responses to demands served on FCA employees. (a) An employee served with a demand or a subpoena...

A Preliminary Assessment of Occupational Opportunities in the District of Columbia for Bachelors Degree Graduates from Local Public and Private Institutions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Federal City Coll., Washington, DC.

Meeting the challenge of developing programs responsive to the manpower needs of the District of Columbia in the 1980's is presented as a fundamental aspect of planning and development at Federal City College. Current employment opportunities in the District as well as forecasts of occupational demand for areas requiring bachelors degrees are…

Access to Arts beyond High School: Issues of Demand and Availability in American Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warburton, Edward C.

2006-01-01

Students' interests in and access to disciplinary study in the arts have increased dramatically over the past fifteen years. This is due in large part to steady growth in K-12 arts programming during the 1990s, when policymakers came to view arts instruction as part of an effective response to concerns about the quality of America's schools. Arts…

Closing the Opportunity Gap: Program Factors Contributing to Academic Success in Culturally Different Youth

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olszewski-Kubilius, Paula; Clarenbach, Jane

2014-01-01

There has been a cry of alarm about the need for a new generation of thinkers, innovators, linguists, and creative problem solvers to meet the demands of the 21st century global economy and our national security needs. Thus far, the response to the clarion call has been underwhelming. The nation has not yet committed itself to changing K-12…

Factors Affecting the Transportability of the State Consultant Model to Another Region: The Mutual Adaptation of the State Consultant Model and of the Structure of AEL's Educational Services Office.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanders, Jack

The Educational Services Office (ESO) of the Appalachia Educational Laboratory (AEL) sought an organizational strategy that would improve its ability to meet client demand without sacrificing the integrity of its programs or the fulfillment of its institutional responsibilities. Three alternative organizational strategies were identified:…

Reconfigurable photonic crystals enabled by pressure-responsive shape-memory polymers

PubMed Central

Fang, Yin; Ni, Yongliang; Leo, Sin-Yen; Taylor, Curtis; Basile, Vito; Jiang, Peng

2015-01-01

Smart shape-memory polymers can memorize and recover their permanent shape in response to an external stimulus (for example, heat). They have been extensively exploited for a wide spectrum of applications ranging from biomedical devices to aerospace morphing structures. However, most of the existing shape-memory polymers are thermoresponsive and their performance is hindered by heat-demanding programming and recovery steps. Although pressure is an easily adjustable process variable such as temperature, pressure-responsive shape-memory polymers are largely unexplored. Here we report a series of shape-memory polymers that enable unusual ‘cold' programming and instantaneous shape recovery triggered by applying a contact pressure at ambient conditions. Moreover, the interdisciplinary integration of scientific principles drawn from two disparate fields—the fast-growing photonic crystal and shape-memory polymer technologies—enables fabrication of reconfigurable photonic crystals and simultaneously provides a simple and sensitive optical technique for investigating the intriguing shape-memory effects at nanoscale. PMID:26074349

Modeling Integrated Water-User Decisions with Intermittent Supplies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lund, J. R.; Rosenberg, D.

2006-12-01

We present an economic-engineering method to estimate urban water use demands with intermittent water supplies. A two-stage, probabilistic optimization formulation includes a wide variety of water supply enhancement and conservation actions that individual households can adopt to meet multiple water quality uses with uncertain water availability. We embed the optimization in Monte-Carlo simulations to show aggregate effects at a utility (citywide) scale for a population of user conditions and decisions. Parametric analysis provides derivations of supply curves to subsidize conservation, demand responses to alternative pricing, and customer willingness-to-pay to avoid shortages. Results show a good empirical fit for the average and distribution of billed residential water use in Amman, Jordan. Additional outputs give likely market penetration rates for household conservation actions, associated water savings, and subsidies required to entice further adoption. We discuss new insights to size, target, market, and finance conservation programs and interpret a demand curve with block pricing.

Distributed computing feasibility in a non-dedicated homogeneous distributed system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leutenegger, Scott T.; Sun, Xian-He

1993-01-01

The low cost and availability of clusters of workstations have lead researchers to re-explore distributed computing using independent workstations. This approach may provide better cost/performance than tightly coupled multiprocessors. In practice, this approach often utilizes wasted cycles to run parallel jobs. The feasibility of such a non-dedicated parallel processing environment assuming workstation processes have preemptive priority over parallel tasks is addressed. An analytical model is developed to predict parallel job response times. Our model provides insight into how significantly workstation owner interference degrades parallel program performance. A new term task ratio, which relates the parallel task demand to the mean service demand of nonparallel workstation processes, is introduced. It was proposed that task ratio is a useful metric for determining how large the demand of a parallel applications must be in order to make efficient use of a non-dedicated distributed system.

Nurse-Performed Endoscopy: Implications for the Nursing Profession in Australia.

PubMed

Duffield, Christine; Chapman, Susan; Rowbotham, Samantha; Blay, Nicole

2017-02-01

Increasing demands for health care globally often lead to discussions about expanding the involvement of nurses in a range of nontraditional roles. Several countries have introduced nurse endoscopists as a means of easing the burden of demand for a range of endoscopic procedures. A shortage of medical staff in Australia combined with increasing demand for endoscopy led to the implementation of nurse endoscopists as a pilot program in the state of Queensland, where a nurse practitioner model was implemented, and Victoria, where an advanced practice model was used. This article will discuss the implementation of and responses from the nursing, medical, and policy community to nurse-performed endoscopy in this country. Regarding health policy, access to cancer screening may be improved by providing nurses with advanced training to safely perform endoscopy procedures. Moreover, issues of nurse credentialing and payment need to be considered appropriate to each country's health system model.

Critical Care Pharmacist Market Perceptions: Comparison of Critical Care Program Directors and Directors of Pharmacy

PubMed Central

Hager, David R.; Persaud, Rosemary A.; Naseman, Ryan W.; Choudhary, Kavish; Carter, Kristen E.; Hansen, Amanda

2017-01-01

Background: While hospital beds continue to decline as patients previously treated as inpatients are stabilized in ambulatory settings, the number of critical care beds available in the United States continues to rise. Growth in pharmacy student graduation, postgraduate year 2 critical care (PGY2 CC) residency programs, and positions has also increased. There is a perception that the critical care trained pharmacist market is saturated, yet this has not been evaluated since the rise in pharmacy graduates and residency programs. Purpose: To describe the current perception of critical care residency program directors (CC RPDs) and directors of pharmacy (DOPs) on the critical care pharmacist job market and to evaluate critical care postresidency placement and anticipated changes in PGY2 CC programs. Methods: Two electronic surveys were distributed from October 2015 to November 2015 through Vizient/University HealthSystem Consortium, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), Society of Critical Care Medicine, and American College of Clinical Pharmacy listservs to target 2 groups of respondents: CC RPDs and DOPs. Questions were based on the ASHP Pharmacy Forecast and the Pharmacy Workforce Center’s Aggregate Demand Index and were intended to identify perceptions of the critical care market of the 2 groups. Results: Of 116 CC RPDs, there were 66 respondents (56.9% response rate). Respondents have observed an increase in applicants; however, they do not anticipate increasing the number of positions in the next 5 years. The overall perception is that there is a balance in supply and demand in the critical care trained pharmacist market. A total of 82 DOPs responded to the survey. Turnover of critical care pharmacists within respondent organizations is expected to be low. Although a majority of DOPs plan to expand residency training positions, only 9% expect to increase positions in critical care PGY2 training. Overall, DOP respondents indicated a balance of supply and demand in the critical care trained pharmacist market. In comparing RPD and DOP perceptions of the demand for critical care pharmacists, DOPs perceived demand to be higher than RPDs (mean, 3.2 vs 2.8; P = .032). Conclusion: Although there is a perception of the oversupply of critical care trained pharmacists, a survey of DOPs and CC RPDs found a market with positions available, rapid hiring, stable salaries, and plans for expanded hiring of critical care trained pharmacists. PMID:28804148

Critical Care Pharmacist Market Perceptions: Comparison of Critical Care Program Directors and Directors of Pharmacy.

PubMed

Hager, David R; Persaud, Rosemary A; Naseman, Ryan W; Choudhary, Kavish; Carter, Kristen E; Hansen, Amanda

2017-05-01

Background: While hospital beds continue to decline as patients previously treated as inpatients are stabilized in ambulatory settings, the number of critical care beds available in the United States continues to rise. Growth in pharmacy student graduation, postgraduate year 2 critical care (PGY2 CC) residency programs, and positions has also increased. There is a perception that the critical care trained pharmacist market is saturated, yet this has not been evaluated since the rise in pharmacy graduates and residency programs. Purpose: To describe the current perception of critical care residency program directors (CC RPDs) and directors of pharmacy (DOPs) on the critical care pharmacist job market and to evaluate critical care postresidency placement and anticipated changes in PGY2 CC programs. Methods: Two electronic surveys were distributed from October 2015 to November 2015 through Vizient/University HealthSystem Consortium, American Society of Health-System Pharmacists (ASHP), Society of Critical Care Medicine, and American College of Clinical Pharmacy listservs to target 2 groups of respondents: CC RPDs and DOPs. Questions were based on the ASHP Pharmacy Forecast and the Pharmacy Workforce Center's Aggregate Demand Index and were intended to identify perceptions of the critical care market of the 2 groups. Results: Of 116 CC RPDs, there were 66 respondents (56.9% response rate). Respondents have observed an increase in applicants; however, they do not anticipate increasing the number of positions in the next 5 years. The overall perception is that there is a balance in supply and demand in the critical care trained pharmacist market. A total of 82 DOPs responded to the survey. Turnover of critical care pharmacists within respondent organizations is expected to be low. Although a majority of DOPs plan to expand residency training positions, only 9% expect to increase positions in critical care PGY2 training. Overall, DOP respondents indicated a balance of supply and demand in the critical care trained pharmacist market. In comparing RPD and DOP perceptions of the demand for critical care pharmacists, DOPs perceived demand to be higher than RPDs (mean, 3.2 vs 2.8; P = .032). Conclusion: Although there is a perception of the oversupply of critical care trained pharmacists, a survey of DOPs and CC RPDs found a market with positions available, rapid hiring, stable salaries, and plans for expanded hiring of critical care trained pharmacists.

A Vision for Co-optimized T&D System Interaction with Renewables and Demand Response

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

Anderson, Lindsay; Zéphyr, Luckny; Cardell, Judith B.

The evolution of the power system to the reliable, efficient and sustainable system of the future will involve development of both demand- and supply-side technology and operations. The use of demand response to counterbalance the intermittency of renewable generation brings the consumer into the spotlight. Though individual consumers are interconnected at the low-voltage distribution system, these resources are typically modeled as variables at the transmission network level. In this paper, a vision for cooptimized interaction of distribution systems, or microgrids, with the high-voltage transmission system is described. In this framework, microgrids encompass consumers, distributed renewables and storage. The energy managementmore » system of the microgrid can also sell (buy) excess (necessary) energy from the transmission system. Preliminary work explores price mechanisms to manage the microgrid and its interactions with the transmission system. Wholesale market operations are addressed through the development of scalable stochastic optimization methods that provide the ability to co-optimize interactions between the transmission and distribution systems. Modeling challenges of the co-optimization are addressed via solution methods for large-scale stochastic optimization, including decomposition and stochastic dual dynamic programming.« less

A Vision for Co-optimized T&D System Interaction with Renewables and Demand Response

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

Anderson, C. Lindsay; Zéphyr, Luckny; Liu, Jialin

The evolution of the power system to the reliable, effi- cient and sustainable system of the future will involve development of both demand- and supply-side technology and operations. The use of demand response to counterbalance the intermittency of re- newable generation brings the consumer into the spotlight. Though individual consumers are interconnected at the low-voltage distri- bution system, these resources are typically modeled as variables at the transmission network level. In this paper, a vision for co- optimized interaction of distribution systems, or microgrids, with the high-voltage transmission system is described. In this frame- work, microgrids encompass consumers, distributed renewablesmore » and storage. The energy management system of the microgrid can also sell (buy) excess (necessary) energy from the transmission system. Preliminary work explores price mechanisms to manage the microgrid and its interactions with the transmission system. Wholesale market operations are addressed through the devel- opment of scalable stochastic optimization methods that provide the ability to co-optimize interactions between the transmission and distribution systems. Modeling challenges of the co-optimization are addressed via solution methods for large-scale stochastic op- timization, including decomposition and stochastic dual dynamic programming.« less

Assessing and treating vocal stereotypy in children with autism.

PubMed

Ahearn, William H; Clark, Kathy M; MacDonald, Rebecca P F; Chung, Bo In

2007-01-01

Previous research implies that stereotypic behavior tends to be maintained by the sensory consequences produced by engaging in the response. Few investigations, however, have focused on vocal stereotypy. The current study examined the noncommunicative vocalizations of 4 children with an autism spectrum disorder. First, functional analyses were conducted in an attempt to identify the function of each child's behavior. For each of the participants, it was found that vocal stereotypy was likely not maintained by the social consequences. Following assessment, response interruption and redirection (RIRD) was implemented in an ABAB design to determine whether vocal stereotypy could be successfully redirected. RIRD involved a teacher issuing a series of vocal demands the child readily complied with during regular academic programming. Vocal demands were presented contingent on the occurrence of vocal stereotypy and were continuously presented until the child complied with three consecutively issued demands without emitting vocal stereotypy. For each child, RIRD produced levels of vocal stereotypy substantially lower than those observed in baseline. For 3 of the children, an increase in appropriate communication was also observed. The children's teachers were trained to implement RIRD. Brief follow-up probes and anecdotal information implied that the treatment had a positive impact in the natural environment.

Assessing and Treating Vocal Stereotypy in children with Autism

PubMed Central

Ahearn, William H; Clark, Kathy M; MacDonald, Rebecca P.F; In Chung, Bo

2007-01-01

Previous research implies that stereotypic behavior tends to be maintained by the sensory consequences produced by engaging in the response. Few investigations, however, have focused on vocal stereotypy. The current study examined the noncommunicative vocalizations of 4 children with an autism spectrum disorder. First, functional analyses were conducted in an attempt to identify the function of each child's behavior. For each of the participants, it was found that vocal stereotypy was likely not maintained by the social consequences. Following assessment, response interruption and redirection (RIRD) was implemented in an ABAB design to determine whether vocal stereotypy could be successfully redirected. RIRD involved a teacher issuing a series of vocal demands the child readily complied with during regular academic programming. Vocal demands were presented contingent on the occurrence of vocal stereotypy and were continuously presented until the child complied with three consecutively issued demands without emitting vocal stereotypy. For each child, RIRD produced levels of vocal stereotypy substantially lower than those observed in baseline. For 3 of the children, an increase in appropriate communication was also observed. The children's teachers were trained to implement RIRD. Brief follow-up probes and anecdotal information implied that the treatment had a positive impact in the natural environment. PMID:17624067

10 CFR 611.111 - Default, demand, payment, and collateral liquidation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Default, demand, payment, and collateral liquidation. 611.111 Section 611.111 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (CONTINUED) ASSISTANCE REGULATIONS ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY VEHICLES MANUFACTURER ASSISTANCE PROGRAM Direct Loan Program § 611.111 Default, demand, payment, and...

Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Cardiac Adaptation to Exercise

PubMed Central

Vega, Rick B.; Konhilas, John P.; Kelly, Daniel P.; Leinwand, Leslie A.

2017-01-01

Exercise elicits coordinated multi-organ responses including skeletal muscle, vasculature, heart and lung. In the short term, the output of the heart increases to meet the demand of strenuous exercise. Long term exercise instigates remodeling of the heart including growth and adaptive molecular and cellular re-programming. Signaling pathways such as the insulin-like growth factor 1/PI3K/Akt pathway mediate many of these responses. Exercise-induced, or physiologic, cardiac growth contrasts with growth elicited by pathological stimuli such as hypertension. Comparing the molecular and cellular underpinnings of physiologic and pathologic cardiac growth has unveiled phenotype-specific signaling pathways and transcriptional regulatory programs. Studies suggest that exercise pathways likely antagonize pathological pathways, and exercise training is often recommended for patients with chronic stable heart failure or following myocardial infarction. Herein, we summarize the current understanding of the structural and functional cardiac responses to exercise as well as signaling pathways and downstream effector molecules responsible for these adaptations. PMID:28467921

Optimizing the location of ambulances in Tijuana, Mexico.

PubMed

Dibene, Juan Carlos; Maldonado, Yazmin; Vera, Carlos; de Oliveira, Mauricio; Trujillo, Leonardo; Schütze, Oliver

2017-01-01

In this work we report on modeling the demand for Emergency Medical Services (EMS) in Tijuana, Baja California, Mexico, followed by the optimization of the location of the ambulances for the Red Cross of Tijuana (RCT), which is by far the largest provider of EMS services in the region. We used data from more than 10,000 emergency calls surveyed during the year 2013 to model and classify the demand for EMS in different scenarios that provide different perspectives on the demand throughout the city, considering such factors as the time of day, work and off-days. A modification of the Double Standard Model (DSM) is proposed and solved to determine a common robust solution to the ambulance location problem that simultaneously satisfies all specified constraints in all demand scenarios selecting from a set of almost 1000 possible base locations. The resulting optimization problems are solved using integer linear programming and the solutions are compared with the locations currently used by the Red Cross. Results show that demand coverage and response times can be substantially improved by relocating the current bases without the need for additional resources. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Optimizing Industrial Consumer Demand Response Through Disaggregation, Hour-Ahead Pricing, and Momentary Autonomous Control

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdulaal, Ahmed

The work in this study addresses the current limitations of the price-driven demand response (DR) approach. Mainly, the dependability on consumers to respond in an energy aware conduct, the response timeliness, the difficulty of applying DR in a busy industrial environment, and the problem of load synchronization are of utmost concern. In order to conduct a simulation study, realistic price simulation model and consumers' building load models are created using real data. DR action is optimized using an autonomous control method, which eliminates the dependency on frequent consumer engagement. Since load scheduling and long-term planning approaches are infeasible in the industrial environment, the proposed method utilizes instantaneous DR in response to hour-ahead price signals (RTP-HA). Preliminary simulation results concluded savings at the consumer-side at the cost of increased supplier-side burden due to the aggregate effect of the universal DR policies. Therefore, a consumer disaggregation strategy is briefly discussed. Finally, a refined discrete-continuous control system is presented, which utilizes multi-objective Pareto optimization, evolutionary programming, utility functions, and bidirectional loads. Demonstrated through a virtual testbed fit with real data, the new system achieves momentary optimized DR in real-time while maximizing the consumer's wellbeing.

Subsidies and the Demand for Individual Health Insurance in California

PubMed Central

Susan Marquis, M; Buntin, Melinda Beeuwkes; Escarce, José J; Kapur, Kanika; Yegian, Jill M

2004-01-01

Objective To estimate the effect of changes in premiums for individual insurance on decisions to purchase individual insurance and how this price response varies among subgroups of the population. Data Source Survey responses from the Current Population Survey (), the Survey of Income and Program Participation (), the National Health Interview Survey (), and data about premiums and plans offered in the individual insurance market in California, 1996–2001. Study Design A logit model was used to estimate the decisions to purchase individual insurance by families without access to group insurance. This was modeled as a function of premiums, controlling for family characteristics and other characteristics of the market. A multinomial model was used to estimate the choice between group coverage, individual coverage, and remaining uninsured for workers offered group coverage as a function of premiums for individual insurance and out-of-pocket costs of group coverage. Principal Findings The elasticity of demand for individual insurance by those without access to group insurance is about −.2 to −.4, as has been found in earlier studies. However, there are substantial differences in price responses among subgroups with low-income, young, and self-employed families showing the greatest response. Among workers offered group insurance, a decrease in individual premiums has very small effects on the choice to purchase individual coverage versus group coverage. Conclusions Subsidy programs may make insurance more affordable for some families, but even sizeable subsidies are unlikely to solve the problem of the uninsured. We do not find evidence that subsidies to individual insurance will produce an unraveling of the employer-based health insurance system. PMID:15333122

Masters Study in Advanced Energy and Fuels Management

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

Mondal, Kanchan

2014-12-08

There are currently three key drivers for the US energy sector a) increasing energy demand and b) environmental stewardship in energy production for sustainability and c) general public and governmental desire for domestic resources. These drivers are also true for energy nation globally. As a result, this sector is rapidly diversifying to alternate sources that would supplement or replace fossil fuels. These changes have created a need for a highly trained workforce with a the understanding of both conventional and emerging energy resources and technology to lead and facilitate the reinvention of the US energy production, rational deployment of alternatemore » energy technologies based on scientific and business criteria while invigorating the overall economy. In addition, the current trends focus on the the need of Science, Technology, Engineering and Math (STEM) graduate education to move beyond academia and be more responsive to the workforce needs of businesses and the industry. The SIUC PSM in Advanced Energy and Fuels Management (AEFM) program was developed in response to the industries stated need for employees who combine technical competencies and workforce skills similar to all PSM degree programs. The SIUC AEFM program was designed to provide the STEM graduates with advanced technical training in energy resources and technology while simultaneously equipping them with the business management skills required by professional employers in the energy sector. Technical training include core skills in energy resources, technology and management for both conventional and emerging energy technologies. Business skills training include financial, personnel and project management. A capstone internship is also built into the program to train students such that they are acclimatized to the real world scenarios in research laboratories, in energy companies and in government agencies. The current curriculum in the SIUC AEFM will help fill the need for training both recent graduates seeking specialized training prior to entering the energy industry workforce as well as working professionals in the energy industry who require additional training and qualifications for further career advancement. It is expected that the students graduating from the program will be stewards of effective, sustainable and environmentally sound use of these resources to ensure energy independence and meet the growing demands.The application of this Professional Science Masters’ (PSM) program is in the fast evolving Fuels Arena. The PSM AEFM is intended to be a terminal degree which will prepare the graduates for interdisciplinary careers in team-oriented environment. The curriculum for this program was developed in concert with industry to dovetail with current and future demands based on analysis and needs. The primary objective of the project was to exploit the in house resources such as existing curriculum and faculty strengths and develop a curriculum with consultations with industry to meet current and future demands. Additional objectives was to develop courses specific to the degree and to provide the students with a set of business skills in finance accounting and sustainable project management.« less

2009 Canadian Radiation Oncology Resident Survey

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

Debenham, Brock, E-mail: debenham@ualberta.net; Banerjee, Robyn; Fairchild, Alysa

2012-03-15

Purpose: Statistics from the Canadian post-MD education registry show that numbers of Canadian radiation oncology (RO) trainees have risen from 62 in 1999 to approximately 150 per year between 2003 and 2009, contributing to the current perceived downturn in employment opportunities for radiation oncologists in Canada. When last surveyed in 2003, Canadian RO residents identified job availability as their main concern. Our objective was to survey current Canadian RO residents on their training and career plans. Methods and Materials: Trainees from the 13 Canadian residency programs using the national matching service were sought. Potential respondents were identified through individual programmore » directors or chief resident and were e-mailed a secure link to an online survey. Descriptive statistics were used to report responses. Results: The eligible response rate was 53% (83/156). Similar to the 2003 survey, respondents generally expressed high satisfaction with their programs and specialty. The most frequently expressed perceived weakness in their training differed from 2003, with 46.5% of current respondents feeling unprepared to enter the job market. 72% plan on pursuing a postresidency fellowship. Most respondents intend to practice in Canada. Fewer than 20% of respondents believe that there is a strong demand for radiation oncologists in Canada. Conclusions: Respondents to the current survey expressed significant satisfaction with their career choice and training program. However, differences exist compared with the 2003 survey, including the current perceived lack of demand for radiation oncologists in Canada.« less

A Community-Based Approach to Leading the Nation in Smart Energy Use

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

None, None

2013-12-31

Project Objectives The AEP Ohio gridSMART® Demonstration Project (Project) achieved the following objectives: • Built a secure, interoperable, and integrated smart grid infrastructure in northeast central Ohio that demonstrated the ability to maximize distribution system efficiency and reliability and consumer use of demand response programs that reduced energy consumption, peak demand, and fossil fuel emissions. • Actively attracted, educated, enlisted, and retained consumers in innovative business models that provided tools and information reducing consumption and peak demand. • Provided the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) information to evaluate technologies and preferred smart grid business models to be extended nationally. Projectmore » Description Ohio Power Company (the surviving company of a merger with Columbus Southern Power Company), doing business as AEP Ohio (AEP Ohio), took a community-based approach and incorporated a full suite of advanced smart grid technologies for 110,000 consumers in an area selected for its concentration and diversity of distribution infrastructure and consumers. It was organized and aligned around: • Technology, implementation, and operations • Consumer and stakeholder acceptance • Data management and benefit assessment Combined, these functional areas served as the foundation of the Project to integrate commercially available products, innovative technologies, and new consumer products and services within a secure two-way communication network between the utility and consumers. The Project included Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI), Distribution Management System (DMS), Distribution Automation Circuit Reconfiguration (DACR), Volt VAR Optimization (VVO), and Consumer Programs (CP). These technologies were combined with two-way consumer communication and information sharing, demand response, dynamic pricing, and consumer products, such as plug-in electric vehicles and smart appliances. In addition, the Project incorporated comprehensive cyber security capabilities, interoperability, and a data assessment that, with grid simulation capabilities, made the demonstration results an adaptable, integrated solution for AEP Ohio and the nation.« less

Family nursing hospital training and the outcome on job demands, control and support.

PubMed

Sigurdardottir, Anna Olafia; Svavarsdottir, Erla Kolbrun; Juliusdottir, Sigrun

2015-07-01

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the impact of a family systems nursing hospital training educational program (ETI program) on nurses' and midwives' perception of job demands, control, and/or support. Of the nurses and midwives who were working in the Women's and Children's Services Division at The National University Hospital in Iceland, 479 participated in the study on three time periods from 2009 to 2011. Scores for the characteristics of job demands and job control were created to categorize participants into four job types (Karasek and Theorell, 1990). These four job types are high strain (high demand, low control), passive (low demand, low control), low strain (low demand, high control), and active (high demand, high control). However, when the data were evaluated based on the proportion of job characteristics as reported by the nurses and the midwives, no significant difference was found over time (2009 to 2011) (χ(2)=5.203, p=.518). However, based on the results from the independent t-tests at time 1, a significant difference was found amongst the high strain job group regarding perceived support from administrators and colleagues among the nurses and midwives who had taken the ETI program compared to those who had not taken the program (χ(2)=2.218, p=.034). This indicates that the health care professionals who characterized their job to be of high demand but with low control evaluated the support from their administrators and colleagues to be significantly higher if they had taken the ETI program than did the nurses and midwives who did not take the ETI program. These findings are promising because they might, in the long run, increase the nurses' and midwives' autonomy and control over their own work. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Community Organization Efforts, Political and Institutional Change, and the Diffusion of Change Produced by Community Action Programs. Final Report on Phase I.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vanecko, James J.; And Others

The first part of a two phase project, this was an evaluation of characteristics of community action agencies (CAAs) which make them more or less effective in influencing other institutions to be more responseive to the needs and demands of the poor. CAA board members, representatives of the poor and other segments of the community, and…

The Discipline Review of Australian Law Schools. Centre for the Study of Higher Education Research Working Papers, 93.6.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lamb, Ainslie

The expansion of higher education in the 1960s from an elite to a mass activity has led inevitably to a demand that higher education be responsive and accountable to the wider community. There are several approaches to evaluation of quality and economic effectiveness in higher education institutions and programs. In the mid-1980s, Australia's…

Managing variation in demand: lessons from the UK National Health Service.

PubMed

Walley, Paul; Silvester, Kate; Steyn, Richard

2006-01-01

Managers within the U.S. healthcare system are becoming more aware of the impact of variation in demand on healthcare processes. The UK National Health Service provides a prime example of a system that has experienced the consequences when the issue is not dealt with satisfactorily, having suffered from excessive queues for a prolonged period. These delays are mostly caused by a lack of attention to variation and inappropriate responses to the queues, rather than a capacity shortage. A number of collaborative programs recently have come to grips with many of the causes of the queues in both elective care and emergency care. Although there are still areas that need large-scale improvement, good progress has been made, especially within emergency care. The authors of this article have acted as technical advisors to a number of these improvement programs and have been able to document many of the practices that have helped to reduce or eliminate unnecessary queues and delays across the 200 sites in England that have 24-hour emergency care facilities. Local program managers at these sites continuously reported progress for a period of 18 months. A number of important lessons for both the design and control of healthcare processes have emerged from the collaborative work. These lessons focus on understanding and measurement of demand, capacity planning, reduction of introduced variation, segmentation and streaming of work, process design, capacity yield management, and measurement of variation.

Assessment of utility side financial benefits of demand side management considering environmental impacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abeygunawardane, Saranga Kumudu

2018-02-01

Any electrical utility prefers to implement demand side management and change the shape of the demand curve in a beneficial manner. This paper aims to assess the financial gains (or losses) to the generating sector through the implementation of demand side management programs. An optimization algorithm is developed to find the optimal generation mix that minimizes the daily total generating cost. This daily total generating cost includes the daily generating cost as well as the environmental damage cost. The proposed optimization algorithm is used to find the daily total generating cost for the base case and for several demand side management programs using the data obtained from the Sri Lankan power system. Results obtained for DSM programs are compared with the results obtained for the base case to assess the financial benefits of demand side management to the generating sector.

Development and Application of an Integrated Approach toward NASA Airspace Systems Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Barhydt, Richard; Fong, Robert K.; Abramson, Paul D.; Koenke, Ed

2008-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration's (NASA) Airspace Systems Program is contributing air traffic management research in support of the 2025 Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). Contributions support research and development needs provided by the interagency Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO). These needs generally call for integrated technical solutions that improve system-level performance and work effectively across multiple domains and planning time horizons. In response, the Airspace Systems Program is pursuing an integrated research approach and has adapted systems engineering best practices for application in a research environment. Systems engineering methods aim to enable researchers to methodically compare different technical approaches, consider system-level performance, and develop compatible solutions. Systems engineering activities are performed iteratively as the research matures. Products of this approach include a demand and needs analysis, system-level descriptions focusing on NASA research contributions, system assessment and design studies, and common systemlevel metrics, scenarios, and assumptions. Results from the first systems engineering iteration include a preliminary demand and needs analysis; a functional modeling tool; and initial system-level metrics, scenario characteristics, and assumptions. Demand and needs analysis results suggest that several advanced concepts can mitigate demand/capacity imbalances for NextGen, but fall short of enabling three-times current-day capacity at the nation s busiest airports and airspace. Current activities are focusing on standardizing metrics, scenarios, and assumptions, conducting system-level performance assessments of integrated research solutions, and exploring key system design interfaces.

Israel's Education System: An Introduction to a Study Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Elazar, Daniel J.

This paper reports on a program to develop a comprehensive overall strategy of educational research that deals with the state of education in Israel. Four dimensions or sets of demands on the schools are discussed: (1) civilizational demands of transmission of heritage and culture; (2) social demands for good citizenship, productive workers, up to…

The Role of Public-Sector Family Planning Programs in Meeting the Demand for Contraception in Sub-Saharan Africa.

PubMed

Bongaarts, John; Hardee, Karen

2017-06-01

Commonly used indicators of contraceptive behavior in a population-modern contraceptive prevalence (mCPR), unmet need for contraception, demand for contraception and demand satisfied-are not well-suited for evaluating the progress made by government family planning programs in helping women and men achieve their reproductive goals. Trends in these measures in 26 Sub-Saharan African countries between 1990 and 2014 were examined. Trends in a proposed new indicator, the public-sector family planning program impact score (PFPI), and its relationship to mCPR and the family planning effort score were also assessed. Case studies were used to review public family planning program development and implementation in four countries (Nigeria, Ethiopia, Rwanda and Kenya). The four commonly used indicators capture the extent to which women use family planning and to which demand is satisfied, but shed no direct light on the role of family planning programs. PFPI provides evidence that can be used to hold governments accountable for meeting the demand for family planning, and was closely related to policy developments in the four case-study countries. PFPI provides a useful addition to the indicators currently used to assess progress in reproductive health and family planning programs.

Demand Response and Energy Storage Integration Study

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

Ma, Ookie; Cheung, Kerry; Olsen, Daniel J.

2016-03-01

Demand response and energy storage resources present potentially important sources of bulk power system services that can aid in integrating variable renewable generation. While renewable integration studies have evaluated many of the challenges associated with deploying large amounts of variable wind and solar generation technologies, integration analyses have not yet fully incorporated demand response and energy storage resources. This report represents an initial effort in analyzing the potential integration value of demand response and energy storage, focusing on the western United States. It evaluates two major aspects of increased deployment of demand response and energy storage: (1) Their operational valuemore » in providing bulk power system services and (2) Market and regulatory issues, including potential barriers to deployment.« less

Demand Response and Energy Storage Integration Study

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

Ma, Ookie; Cheung, Kerry

Demand response and energy storage resources present potentially important sources of bulk power system services that can aid in integrating variable renewable generation. While renewable integration studies have evaluated many of the challenges associated with deploying large amounts of variable wind and solar generation technologies, integration analyses have not yet fully incorporated demand response and energy storage resources. This report represents an initial effort in analyzing the potential integration value of demand response and energy storage, focusing on the western United States. It evaluates two major aspects of increased deployment of demand response and energy storage: (1) Their operational valuemore » in providing bulk power system services and (2) Market and regulatory issues, including potential barriers to deployment.« less

Prediction Models for Dynamic Demand Response

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

Aman, Saima; Frincu, Marc; Chelmis, Charalampos

2015-11-02

As Smart Grids move closer to dynamic curtailment programs, Demand Response (DR) events will become necessary not only on fixed time intervals and weekdays predetermined by static policies, but also during changing decision periods and weekends to react to real-time demand signals. Unique challenges arise in this context vis-a-vis demand prediction and curtailment estimation and the transformation of such tasks into an automated, efficient dynamic demand response (D 2R) process. While existing work has concentrated on increasing the accuracy of prediction models for DR, there is a lack of studies for prediction models for D 2R, which we address inmore » this paper. Our first contribution is the formal definition of D 2R, and the description of its challenges and requirements. Our second contribution is a feasibility analysis of very-short-term prediction of electricity consumption for D 2R over a diverse, large-scale dataset that includes both small residential customers and large buildings. Our third, and major contribution is a set of insights into the predictability of electricity consumption in the context of D 2R. Specifically, we focus on prediction models that can operate at a very small data granularity (here 15-min intervals), for both weekdays and weekends - all conditions that characterize scenarios for D 2R. We find that short-term time series and simple averaging models used by Independent Service Operators and utilities achieve superior prediction accuracy. We also observe that workdays are more predictable than weekends and holiday. Also, smaller customers have large variation in consumption and are less predictable than larger buildings. Key implications of our findings are that better models are required for small customers and for non-workdays, both of which are critical for D 2R. Also, prediction models require just few days’ worth of data indicating that small amounts of historical training data can be used to make reliable predictions, simplifying the complexity of big data challenge associated with D 2R.« less

Pupillary Response to Cognitive Demand in Parkinson’s Disease: A Pilot Study

PubMed Central

Kahya, Melike; Moon, Sanghee; Lyons, Kelly E.; Pahwa, Rajesh; Akinwuntan, Abiodun E.; Devos, Hannes

2018-01-01

Previous studies have shown that pupillary response, a physiological measure of cognitive workload, reflects cognitive demand in healthy younger and older adults. However, the relationship between cognitive workload and cognitive demand in Parkinson’s disease (PD) remains unclear. The aim of this pilot study was to examine the pupillary response to cognitive demand in a letter-number sequencing (LNS) task between 16 non-demented individuals with PD (age, median (Q1–Q3): 68 (62–72); 10 males) and 10 control participants (age: 63 (59–67); 2 males), matched for age, education, and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MOCA) scores. A mixed model analysis was employed to investigate cognitive workload changes as a result of incremental cognitive demand for both groups. As expected, no differences were found in cognitive scores on the LNS between groups. Cognitive workload, exemplified by greater pupil dilation, increased with incremental cognitive demand in both groups (p = 0.003). No significant between-group (p = 0.23) or interaction effects were found (p = 0.45). In addition, individuals who achieved to complete the task at higher letter-number (LN) load responded differently to increased cognitive demand compared with those who completed at lower LN load (p < 0.001), regardless of disease status. Overall, the findings indicated that pupillary response reflects incremental cognitive demand in non-demented people with PD and healthy controls. Further research is needed to investigate the pupillary response to incremental cognitive demand of PD patients with dementia compared to non-demented PD and healthy controls. Highlights -Pupillary response reflects cognitive demand in both non-demented people with PD and healthy controls-Although not significant due to insufficient power, non-demented individuals with PD had increased cognitive workload compared to the healthy controls throughout the testing-Pupillary response may be a valid measure of cognitive demand in non-demented individuals with PD-In future, pupillary response might be used to detect cognitive impairment in individuals with PD PMID:29692720

Factors associated with glycemic status and ability to adapt to changing demands in people with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus: A cross-sectional study

PubMed Central

Gallegos-Cabriales, Esther C; Rivera-Castillo, Alicia; González-Cantú, Arnulfo; Gómez-Meza, Marco Vinicio; Villarreal-Pérez, Jesús Zacarías

2018-01-01

Objectives: Type 2 diabetes mellitus studies focus on metabolic indicators and different self-reported lifestyle or care behaviors. Self-reported instruments involve conscious process therefore responses might not reflect reality. Meanwhile implicit responses involve automatic, unconscious processes underlying social judgments and behavior. No studies have explored the combined influence of both metabolic indicators and implicit responses on lifestyle practices in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. The purpose was to investigate the explained variance of socio-demographic, metabolic, anthropometric, clinical, psychosocial, cognitive, and lifestyle variables on glycemic status and on the ability to adapt to changing demands in people with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus in Monterrey, Mexico. Methods: Adults with (n = 30, mean age 46.90 years old, 33.33% male) and without (n = 32, mean age: 41.69 years old, 21.87% male) type 2 diabetes mellitus were studied. Glycemic status was assessed using Bio-Rad D-10 Hemoglobin A1c Program, which uses ion-exchange high-performance chromatography. Stroop 2 test was used to assess the ability to changing demands. Results: In participants with type 2 diabetes mellitus, less years of education, negative self-actualization, and higher levels of cholesterol and triglycerides explained more than 50% of the variance in glycemic status. In participants without type 2 diabetes mellitus, the variance (38.7%) was explained by total cholesterol, metabolic syndrome, high-density lipoprotein, and self-actualization scores; the latter in opposite direction. The ability to adapt to changing demands was explained by total cholesterol, malondialdehyde, insulin resistance, and triglycerides. In participants without type 2 diabetes mellitus, the contributing variables were metabolic syndrome and nutrition scores. Conclusion: Results showed significant effect on at least one of the following variables (socio-demographic, metabolic, or lifestyle subscale) on glycemic status in people with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus. The ability to adapt to changing demands was explained by metabolic variables but only in participants without type 2 diabetes mellitus. Preference for unhealthy behaviors (implicit or automatic responses) outweighs healthy lifestyle practices in people with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus. PMID:29760917

Factors associated with glycemic status and ability to adapt to changing demands in people with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus: A cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Salazar-González, Bertha Cecilia; Gallegos-Cabriales, Esther C; Rivera-Castillo, Alicia; González-Cantú, Arnulfo; Gómez-Meza, Marco Vinicio; Villarreal-Pérez, Jesús Zacarías

2018-01-01

Type 2 diabetes mellitus studies focus on metabolic indicators and different self-reported lifestyle or care behaviors. Self-reported instruments involve conscious process therefore responses might not reflect reality. Meanwhile implicit responses involve automatic, unconscious processes underlying social judgments and behavior. No studies have explored the combined influence of both metabolic indicators and implicit responses on lifestyle practices in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients. The purpose was to investigate the explained variance of socio-demographic, metabolic, anthropometric, clinical, psychosocial, cognitive, and lifestyle variables on glycemic status and on the ability to adapt to changing demands in people with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus in Monterrey, Mexico. Adults with (n = 30, mean age 46.90 years old, 33.33% male) and without (n = 32, mean age: 41.69 years old, 21.87% male) type 2 diabetes mellitus were studied. Glycemic status was assessed using Bio-Rad D-10 Hemoglobin A1c Program, which uses ion-exchange high-performance chromatography. Stroop 2 test was used to assess the ability to changing demands. In participants with type 2 diabetes mellitus, less years of education, negative self-actualization, and higher levels of cholesterol and triglycerides explained more than 50% of the variance in glycemic status. In participants without type 2 diabetes mellitus, the variance (38.7%) was explained by total cholesterol, metabolic syndrome, high-density lipoprotein, and self-actualization scores; the latter in opposite direction. The ability to adapt to changing demands was explained by total cholesterol, malondialdehyde, insulin resistance, and triglycerides. In participants without type 2 diabetes mellitus, the contributing variables were metabolic syndrome and nutrition scores. Results showed significant effect on at least one of the following variables (socio-demographic, metabolic, or lifestyle subscale) on glycemic status in people with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus. The ability to adapt to changing demands was explained by metabolic variables but only in participants without type 2 diabetes mellitus. Preference for unhealthy behaviors (implicit or automatic responses) outweighs healthy lifestyle practices in people with and without type 2 diabetes mellitus.

ChoiceKey: a real-time speech recognition program for psychology experiments with a small response set.

PubMed

Donkin, Christopher; Brown, Scott D; Heathcote, Andrew

2009-02-01

Psychological experiments often collect choice responses using buttonpresses. However, spoken responses are useful in many cases-for example, when working with special clinical populations, or when a paradigm demands vocalization, or when accurate response time measurements are desired. In these cases, spoken responses are typically collected using a voice key, which usually involves manual coding by experimenters in a tedious and error-prone manner. We describe ChoiceKey, an open-source speech recognition package for MATLAB. It can be optimized by training for small response sets and different speakers. We show ChoiceKey to be reliable with minimal training for most participants in experiments with two different responses. Problems presented by individual differences, and occasional atypical responses, are examined, and extensions to larger response sets are explored. The ChoiceKey source files and instructions may be downloaded as supplemental materials for this article from brm.psychonomic-journals.org/content/supplemental.

Toward creating family-friendly work environments in pediatrics: baseline data from pediatric department chairs and pediatric program directors.

PubMed

McPhillips, Heather A; Burke, Ann E; Sheppard, Kate; Pallant, Adam; Stapleton, F Bruder; Stanton, Bonita

2007-03-01

The objective was to determine baseline characteristics of pediatric residency training programs and academic departments in regard to family-friendly work environments as outlined in the Report of the Task Force on Women in Pediatrics. We conducted Web-based anonymous surveys of 147 pediatric department chairs and 203 pediatric program directors. The chair's questionnaire asked about child care, lactation facilities, family leave policies, work-life balance, and tenure and promotion policies. The program director's questionnaire asked about family leave, parenting, work-life balance, and perceptions of "family-friendliness." The response rate was 52% for program directors and 51% for chairs. Nearly 60% of chairs reported some access to child care or provided assistance locating child care; however, in half of these departments, demand almost always exceeded supply. Lactation facilities were available to breastfeeding faculty in 74% of departments, although only 57% provided access to breast pumps. A total of 78% of chairs and 90% of program directors reported written maternity leave policies with slightly fewer reporting paternity leave policies. The majority (83%) of chairs reported availability of part-time employment, whereas only 27% of program directors offered part-time residency options. Most departments offered some flexibility in promotion and tenure. Although progress has been made, change still is needed in many areas in pediatric departments and training programs, including better accessibility to quality child care; improved lactation facilities for breastfeeding mothers; clear, written parental leave policies; and flexible work schedules to accommodate changing demands of family life.

Assessment of the Impact of Teaching Demands on Research Productivity Among Doctoral Nursing Program Faculty.

PubMed

Smeltzer, Suzanne C; Cantrell, Mary Ann; Sharts-Hopko, Nancy C; Heverly, Mary Ann; Jenkinson, Amanda; Nthenge, Serah

2016-01-01

This article reports the findings of a study that examined the research and scholarship productivity of doctorally prepared nursing faculty teaching and mentoring doctoral students and the conflicting demands on them to maintain programs of research and scholarship. The specific aims were to (a) examine the research productivity and scholarship of faculty members teaching in doctoral programs and mentoring doctoral students to examine the perceived effectiveness of existing institutional mechanisms to support scholarship, (b) explore institutional features and personal practices used by doctoral program faculty to develop and maintain research and scholarship productivity, and (c) analyze predictors of scholarship productivity. Data were collected via an on-line researcher-developed survey that examined doctoral faculty roles/responsibilities and their relationship to their scholarly productivity, overall research productivity, and institutional features and personal practices to support research/scholarship activities. Survey respondents reported spending a large amount of time engaged in research-related activities with 58.9% (n = 326) spending anywhere from 6 to 20 hours per week conducting research, writing research-based papers, giving presentations, grant writing, or conducting evidence-based improvement projects. Scholar productivity among the respondents was robust. Personal practices that most strongly supported faculty members' scholarship productivity were the belief that engaging in scholarship made them better teachers and the personal gratification in experiencing doctoral students' successes. A multiple regression analysis conducted to determine predictors of productivity indicated that the strongest predictor was the average number of hours spent on research/scholarship-related activities, followed by time bought out from teaching and other responsibilities of the faculty role for research. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Meeting a Growing Demand: Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service's Early Childhood Educator Online Training Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Green, Stephen

2013-01-01

Demand for professional development training in the early childhood field has grown substantially in recent years. To meet the demand, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service's Family Development and Resource Management unit developed the Early Childhood Educator Online Training Program, a professional development system that currently offers…

The African Language Program at Michigan State University.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dwyer, David

1979-01-01

Describes the African language program at Michigan State University, which provides (1) supervised, individualized instruction for high-demand languages, on two levels; (2) regular classroom instruction for Swahili and Hausa; and (3) non-credit, self-instructional programs for low-demand languages. Sample forms are appended. (AM)

Interoperability of Demand Response Resources Demonstration in NY

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

Wellington, Andre

2014-03-31

The Interoperability of Demand Response Resources Demonstration in NY (Interoperability Project) was awarded to Con Edison in 2009. The objective of the project was to develop and demonstrate methodologies to enhance the ability of customer sited Demand Response resources to integrate more effectively with electric delivery companies and regional transmission organizations.

Opportunities for Energy Efficiency and Open Automated Demand Response in Wastewater Treatment Facilities in California -- Phase I Report

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

Lekov, Alex; Thompson, Lisa; McKane, Aimee

This report summarizes the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory?s research to date in characterizing energy efficiency and automated demand response opportunities for wastewater treatment facilities in California. The report describes the characteristics of wastewater treatment facilities, the nature of the wastewater stream, energy use and demand, as well as details of the wastewater treatment process. It also discusses control systems and energy efficiency and automated demand response opportunities. In addition, several energy efficiency and load management case studies are provided for wastewater treatment facilities.This study shows that wastewater treatment facilities can be excellent candidates for open automated demand response and thatmore » facilities which have implemented energy efficiency measures and have centralized control systems are well-suited to shift or shed electrical loads in response to financial incentives, utility bill savings, and/or opportunities to enhance reliability of service. Control technologies installed for energy efficiency and load management purposes can often be adapted for automated demand response at little additional cost. These improved controls may prepare facilities to be more receptive to open automated demand response due to both increased confidence in the opportunities for controlling energy cost/use and access to the real-time data.« less

29 CFR 20.78 - Notifications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... designee) of the creditor Labor Department agency shall send appropriate written demands to the debtor in... written demands at not more than 30-day intervals will normally be made unless a response to the first or second demand indicates that a further demand would be futile and the debtor's response does not require...

29 CFR 20.78 - Notifications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... designee) of the creditor Labor Department agency shall send appropriate written demands to the debtor in... written demands at not more than 30-day intervals will normally be made unless a response to the first or second demand indicates that a further demand would be futile and the debtor's response does not require...

Impacts of demand response and renewable generation in electricity power market

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, Zhechong

This thesis presents the objective of the research which is to analyze the impacts of uncertain wind power and demand response on power systems operation and power market clearing. First, in order to effectively utilize available wind generation, it is usually given the highest priority by assigning zero or negative energy bidding prices when clearing the day-ahead electric power market. However, when congestion occurs, negative wind bidding prices would aggravate locational marginal prices (LMPs) to be negative in certain locations. A load shifting model is explored to alleviate possible congestions and enhance the utilization of wind generation, by shifting proper amount of load from peak hours to off peaks. The problem is to determine proper amount of load to be shifted, for enhancing the utilization of wind generation, alleviating transmission congestions, and making LMPs to be non-negative values. The second piece of work considered the price-based demand response (DR) program which is a mechanism for electricity consumers to dynamically manage their energy consumption in response to time-varying electricity prices. It encourages consumers to reduce their energy consumption when electricity prices are high, and thereby reduce the peak electricity demand and alleviate the pressure to power systems. However, it brings additional dynamics and new challenges on the real-time supply and demand balance. Specifically, price-sensitive DR load levels are constantly changing in response to dynamic real-time electricity prices, which will impact the economic dispatch (ED) schedule and in turn affect electricity market clearing prices. This thesis adopts two methods for examining the impacts of different DR price elasticity characteristics on the stability performance: a closed-loop iterative simulation method and a non-iterative method based on the contraction mapping theorem. This thesis also analyzes the financial stability of DR load consumers, by incorporating explicit LMP formulations and consumer payment requirements into the network-constrained unit commitment (NCUC) problem. The proposed model determines the proper amount of DR loads to be shifted from peak hours to off-peaks under ISO's direct load control, for reducing the operation cost and ensuring that consumer payments of DR loads will not deteriorate significantly after load shifting. Both MINLP and MILP models are discussed, and improved formulation strategies are presented.

Reduced-Order Models for Load Management in the Power Grid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Alizadeh, Mahnoosh

In recent years, considerable research efforts have been directed towards designing control schemes that can leverage the inherent flexibility of electricity demand that is not tapped into in today's electricity markets. It is expected that these control schemes will be carried out by for-profit entities referred to as aggregators that operate at the edge of the power grid network. While the aggregator control problem is receiving much attention, more high-level questions of how these aggregators should plan their market participation, interact with the main grid and with each other, remain rather understudied. Answering these questions requires a large-scale model for the aggregate flexibility that can be harnessed from the a population of customers, particularly for residences and small businesses. The contribution of this thesis towards this goal is divided into three parts: In Chapter 3, a reduced-order model for a large population of heterogeneous appliances is provided by clustering load profiles that share similar degrees of freedom together. The use of such reduced-order model for system planning and optimal market decision making requires a foresighted approximation of the number of appliances that will join each cluster. Thus, Chapter 4 provides a systematic framework to generate such forecasts for the case of Electric Vehicles, based on real-world battery charging data. While these two chapters set aside the economic side that is naturally involved with participation in demand response programs and mainly focus on the control problem, Chapter 5 is dedicated to the study of optimal pricing mechanisms in order to recruit heterogeneous customers in a demand response program in which an aggregator can directly manage their appliances' load under their specified preferences. Prices are proportional to the wholesale market savings that can result from each recruitment event.

How economic development and family planning programs combined to reduce Indonesian fertility.

PubMed

Gertler, P J; Molyneaux, J W

1994-02-01

This paper examines the contributions of family planning programs, economic development, and women's status to Indonesian fertility decline from 1982 to 1987. Methodologically we unify seemingly conflicting demographic and economic frameworks into a single "structural" proximate-cause model as well as controlling statistically for the targeted (nonrandom) placement of family planning program inputs. The results are consistent with both frameworks: 75% of the fertility decline resulted from increased contraceptive use, but was induced primarily through economic development and improved education and economic opportunities for females. Even so, the dramatic impact of the changes in demand-side factors (education and economic development) on contraceptive use was possible only because there already existed a highly responsive contraceptive supply delivery system.

“... And Gladly Teach”: The American Hospital Association's Experience in Conducting Institutes on Hospital Librarianship

PubMed Central

Yast, Helen

1964-01-01

As part of its overall educational program, the American Hospital Association has since 1959 conducted three institutes on hospital librarianship to meet the demand for more competent librarians in medical, nursing school, and patients' libraries. The purpose of such institutes is to teach the basic elements of library science to untrained personnel in hospital libraries. Discussed are steps in initiating an institute; factors determining length, date, and place; financing; publicity; choice and responsibility of local advisory committee; program content; qualifications of instructors; characteristics of registrants; materials for distribution; evaluations. Details of the most recent institute are outlined. A summary of problems still facing this type of educational program and suggestions for future improvements conclude the paper. PMID:14119309

ACCP white paper: Essential components of a faculty development program for pharmacy practice faculty.

PubMed

Boyce, Eric G; Burkiewicz, Jill S; Haase, Mark R; MacLaughlin, Eric J; Segal, Alissa R; Chung, Eunice P; Chan, Lingtak-Neander; Rospond, Raylene M; Barone, Joseph A; Durst, Stephen W; Wells, Barbara G

2009-01-01

Prospective, ongoing faculty development programs are important in the initial orientation and short- and long-term development of faculty in higher education. Pharmacy practice faculty are likely to benefit from a comprehensive faculty development program due to the complex nature of their positions, incomplete training in select areas, and multiple demands on their time. The need for faculty development programs is supported by the increased need for pharmacy practice faculty due to the increased number of colleges and schools of pharmacy, expanding enrollment in existing colleges and schools, and loss of existing senior faculty to retirement or other opportunities within or outside the academy. This White Paper describes a comprehensive faculty development program that is designed to enhance the satisfaction, retention, and productivity of new and existing pharmacy practice faculty. A comprehensive faculty development program will facilitate growth throughout a faculty member's career in pertinent areas. The structure of such a program includes an orientation program to provide an overview of responsibilities and abilities, a mentoring program to provide one-on-one guidance from a mentor, and a sustained faculty development program to provide targeted development based on individual and career needs. The content areas to be covered in each component include the institution (e.g., culture, structure, roles, responsibilities), student-related activities, teaching abilities, scholarship and research abilities, practice abilities and the practice site, and professional abilities (e.g., leadership, career planning, balancing responsibilities). A general framework for a comprehensive pharmacy practice faculty development program is provided to guide each college, school, department, and division in the design and delivery of a program that meets the needs and desires of the institution and its faculty.

Consensus statement: appropriate consumer education and communication programs for weight- loss agents in Asia.

PubMed

Chan, Siew Pheng; Chui, William C; Lo, Kwok Wing; Huang, Kuo-Chin; Leyesa, Normita D; Lin, Wen-Yuan; Mirasol, Roberto C; Robles, Yolanda R; Tey, Beng Hea; Paraidathathu, Thomas

2012-07-01

The increasing prevalence of overweight and obesity worldwide demands increased efforts in the prevention and management of obesity. This article aims to present consensus statements promoting appropriate consumer education and communication programs for weight-loss agents in Asia. Panel members from various disciplines developed consensus statements based on an expert meeting on the benefits of consumer education and communication programs for over-the-counter weight-loss agents. Key opinion leaders discussed relevant data that served as the basis of the recommendations. Obesity is a growing epidemic in Asia, turning the region into a potential market for weight-loss products and services. Current trends in direct-to-consumer advertising demonstrate the pervasiveness of false representations lacking adequate substantiation. Relevant issues and recommendations were established. Public education on weight management is a shared responsibility; there is a need to raise public awareness of obesity and its health-related consequences. Advertising guidelines should ensure responsible direct-to-consumer advertising of weight-loss agents.

Advanced consequence management program: challenges and recent real-world implementations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Graser, Tom; Barber, K. S.; Williams, Bob; Saghir, Feras; Henry, Kurt A.

2002-08-01

The Enhanced Consequence Management, Planning and Support System (ENCOMPASS) was developed under DARPA's Advanced Consequence Management program to assist decision-makers operating in crisis situations such as terrorist attacks using conventional and unconventional weapons and natural disasters. ENCOMPASS provides the tools for first responders, incident commanders, and officials at all levels to share vital information and consequently, plan and execute a coordinated response to incidents of varying complexity and size. ENCOMPASS offers custom configuration of components with capabilities ranging from map-based situation assessment, situation-based response checklists, casualty tracking, and epidemiological surveillance. Developing and deploying such a comprehensive system posed significant challenges for DARPA program management, due to an inherently complex domain, a broad spectrum of customer sites and skill sets, an often inhospitable runtime environment, demanding development-to-deployment transition requirements, and a technically diverse and geographically distributed development team. This paper introduces ENCOMPASS and explores these challenges, followed by an outline of selected ENCOMPASS deployments, demonstrating how ENCOMPASS can enhance consequence management in a variety real world contexts.

Encouraging Realistic Expectations in STEM Students: Paradoxical Effects of a Motivational Intervention

PubMed Central

Hall, Nathan C.; Sverdlik, Anna

2016-01-01

College students in STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) disciplines are increasingly faced with highly competitive and demanding degree programs and are at risk of academic overconfidence. Following from theory and research highlighting the psychological and developmental risks of unrealistic expectations, the present exploratory study evaluated the longitudinal effects of a motivational intervention encouraging college students in STEM degree programs (N = 52) to consider the importance of downgrading one’s expectations in response to academic setbacks. Contrary to study hypotheses, the results showed intervention participants to report significantly higher expectations and optimism on post-test measures administered 4 months later, no significant gains in emotional well-being or achievement goal orientations, and lower GPAs over five subsequent semesters. These paradoxical effects underscore the need for additional larger-scale research on the nature of students’ responses to potentially ego-threatening motivational programs in STEM disciplines so as to minimize achievement deficits at the expense of preserving motivational resources. PMID:27507955

Renewable Energy Resources Portfolio Optimization in the Presence of Demand Response

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

Behboodi, Sahand; Chassin, David P.; Crawford, Curran

In this paper we introduce a simple cost model of renewable integration and demand response that can be used to determine the optimal mix of generation and demand response resources. The model includes production cost, demand elasticity, uncertainty costs, capacity expansion costs, retirement and mothballing costs, and wind variability impacts to determine the hourly cost and revenue of electricity delivery. The model is tested on the 2024 planning case for British Columbia and we find that cost is minimized with about 31% renewable generation. We also find that demand responsive does not have a significant impact on cost at themore » hourly level. The results suggest that the optimal level of renewable resource is not sensitive to a carbon tax or demand elasticity, but it is highly sensitive to the renewable resource installation cost.« less

American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. Interim Report on Customer Acceptance, Retention, and Response to Time-Based Rates from the Consumer Behavior Studies

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

Cappers, Peter; Hans, Liesel; Scheer, Richard

Time-based rate programs1, enabled by utility investments in advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), are increasingly being considered by utilities as tools to reduce peak demand and enable customers to better manage consumption and costs. There are several customer systems that are relatively new to the marketplace and have the potential for improving the effectiveness of these programs, including in-home displays (IHDs), programmable communicating thermostats (PCTs), and web portals. Policy and decision makers are interested in more information about customer acceptance, retention, and response before moving forward with expanded deployments of AMI-enabled new rates and technologies. Under the Smart Grid Investment Grantmore » Program (SGIG), the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) partnered with several utilities to conduct consumer behavior studies (CBS). The goals involved applying randomized and controlled experimental designs for estimating customer responses more precisely and credibly to advance understanding of time-based rates and customer systems, and provide new information for improving program designs, implementation strategies, and evaluations. The intent was to produce more robust and credible analysis of impacts, costs, benefits, and lessons learned and assist utility and regulatory decision makers in evaluating investment opportunities involving time-based rates. To help achieve these goals, DOE developed technical guidelines to help the CBS utilities estimate customer acceptance, retention, and response more precisely.« less

Once the rockets are up, who should care where they come down? The problem of responsibility ascription for the negative consequences of biofuel innovations.

PubMed

Tempels, T H; Van den Belt, H

2016-01-01

Responsible Innovation (RI) is often heralded in EU policy circles as a means to achieve ethically acceptable, sustainable innovations. Yet, conceptual questions on the specific notion of 'responsibility' and to what extent an innovation can be 'responsible' are only partly addressed. In this chapter the question of responsibility for the indirect negative effects of biofuel innovations is explored. While initially hailed as one of the much needed solutions in the global struggle against climate change, the use of biofuels has become increasingly criticised. It is argued that the increased production of biofuels has put smallholder farmers out of business, has given rise to increased food prices, sparking food riots in several countries, while also contributing to further environmental degradation as the demand for new biofuels requires the development of new croplands at the cost of forests and peat lands. In the current market-based system it is customary to disburden researchers and business companies from any responsibility for the more remote consequences of their actions. When harmful consequences are brought about through the mediation of (perhaps a long series of) market transactions, they are often considered inevitable and excusable and not an appropriate occasion for invoking anybody's responsibility. But how broad is the scope of responsibility when it comes to the above mentioned social and ecological problems? By invoking the sacred duty to "innovate", the business company could perhaps be exculpated. In our age, innovation is often so much celebrated that many negative impacts are duly accepted as the inevitable price of progress. By approaching responsibility from a perspective that takes into account the economic and ecological interconnectedness of the world, we show how the debate on Responsible Innovation in biofuels becomes tied in with global debates on economic justice and bioscarcity. In conclusion we argue that if we-assuming this interconnectedness-take the current requirements of "Responsible" Innovation seriously, it would result in a demanding practice that calls for a substantial departure from business as usual, which prompts the question to what extent it is reasonable to incorporate what are actually demands for global justice in programs for innovation.

An ILP based Algorithm for Optimal Customer Selection for Demand Response in SmartGrids

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

Kuppannagari, Sanmukh R.; Kannan, Rajgopal; Prasanna, Viktor K.

Demand Response (DR) events are initiated by utilities during peak demand periods to curtail consumption. They ensure system reliability and minimize the utility’s expenditure. Selection of the right customers and strategies is critical for a DR event. An effective DR scheduling algorithm minimizes the curtailment error which is the absolute difference between the achieved curtailment value and the target. State-of-the-art heuristics exist for customer selection, however their curtailment errors are unbounded and can be as high as 70%. In this work, we develop an Integer Linear Programming (ILP) formulation for optimally selecting customers and curtailment strategies that minimize the curtailmentmore » error during DR events in SmartGrids. We perform experiments on real world data obtained from the University of Southern California’s SmartGrid and show that our algorithm achieves near exact curtailment values with errors in the range of 10 -7 to 10 -5, which are within the range of numerical errors. We compare our results against the state-of-the-art heuristic being deployed in practice in the USC SmartGrid. We show that for the same set of available customer strategy pairs our algorithm performs 103 to 107 times better in terms of the curtailment errors incurred.« less

Trends of Training Courses Conducted in the Human Resources Development Center of the National Institute for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology After the Fukushima Dai-Ichi Nuclear Power Plant Accident.

PubMed

Shimizu, Yuko; Iida, Haruzo; Nenoi, Mitsuru

2017-07-01

Environmental contamination with radioactive materials caused by the Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) accident in 2011 raised a serious health concern among residents in Japan, and the demand for radiation experts who can handle the radiation-associated problems has increased. The Human Resources Development Center (HRDC) of the National Institute of for Quantum and Radiological Science and Technology in Japan has offered a variety of training programs covering a wide range of technologies associated with radiation since 1959. In this study, the time-course change in the number and age of the applicants for training programs regularly scheduled at HRDC were analyzed to characterize the demand after the NPP accident. The results suggested that the demand for the training of industrial radiation experts elevated sharply after the NPP accident followed by a prompt decrease, and that young people were likely stimulated to learn the basics of radiation. The demand for the training of medical radiation experts was kept high regardless of the NPP accident. The demand for the training of radiation emergency experts fluctuated apparently with three components: a terminating demand after the criticality accident that occurred in 1999, an urgent demand for handling of the NPP accident, and a sustained demand from local governments that undertook reinforcement of their nuclear disaster prevention program. The demand for the training of school students appeared to be increasing after the NPP accident. It could be foreseen that the demand for training programs targeting young people and medical radiation experts would be elevated in future.

Non-formal educator use of evaluation results.

PubMed

Baughman, Sarah; Boyd, Heather H; Franz, Nancy K

2012-08-01

Increasing demands for accountability in educational programming have resulted in increasing calls for program evaluation in educational organizations. Many organizations include conducting program evaluations as part of the job responsibilities of program staff. Cooperative Extension is a complex organization offering non-formal educational programs through land grant universities. Many Extension services require non-formal educational program evaluations be conducted by field-based Extension educators. Evaluation research has focused primarily on the efforts of professional, external evaluators. The work of program staff with many responsibilities including program evaluation has received little attention. This study examined how field based Extension educators (i.e. program staff) in four Extension services use the results of evaluations of programs that they have conducted themselves. Four types of evaluation use are measured and explored; instrumental use, conceptual use, persuasive use and process use. Results indicate that there are few programmatic changes as a result of evaluation findings among the non-formal educators surveyed in this study. Extension educators tend to use evaluation results to persuade others about the value of their programs and learn from the evaluation process. Evaluation use is driven by accountability measures with very little program improvement use as measured in this study. Practical implications include delineating accountability and program improvement tasks within complex organizations in order to align evaluation efforts and to improve the results of both. There is some evidence that evaluation capacity building efforts may be increasing instrumental use by educators evaluating their own programs. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Making Medicare Advantage a Middle-Class Program

PubMed Central

Glazer, Jacob; McGuire, Thomas

2013-01-01

This paper studies the role of Medicare's premium policy in sorting beneficiaries between traditional Medicare (TM) and managed care plans in the Medicare Advantage (MA) program. Beneficiaries vary in their demand for care. TM fully accommodates demand but creates a moral hazard inefficiency. MA rations care but disregards some elements of the demand. We describe an efficient assignment of beneficiaries to these two options, and argue that efficiency requires an MA program oriented to serve the large middle part of the distribution of demand: the “middle class.” Current Medicare policy of a “single premium” for MA plans cannot achieve efficient sorting. We characterize the demand-based premium policy that can implement the efficient assignment of enrollees to plans. If only a single premium is feasible, the second-best policy involves too many of the low-demand individuals in MA and a too low level of services relative to the first best. We identify approaches to using premium policy to revitalize MA and improve the efficiency of Medicare. PMID:23454916

Making Medicare advantage a middle-class program.

PubMed

Glazer, Jacob; McGuire, Thomas G

2013-03-01

This paper studies the role of Medicare's premium policy in sorting beneficiaries between traditional Medicare (TM) and managed care plans in the Medicare advantage (MA) program. Beneficiaries vary in their demand for care. TM fully accommodates demand but creates a moral hazard inefficiency. MA rations care but disregards some elements of the demand. We describe an efficient assignment of beneficiaries to these two options, and argue that efficiency requires an MA program oriented to serve the large middle part of the distribution of demand: the "middle class." Current Medicare policy of a "single premium" for MA plans cannot achieve efficient sorting. We characterize the demand-based premium policy that can implement the efficient assignment of enrollees to plans. If only a single premium is feasible, the second-best policy involves too many of the low-demand individuals in MA and a too low level of services relative to the first best. We identify approaches to using premium policy to revitalize MA and improve the efficiency of Medicare. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Industrial Scale Energy Systems Integration; NREL (National Renewable Energy Laboratory)

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

Ruth, Mark

2015-07-28

The industrial sector consumes 25% of the total energy in the U.S. and produces 18% of the greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. Energy Systems Integration (ESI) opportunities can reduce those values and increase the profitability of that sector. This presentation outlines several options. Combined heat and power (CHP) is an option that is available today for many applications. In some cases, it can be extended to trigeneration by adding absorbtion cooling. Demand response is another option in use by the industrial sector - in 2012, industry provided 47% of demand response capacity. A longer term option that combines the benefits ofmore » CHP with those of demand response is hybrid energy systems (HESs). Two possible HESs are described and development implications discussed. extended to trigeneration by adding absorbtion cooling. Demand response is another option in use by the industrial sector - in 2012, industry provided 47% of demand response capacity. A longer term option that combines the benefits of CHP with those of demand response is hybrid energy systems (HESs). Two possible HESs are described and development implications discussed.« less

Subsidies and the demand for individual health insurance in California.

PubMed

Marquis, M Susan; Buntin, Melinda Beeuwkes; Escarce, José J; Kapur, Kanika; Yegian, Jill M

2004-10-01

To estimate the effect of changes in premiums for individual insurance on decisions to purchase individual insurance and how this price response varies among subgroups of the population. Survey responses from the Current Population Survey (http://www.bls.census.gov/cps/cpsmain.htm), the Survey of Income and Program Participation (http://www.sipp.census.gov/sipp), the National Health Interview Survey (http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/nhis.htm), and data about premiums and plans offered in the individual insurance market in California, 1996-2001. A logit model was used to estimate the decisions to purchase individual insurance by families without access to group insurance. This was modeled as a function of premiums, controlling for family characteristics and other characteristics of the market. A multinomial model was used to estimate the choice between group coverage, individual coverage, and remaining uninsured for workers offered group coverage as a function of premiums for individual insurance and out-of-pocket costs of group coverage. The elasticity of demand for individual insurance by those without access to group insurance is about -.2 to -.4, as has been found in earlier studies. However, there are substantial differences in price responses among subgroups with low-income, young, and self-employed families showing the greatest response. Among workers offered group insurance, a decrease in individual premiums has very small effects on the choice to purchase individual coverage versus group coverage. Subsidy programs may make insurance more affordable for some families, but even sizeable subsidies are unlikely to solve the problem of the uninsured. We do not find evidence that subsidies to individual insurance will produce an unraveling of the employer-based health insurance system.

Preconditioning principles for preventing sports injuries in adolescents and children.

PubMed

Dollard, Mark D; Pontell, David; Hallivis, Robert

2006-01-01

Preseason preconditioning can be accomplished well over a 4-week period with a mandatory period of rest as we have discussed. Athletic participation must be guided by a gradual increase of skills performance in the child assessed after a responsible preconditioning program applying physiologic parameters as outlined. Clearly, designing a preconditioning program is a dynamic process when accounting for all the variables in training discussed so far. Despite the physiologic demands of sport and training, we still need to acknowledge the psychologic maturity and welfare of the child so as to ensure that the sport environment is a wholesome and emotionally rewarding experience.

An Examination of Community College Occupational Programs and Their Role in Equipping Students with the Necessary Skills to Supply the Demand for High-Demand Middle-Skill Jobs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blackman, Orville G.

2009-01-01

This study addresses the fundamental question, "Are Kentucky's public community and technical colleges training enough students with the relevant skills to fill job openings in Kentucky's middle-skill jobs?" By examining student interests in occupational programs, labor market demand for trained middle-skill employees, and their…

Supply and Demand Balances of Selected College-Level Fields Projected for the SREB [Southern Regional Education Board] States.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Engels, Richard A.; Galambos, Eva C.

Few manpower projects in Southern states have focused on the demand for the output of four-year colleges and universities. Even fewer have attempted to link projections of demand for degree programs to the supply of graduates generated by those programs. Moreover, none have set the state outlook for a particular college-trained skill within a…

78 FR 21928 - Demand Response Coalition v. PJM Interconnection, L.L.C.; Notice of Complaint

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-12

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. EL13-57-000] Demand Response Coalition v. PJM Interconnection, L.L.C.; Notice of Complaint Take notice that on April 3, 2013, pursuant to... Demand Response Coalition \\1\\ (Complainant) filed a formal complaint against the PJM Interconnection, L.L...

Demand Intensity, Market Parameters and Policy Responses towards Demand and Supply of Private Supplementary Tutoring in China

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kwok, Percy Lai Yin

2010-01-01

Based on some longitudinal studies of private tutoring in twelve cities, towns, municipalities and provinces of China, the paper endeavours to depict demand intensity, articulate market parameters and reflect on policy responses towards the demand-supply mechanism of the vast shadowy educational phenomena at primary and secondary levels. Such…

Integrated Platform for Automated Sustainable Demand Response in Smart Grids

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

Zois, Vassilis; Frincu, Marc; Prasanna, Viktor K.

2014-10-08

Demand Response(DR) is a common practice used by utility providers to regulate energy demand. It is used at periods of high demand to minimize the peak to average consumption ratio. Several methods have been Demand Response(DR) is a common praon using information about the baseline consumption and the consumption during DR. Our goal is to provide a sustainable reduction to ensure the elimination of peaks in demand. The proposed system includes an adaptation mechanism for when the provided solution does not meet the DR requirements. We conducted a series of experiments using consumption data from a real life micro gridmore » to evaluate the efficiency as well as the robustness of our solution.« less

Connecting students to institutions: the relationship between program resources and student retention in respiratory care education programs.

PubMed

Ari, Arzu

2009-09-01

Respiratory care education programs are being held accountable for student retention. Increasing student retention is necessary for the respiratory therapy profession, which suffers from a shortage of qualified therapists needed to meet the increased demand. The present study investigated the relationship between student retention rate and program resources, in order to understand which and to what extent the different components of program resources predict student retention rate. The target population of this study was baccalaureate of science degree respiratory care education programs. After utilizing a survey research method, Pearson correlations and multiple regression analysis were used for data analysis. With a 63% response rate (n = 36), this study found a statistically significant relationship between program resources and student retention rate. Financial and personnel resources had a statistically significant positive relationship with student retention. The mean financial resources per student was responsible for 33% of the variance in student retention, while the mean personnel resources per student accounted for 12% of the variance in student retention. Program financial resources available to students was the single best predictor of program performance on student retention. Respiratory care education programs spending more money per student and utilizing more personnel in the program have higher mean performance in student retention. Therefore, respiratory care education programs must devote sufficient resources to retaining students so that they can produce more respiratory therapists and thereby make the respiratory therapy profession stronger.

Impacts of Maternal Nutrition on Vascularity of Nutrient Transferring Tissues during Gestation and Lactation

PubMed Central

Vonnahme, Kimberly A.; Lemley, Caleb O.; Caton, Joel S.; Meyer, Allison M.

2015-01-01

As the demand for food increases with exponential growth in the world population, it is imperative that we understand how to make livestock production as efficient as possible in the face of decreasing available natural resources. Moreover, it is important that livestock are able to meet their metabolic demands and supply adequate nutrition to developing offspring both during pregnancy and lactation. Specific nutrient supplementation programs that are designed to offset deficiencies, enhance efficiency, and improve nutrient supply during pregnancy can alter tissue vascular responses, fetal growth, and postnatal offspring outcomes. This review outlines how vascularity in nutrient transferring tissues, namely the maternal gastrointestinal tract, the utero-placental tissue, and the mammary gland, respond to differing nutritional planes and other specific nutrient supplementation regimes. PMID:25984740

Cueing, demand fading, and positive reinforcement to establish self-feeding and oral consumption in a child with chronic food refusal.

PubMed

Luiselli, J K

2000-07-01

A 3-year-old child with multiple medical disorders and chronic food refusal was treated successfully using a program that incorporated antecedent control procedures combined with positive reinforcement. The antecedent manipulations included visual cueing of a criterion number of self-feeding responses that were required during meals to receive reinforcement and a gradual increase in the imposed criterion (demand fading) that was based on improved frequency of oral consumption. As evaluated in a changing criterion design, the child learned to feed himself as an outcome of treatment. One year following intervention, he was consuming a variety of foods and had gained weight. Advantages of antecedent control methods for the treatment of chronic food refusal are discussed.

Improving the Small-Business Role in Turkish Defense Acquisitions: Recommendations from U.S. Best Practices

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-06-01

not take into account the effects of the Global Crisis as it impacts the small business assistance programs. Data related to Small and Medium Sized...unanticipated by many scholars and members of the policy community , but what was even more surprising than the resurgence itself was the primary...innovative because of their responsiveness to “changing market demands,” flexible structures, and “efficient internal communication ” (Mogee, 2003, p. 3

BEopt-CA (Ex): A Tool for Optimal Integration of EE, DR and PV in Existing California Homes

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

Christensen, Craig; Horowitz, Scott; Maguire, Jeff

2014-04-01

This project targeted the development of a software tool, BEopt-CA (Ex) (Building Energy Optimization Tool for California Existing Homes), that aims to facilitate balanced integration of energy efficiency (EE), demand response (DR), and photovoltaics (PV) in the residential retrofit1 market. The intent is to provide utility program managers and contractors in the EE/DR/PV marketplace with a means of balancing the integration of EE, DR, and PV

Lazy evaluation of FP programs: A data-flow approach

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

Wei, Y.H.; Gaudiot, J.L.

1988-12-31

This paper presents a lazy evaluation system for the list-based functional language, Backus` FP in data-driven environment. A superset language of FP, called DFP (Demand-driven FP), is introduced. FP eager programs are transformed into DFP lazy programs which contain the notions of demands. The data-driven execution of DFP programs has the same effects of lazy evaluation. DFP lazy programs have the property of always evaluating a sufficient and necessary result. The infinite sequence generator is used to demonstrate the eager-lazy program transformation and the execution of the lazy programs.

Family Medicine Didactics Revisited.

PubMed

Butler, Dennis J; Brocato, Joseph; Yeazel, Mark

2017-11-01

All family medicine programs are required to provide specialty-specific didactic conferences for residents. Since a baseline study of family medicine didactic formats was published in 2000, training requirements have changed, core content has evolved, and new teaching strategies have been recommended. The present study examines the characteristics of current family medicine didactics, compares current and past conference format data, and identifies factors affecting content selection. The survey used in the prior conference formats study was distributed to all US family medicine programs. All questions from the original survey were repeated, and items regarding factors affecting conference content and threats to conferences were added. The survey response rate was 66%. The majority of family medicine programs endorse block formats for structuring conferences. Compared to the original study, programs are devoting significantly more hours to didactics on fewer days. Family medicine faculty and residents are responsible for 70% of didactic offerings (also a significant shift), and 87% of programs use a core curriculum. In over 70% of programs, some residents are unavailable for conferences due to work restrictions or service demands. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education subcompetencies and Milestones have only a moderate impact on topic selection. Family medicine didactics have evolved in the past 15 years with a notable increase in reliance upon core faculty and residents to lead conferences. Reduced availability of residents prevents all residents from having full exposure to the didactic curriculum. Family medicine faculty who are taking greater responsibility for didactics are also faced with increased clinical and administrative duties.

Motor programming when sequencing multiple elements of the same duration.

PubMed

Magnuson, Curt E; Robin, Donald A; Wright, David L

2008-11-01

Motor programming at the self-select paradigm was adopted in 2 experiments to examine the processing demands of independent processes. One process (INT) is responsible for organizing the internal features of the individual elements in a movement (e.g., response duration). The 2nd process (SEQ) is responsible for placing the elements into the proper serial order before execution. Participants in Experiment 1 performed tasks involving 1 key press or sequences of 4 key presses of the same duration. Implementing INT and SEQ was more time consuming for key-pressing sequences than for single key-press tasks. Experiment 2 examined whether the INT costs resulting from the increase in sequence length observed in Experiment 1 resulted from independent planning of each sequence element or via a separate "multiplier" process that handled repetitions of elements of the same duration. Findings from Experiment 2, in which participants performed single key presses or double or triple key sequences of the same duration, suggested that INT is involved with the independent organization of each element contained in the sequence. Researchers offer an elaboration of the 2-process account of motor programming to incorporate the present findings and the findings from other recent sequence-learning research.

Integrating water quality responses to best management practices in Portugal.

PubMed

Fonseca, André; Boaventura, Rui A R; Vilar, Vítor J P

2018-01-01

Nutrient nonpoint pollution has a significant impact on water resources worldwide. The main challenge of this work was to assess the application of best management practices in agricultural land to comply with water quality legislation for surface waters. The Hydrological Simulation Program-FORTRAN was used to evaluate water quality of Ave River in Portugal. Best management practices (infiltration basin) (BMP) were applied to agricultural land (for 3, 6, 9, 12, and 15% area) with removal efficiencies of 50% for fecal coliforms and 30% for nitrogen, phosphorus, and biochemical oxygen demand. The inflow of water quality constituents was reduced for all scenarios, with fecal coliforms achieving the highest reduction between 5.8 and 28.9% and nutrients and biochemical oxygen demand between 2 and 13%. Biochemical oxygen demand and orthophosphates concentrations achieved a good water quality status according to the European Legislation for scenarios of BMP applied to 3 and 12% agricultural area, respectively. Fecal coliform levels in Ave River basin require further treatment to fall below the established value in the abovementioned legislation. This study shows that agricultural watersheds such as Ave basins demand special attention in regard to nonpoint pollution sources effects on water quality and nutrient loads.

Long-term evaluation of individualized marketing programs for travel demand management

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-07-01

This research examines the use of individualized marketing as a transportation demand : management (TDM) strategy, using the City of Portlands SmartTrips program. This research : project has two specific aims: (1) to evaluate whether the benefits ...

When worlds collide: elder caregiving poses new challenges for balancing work and life.

PubMed

Rachor, M M

1998-09-01

Nearly one in four U.S. households (an estimated 22.4 million) are caring for elderly family members or friends; as the nation's population ages, more and more workers will take on elder caregiving responsibilities. As this trend continues, employers will face increasing concerns about lost productivity and many employees will struggle to balance the demands of work and caregiving responsibilities. To help resolve the situation, many employers may look to a comprehensive work/life program, which incorporates an intensive focus on elder-care issues, to help boost morale, improve employee productivity and job performance, and reduce stress and absenteeism associated with caregiving.

Demand Estimation for Collegiate Aviation Academic Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goodell, Phillips W.

This paper addresses the issue of how one might go about providing a reasonable answer to the question of how many students will enroll in a new academic program at a university and applies the principles to the process of estimating demand for a new collegiate aviation program. A combination of approaches is suggested, including the following:…

12 CFR 602.24 - Responses to demands served on non-FCA employees or entities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 6 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Responses to demands served on non-FCA employees or entities. 602.24 Section 602.24 Banks and Banking FARM CREDIT ADMINISTRATION ADMINISTRATIVE... Not a Named Party § 602.24 Responses to demands served on non-FCA employees or entities. If you are...

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

Cappers, Peter; MacDonald, Jason; Goldman, Charles

This study provides an examination of various market and policy barriers to demand response providing ancillary services in both ISO/RTO and non-ISO/RTO regions, especially at the program provider level. It is useful to classify barriers in order to create a holistic understanding and identify parties that could be responsible for their removal. This study develops a typology of barriers focusing on smaller customers that must rely on a program provider (i.e., electric investor owned utility or IOU, ARC) to create an aggregated DR resource in order to bring ancillary services to the balancing authority. The barriers were identified through examinationsmore » of regulatory structures, market environments, and product offerings; and discussions with industry stakeholders and regulators. In order to help illustrate the differences in barriers among various wholesale market designs and their constituent retail environments, four regions were chosen to use as case studies: Colorado, Texas, Wisconsin, and New Jersey.« less

Smart Meter Driven Segmentation: What Your Consumption Says About You

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

Albert, A; Rajagopal, R

With the rollout of smart metering infrastructure at scale, demand-response (DR) programs may now be tailored based on users' consumption patterns as mined from sensed data. For issuing DR events it is key to understand the inter-temporal consumption dynamics as to appropriately segment the user population. We propose to infer occupancy states from consumption time series data using a hidden Markov model framework. Occupancy is characterized in this model by 1) magnitude, 2) duration, and 3) variability. We show that users may be grouped according to their consumption patterns into groups that exhibit qualitatively different dynamics that may be exploitedmore » for program enrollment purposes. We investigate empirically the information that residential energy consumers' temporal energy demand patterns characterized by these three dimensions may convey about their demographic, household, and appliance stock characteristics. Our analysis shows that temporal patterns in the user's consumption data can predict with good accuracy certain user characteristics. We use this framework to argue that there is a large degree of individual predictability in user consumption at a population level.« less

Projections of the demand for national forest stumpage by region: 1980-2030.

Treesearch

Richard W. Haynes; Kent P. Connaughton; Darius M. Adams

1981-01-01

The concept of regional demand is described and applied to the demand for National Forest stumpage. Specifically, demand functions for stumpage (price-quantity relationships) are developed by decade for the major National Forest Regions. The' demand functions are consistent with the 1980 timber program prepared under requirements of the Renewable Resources...

A survey of diagnostic radiology residency program directors and the increasing demands of program leadership.

PubMed

Webber, Grant R; Baumgarten, Deborah A; Chen, Zhengjia; Wang, Zhibo; Mullins, Mark E

2013-07-01

The aim of this study was to identify trends and opinions with respect to leadership turnover, leadership responsibilities, and residency requirements. Program directors (PDs) of diagnostic radiology (DR) residency programs were identified via the ACGME and the Fellowship and Residency Electronic Interactive Database, along with a programmatic website search. A web-based survey was e-mailed, with questions concerning lengths of time the current and prior PDs held their positions, residency size, amounts of time spent on and lengths of current and past Program Information Forms, and opinions on how the position has changed and how metrics, outcomes, and documentation may be affecting teaching, resident education, and patient care. Thirty-two percent (60 of 186) of US DR residency PDs answered at least 1 of the survey questions. The average length of time the current PDs held their positions was shorter compared with the previous PDs, and it has taken longer and required more pages to complete the current Program Information Forms compared with prior cycles. The majority of respondents felt that the job of PD was harder than 5 years ago and that turnover among PDs is a "current/impending" problem. The majority of respondents felt that time spent on metrics, outcomes, and documentation is taking away from teaching, learning, and taking care of patients. Many DR residency PDs have recognized increased administrative burdens in recent years. Some feel that these increased demands may in part have negative effects on resident education and patient care. Copyright © 2013 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Research on electricity market operation mechanism and its benefit of demand side participation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Shuai; Yan, Xu; Qin, Li-juan; Lin, Xi-qiao; Zeng, Bo

2017-08-01

Demand response plays an important role in maintaining the economic stability of the system, and has the characteristics of high efficiency, low cost, fast response, good environmental benefits and so on. Demand side resource is an important part of electricity market. The research of demand side resources in our country is still in the initial stage, but the opening of the electricity sales side provides a broad prospect for the development of electricity market. This paper summarizes the main types of demand side resources in our country, analyzes the economic principle of demand response from the micro perspective, puts forward some suggestions on the operation mechanism of China’s demand side resources participating in the electricity market under the condition of electricity sales side opening, analyzes the current situation of pricing in the electricity wholesale market and sets up the pricing strategy of the centralized wholesale market with the demand side power supply participating in quotation, which makes the social and economic benefits reach the maximum.

Cardiac catheterization laboratory management: the fundamentals.

PubMed

Newell, Amy

2012-01-01

Increasingly, imaging administrators are gaining oversight for the cardiac cath lab as part of imaging services. Significant daily challenges include physician and staff demands, as well as patients who in many cases require higher acuity care. Along with strategic program driven responsibilities, the management role is complex. Critical elements that are the major impacts on cath lab management, as well as the overall success of a cardiac and vascular program, include program quality, patient safety, operational efficiency including inventory management, and customer service. It is critically important to have a well-qualified cath lab manager who acts as a leader by example, a mentor and motivator of the team, and an expert in the organization's processes and procedures. Such qualities will result in a streamlined cath lab with outstanding results.

IN2 Profile: Go Electric Provides Grid Stabilizing Energy Service Solutions to Utilities

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

Pless, Shanti

Through the Wells Fargo Innovation Incubator (IN²) program, Go Electric will validate their Link DR technology, which is an advanced, uninterruptable power supply that provides secure power, lowers facility energy costs, integrates renewables, and generates income from utility demand response programs. The IN² program launched in October 2014 and is part of Wells Fargo’s 2020 Environmental Commitment to provide $100 million to environmentally-focused nonprofits and universities. The goal is to create an ecosystem that fosters and accelerates the commercialization of promising commercial buildings technologies that can provide scalable solutions to reduce the energy impact of buildings. According to the Departmentmore » of Energy, nearly 40 percent of energy consumption in the U.S. today comes from buildings at an estimated cost of $413 billion.« less

Chapter 10: Peak Demand and Time-Differentiated Energy Savings Cross-Cutting Protocol. The Uniform Methods Project: Methods for Determining Energy Efficiency Savings for Specific Measures

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

Kurnik, Charles W; Stern, Frank; Spencer, Justin

Savings from electric energy efficiency measures and programs are often expressed in terms of annual energy and presented as kilowatt-hours per year (kWh/year). However, for a full assessment of the value of these savings, it is usually necessary to consider the measure or program's impact on peak demand as well as time-differentiated energy savings. This cross-cutting protocol describes methods for estimating the peak demand and time-differentiated energy impacts of measures implemented through energy efficiency programs.

The Demand For, and Impact Of, Youth Internships: Evidence from a Randomized Experiment in Yemen. Policy Research Working Paper 7463

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McKenzie, David; Assaf, Nabila; Cusolito, Ana Paula

2015-01-01

This paper evaluates a youth internship program in the Republic of Yemen that provided firms with a 50 percent subsidy to hire recent graduates of universities and vocational schools. The first round of the program took place in 2014 and required both firms and youth to apply for the program. The paper examines the demand for such a program, and…

Eat Smart! Ontario's Healthy Restaurant Program: focus groups with non-participating restaurant operators.

PubMed

Dwyer, John J M; Macaskill, Lesley A; Uetrecht, Connie L; Dombrow, Carol

2004-01-01

Eat Smart! Ontario's Healthy Restaurant Program is a standard provincial health promotion program. Public health units give an award of excellence to restaurants that meet nutrition, food safety, and non-smoking seating standards. The purpose of this study was to determine why some restaurant operators have not applied to participate in the program, and how to get them to apply. Four focus group interviews were conducted with 35 operators who didn't apply to participate. The analysis of responses yielded various themes. The participants' perceived barriers to participation were misunderstandings about how to qualify for the program, lack of time, concern about different non-smoking bylaw requirements, and potential loss of revenue. Their perceived facilitators to participation were convenience of applying to participate, franchise executives' approval to participate, a 100% non-smoking bylaw, flexibility in the assessment of restaurants, the opportunity for positive advertising, alternative payment for food handler training, and customer demand. Program staff can use the findings to develop and use strategies to encourage participation.

Project UCARE : Uniform Commuter Assistance Reporting and Evaluation for transportation demand management programs.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-09-01

Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (MAP-21) places emphasis upon results and better management of programs for effective and efficient service delivery. With an increased focus on measuring performance, the transportation demand manage...

Results of the Association of Directors of Radiation Oncology Programs (ADROP) Survey of Radiation Oncology Residency Program Directors

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

Harris, Eleanor; Abdel-Wahab, May; Spangler, Ann E.

2009-06-01

Purpose: To survey the radiation oncology residency program directors on the topics of departmental and institutional support systems, residency program structure, Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) requirements, and challenges as program director. Methods: A survey was developed and distributed by the leadership of the Association of Directors of Radiation Oncology Programs to all radiation oncology program directors. Summary statistics, medians, and ranges were collated from responses. Results: Radiation oncology program directors had implemented all current required aspects of the ACGME Outcome Project into their training curriculum. Didactic curricula were similar across programs nationally, but research requirements and resourcesmore » varied widely. Program directors responded that implementation of the ACGME Outcome Project and the external review process were among their greatest challenges. Protected time was the top priority for program directors. Conclusions: The Association of Directors of Radiation Oncology Programs recommends that all radiation oncology program directors have protected time and an administrative stipend to support their important administrative and educational role. Departments and institutions should provide adequate and equitable resources to the program directors and residents to meet increasingly demanding training program requirements.« less

The physician as a manager.

PubMed

McDonagh, T J

1982-02-01

The practice of occupational medicine has undergone considerable change over the last decade. Increased awareness of potential health hazards associated with the workplace and its products and wastes, the interest of society and workers in these subjects, and related governmental regulation have resulted in expanded occupational health programs within industry. The occupational physician has become a key company resource in the optimal management of the business impacts of health-related issues. Health-related matters often have noteworthy business implications, and the occupational physician needs to spend considerable time as a manager in the planning, resourcing, implementation, evaluation, and stewardship of programs. Thus he is experiencing greater demands and often is inadequately prepared for this nonclinical, nonscientific role. Therefore, the preparation of occupational physicians to assume such managerial responsibilities needs to receive high priority. The physician must be willing to accept this challenge both to ensure the program's success and to retain a leadership position in occupational health programs.

SPIDERS Bi-Directional Charging Station Interconnection Testing

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

Simpson, M.

2013-09-01

The Smart Power Infrastructure Demonstration for Energy Reliability and Security (SPIDERS) program is a multi-year Department of Defense-Department of Energy (DOE) collaborative effort that will demonstrate integration of renewables into island-able microgrids using on-site generation control, demand response, and energy storage with robust security features at multiple installations. Fort Carson, Colorado, will be the initial development and demonstration site for use of plug-in electric vehicles as energy storage (also known as vehicle-to-grid or V2G).

Criteria for successful government-industry-academic partnerships

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brannon, David P.

1996-03-01

The mission of the Commercial Remote Sensing Program (CRSP) Office at NASA's John C. Stennis Space Center is to maximize U.S. industry's commercial use of remote sensing and related space-based technologies and to develop advanced technical responses to spatial information requirements. The CRSP Office carries out this mission by offering several commercial partnership programs that help companies to apply remote sensing technologies in business applications and to buy down the risk of bringing new or improved products and services to market. Through its commercial partnerships, the CRSP seeks to increase the market demand for remote sensing products and related advanced technologies, thus increasing the use and reducing the cost of spatial information.

Transactive Systems Simulation and Valuation Platform Trial Analysis

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

Widergren, Steven E.; Hammerstrom, Donald J.; Huang, Qiuhua

Transactive energy systems use principles of value to coordinate responsive supply and demand in energy systems. Work continues within the Transactive Systems Program, which is funded by the U.S. Department of Energy at Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, to understand the value of, understand the theory behind, and simulate the behaviors of transactive energy systems. This report summarizes recent advances made by this program. The main capability advances include a more comprehensive valuation model, including recommended documentation that should make valuation studies of all sorts more transparent, definition of economic metrics with which transactive mechanisms can be evaluated, and multiple improvementsmore » to the time-simulation environment that is being used to evaluate transactive scenarios.« less

The case against compulsory casefinding in controlling AIDS--testing, screening and reporting.

PubMed

Gostin, L O; Curran, W J; Clark, M E

1987-01-01

The spread of acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS) demands a comprehensive and effective public health response. Because no treatment or vaccine is currently available, traditional infection control measures are being considered. Proposals include compulsory testing and screening of selected high risk populations. The fairness and accuracy of compulsory screening programs depend upon the reliability of medical technology and the balancing of public health and individual confidentiality interests. This Article proposes criteria for evaluating compulsory testing and screening programs. It concludes that voluntary identification, education, and counselling of infected persons is the most effective means of encouraging the behavioral changes that are necessary to halt the spread of AIDS.

Organizational consequences of staff turnover in outpatient substance abuse treatment programs.

PubMed

Knight, Danica K; Becan, Jennifer E; Flynn, Patrick M

2012-03-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of staff turnover on perceptions of organizational demands and support among staff who remained employed in substance abuse treatment programs. The sample consisted of 353 clinical staff from 63 outpatient agencies. Two scales from the Survey of Organizational Functioning measured work environment demands (stress and inadequate staffing), and 3 measured supportive work relationships (communication, cohesion, and peer collaboration). Results from a series of multilevel models documented that counselors working in programs that had previously experienced high staff turnover perceived higher demands and lower support within their organization, even after controlling for other potentially burdensome factors such as budget, census, and individual measures of workload. Two individual-level variables, caseload and tenure, were important determinants of work environment demands but were not related to supportive work relationships. Findings suggest that staff turnover increases workplace demands, decreases perceptions of support, and underscores the need to reduce stress and minimize subsequent turnover among clinical staff. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Organizational Consequences of Staff Turnover in Outpatient Substance Abuse Treatment Programs

PubMed Central

Knight, Danica K.; Edwards, Jennifer R.; Flynn, Patrick M.

2014-01-01

The purpose of this study was to examine the impact of staff turnover on perceptions of organizational demands and support among staff who remained employed in substance abuse treatment programs. The sample consisted of 353 clinical staff from 63 outpatient agencies. Two scales from the Survey of Organizational Functioning (SOF) measured work-environment demands (Stress, Inadequate Staffing), and three measured supportive work relationships (Communication, Cohesion, Peer Collaboration). Results from a series of multilevel models documented that counselors working in programs that had previously experienced high staff turnover perceived higher demands and lower support within their organization, even after controlling for other potentially burdensome factors such as budget, census, and individual measures of workload. Two individual-level variables, caseload and tenure, were important determinants of work-environment demands, but were not related to supportive work relationships. Findings suggest that staff turnover increases workplace demands and decreases perceptions of support, and underscore the need to reduce stress and minimize subsequent turnover among clinical staff. PMID:22154028

Competitive Facility Location with Fuzzy Random Demands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uno, Takeshi; Katagiri, Hideki; Kato, Kosuke

2010-10-01

This paper proposes a new location problem of competitive facilities, e.g. shops, with uncertainty and vagueness including demands for the facilities in a plane. By representing the demands for facilities as fuzzy random variables, the location problem can be formulated as a fuzzy random programming problem. For solving the fuzzy random programming problem, first the α-level sets for fuzzy numbers are used for transforming it to a stochastic programming problem, and secondly, by using their expectations and variances, it can be reformulated to a deterministic programming problem. After showing that one of their optimal solutions can be found by solving 0-1 programming problems, their solution method is proposed by improving the tabu search algorithm with strategic oscillation. The efficiency of the proposed method is shown by applying it to numerical examples of the facility location problems.

Demands on attention and the role of response priming in visual discrimination of feature conjunctions.

PubMed

Fournier, Lisa R; Herbert, Rhonda J; Farris, Carrie

2004-10-01

This study examined how response mapping of features within single- and multiple-feature targets affects decision-based processing and attentional capacity demands. Observers judged the presence or absence of 1 or 2 target features within an object either presented alone or with distractors. Judging the presence of 2 features relative to the less discriminable of these features alone was faster (conjunction benefits) when the task-relevant features differed in discriminability and were consistently mapped to responses. Conjunction benefits were attributed to asynchronous decision priming across attended, task-relevant dimensions. A failure to find conjunction benefits for disjunctive conjunctions was attributed to increased memory demands and variable feature-response mapping for 2- versus single-feature targets. Further, attentional demands were similar between single- and 2-feature targets when response mapping, memory demands, and discriminability of the task-relevant features were equated between targets. Implications of the findings for recent attention models are discussed. (c) 2004 APA, all rights reserved

High Penetration of Electrical Vehicles in Microgrids: Threats and Opportunities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khederzadeh, Mojtaba; Khalili, Mohammad

2014-10-01

Given that the microgrid concept is the building block of future electric distribution systems and electrical vehicles (EVs) are the future of transportation market, in this paper, the impact of EVs on the performance of microgrids is investigated. Demand-side participation is used to cope with increasing demand for EV charging. The problem of coordination of EV charging and discharging (with vehicle-to-grid (V2G) functionality) and demand response is formulated as a market-clearing mechanism that accepts bids from the demand and supply sides and takes into account the constraints put forward by different parts. Therefore, a day-ahead market with detailed bids and offers within the microgrid is designed whose objective is to maximize the social welfare which is the difference between the value that consumers attach to the electrical energy they buy plus the benefit of the EV owners participating in the V2G functionality and the cost of producing/purchasing this energy. As the optimization problem is a mixed integer nonlinear programming one, it is decomposed into one master problem for energy scheduling and one subproblem for power flow computation. The two problems are solved iteratively by interfacing MATLAB with GAMS. Simulation results on a sample microgrid with different residential, commercial and industrial consumers with associated demand-side biddings and different penetration level of EVs support the proposed formulation of the problem and the applied methods.

User-Preference-Driven Model Predictive Control of Residential Building Loads and Battery Storage for Demand Response: Preprint

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

Jin, Xin; Baker, Kyri A.; Christensen, Dane T.

This paper presents a user-preference-driven home energy management system (HEMS) for demand response (DR) with residential building loads and battery storage. The HEMS is based on a multi-objective model predictive control algorithm, where the objectives include energy cost, thermal comfort, and carbon emission. A multi-criterion decision making method originating from social science is used to quickly determine user preferences based on a brief survey and derive the weights of different objectives used in the optimization process. Besides the residential appliances used in the traditional DR programs, a home battery system is integrated into the HEMS to improve the flexibility andmore » reliability of the DR resources. Simulation studies have been performed on field data from a residential building stock data set. Appliance models and usage patterns were learned from the data to predict the DR resource availability. Results indicate the HEMS was able to provide a significant amount of load reduction with less than 20% prediction error in both heating and cooling cases.« less

User-Preference-Driven Model Predictive Control of Residential Building Loads and Battery Storage for Demand Response

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

Jin, Xin; Baker, Kyri A; Isley, Steven C

This paper presents a user-preference-driven home energy management system (HEMS) for demand response (DR) with residential building loads and battery storage. The HEMS is based on a multi-objective model predictive control algorithm, where the objectives include energy cost, thermal comfort, and carbon emission. A multi-criterion decision making method originating from social science is used to quickly determine user preferences based on a brief survey and derive the weights of different objectives used in the optimization process. Besides the residential appliances used in the traditional DR programs, a home battery system is integrated into the HEMS to improve the flexibility andmore » reliability of the DR resources. Simulation studies have been performed on field data from a residential building stock data set. Appliance models and usage patterns were learned from the data to predict the DR resource availability. Results indicate the HEMS was able to provide a significant amount of load reduction with less than 20% prediction error in both heating and cooling cases.« less

Assessing Demand for Graduate and Professional Programs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Syverson, Peter D.

1996-01-01

Graduate education is entering an era of market segmentation, varying student demand, and changing requirements from employers, meaning graduate students will assess graduate opportunities differently and institutions will assess programs differently. The traditional view of graduate study as preparation for a research or teaching career and…

Developing guidelines for incorporating managing demand into WSDOT planning and programming: transportation demand management guidance for corridor planning studies.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-02-01

The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) regional planning programs address current and forecasted deficiencies of State highways through the conduct of corridor studies. This Guidance for the conduct of corridor planning studies is ...

Evaluation of empirical process design relationships for ozone disinfection of water and wastewater

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

Finch, G.R.; Smith, D.W.

A research program was undertaken to examine the dose-response of Escherichia coli ATCC 11775 in ozone demand-free phosphate buffer solution and in a high quality secondary wastewater effluent with a total organic carbon content of 8 mg/L and a chemical oxygen demand of 26 mg/L. The studies were conducted in bench-scale batch reactors for both water types. In addition, studies using secondary effluent also were conducted in a pilot-scale, semi-batch reactor to evaluate scale-up effects. It was found that the ozone dose was the most important design parameter in both types of water. Contact time was of some importance inmore » the ozone demand-free water and had no detectable effect in the secondary effluent. Pilot-scale data confirmed the results obtained at bench-scale for the secondary effluent. Regression analysis of the logarithm of the E. coli response on the logarithm of the utilized ozone dose revealed that there was lack-of-fit using the model form which has been used frequently for the design of wastewater disinfection systems. This occurred as a result of a marked tailing effect of the log-log plot as the ozone dose increased and the kill increased. It was postulated that this was caused by some unknown physiological differences within the E. coli population due to age or another factor.« less

Change in Brooklyn and Queens: How New York?s Reforming the Energy Vision Program and Con Edison Are Reshaping Electric Distribution Planning

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

Coddington, Michael; Sciano, Damian; Fuller, Jason

In response to this tremendous growth in both population and electricity demand, Con Edison estimates that its cost to expand the “traditional” Brooklyn-Queens grid will be in the neighborhood of US$1.2 billion—a relatively high number, even for New York City and Con Edison. The complexity of the city’s underground electrical system along with the difficulties of construction in a highly congested urban environment with infrastructure both above and below ground mean that the costs for transmission, substations, and secondary networks are significantly higher than those of a typical electric utility. The New York State Public Service Commission (PSC) is inmore » the process revising its approach to acquiring and serving energy throughout the state of New York, and traditional expansion for this rather costly project was not likely to be approved. Instead, the PSC asked Con Edison to evaluate numerous alternatives. The PSC and Con Edison are now considering and adopting strategies that include renewable energy generation, demand response (DR), battery energy storage systems, fuel-cell distributed generation, combined heat and power, volt-volt ampere reactive (VAR) optimization (VVO), and a host of other innovative solutions that would both reduce electricity demand and transform how and when Con Edison’s consumers use electricity.« less

City of San Antonio, Texas Better Buildings Program

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

Meyer, Liza C.; Hammer, Mary C.

2014-06-30

The San Antonio Better Buildings Program is a unified single-point-of-service energy efficiency delivery mechanism targeting residential, commercial, institutional, industrial and public buildings. This comprehensive and replicable energy efficiency program is designed to be an effective demand side management initiative to provide a seamless process for program participants to have turn-key access to expert analysis, support and incentives to improve the performance of their in-place energy using systems, while reducing electrical energy use and demand.

32 CFR 1805.4 - Procedure for production.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... responsibility for the information sought in the demand shall determine whether any information or materials may properly be produced in response to the demand, except that NACIC Counsel may assert any and all legal... demand for production is made upon an employee, the employee shall immediately notify NACIC Counsel, who...

Long-term power generation expansion planning with short-term demand response: Model, algorithms, implementation, and electricity policies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lohmann, Timo

Electric sector models are powerful tools that guide policy makers and stakeholders. Long-term power generation expansion planning models are a prominent example and determine a capacity expansion for an existing power system over a long planning horizon. With the changes in the power industry away from monopolies and regulation, the focus of these models has shifted to competing electric companies maximizing their profit in a deregulated electricity market. In recent years, consumers have started to participate in demand response programs, actively influencing electricity load and price in the power system. We introduce a model that features investment and retirement decisions over a long planning horizon of more than 20 years, as well as an hourly representation of day-ahead electricity markets in which sellers of electricity face buyers. This combination makes our model both unique and challenging to solve. Decomposition algorithms, and especially Benders decomposition, can exploit the model structure. We present a novel method that can be seen as an alternative to generalized Benders decomposition and relies on dynamic linear overestimation. We prove its finite convergence and present computational results, demonstrating its superiority over traditional approaches. In certain special cases of our model, all necessary solution values in the decomposition algorithms can be directly calculated and solving mathematical programming problems becomes entirely obsolete. This leads to highly efficient algorithms that drastically outperform their programming problem-based counterparts. Furthermore, we discuss the implementation of all tailored algorithms and the challenges from a modeling software developer's standpoint, providing an insider's look into the modeling language GAMS. Finally, we apply our model to the Texas power system and design two electricity policies motivated by the U.S. Environment Protection Agency's recently proposed CO2 emissions targets for the power sector.

Costs to Automate Demand Response - Taxonomy and Results from Field Studies and Programs

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

Piette, Mary A.; Schetrit, Oren; Kiliccote, Sila

During the past decade, the technology to automate demand response (DR) in buildings and industrial facilities has advanced significantly. Automation allows rapid, repeatable, reliable operation. This study focuses on costs for DR automation in commercial buildings with some discussion on residential buildings and industrial facilities. DR automation technology relies on numerous components, including communication systems, hardware and software gateways, standards-based messaging protocols, controls and integration platforms, and measurement and telemetry systems. This report compares cost data from several DR automation programs and pilot projects, evaluates trends in the cost per unit of DR and kilowatts (kW) available from automated systems,more » and applies a standard naming convention and classification or taxonomy for system elements. Median costs for the 56 installed automated DR systems studied here are about $200/kW. The deviation around this median is large with costs in some cases being an order of magnitude great or less than the median. This wide range is a result of variations in system age, size of load reduction, sophistication, and type of equipment included in cost analysis. The costs to automate fast DR systems for ancillary services are not fully analyzed in this report because additional research is needed to determine the total cost to install, operate, and maintain these systems. However, recent research suggests that they could be developed at costs similar to those of existing hot-summer DR automation systems. This report considers installation and configuration costs and does include the costs of owning and operating DR automation systems. Future analysis of the latter costs should include the costs to the building or facility manager costs as well as utility or third party program manager cost.« less

Parts on Demand: Evaluation of Approaches to Achieve Flexible Manufacturing Systems for Navy Parts on Demand. Volume 2. Appendices

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-02-01

of Cost Analysis Worksheets * POD Program-Economic Analysis & Methodology - Economic Evaluation Procedures for POD Investment Program - System...Approval Considerations - POD Investment Program - Potential Improvement Areas for POD - Example Cost Categories and Determinants Appendix E Long Range R&D...Funding Profiles * Investment Strategy for Integrated Circuits Diminishing Sources of Supply - Problem Scope - Approach - Alternatives - Proposed

Competitive Facility Location with Random Demands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Uno, Takeshi; Katagiri, Hideki; Kato, Kosuke

2009-10-01

This paper proposes a new location problem of competitive facilities, e.g. shops and stores, with uncertain demands in the plane. By representing the demands for facilities as random variables, the location problem is formulated to a stochastic programming problem, and for finding its solution, three deterministic programming problems: expectation maximizing problem, probability maximizing problem, and satisfying level maximizing problem are considered. After showing that one of their optimal solutions can be found by solving 0-1 programming problems, their solution method is proposed by improving the tabu search algorithm with strategic vibration. Efficiency of the solution method is shown by applying to numerical examples of the facility location problems.

Application of Demand Analysis in Marketing Continuing Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Waters, Elzberry, Jr.

This study investigated the feasibility of applying economic demand analysis (especially elasticity of demand) in marketing George Washington University off-campus degree programs. In the case under study, a supplemental budget request had to be submitted to meet expenses incurred by an unforeseen increase in demand for graduate and undergraduate…

Comparison of Dijkstra's algorithm and dynamic programming method in finding shortest path for order picker in a warehouse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nordin, Noraimi Azlin Mohd; Omar, Mohd; Sharif, S. Sarifah Radiah

2017-04-01

Companies are looking forward to improve their productivity within their warehouse operations and distribution centres. In a typical warehouse operation, order picking contributes more than half percentage of the operating costs. Order picking is a benchmark in measuring the performance and productivity improvement of any warehouse management. Solving order picking problem is crucial in reducing response time and waiting time of a customer in receiving his demands. To reduce the response time, proper routing for picking orders is vital. Moreover, in production line, it is vital to always make sure the supplies arrive on time. Hence, a sample routing network will be applied on EP Manufacturing Berhad (EPMB) as a case study. The Dijkstra's algorithm and Dynamic Programming method are applied to find the shortest distance for an order picker in order picking. The results show that the Dynamic programming method is a simple yet competent approach in finding the shortest distance to pick an order that is applicable in a warehouse within a short time period.

Household social characteristics of the demand for alcoholic beverages among Spanish students.

PubMed

Gil-Lacruz, Ana Isabel; Gil-Lacruz, Marta

2013-03-01

This paper studies how household social capital affects adolescents' demand for alcoholic drinks. To that end, we focus on a theoretical framework that combines elements from the Model of Rational Addiction and the Model of Social Economics. For the empirical framework, we use a simultaneous Type II Tobit model, with data drawn from the Spanish National Survey on Drug Use in the School Population (2000, 2002, and 2004). The sample is comprised of 12,627 students aged 17 years old. Our results confirm that parents' decisions about drinking are even more decisive in their children's behavior than socioeconomic variables, such as parents' educative levels or working status. Parental responsibilities go beyond the endowment of health and educational goods and services; so, these results suggest the importance of designing family-drug use prevention programs. The study's limitations are noted.

Leadership development and succession planning in case management.

PubMed

Miodonski, Kathleen; Hines, Patricia

2013-01-01

The director of case management is one of health care's leadership positions most frequently in demand. The lack of qualified and effective case management leaders will continue to be an issue for organizations for years to come, influenced by increasing pressures on health care reimbursement and the aging case management workforce. Organizations have an opportunity to create a program to develop future case management leaders from their internal talent. The proposed strategies are designed for the acute care hospital but also have applicability in other health care settings where there are case managers and a need for case management leadership. The business community offers leadership research and leadership development models with relevance to case management. Identifying and developing internal talent for leadership roles has been proven to be effective in preparation for advanced responsibilities, has a positive effect on staff morale, and minimizes the impact of vacant leadership positions during recruitment and onboarding activities. Creating a case management leadership development program for an organization can be an alternative to the process of external recruitment for case management department leaders. Such a program can be undertaken even in today's budget conscious environment by accessing existing resources in an organization in a creative and organized manner. The authors outline an approach for case management leaders to accept responsibility for succession planning and for case managers to accept responsibility for promoting their own career development through creation of a leadership development program.

Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Demand and Tax Simulation for Federal Food Assistance Participants: A Case of Two New England States.

PubMed

Jithitikulchai, Theepakorn; Andreyeva, Tatiana

2018-06-19

Excessive consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is a major concern in the efforts to improve diet and reduce obesity in USA, particularly among low-income populations. One of the most commonly proposed strategies to reduce sugar-sweetened beverage consumption is increasing beverage prices through taxation. The objective of this study was to evaluate whether and how price-based policies could reduce sugar-sweetened beverage consumption among participants in the federal Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program. Using point-of-sale data from a regional supermarket chain (58 stores), we estimated the responsiveness of demand to sugar-sweetened beverage price changes among Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program-participating families with young children. Own-price and cross-price elasticities for non-alcoholic beverages were estimated using a Quadratic Almost Ideal Demand System model. The study found evidence that a tax-induced sugar-sweetened beverage price increase would reduce total sugar-sweetened beverage purchases among Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program participants, who were driven by purchase shifts away from taxed sodas and sports drinks to non-taxed beverages (bottled water, juice, milk). The substitution of non-taxed caloric beverages decreases the marginal effects of the sugar-sweetened beverage tax, yet the direct tax effects are large enough to reduce the overall caloric intake, with the average net reduction in monthly calories from sugar-sweetened beverages estimated at around 8% for a half-cent per ounce tax and 16% for a one cent per ounce tax. A beverage price increase in the form of an excise tax would reduce sugar-sweetened beverage consumption and increase healthier beverage purchases among low-income families.

A Relevant Model for Preparing Aspiring Superintendents

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robicheau, Jerry; Haar, Jean

2008-01-01

The relevance of administrative preparation programs has been questioned. The questions center around how well programs are preparing school leaders to deal with the myriad of requirements placed in front of them (i.e. demands relate to issues of accountability, changing demographics, aging professionals, demanding publics, and school…

Modeling, Analysis, and Control of Demand Response Resources

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

Mathieu, Johanna L.

2012-05-01

While the traditional goal of an electric power system has been to control supply to fulfill demand, the demand-side can plan an active role in power systems via Demand Response (DR), defined by the Department of Energy (DOE) as “a tariff or program established to motivate changes in electric use by end-use customers in response to changes in the price of electricity over time, or to give incentive payments designed to induce lower electricity use at times of high market prices or when grid reliability is jeopardized” [29]. DR can provide a variety of benefits including reducing peak electric loadsmore » when the power system is stressed and fast timescale energy balancing. Therefore, DR can improve grid reliability and reduce wholesale energy prices and their volatility. This dissertation focuses on analyzing both recent and emerging DR paradigms. Recent DR programs have focused on peak load reduction in commercial buildings and industrial facilities (C&I facilities). We present methods for using 15-minute-interval electric load data, commonly available from C&I facilities, to help building managers understand building energy consumption and ‘ask the right questions’ to discover opportunities for DR. Additionally, we present a regression-based model of whole building electric load, i.e., a baseline model, which allows us to quantify DR performance. We use this baseline model to understand the performance of 38 C&I facilities participating in an automated dynamic pricing DR program in California. In this program, facilities are expected to exhibit the same response each DR event. We find that baseline model error makes it difficult to precisely quantify changes in electricity consumption and understand if C&I facilities exhibit event-to-event variability in their response to DR signals. Therefore, we present a method to compute baseline model error and a metric to determine how much observed DR variability results from baseline model error rather than real variability in response. We find that, in general, baseline model error is large. Though some facilities exhibit real DR variability, most observed variability results from baseline model error. In some cases, however, aggregations of C&I facilities exhibit real DR variability, which could create challenges for power system operation. These results have implications for DR program design and deployment. Emerging DR paradigms focus on faster timescale DR. Here, we investigate methods to coordinate aggregations of residential thermostatically controlled loads (TCLs), including air conditioners and refrigerators, to manage frequency and energy imbalances in power systems. We focus on opportunities to centrally control loads with high accuracy but low requirements for sensing and communications infrastructure. Specifically, we compare cases when measured load state information (e.g., power consumption and temperature) is 1) available in real time; 2) available, but not in real time; and 3) not available. We develop Markov Chain models to describe the temperature state evolution of heterogeneous populations of TCLs, and use Kalman filtering for both state and joint parameter/state estimation. We present a look-ahead proportional controller to broadcast control signals to all TCLs, which always remain in their temperature dead-band. Simulations indicate that it is possible to achieve power tracking RMS errors in the range of 0.26–9.3% of steady state aggregated power consumption. Results depend upon the information available for system identification, state estimation, and control. We find that, depending upon the performance required, TCLs may not need to provide state information to the central controller in real time or at all. We also estimate the size of the TCL potential resource; potential revenue from participation in markets; and break-even costs associated with deploying DR-enabling technologies. We find that current TCL energy storage capacity in California is 8–11 GWh, with refrigerators contributing the most. Annual revenues from participation in regulation vary from $10 to $220 per TCL per year depending upon the type of TCL and climate zone, while load following and arbitrage revenues are more modest at $2 to $35 per TCL per year. These results lead to a number of policy recommendations that will make it easier to engage residential loads in fast timescale DR.« less

Assessment of Optimal Flexibility in Ensemble of Frequency Responsive Loads

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

Kundu, Soumya; Hansen, Jacob; Lian, Jianming

2018-04-19

Potential of electrical loads in providing grid ancillary services is often limited due to the uncertainties associated with the load behavior. A knowledge of the expected uncertainties with a load control program would invariably yield to better informed control policies, opening up the possibility of extracting the maximal load control potential without affecting grid operations. In the context of frequency responsive load control, a probabilistic uncertainty analysis framework is presented to quantify the expected error between the target and actual load response, under uncertainties in the load dynamics. A closed-form expression of an optimal demand flexibility, minimizing the expected errormore » in actual and committed flexibility, is provided. Analytical results are validated through Monte Carlo simulations of ensembles of electric water heaters.« less

Refrigerated Warehouse Demand Response Strategy Guide

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

Scott, Doug; Castillo, Rafael; Larson, Kyle

This guide summarizes demand response measures that can be implemented in refrigerated warehouses. In an appendix, it also addresses related energy efficiency opportunities. Reducing overall grid demand during peak periods and energy consumption has benefits for facility operators, grid operators, utility companies, and society. State wide demand response potential for the refrigerated warehouse sector in California is estimated to be over 22.1 Megawatts. Two categories of demand response strategies are described in this guide: load shifting and load shedding. Load shifting can be accomplished via pre-cooling, capacity limiting, and battery charger load management. Load shedding can be achieved by lightingmore » reduction, demand defrost and defrost termination, infiltration reduction, and shutting down miscellaneous equipment. Estimation of the costs and benefits of demand response participation yields simple payback periods of 2-4 years. To improve demand response performance, it’s suggested to install air curtains and another form of infiltration barrier, such as a rollup door, for the passageways. Further modifications to increase efficiency of the refrigeration unit are also analyzed. A larger condenser can maintain the minimum saturated condensing temperature (SCT) for more hours of the day. Lowering the SCT reduces the compressor lift, which results in an overall increase in refrigeration system capacity and energy efficiency. Another way of saving energy in refrigerated warehouses is eliminating the use of under-floor resistance heaters. A more energy efficient alternative to resistance heaters is to utilize the heat that is being rejected from the condenser through a heat exchanger. These energy efficiency measures improve efficiency either by reducing the required electric energy input for the refrigeration system, by helping to curtail the refrigeration load on the system, or by reducing both the load and required energy input.« less

Cultural Competency Education in Academic Dental Institutions in Australia and New Zealand: A Survey Study.

PubMed

Nicholson, Sheree L; Hayes, Melanie J; Taylor, Jane A

2016-08-01

The aim of this study was to assess the status of cultural competency education in Australian and New Zealand dental, dental hygiene, and oral health therapy programs. The study sought to explore the extent to which cultural competence is included in these programs' curricula, building on similar studies conducted in the United States and thus contributing to the international body of knowledge on this topic. A 12-item instrument was designed with questions in four areas (demographics, content of cultural competency education, organization of overall program curriculum, and educational methods used to teach cultural competence) and was sent to all Australian and New Zealand dental, dental hygiene, and oral health therapy educational programs. Of the total 24 programs, 15 responded for a response rate of 62.5%. The results showed that lectures were the most frequent teaching method used in cultural competency education; however, the variation in responses indicated inconsistencies across study participants, as discussions and self-directed learning also featured prominently in the responses. The majority of respondents reported that cultural competence was not taught as a specific course but rather integrated into their programs' existing curricula. The variations in methods may indicate the need for a standardized framework for cultural competency education in these countries. In addition, the notion of cultural competency education in academic dental institutions demands additional evaluation, and further research is required to develop a solid evidence base on which to develop cultural competency education, specifically regarding content, most effective pedagogies, and assessment of student preparedness.

Quiet Clean Short-Haul Experimental Engine (QCSEE) aerodynamic characteristics of 30.5 centimeter diameter inlets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Paul, D. L.

1975-01-01

A low speed test program was conducted in a 9- by 15-foot V/STOL wind tunnel to investigate internal performance characteristics and determine key design features required for an inlet to meet the demanding operational conditions of the QCSEE application. Four models each having a design average throat Mach number of 0.79 were tested over a range of incidence angle, throat Mach number, and freestream velocity. Principal design variable was internal lip diameter ratio. Stable, efficient inlet performance was found to be feasible at and beyond the 50 deg incidence angle required by the QCSEE application at its 41.2 m/sec (80 knot) nominal takeoff velocity, through suitably designed inlet lip and diffuser components. Forebody design was found to significantly impact flow stability via nose curvature. Measured inlet wall pressures were used to select a location for the inlet throat Mach number control's static pressure port that properly balanced the conflicting demands of relative insensitivity to flow incidence and sufficiently high response to changes in engine flow demand.

Students' Needs as the Impetus for Program Change in Adult Basic Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fahy, Patrick J.

1986-01-01

Interviews with adult basic education students revealed that (1) some program demands and conditions threaten them with fear of failure; (2) some adults want more autonomy than instructors want to give; and (3) the special needs of some students demand special learning conditions. (SK)

Post-Secondary Program in Production Agriculture at Michigan State

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gibson, James L.; Knoblauch, Wayne A.

1974-01-01

The ten-year decline in enrollment in vocational agriculture technician level programs has reversed in Michigan, reflecting the recent turn-around in farm prices, increased federal funding, technical progress in production agriculture, and increased employment demands for graduates. Growing local interest is seen in rising demands for vocational…

Non-governmental organizational health operations in humanitarian crises: the case for technical support units.

PubMed

Greenough, P Gregg; Nazerali, Rahim; Fink, Sheri; VanRooyen, Michael J

2007-01-01

As the humanitarian health response industry grows, there is a need for technical health expertise that can build an evidence base around outcome measures and raise the quality and accountability of the health relief response. We propose the formation of technical support units (TSUs), entities of health expertise institutionalized within humanitarian non-governmental organizations (NGOs), which will bridge the gap between the demand for evidence-based, humanitarian programming and the field capacity to accomplish it. With the input of major humanitarian NGOs and donors, this paper discusses the attributes and capacities ofTSUs; and the mechanisms for creating and enhancing TSUs within the NGO management structure.

NASA TLX: software for assessing subjective mental workload.

PubMed

Cao, Alex; Chintamani, Keshav K; Pandya, Abhilash K; Ellis, R Darin

2009-02-01

The NASA Task Load Index (TLX) is a popular technique for measuring subjective mental workload. It relies on a multidimensional construct to derive an overall workload score based on a weighted average of ratings on six subscales: mental demand, physical demand, temporal demand, performance, effort, and frustration level. A program for implementing a computerized version of the NASA TLX is described. The software version assists in simplifying collection, postprocessing, and storage of raw data. The program collects raw data from the subject and calculates the weighted (or unweighted) workload score, which is output to a text file. The program can also be tailored to a specific experiment using a simple input text file, if desired. The program was designed in Visual Studio 2005 and is capable of running on a Pocket PC with Windows CE or on a PC with Windows 2000 or higher. The NASA TLX program is available for free download.

Abortion training in Canadian obstetrics and gynecology residency programs.

PubMed

Liauw, J; Dineley, B; Gerster, K; Hill, N; Costescu, D

2016-11-01

To evaluate the current state of abortion training in Canadian Obstetrics and Gynecology residency programs. Surveys were distributed to all Canadian Obstetrics and Gynecology residents and program directors. Data were collected on inclusion of abortion training in the curriculum, structure of the training and expected competency of residents in various abortion procedures. We distributed and collected surveys between November 2014 and May 2015. In total, 301 residents and 15 program directors responded, giving response rates of 55% and 94%, respectively. Based on responses by program directors, half of the programs had "opt-in" abortion training, and half of the programs had "opt-out" abortion training. Upon completion of residency, 66% of residents expected to be competent in providing first-trimester surgical abortion in an ambulatory setting, and 35% expected to be competent in second-trimester surgical abortion. Overall, 15% of residents reported that they were not aware of or did not have access to abortion training within their program, and 69% desired more abortion training during residency. Abortion training in Canadian Obstetrics and Gynecology residency programs is inconsistent, and residents desire more training in abortion. This suggests an ongoing unmet need for training in this area. Policies mandating standardized abortion training in obstetrics and gynecology residency programs are necessary to improve delivery of family planning services to Canadian women. Abortion training in Canadian Obstetrics and Gynecology residency programs is inconsistent, does not meet resident demand and is unlikely to fulfill the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada objectives of training in the specialty. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

American Indian cultures: how CBPR illuminated intertribal cultural elements fundamental to an adaptation effort.

PubMed

Jumper-Reeves, Leslie; Dustman, Patricia Allen; Harthun, Mary L; Kulis, Stephen; Brown, Eddie F

2014-08-01

The ever-increasing numbers of ethnic minority populations in the USA seeking social services suggest that a "multicultural paradigm shift" is underway and gaining speed. This shift will increasingly demand that prevention programs and interventions be more culturally responsive. Interventions that are not aligned with prospective participants' world views and experiences are only minimally effective. Existing models for conducting culturally grounded program adaptations emphasize identifying distinct levels of cultural influences while preserving core elements of the original intervention. An effective adaptation requires competent language translation as well as trained translations of program concepts and principles that will be meaningful to the targeted group, without compromising program fidelity. This article describes how a university research team and curriculum developers worked with American Indian youth and adults in a large southwestern city using a CBPR process to identify cultural elements that became foundational to the adaptation of a prevention curriculum that is a national model program, with the objective of increasing its applicability for urban native youth.

[The motivation to become a medical doctor - doctoral students in a formal academic study program compared with those pursuing their doctorate independently].

PubMed

Pfeiffer, M; Dimitriadis, K; Holzer, M; Reincke, M; Fischer, M R

2011-04-01

Weight and quality of medical doctoral theses have been discussed in Germany for years. Doctoral study programs in various graduate schools offer opportunities to improve quality of medical doctoral theses. The purpose of this study was to demonstrate distinctions and differences concerning motivation, choice of subject and the dissertation process between doctoral candidates completing the doctoral seminar for doctoral students in the Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich and doctoral candidates doing their doctorate individually. All 4000 medical students of the LMU obtained an online-questionnaire which was completed by 767 students (19 % response rate). The theoretical framework of this study was based upon the Self-Determination-Theory by Deci and Ryan. Doctoral candidates completing the doctoral study program were more intrinsically motivated than doctoral candidates doing their doctorate individually; no difference was found in their extrinsic motivation. In regard to choice of subject and dissertation process the doctoral students in the seminar were distinguished from the individual group by having chosen a more challenging project. They anticipated a demanding dissertation process including conference participation, publishing of papers, etc. Intrinsic motivation correlates positively with choosing a challenging project and a demanding dissertation process. High intrinsic motivation seems to be very important for autonomous scholarly practice. Our results suggest that doctoral study programs have a positive impact on intrinsic motivation and interest in research. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Typical Toddlers' Participation in “Just-in-Time” Programming of Vocabulary for Visual Scene Display Augmentative and Alternative Communication Apps on Mobile Technology: A Descriptive Study

PubMed Central

Drager, Kathryn; Light, Janice; Caron, Jessica Gosnell

2017-01-01

Purpose Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) promotes communicative participation and language development for young children with complex communication needs. However, the motor, linguistic, and cognitive demands of many AAC technologies restrict young children's operational use of and influence over these technologies. The purpose of the current study is to better understand young children's participation in programming vocabulary “just in time” on an AAC application with minimized demands. Method A descriptive study was implemented to highlight the participation of 10 typically developing toddlers (M age: 16 months, range: 10–22 months) in just-in-time vocabulary programming in an AAC app with visual scene displays. Results All 10 toddlers participated in some capacity in adding new visual scene displays and vocabulary to the app just in time. Differences in participation across steps were observed, suggesting variation in the developmental demands of controls involved in vocabulary programming. Conclusions Results from the current study provide clinical insights toward involving young children in AAC programming just in time and steps that may allow for more independent participation or require more scaffolding. Technology designed to minimize motor, cognitive, and linguistic demands may allow children to participate in programming devices at a younger age. PMID:28586825

Typical Toddlers' Participation in "Just-in-Time" Programming of Vocabulary for Visual Scene Display Augmentative and Alternative Communication Apps on Mobile Technology: A Descriptive Study.

PubMed

Holyfield, Christine; Drager, Kathryn; Light, Janice; Caron, Jessica Gosnell

2017-08-15

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) promotes communicative participation and language development for young children with complex communication needs. However, the motor, linguistic, and cognitive demands of many AAC technologies restrict young children's operational use of and influence over these technologies. The purpose of the current study is to better understand young children's participation in programming vocabulary "just in time" on an AAC application with minimized demands. A descriptive study was implemented to highlight the participation of 10 typically developing toddlers (M age: 16 months, range: 10-22 months) in just-in-time vocabulary programming in an AAC app with visual scene displays. All 10 toddlers participated in some capacity in adding new visual scene displays and vocabulary to the app just in time. Differences in participation across steps were observed, suggesting variation in the developmental demands of controls involved in vocabulary programming. Results from the current study provide clinical insights toward involving young children in AAC programming just in time and steps that may allow for more independent participation or require more scaffolding. Technology designed to minimize motor, cognitive, and linguistic demands may allow children to participate in programming devices at a younger age.

Human Systems Integration (HSI) Case Studies from the NASA Constellation Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Baggerman, Susan; Berdich, Debbie; Whitmore, Mihriban

2009-01-01

The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Constellation Program is responsible for planning and implementing those programs necessary to send human explorers back to the moon, onward to Mars and other destinations in the solar system, and to support missions to the International Space Station. The Constellation Program has the technical management responsibility for all Constellation Projects, including both human rated and non-human rated vehicles such as the Crew Exploration Vehicle, EVA Systems, the Lunar Lander, Lunar Surface Systems, and the Ares I and Ares V rockets. With NASA s new Vision for Space Exploration to send humans beyond Earth orbit, it is critical to consider the human as a system that demands early and continuous user involvement, inclusion in trade offs and analyses, and an iterative "prototype/test/ redesign" process. Personnel at the NASA Johnson Space Center are involved in the Constellation Program at both the Program and Project levels as human system integrators. They ensure that the human is considered as a system, equal to hardware and software vehicle systems. Systems to deliver and support extended human habitation on the moon are extremely complex and unique, presenting new opportunities to employ Human Systems Integration, or HSI practices in the Constellation Program. The purpose of the paper is to show examples of where human systems integration work is successfully employed in the Constellation Program and related Projects, such as in the areas of habitation and early requirements and design concepts.

A hybrid inventory management system respondingto regular demand and surge demand

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

Mohammad S. Roni; Mingzhou Jin; Sandra D. Eksioglu

2014-06-01

This paper proposes a hybrid policy for a stochastic inventory system facing regular demand and surge demand. The combination of two different demand patterns can be observed in many areas, such as healthcare inventory and humanitarian supply chain management. The surge demand has a lower arrival rate but higher demand volume per arrival. The solution approach proposed in this paper incorporates the level crossing method and mixed integer programming technique to optimize the hybrid inventory policy with both regular orders and emergency orders. The level crossing method is applied to obtain the equilibrium distributions of inventory levels under a givenmore » policy. The model is further transformed into a mixed integer program to identify an optimal hybrid policy. A sensitivity analysis is conducted to investigate the impact of parameters on the optimal inventory policy and minimum cost. Numerical results clearly show the benefit of using the proposed hybrid inventory model. The model and solution approach could help healthcare providers or humanitarian logistics providers in managing their emergency supplies in responding to surge demands.« less

Michigan's Statewide Travel Demand Model

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-09-01

The Travel Demand and Intermodal Services Section of Michigan's Department of Transportation is responsible for the development, maintenance and application of the Statewide Travel Demand Model. Michigan's Statewide and Urban Travel Demand Models are...

Regional Renewable Energy Cooperatives

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hazendonk, P.; Brown, M. B.; Byrne, J. M.; Harrison, T.; Mueller, R.; Peacock, K.; Usher, J.; Yalamova, R.; Kroebel, R.; Larsen, J.; McNaughton, R.

2014-12-01

We are building a multidisciplinary research program linking researchers in agriculture, business, earth science, engineering, humanities and social science. Our goal is to match renewable energy supply and reformed energy demands. The program will be focused on (i) understanding and modifying energy demand, (ii) design and implementation of diverse renewable energy networks. Geomatics technology will be used to map existing energy and waste flows on a neighbourhood, municipal, and regional level. Optimal sites and combinations of sites for solar and wind electrical generation (ridges, rooftops, valley walls) will be identified. Geomatics based site and grid analyses will identify best locations for energy production based on efficient production and connectivity to regional grids and transportation. Design of networks for utilization of waste streams of heat, water, animal and human waste for energy production will be investigated. Agriculture, cities and industry produce many waste streams that are not well utilized. Therefore, establishing a renewable energy resource mapping and planning program for electrical generation, waste heat and energy recovery, biomass collection, and biochar, biodiesel and syngas production is critical to regional energy optimization. Electrical storage and demand management are two priorities that will be investigated. Regional scale cooperatives may use electric vehicle batteries and innovations such as pump storage and concentrated solar molten salt heat storage for steam turbine electrical generation. Energy demand management is poorly explored in Canada and elsewhere - our homes and businesses operate on an unrestricted demand. Simple monitoring and energy demand-ranking software can easily reduce peaks demands and move lower ranked uses to non-peak periods, thereby reducing the grid size needed to meet peak demands. Peak demand strains the current energy grid capacity and often requires demand balancing projects and infrastructure that is highly inefficient due to overall low utilization.

Ridesharing: Transportation demand management

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

Valdez, R.; Wang, J.; Flynn, C.P.

1989-01-01

The 13 papers in the report deal with the following areas: Comparison of transportation demand management market research study results and transportation management association development in three suburban activity centers; Ten cities' strategies for transportation demand management; Key considerations for developing local government transportation system management programs; First Hill Action Plan: A unique public/private approach to transportation demand management; Comparison of travel behavior before and after the opening of HOV lanes in a suburban travel corridor; Evaluation of Springfield instant carpooling; George Washington Bridge bus-carpool lane: 1-Year Operational Report; Guaranteed Ride Home: An insurance program for HOV users; Evaluation ofmore » Ridefinders and Central Richmond Association's transportation and parking information service; Vanpools: Pricing and market penetration; Cost-effectiveness of private employer ridesharing programs: An employer's assessment; Temporal analysis of handicapped ridership in specialized transportation service: Lexington/Fayette County experience; Characterization of the 'publico' system of Puerto Rico.« less

Voluntary medical male circumcision: a qualitative study exploring the challenges of costing demand creation in eastern and southern Africa.

PubMed

Bertrand, Jane T; Njeuhmeli, Emmanuel; Forsythe, Steven; Mattison, Sarah K; Mahler, Hally; Hankins, Catherine A

2011-01-01

This paper proposes an approach to estimating the costs of demand creation for voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) scale-up in 13 countries of eastern and southern Africa. It addresses two key questions: (1) what are the elements of a standardized package for demand creation? And (2) what challenges exist and must be taken into account in estimating the costs of demand creation? We conducted a key informant study on VMMC demand creation using purposive sampling to recruit seven people who provide technical assistance to government programs and manage budgets for VMMC demand creation. Key informants provided their views on the important elements of VMMC demand creation and the most effective funding allocations across different types of communication approaches (e.g., mass media, small media, outreach/mobilization). The key finding was the wide range of views, suggesting that a standard package of core demand creation elements would not be universally applicable. This underscored the importance of tailoring demand creation strategies and estimates to specific country contexts before estimating costs. The key informant interviews, supplemented by the researchers' field experience, identified these issues to be addressed in future costing exercises: variations in the cost of VMMC demand creation activities by country and program, decisions about the quality and comprehensiveness of programming, and lack of data on critical elements needed to "trigger the decision" among eligible men. Based on this study's findings, we propose a seven-step methodological approach to estimate the cost of VMMC scale-up in a priority country, based on our key assumptions. However, further work is needed to better understand core components of a demand creation package and how to cost them. Notwithstanding the methodological challenges, estimating the cost of demand creation remains an essential element in deriving estimates of the total costs for VMMC scale-up in eastern and southern Africa.

Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision: A Qualitative Study Exploring the Challenges of Costing Demand Creation in Eastern and Southern Africa

PubMed Central

Bertrand, Jane T.; Njeuhmeli, Emmanuel; Forsythe, Steven; Mattison, Sarah K.; Mahler, Hally; Hankins, Catherine A.

2011-01-01

Background This paper proposes an approach to estimating the costs of demand creation for voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) scale-up in 13 countries of eastern and southern Africa. It addresses two key questions: (1) what are the elements of a standardized package for demand creation? And (2) what challenges exist and must be taken into account in estimating the costs of demand creation? Methods and Findings We conducted a key informant study on VMMC demand creation using purposive sampling to recruit seven people who provide technical assistance to government programs and manage budgets for VMMC demand creation. Key informants provided their views on the important elements of VMMC demand creation and the most effective funding allocations across different types of communication approaches (e.g., mass media, small media, outreach/mobilization). The key finding was the wide range of views, suggesting that a standard package of core demand creation elements would not be universally applicable. This underscored the importance of tailoring demand creation strategies and estimates to specific country contexts before estimating costs. The key informant interviews, supplemented by the researchers' field experience, identified these issues to be addressed in future costing exercises: variations in the cost of VMMC demand creation activities by country and program, decisions about the quality and comprehensiveness of programming, and lack of data on critical elements needed to “trigger the decision” among eligible men. Conclusions Based on this study's findings, we propose a seven-step methodological approach to estimate the cost of VMMC scale-up in a priority country, based on our key assumptions. However, further work is needed to better understand core components of a demand creation package and how to cost them. Notwithstanding the methodological challenges, estimating the cost of demand creation remains an essential element in deriving estimates of the total costs for VMMC scale-up in eastern and southern Africa. PMID:22140450

Centralized and Decentralized Control for Demand Response

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

Lu, Shuai; Samaan, Nader A.; Diao, Ruisheng

2011-04-29

Demand response has been recognized as an essential element of the smart grid. Frequency response, regulation and contingency reserve functions performed traditionally by generation resources are now starting to involve demand side resources. Additional benefits from demand response include peak reduction and load shifting, which will defer new infrastructure investment and improve generator operation efficiency. Technical approaches designed to realize these functionalities can be categorized into centralized control and decentralized control, depending on where the response decision is made. This paper discusses these two control philosophies and compares their relative advantages and disadvantages in terms of delay time, predictability, complexity,more » and reliability. A distribution system model with detailed household loads and controls is built to demonstrate the characteristics of the two approaches. The conclusion is that the promptness and reliability of decentralized control should be combined with the predictability and simplicity of centralized control to achieve the best performance of the smart grid.« less

28 CFR 0.177a - Antitrust civil investigative demands.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... JUSTICE Assigning Responsibility Concerning Applications for Orders Compelling Testimony or Production of..., United States Code, to compel testimony in response to antitrust civil investigative demands for oral...

A study of some economic factors relating to the development and implementation of a satellite power system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1978-01-01

Areas are examined relating to the design, development and implementation of a satellite power system (SPS): an analysis of the effect of energy R&D programs in general and SPS in particular on optimal fossil fuel consumption patterns, a study of alternative uses of SPS technologies, and a study of the electric power market penetration potential for SPS. It is shown that a credible program of R&D on long-range energy alternatives leads to lower optimal prices for fossil fuels, resulting in large short-term benefits accruing to the specific program elements. Several alternative uses of SPS technologies were identified; however the markets for these technologies are generally quite diffuse and difficult to assess. The notable exception is solar array technology which has, potentially, a very large non-SPS market. It is shown that the market for SPS units derives from two components of demand: the demand created by growth in the electrical energy demand which leads to an increased demand for baseload generating capacity, and a demand created by the need to replace retiring capacity.

A Review of Player Monitoring Approaches in Basketball: Current Trends and Future Directions.

PubMed

Fox, Jordan L; Scanlan, Aaron T; Stanton, Robert

2017-07-01

Fox, JL, Scanlan, AT, and Stanton, R. A review of player monitoring approaches in basketball: current trends and future directions. J Strength Cond Res 31(7): 2021-2029, 2017-Effective monitoring of players in team sports such as basketball requires an understanding of the external demands and internal responses, as they relate to training phases and competition. Monitoring of external demands and internal responses allows coaching staff to determine the dose-response associated with the imposed training load (TL), and subsequently, if players are adequately prepared for competition. This review discusses measures reported in the literature for monitoring the external demands and internal responses of basketball players during training and competition. The external demands of training and competition were primarily monitored using time-motion analysis, with limited use of microtechnology being reported. Internal responses during training were typically measured using hematological markers, heart rate, various TL models, and perceptual responses such as rating of perceived exertion (RPE). Heart rate was the most commonly reported indicator of internal responses during competition with limited reporting of hematological markers or RPE. These findings show a large discrepancy between the reporting of external and internal measures and training and competition demands. Microsensors, however, may be a practical and convenient method of player monitoring in basketball to overcome the limitations associated with current approaches while allowing for external demands and internal responses to be recorded simultaneously. The triaxial accelerometers of microsensors seem well suited for basketball and warrant validation to definitively determine their place in the monitoring of basketball players. Coaching staff should make use of this technology by tracking individual player responses across the annual plan and using real-time monitoring to minimize factors such as fatigue and injury risk.

Dramatic Demand Reduction In The Desert Southwest

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

Boehm, Robert; Hsieh, Sean; Lee, Joon

This report summarizes a project that was funded to the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV), with subcontractors Pulte Homes and NV Energy. The project was motivated by the fact that locations in the Desert Southwest portion of the US demonstrate very high peak electrical demands, typically in the late afternoons in the summer. These high demands often require high priced power to supply the needs, and the large loads can cause grid supply problems. An approach was proposed through this contact that would reduce the peak electrical demands to an anticipated 65% of what code-built houses of the similarmore » size would have. It was proposed to achieve energy reduction through four approaches applied to a development of 185 homes in northwest part of Las Vegas named Villa Trieste. First, the homes would all be highly energy efficient. Secondly, each house would have a PV array installed on it. Third, an advanced demand response technique would be developed to allow the resident to have some control over the energy used. Finally, some type of battery storage would be used in the project. Pulte Homes designed the houses. The company considered initial cost vs. long-term savings and chose options that had relatively short paybacks. HERS (Home Energy Rating Service) ratings for the homes are approximately 43 on this scale. On this scale, code-built homes rate at 100, zero energy homes rate a 0, and Energy Star homes are 85. In addition a 1.764 Wp (peak Watt) rated PV array was used on each house. This was made up of solar shakes that were in visual harmony with the roofing material used. A demand response tool was developed to control the amount of electricity used during times of peak demand. While demand response techniques have been used in the utility industry for some time, this particular approach is designed to allow the customer to decide the degree of participation in the response activity. The temperature change in the residence can be decided by the residents by adjusting settings. In a sense the customer can choose between greater comfort and greater money savings during demand response circumstances. Finally a battery application was to be considered. Initially it was thought that a large battery (probably a sodium-sulfur type) would be installed. However, after the contract was awarded, it was determined that a single, centrally-located battery system would not be appropriate for many reasons, including that with the build out plan there would not be any location to put it. The price had risen substantially since the budget for the project was put together. Also, that type of battery has to be kept hot all the time, but its use was only sought for summer operation. Hence, individual house batteries would be used, and these are discussed at the end of this report. Many aspects of the energy use for climate control in selected houses were monitored before residents moved in. This was done both to understand the magnitude of the energy flows but also to have data that could be compared to the computer simulations. The latter would be used to evaluate various aspects of our plan. It was found that good agreement existed between actual energy use and computed energy use. Hence, various studies were performed via simulations. Performance simulations showed the impact on peak energy usage between a code built house of same size and shape compared to the Villa Trieste homes with and without the PV arrays on the latter. Computations were also used to understand the effect of varying orientations of the houses in this typical housing development, including the effect of PV electrical generation. Energy conservation features of the Villa Trieste homes decreased the energy use during peak times (as well as all others), but the resulting decreased peak occurred at about the same time as the code-built houses. Consideration of the PV generation decreases the grid energy use further during daylight hours, but did not extend long enough many days to decrease the peak. Hence, a demand response approach, as planned, was needed. With participation of the residents in the demand response program developed does enable the houses to reduce the peak demand between 66% and 72%, depending on the built years. This was addressed fully in the latter part the study and is described in the latter part of this report.« less

Analysis, modeling, and simulation (AMS) testbed development and evaluation to support dynamic mobility applications (DMA) and active transportation and demand management (ATDM) programs — evaluation summary for DMA program.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-07-04

The primary objective of this project is to develop multiple simulation testbeds/transportation models to evaluate the impacts of Dynamic Mobility Application (DMA) connected vehicle applications and Active Transportation and Demand management (ATDM)...

Analysis, modeling, and simulation (AMS) testbed development and evaluation to support dynamic mobility applications (DMA) and active transportation and demand management (ATDM) programs — evaluation report for ATDM program.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-07-16

The primary objective of this project is to develop multiple simulation testbeds/transportation models to evaluate the impacts of Dynamic Mobility Applications (DMA) and the Active Transportation and Demand Management (ATDM) strategies. Specifically,...

Assessment of Junior Doctors' Perceptions of Difficulty of Medical Specialty Training Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rogers, Mary E.; Creed, Peter A.; Searle, Judy

2012-01-01

The demands placed on medical trainees by the different specialty training programs are important considerations when choosing a medical specialty. To understand these demands, 193 junior doctors completed a web-based survey, and: (a) ranked medical specialties according to perceived level of training difficulty (incorporating entry difficulty,…

The Past, Present, and Future of Demand-Driven Acquisitions in Academic Libraries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goedeken, Edward A.; Lawson, Karen

2015-01-01

Demand-driven acquisitions (DDA) programs have become a well-established approach toward integrating user involvement in the process of building academic library collections. However, these programs are in a constant state of evolution. A recent iteration in this evolution of ebook availability is the advent of large ebook collections whose…

An Analysis of the Demand for Postgraduate Educational Science Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aslan, Gulay

2014-01-01

This study, aimed to determine the variables that have a role in the emergence of individual demand for postgraduate educational sciences programs, is a descriptive one. The sample of the study consisted of 222 postgraduate students from Ankara University, a developed university, and Gaziosmanpasa University, a developing university. The data was…

Electricity decision-making: New techniques for calculating statewide economic impacts from new power supply and demand-side management programs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tegen, Suzanne Isabel Helmholz

This dissertation introduces new techniques for calculating and comparing statewide economic impacts from new coal, natural gas and wind power plants, as well as from demand-side management programs. The impetus for this work was two-fold. First, reviews of current literature and projects revealed that there was no standard way to estimate statewide economic impacts from new supply- and demand-side electricity options. Second, decision-makers who were interviewed stated that they were overwhelmed with data in general, but also lacked enough specific information about economic development impacts to their states from electricity, to make informed choices. This dissertation includes chapters on electricity decision-making and on economic impacts from supply and demand. The supply chapter compares different electricity options in three states which vary in natural resource content: Arizona, Colorado and Michigan. To account for differing capacity factors, resources are compared on a per-megawatt-hour basis. The calculations of economic impacts from new supply include: materials and labor for construction, operations, maintenance, fuel extraction, fuel transport, as well as property tax, financing and landowner revenues. The demand-side chapter compares residential, commercial and industrial programs in Iowa. Impact calculations include: incremental labor and materials for program planning, installation and operations, as well as sales taxes and electricity saved. Results from supply-side calculations in the three states analyzed indicate that adding new wind power can have a greater impact to a state's economy than adding new gas or coal power due to resource location, taxes and infrastructure. Additionally, demand-side management programs have a higher relative percentage of in-state dollar flow than supply-side solutions, though demand-side programs typically involve fewer MWh and dollars than supply-side generation. Methods for this dissertation include researching existing models and data, gathering new data and interviews with industry representatives and policy makers. The new techniques are important for decision-makers, utilities, energy advocates and others who are concerned with economic development and in-state dollar flows from new electricity decisions.

Smart Buildings and Demand Response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kiliccote, Sila; Piette, Mary Ann; Ghatikar, Girish

2011-11-01

Advances in communications and control technology, the strengthening of the Internet, and the growing appreciation of the urgency to reduce demand side energy use are motivating the development of improvements in both energy efficiency and demand response (DR) systems in buildings. This paper provides a framework linking continuous energy management and continuous communications for automated demand response (Auto-DR) in various times scales. We provide a set of concepts for monitoring and controls linked to standards and procedures such as Open Automation Demand Response Communication Standards (OpenADR). Basic building energy science and control issues in this approach begin with key building components, systems, end-uses and whole building energy performance metrics. The paper presents a framework about when energy is used, levels of services by energy using systems, granularity of control, and speed of telemetry. DR, when defined as a discrete event, requires a different set of building service levels than daily operations. We provide examples of lessons from DR case studies and links to energy efficiency.

Software design to calculate and simulate the mechanical response of electromechanical lifts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Herrera, I.; Romero, E.

2016-05-01

Lift engineers and lift companies which are involved in the design process of new products or in the research and development of improved components demand a predictive tool of the lift slender system response before testing expensive prototypes. A method for solving the movement of any specified lift system by means of a computer program is presented. The mechanical response of the lift operating in a user defined installation and configuration, for a given excitation and other configuration parameters of real electric motors and its control system, is derived. A mechanical model with 6 degrees of freedom is used. The governing equations are integrated step by step through the Meden-Kutta algorithm in the MATLAB platform. Input data consists on the set point speed for a standard trip and the control parameters of a number of controllers and lift drive machines. The computer program computes and plots very accurately the vertical displacement, velocity, instantaneous acceleration and jerk time histories of the car, counterweight, frame, passengers/loads and lift drive in a standard trip between any two floors of the desired installation. The resulting torque, rope tension and deviation of the velocity plot with respect to the setpoint speed are shown. The software design is implemented in a demo release of the computer program called ElevaCAD. Further on, the program offers the possibility to select the configuration of the lift system and the performance parameters of each component. In addition to the overall system response, detailed information of transients, vibrations of the lift components, ride quality levels, modal analysis and frequency spectrum (FFT) are plotted.

Health promotion and disease prevention: a look at demand management programs.

PubMed

Fronstin, P

1996-09-01

This Issue Brief describes employers' efforts to contain health expenditures through demand management programs. These programs are designed to reduce utilization by focusing on disease prevention and health promotion. Demand management includes work site health promotion, wellness programs, and access management. Work site health promotion is a comprehensive approach to improving health and includes awareness, health education, behavioral change, and organizational health initiatives. Wellness programs usually include stress management, smoking cessation, weight management, back care, health screenings, nutrition education, work place safety, prenatal and well baby care, CPR and first aid classes, and employee assistance programs (EAPs). These programs are often viewed positively by workers and can have long-term benefits for employers above and beyond health care cost containment. Demand management can benefit employers by increasing productivity, employee retention, and employee morale and by reducing turnover, absenteeism, future medical claims, and ultimately expenditures on health care. Even though a growing number of employers are offering wellness programs, only 37 percent of full-time workers employed in medium and large private establishments were eligible for wellness programs by 1993. However, a recent survey found that 88 percent of major employers have introduced some form of health promotion, disease prevention, or early intervention initiative to encourage healthy lifestyles among their salaried employees. Distinctions must be drawn between short- and long-term strategies. Demand management can be thought of as a short-term strategy when the focus of the program is on creating more appropriate and efficient health care utilization. Disease prevention is characterized by longer-term health improvement objectives. Whether the purpose is to reduce utilization in the short term or in the long term, the ultimate goal remains the same: to reduce health care expenditures while improving overall health. This goal can be achieved through the use of health risk appraisals, organizational health risk appraisals, high risk programs, awareness programs, medical call centers, return to work programs, EAPs, and smoking cessation programs. Studies of a health program's cost effectiveness must disentangle the effects of many competing factors on cost effectiveness. For example, a health risk appraisal program may identify health problems of which the patient and the health care provider were unaware, resulting in the treatment of these health problems. At the same time, the employer may have switched from a nonmanaged pharmaceutical program to a managed program with incentives for participants to utilize generic and/or mail order drugs. As a result, when evaluating a health promotion program, the long-run impact on the program's cost effectiveness is most important.

The Tanzania Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program: building and transforming the public health workforce

PubMed Central

Mmbuji, Peter; Mukanga, David; Mghamba, Janeth; Ahly, Mohamed; Mosha, Fausta; Azima, Simba; Senga, Sembuche; Moshiro, Candida; Semali, Innocent; Rolle, Italia; Wiktor, Stefan; McQueen, Suzzane; McElroy, Peter; Nsubuga, Peter

2011-01-01

The Tanzania Field Epidemiology and Laboratory Training Program (TFELTP) was established in 2008 as a partnership among the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MOHSW), Muhimbili University of Health and Allied Sciences, National Institute for Medical Research, and local and international partners. TFELTP was established to strengthen the capacity of MOHSW to conduct public health surveillance and response, manage national disease control and prevention programs, and to enhance public health laboratory support for surveillance, diagnosis, treatment and disease monitoring. TFELTP is a 2-year full-time training program with approximately 25% time spent in class, and 75% in the field. TFELTP offers two tracks leading to an MSc degree in either Applied Epidemiology or, Epidemiology and Laboratory Management. Since 2008, the program has enrolled a total of 33 trainees (23 males, 10 females). Of these, 11 were enrolled in 2008 and 100% graduated in 2010. All 11 graduates of cohort 1 are currently employed in public health positions within the country. Demand for the program as measured by the number of applicants has grown from 28 in 2008 to 56 in 2011. While training the public health leaders of the country, TFELTP has also provided essential service to the country in responding to high-profile disease outbreaks, and evaluating and improving its public health surveillance systems and diseases control programs. TFELTP was involved in the country assessment of the revised International Health Regulations (IHR) core capabilities, development of the Tanzania IHR plan, and incorporation of IHR into the revised Tanzania Integrated Disease Surveillance and Response (IDSR) guidelines. TFELTP is training a competent core group of public health leaders for Tanzania, as well as providing much needed service to the MOHSW in the areas of routine surveillance, outbreak detection and response, and disease program management. However, the immediate challenges that the program must address include development of a full range of in-country teaching capacity for the program, as well as a career path for graduates. PMID:22359697

On the demand for prescription drugs: heterogeneity in price responses.

PubMed

Skipper, Niels

2013-07-01

This paper estimates the price elasticity of demand for prescription drugs using an exogenous shift in consumer co-payment caused by a reform in the Danish subsidy scheme for the general public. Using purchasing records for the entire Danish population, I show that the average price response for the most commonly used drug yields demand elasticities in the range of -0.36 to -0.5. The reform is shown to affect women, the elderly, and immigrants the most. Furthermore, this paper shows significant heterogeneity in the price response over different types of antibiotics, suggesting that the price elasticity of demand varies considerably even across relatively similar drugs. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Evaluating the effect of conservation motivations on residential water demand.

PubMed

Maas, Alexander; Goemans, Christopher; Manning, Dale; Kroll, Stephan; Arabi, Mazdak; Rodriguez-McGoffin, Mariana

2017-07-01

Utilities and water suppliers in the southwestern United States have used education and conservation programs over the past two decades in an attempt to ameliorate the pressures of increasing water scarcity. This paper builds on a long history of water demand and environmental psychology literature and attempts to answer a simple question: do households primarily motivated by environmental and social (E&S) considerations consume water differently than households motivated primarily by cost and convenience (C&C)? We find that E&S consumers use less water than C&C consumers on average. We also find that there is no statistical difference between E&S and C&C consumers in their consumption responses to changing prices, temperature, and precipitation. This implies that targeting future conservation efforts to self-reported consumer groups may not improve policy effectiveness. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Using behavior change communication to lead a comprehensive family planning program: the Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative

PubMed Central

Krenn, Susan; Cobb, Lisa; Babalola, Stella; Odeku, Mojisola; Kusemiju, Bola

2014-01-01

ABSTRACT Background: The Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (NURHI), a 6-year comprehensive family planning program (2009–2015) in 4 cities, intentionally applies communication theories to all program elements, not just the demand generation ones, relying mainly on a theory called ideation—the concept that contraceptive use is influenced by people's beliefs, ideas, and feelings and that changing these ideational factors can change people's behavior. Program Description: The project used multiple communication channels to foster dialogue about family planning, increase social approval for it, and improve accurate knowledge about contraceptives. Mobile service delivery was started in the third year to improve access to clinical methods in slums. Methods: Data from representative baseline (2010–11) and midterm (2012) surveys of women of reproductive age in the project cities were analyzed. We also used propensity score matching to create a statistically equivalent control group of women not exposed to project activities, and we examined service delivery data from NURHI-supported clinics (January 2011–May 2013) to determine the contribution of mobile services to total family planning services. Results: Three years into the initiative, analysis of longitudinal data shows that use of modern contraceptives has increased in each city, varying from 2.3 to 15.5 percentage points, and that the observed increases were predicted by exposure to NURHI activities. Of note is that modern method use increased substantially among the poorest wealth quintiles in project cities, on average, by 8.4 percentage points. The more project activities women were exposed to, the greater their contraceptive use. For example, among women not using a modern method at baseline, contraceptive prevalence among those with no exposure by midterm was 19.1% vs. 43.4% among those with high exposure. Project exposure had a positive dose-response relationship with ideation, as did ideation and contraceptive use. By the end of the observation period, mobile services were contributing nearly 50% of total family planning services provided through NURHI-supported clinics. Propensity score matching found that the increase in contraceptive use in the 4 cities attributable to project exposure was 9.9 percentage points. Intention to use family planning in the next 12 months also increased by 7.5 to 10.2 percentage points across the 4 cities. Conclusion: Demand-led family planning programs, in which demand generation is the driving force behind the design rather than the conventional, service delivery-oriented approach, may be more suitable in places where expressed demand for contraceptives is low. PMID:25611477

Work, worksites, and wellbeing among North American Indian women: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Christiansen, Karina; Gadhoke, Preety; Pardilla, Marla; Gittelsohn, Joel

2017-04-10

The purpose of this study was to understand what factors influenced work-family balance and related health behaviors among a sample of rural North American Indian women. We interviewed 89 women through both in-depth interviews and focus groups across four tribal communities in the American Southwest and Upper Midwest between July 2010 and August 2011. Interviews were transcribed, coded, and analyzed for emerging themes related to work- family demands placed on women and resources available to cope with those demands. Three prominent themes emerged: structural characteristics (the context of rural reservation life), role stressors (women's multiple and conflicting roles) and the influence of social support (communal nature of care in the family and institutional support in the workplace). We found that women in participating rural reservation communities often acted as primary caregivers for both immediate and extended family, and often placed the needs of others before themselves. The context of rural reservations, with high rates of unemployment, poverty, and chronic illnesses associated with the collective trauma of colonization, placed high demands on female caregivers. Social support from within the workplace, family, and cultural traditions helped some female caregivers balance the demands of home and work. Tribal worksites could be a resource for promoting health and work-life balance by being responsive to the particular demands placed on women that often interfere with engaging in positive health behaviors in general and tribal wellness programs in particular.

Electric Water Heater Modeling and Control Strategies for Demand Response

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

Diao, Ruisheng; Lu, Shuai; Elizondo, Marcelo A.

2012-07-22

Abstract— Demand response (DR) has a great potential to provide balancing services at normal operating conditions and emergency support when a power system is subject to disturbances. Effective control strategies can significantly relieve the balancing burden of conventional generators and reduce investment on generation and transmission expansion. This paper is aimed at modeling electric water heaters (EWH) in households and tests their response to control strategies to implement DR. The open-loop response of EWH to a centralized signal is studied by adjusting temperature settings to provide regulation services; and two types of decentralized controllers are tested to provide frequency supportmore » following generator trips. EWH models are included in a simulation platform in DIgSILENT to perform electromechanical simulation, which contains 147 households in a distribution feeder. Simulation results show the dependence of EWH response on water heater usage . These results provide insight suggestions on the need of control strategies to achieve better performance for demand response implementation. Index Terms— Centralized control, decentralized control, demand response, electrical water heater, smart grid« less

Factors associated with National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse success.

PubMed

Arathuzik, D; Aber, C

1998-01-01

Identification of factors associated with National Council Licensure Examination-Registered Nurse (NCLEX-RN) success is critical at public colleges of nursing with diverse student populations. This issue was the purpose of this research study. A descriptive correlational research design was used. Seventy-nine generic senior students enrolled in an urban public university participated in the study. Several internal and external blocks to success were described by the students, including family responsibilities, emotional distress, fatigue, and financial and work burdens. Significant correlations were found between success in the NCLEX-RN and cumulative undergraduate nursing program grade point average, English as the primary language spoken at home, lack of family responsibilities or demands, lack of emotional distress, and sense of competency in critical thinking. Establishment of a comprehensive data base-including factors associated with success in the NCLEX-RN and programs of advisement, tutoring, and stress management as well as classes in study skills, test taking, and NCLEX preparation-are recommended for public colleges of nursing with diverse student populations.

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

Cappers, Peter; MacDonald, Jason; Goldman, Charles

In this study, we attempt to provide a comprehensive examination of various market and policy barriers to demand response providing ancillary services in both ISO/RTO and non-ISO/RTO regions, especially at the program provider level. It is useful to classify barriers in order to create a holistic understanding and identify parties that could be responsible for their removal. This study develops a typology of barriers focusing on smaller customers that must rely on a program provider (i.e., electric investor owned utility or IOU, ARC) to create an aggregated DR resource in order to bring ancillary services to the balancing authority.ii Themore » barriers were identified through examinations of regulatory structures, market environments, and product offerings; and discussions with industry stakeholders and regulators. In order to help illustrate the differences in barriers among various wholesale market designs and their constituent retail environments, four regions were chosen to use as case studies: Colorado, Texas, Wisconsin, and New Jersey. We highlight the experience in each area as it relates to the identified barriers.« less

Pregnancy toxemia of ewes, does, and beef cows.

PubMed

Rook, J S

2000-07-01

Pregnancy toxemia commonly affects pregnant ewes and does during late gestation. This metabolic disease is thought to result from disruption of the dam's glucose homeostatic mechanism in response to increased nutritional demands of the rapidly developing fetal placental unit. Commercial production systems are comprised of a variety of nutritional, metabolic, genetic, physiologic, environmental, economic, health, and management factors that singularly or as a group influence the clinical expression of pregnancy toxemia. Recognizing the role management plays in controlling these inputs is crucial to pregnancy toxemia prevention and treatment programs.

Sensitivity to emotional ill health

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Felton, J. S.

1969-01-01

The services of mental specialists, such as psychologists, psychiatrists, or psychiatric social workers are required to assure maximum human performance in Government facilities. Contemporary mental health programming covers emotionally generated problems at operational sites to complete disclaiming of the existence of such difficulties among workers. Frequent taking of sick leave or annual leave when work seems demanding or when a promotion does not materialize, chronic or repeated tardiness, requests for frequent transfers, work over-loading, accidental injuries, and alcoholism are all forms of stress responses and indicate a need for emotional counselling.

Better service, greater efficiency : transit management for demand response systems

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-01-01

This brochure briefly describes different technologies which can enhance demand response transit systems. It covers automated scheduling and dispatching, mobile data terminals, electronic identification cards, automatic vehicle location, and geograph...

Family history of problem drinking is associated with less sensitivity of alcohol demand to a next-day responsibility.

PubMed

Murphy, James G; Yurasek, Ali M; Meshesha, Lidia Z; Dennhardt, Ashley A; MacKillop, James; Skidmore, Jessica R; Martens, Matthew P

2014-07-01

Behavioral economic demand curves measure alcohol consumption as a function of price and may capture clinically relevant individual differences in alcohol-reinforcing efficacy. This study used a novel, behavioral-economic, hypothetical demand-curve paradigm to examine the association between family history of alcohol misuse and individual differences in both alcohol demand and the relative sensitivity of alcohol demand to next-day responsibilities. Participants were 207 college students (47% male, 68.5% White, 27.4% African American, Mage = 19.5 years) who reported at least one heavy drinking episode (5/4 or more drinks on one occasion for a man/woman) in the past month and completed two versions of an alcohol purchase task (APT) that assessed hypothetical alcohol consumption across 17 drink prices. In one APT (standard), students imagined they had no next-day responsibilities, and in the other, they imagined having a 10:00 a.m. test the next day. A series of analyses of covariance indicated that participants with at least one biological parent or grandparent who had misused alcohol reported similar levels of alcohol demand on the standard APT but significantly less sensitivity to the next-day academic responsibility as measured by the percentage of reduction in demand intensity and breakpoint across the no-responsibility and next-day-test conditions. These findings provide initial evidence that APTs might clarify one potential mechanism of risk conferred by family history. Young adult heavy drinkers with a family history of problematic drinking may be less sensitive to next-day responsibilities that might modulate drinking in drinkers without a family history of alcohol problems.

Developing a rapid-response program for health system decision-makers in Canada: findings from an issue brief and stakeholder dialogue.

PubMed

Wilson, Michael G; Lavis, John N; Gauvin, Francois-Pierre

2015-03-11

There is currently no mechanism in place outside of government to provide rapid syntheses of the best available research evidence about problems, options and/or implementation considerations related to a specific health system challenge that Canadian health system decision-makers need to address in a timely manner. A 'rapid-response' program could address this gap by providing access to optimally packaged, relevant and high-quality research evidence over short periods of time (i.e. days or weeks). We prepared an issue brief that describes the best available research evidence related to the problem, three broad features of a program that addresses the problem and implementation considerations. We identified systematic reviews by searching for organization-targeted implementation strategies in Health Systems Evidence ( www.healthsystemsevidence.org ) and drew on an existing analytical framework for how knowledge-brokering organizations can organize themselves to operationalize the program features. The issue brief was then used to inform a half-day stakeholder dialogue about whether and how to develop a rapid-response program for health system decision-makers in Canada. We thematically synthesized the deliberations. We found very few relevant systematic reviews but used frameworks and examples from existing programs to 1) outline key considerations for organizing a rapid-response program,, 2) determine what can be done in timelines ranging from 3 to 10 and 30 business days, and 3) define success and measure it. The 11 dialogue participants from across Canada largely agreed with the content presented in the brief, but noted two key challenges to consider: securing stable, long-term funding and finding a way to effectively and equitably manage the expected demand. Recommendations and suggestions for next steps from dialogue participants included taking an 'organic' approach to developing a pan-Canadian network and including jurisdictional scans as a type of product to deliver through the program (rather than only syntheses of research evidence). Dialogue participants clearly signalled that there is an appetite for a rapid-response program for health system decision-makers in Canada. To 'organically' build such a program, we are currently engaging in efforts to build partnerships and secure funding to support the creation of a pan-Canadian network for conducting rapid syntheses for health system decision-makers in Canada.

Asheville, North Carolina: Reducing Electricity Demand through Building Programs & Policies (City Energy: From Data to Decisions)

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

Office of Strategic Programs, Strategic Priorities and Impact Analysis Team

This fact sheet "Asheville, North Carolina: Reducing Electricity Demand through Building Programs & Policies" explains how the City of Asheville used data from the U.S. Department of Energy's Cities Leading through Energy Analysis and Planning (Cities-LEAP) and the State and Local Energy Data (SLED) programs to inform its city energy planning. It is one of ten fact sheets in the "City Energy: From Data to Decisions" series.

Psychological impact of the animal-human bond in disaster preparedness and response.

PubMed

Hall, Molly J; Ng, Anthony; Ursano, Robert J; Holloway, Harry; Fullerton, Carol; Casper, Jacob

2004-11-01

The authors present an overview of the impact of the animal-human bond on disaster management and highlight the need to further examine the relationship of animals and humans in disaster response. The human connection to animals influences compliance with individual and community evacuation plans. Search and rescue teams with canine units confront physical and emotional demands that affect both handler and animal. The culling of animal populations on a scale such as occurred during the recent foot-and-mouth epidemic in the United Kingdom affects every member of rural society. Livestock farmers and their families endure enormous emotional losses, and veterinarians and government officials who must implement these programs suffer as well. A familiarity with and understanding of these issues is important for psychiatrists and other mental health professionals who are involved in disaster preparedness and response.

Microgrid to enable optimal distributed energy retail and end-user demand response

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

Jin, Ming; Feng, Wei; Marnay, Chris

In the face of unprecedented challenges in environmental sustainability and grid resilience, there is an increasingly held consensus regarding the adoption of distributed and renewable energy resources such as microgrids (MGs), and the utilization of flexible electric loads by demand response (DR) to potentially drive a necessary paradigm shift in energy production and consumption patterns. However, the potential value of distributed generation and demand flexibility has not yet been fully realized in the operation of MGs. This study investigates the pricing and operation strategy with DR for a MG retailer in an integrated energy system (IES). Based on co-optimizing retailmore » rates and MG dispatch formulated as a mixed integer quadratic programming (MIQP) problem, our model devises a dynamic pricing scheme that reflects the cost of generation and promotes DR, in tandem with an optimal dispatch plan that exploits spark spread and facilitates the integration of renewables, resulting in improved retailer profits and system stability. Main issues like integrated energy coupling and customer bill reduction are addressed during pricing to ensure rates competitiveness and customer protection. By evaluating on real datasets, the system is demonstrated to optimally coordinate storage, renewables, and combined heat and power (CHP), reduce carbon dioxide emission while maintaining profits, and effectively alleviate the PV curtailment problem. Finally, the model can be used by retailers and MG operators to optimize their operations, as well as regulators to design new utility rates in support of the ongoing transformation of energy systems.« less

Microgrid to enable optimal distributed energy retail and end-user demand response

DOE PAGES

Jin, Ming; Feng, Wei; Marnay, Chris; ...

2018-06-07

In the face of unprecedented challenges in environmental sustainability and grid resilience, there is an increasingly held consensus regarding the adoption of distributed and renewable energy resources such as microgrids (MGs), and the utilization of flexible electric loads by demand response (DR) to potentially drive a necessary paradigm shift in energy production and consumption patterns. However, the potential value of distributed generation and demand flexibility has not yet been fully realized in the operation of MGs. This study investigates the pricing and operation strategy with DR for a MG retailer in an integrated energy system (IES). Based on co-optimizing retailmore » rates and MG dispatch formulated as a mixed integer quadratic programming (MIQP) problem, our model devises a dynamic pricing scheme that reflects the cost of generation and promotes DR, in tandem with an optimal dispatch plan that exploits spark spread and facilitates the integration of renewables, resulting in improved retailer profits and system stability. Main issues like integrated energy coupling and customer bill reduction are addressed during pricing to ensure rates competitiveness and customer protection. By evaluating on real datasets, the system is demonstrated to optimally coordinate storage, renewables, and combined heat and power (CHP), reduce carbon dioxide emission while maintaining profits, and effectively alleviate the PV curtailment problem. Finally, the model can be used by retailers and MG operators to optimize their operations, as well as regulators to design new utility rates in support of the ongoing transformation of energy systems.« less

E-Portfolio Assessment: A Mixed Methods Study of an Instructional Leadership Program's Assessment System

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hardin, James; Wright, Vivian H.

2017-01-01

Institutions of higher education face demands to provide evidence of institutional and student achievement. Many institutions utilize standards-based e-portfolio assessment practices to meet these demands. The assessment data derived from the studied program's e-portfolio process were not originally intended to serve as a data source for…

Impact of disease management programs on hospital and community nursing practice.

PubMed

Goldstein, Perry C

2006-01-01

The impact of disease management progrmms on the role of the nursing profession in the evolving U.S. health care system is reviewed. Needed changes in educational and training programs are discussed in relation to demands for changing clinical and administrative skills in nursing with an emphasis on increasing demand for advanced practice nurses.

BASIC Programming for the Integration of Money, Demand Deposits Creation, and the Hicksian-Keynesian Model.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tom, C. F. Joseph

Money, banking, and macroeconomic textbooks traditionally present the topics of money, the creation of demand deposits by depository institutions, and the Hicksian-Keynesian Theory of Income and Interest separately, as if they were unrelated. This paper presents an integrated approach to those subjects using computer programs written in BASIC, the…

Curriculum Development and Faculty Perceptions of an RN to BSN Program Development at a Community College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Davis, Kelly

2017-01-01

Transformative change is occurring in the nursing profession, higher education, and healthcare. There is increased employer demand for baccalaureate prepared nurses. Currently, associate degree programs educate the majority of entry-level nurses in the United States. One solution to meet the increased demand for baccalaureate prepared nurses is to…

The New Teacher Induction Experience: Tension between Curricular and Programmatic Demands and the Need for Immediate Help

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mitchell, Douglas E.; Howard, Barbara; Meetze-Hall, Melissa; Hendrick, Linda Scott; Sandlin, Ruth

2017-01-01

Throughout the history of California's Beginning Teacher Support and Assessment (BTSA) program, new teachers have reported experiencing substantial tension between the curricular and programmatic demands arising from their induction programs' formative assessment systems and the immediate coaching help they need to deal with day-to-day classroom…

Evaluations Backgrounder: A Summary of Formal Evaluations of the Academic Impact of Afterschool Programs

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Afterschool Alliance, 2008

2008-01-01

Although afterschool programs for children have been operating for decades in some communities, the afterschool movement--the great national awakening to the opportunity afterschool offers--is just a few years old. As public demand for afterschool has grown, so has the demand for accountability. That is particularly true in afterschool programs…

An Initial Econometric Consideration of Supply and Demand in the Guaranteed Student Loan Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bayus, Barry; Kendis, Kurt

1982-01-01

In this econometric model of the Guaranteed Student Loan Program (GSLP), supply is related to banks' liquidity and yield curves, all lenders' economic costs and returns, and Student Loan Marketing Association activity. GSLP demand is based on loan costs, family debt position, and net student need for financial aid. (RW)

Perceptions of Athletic Training Education Program Directors on Their Students' Persistence and Departure Decisions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bowman, Thomas G.

2012-01-01

The athletic training profession is in the midst of a large increase in demand for health care professionals for the physically active. In order to meet demand, directors of athletic training education programs (ATEPs) are challenged with providing sufficient graduates. There has been a large increase in ATEPs nationwide since educational reform…

Toward a Systematic Approach to Generating Demand for Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision: Insights and Results From Field Studies

PubMed Central

Sgaier, Sema K; Baer, James; Rutz, Daniel C; Njeuhmeli, Emmanuel; Seifert-Ahanda, Kim; Basinga, Paulin; Parkyn, Rosie; Laube, Catharine

2015-01-01

By the end of 2014, an estimated 8.5 million men had undergone voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) for HIV prevention in 14 priority countries in eastern and southern Africa, representing more than 40% of the global target. However, demand, especially among men most at risk for HIV infection, remains a barrier to realizing the program's full scale and potential impact. We analyzed current demand generation interventions for VMMC by reviewing the available literature and reporting on field visits to programs in 7 priority countries. We present our findings and recommendations using a framework with 4 components: insight development; intervention design; implementation and coordination to achieve scale; and measurement, learning, and evaluation. Most program strategies lacked comprehensive insight development; formative research usually comprised general acceptability studies. Demand generation interventions varied across the countries, from advocacy with community leaders and community mobilization to use of interpersonal communication, mid- and mass media, and new technologies. Some shortcomings in intervention design included using general instead of tailored messaging, focusing solely on the HIV preventive benefits of VMMC, and rolling out individual interventions to address specific barriers rather than a holistic package. Interventions have often been scaled-up without first being evaluated for effectiveness and cost-effectiveness. We recommend national programs create coordinated demand generation interventions, based on insights from multiple disciplines, tailored to the needs and aspirations of defined subsets of the target population, rather than focused exclusively on HIV prevention goals. Programs should implement a comprehensive intervention package with multiple messages and channels, strengthened through continuous monitoring. These insights may be broadly applicable to other programs where voluntary behavior change is essential to achieving public health benefits. PMID:26085019

Developing leadership competencies among medical trainees: five-year experience at the Cleveland Clinic with a chief residents' training course.

PubMed

Farver, Carol F; Smalling, Susan; Stoller, James K

2016-10-01

Challenges in healthcare demand great leadership. In response, leadership training programs have been developed within academic medical centers, business schools, and healthcare organizations; however, we are unaware of any well-developed programs for physicians-in-training. To address this gap, we developed a two-day leadership development course for chief residents (CRs) at the Cleveland Clinic, framed around the concept of emotional intelligence. This paper describes our five-year experience with the CRs leadership program. Since inception, 105 CRs took the course; 81 (77%) completed before-and-after evaluations. Participants indicated that they had relatively little prior knowledge of the concepts that were presented and that the workshop greatly enhanced their familiarity with leadership competencies. Qualitative analysis of open-ended responses indicated that attendees valued the training, especially in conflict resolution and teamwork, and indicated specific action plans for applying these skills. Furthermore, the workshop spurred some participants to express plans to learn more about leadership competencies. This study extends prior experience in offering an emotional intelligence-based leadership workshop for CRs. Though the program is novel, further research is needed to more fully understand the impact of leadership training for CRs and for the institutions and patients they serve. © The Royal Australian and New Zealand College of Psychiatrists 2016.

Pediatric dermatology workforce shortage: perspectives from academia.

PubMed

Craiglow, Brittany G; Resneck, Jack S; Lucky, Anne W; Sidbury, Robert; Yan, Albert C; Resnick, Steven D; Antaya, Richard J

2008-12-01

The pediatric dermatology workforce has not been systematically evaluated since recent changes in board certification requirements. To quantify and characterize the workforce of academic pediatric dermatologists and examine issues related to training, hiring, and retention. Dermatology chairpersons and residency directors in the United States and Canada completed a 30-question survey. Eighty of 132 programs (61%) responded to the survey. More than two thirds of programs (56/80) employed a pediatric dermatologist, and 34 programs were recruiting a pediatric dermatologist. The number of residents that pursue careers in pediatric dermatology is significantly associated with the number of pediatric dermatologists on faculty at their institution. Self-reported data, which may have been reflected by recall bias, and 61% response rate. At a majority of academic centers, the current pool of pediatric dermatology faculty is neither adequate to meet academic nor clinical demands. Methods to increase exposure to pediatric dermatology among medical students and residents must be sought.

The NASA Ames Fatigue Countermeasures Program: The Next Generation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rosekind, Mark R.; Neri, David F.; Miller, Donna L.; Gregory, Kevin B.; Webbon, Lissa L.; Oyung, Ray L.

1997-01-01

Twenty-four hour, global aviation operations pose unique challenges to humans. Physiological requirements related to sleep, the internal circadian clock, and human fatigue are critical factors that are known to affect safety, performance, and productivity. Understanding the human operators' physiological capabilities, and limitations, will be important to address these issues as global demand for aviation activities continues to increase. In 1980, in response to a Congressional request, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ames Research Center initiated a Fatigue/Jet Lag Program to examine the role of fatigue in flight operations. Originally established by Dr. John K. Lauber and Dr. Charles E. Billings, the Program was designed to address three objectives: (1) determine the extent of fatigue, sleep loss, and circadian disruption in flight operations; (2) determine how fatigue affected flight crew performance; and (3) develop strategies to maximize performance and alertness during flight operations.

A New Concept for a Business Ethics Program and the Development of a Monitoring Method for the Engineering Ethics Environment of a Corporation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okita, Yuji; Hayase, Kenichi; Oba, Kyoko; Fudano, Jun

For most modern corporations, engineering is an essential element. While the public increasingly demands social responsibility in business activities, the importance of the interweaving relationship between business ethics and engineering ethics has been recognized. In this paper, firstly the change in the business environment is overviewed. Then, a new concept for designing and implementing a business ethics program, named the EAB (Ethics Across the Business) approach, is proposed. The EAB approach is highly adaptable for engineering-oriented corporations in their business ethics program activities because it derives from a process approach which has been much used by many companies to perform such activities as quality assurance and environment management. Finally, a newly developed method to monitor employee consciousness in terms of engineering ethics is introduced together with trial results.

Using the self-select paradigm to delineate the nature of speech motor programming.

PubMed

Wright, David L; Robin, Don A; Rhee, Jooyhun; Vaculin, Amber; Jacks, Adam; Guenther, Frank H; Fox, Peter T

2009-06-01

The authors examined the involvement of 2 speech motor programming processes identified by S. T. Klapp (1995, 2003) during the articulation of utterances differing in syllable and sequence complexity. According to S. T. Klapp, 1 process, INT, resolves the demands of the programmed unit, whereas a second process, SEQ, oversees the serial order demands of longer sequences. A modified reaction time paradigm was used to assess INT and SEQ demands. Specifically, syllable complexity was dependent on syllable structure, whereas sequence complexity involved either repeated or unique syllabi within an utterance. INT execution was slowed when articulating single syllables in the form CCCV compared to simpler CV syllables. Planning unique syllables within a multisyllabic utterance rather than repetitions of the same syllable slowed INT but not SEQ. The INT speech motor programming process, important for mental syllabary access, is sensitive to changes in both syllable structure and the number of unique syllables in an utterance.

Demand effects on positive response distortion by police officer applicants on the Revised NEO Personality Inventory.

PubMed

Detrick, Paul; Chibnall, John T; Call, Cynthia

2010-09-01

Understanding and detecting response distortion is important in the high-demand circumstances of personnel selection. In this article, we describe positive response distortion on the Revised NEO Personality Inventory (NEO PI-R; Costa & McCrae, 1992) among police officer applicants under high and low demand conditions. Positive response distortion primarily reflected denial/minimization of Neuroticism and accentuation of traits associated with moralistic bias (Agreeableness and Conscientiousness). Validity of the NEO PI-R research validity scale, Positive Presentation Management, was weakly supported with respect to the Neuroticism domain only. Results will be useful in interpreting personality inventory results in the police personnel selection process.

Big Data Analytics for Demand Response: Clustering Over Space and Time

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

Chelmis, Charalampos; Kolte, Jahanvi; Prasanna, Viktor K.

The pervasive deployment of advanced sensing infrastructure in Cyber-Physical systems, such as the Smart Grid, has resulted in an unprecedented data explosion. Such data exhibit both large volumes and high velocity characteristics, two of the three pillars of Big Data, and have a time-series notion as datasets in this context typically consist of successive measurements made over a time interval. Time-series data can be valuable for data mining and analytics tasks such as identifying the “right” customers among a diverse population, to target for Demand Response programs. However, time series are challenging to mine due to their high dimensionality. Inmore » this paper, we motivate this problem using a real application from the smart grid domain. We explore novel representations of time-series data for BigData analytics, and propose a clustering technique for determining natural segmentation of customers and identification of temporal consumption patterns. Our method is generizable to large-scale, real-world scenarios, without making any assumptions about the data. We evaluate our technique using real datasets from smart meters, totaling ~ 18,200,000 data points, and show the efficacy of our technique in efficiency detecting the number of optimal number of clusters.« less

Nanocomposite thin films for triggerable drug delivery.

PubMed

Vannozzi, Lorenzo; Iacovacci, Veronica; Menciassi, Arianna; Ricotti, Leonardo

2018-05-01

Traditional drug release systems normally rely on a passive delivery of therapeutic compounds, which can be partially programmed, prior to injection or implantation, through variations in the material composition. With this strategy, the drug release kinetics cannot be remotely modified and thus adapted to changing therapeutic needs. To overcome this issue, drug delivery systems able to respond to external stimuli are highly desirable, as they allow a high level of temporal and spatial control over drug release kinetics, in an operator-dependent fashion. Areas covered: On-demand drug delivery systems actually represent a frontier in this field and are attracting an increasing interest at both research and industrial level. Stimuli-responsive thin films, enabled by nanofillers, hold a tremendous potential in the field of triggerable drug delivery systems. The inclusion of responsive elements in homogeneous or heterogeneous thin film-shaped polymeric matrices strengthens and/or adds intriguing properties to conventional (bare) materials in film shape. Expert opinion: This Expert Opinion review aims to discuss the approaches currently pursued to achieve an effective on-demand drug delivery, through nanocomposite thin films. Different triggering mechanisms allowing a fine control on drug delivery are described, together with current challenges and possible future applications in therapy and surgery.

Research fellowship programs as a pathway for training independent clinical pharmacy scientists.

PubMed

Mueller, Eric W; Bishop, Jeffrey R; Kanaan, Abir O; Kiser, Tyree H; Phan, Hanna; Yang, Katherine Y

2015-03-01

The American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Research Affairs Committee published a commentary in 2013 on training clinical pharmacy scientists in the context of changes in economic, professional, political, and research environments. The commentary centered on the opportunities for pharmacists in clinical/translational research including strategies for ACCP, colleges of pharmacy, and the profession to increase the number and impact of clinical pharmacy scientists. A postdoctoral fellowship is cited as a current training pathway, capable of producing independent and productive pharmacy researchers. However, a decline in the number of programs, decreased funding availability, and variability in fellowship program activities and research focus have brought into question the relevance of this research training pathway to meet demand and opportunities. In response to these points, this commentary examines the state of research fellowship training including the current ACCP research fellowship review process, the need for standardization of research fellowship programs, and strategies to strengthen and promote research fellowships as relevant researcher training pathways. © 2015 Pharmacotherapy Publications, Inc.

Neurohospitalists: Perceived Need and Training Requirements in Academic Neurology

PubMed Central

Probasco, John C.; George, Benjamin P.; Dorsey, E. Ray; Venkatesan, Arun

2014-01-01

Background and Purpose: We sought to determine the current practices and plans for departmental hiring of neurohospitalists at academic medical centers and to identify the core features of a neurohospitalist training program. Methods: We surveyed department chairs or residency program directors at 123 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited US adult neurology training programs. Results: Sixty-three(51% response rate) responded, 76% of whom were program directors. In all, 24 (38%) academic neurology departments reported employing neurohospitalists, and an additional 10 departments have plans to hire neurohospitalists in the next year. In all, 4 academic neurology departments have created a neurohospitalist training program, and 10 have plans to create a training program within the next 2 years. Hospitals were the most frequent source of funding for established and planned programs (93% of those reporting). Most (n = 39; 65%) respondents felt that neurohospitalist neurology should be an ACGME-accredited fellowship. The highest priority neurohospitalist training elements among respondents included stroke, epilepsy, and consult neurology as well as patient safety and cost-effective inpatient care. The most important procedural skills for a neurohospitalist, as identified by respondents, include performance of brain death evaluations, lumbar punctures, and electroencephalogram interpretation. Conclusions: Neurohospitalists have emerged as subspecialists within neurology, growing both in number and in scope of responsibilities in practice. Neurohospitalists are in demand among academic departments, with many departments developing their existing presence or establishing a new presence in the field. A neurohospitalist training program may encompass training in stroke, epilepsy, and consult neurology with additional focus on patient safety and cost-effective care. PMID:24381705

Neurohospitalists: perceived need and training requirements in academic neurology.

PubMed

Probasco, John C; George, Benjamin P; Dorsey, E Ray; Venkatesan, Arun

2014-01-01

We sought to determine the current practices and plans for departmental hiring of neurohospitalists at academic medical centers and to identify the core features of a neurohospitalist training program. We surveyed department chairs or residency program directors at 123 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME)-accredited US adult neurology training programs. Sixty-three(51% response rate) responded, 76% of whom were program directors. In all, 24 (38%) academic neurology departments reported employing neurohospitalists, and an additional 10 departments have plans to hire neurohospitalists in the next year. In all, 4 academic neurology departments have created a neurohospitalist training program, and 10 have plans to create a training program within the next 2 years. Hospitals were the most frequent source of funding for established and planned programs (93% of those reporting). Most (n = 39; 65%) respondents felt that neurohospitalist neurology should be an ACGME-accredited fellowship. The highest priority neurohospitalist training elements among respondents included stroke, epilepsy, and consult neurology as well as patient safety and cost-effective inpatient care. The most important procedural skills for a neurohospitalist, as identified by respondents, include performance of brain death evaluations, lumbar punctures, and electroencephalogram interpretation. Neurohospitalists have emerged as subspecialists within neurology, growing both in number and in scope of responsibilities in practice. Neurohospitalists are in demand among academic departments, with many departments developing their existing presence or establishing a new presence in the field. A neurohospitalist training program may encompass training in stroke, epilepsy, and consult neurology with additional focus on patient safety and cost-effective care.

Two-and-a-half-year-olds succeed at a traditional false-belief task with reduced processing demands.

PubMed

Setoh, Peipei; Scott, Rose M; Baillargeon, Renée

2016-11-22

When tested with traditional false-belief tasks, which require answering a standard question about the likely behavior of an agent with a false belief, children perform below chance until age 4 y or later. When tested without such questions, however, children give evidence of false-belief understanding much earlier. Are traditional tasks difficult because they tap a more advanced form of false-belief understanding (fundamental-change view) or because they impose greater processing demands (processing-demands view)? Evidence that young children succeed at traditional false-belief tasks when processing demands are reduced would support the latter view. In prior research, reductions in inhibitory-control demands led to improvements in young children's performance, but often only to chance (instead of below-chance) levels. Here we examined whether further reductions in processing demands might lead to success. We speculated that: (i) young children could respond randomly in a traditional low-inhibition task because their limited information-processing resources are overwhelmed by the total concurrent processing demands in the task; and (ii) these demands include those from the response-generation process activated by the standard question. This analysis suggested that 2.5-y-old toddlers might succeed at a traditional low-inhibition task if response-generation demands were also reduced via practice trials. As predicted, toddlers performed above chance following two response-generation practice trials; toddlers failed when these trials either were rendered less effective or were used in a high-inhibition task. These results support the processing-demands view: Even toddlers succeed at a traditional false-belief task when overall processing demands are reduced.

Method for Estimating Patronage of Demand Responsive Transportation Systems

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1977-12-01

This study has developed a method for estimating patronage of demand responsive transportation (DRT) systems. This procedure requires as inputs a description of the intended service area, current work trip patterns, characteristics of the served popu...

An Integrated Hydrologic-Economic Modeling Tool for Evaluating Water Management Responses to Climate Change in the Boise River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schmidt, R. D.; Taylor, R. G.; Stodick, L. D.; Contor, B. A.

2009-12-01

A recent federal interagency report on climate change and water management (Brekke et. al., 2009) describes several possible management responses to the impacts of climate change on water supply and demand. Management alternatives include changes to water supply infrastructure, reservoir system operations, and water demand policies. Water users in the Bureau of Reclamation’s Boise Project (located in the Lower Boise River basin in southwestern Idaho) would be among those impacted both hydrologically and economically by climate change. Climate change and management responses to climate change are expected to cause shifts in water supply and demand. Supply shifts would result from changes in basin precipitation patterns, and demand shifts would result from higher evapotranspiration rates and a longer growing season. The impacts would also extend to non-Project water users in the basin, since most non-Project groundwater pumpers and drain water diverters rely on hydrologic externalities created by seepage losses from Boise Project water deliveries. An integrated hydrologic-economic model was developed for the Boise basin to aid Reclamation in evaluating the hydrologic and economic impacts of various management responses to climate change. A spatial, partial-equilibrium, economic optimization model calculates spatially-distinct equilibrium water prices and quantities, and maximizes a social welfare function (the sum of consumer and producers surpluses) for all agricultural and municipal water suppliers and demanders (both Project and non-Project) in the basin. Supply-price functions and demand-price functions are exogenous inputs to the economic optimization model. On the supply side, groundwater and river/reservoir models are used to generate hydrologic responses to various management alternatives. The response data is then used to develop water supply-price functions for Project and non-Project water users. On the demand side, crop production functions incorporating crop distribution, evapotranspiration rates, irrigation efficiencies, and crop prices are used to develop water demand-price functions for agricultural water users. Demand functions for municipal and industrial water users are also developed. Recent applications of the integrated model have focused on the hydrologic and economic impacts of demand management alternatives, including large-scale canal lining conservation measures, and market-based water trading between canal diverters and groundwater pumpers. A supply management alternative being investigated involves revising reservoir rule curves to compensate for climate change impacts on timing of reservoir filling.

Resolving response, decision, and strategic control: evidence for a functional topography in dorsomedial prefrontal cortex.

PubMed

Venkatraman, Vinod; Rosati, Alexandra G; Taren, Adrienne A; Huettel, Scott A

2009-10-21

The dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC) plays a central role in aspects of cognitive control and decision making. Here, we provide evidence for an anterior-to-posterior topography within the DMPFC using tasks that evoke three distinct forms of control demands--response, decision, and strategic--each of which could be mapped onto independent behavioral data. Specifically, we identify three spatially distinct regions within the DMPFC: a posterior region associated with control demands evoked by multiple incompatible responses, a middle region associated with control demands evoked by the relative desirability of decision options, and an anterior region that predicts control demands related to deviations from an individual's preferred decision-making strategy. These results provide new insight into the functional organization of DMPFC and suggest how recent controversies about its role in complex decision making and response mapping can be reconciled.

Resolving Response, Decision, and Strategic Control: Evidence for a Functional Topography in Dorsomedial Prefrontal Cortex

PubMed Central

Venkatraman, Vinod; Rosati, Alexandra G.; Taren, Adrienne A.; Huettel, Scott A.

2009-01-01

The dorsomedial prefrontal cortex (DMPFC) plays a central role in aspects of cognitive control and decision making. Here, we provide evidence for an anterior-to-posterior topography within the DMPFC using tasks that evoke three distinct forms of control demands – response, decision, and strategic – each of which could be mapped on to independent behavioral data. Specifically, we identify three spatially distinct regions within the DMPFC: a posterior region associated with control demands evoked by multiple incompatible responses, a middle region associated with control demands evoked by the relative desirability of decision options, and an anterior region that predicts control demands related to deviations from an individual's preferred decision-making strategy. These results provide new insight into the functional organization of DMPFC, and suggest how recent controversies about its role in complex decision making and response mapping can be reconciled. PMID:19846703

Expanding the generation and use of economic and financial data to improve HIV program planning and efficiency: a global perspective.

PubMed

Holmes, Charles B; Atun, Rifat; Avila, Carlos; Blandford, John M

2011-08-01

Cost information is needed at multiple levels of health care systems to inform the public health response to HIV. To date, most attention has been paid to identifying the cost drivers of providing antiretroviral treatment, and these data have driven interventions that have been successful in reducing drug and human resource costs. The need for further cost information, especially for less well-studied areas such as HIV prevention, is particularly acute given global budget constraints and ongoing efforts to extract the greatest possible value from money spent on the response. Cost information can be collected from multiple perspectives and levels of the health care system (site, program, and national levels), and it is critical to choose the appropriate methodology in order to generate the appropriate information for decision-making. Organizations such as United States President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief, the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, and other organizations are working together to bridge the divide between the fields of economics and HIV program implementation by accelerating the collection of cost data and building further local demand and capacity for their use.

The Focusing of Responsibility: An Alternative Hypothesis in Help-Demanding Situations.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Misavage, Robert; Richardson, James T.

The "diffusion of responsibility" hypothesis as an explanation of helping behavior (or lack of same) is qualified by suggesting that the hypothesis applies only in non-interacting situations. It is hypothesized that interacting groups who are aware of a help-demanding situation actually focus the responsibility and, therefore, take action as a…

Research training of Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics fellows: a survey of fellowship directors by Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Research Network.

PubMed

Wiley, Susan; Schonfeld, David J; Fredstrom, Bridget; Huffman, Lynne

2013-01-01

To describe research training in Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics (DBP) Fellowship Programs. Thirty-five US-accredited DBP fellowships were contacted through the Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrics Research Network to complete an online survey on scholarly work and research training. With an 83% response rate, responding programs represented 110 (87 filled) fellowship positions. External funding for fellowship positions was minimal (11 positions fully funded, 13 funded above 50% of cost). Structured research training included didactic lectures, web-based training, university courses, direct mentoring, journal clubs, and required reading. Of the 159 fellows described, spanning a 5-year training period, the majority chose projects relying on their own data collection (57%) rather than joining an existing research study and focused on clinical research (86%). Among 96 fellows with completed scholarly work, 29% were observational/epidemiological studies, 22% secondary analyses of large data sets, 16% community-based research, and 15% survey design. A limited number of fellows pursued basic science, meta-analysis/critical appraisal of the literature, or analysis of public policy. Barriers to successful fellow research are as follows: lack of time and money, challenges in balancing clinical demands and protected faculty research time, limited faculty research opportunities, time or expertise, and a lack of infrastructure for fellow research mentoring. The scholarly work of fellows in DBP fellowship programs has primarily focused on clinical research using observational/epidemiological research and secondary analysis of large data set. Barriers largely in faculty time and expertise for research mentoring and inadequate funding in programs that have high clinical demands and little resources for research efforts were noted.

Improving Cultural Intelligence through Experiential Learning in Nontraditional Adult Students at a Private Mid-Atlantic University MBA Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Weed Harnisch, Ashley Sue

2014-01-01

The demand for culturally competent employees continues to increase both domestically in the United States and abroad. Educational institutions must be aware of the demand and make accommodations for this shift in employee requirements as well as the growing business needs of multinational corporations. Study abroad programs often emerge as the…

Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation (AMS) Testbed Development and Evaluation to Support Dynamic Mobility Applications (DMA) and Active Transportation and Demand Management (ATDM) Programs - calibration Report for Phoenix Testbed : Final Report. [supporting datasets - Phoenix Testbed

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-07-26

The datasets in this zip file are in support of FHWA-JPO-16-379, Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation (AMS) Testbed Development and Evaluation to Support Dynamic Mobility Applications (DMA) and Active Transportation and Demand Management (ATDM) Program...

Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation (AMS) Testbed Development and Evaluation to Support Dynamic Mobility Applications (DMA) and Active Transportation and Demand Management (ATDM) Programs - San Mateo Testbed Analysis Plan [supporting datasets - San Mateo Testbed

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-06-26

This zip file contains files of data to support FHWA-JPO-16-370, Analysis, Modeling, and Simulation (AMS) Testbed Development and Evaluation to Support Dynamic Mobility Applications (DMA) and Active Transportation and Demand Management (ATDM) Program...

Variation in natural durability of seven Eucalyptus grandis x Eucalyptus urophylla hybrid clones

Treesearch

F.J.N. Franca; T.S.F.A. Franca; R.A Arango; B.M. Woodward; G.B. Vidaurre

2017-01-01

Programs aimed at developing clones of hybrid trees are commonly established in Brazil to meet the demands of various forest-based industries. These programs have continually improved the quality of eucalyptus wood, which has the potential to reduce deforestation by lowering demand for other high-value species. This is particularly true in the lumber market, but little...

A Case Study of How a Sample of Preservice Teachers Made Sense of Incorporating iPads into Their Instruction with Children

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brown, Christopher P.; Englehardt, Joanna

2017-01-01

The increased use of and demand for technology in early childhood education classrooms and programs creates new challenges for practicing and preservice early educators being asked to employ such technology within their teaching. Early childhood teacher education programs have struggled to meet these demands for teaching their students how to…

Evaluations Backgrounder: A Summary of Formal Evaluations of Afterschool Programs' Impact on Behavior, Safety and Family Life

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Afterschool Alliance, 2007

2007-01-01

Although afterschool programs for children have been operating for many years in some communities, the afterschool movement--the great national awakening to the opportunity afterschool offers--is just a few years old. As public demand for afterschool has grown, so has the demand for accountability. That is particularly true in afterschool…

Learnings From the Pilot Implementation of Mobile Medical Milestones Application.

PubMed

Page, Cristen P; Reid, Alfred; Coe, Catherine L; Carlough, Martha; Rosenbaum, Daryl; Beste, Janalynn; Fagan, Blake; Steinbacher, Erika; Jones, Geoffrey; Newton, Warren P

2016-10-01

Implementation of the educational milestones benefits from mobile technology that facilitates ready assessments in the clinical environment. We developed a point-of-care resident evaluation tool, the Mobile Medical Milestones Application (M3App), and piloted it in 8 North Carolina family medicine residency programs. We sought to examine variations we found in the use of the tool across programs and explored the experiences of program directors, faculty, and residents to better understand the perceived benefits and challenges of implementing the new tool. Residents and faculty completed presurveys and postsurveys about the tool and the evaluation process in their program. Program directors were interviewed individually. Interviews and open-ended survey responses were analyzed and coded using the constant comparative method, and responses were tabulated under themes. Common perceptions included increased data collection, enhanced efficiency, and increased perceived quality of the information gathered with the M3App. Residents appreciated the timely, high-quality feedback they received. Faculty reported becoming more comfortable with the tool over time, and a more favorable evaluation of the tool was associated with higher utilization. Program directors reported improvements in faculty knowledge of the milestones and resident satisfaction with feedback. Faculty and residents credited the M3App with improving the quality and efficiency of resident feedback. Residents appreciated the frequency, proximity, and specificity of feedback, and faculty reported the app improved their familiarity with the milestones. Implementation challenges included lack of a physician champion and competing demands on faculty time.

Supply/Demand in Radiology: A Historical Perspective and Comparison to other Labor Markets.

PubMed

Sharafinski, Mark E; Nussbaum, David; Jha, Saurabh

2016-02-01

There has been attention on the job market recently and on radiology's supply/demand calculus. Supply is influenced by the number of trained radiologists, while demand is driven by demographics and technological innovation. We analyze the supply of radiologists historically and compare to other labor markets-medical and non-medical, domestic and foreign. We review National Resident Matching Program data in radiology and several other specialties from 1991 to 2015. We also review surveys, physician recruitment data, and peer-reviewed commentaries on medical specialty job markets. Trends are compared across specialties. The regulation of American medical training is compared to that in the United Kingdom and to a nonmedical labor market, unionized theatrical stage employees. Radiology residency positions have increased since 1998 despite a downturn in the job market. This expansion coincides with a decreasing percentage of positions filled by domestic graduates. A similar trend has been seen in pathology, a notoriously oversupplied specialty. Conversely, other specialties have maintained their proportion of domestic graduates by way of limited supply or implicit demand. The radiology job market is currently oversupplied, primarily a result of increasing residency positions despite indicators of decreasing demand. The percentage of residency positions filled by domestic graduates has decreased during the same period, suggesting that medical student interest is responsive to the market. Other specialties, particularly pathology, demonstrate the dangers of chronic oversupply. We advocate a reduction of radiology residency positions such that supply closely approximates demand without exceeding it. Additional measures may be taken, if necessary, to restore market equilibrium in the event of a mild undersupply. Copyright © 2015 The Association of University Radiologists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Education Outcomes in a Duty-Hour Flexibility Trial in Internal Medicine.

PubMed

Desai, Sanjay V; Asch, David A; Bellini, Lisa M; Chaiyachati, Krisda H; Liu, Manqing; Sternberg, Alice L; Tonascia, James; Yeager, Alyssa M; Asch, Jeremy M; Katz, Joel T; Basner, Mathias; Bates, David W; Bilimoria, Karl Y; Dinges, David F; Even-Shoshan, Orit; Shade, David M; Silber, Jeffrey H; Small, Dylan S; Volpp, Kevin G; Shea, Judy A

2018-04-19

Concern persists that inflexible duty-hour rules in medical residency programs may adversely affect the training of physicians. We randomly assigned 63 internal medicine residency programs in the United States to be governed by standard duty-hour policies of the 2011 Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) or by more flexible policies that did not specify limits on shift length or mandatory time off between shifts. Measures of educational experience included observations of the activities of interns (first-year residents), surveys of trainees (both interns and residents) and faculty, and intern examination scores. There were no significant between-group differences in the mean percentages of time that interns spent in direct patient care and education nor in trainees' perceptions of an appropriate balance between clinical demands and education (primary outcome for trainee satisfaction with education; response rate, 91%) or in the assessments by program directors and faculty of whether trainees' workload exceeded their capacity (primary outcome for faculty satisfaction with education; response rate, 90%). Another survey of interns (response rate, 49%) revealed that those in flexible programs were more likely to report dissatisfaction with multiple aspects of training, including educational quality (odds ratio, 1.67; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.02 to 2.73) and overall well-being (odds ratio, 2.47; 95% CI, 1.67 to 3.65). In contrast, directors of flexible programs were less likely to report dissatisfaction with multiple educational processes, including time for bedside teaching (response rate, 98%; odds ratio, 0.13; 95% CI, 0.03 to 0.49). Average scores (percent correct answers) on in-training examinations were 68.9% in flexible programs and 69.4% in standard programs; the difference did not meet the noninferiority margin of 2 percentage points (difference, -0.43; 95% CI, -2.38 to 1.52; P=0.06 for noninferiority). od Institute and the ACGME; iCOMPARE ClinicalTrials.gov number, NCT02274818 .). There was no significant difference in the proportion of time that medical interns spent on direct patient care and education between programs with standard duty-hour policies and programs with more flexible policies. Interns in flexible programs were less satisfied with their educational experience than were their peers in standard programs, but program directors were more satisfied. (Funded by the National Heart, Lung, and Blo

22 CFR 1506.5 - Demand for payment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... total of three progressively stronger written demands at approximately 30-day intervals will normally be made, unless a response or other information indicates that additional written demands would either be unnecessary or futile. When necessary to protect the Government's interest, written demand may be preceded by...

Risk analysis and technology assessment in support of technology development: Putting responsible innovation in practice in a case study for nanotechnology.

PubMed

van Wezel, Annemarie P; van Lente, Harro; van de Sandt, Johannes Jm; Bouwmeester, Hans; Vandeberg, Rens Lj; Sips, Adrienne Jam

2018-01-01

Governments invest in "key enabling technologies," such as nanotechnology, to solve societal challenges and boost the economy. At the same time, governmental agencies demand risk reduction to prohibit any often unknown adverse effects, and industrial parties demand smart approaches to reduce uncertainties. Responsible research and innovation (RRI) is therefore a central theme in policy making. Risk analysis and technology assessment, together referred to as "RATA," can provide a basis to assess human, environmental, and societal risks of new technological developments during the various stages of technological development. This assessment can help both governmental authorities and innovative industry to move forward in a sustainable manner. Here we describe the developed procedures and products and our experiences to bring RATA in practice within a large Dutch nanotechnology consortium. This is an example of how to put responsible innovation in practice as an integrated part of a research program, how to increase awareness of RATA, and how to help technology developers perform and use RATA. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2018;14:9-16. © 2017 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC). © 2017 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

Research on the forward modeling of controlled-source audio-frequency magnetotellurics in three-dimensional axial anisotropic media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Kunpeng; Tan, Handong

2017-11-01

Controlled-source audio-frequency magnetotellurics (CSAMT) has developed rapidly in recent years and are widely used in the area of mineral and oil resource exploration as well as other fields. The current theory, numerical simulation, and inversion research are based on the assumption that the underground media have resistivity isotropy. However a large number of rock and mineral physical property tests show the resistivity of underground media is generally anisotropic. With the increasing application of CSAMT, the demand for probe accuracy of practical exploration to complex targets continues to increase. The question of how to evaluate the influence of anisotropic resistivity to CSAMT response is becoming important. To meet the demand for CSAMT response research of resistivity anisotropic media, this paper examines the CSAMT electric equations, derives and realizes a three-dimensional (3D) staggered-grid finite difference numerical simulation method of CSAMT resistivity axial anisotropy. Through building a two-dimensional (2D) resistivity anisotropy geoelectric model, we validate the 3D computation result by comparing it to the result of controlled-source electromagnetic method (CSEM) resistivity anisotropy 2D finite element program. Through simulating a 3D resistivity axial anisotropy geoelectric model, we compare and analyze the responses of equatorial configuration, axial configuration, two oblique sources and tensor source. The research shows that the tensor source is suitable for CSAMT to recognize the anisotropic effect of underground structure.

Dispatch Control with PEV Charging and Renewables for Multiplayer Game Application

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

Davis, Nathan; Johnson, Brian; McJunkin, Timothy

This paper presents a demand response model for a hypothetical microgrid that integrates renewable resources and plug-in electric vehicle (PEV) charging systems. It is assumed that the microgrid has black start capability and that external generation is available for purchase while grid connected to satisfy additional demand. The microgrid is developed such that in addition to renewable, non-dispatchable generation from solar, wind and run of the river hydroelectric resources, local dispatchable generation is available in the form of small hydroelectric and moderately sized gas and coal fired facilities. To accurately model demand, the load model is separated into independent residential,more » commercial, industrial, and PEV charging systems. These are dispatched and committed based on a mixed integer linear program developed to minimize the cost of generation and load shedding while satisfying constraints associated with line limits, conservation of energy, and ramp rates of the generation units. The model extends a research tool to longer time frames intended for policy setting and educational environments and provides a realistic and intuitive understanding of beneficial and challenging aspects of electrification of vehicles combined with integration of green electricity production.« less

Why is everyone so anxious?: an exploration of stress and anxiety in genetic counseling graduate students.

PubMed

Jungbluth, Chelsy; Macfarlane, Ian M; Veach, Patricia McCarthy; Leroy, Bonnie S

2011-06-01

Stress is an inevitable part of daily life. Studies of graduate student stress exist, but none include genetic counseling students. The present mixed-methods study investigated 225 genetic counseling students' stress and anxiety levels using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI; Spielberger et al. 1983), frequency and intensity of stressors associated with their graduate experience, positive and challenging aspects of their experience, and their stress management advice for prospective students. Principal axis factor analysis yielded five conceptual factors underlying the stressors: Professional Uncertainty, Personal Life Events, Interpersonal Demands, Academic Demands, and Isolating Circumstances. Exploratory model fitting using regression yielded four significant predictors accounting for 19% of the variance in state anxiety: (1) trait anxiety, (2) the Interpersonal Demands factor, (3) the Isolating Circumstances factor, and (4) the interaction between the Professional Uncertainty factor and advanced student status. Content analysis of open-ended responses identified several themes. For instance, most students enjoyed what they were learning, interactions with colleagues, and affirmation of their career choice, while certain academic and professional challenges were particularly stressful (e.g., workload, time constraints, clinical rotations). Additional findings, program implications, and research recommendations are provided.

Preparing displaced adults for the optics/photonics workforce

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hull, Darrell M.

2000-06-01

As the optics/photonics industry continues to grow, the demand for workers is assumed to increase proportionally. Empirical data seem to support this assumption. This increase presents a challenge to optics/photonics education, since they control and assume responsibility for a key factor in the ability of industry to further expand. At the same time, the U.S. government through the Department of Labor and the Workforce Investment Act has requested that communities enact programs for displaced adults to transition to the workplace. A program of study is provided that would assist adults in making this transition from unemployment to the optics/photonics industry, with the necessary general work skills, occupational optics/photonics skills, and ability to progress on the job with academic foundations in math and science.

[The undergraduate program in forensic science: a national challenge].

PubMed

García Castillo, Zoraida; Graue Wiechers, Enrique; Durante Montiel, Irene; Herrera Saint Leu, Patricia

2014-01-01

The challenge in achieving an ideal state of justice is that each "proof" has the highest degree of reliability. This is the main responsibility of the forensic scientist. Up to now, criminal investigations in Mexico have been supported by forensic work from a wide variety of disciplinary backgrounds that give testimony in a particular area, even though they may have become forensic witnesses in a complementary and experiential manner. In January 2013, the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México (UNAM) approved the "Forensic Science" undergraduate program that, in collaboration with various academic entities and government institutions, will develop forensic scientists trained in science, law, and criminology. This is focused on contributing to the national demand that the justice system has more elements to procure and administer justice in dealing with crime.

American Indians’ Cultures: How CBPR Illuminated Inter-Tribal Cultural Elements Fundamental to an Adaptation Effort

PubMed Central

Jumper-Reeves, Leslie; Dustman, Patricia Allen; Harthun, Mary L.; Kulis, Stephen; Brown, Ed

2013-01-01

The ever-increasing numbers of ethnic minority populations in the United States seeking social services suggests that a “multicultural paradigm shift” is underway and gaining speed. This shift will increasingly demand that prevention programs and interventions be more culturally responsive. Interventions that are not aligned with prospective participants’ world views and experiences are only minimally effective. Existing models for conducting culturally grounded program adaptations emphasize identifying distinct levels of cultural influences while preserving core elements of the original intervention. An effective adaptation requires competent language translation as well as trained translations of program concepts and principles that will be meaningful to the targeted group, without compromising program fidelity. This article describes how a university research team and curriculum developers worked with American Indian youth and adults in a large southwestern city using a CBPR process to identify cultural elements that became foundational to the adaptation of a prevention curriculum that is a national model program, with the objective of increasing its applicability for urban native youth. PMID:23412946

The engineering design integration (EDIN) system. [digital computer program complex

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glatt, C. R.; Hirsch, G. N.; Alford, G. E.; Colquitt, W. N.; Reiners, S. J.

1974-01-01

A digital computer program complex for the evaluation of aerospace vehicle preliminary designs is described. The system consists of a Univac 1100 series computer and peripherals using the Exec 8 operating system, a set of demand access terminals of the alphanumeric and graphics types, and a library of independent computer programs. Modification of the partial run streams, data base maintenance and construction, and control of program sequencing are provided by a data manipulation program called the DLG processor. The executive control of library program execution is performed by the Univac Exec 8 operating system through a user established run stream. A combination of demand and batch operations is employed in the evaluation of preliminary designs. Applications accomplished with the EDIN system are described.

Processing Demands Impact 3-Year-Olds' Performance in a Spontaneous-Response Task: New Evidence for the Processing-Load Account of Early False-Belief Understanding.

PubMed

Scott, Rose M; Roby, Erin

2015-01-01

Prior to age four, children succeed in non-elicited-response false-belief tasks but fail elicited-response false-belief tasks. To explain this discrepancy, the processing-load account argues that the capacity to represent beliefs emerges in infancy, as indicated by early success on non-elicited-response tasks, but that children's ability to demonstrate this capacity depends on the processing demands of the task and children's processing skills. When processing demands exceed young children's processing abilities, such as in standard elicited-response tasks, children fail despite their capacity to represent beliefs. Support for this account comes from recent evidence that reducing processing demands improves young children's performance: when demands are sufficiently reduced, 2.5-year-olds succeed in elicited-response tasks. Here we sought complementary evidence for the processing-load account by examining whether increasing processing demands impeded children's performance in a non-elicited-response task. 3-year-olds were tested in a preferential-looking task in which they heard a change-of-location false-belief story accompanied by a picture book; across children, we manipulated the amount of linguistic ambiguity in the story. The final page of the book showed two images: one that was consistent with the main character's false belief and one that was consistent with reality. When the story was relatively unambiguous, children looked reliably longer at the false-belief-consistent image, successfully demonstrating their false-belief understanding. When the story was ambiguous, however, this undermined children's performance: looking times to the belief-consistent image were correlated with verbal ability, and only children with verbal skills in the upper quartile of the sample demonstrated a significant preference for the belief-consistent image. These results support the processing-load account by demonstrating that regardless of whether a task involves an elicited response, children's performance depends on the processing demands of the task and their processing skills. These findings also have implications for alternative, deflationary accounts of early false-belief understanding.

Processing Demands Impact 3-Year-Olds’ Performance in a Spontaneous-Response Task: New Evidence for the Processing-Load Account of Early False-Belief Understanding

PubMed Central

Scott, Rose M.; Roby, Erin

2015-01-01

Prior to age four, children succeed in non-elicited-response false-belief tasks but fail elicited-response false-belief tasks. To explain this discrepancy, the processing-load account argues that the capacity to represent beliefs emerges in infancy, as indicated by early success on non-elicited-response tasks, but that children’s ability to demonstrate this capacity depends on the processing demands of the task and children’s processing skills. When processing demands exceed young children’s processing abilities, such as in standard elicited-response tasks, children fail despite their capacity to represent beliefs. Support for this account comes from recent evidence that reducing processing demands improves young children’s performance: when demands are sufficiently reduced, 2.5-year-olds succeed in elicited-response tasks. Here we sought complementary evidence for the processing-load account by examining whether increasing processing demands impeded children’s performance in a non-elicited-response task. 3-year-olds were tested in a preferential-looking task in which they heard a change-of-location false-belief story accompanied by a picture book; across children, we manipulated the amount of linguistic ambiguity in the story. The final page of the book showed two images: one that was consistent with the main character’s false belief and one that was consistent with reality. When the story was relatively unambiguous, children looked reliably longer at the false-belief-consistent image, successfully demonstrating their false-belief understanding. When the story was ambiguous, however, this undermined children’s performance: looking times to the belief-consistent image were correlated with verbal ability, and only children with verbal skills in the upper quartile of the sample demonstrated a significant preference for the belief-consistent image. These results support the processing-load account by demonstrating that regardless of whether a task involves an elicited response, children’s performance depends on the processing demands of the task and their processing skills. These findings also have implications for alternative, deflationary accounts of early false-belief understanding. PMID:26562840

Feeding styles and child weight status among recent immigrant mother-child dyads.

PubMed

Tovar, Alison; Hennessy, Erin; Pirie, Alex; Must, Aviva; Gute, David M; Hyatt, Raymond R; Kamins, Christina Luongo; Hughes, Sheryl O; Boulos, Rebecca; Sliwa, Sarah; Galvão, Heloisa; Economos, Christina D

2012-05-29

Research has shown that parental feeding styles may influence children's food consumption, energy intake, and ultimately, weight status. We examine this relationship, among recent immigrants to the US. Given that immigrant parents and children are at greater risk for becoming overweight/obese with increased time in the US, identification of risk factors for weight gain is critical. Baseline data was collected on 383 mother-child dyads enrolled in Live Well, a community-based, participatory, randomized controlled lifestyle intervention to prevent weight gain in recent immigrant mothers. Socio-demographic information together with heights and weights were collected for both mother and child. Acculturation, behavioral data, and responses to the Caregiver's Feeding Styles Questionnaire (CFSQ) were also obtained from the mother. The children's average age was 6.2 ± 2.7 years, 58% male. Mothers had been in the country for an average of 6.0 ± 3.3 years, and are Brazilian (36%), Haitian (34%) and Latino (30%). Seventy-two percent of the mothers were overweight/obese, while 43% of the children were overweight/obese. Fifteen percent of mothers reported their feeding style as being high demanding/high responsive; 32% as being high demanding/low responsive; 34% as being low demanding/high responsive and 18% as being low demanding/low responsive. In bivariate analyses, feeding styles significantly differed by child BMIz-score, ethnic group, and mother's perceived stress. In multiple linear regression, a low demanding/high responsive feeding style was found to be positively associated (ß = 0.56) with a higher child weight as compared to high demanding/high responsive, controlling for known covariates (p = 0.01). Most mothers report having a low demanding/high responsive feeding style, which is associated with higher child weight status in this diverse immigrant population. This finding adds to the growing literature that suggests this type of feeding style may be a risk factor for childhood obesity. Further research is needed to help understand the larger socio-cultural context and its influence on feeding dynamics among immigrant families and families of lower incomes. How parents establish a certain feeding style in their home country compared to when they move to the US "obesogenic" environment, should also be explored.

Optimizing violence prevention programs: an examination of program effectiveness among urban high school students.

PubMed

Thompkins, Amanda C; Chauveron, Lisa M; Harel, Ofer; Perkins, Daniel F

2014-07-01

While demand for youth violence prevention programs increases, the ability of the school-day schedule to accommodate their time requirements has diminished. Viable school-based prevention programs must strike a balance between brevity and effectiveness. This article reports results from an effectiveness trial of a 12-session curriculum-based universal violence prevention program that promotes healthy conflict resolution skills among urban adolescents. Using a review of program record data and a multisite quasi-experimental study design, we examined the effectiveness of a New York City-based violence prevention program entitled the Violence Prevention project (VPP) optimized to meet school needs. We analyzed survey data from 1112 9th- and 10th-grade students in 13 New York City public high schools across 4 consecutive school years. Both participants and nonparticipants were surveyed. Review of program record data indicated that the program was implemented with acceptable fidelity to the core component structure, and that participant responsiveness to the model was high. Multilevel modeling indicated that VPP participation was protective for academic self-concept and promoted conflict resolution skills. Findings indicate that semester-long violence prevention programs optimized to meet the needs of a typical high school can be effective at promoting healthy conflict resolution skills in urban adolescents. © 2014, American School Health Association.

A Handbook For Acquiring Demand-Responsive Transit Software, Tcrp Report 18

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-01-01

THIS HANDBOOK WILL BE OF INTEREST TO AGENCIES ENGAGED IN MANAGING AND OPERATING DEMAND-RESPONSIVE TRANSIT (DRT) SERVICES. THE HANDBOOK IS INTENDED TO ASSIST DRTPROVIDERS WITH ASSESSMENT OF SOFTWARE NEEDS AND PROCUREMENT OF SOFTWARE TO MEET THOSE NEED...

Modeling Demand-Responsive Feeder Systems in the UTPS Framework

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1978-07-01

For the transit planner considering alternative future transit designs, there has been little in the way of analytical tools available to assess the impact of demand-responsive transportation (DRT) systems. The intent of this report is to provide the...

Evaluating the use of transfers for improving demand responsive systems adopting zoning strategies.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-08-01

Due to widely dispersed population density over large and sparsely suburban/rural areas, : conventional fixed route transit services hardly satisfy the travel needs of their residents. As an : alternative, demand responsive transit (DRT) systems have...

Opportunities for Open Automated Demand Response in Wastewater Treatment Facilities in California - Phase II Report. San Luis Rey Wastewater Treatment Plant Case Study

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

Thompson, Lisa; Lekov, Alex; McKane, Aimee

2010-08-20

This case study enhances the understanding of open automated demand response opportunities in municipal wastewater treatment facilities. The report summarizes the findings of a 100 day submetering project at the San Luis Rey Wastewater Treatment Plant, a municipal wastewater treatment facility in Oceanside, California. The report reveals that key energy-intensive equipment such as pumps and centrifuges can be targeted for large load reductions. Demand response tests on the effluent pumps resulted a 300 kW load reduction and tests on centrifuges resulted in a 40 kW load reduction. Although tests on the facility?s blowers resulted in peak period load reductions ofmore » 78 kW sharp, short-lived increases in the turbidity of the wastewater effluent were experienced within 24 hours of the test. The results of these tests, which were conducted on blowers without variable speed drive capability, would not be acceptable and warrant further study. This study finds that wastewater treatment facilities have significant open automated demand response potential. However, limiting factors to implementing demand response are the reaction of effluent turbidity to reduced aeration load, along with the cogeneration capabilities of municipal facilities, including existing power purchase agreements and utility receptiveness to purchasing electricity from cogeneration facilities.« less

Microcomputer-Based Organizational Survey Assessment: Applications to Training.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-08-01

organizations, a growing need for efficient, flexible and cost effective training programs becomes paramount. To cope with these increased training demands, many...and cost effective training programs becomes paramount. To cnpe with these increased training demands, many orga- nizations have turned to Computer...organizational setings the need for better training will .,, For continue to increase (Wexley & Latham, 1981). Recent surveys of the literature document

The value of demand response in Florida

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

Stoll, Brady; Buechler, Elizabeth; Hale, Elaine

Many electrical loads may be operated flexibly to provide grid services, including peaking capacity, reserves, and load shifting. The authors model 14 demand end uses in Florida and analyze their operational impacts and overall value for a wide range of solar penetrations and grid flexibility options. They find demand response is able to reduce production costs, reduce the number of low-load hours for traditional generators, reduce starting of gas generators, and reduce curtailment.

The value of demand response in Florida

DOE PAGES

Stoll, Brady; Buechler, Elizabeth; Hale, Elaine

2017-11-10

Many electrical loads may be operated flexibly to provide grid services, including peaking capacity, reserves, and load shifting. The authors model 14 demand end uses in Florida and analyze their operational impacts and overall value for a wide range of solar penetrations and grid flexibility options. They find demand response is able to reduce production costs, reduce the number of low-load hours for traditional generators, reduce starting of gas generators, and reduce curtailment.

Two-and-a-half-year-olds succeed at a traditional false-belief task with reduced processing demands

PubMed Central

Scott, Rose M.; Baillargeon, Renée

2016-01-01

When tested with traditional false-belief tasks, which require answering a standard question about the likely behavior of an agent with a false belief, children perform below chance until age 4 y or later. When tested without such questions, however, children give evidence of false-belief understanding much earlier. Are traditional tasks difficult because they tap a more advanced form of false-belief understanding (fundamental-change view) or because they impose greater processing demands (processing-demands view)? Evidence that young children succeed at traditional false-belief tasks when processing demands are reduced would support the latter view. In prior research, reductions in inhibitory-control demands led to improvements in young children’s performance, but often only to chance (instead of below-chance) levels. Here we examined whether further reductions in processing demands might lead to success. We speculated that: (i) young children could respond randomly in a traditional low-inhibition task because their limited information-processing resources are overwhelmed by the total concurrent processing demands in the task; and (ii) these demands include those from the response-generation process activated by the standard question. This analysis suggested that 2.5-y-old toddlers might succeed at a traditional low-inhibition task if response-generation demands were also reduced via practice trials. As predicted, toddlers performed above chance following two response-generation practice trials; toddlers failed when these trials either were rendered less effective or were used in a high-inhibition task. These results support the processing-demands view: Even toddlers succeed at a traditional false-belief task when overall processing demands are reduced. PMID:27821728

Restructuring the rotor analysis program C-60

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1985-01-01

The continuing evolution of the rotary wing industry demands increasing analytical capabilities. To keep up with this demand, software must be structured to accommodate change. The approach discussed for meeting this demand is to restructure an existing analysis. The motivational factors, basic principles, application techniques, and practical lessons from experience with this restructuring effort are reviewed.

Modeling and Analysis of Commercial Building Electrical Loads for Demand Side Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Berardino, Jonathan

In recent years there has been a push in the electric power industry for more customer involvement in the electricity markets. Traditionally the end user has played a passive role in the planning and operation of the power grid. However, many energy markets have begun opening up opportunities to consumers who wish to commit a certain amount of their electrical load under various demand side management programs. The potential benefits of more demand participation include reduced operating costs and new revenue opportunities for the consumer, as well as more reliable and secure operations for the utilities. The management of these load resources creates challenges and opportunities to the end user that were not present in previous market structures. This work examines the behavior of commercial-type building electrical loads and their capacity for supporting demand side management actions. This work is motivated by the need for accurate and dynamic tools to aid in the advancement of demand side operations. A dynamic load model is proposed for capturing the response of controllable building loads. Building-specific load forecasting techniques are developed, with particular focus paid to the integration of building management system (BMS) information. These approaches are tested using Drexel University building data. The application of building-specific load forecasts and dynamic load modeling to the optimal scheduling of multi-building systems in the energy market is proposed. Sources of potential load uncertainty are introduced in the proposed energy management problem formulation in order to investigate the impact on the resulting load schedule.

Defining and describing capacity issues in U.S. Doctor of Nursing Practice programs.

PubMed

Minnick, Ann F; Norman, Linda D; Donaghey, Beth

2013-01-01

Recent calls to expand the number of U.S. Doctors of Nursing Practice (DNPs) raises questions about programs' capacities, content and requirements, and their ability to expand. This paper aims to describe (1) key aspects of DNP program capacities that may provide direction for DNP program expansion plans, the timing of such expansion and program QI efforts; and (2) the impact of the DNP on faculty resources for research doctoral programs. A survey of all U.S. DNP programs (n = 130; response rate 72%) was conducted in 2011 based on previously tested items. Reviews of Web sites of nonresponding schools provided some data from all programs. Ratios of students to faculty active in advanced practice (AP) and in QI (QI) were high (AP 11.0:1, SD 10.1; QI 20.2:1, SD 17.0 respectively). There was wide variation in scholarly requirements (0-4: 50% of program had none) and program committee composition (1-5; mode=2). Almost all responding schools that offered PhD and DNP programs reported assigning research-active or potentially research-active faculty in both programs. The ability to expand programs while maintaining quality may be compromised by capacity issues. Addressing demand issues through the alignment of program requirements with societal and employment requirements may provide directions for addressing current DNP capacity issues. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Hospital all-risk emergency preparedness in Ghana.

PubMed

Norman, I D; Aikins, M; Binka, F N; Nyarko, K M

2012-03-01

This paper assessed the emergency preparedness programs of health facilities for all-risks but focused on Road Traffic Accidents, (RTA) resulting in surge demand. It adopted W. H. O checklist covering hospital preparedness, equipment, manpower and surge capacity planning as best practices for the mitigation of public health emergencies. This is a cross-sectional study of purposively selected health facilities. The method used consisted of site visit, questionnaire survey, literature and internet review. The W. H. O. standard for emergency preparedness of health facilities was used to evaluate and assess the nation's hospitals surge capacity programs. The study was conducted between March-June, 2010. A total of 22 district and regional health facilities including teaching hospitals participated in the study. All 10 regions of the country were covered. These were: (1) many of the nation's hospitals were not prepared for large RTA's resulting in surge demands, and did not possess general emergency preparedness programs. (2) The hospitals' respective abilities to handle large scale RTA's were compromised by the lack of competent medical and allied health personnel and adequate supplies. The inadequacies of the hospital system in responding to emergencies raise serious public health concerns. The biggest challenge facing the hospitals in their emergency intervention is the lack of pre-emergency and emergency preparedness plans as well as the coordination of the hospitals response mechanisms. The paper ended with recommendations on how the nation's hospitals and their supervisory agencies could improve emergency preparedness.

Energy plan, 1981

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

1981-12-01

The planning procedures for the energy program and policy guidelines for energy planning are presented. Future changes in marginal costs and directions indicated for economically efficient pricing are assessed. The aim of the conservation program is to close the gap between the amounts of conservation which is rationally cost effective and that projected to occur anyway through normal market forces. An overview of energy demand and proposed plans for energy supply are given. Liquid fuels have priority although work on coal receives new emphasis. A better program on energy demand and management is suggested.

Extreme Scale Computing to Secure the Nation

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

Brown, D L; McGraw, J R; Johnson, J R

2009-11-10

Since the dawn of modern electronic computing in the mid 1940's, U.S. national security programs have been dominant users of every new generation of high-performance computer. Indeed, the first general-purpose electronic computer, ENIAC (the Electronic Numerical Integrator and Computer), was used to calculate the expected explosive yield of early thermonuclear weapons designs. Even the U. S. numerical weather prediction program, another early application for high-performance computing, was initially funded jointly by sponsors that included the U.S. Air Force and Navy, agencies interested in accurate weather predictions to support U.S. military operations. For the decades of the cold war, national securitymore » requirements continued to drive the development of high performance computing (HPC), including advancement of the computing hardware and development of sophisticated simulation codes to support weapons and military aircraft design, numerical weather prediction as well as data-intensive applications such as cryptography and cybersecurity U.S. national security concerns continue to drive the development of high-performance computers and software in the U.S. and in fact, events following the end of the cold war have driven an increase in the growth rate of computer performance at the high-end of the market. This mainly derives from our nation's observance of a moratorium on underground nuclear testing beginning in 1992, followed by our voluntary adherence to the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) beginning in 1995. The CTBT prohibits further underground nuclear tests, which in the past had been a key component of the nation's science-based program for assuring the reliability, performance and safety of U.S. nuclear weapons. In response to this change, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) initiated the Science-Based Stockpile Stewardship (SBSS) program in response to the Fiscal Year 1994 National Defense Authorization Act, which requires, 'in the absence of nuclear testing, a progam to: (1) Support a focused, multifaceted program to increase the understanding of the enduring stockpile; (2) Predict, detect, and evaluate potential problems of the aging of the stockpile; (3) Refurbish and re-manufacture weapons and components, as required; and (4) Maintain the science and engineering institutions needed to support the nation's nuclear deterrent, now and in the future'. This program continues to fulfill its national security mission by adding significant new capabilities for producing scientific results through large-scale computational simulation coupled with careful experimentation, including sub-critical nuclear experiments permitted under the CTBT. To develop the computational science and the computational horsepower needed to support its mission, SBSS initiated the Accelerated Strategic Computing Initiative, later renamed the Advanced Simulation & Computing (ASC) program (sidebar: 'History of ASC Computing Program Computing Capability'). The modern 3D computational simulation capability of the ASC program supports the assessment and certification of the current nuclear stockpile through calibration with past underground test (UGT) data. While an impressive accomplishment, continued evolution of national security mission requirements will demand computing resources at a significantly greater scale than we have today. In particular, continued observance and potential Senate confirmation of the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT) together with the U.S administration's promise for a significant reduction in the size of the stockpile and the inexorable aging and consequent refurbishment of the stockpile all demand increasing refinement of our computational simulation capabilities. Assessment of the present and future stockpile with increased confidence of the safety and reliability without reliance upon calibration with past or future test data is a long-term goal of the ASC program. This will be accomplished through significant increases in the scientific bases that underlie the computational tools. Computer codes must be developed that replace phenomenology with increased levels of scientific understanding together with an accompanying quantification of uncertainty. These advanced codes will place significantly higher demands on the computing infrastructure than do the current 3D ASC codes. This article discusses not only the need for a future computing capability at the exascale for the SBSS program, but also considers high performance computing requirements for broader national security questions. For example, the increasing concern over potential nuclear terrorist threats demands a capability to assess threats and potential disablement technologies as well as a rapid forensic capability for determining a nuclear weapons design from post-detonation evidence (nuclear counterterrorism).« less

Pigeons' demand and preference for specific and generalized conditioned reinforcers in a token economy.

PubMed

Tan, Lavinia; Hackenberg, Timothy D

2015-11-01

Pigeons' demand and preference for specific and generalized tokens was examined in a token economy. Pigeons could produce and exchange different colored tokens for food, for water, or for food or water. Token production was measured across three phases, which examined: (1) across-session price increases (typical demand curve method); (2) within-session price increases (progressive-ratio, PR, schedule); and (3) concurrent pairwise choices between the token types. Exponential demand curves were fitted to the response data and accounted for over 90% total variance. Demand curve parameter values, Pmax , Omax and α showed that demand was ordered in the following way: food tokens, generalized tokens, water tokens, both in Phase 1 and in Phase 3. This suggests that the preferences were predictable on the basis of elasticity and response output from the demand analysis. Pmax and Omax values failed to consistently predict breakpoints and peak response rates in the PR schedules in Phase 2, however, suggesting limits on a unitary conception of reinforcer efficacy. The patterns of generalized token production and exchange in Phase 3 suggest that the generalized tokens served as substitutes for the specific food and water tokens. Taken together, the present findings demonstrate the utility of behavioral economic concepts in the analysis of generalized reinforcement. © Society for the Experimental Analysis of Behavior.

The Influence of Load and Speed on Individuals' Movement Behavior.

PubMed

Frost, David M; Beach, Tyson A C; Callaghan, Jack P; McGill, Stuart M

2015-09-01

Because individuals' movement patterns have been linked to their risk of future injury, movement evaluations have become a topic of interest. However, if individuals adapt their movement behavior in response to the demands of a task, the utility of evaluations comprising only low-demand activities could have limited application with regard to the prediction of future injury. This investigation examined the impact of load and speed on individuals' movement behavior. Fifty-two firefighters performed 5 low-demand (i.e., light load, low movement speed) whole-body tasks (i.e., lift, squat, lunge, push, and pull). Each task was then modified by increasing the speed, external load, or speed and load. Select measures of motion were used to characterize the performance of each task, and comparisons were made between conditions. The participants adapted their movement behavior in response to the external demands of a task (64 and 70% of all the variables were influenced [p ≤ 0.05] by changing the load and speed, respectively), but in a manner unique to the task and type of demand. The participants exhibited greater spine and frontal plane knee motion in response to an increase in speed when compared with increasing loads. However, there were a large number of movement strategies exhibited by individual firefighters that differed from the group's response. The data obtained here imply that individuals may not be physically prepared to perform safely or effectively when a task's demands are elevated simply because they exhibit the ability to perform a low-demand activity with competence. Therefore, movement screens comprising only low-demand activities may not adequately reflect an individual's capacity, or their risk of injury, and could adversely affect any recommendations that are made for training or job performance.

UV-crosslinkable and thermo-responsive chitosan hybrid hydrogel for NIR-triggered localized on-demand drug delivery.

PubMed

Wang, Lei; Li, Baoqiang; Xu, Feng; Xu, Zheheng; Wei, Daqing; Feng, Yujie; Wang, Yaming; Jia, Dechang; Zhou, Yu

2017-10-15

Innovative drug delivery technologies based on smart hydrogels for localized on-demand drug delivery had aroused great interest. To acquire smart UV-crosslinkable chitosan hydrogel for NIR-triggered localized on-demanded drug release, a novel UV-crosslinkable and thermo-responsive chitosan was first designed and synthesized by grafting with poly N-isopropylacrylamide, acetylation of methacryloyl groups and embedding with photothermal carbon. The UV-crosslinkable unit (methacryloyl groups) endowed chitosan with gelation via UV irradiation. The thermo-responsive unit (poly N-isopropylacrylamide) endowed chitosan hydrogel with temperature-triggered volume shrinkage and reversible swelling/de-swelling behavior. The chitosan hybrid hydrogel embedded with photothermal carbon exhibited distinct NIR-triggered volume shrinkage (∼42% shrinkage) in response to temperature elevation as induced by NIR laser irradiation. As a demonstration, doxorubicin release rate was accelerated and approximately 40 times higher than that from non-irradiated hydrogels. The UV-crosslinkable and thermal-responsive hybrid hydrogel served as in situ forming hydrogel-based drug depot is developed for NIR-triggered localized on-demand release. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

The U.S. Geological Survey Energy Resources Program

USGS Publications Warehouse

,

2006-01-01

The United States uses tremendous amounts of geologic energy resources. In 2004 alone, the United States consumed more than 7.4 billion barrels of oil, 21.9 trillion cubic feet of natural gas, and 1.1 billion short tons of coal. Forecasts indicate the Nation's need for energy resources will continue to grow, raising several questions: How much domestic and foreign petroleum resources are available to meet the growing energy demands of the Nation and world? Does the United States have coal deposits of sufficient quantity and quality to meet demand over the next century? What other geologic energy resources can be added to the U.S. energy mix? How do the occurrence and use of energy resources affect environmental quality and human health? Unbiased information from robust scientific studies is needed for sound energy policy and resource management decisions addressing these issues. The U.S. Geological Survey Energy Resources Program provides impartial, scientifically robust information to advance the understanding of geologically based energy resources including: petroleum (oil, natural gas, natural gas liquids), coal, gas hydrates, geothermal resources, oil shale, oil sands, uranium, and heavy oil and natural bitumen. This information can be used to contribute to plans for a secure energy future and to facilitate evaluation and responsible use of resources.

The Synapse Project: Engagement in mentally challenging activities enhances neural efficiency.

PubMed

McDonough, Ian M; Haber, Sara; Bischof, Gérard N; Park, Denise C

2015-01-01

Correlational and limited experimental evidence suggests that an engaged lifestyle is associated with the maintenance of cognitive vitality in old age. However, the mechanisms underlying these engagement effects are poorly understood. We hypothesized that mental effort underlies engagement effects and used fMRI to examine the impact of high-challenge activities (digital photography and quilting) compared with low-challenge activities (socializing or performing low-challenge cognitive tasks) on neural function at pretest, posttest, and one year after the engagement program. In the scanner, participants performed a semantic-classification task with two levels of difficulty to assess the modulation of brain activity in response to task demands. The High-Challenge group, but not the Low-Challenge group, showed increased modulation of brain activity in medial frontal, lateral temporal, and parietal cortex-regions associated with attention and semantic processing-some of which were maintained a year later. This increased modulation stemmed from decreases in brain activity during the easy condition for the High-Challenge group and was associated with time committed to the program, age, and cognition. Sustained engagement in cognitively demanding activities facilitated cognition by increasing neural efficiency. Mentally-challenging activities may be neuroprotective and an important element to maintaining a healthy brain into late adulthood.

The Synapse Project: Engagement in mentally challenging activities enhances neural efficiency

PubMed Central

McDonough, Ian M.; Haber, Sara; Bischof, Gérard N.; Park, Denise C.

2015-01-01

Purpose: Correlational and limited experimental evidence suggests that an engaged lifestyle is associated with the maintenance of cognitive vitality in old age. However, the mechanisms underlying these engagement effects are poorly understood. We hypothesized that mental effort underlies engagement effects and used fMRI to examine the impact of high-challenge activities (digital photography and quilting) compared with low-challenge activities (socializing or performing low-challenge cognitive tasks) on neural function at pretest, posttest, and one year after the engagement program. Methods: In the scanner, participants performed a semantic-classification task with two levels of difficulty to assess the modulation of brain activity in response to task demands. Results: The High-Challenge group, but not the Low-Challenge group, showed increased modulation of brain activity in medial frontal, lateral temporal, and parietal cortex—regions associated with attention and semantic processing—some of which were maintained a year later. This increased modulation stemmed from decreases in brain activity during the easy condition for the High-Challenge group and was associated with time committed to the program, age, and cognition. Conclusions: Sustained engagement in cognitively demanding activities facilitated cognition by increasing neural efficiency. Mentally-challenging activities may be neuroprotective and an important element to maintaining a healthy brain into late adulthood. PMID:26484698

Using the Self-Select Paradigm to Delineate the Nature of Speech Motor Programming

PubMed Central

Wright, David L.; Robin, Don A.; Rhee, Jooyhun; Vaculin, Amber; Jacks, Adam; Guenther, Frank H.; Fox, Peter T.

2015-01-01

Purpose The authors examined the involvement of 2 speech motor programming processes identified by S. T. Klapp (1995, 2003) during the articulation of utterances differing in syllable and sequence complexity. According to S. T. Klapp, 1 process, INT, resolves the demands of the programmed unit, whereas a second process, SEQ, oversees the serial order demands of longer sequences. Method A modified reaction time paradigm was used to assess INT and SEQ demands. Specifically, syllable complexity was dependent on syllable structure, whereas sequence complexity involved either repeated or unique syllabi within an utterance. Results INT execution was slowed when articulating single syllables in the form CCCV compared to simpler CV syllables. Planning unique syllables within a multisyllabic utterance rather than repetitions of the same syllable slowed INT but not SEQ. Conclusions The INT speech motor programming process, important for mental syllabary access, is sensitive to changes in both syllable structure and the number of unique syllables in an utterance. PMID:19474396

Selective responsiveness: Online public demands and government responsiveness in authoritarian China.

PubMed

Su, Zheng; Meng, Tianguang

2016-09-01

The widespread use of information and communication technology (ICT) has reshaped the public sphere in the digital era, making online forums a new channel for political participation. Using big data analytics of full records of citizen-government interactions from 2008 to early 2014 on a nationwide political forum, we find that authoritarian China is considerably responsive to citizens' demands with a rapid growth of response rate; however, government responsiveness is highly selective, conditioning on actors' social identities and the policy domains of their online demands. Results from logistic and duration models suggest that requests which made by local citizens, expressed collectively, focused on the single task issue, and are closely related to economic growth are more likely to be responded to. These strategies adopted by Chinese provincial leaders reveal the scope and selectivity of authoritarian responsiveness. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Career development resource: educational leadership in a department of surgery: vice chairs for education.

PubMed

Sanfey, Hilary; Boehler, Margaret; DaRosa, Debra; Dunnington, Gary L

2012-07-01

The growing appreciation of the need to adopt an evidence-based approach to teaching and assessment has led to a demand for faculty who are well versed in best practices in education. Surgeons with interest and expertise in instruction, curriculum development, educational research, and evaluation can have an important impact on the educational mission of a department of surgery. The increased fervor for accountability in education together with the challenges imposed by accreditation agencies and hospitals has made educational leadership responsibilities more time consuming and complex. In response to this, an increasing number of department chairs created Vice Chair for Education positions to support clerkship and program directors and ensure the department's education mission statement is fulfilled. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The effects of self-focused attention, performance demand, and dispositional sexual self-consciousness on sexual arousal of sexually functional and dysfunctional men.

PubMed

van Lankveld, Jacques J D M; van den Hout, Marcel A; Schouten, Erik G W

2004-08-01

Sexually functional (N=26) and sexually dysfunctional heterosexual men with psychogenic erectile disorder (N=23) viewed two sexually explicit videos. Performance demand was manipulated through verbal instruction that a substantial genital response was to be expected from the videos. Self-focused attention was manipulated by introducing a camera pointed at the participant. Dispositional self-consciousness was assessed by questionnaire. Performance demand was found to independently inhibit the genital response. No main effect of self-focus was found. Self-focus inhibited genital response in men scoring high on general and sexual self-consciousness traits, whereas it enhanced penile tumescence in low self-conscious men. Inhibition effects were found in both volunteers and patients. No interaction effects of performance demand and self-focus were found. Subjective sexual arousal in sexually functional men was highest in the self-focus condition. In sexually dysfunctional men, subjective sexual response proved dependent on locus of attention as well as presentation order.

Laboratory Testing of Demand-Response Enabled Household Appliances

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

Sparn, B.; Jin, X.; Earle, L.

2013-10-01

With the advent of the Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) systems capable of two-way communications between the utility's grid and the building, there has been significant effort in the Automated Home Energy Management (AHEM) industry to develop capabilities that allow residential building systems to respond to utility demand events by temporarily reducing their electricity usage. Major appliance manufacturers are following suit by developing Home Area Network (HAN)-tied appliance suites that can take signals from the home's 'smart meter,' a.k.a. AMI meter, and adjust their run cycles accordingly. There are numerous strategies that can be employed by household appliances to respond tomore » demand-side management opportunities, and they could result in substantial reductions in electricity bills for the residents depending on the pricing structures used by the utilities to incent these types of responses.The first step to quantifying these end effects is to test these systems and their responses in simulated demand-response (DR) conditions while monitoring energy use and overall system performance.« less

Laboratory Testing of Demand-Response Enabled Household Appliances

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

Sparn, B.; Jin, X.; Earle, L.

2013-10-01

With the advent of the Advanced Metering Infrastructure (AMI) systems capable of two-way communications between the utility's grid and the building, there has been significant effort in the Automated Home Energy Management (AHEM) industry to develop capabilities that allow residential building systems to respond to utility demand events by temporarily reducing their electricity usage. Major appliance manufacturers are following suit by developing Home Area Network (HAN)-tied appliance suites that can take signals from the home's 'smart meter,' a.k.a. AMI meter, and adjust their run cycles accordingly. There are numerous strategies that can be employed by household appliances to respond tomore » demand-side management opportunities, and they could result in substantial reductions in electricity bills for the residents depending on the pricing structures used by the utilities to incent these types of responses. The first step to quantifying these end effects is to test these systems and their responses in simulated demand-response (DR) conditions while monitoring energy use and overall system performance.« less

Are the Chinese Saving for Old Age?: The Relationship between Future Pension Benefits of 45-60 Years Old Chinese and Current Household Expenditures.

PubMed

van Dullemen, C E; Nagel, I; de Bruijn, J M G

2017-01-01

Worldwide, older people's support used to be the adult children's responsibility. In China, two generations after introducing the one-child policy in the late 70-ies, this becomes an increasingly demanding obligation. The Chinese government took the responsibility to mitigating old- age poverty risks and realized unprecedented progress in pension coverage. At the same time, the household savings increased to about 30 % of disposable income. Built on previous research on the politics of ageing, this study analyses households responses to the established governmental and firm pension programs as well as to the New Rural Pension Scheme (NRPS), introduced in 2009. The central question is: will participation in the established and new pension programs lead to higher current Chinese household expenditures and therefore to lower savings? The China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) dataset of 2011 offered the opportunity to study the influence of the recently introduced NRPS. We find that Chinese households with members between 45 and 60 years who expect future benefits of NRPS do not have higher expenditures than those not covered by NRPS. For the participants in the established, mostly urban pension programs a correlation was found with higher current expenditures (28 % more spending on basic needs, 80 % more on luxury) However, further analysis shows that this correlation cannot be interpreted as a causal relationship. This implies that coverage by pensions, be it in urban or rural programs, does not determine higher current expenditures and lower savings.

Use of antiretroviral therapy in resource-limited countries in 2006: distribution and uptake of first- and second-line regimens.

PubMed

Renaud-Théry, Françoise; Nguimfack, Boniface Dongmo; Vitoria, Marco; Lee, Evan; Graaff, Peter; Samb, Badara; Perriëns, Joseph

2007-07-01

To address the information gap on current use of antiretroviral drugs (ARTs) in developing countries. The AIDS Medicines and Diagnostics Service of the World Health Organization (WHO) carried out a multi-country survey in early 2006. Questionnaires covered the use of first- and second-line regimens in adults and children, and the rates of switching from first-line to second-line regimen. Weighted percentages of use of ARTs across the cohort of adults and children were calculated and correlated with 2006 WHO guidelines. A second analysis compared demand for ARTs with rates of production of active pharmaceutical ingredients. Twenty-three countries (96%) returned the questionnaires, representing 53% of relevant patients in developing countries as of June 2006, and comprising 92% adults and 8% children receiving ARTs. Response rates were highest for questions regarding first-line use and lowest for those regarding pediatric regimens. The distribution of first-line: second-line use was 96%: 4% among adults and 99%: 1% among children. For adults, 95% of those receiving first-line treatment, but only 25% of those receiving second-line treatment, were on regimens consistent with those preferred by the WHO. Among first-line users, the most common regimen (61%) was stavudine+lamivudine+nevirapine. Among second-line users, abacavir+didanosine+lopinavir/ritonavir was the most common regimen (24%). Among children, compliance with WHO guidelines was high among the respondents, with zidovudine+lamivudine+nevirapine reported as the main option. Estimates of first-year switching rate were highly variable, ranging from 1% to 15%, with only ten responses. Comparison of supply and demand showed that the stated production capacity for active pharmaceutical ingredients is sufficient to meet current demands for ARTs. This survey has provided valuable information on the uptake of ARTs in developing countries and will help forecast future demand. Reporting for second-line and pediatric antiretroviral therapy should improve as national programs gain more experience. The current availability of active pharmaceutical ingredients appears to be sufficient to meet current demand. Further work is needed for an understanding of switching rates.

Postgraduate nurses' self-assessment of clinical competence and need for further training. A European cross-sectional survey.

PubMed

Wangensteen, Sigrid; Finnbakk, Elisabeth; Adolfsson, Annsofie; Kristjansdottir, Gudrun; Roodbol, Petrie; Ward, Helen; Fagerström, Lisbeth

2018-03-01

Nursing practice requires application of knowledge, skills and values in various combinations and has undergone substantial changes the last decades. An increased focus on inter-professional collaboration and possible new and more independent roles for nurses are described. A variety of programs have been developed in order to educate registered nurses (RN) to meet the changes and demands in health and nursing care throughout the world. The aims were to 1) describe nurses' self-assessment of clinical competence and need for further training, and 2) explore possible differences between nurses in specialist vs master's programs. A cross-sectional survey design was applied. 97 nurses in postgraduate programs from five countries responded (response rate 45%). A revised version of the Professional Nurse Self-Assessment Scale of clinical core competencies (PROFFNurseSASII) was used for data collection. Independent student t-test and regression analyses were carried out. The respondents rated their competence highest in taking full responsibility, cooperation with other health professionals and in acting ethically. Items where they considered themselves needing further training most were competence on medications, interaction and side effects and differential diagnoses. For all items, nurses in master's programs rated their competence higher than nurses in the specialist programs. Nurses in specialist programs rated their need for more training for all items higher than nurses in master's degree programs, and for 47 out of the 50 items these differences were statistically significant. Even though the nurses rated their competence high for important competence aspects such as taking responsibility and cooperation with other health professionals, it is worrying that their need for further training was highest for effects and interaction of various types of medications. Further studies are needed to conclude if and how master's education improves patient outcome. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

29 CFR 20.4 - Determination of delinquency; notice.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... appropriate written demands for payment in terms which inform the debtor of the consequences of failure to... progressively stronger written demands at not more than 30-day intervals will normally be made unless a response to the first or second demand indicates that a further demand would be futile and the debtor's...

Modeling demand for public transit services in rural areas

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

Attaluri, P.; Seneviratne, P.N.; Javid, M.

1997-05-01

Accurate estimates of demand are critical for planning, designing, and operating public transit systems. Previous research has demonstrated that the expected demand in rural areas is a function of both demographic and transit system variables. Numerous models have been proposed to describe the relationship between the aforementioned variables. However, most of them are site specific and their validity over time and space is not reported or perhaps has not been tested. Moreover, input variables in some cases are extremely difficult to quantify. In this article, the estimation of demand using the generalized linear modeling technique is discussed. Two separate models,more » one for fixed-route and another for demand-responsive services, are presented. These models, calibrated with data from systems in nine different states, are used to demonstrate the appropriateness and validity of generalized linear models compared to the regression models. They explain over 70% of the variation in expected demand for fixed-route services and 60% of the variation in expected demand for demand-responsive services. It was found that the models are spatially transferable and that data for calibration are easily obtainable.« less

Changes in the Singapore University Student Demand since the Currency Crash.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Patton, Mark Allan

1999-01-01

Details what has happened to demand for overseas university education by Singaporeans since the economic crisis of 1997. The demand has risen over the last year, but fear of future economic conditions has caused students to switch their target preferences. Most students cannot afford to enroll in higher education programs in Europe and North…

Counselor Supply, Demand, and Employment Experience. A Regional Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gotsch, Alexandra

Although the number of Master's level counselor training programs has increased dramatically over the last 20 years, reduction in state and federal funding has reduced the demand for counselors. To examine the supply and demand for counselors in four San Francisco Bay area counties, a regional survey of degrees awarded between 1972 and 1981 in…

Physicians workforce: legal immigrants will extend baby boom demands.

PubMed

2005-10-15

The baby boom generation will place large demands on the Medicare program and the U.S. health care system. These demands may be extended by a large legal immigrant population that will become Medicare-eligible soon after the baby boom generation does. The U.S. health care system should be prepared for sustained stress from this again population.

The role of action coordination for prospective memory: Task-interruption demands affect intention realization.

PubMed

Rummel, Jan; Wesslein, Ann-Katrin; Meiser, Thorsten

2017-05-01

Event-based prospective memory (PM) is the ability to remember to perform an intention in response to an environmental cue. Recent microstructure models postulate four distinguishable stages of successful event-based PM fulfillment. That is, (a) the event must be noticed, (b) the intention must be retrieved, (c) the context must be verified, and (d) the intended action must be coordinated with the demands of any currently ongoing task (e.g., Marsh, Hicks, & Watson, 2002b). Whereas the cognitive processes of Stages 1, 2, and 3 have been studied more or less extensively, little is known about the processes of Stage 4 so far. To fill this gap, the authors manipulated the magnitude of response overlap between the ongoing task and the PM task to isolate Stage-4 processes. Results demonstrate that PM performance improves in the presence versus absence of a response overlap, independent of cue saliency (Experiment 1) and of demands from currently ongoing tasks (Experiment 2). Furthermore, working-memory capacity is associated with PM performance, especially when there is little response overlap (Experiments 2 and 3). Finally, PM performance benefits only from strong response overlap, that is, only when the appropriate ongoing-task and PM response keys were identical (Experiment 4). They conclude that coordinating ongoing-task and PM actions puts cognitive demands on the individual which are distinguishable from the demands imposed by cue-detection and intention-retrieval processes. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2017 APA, all rights reserved).

Exposure to family planning messages and modern contraceptive use among men in urban Kenya, Nigeria, and Senegal: a cross-sectional study.

PubMed

Okigbo, Chinelo C; Speizer, Ilene S; Corroon, Meghan; Gueye, Abdou

2015-07-22

Family planning (FP) researchers and policy makers have often overlooked the importance of involving men in couples' fertility choices and contraception, despite the fact that male involvement is a vital factor in sexual and reproductive health programming. This study aimed to assess whether men's exposure to FP demand-generation activities is associated with their reported use of modern contraceptive methods. We used evaluation data from the Measurement, Learning & Evaluation project for the Urban Reproductive Health Initiative (URHI) in select cities of three African countries (Kenya, Nigeria, and Senegal) collected in 2012/2013. A two-stage cluster sampling design was used to select a representative sample of men in the study sites. The sample for this study includes men aged 15-59 years who had no missing data on any of the key variables: 696 men in Kenya, 2311 in Nigeria, and 1613 in Senegal. We conducted descriptive analyses and multivariate logistic regression analyses to assess the associations of interest. All analyses were weighted to account for the study design and non-response rates using Stata version 13. The proportion of men who reported use of modern contraceptive methods was 58 % in Kenya, 43 % in Nigeria, and 27 % in Senegal. About 80 % were exposed to at least one URHI demand-generation activity in each country. Certain URHI demand-generation activities were significantly associated with men's reported use of modern contraception. In Kenya, those who participated in URHI-led community events had four times higher odds of reporting use of modern methods (aOR: 3.70; p < 0.05) while in Senegal, exposure to URHI-television programs (aOR: 1.40; p < 0.05) and having heard a religious leader speak favorably about FP (aOR: 1.72; p < 0.05) were associated with modern contraceptive method use. No such associations were observed in Nigeria. Study findings are important for informing future FP program activities that seek to engage men. Program activities should be tailored by geographic context as results from this study indicate city and country-level variations. These types of gender-comprehensive and context-specific programs are likely to be the most successful at reducing unmet need for FP.

Industrial demand side management: A status report

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

Hopkins, M.F.; Conger, R.L.; Foley, T.J.

This report provides an overview of and rationale for industrial demand side management (DSM) programs. Benefits and barriers are described, and data from the Manufacturing Energy Consumption Survey are used to estimate potential energy savings in kilowatt hours. The report presents types and examples of programs and explores elements of successful programs. Two in-depth case studies (from Boise Cascade and Eli Lilly and Company) illustrate two types of effective DSM programs. Interviews with staff from state public utility commissions indicate the current thinking about the status and future of industrial DSM programs. A comprehensive bibliography is included, technical assistance programsmore » are listed and described, and a methodology for evaluating potential or actual savings from projects is delineated.« less

Effectiveness of a Comprehensive Stress Management Program to Reduce Work-Related Stress in a Medium-Sized Enterprise

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Objectives To assess the effectiveness of a comprehensive workplace stress management program consisting of participatory action-oriented training (PAOT) and individual management. Methods A comprehensive workplace stress management program was conducted in a medium-sized enterprise. The baseline survey was conducted in September 2011, using the Korean Occupational Stress Scale (KOSS) and Worker’s Stress Response Inventory (WSRI). After implementing both organizational and individual level interventions, the follow up evaluation was conducted in November 2011. Results Most of the workers participated in the organizational level PAOT and made Team-based improvement plans. Based on the stress survey, 24 workers were interviewed by a researcher. After the organizational and individual level interventions, there was a reduction of several adverse psychosocial factors and stress responses. In the case of blue-collar workers, psychosocial factors such as the physical environment, job demands, organizational system, lack of rewards, and occupational climate were significantly improved; in the case of white-collar workers, the occupational climate was improved. Conclusions In light of these results, we concluded that the comprehensive stress management program was effective in reducing work-related stress in a short-term period. A persistent long-term follow up is necessary to determine whether the observed effects are maintained over time. Both team-based improvement activities and individual interviews have to be sustainable and complementary to each other under the long-term plan. PMID:24524591

Interpersonal interactions, job demands and work-related outcomes in pharmacy.

PubMed

Gaither, Caroline A; Nadkarni, Anagha

2012-04-01

Objectives  The objective of this study was to examine the interaction between job demands of pharmacists and resources in the form of interpersonal interactions and its association with work-related outcomes such as organizational and professional commitment, job burnout, professional identity and job satisfaction. The job demands-resources (JD-R) model served as the theoretical framework. Methods  Subjects for the study were drawn from the Pharmacy Manpower Project Database (n = 1874). A 14-page mail-in survey measured hospital pharmacists' responses on the frequency of occurrence of various job-related scenarios as well as work-related outcomes. The study design was a 2 × 2 factorial design. Responses were collected on a Likert scale. Descriptive statistics, reliability analyses and correlational and multiple regression analyses were conducted using SPSS version 17 (SPSS, Chicago, IL, USA). Key findings  The 566 pharmacists (30% response rate) who responded to the survey indicated that high-demand/pleasant encounters and low-demand/pleasant encounters occurred more frequently in the workplace. The strongest correlations were found between high-demand/unpleasant encounters and frequency and intensity of emotional exhaustion. Multiple regression analyses indicated that when controlling for demographic factors high-demand/unpleasant encounters were negatively related to affective organizational commitment and positively related to frequency and intensity of emotional exhaustion. Low-demand/pleasant encounters were positively related to frequency and intensity of personal accomplishment. Low-demand/unpleasant encounters were significantly and negatively related to professional commitment, job satisfaction and frequency and intensity of emotional exhaustion, while high-demand/pleasant encounters were also related to frequency and intensity of emotional exhaustion Conclusion  Support was found for the JD-R model and the proposed interaction effects. Study results suggest that adequate attention must be paid to the interplay between demands on the job and interactions with healthcare professionals to improve the quality of the pharmacist's work life. Future research should examine other types of job demands and resources. © 2011 The Authors. IJPP © 2011 Royal Pharmaceutical Society.

75 FR 20901 - Standards for Business Practices and Communication Protocols for Public Utilities

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-22

... markets. This rule ensures that participants in wholesale energy markets where demand response products... those markets and addresses performance evaluation methods appropriate to use for demand response... markets, reducing transaction costs and providing an opportunity for more customers to participate in...

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

Kim, Joyce Jihyun; Schetrit, Oren; Yin, Rongxin

Demand response (DR) – allowing customers to respond to reliability requests and market prices by changing electricity use from their normal consumption pattern – continues to be seen as an attractive means of demand-side management and a fundamental smart-grid improvement that links supply and demand. From October 2011 to December 2013, the Demand Response Research Center at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority, and partners Honeywell and Akuacom, have conducted a demonstration project enabling Automated Demand Response (Auto-DR) in large commercial buildings located in New York City using Open Automated Demand Response (OpenADR)more » communication protocols. In particular, this project focuses on demonstrating how the OpenADR platform, enabled by Akuacom, can automate and simplify interactions between buildings and various stakeholders in New York State and enable the automation of customers’ price response to yield bill savings under dynamic pricing. In this paper, the cost control opportunities under day-ahead hourly pricing and Auto-DR control strategies are presented for four demonstration buildings; present the breakdown of Auto-DR enablement costs; summarize the field test results and their load impact; and show potential bill savings by enabling automated price response under Consolidated Edison’s Mandatory Hourly Pricing (MHP) tariff. For one of the sites, the potential bill savings at the site’s current retail rate are shown. Facility managers were given granular equipment-level opt-out capability to ensure full control of the sites during the Auto-DR implementation. The expected bill savings ranged from 1.1% to 8.0% of the total MHP bill. The automation and enablement costs ranged from $70 to $725 per kW shed. The results show that OpenADR can facilitate the automation of price response, deliver savings to the customers and opt-out capability of the implementation retains control of the sites by facility managers.« less

To what extent has doctoral (PhD) education supported academic nurse educators in their teaching roles: an integrative review.

PubMed

Bullin, Carol

2018-01-01

A doctoral degree, either a PhD or equivalent, is the academic credential required for an academic nurse educator position in a university setting; however, the lack of formal teaching courses in doctoral programs contradict the belief that these graduates are proficient in teaching. As a result, many PhD prepared individuals are not ready to meet the demands of teaching. An integrative literature review was undertaken. Four electronic databases were searched including the Cumulative Index to Nursing & Allied Health Literature (CINAHL), PubMed, Educational Resources Information Center (ERIC) and ProQuest. Date range and type of peer-reviewed literature was not specified. Conditions and factors that influenced or impacted on academic nurse educators' roles and continue to perpetuate insufficient pedagogical preparation include the requirement of a research focused PhD, lack of mentorship in doctoral programs and the influence of epistemic cultures (including institutional emphasis and reward system). Other factors that have impacted the academic nurse educator's role are society's demand for highly educated nurses that have increased the required credential, the assumption that all nurses are considered natural teachers, and a lack of consensus on the practice of the scholarship of teaching. Despite recommendations from nursing licensing bodies and a major US national nursing education study, little has been done to address the issue of formal pedagogical preparation in doctoral (PhD) nursing programs. There is an expectation of academic nurse educators to deliver quality nursing education yet, have very little or no formal pedagogical preparation for this role. While PhD programs remain research-intensive, the PhD degree remains a requirement for a role in which teaching is the major responsibility.

Achieving the HIV Prevention Impact of Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision: Lessons and Challenges for Managing Programs

PubMed Central

Sgaier, Sema K.; Reed, Jason B.; Thomas, Anne; Njeuhmeli, Emmanuel

2014-01-01

Voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) is capable of reducing the risk of sexual transmission of HIV from females to males by approximately 60%. In 2007, the WHO and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) recommended making VMMC part of a comprehensive HIV prevention package in countries with a generalized HIV epidemic and low rates of male circumcision. Modeling studies undertaken in 2009–2011 estimated that circumcising 80% of adult males in 14 priority countries in Eastern and Southern Africa within five years, and sustaining coverage levels thereafter, could avert 3.4 million HIV infections within 15 years and save US$16.5 billion in treatment costs. In response, WHO/UNAIDS launched the Joint Strategic Action Framework for accelerating the scale-up of VMMC for HIV prevention in Southern and Eastern Africa, calling for 80% coverage of adult male circumcision by 2016. While VMMC programs have grown dramatically since inception, they appear unlikely to reach this goal. This review provides an overview of findings from the PLOS Collection “Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision for HIV Prevention: Improving Quality, Efficiency, Cost Effectiveness, and Demand for Services during an Accelerated Scale-up.” The use of devices for VMMC is also explored. We propose emphasizing management solutions to help VMMC programs in the priority countries achieve the desired impact of averting the greatest possible number of HIV infections. Our recommendations include advocating for prioritization and funding of VMMC, increasing strategic targeting to achieve the goal of reducing HIV incidence, focusing on programmatic efficiency, exploring the role of new technologies, rethinking demand creation, strengthening data use for decision-making, improving governments' program management capacity, strategizing for sustainability, and maintaining a flexible scale-up strategy informed by a strong monitoring, learning, and evaluation platform. PMID:24800840

Achieving the HIV prevention impact of voluntary medical male circumcision: lessons and challenges for managing programs.

PubMed

Sgaier, Sema K; Reed, Jason B; Thomas, Anne; Njeuhmeli, Emmanuel

2014-05-01

Voluntary medical male circumcision (VMMC) is capable of reducing the risk of sexual transmission of HIV from females to males by approximately 60%. In 2007, the WHO and the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) recommended making VMMC part of a comprehensive HIV prevention package in countries with a generalized HIV epidemic and low rates of male circumcision. Modeling studies undertaken in 2009-2011 estimated that circumcising 80% of adult males in 14 priority countries in Eastern and Southern Africa within five years, and sustaining coverage levels thereafter, could avert 3.4 million HIV infections within 15 years and save US$16.5 billion in treatment costs. In response, WHO/UNAIDS launched the Joint Strategic Action Framework for accelerating the scale-up of VMMC for HIV prevention in Southern and Eastern Africa, calling for 80% coverage of adult male circumcision by 2016. While VMMC programs have grown dramatically since inception, they appear unlikely to reach this goal. This review provides an overview of findings from the PLOS Collection "Voluntary Medical Male Circumcision for HIV Prevention: Improving Quality, Efficiency, Cost Effectiveness, and Demand for Services during an Accelerated Scale-up." The use of devices for VMMC is also explored. We propose emphasizing management solutions to help VMMC programs in the priority countries achieve the desired impact of averting the greatest possible number of HIV infections. Our recommendations include advocating for prioritization and funding of VMMC, increasing strategic targeting to achieve the goal of reducing HIV incidence, focusing on programmatic efficiency, exploring the role of new technologies, rethinking demand creation, strengthening data use for decision-making, improving governments' program management capacity, strategizing for sustainability, and maintaining a flexible scale-up strategy informed by a strong monitoring, learning, and evaluation platform.

TRANPLAN and GIS support for agencies in Alabama

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-08-06

Travel demand models are computerized programs intended to forecast future roadway traffic volumes for a community based on selected socioeconomic variables and travel behavior algorithms. Software to operate these travel demand models is currently a...

Sustainable IT and IT for Sustainability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Zhenhua

Energy and sustainability have become one of the most critical issues of our generation. While the abundant potential of renewable energy such as solar and wind provides a real opportunity for sustainability, their intermittency and uncertainty present a daunting operating challenge. This thesis aims to develop analytical models, deployable algorithms, and real systems to enable efficient integration of renewable energy into complex distributed systems with limited information. The first thrust of the thesis is to make IT systems more sustainable by facilitating the integration of renewable energy into these systems. IT represents the fastest growing sectors in energy usage and greenhouse gas pollution. Over the last decade there are dramatic improvements in the energy efficiency of IT systems, but the efficiency improvements do not necessarily lead to reduction in energy consumption because more servers are demanded. Further, little effort has been put in making IT more sustainable, and most of the improvements are from improved "engineering" rather than improved "algorithms". In contrast, my work focuses on developing algorithms with rigorous theoretical analysis that improve the sustainability of IT. In particular, this thesis seeks to exploit the flexibilities of cloud workloads both (i) in time by scheduling delay-tolerant workloads and (ii) in space by routing requests to geographically diverse data centers. These opportunities allow data centers to adaptively respond to renewable availability, varying cooling efficiency, and fluctuating energy prices, while still meeting performance requirements. The design of the enabling algorithms is however very challenging because of limited information, non-smooth objective functions and the need for distributed control. Novel distributed algorithms are developed with theoretically provable guarantees to enable the "follow the renewables" routing. Moving from theory to practice, I helped HP design and implement industry's first Net-zero Energy Data Center. The second thrust of this thesis is to use IT systems to improve the sustainability and efficiency of our energy infrastructure through data center demand response. The main challenges as we integrate more renewable sources to the existing power grid come from the fluctuation and unpredictability of renewable generation. Although energy storage and reserves can potentially solve the issues, they are very costly. One promising alternative is to make the cloud data centers demand responsive. The potential of such an approach is huge. To realize this potential, we need adaptive and distributed control of cloud data centers and new electricity market designs for distributed electricity resources. My work is progressing in both directions. In particular, I have designed online algorithms with theoretically guaranteed performance for data center operators to deal with uncertainties under popular demand response programs. Based on local control rules of customers, I have further designed new pricing schemes for demand response to align the interests of customers, utility companies, and the society to improve social welfare.

The chief nurse executive role in large healthcare systems.

PubMed

Englebright, Jane; Perlin, Jonathan

2008-01-01

Community hospitals are most frequently led by nonclinicians. Although some may have employed physician leaders, most often clinical leadership is provided by a chief nurse executive (CNE) or chief nursing officer. Clinical leadership of community hospital and health systems may similarly be provided by a system-level nursing executive or, often, by a council of facility CNEs. The increasingly competitive healthcare environment in which value-based purchasing of healthcare and pay-for-performance programs demand improved clinical performance for financial success has led to reconsideration of whether a council model can provide either the leadership or adequate attention to clinical (and operational) improvement. In turn, community hospitals and health systems look to CNE or chief nursing officer roles at the highest level of the organization as resources that are able to segue between the clinical and operational domains, translating clinical performance demands into operating strategies and tactics. This article explores CNE characteristics required for success in these increasingly responsible and visible roles.

Solar thermal repowering utility value analysis. Final report

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

Taylor, R.; Day, J.; Reed, B.

The retrofit of solar central receiver energy supply systems to existing steam-electric generating stations (repowering) is being considered as a major programmatic thrust by DOE. The determination of a government response appropriate to the opportunities of repowering is an important policy question, and is the major reason for the analysis. The study objective is to define a government role in repowering that constitutes an efficient program investment in pursuit of viable private markets for heliostat-based energy systems. In support of that objective, the study is designed to identify the scope and nature of the repowering opportunity within the larger contextmore » of its contributions to central receiver technology development and commercialization. The Supply and Integration Tasks are documented elsewhere. This report documents the Demand Task, determining and quantifying the sources of the value of repowering and of central receiver technology in general to electric utilities. The modeling tools and assumptions used in the Demand Task are described and the results are presented and interpreted. (MCW)« less

The Effects of a Dynamic Spectrum Access Overlay in LTE-Advanced Networks

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

Juan D. Deaton; Ryan E. Irwin; Luiz A. DaSilva

As early as 2014, mobile network operators’ spectral capacity will be overwhelmed by the demand brought on by new devices and applications. To augment capacity and meet this demand, operators may choose to deploy a Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA) overlay. The signaling and functionality required by such an overlay have not yet been fully considered in the architecture of the planned Long Term Evolution Advanced (LTE+) networks. This paper presents a Spectrum Accountability framework to be integrated into LTE+ architectures, defining specific element functionality, protocol interfaces, and signaling flow diagrams required to enforce the rights and responsibilities of primary andmore » secondary users. We also quantify, through integer programs, the benefits of using DSA channels to augment capacity under a scenario in which LTE+ network can opportunistically use TV and GSM spectrum. The framework proposed here may serve as a guide in the development of future LTE+ network standards that account for DSA.« less

Accountability, efficiency, and the "bottom line" in non-profit organizations.

PubMed

Cutt, J

1982-01-01

Financial reporting by non-profit organizations deals only with accountability for propriety and regularity, and ignores output measurement. The development of output measures of a physical or index nature offers a means of relating dollar costs to output in the form of cost-efficiency or cost-effectiveness measures, but does not provide any measure of the absolute value or worthwhileness of such programs. This fundamental absolute value question should be asked of all non-profit programs and documented to the greatest possible extent in budgetary submissions, and subsequent control and audit. In public sector non-profit programs, the posing of this question requires information on consumer demand other than in aggregative and imprecise form through the political process, and much improved information on the cost side. Eliciting demand information is feasible in the case of public programs with separable benefits by the use of a variety of pricing techniques, direct or imputed, whether or not the service in question is ultimately financed on a user-pay basis. The problem of eliciting demand is more difficult in the case of public goods, but improved demand information can be obtained, ideally by an approach such as the use of a Clarke tax. The argument can be extended to encompass questions of income distribution, stabilization, regulation and tax policy. Recent developments in program evaluation in the federal government are important, but remain deficient in failing to address the question of absolute value.

Inhibition-Induced Forgetting Results from Resource Competition between Response Inhibition and Memory Encoding Processes.

PubMed

Chiu, Yu-Chin; Egner, Tobias

2015-08-26

Response inhibition is a key component of executive control, but its relation to other cognitive processes is not well understood. We recently documented the "inhibition-induced forgetting effect": no-go cues are remembered more poorly than go cues. We attributed this effect to central-resource competition, whereby response inhibition saps attention away from memory encoding. However, this proposal is difficult to test with behavioral means alone. We therefore used fMRI in humans to test two neural predictions of the "common resource hypothesis": (1) brain regions associated with response inhibition should exhibit greater resource demands during encoding of subsequently forgotten than remembered no-go cues; and (2) this higher inhibitory resource demand should lead to memory encoding regions having less resources available during encoding of subsequently forgotten no-go cues. Participants categorized face stimuli by gender in a go/no-go task and, following a delay, performed a surprise recognition memory test for those faces. Replicating previous findings, memory was worse for no-go than for go stimuli. Crucially, forgetting of no-go cues was predicted by high inhibitory resource demand, as quantified by the trial-by-trial ratio of activity in neural "no-go" versus "go" networks. Moreover, this index of inhibitory demand exhibited an inverse trial-by-trial relationship with activity in brain regions responsible for the encoding of no-go cues into memory, notably the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex. This seesaw pattern between the neural resource demand of response inhibition and activity related to memory encoding directly supports the hypothesis that response inhibition temporarily saps attentional resources away from stimulus processing. Recent behavioral experiments showed that inhibiting a motor response to a stimulus (a "no-go cue") impairs subsequent memory for that cue. Here, we used fMRI to test whether this "inhibition-induced forgetting effect" is caused by competition for neural resources between the processes of response inhibition and memory encoding. We found that trial-by-trial variations in neural inhibitory resource demand predicted subsequent forgetting of no-go cues and that higher inhibitory demand was furthermore associated with lower concurrent activation in brain regions responsible for successful memory encoding of no-go cues. Thus, motor inhibition and stimulus encoding appear to compete with each other: when more resources have to be devoted to inhibiting action, less are available for encoding sensory stimuli. Copyright © 2015 the authors 0270-6474/15/3511936-10$15.00/0.

The proliferation of aerospace weapons technology: Ballistic missiles and the case of Brazil

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vossen, Terrence John

1993-04-01

The rationale behind the development of ballistic missile production in Brazil is examined by exploring the political, military, and economic determinants of ballistic missile demand in that country. To ascertain how Brazil developed missile production capabilities, the contributions of aerospace industries in industrialized states, the Brazilian space program, trade between less-developed countries, and illicit trade in missile technology are assessed. It is argued that missile development increasingly became a function of economic as opposed to security considerations, and that technologies transferred from developed country aerospace firms and Brazil's space program were primarily responsible for the creation of production capabilities. It is also contended that the proliferation of missile technology to Brazil was consistent with the workings of a system evident in the aerospace weapons technology market that sustains the horizontal spread of weapons production capabilities.

[Professional quality assurance. A new ethic frame for the practice of medicine].

PubMed

Rosselot, E

1999-11-01

Accreditation of physicians and medical education programs are progressively standing as well established procedures in most related institutions and countries, worldwide. Yet, an ample and consistent review of this issue is still required for a more complete knowledge and universal acceptance. Quality health care is a goal of the profession and a demanding requirement of society. Reaching high standards in medicine is a major responsibility of the medical schools and of the pertinence and appropriateness of the programs. This is a useful and sound frame for the model that is being developed in Chile, to better regulate and improve both medical education and practice. The bioethics implications that merge from this perspective are underlined to give the accreditation system a deep moral relevance as are expression of people's wills and expectations on medical professional services.

Teachers' social representations on drug use in a secondary school.

PubMed

Martini, Jussara Gue; Furegato, Antonia Regina Ferreira

2008-01-01

Increased concern regarding drug abuse among adolescents contributes to the elaboration of prevention programs at schools. This investigation aims to know teachers' social representations, regarding drug abuse, in a secondary school in Florianopolis, SC, Brazil. A total of 16 teachers of the 5th to 8th grades participated in the study. Data were collected through associations elaborated by teachers in response to the expression: drugs use/abuse. The teacher's representations are organized around a central concept - the vulnerable other: a needy adolescent, who becomes drugs user, highlighting the family, everyday coping, and the school's (in)visibility in prevention actions, as factors related. The complexity of factors involving drugs production, distribution and its commercialization, demands the implementation of actions that go beyond the scopes of education and health. The elaboration of inter-sector prevention programs considering local characteristics is necessary.

Feeding styles and child weight status among recent immigrant mother-child dyads

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Research has shown that parental feeding styles may influence children’s food consumption, energy intake, and ultimately, weight status. We examine this relationship, among recent immigrants to the US. Given that immigrant parents and children are at greater risk for becoming overweight/obese with increased time in the US, identification of risk factors for weight gain is critical. Methods Baseline data was collected on 383 mother-child dyads enrolled in Live Well, a community-based, participatory, randomized controlled lifestyle intervention to prevent weight gain in recent immigrant mothers. Socio-demographic information together with heights and weights were collected for both mother and child. Acculturation, behavioral data, and responses to the Caregiver’s Feeding Styles Questionnaire (CFSQ) were also obtained from the mother. Results The children’s average age was 6.2 ± 2.7 years, 58% male. Mothers had been in the country for an average of 6.0 ± 3.3 years, and are Brazilian (36%), Haitian (34%) and Latino (30%). Seventy-two percent of the mothers were overweight/obese, while 43% of the children were overweight/obese. Fifteen percent of mothers reported their feeding style as being high demanding/high responsive; 32% as being high demanding/low responsive; 34% as being low demanding/high responsive and 18% as being low demanding/low responsive. In bivariate analyses, feeding styles significantly differed by child BMIz-score, ethnic group, and mother’s perceived stress. In multiple linear regression, a low demanding/high responsive feeding style was found to be positively associated (ß = 0.56) with a higher child weight as compared to high demanding/high responsive, controlling for known covariates (p = 0.01). Conclusions Most mothers report having a low demanding/high responsive feeding style, which is associated with higher child weight status in this diverse immigrant population. This finding adds to the growing literature that suggests this type of feeding style may be a risk factor for childhood obesity. Further research is needed to help understand the larger socio-cultural context and its influence on feeding dynamics among immigrant families and families of lower incomes. How parents establish a certain feeding style in their home country compared to when they move to the US “obesogenic” environment, should also be explored. PMID:22642962

[The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program in Japan].

PubMed

Ihara, Toshiaki

2011-09-01

Two vaccination systems have been employed in Japan, the routine vaccination and the voluntary vaccination. The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program in Japan is no-fault system. Claims after the routine vaccination are demanded to the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare through local governments, and compensation is more expenses. Meanwhile, claims after the voluntary vaccination are demanded to the Pharmaceuticals and Medical Device Agency directly, and compensation is less compared with the routine vaccination.

Progress in the Production of JP-8 Based Hydrogen and Advanced Tactical Fuels for Military Applications

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-02-01

of a multi- year program to develop, optimize, and demonstrate the military viability of a technology for on-demand production of high...continuous reactor system used for kinetic rate data experiment 86 52 Schematic of a differential reactor. The catalyst bed is kept small , and...program to develop, optimize, and demonstrate the military viability of a technology for on-demand production of high-pressure hydrogen for fuel

Examining Experienced Teachers' Noticing of and Responses to Students' Engineering

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Aaron W.; Wendell, Kristen B.; Watkins, Jessica

2017-01-01

Engineering design places unique demands on teachers, as students are coming up with new, unanticipated ideas to problems along often unpredictable trajectories. These demands motivate a responsive approach to teaching, in which teachers attend their students' thinking and flexibly adapt their instructional plans and objectives. A great deal of…

49 CFR 37.189 - Service requirement for OTRB demand-responsive systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 49 Transportation 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Service requirement for OTRB demand-responsive systems. 37.189 Section 37.189 Transportation Office of the Secretary of Transportation TRANSPORTATION SERVICES FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH DISABILITIES (ADA) Over-the-Road Buses (OTRBs) § 37.189 Service requirement...

77 FR 4574 - Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Comment Request; Production of Material or Provision...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-30

... to Demands in Legal Proceedings Among Private Litigants AGENCY: Office of the General Counsel, HUD... forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses. This Notice also... Response to Demands in Legal Proceedings Among Private Litigants. OMB Control Number, if applicable: 2501...

38 CFR 14.807 - Procedure when demand or request is made.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... Production of Department Records in Legal Proceedings § 14.807 Procedure when demand or request is made. (a) VA personnel upon whom a demand or request for testimony or the production of records in connection...) In response to a demand or request for the production of records or the testimony of VA personnel...

24 CFR 2004.22 - Filing requirements for demands or requests for documents or testimony.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 5 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Filing requirements for demands or... AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT SUBPOENAS AND PRODUCTION IN RESPONSE TO SUBPOENAS OR DEMANDS OF COURTS OR OTHER AUTHORITIES Requests for Testimony and Production of Documents § 2004.22 Filing requirements for demands or...

24 CFR 2004.22 - Filing requirements for demands or requests for documents or testimony.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 24 Housing and Urban Development 5 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Filing requirements for demands or... AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT SUBPOENAS AND PRODUCTION IN RESPONSE TO SUBPOENAS OR DEMANDS OF COURTS OR OTHER AUTHORITIES Requests for Testimony and Production of Documents § 2004.22 Filing requirements for demands or...

STD / AIDS prevention: new challenges for family planning programs.

PubMed

Williamson, N; Townsend, S

1991-12-01

Family planning (FP) professionals and programs are increasingly called upon to respond to increasing rates of sexually transmitted diseases (STD) and AIDS. While structural and ideological readjustment to meet these demands may seem problematic for some programs, the AIDS epidemic allows the opportunity for programs to expand into preventive health activities. Dr. Nancy Williamson, Director of Family Health International's Division of Program Evaluation and 1 of the authors of the World Health Organization's guidelines on family planning and AIDS, responds to questions most frequently posed by FP providers considering the need for and process of FP program restructuring. She holds that programmatic expansion for the prevention of HIV infection enhances the capability to provide good contraceptive services. FP programs are not expected to abandon their central missions of preventing unwanted pregnancies, but to engage in both the prevention of STD infection and unwanted pregnancies where possible. Sharing responsible sex behavior and the condom as common means of prevention, these 2 missions are far from mutually exclusive. The AIDS epidemic has impacted upon FP programs in a number of ways. Increased demand for condoms has been observed in countries with high levels of HIV seropositivity, greater concern has been placed upon counseling and sterile procedures, view have been altered to accept this dual role of contraception, and universal precautions for the protection of both client and workers from infection are of greater importance. Promoting the consistent use of condoms for the prevention of STDs has proved more challenging than promoting for contraceptive uses. Gaining the legitimacy of condoms among married couples while they are also promoted among high-risk groups also remains difficult. On other issues, promoting the routine use of 2 temporary methods is not recommended, questions must be posed to determine clients' risk status for infection, counseling and services should be provided to those HIV+, and alternative funding sources may need to be sought for FP program expansion. Arguments for and against such expansion are discussed. Most of sub-Saharan Africa, the Caribbean, and Thailand are in most serious need of programmatic changes, India and most of Central and South American need some changes, and other areas would benefit from minor changes. Dr. Williamson finally considers how programs should be modified, changes made thus far by programs, and suggests what programs may do to enhance their capability to provide contraceptive services.

Personalized direct marketing using digital publishing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kutty, Cheeniyil L.; Prabhakaran, Jayasree K.

2006-02-01

In today's cost-conscious business climate, marketing and customer service decision makers are increasingly concerned with how to increase customer response and retention rates. Companies spend large amounts of money on Customer Relationship Management (CRM) solutions and data acquisition but they don't know how to use the information stored in these systems to improve the effectiveness of their direct marketing campaigns. By leveraging the customer information they already have, companies can create personalized, printed direct mail programs that generate high response rates, greater returns, and stronger customer loyalty, while gaining a significant edge over their competitors. To reach the promised land of one-to-one direct marketing (personalized direct marketing - PDM), companies need an end-to-end solution for creating, managing, printing, and distributing personalized direct mail "on demand." Having access to digital printing is just one piece of the solution. A more complete approach includes leveraging personalization technology into a useful direct marketing tool that provides true one-to-one marketing, allowing variable images and text in a personalized direct mail. This paper discusses integration of CRM with a Print-on-Demand solution so as to create truly personalized printed marketing campaigns for one or many individuals based on the profile information, preferences and purchase history stored in the CRM.

Integration of Fixed and Flexible Route Public Transportation Systems, Phase II

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-01-01

Conventional bus service (with fixed routes and schedules) has lower average cost than flexible bus service (with : demand-responsive routes) at high demand densities. At low demand densities flexible bus service has lower : average costs and provide...

Tablet based distributed intelligent load management

DOEpatents

Lu, Yan; Zhou, Siyuan

2018-01-09

A facility is connected to an electricity utility and is responsive to Demand Response Events. A plurality of devices is each individually connected to the electricity grid via an addressable switch connected to a secure network that is enabled to be individually switched off by a server. An occupant of a room in control of the plurality of devices provides via a Human Machine Interface on a tablet a preferred order of switching off the plurality of devices in case of a Demand Response Event. A configuration file based at least partially on the preferred order and on a severity of the Demand Response Events determines which devices which of the plurality devices will be switched off. The server accesses the configuration file and switches off the devices included in the configuration file.

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

Karas, P.

The process of industrialization in the Czech Republic, which is more intensive than in other parts of central Europe, has been under way since the mid-nineteenth century. Over the last 40 years, large-scale industrial activity was based on extensive use of domestic primary energy sources, especially brown-coal/lignite. The escalation of this usage inflicted heavy devastation to large portions of industrial zones and, as a result, worsened living conditions through atmospheric pollution and other environmental impacts in large regions of central Europe. The Czech electricity industry and CEZ, a.s. (the nation`s principal electricity generator, responsible for meeting eighty percent of nationalmore » electricity demand, and operator of the nationwide EHV transmission system) has been challenged to cope with all environmental issues by the end of 1997, in compliance with the strict limits set by the Clean Air Act of 1991, which are comparable to standard implemented in advanced industrial countries. A review of the critical environmental issues is presented and the role of the individual and of the State is analyzed. The approach of CEZ, a.s., towards a better natural environment and its response to legal environment provisions have been incorporated into the company`s development program. It comprises decommissioning the most obsolete fossil-fuel fired power stations; rehabilitation of thermal power plants; supplementing the coal/lignite-fired units selected for future operation with FGD systems and retrofitting them with DENOX equipment; a larger share of nuclear electricity generation after the completion of the Temelin NPP (2 units of 1000MW each) and, last but not least, initiating DSM (demand-side management) programs of energy-electricity savings in the Czech Republic.« less

Quality and productivity improvement program (PPKP) from alumni perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ruza, Nadiah; Mustafa, Zainol

2013-04-01

Defining the quality of the university education system is not easy. Institutions of higher education, through curriculum are hoped to provide the knowledge, wisdom and personality of students. It is questionable of how far Quality and Productivity Improvement Program (PPKP) are capable to ensure the courses offered relevant and effective in preparing the students for job market. The effectiveness of a university to undertake responsibilities and the impact given to students even after they graduate can be a measure of education quality at university. So, the quality of education can be enhanced and improved from time to time. In general, this study is aims to determine the effectiveness of PPKP's education system from the perspective of their alumni as well as their satisfaction and the importance level based on how PPKP be able to meet their needs. In overall, summary of open-ended questions from the questionnaire, Importance-Performance analysis and correlation analysis were conducted for this study. Based on result, it appears that there are still some deficiencies that can be improve, particularly in terms of teaching skills and PPKP's relationships with external organizations to enable knowledge be channel effectively. Importance-Performance analysis highlights some topics or courses that should be offered by PPKP based on their importance in industrial practice. Summary of the results of correlation analysis was found that women are more positive and not too demanding compared to men. In addition, it is found that the responsibilities and workload of the older generations, higher income and a high level of experience demands them to use and practice what they have learned during their studies at PPKP. Results of this study are hoped could be used to improve the quality of education system at PPKP.

Simulation of reservoir storage and firm yields of three surface-water supplies, Ipswich River Basin, Massachusetts

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zarriello, Phillip J.

2002-01-01

A Hydrologic Simulation Program FORTRAN (HSPF) model previously developed for the Ipswich River Basin was modified to simulate the hydrologic response and firm yields of the water-supply systems of Lynn, Peabody, and Salem-Beverly. The updated model, expanded to include a portion of the Saugus River Basin that supplies water to Lynn, simulated reservoir system storage over a 35-year period (1961-95) under permitted withdrawals and hypothetical restrictions designed to maintain seasonally varied streamflow for aquatic habitat. A firm yield was calculated for each system and each withdrawal restriction by altering demands until the system failed. This is considered the maximum withdrawal rate that satisfies demands, but depletes reservoir storage. Simulations indicate that, under the permitted withdrawals, Lynn and Salem-Beverly were able to meet demands and generally have their reservoir system recover to full capacity during most years; reservoir storage averaged 83 and 82 percent of capacity, respectively. The firm yields for the Lynn and Salem-Beverly systems were 11.4 and 12.2 million gallons per day (Mgal/d), respectively, or 8 and 21 percent more than average 1998-2000 demands, respectively. Under permitted withdrawals and average 1998-2000 demands, the Peabody system failed in all years; thus Peabody purchased water to meet demands. The firm yield for the Peabody system is 3.70 Mgal/d, or 37 percent less than the average 1998-2000 demand. Simulations that limit withdrawals to levels recommended by the Ipswich River Fisheries Restoration Task Group (IRFRTG) indicate that under average 1998-2000 demands, reservoir storage was depleted in each of the three systems. Reservoir storage under average 1998-2000 demands and IRFRTG-recommended streamflow requirements averaged 15, 22, and 71 percent of capacity for the Lynn, Peabody, Salem-Beverly systems, respectively. The firm-yield estimates under the IRFRTG-recommended streamflow requirements were 6.02, 1.94, and 7.69 Mgal/d or 43, 64, and 34 percent less than the average 1998-2000 demands for the Lynn, Peabody, and Salem-Beverly systems, respectively. Simulations that limit withdrawals from the Saugus River to a less stringent set of restrictions (based on an Instream Flow Incremental Methodology study) than those previously simulated indicate that the firm yield of the Lynn system is about 31 percent less than the average 1998-2000 withdrawals (7.31 Mgal/d).

Protecting workers in the home care industry: workers' experienced job demands, resource gaps, and benefits following a socially supportive intervention.

PubMed

Mabry, Linda; Parker, Kelsey N; Thompson, Sharon V; Bettencourt, Katrina M; Haque, Afsara; Luther Rhoten, Kristy; Wright, Rob R; Hess, Jennifer A; Olson, Ryan

2018-05-02

The Community of Practice and Safety Support (COMPASS) program is a peer-led group intervention for home care workers. In a randomized controlled trial, COMPASS significantly improved workers' professional support networks and safety and health behaviors. However, quantitative findings failed to capture workers' complex emotional, physical, and social experiences with job demands, resource limitations, and the intervention itself. Therefore, we conducted qualitative follow-up interviews with a sample of participants (n = 28) in the program. Results provided examples of unique physical and psychological demands, revealed stressful resource limitations (e.g., safety equipment access), and elucidated COMPASS's role as a valuable resource.

Space industrialization. Volume 1: Executive summary

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1978-01-01

Potential goals for space industrialization were identified, and evolutionary program options for the realization of those goals were developed and assessed. Program support demands were defined, and recommendations were made in relation to program implementation.

Model Energy Efficiency Program Impact Evaluation Guide

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Find guidance on model approaches for calculating energy, demand, and emissions savings resulting from energy efficiency programs. It describes several standard approaches that can be used in order to make these programs more efficient.

State Approaches to Demand Reduction Induced Price Effects: Examining How Energy Efficiency Can Lower Prices for All

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

Taylor, Colin; Hedman, Bruce; Goldberg, Amelie

Effects (DRIPE) as a real, quantifiable benefit of energy efficiency and demand response programs. DRIPE is a measurement of the value of demand reductions in terms of the decrease in wholesale energy prices, resulting in lower total expenditures on electricity or natural gas across a given grid. Crucially for policymakers and consumer advocates, DRIPE savings accrue not only to the subset of customers who consume less, but to all consumers. Rate-paying customers realize DRIPE savings when price reductions across an electricity or natural gas system are passed on to all retail customers as lower rates (depending upon regulation and marketmore » structure, residual savings may be wholly or partially retained by utilities). DRIPE savings, though seemingly small in terms of percent price reductions or dollars per household, can amount to hundreds of millions of dollars per year across entire states or grids. Therefore, accurately assessing DRIPE benefits can help to ensure appropriate programs are designed and implemented for energy efficiency measures. This paper reviews the existing knowledge and experience from select U.S. states regarding DRIPE (including New York and Ohio), and the potential for expanded application of the concept of DRIPE by regulators. Policymakers and public utility commissions have a critical role to play in setting the methodology for determining DRIPE, encouraging its capture by utilities, and allocating DRIPE benefits among utilities, various groups of customers, and/or society at large. While the methodologies for estimating DRIPE benefits are still being perfected, policymakers can follow the examples of states such as Maryland and Vermont in including conservative DRIPE estimates in their resource planning.« less

Restaurant owners' perspectives on a voluntary program to recognize restaurants for offering reduced-size portions, Los Angeles County, 2012.

PubMed

Gase, Lauren; Dunning, Lauren; Kuo, Tony; Simon, Paul; Fielding, Jonathan E

2014-03-20

Reducing the portion size of food and beverages served at restaurants has emerged as a strategy for addressing the obesity epidemic; however, barriers and facilitators to achieving this goal are not well characterized. In fall 2012, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health conducted semistructured interviews with restaurant owners to better understand contextual factors that may impede or facilitate participation in a voluntary program to recognize restaurants for offering reduced-size portions. Interviews were completed with 18 restaurant owners (representing nearly 350 restaurants). Analyses of qualitative data revealed 6 themes related to portion size: 1) perceived customer demand is central to menu planning; 2) multiple portion sizes are already being offered for at least some food items; 3) numerous logistical barriers exist for offering reduced-size portions; 4) restaurant owners have concerns about potential revenue losses from offering reduced-size portions; 5) healthful eating is the responsibility of the customer; and 6) a few owners want to be socially responsible industry leaders. A program to recognize restaurants for offering reduced-size portions may be a feasible approach in Los Angeles County. These findings may have applications for jurisdictions interested in engaging restaurants as partners in reducing the obesity epidemic.

Restaurant Owners’ Perspectives on a Voluntary Program to Recognize Restaurants for Offering Reduced-Size Portions, Los Angeles County, 2012

PubMed Central

Dunning, Lauren; Kuo, Tony; Simon, Paul; Fielding, Jonathan E.

2014-01-01

Introduction Reducing the portion size of food and beverages served at restaurants has emerged as a strategy for addressing the obesity epidemic; however, barriers and facilitators to achieving this goal are not well characterized. Methods In fall 2012, the Los Angeles County Department of Public Health conducted semistructured interviews with restaurant owners to better understand contextual factors that may impede or facilitate participation in a voluntary program to recognize restaurants for offering reduced-size portions. Results Interviews were completed with 18 restaurant owners (representing nearly 350 restaurants). Analyses of qualitative data revealed 6 themes related to portion size: 1) perceived customer demand is central to menu planning; 2) multiple portion sizes are already being offered for at least some food items; 3) numerous logistical barriers exist for offering reduced-size portions; 4) restaurant owners have concerns about potential revenue losses from offering reduced-size portions; 5) healthful eating is the responsibility of the customer; and 6) a few owners want to be socially responsible industry leaders. Conclusion A program to recognize restaurants for offering reduced-size portions may be a feasible approach in Los Angeles County. These findings may have applications for jurisdictions interested in engaging restaurants as partners in reducing the obesity epidemic. PMID:24650622

International Academy of Astronautics 5th cosmic study—preparing for a 21st century program of integrated, Lunar and Martian exploration and development (executive summary)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Koelle, H. H.; Stephenson, D. G.

2003-04-01

This report is an initial review of plans for a extensive program to survey and develop the Moon and to explore the planet Mars during the 21st century. It presents current typical plans for separate, associated and fully integrated programs of Lunar and Martian research, exploration and development, and concludes that detailed integrated plans must be prepared and be subject to formal criticism. Before responsible politicians approve a new thrust into space they will demand attractive, defensible, and detailed proposals that explain the WHEN, HOW and WHY of each stage of an expanded program of 21st century space research, development and exploration. In particular, the claims of daring, innovative, but untried systems must be compared with the known performance of existing technologies. The time has come to supersede the present haphazard approach to strategic space studies with a formal international structure to plan for future advanced space missions under the aegis of the world's national space agencies, and supported by governments and the corporate sector.

Building a chiropractic academy of educators: A needs assessment of selected faculty educators

PubMed Central

Tunning, Michael J.; Derby, Dustin C.; Krell-Mares, Kelly A.; Barber, Michelle R.

2017-01-01

Objective: Professional demands have led to health-care educator specialization in research or patient care. The academy movement is an avenue that attempts to return prestige and importance to improved instruction. The authors performed a needs analysis of selected faculty at 3 chiropractic colleges to assess the need for, and willingness to participate in, an academy of educators program. Methods: An expert-developed, pretested survey was deployed using SurveyMonkey. Analysis of variance and regression analysis were used to address 3 research questions related to the academy of educators program. Results: The study achieved a 53% response rate and reflected that an overwhelming majority of chiropractic faulty members (89%) reported the need for an academy of educators. The study found no significant differences between faculty ranks, years of experience, and participation willingness. Conclusion: A structured approach, such as an academy, to foster professional teaching development may create positive outcomes for an institution. Faculty educators were willing to engage in an efficient program that may improve teaching methods and create opportunities for collaborative working relationships, which signals the potential for wide acceptance of the program. PMID:28768113

[Development of a distance education program in the public health system in Chile, 2004-2009].

PubMed

Carabantes C, Jorge; Guerra U, Manuel; Guillou, Michèle

2010-09-01

This paper reports the gradual development and results achieved in the distance education program set up in the Public Health System in Chile in 2004. Up to date, more than 22,000 students from 29 different health divisions have been trained. This strategy was designed to provide more flexibility and diversity to the training programs of the Health System within the framework of a deep and complex organizational change promoted by Health Reform. The main results show that the integration of organizational, teaching, logistic and budgetary aspects has turned out to be a key element in its success, validating the relevance of the provided solutions. The access to training by means of e-learning or blended learning (electronic education that includes traditional and distance learning activities) allowed employees to choose more independently what, where and when to study. This fact accounts for the high demand for this program. Through this initiative, the National Health System, introduced a wider scope of responses to training needs, which will mean a better adaptation to the challenges associated to health care.

Predictive mapping of seabirds, pinnipeds and cetaceans off the Pacific Coast of Washington

USGS Publications Warehouse

Menza, Charles; Leirness, Jeffery B.; White, Tim; Winship, Arliss; Kinlan, Brian P.; Kracker, Laura; Zamon, Jeannette E.; Ballance, Lisa; Becker, Elizabeth; Forney, Karin A.; Barlow, Jay; Adams, Josh; Pereksta, David; Pearson, Scott; Pierce, John; Jeffries, Steven J.; Calambokidis, John; Douglas, Annie; Hanson, Bradford C.; Benson, Scott R.; Antrim, Liam

2016-01-01

This research supports the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Coastal Zone Management Program, a voluntary partnership between the federal government and U.S. coastal and Great Lakes states and territories authorized by the Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) of 1972 to address national coastal issues. The act provides the basis for protecting, restoring, and responsibly developing our nation’s diverse coastal communities and resources. To meet the goals of the CZMA, the national program takes a comprehensive approach to coastal resource management – balancing the often competing and occasionally conflicting demands of coastal resource use, economic development, and conservation. A wide range of issues are addressed through the program, including coastal development, water quality, public access, habitat protection, energy facility siting, ocean governance and planning, coastal hazards, and climate change. Accurate maps of seabird and marine mammal distributions are an important tool for making informed management decisions that affect all of these issues. 

Modeling Framework and Validation of a Smart Grid and Demand Response System for Wind Power Integration

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

Broeer, Torsten; Fuller, Jason C.; Tuffner, Francis K.

2014-01-31

Electricity generation from wind power and other renewable energy sources is increasing, and their variability introduces new challenges to the power system. The emergence of smart grid technologies in recent years has seen a paradigm shift in redefining the electrical system of the future, in which controlled response of the demand side is used to balance fluctuations and intermittencies from the generation side. This paper presents a modeling framework for an integrated electricity system where loads become an additional resource. The agent-based model represents a smart grid power system integrating generators, transmission, distribution, loads and market. The model incorporates generatormore » and load controllers, allowing suppliers and demanders to bid into a Real-Time Pricing (RTP) electricity market. The modeling framework is applied to represent a physical demonstration project conducted on the Olympic Peninsula, Washington, USA, and validation simulations are performed using actual dynamic data. Wind power is then introduced into the power generation mix illustrating the potential of demand response to mitigate the impact of wind power variability, primarily through thermostatically controlled loads. The results also indicate that effective implementation of Demand Response (DR) to assist integration of variable renewable energy resources requires a diversity of loads to ensure functionality of the overall system.« less

Automated Demand Response for Energy Sustainability Cost and Performance Report

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-09-01

Install solar thermal system for pool heating in fitness Bldg 325 2022 $ 21,359 $ 7,199 3.6 yrs Renewable energy project p. 124- 126 Note: All data...and R. Bienert, 2011. Smart Grid Standards and Systems Interoperability: A Precedent with OpenADR, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, LBNL...response (DR) system at Fort Irwin, CA. This demonstration employed industry-standard OpenADR (Open Automated Demand Response) technology to perform

A rapid assessment and response approach for socially marketed nutrition commodities in Viet Nam.

PubMed

Turk, Tahir; Quang, Nguyen Dinh; Nga, Tran Thuy; Phuong, Huynh; Tung, Le Van Anh; Trang, Vu Hoang

2017-01-01

The leading cause of death in children in developing countries is protein-energy malnutrition. In Viet Nam, 25.9% of children under 5 experience stunted growth and 6.6% are moderately wasted. Iron deficiency anaemia and vitamin A deficiency contribute to these and other malnutrition conditions. Given these factors, more evidence based approaches are required to improve understanding of current attitudes, opinions and behaviours of mothers with young children, in order to operationalise social marketing of nutrition commodities in Viet Nam. A literature review supported a rapid assessment and response method involving semi-structured interviews with 77 stakeholders and focus group discussions with 80 program beneficiaries from four geographic locations in the north and south of Viet Nam. Discussion agendas were developed to address key program issues with grounded theory utilized for data analysis. Data analysis highlighted challenges and opportunities within the six Ps of social marketing: Supply and demand side issues included: cost and the quality of products, the limited scale of interventions and promotional activities. Policy issues identified related to current policies that inhibited the broader promotion and distribution of micronutrient products, and opportunities for improved dialogue with policy partners. Partnerships further emphasized the need for public private partnerships to support the social change process. Implications for theory, policy, and practice indicates that rapid assessment and response is a cost-effective, pragmatic method of public health research, in resource constrained settings, to explore policies and behaviours amenable to change and build stakeholder engagement in the program.

Communication strategies to optimize commitments and investments in iron programming.

PubMed

Griffiths, Marcia

2002-04-01

There is consensus that a communications component is crucial to the success of iron supplementation and fortification programs. However, in many instances, we have not applied what we know about successful advocacy and program communications to iron programs. Communication must play a larger and more central role in iron programs to overcome several common shortcomings and allow the use of new commitments and investments in iron programming to optimum advantage. One shortcoming is that iron program communication has been driven primarily by the supply side of the supply-demand continuum. That is, technical information has been given without thought for what people want to know or do. To overcome this, the communication component, which should be responsive to the consumer perspective, must be considered at program inception, not enlisted late in the program cycle as a remedy when interventions fail to reach their targets. Another shortcoming is the lack of program focus on behavior. Because the "technology" of iron, a supplement, or fortified or specific local food must be combined with appropriate consumer behavior, it is not enough to promote the technology. The appropriate use of technology must be ensured, and this requires precise and strategically crafted communications. A small number of projects from countries as diverse as Indonesia, Egypt, Nicaragua and Peru offer examples of successful communications efforts and strategies for adaptation by other countries.

When weight management lasts. Lower perceived rule complexity increases adherence.

PubMed

Mata, Jutta; Todd, Peter M; Lippke, Sonia

2010-02-01

Maintaining behavior change is one of the major challenges in weight management and long-term weight loss. We investigated the impact of the cognitive complexity of eating rules on adherence to weight management programs. We studied whether popular weight management programs can fail if participants find the rules too complicated from a cognitive perspective, meaning that individuals are not able to recall or process all required information for deciding what to eat. The impact on program adherence of participants' perceptions of eating rule complexity and other behavioral factors known to influence adherence (including previous weight management, self-efficacy, and planning) was assessed via a longitudinal online questionnaire given to 390 participants on two different popular weight management regimens. As we show, the regimens, Weight Watchers and a popular German recipe diet (Brigitte), strongly differ in objective rule complexity and thus their cognitive demands on the dieter. Perceived rule complexity was the strongest factor associated with increased risk of quitting the cognitively demanding weight management program (Weight Watchers); it was not related to adherence length for the low cognitive demand program (Brigitte). Higher self-efficacy generally helped in maintaining a program. The results emphasize the importance of considering rule complexity to promote long-term weight management. 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Demand in Pediatric Dentistry for Sedation and General Anesthesia by Dentist Anesthesiologists: A Survey of Directors of Dentist Anesthesiologist and Pediatric Dentistry Residencies

PubMed Central

Hicks, C. Gray; Jones, James E.; Saxen, Mark A.; Maupome, Gerardo; Sanders, Brian J.; Walker, LaQuia A.; Weddell, James A.; Tomlin, Angela

2012-01-01

This study describes what training programs in pediatric dentistry and dental anesthesiology are doing to meet future needs for deep sedation/general anesthesia services required for pediatric dentistry. Residency directors from 10 dental anesthesiology training programs in North America and 79 directors from pediatric dentistry training programs in North America were asked to answer an 18-item and 22-item online survey, respectively, through an online survey tool. The response rate for the 10 anesthesiology training program directors was 9 of 10 or 90%. The response rate for the 79 pediatric dentistry training program directors was 46 of 79 or 58%. Thirty-seven percent of pediatric dentistry programs use clinic-based deep sedation/general anesthesia for dental treatment in addition to hospital-based deep sedation/general anesthesia. Eighty-eight percent of those programs use dentist anesthesiologists for administration of deep sedation/general anesthesia in a clinic-based setting. Pediatric dentistry residency directors perceive a future change in the need for deep sedation/general anesthesia services provided by dentist anesthesiologists to pediatric dentists: 64% anticipate an increase in need for dentist anesthesiologist services, while 36% anticipate no change. Dental anesthesiology directors compared to 2, 5, and 10 years ago have seen an increase in the requests for dentist anesthesiologist services by pediatric dentists reported by 56% of respondents (past 2 years), 63% of respondents (past 5 years), and 88% of respondents (past 10 years), respectively. Predicting the future need of dentist anesthesiologists is an uncertain task, but these results show pediatric dentistry directors and dental anesthesiology directors are considering the need, and they recognize a trend of increased need for dentist anesthesiologist services over the past decade. PMID:22428968

Meeting the needs of regional minority groups: the University of Washington's programs to increase the American Indian and Alaskan native physician workforce.

PubMed

Acosta, David; Olsen, Polly

2006-10-01

Minority populations in the United States are growing rapidly, but physician workforce diversity has not kept pace with the needs of underserved communities. Minorities comprised 26.4% of the population in 1995; by 2050, these groups will comprise nearly half. Medical schools must enlist greater numbers of minority physicians and train all physicians to provide culturally responsive care. The University of Washington School of Medicine (UWSOM) is the nation's only medical school that serves a five-state region (Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, and Idaho). Its mission addresses the need to serve the region, rectify primary care shortages, and meet increasing regional demands for underserved populations. The UWSOM Native American Center of Excellence (NACOE) was established as one important way to respond to this charge. The authors describe pipeline and minority recruitment programs at UWSOM, focusing on the NACOE and other activities to recruit American Indian/Alaskan Native (AI/AN) applicants to medical schools. These programs have increased the numbers of AI/AN medical students; developed the Indian Health Pathway; worked to prepare students to provide culturally responsive care for AI/AN communities; researched health disparities specific to AI/AN populations; provided retention programs and services to ensure successful completion of medical training; developed mentorship networks; and provided faculty-development programs to increase entry of AI/AN physicians into academia. Challenges lie ahead. Barriers to the pipeline will continue to plague students, and inadequate federal funding will have a significant and negative impact on achieving needed physician-workforce diversity. Medical schools must play a larger role in resolving these, and continue to provide pipeline programs, retention programs, and minority faculty development that can make a difference.

Non-physician providers as clinical providers in cystic fibrosis: survey of U.S. programs.

PubMed

Brown, Rebekah F; Willey-Courand, Donna Beth; George, Cindy; McMullen, Ann; Dunitz, Jordan; Slovis, Bonnie; Perkett, Elizabeth

2013-04-01

Non-physician providers (NPPs) including nurse practitioners (NPs) and physician assistants (PAs) are important members of CF care teams, but limited data exist about the extent NPPs are involved in CF care. A subcommittee was established by the CF Foundation to gather information about current involvement of NPPs. Surveys were sent to adult, pediatric and affiliate CF program directors (PDs) and NPPs working in US CF programs. Responses were received from 108 PDs (49% pediatric, 34% adult, 17% affiliate). Overall, 53% of the 108 programs had NPPs and 70% had or planned to hire NPPs. Reasons for NPP use included ideal clinical role (75%), expansion of services (72%), and physician shortage (40%). The survey collected 73 responses from NPPs (96% NPs, 4% PAs) who worked in pediatric (49%), adult (29%), affiliate (3%), or multiple programs (19%). Training occurred on the job in 88% and from prior CF experience in 21%. NPPs provided coverage in outpatient clinics (82%), inpatient care (64%), and weekend and/or night call (22%). In addition to clinical roles, NPPs are involved in education (95%), research (81%), and leadership (55%). The major obstacle reported by PDs and NPPs was billing with only 12% of programs reporting NPP salaries covered by billing revenue alone. Salary support included hospital support (67%), billing (39%), center grant (35%), and other grant/contract (25%). NPPs bill for outpatient and inpatient care in 65% and 28% of programs, respectively. NPPs are working with physicians in many centers and have the potential to help meet the increasing clinical workforce demands. Further evaluation of financial issues is indicated to continue the support of NPP jobs in CF. Roles and expectations need to be clearly defined. Initial and ongoing training standards and opportunities should be explored. Copyright © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Demand in pediatric dentistry for sedation and general anesthesia by dentist anesthesiologists: a survey of directors of dentist anesthesiologist and pediatric dentistry residencies.

PubMed

Hicks, C Gray; Jones, James E; Saxen, Mark A; Maupome, Gerardo; Sanders, Brian J; Walker, Laquia A; Weddell, James A; Tomlin, Angela

2012-01-01

This study describes what training programs in pediatric dentistry and dental anesthesiology are doing to meet future needs for deep sedation/general anesthesia services required for pediatric dentistry. Residency directors from 10 dental anesthesiology training programs in North America and 79 directors from pediatric dentistry training programs in North America were asked to answer an 18-item and 22-item online survey, respectively, through an online survey tool. The response rate for the 10 anesthesiology training program directors was 9 of 10 or 90%. The response rate for the 79 pediatric dentistry training program directors was 46 of 79 or 58%. Thirty-seven percent of pediatric dentistry programs use clinic-based deep sedation/general anesthesia for dental treatment in addition to hospital-based deep sedation/general anesthesia. Eighty-eight percent of those programs use dentist anesthesiologists for administration of deep sedation/general anesthesia in a clinic-based setting. Pediatric dentistry residency directors perceive a future change in the need for deep sedation/general anesthesia services provided by dentist anesthesiologists to pediatric dentists: 64% anticipate an increase in need for dentist anesthesiologist services, while 36% anticipate no change. Dental anesthesiology directors compared to 2, 5, and 10 years ago have seen an increase in the requests for dentist anesthesiologist services by pediatric dentists reported by 56% of respondents (past 2 years), 63% of respondents (past 5 years), and 88% of respondents (past 10 years), respectively. Predicting the future need of dentist anesthesiologists is an uncertain task, but these results show pediatric dentistry directors and dental anesthesiology directors are considering the need, and they recognize a trend of increased need for dentist anesthesiologist services over the past decade.

Physical demands, injuries, and conditioning practices of stock car drivers.

PubMed

Ebben, William P; Suchomel, Timothy J

2012-05-01

The purpose of this study was to assess the physical demands, injuries, and conditioning practices of stock car drivers. Forty stock car drivers from 27 states in the United States participated in the interviews for 43.9 ± 13.9 minutes. The interviews examined background information, the physical demands of racing, injuries associated with racing, and the athletic and fitness background and practices of the subjects. Numerical data were analyzed using Pearson's correlation coefficients. Responses to open-ended questions were analyzed using inductive content analysis. Results revealed significant correlation between track points standings and the length of the resistance training sessions (R = -0.71, p = 0.002) and subject self-assessment of their fitness (R = -0.53, p = 0.045). Results also revealed that "upper-body strength" was identified as the most important physical demand. Extreme fatigue was the most common feeling after a demanding race. Subjects reported that shoulder fatigue was the most common form of muscle soreness experienced after a race. Back and torso injuries were the most common injury, although head injuries most frequently required medical attention. The subjects' biggest fear was fire, followed closely by head and neck injury. The bench press and running were the most commonly performed resistance training and cardiovascular exercises, respectively. Subjects reported that their highest motivation for training was to improve their racing performance. Many subjects had athletic backgrounds with football identified as the sport they had most commonly participated in. This study provides additional detailed information. Results of this study can assist strength and conditioning professionals in the development of strength and conditioning programs for performance enhancement and injury prevention that are specific to the needs of this population of athletes.

Utilizing Thermal Mass in Refrigerated Display Cases to Reduce Peak Demand

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

Fricke, Brian A; Kuruganti, Teja; Nutaro, James J

The potential to store energy within refrigerated food products presents convenience store and supermarket operators with an opportunity to participate in utility sponsored demand response programs, whereby electricity usage can be shifted or reduced during peak periods. To determine the feasibility of reducing peak demand by shifting the refrigeration load to off-peak times, experimental and analytical analyses were performed. Simulated product, consisting of one-pint containers filled with a 50% ethylene glycol and 50% water solution, were stored in a medium-temperature vertical open refrigerated display case. Product temperature rise as a function of time was determined by turning off the refrigerationmore » to the display case, while product temperature pull-down time was subsequently determined by turning on the refrigeration to the display case. It was found that the thermal mass of the product in a medium-temperature display case was such that during a 2.5 hour period with no refrigeration, the average product temperature increased by 5.5 C. In addition, it took approximately 3.5 hours for the product to recover to its initial temperature after the refrigeration was turned on. Transient heat conduction analyses for one-dimensional objects is in good agreement with the experimental results obtained in this study. From the analysis, it appears that the thermal mass of the stored product in refrigerated display cases is sufficient to allow product temperatures to safely drift for a significant time under reduced refrigeration system operation. Thus, strategies for shifting refrigeration system electrical demand can be developed. The use of an advanced refrigeration system controller that can respond to utility signals can enable demand shifting with minimal impact.« less

End-User Tools Towards AN Efficient Electricity Consumption: the Dynamic Smart Grid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kamel, Fouad; Kist, Alexander A.

2010-06-01

Growing uncontrolled electrical demands have caused increased supply requirements. This causes volatile electrical markets and has detrimental unsustainable environmental impacts. The market is presently characterized by regular daily peak demand conditions associated with high electricity prices. A demand-side response system can limit peak demands to an acceptable level. The proposed scheme is based on energy demand and price information which is available online. An online server is used to communicate the information of electricity suppliers to users, who are able to use the information to manage and control their own demand. A configurable, intelligent switching system is used to control local loads during peak events and mange the loads at other times as necessary. The aim is to shift end user loads towards periods where energy demand and therefore also prices are at the lowest. As a result, this will flatten the load profile and avoiding load peeks which are costly for suppliers. The scheme is an endeavour towards achieving a dynamic smart grid demand-side-response environment using information-based communication and computer-controlled switching. Diffusing the scheme shall lead to improved electrical supply services and controlled energy consumption and prices.

Another Twist for Equal Value.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fouracre, Sandra

1988-01-01

There are two reasons why women employed full time earn 74 percent of what men earn. One is that most women are employed in less responsible and less demanding jobs than most men. The other is that there is inequality of pay for women whose work is as demanding and responsible as that of men. (JOW)

76 FR 16657 - Demand Response Compensation in Organized Wholesale Energy Markets

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-24

... demand response resource is cost-effective as determined by the net benefits test described in this rule... Net Benefits Test..... 38 (c) Standardization or Regional Variations in 43 Compensation 3. Commission Determination 45 B. Implementation of a Net Benefits Test 68 1. Comments 68 2. Commission Determination 78 C...

49 CFR 37.189 - Service requirement for OTRB demand-responsive systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... business of transporting people, whose operations affect commerce, and that provide demand-responsive OTRB... all passengers to reserve space on the bus three months before the trip date. This requirement applies... request for space on the trip and an accessible OTRB 48 hours before the trip date, the operator could...

49 CFR 37.189 - Service requirement for OTRB demand-responsive systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... business of transporting people, whose operations affect commerce, and that provide demand-responsive OTRB... all passengers to reserve space on the bus three months before the trip date. This requirement applies... request for space on the trip and an accessible OTRB 48 hours before the trip date, the operator could...

49 CFR 37.189 - Service requirement for OTRB demand-responsive systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... business of transporting people, whose operations affect commerce, and that provide demand-responsive OTRB... all passengers to reserve space on the bus three months before the trip date. This requirement applies... request for space on the trip and an accessible OTRB 48 hours before the trip date, the operator could...

49 CFR 37.189 - Service requirement for OTRB demand-responsive systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... business of transporting people, whose operations affect commerce, and that provide demand-responsive OTRB... all passengers to reserve space on the bus three months before the trip date. This requirement applies... request for space on the trip and an accessible OTRB 48 hours before the trip date, the operator could...

Price Responsiveness in the AEO2003 NEMS Residential and Commercial Buildings Sector Models

EIA Publications

2003-01-01

This paper describes the demand responses to changes in energy prices in the Annual Energy Outlook 2003 versions of the Residential and Commercial Demand Modules of the National Energy Modeling System (NEMS). It updates a similar paper completed for the Annual Energy Outlook 1999 version of the NEMS.

Incentive Elasticity of Demand for Bike/Walk Program

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2008-12-29

The primary objective of this research is to estimate the "incentive" (price) elasticity of demand for using non-motorized transportation (specifically walking and bicycling) to work. Results can be used directly in the formation of local policies to...