Sample records for dollar bill project

  1. Fundred Dollar Bill Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rubin, Mary

    2009-01-01

    This article describes the Fundred Dollar Bill Project which is an innovative artwork made of millions of drawings. This creative collective action is intended to support Operation Paydirt, an extraordinary art/science project uniting three million children with educators, scientists, healthcare professionals, designers, urban planners, engineers,…

  2. Fundreds in Arkansas: An Interdisciplinary Collaboration

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    La Porte, Angela M.

    2010-01-01

    This article discusses Fundreds in Arkansas, an interactive cooperative in Arkansas to promote and support Mel Chin's nationwide interdisciplinary artwork, Operation Paydirt (The Fundred Dollar Bill Project). The artwork involves communities and educational institutions across the country, healthcare professionals, engineers, urban planners, and…

  3. Turning whine into wine: the fiscal impact of comprehensive documentation and billing for nonoperative pediatric surgical services.

    PubMed

    Gollin, Gerald; Moores, Donald

    2006-06-01

    Some pediatric surgeons rarely document nonoperative services, believing that the reimbursement provided for such care is negligible. We evaluated the impact of comprehensive documentation and billing for nonoperative, pediatric surgical care. All bills submitted for inpatient, nonoperative care for 1 year were reviewed. Total receipts for documented admissions, consultations, critical care, and daily care were determined. The Evaluation and Management code billed for each service was recorded, and the total and average payments attributable to each Evaluation and Management code were calculated. Fifty-six percent of services were covered by Medicaid and 26% by a commercial insurer. There were 607 billed admission history and physical exams for which reimbursement totaled 43,493 dollars. Critical care services were provided to 49 patients and yielded 8964 dollars in payments. Six hundred thirty-nine inpatient consultations were performed with a reimbursement of 42,830 dollars. Daily care services were billed 1044 times and produced 71,579 dollars in payments. Overall reimbursement for documented, nonoperative services was 166,866 dollars. This represented 16.2% of total, noncontracted income for the practice. Despite a payer mix heavily weighted toward Medicaid, comprehensive documentation and billing for nonoperative services increased total, noncontracted reimbursement by almost 20% over what it would have been had only operative services been billed. The yield from properly documented, nonoperative care can be substantial.

  4. Defense bill: Earmarking as usual

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Earmarked funds in the $268 billion defense appropriations bill for fiscal year 1991 stirred congressional debate in late October. Senator Sam Nunn (D-Ga.), chairman of the Senate Armed Services Committee, charged that the defense bill contains questionable projects totaling tens of millions of dollars. AGU opposes legislative earmarking of money for particular institutions, maintaining that the practice prevents the best use of federal funding by circumventing competitive review. Nunn noted on the Senate floor that the appropriations bill provided specific funds for cited institutions—contravening a federal law promoting competition. “ If these programs have merit, they will succeed in a fair and competent review in competition,” Nunn said. “If no other institution in the country is able to compete, there should be no fear whatever of competition… But no one else in the world is allowed to compete to work on these projects.”

  5. "Rubbing the Devil's Nose in It:" PTL's Jim Bakker under Investigation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Griffin, Keith H.

    Despite its rapid rise as leader of the religious broadcasting industry, Jim Bakker's "PTL Club" (People That Love) has experienced numerous financial problems. In 1979, three former PTL vice-presidents charged that the club was diverting thousands of dollars in donations for missionary projects to the club's general fund to pay bills.…

  6. House OK's Russian aid

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

    Rothstein, L.

    1993-09-01

    This article discusses the 2.5 Billion dollar aid package to Russia which House Appropriations Foreign Operations Subcommittee Chairman David Obey successfully defended on the House floor last June. Arizona Republican Jon Kyl offered an admendment that would cut 700 million from the package and was defeated with a 118 to 140 vote. The bill is currently in the hands of the Senate. The controversy over the bill and details concerning the aid package are discussed. The aid deal includes 250 million dollars for nuclear reactor safety and energy as well as environmental technical assistance, 655 million dollars to aid privatemore » sector development, and 704 million dollars for additional technical and economic assistance.« less

  7. Cost Avoidance vs. Utility Bill Accounting - Explaining theDiscrepancy Between Guaranteed Savings in ESPC Projects and UtilityBills

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

    Kumar, S.; Sartor, D.

    2005-08-15

    Federal agencies often ask if Energy Savings PerformanceContracts (ESPCs) result in the energy and cost savings projected duringthe project development phase. After investing in ESPCs, federal agenciesexpect a reduction in the total energy use and energy cost at the agencylevel. Such questions about the program are common when implementing anESPC project. But is this a fair or accurate perception? Moreimportantly, should the federal agencies evaluate the success or failureof ESPCs by comparing the utility costs before and after projectimplementation?In fact, ESPC contracts employ measurement andverification (M&V) protocols to measure and ensure kilowatt-hour orBTU savings at the project level. In mostmore » cases, the translation toenergy cost savings is not based on actual utility rate structure, but acontracted utility rate that takes the existing utility rate at the timethe contract is signed with a clause to escalate the utility rate by afixed percentage for the duration of the contract. Reporting mechanisms,which advertise these savings in dollars, may imply an impact to budgetsat a much higher level depending on actual utility rate structure. FEMPhas prepared the following analysis to explain why the utility billreduction may not materialize, demonstrate its larger implication onagency s energy reduction goals, and advocate setting the rightexpectations at the outset to preempt the often asked question why I amnot seeing the savings in my utility bill?« less

  8. DRA 2005: The brave new world.

    PubMed

    Lewis, Richard

    2006-01-01

    The Deficit Reduction Act (DRA) of 2005 was signed into law to achieve 39 billion dollars in reductions from federal spending programs, 11 billion dollars from Medicare and Medicaid alone. Conservative estimates indicate that imaging alone accounts for 2.8 billion dollars of that amount. As of the writing of this article, both houses of Congress were reviewing bills with bipartisan support aimed at defusing, at least temporarily, the negative impact of the DRA; however, these bills do not affect the law in totality. Dealing with the changes that the DRA will force upon outpatient imaging practices will require all parties involved in outpatient imaging--physicians, administrators, and staff alike--to make smart, efficient, but practical changes in operational models to effectively survive in this new legislatively mandated environment.

  9. With GI Bill's Billions at Stake, Colleges Compete to Lure Veterans

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sander, Libby

    2012-01-01

    As the Post-9/11 GI Bill nears its fourth year, with more than 550,000 veterans enrolled in thousands of institutions, advocacy groups, lawmakers, and President Obama warn that veterans are vulnerable in a higher-education marketplace eager for their GI Bill dollars--with some purveyors, particularly for-profits, recruiting aggressively. The…

  10. A bill to establish a small dollar loan-loss guarantee fund, and for other purposes.

    THOMAS, 111th Congress

    Sen. Kohl, Herb [D-WI

    2009-12-02

    Senate - 12/02/2009 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  11. Expanding Access and Opportunity: The Washington State Achievers Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ramsey, Jennifer; Gorgol, Laura

    2010-01-01

    In 2001, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation launched a 10-year, multi-million dollar initiative, the Washington State Achievers Program (WSA), to increase opportunities for low-income students to attend postsecondary institutions in Washington State. The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation granted funds to the College Success Foundation…

  12. Financial analysis of cardiovascular wellness program provided to self-insured company from pharmaceutical care provider's perspective.

    PubMed

    Wilson, Justin B; Osterhaus, Matt C; Farris, Karen B; Doucette, William R; Currie, Jay D; Bullock, Tammy; Kumbera, Patty

    2005-01-01

    To perform a retrospective financial analysis on the implementation of a self-insured company's wellness program from the pharmaceutical care provider's perspective and conduct sensitivity analyses to estimate costs versus revenues for pharmacies without resident pharmacists, program implementation for a second employer, the second year of the program, and a range of pharmacist wages. Cost-benefit and sensitivity analyses. Self-insured employer with headquarters in Canton, N.C. 36 employees at facility in Clinton, Iowa. Pharmacist-provided cardiovascular wellness program. Costs and revenues collected from pharmacy records, including pharmacy purchasing records, billing records, and pharmacists' time estimates. All costs and revenues were calculated for the development and first year of the intervention program. Costs included initial and follow-up screening supplies, office supplies, screening/group presentation time, service provision time, documentation/preparation time, travel expenses, claims submission time, and administrative fees. Revenues included initial screening revenues, follow-up screening revenues, group session revenues, and Heart Smart program revenues. For the development and first year of Heart Smart, net benefit to the pharmacy (revenues minus costs) amounted to dollars 2,413. All sensitivity analyses showed a net benefit. For pharmacies without a resident pharmacist, the net benefit was dollars 106; for Heart Smart in a second employer, the net benefit was dollars 6,024; for the second year, the projected net benefit was dollars 6,844; factoring in a lower pharmacist salary, the net benefit was dollars 2,905; and for a higher pharmacist salary, the net benefit was dollars 1,265. For the development and first year of Heart Smart, the revenues of the wellness program in a self-insured company outweighed the costs.

  13. Skeptics Say Billions for Education Won't Stimulate Economy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Field, Kelly

    2009-01-01

    Skeptics question whether infusion of billions of dollars for education in the economic-stimulus bill before Congress would actually give a healthy jolt to the economy. The bill would help thousands of students pay for college and could give colleges money to fix crumbling buildings. Some members of Congress are calling for the removal of…

  14. Using the One-More-Than Technique to Teach Money Counting to Individuals with Moderate Mental Retardation: A Systematic Replication.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Denny, Paula J.; Test, David W.

    1995-01-01

    This study extended use of the One-More-Than technique by using a "cents-pile modification"; one-, five-, and ten-dollar bills; and mixed training of all dollar amounts. Three high school students with moderate mental retardation each learned to use the technique to count out nontrained amounts and to make community purchases. (Author/PB)

  15. Dollar Bill Act of 2013

    THOMAS, 113th Congress

    Rep. Poe, Ted [R-TX-2

    2013-04-16

    House - 04/16/2013 Referred to the Committee on Financial Services, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the... (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  16. Dollars to the Classroom Act

    THOMAS, 111th Congress

    Rep. Pitts, Joseph R. [R-PA-16

    2010-02-04

    House - 02/23/2010 Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  17. Dollars to the Classroom Act

    THOMAS, 113th Congress

    Rep. Pitts, Joseph R. [R-PA-16

    2013-08-01

    House - 09/13/2013 Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  18. Dollars to the Classroom Act

    THOMAS, 112th Congress

    Rep. Pitts, Joseph R. [R-PA-16

    2012-01-17

    House - 03/29/2012 Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  19. Review Every Dollar Act of 2013

    THOMAS, 113th Congress

    Rep. Chaffetz, Jason [R-UT-3

    2013-05-08

    House - 06/14/2013 Referred to the Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial And Antitrust Law. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  20. Responsible Use of Taxpayer Dollars for Portraits Act of 2013

    THOMAS, 113th Congress

    Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH

    2013-12-12

    Senate - 07/23/2014 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 486. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  1. Reducing Federal Energy Dollars Act of 2011

    THOMAS, 112th Congress

    Sen. Carper, Thomas R. [D-DE

    2011-05-12

    Senate - 06/09/2011 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 112-273. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  2. Portable XRF and principal component analysis for bill characterization in forensic science.

    PubMed

    Appoloni, C R; Melquiades, F L

    2014-02-01

    Several modern techniques have been applied to prevent counterfeiting of money bills. The objective of this study was to demonstrate the potential of Portable X-ray Fluorescence (PXRF) technique and the multivariate analysis method of Principal Component Analysis (PCA) for classification of bills in order to use it in forensic science. Bills of Dollar, Euro and Real (Brazilian currency) were measured directly at different colored regions, without any previous preparation. Spectra interpretation allowed the identification of Ca, Ti, Fe, Cu, Sr, Y, Zr and Pb. PCA analysis separated the bills in three groups and subgroups among Brazilian currency. In conclusion, the samples were classified according to its origin identifying the elements responsible for differentiation and basic pigment composition. PXRF allied to multivariate discriminate methods is a promising technique for rapid and no destructive identification of false bills in forensic science. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Bus Fare Collection System Assessment

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1986-01-01

    An assessment was conducted to examine the impact that rising fare levels are having on bus transit fare collection systems. Problems have been reported with regard to the handling of dollar bills and lost revenue. This report addresses these problem...

  4. Glove Changing When Handling Money: Observational and Microbiological Analysis.

    PubMed

    Basch, Corey H; Wahrman, Miryam Z; Shah, Jay; Guerra, Laura A; MacDonald, Zerlina; Marte, Myladys; Basch, Charles E

    2016-04-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the rate of glove changing by mobile food vendors after monetary transactions, and the presence of bacterial contamination on a sample of dollar bills obtained from 25 food vendors near five hospitals in Manhattan, New York City. During 495 monetary transactions observed there were only seven glove changes performed by the workers. Eleven of 34 food workers wore no gloves at all while handling money and food. Nineteen of 25 one-dollar bills collected (76 %) had 400 to 42,000 total bacterial colony-forming units. Colonies were of varied morphology and size. Of these 19 samples, 13 were selected (based on level of growth), and tested for the presence of coliform bacteria, which was found in 10 of the 13 samples. Effective strategies to monitor and increase glove wearing and changing habits of mobile food vendors are needed to reduce risk of foodborne illness.

  5. 41 CFR 102-73.40 - What happens if the dollar value of the project exceeds the prospectus threshold?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... dollar value of the project exceeds the prospectus threshold? 102-73.40 Section 102-73.40 Public... § 102-73.40 What happens if the dollar value of the project exceeds the prospectus threshold? Projects... the prospectus threshold. To obtain this approval, the Administrator of General Services will transmit...

  6. 41 CFR 102-73.40 - What happens if the dollar value of the project exceeds the prospectus threshold?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... dollar value of the project exceeds the prospectus threshold? 102-73.40 Section 102-73.40 Public... § 102-73.40 What happens if the dollar value of the project exceeds the prospectus threshold? Projects... the prospectus threshold. To obtain this approval, the Administrator of General Services will transmit...

  7. 41 CFR 102-73.40 - What happens if the dollar value of the project exceeds the prospectus threshold?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... dollar value of the project exceeds the prospectus threshold? 102-73.40 Section 102-73.40 Public... § 102-73.40 What happens if the dollar value of the project exceeds the prospectus threshold? Projects... the prospectus threshold. To obtain this approval, the Administrator of General Services will transmit...

  8. Apparatus for Teaching Physics.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Connolly, Walter

    1985-01-01

    Describes (1) a tri-color light-emitting diode (LED) and (2) modification of a demonstration using a dollar bill held between two soft drink bottles, one inverted upon another mouth-to-mouth. The modification consists of filling the bottles with water to increase their mass. (JN)

  9. Senators breathe new life into efforts to double federal dollars for R&D

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Folger, Peter

    At a press conference held Thursday, June 25, Senator Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) announced that he and Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-W.Va.) were introducing a bill to double federal support for research and development (R&D) over the next 12 years.This latest development gives a boost to legislation introduced last October by Senators Phil Gramm (R-Tex.) and Joe Lieberman (D-Conn.) to double R&D spending in a decade. The earlier bill, numbered S. 1305, garnered only 18 Senate cosponsors in 8 months and appears to be mired in the Labor and Human Resources Committee with little hope of moving to the Senate floor.

  10. Saving billions of dollars--and physicians' time--by streamlining billing practices.

    PubMed

    Blanchfield, Bonnie B; Heffernan, James L; Osgood, Bradford; Sheehan, Rosemary R; Meyer, Gregg S

    2010-06-01

    The U.S. system of billing third parties for health care services is complex, expensive, and inefficient. Physicians end up using nearly 12 percent of their net patient service revenue to cover the costs of excessive administrative complexity. A single transparent set of payment rules for multiple payers, a single claim form, and standard rules of submission, among other innovations, would reduce the burden on the billing offices of physician organizations. On a national scale, our hypothetical modeling of these changes would translate into $7 billion of savings annually for physician and clinical services. Four hours of professional time per physician and five hours of practice support staff time could be saved each week.

  11. Maximizing Dollars through Money Management.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Spiegle, Charles; Haudan, James A.

    1985-01-01

    Reviews some important aspects of school money management about which Catholic school administrators should be educated. Poses basic management questions (e.g., are deposits made to higher interest accounts, are school bills paid more often than necessary, and are investments handled by financial experts). Discusses investment possibilities for…

  12. Managing prices for hospital pharmaceuticals: a successful strategy for New Zealand?

    PubMed

    Tordoff, June M; Norris, Pauline T; Reith, David M

    2005-01-01

    In 2002, as part of a National Hospital Pharmaceutical Strategy, the New Zealand (NZ) government agency PHARMAC commenced a 3-year period of negotiating prices for 90% of hospital pharmaceuticals on behalf of all NZ public hospitals. The present study was undertaken to determine the effects of this first year of "pooled procurement." Using price changes and volume data for each of their top 150 pharmaceutical items, chief pharmacists at 11 public hospitals calculated projected cost savings for the financial year July 2003 to June 2004. Researchers calculated total projected savings for all 11 hospitals, and for three types of hospitals. Estimates of projected savings were made for all 29 major public hospitals by using savings per bed and savings per bed-day. A sensitivity analysis was undertaken. Items showing savings were categorized by using the Anatomical Therapeutic Chemical classification system. For the 11 hospitals, the top 150 items comprised 612 different items. Projected savings for 2003 to 2004 were NZ dollar 2,652,814, NZ dollar 658,984, and NZ dollar 127,952 for tertiary, secondary, and rural/special hospitals, respectively. Percentage savings as a median (range) of the total top 150 expenditure were: tertiary 5.28% (3.09-16.05%), secondary 7.41% (4.67-12.85%), and rural/special 9.55% (6.27-10.09%). For all 29 hospitals, estimated projected savings were NZ dollar 5,234,919 (NZ dollar 3,304,606-NZ dollar 8,044,482) by savings per bed, and NZ dollar 5,255,781 (NZ dollar 2,936,850-NZ dollar 8,693,239) by savings per bed-day. The main contributors to savings were: agents for infections, the nervous system, musculoskeletal system, and blood/blood-forming organs. The first year of pooled procurement under the National Hospital Pharmaceutical Strategy (2002-2003) has resulted in moderate savings. For all 29 major public hospitals, savings of around NZ dollar 5.2 million (dollar 2.9 million-dollar 8.7 million) or 3.7% were projected for 2003 to 2004. Longer-term effects, however, on patient outcomes and availability of pharmaceuticals, as well as on pharmaceutical expenditure, have yet to be evaluated.

  13. The GI Bilk

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Risener, Randall

    1976-01-01

    What to do about the billion-dollar GI Bill overpayment problem is a question confronting many community college administrators and the Veterans' Administration. Legal and administrative technicalities are reviewed, and it is suggested that many Vietnam era veterans may have no qualms about accepting checks from a government they feel has betrayed…

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

    Not Available

    Dollars saved through energy efficiency can directly impact your bottom line. Whether you are planning for a major renovation or upgrading individual pieces of building equipment, these improvements can help reduce operating costs, save on utility bills, and boost profits. This fact sheet provides guidelines for SBA lenders to understand the value of financing energy efficiency investments.

  15. Fish Stories

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hinshaw, Craig

    2007-01-01

    Every year, the Parent-Teacher Organization of Hiller Elementary School gives every teacher a fifty dollar bill to help offset classroom expenses. This year the author, a second grade teacher, knew exactly how he would spend the money. He bought thirty-eight perfect, clear, two-quart plastic, lidded containers for each of his students and three…

  16. Expanding Access and Opportunity: The Washington State Achievers Scholarship

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Brien, Colleen

    2011-01-01

    In 2001, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation launched the multi-year, multi-million dollar Washington State Achievers Scholarship program. Concerned about disparities in college participation for low-income students in the state of Washington versus their wealthier peers, the Gates Foundation partnered with the College Success Foundation…

  17. 42 CFR 406.32 - Monthly premiums.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... beginning January 1994, if an individual meets the requirements in paragraph (c) of this section, the... next higher dollar.) (c) Qualifying for a reduction in monthly premium. An individual who qualifies for... sections. (e) Collection of monthly premiums. (1) CMS will bill the enrollee on a monthly basis and include...

  18. 42 CFR 406.32 - Monthly premiums.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... beginning January 1994, if an individual meets the requirements in paragraph (c) of this section, the... next higher dollar.) (c) Qualifying for a reduction in monthly premium. An individual who qualifies for... sections. (e) Collection of monthly premiums. (1) CMS will bill the enrollee on a monthly basis and include...

  19. 42 CFR 406.32 - Monthly premiums.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... beginning January 1994, if an individual meets the requirements in paragraph (c) of this section, the... next higher dollar.) (c) Qualifying for a reduction in monthly premium. An individual who qualifies for... sections. (e) Collection of monthly premiums. (1) CMS will bill the enrollee on a monthly basis and include...

  20. 42 CFR 406.32 - Monthly premiums.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... beginning January 1994, if an individual meets the requirements in paragraph (c) of this section, the... next higher dollar.) (c) Qualifying for a reduction in monthly premium. An individual who qualifies for... sections. (e) Collection of monthly premiums. (1) CMS will bill the enrollee on a monthly basis and include...

  1. Medicare Advantage reforms: comparing House and Senate bills.

    PubMed

    Biles, Brian; Arnold, Grace

    2009-12-01

    The Medicare Advantage (MA) program, which enables Medicare beneficiaries to enjoy private health plan coverage, is a major element of the current health care reform discussion on Capitol Hill--in large part because payments to MA plans in 2009 are expected to run at least $11 billion more than traditional Medicare would have cost. While the pending Senate and House bills both endeavor to reduce these extra MA payments, their approaches are different. The bills also differ on other aspects of reforming the MA program, such as plans' allowable geographic areas, their risk-adjustment systems and reporting requirements, their potential bonuses for achieving high-quality care and providing good management, and their beneficiary protections. This issue brief compares the above and other provisions in the House and Senate bills, which have a common overall goal to improve the value that Medicare obtains for the dollars it spends

  2. The Leaking-Toilet Challenge

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roman, Harry T.

    2008-01-01

    Leaking toilets can cost homeowners big dollars--often before it is even realized. Homeowners do not necessarily hear it leaking. It just does, and when the water bill comes due, it can be a most unpleasant surprise. This article presents a classroom challenge to try to develop leak-detection ideas that would be inexpensive and easily added to…

  3. The Management of NASA Employee Health Problem; Status 1971

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Arnoldi, L. B.

    1971-01-01

    A system for assessing employee health problems is introduced. The automated billing system is based on an input format including cost of medical services by user and measures in dollars, that portion of resources spent on preventive techniques versus therapeutic techniques. The system is capable of printing long term medical histories of any employee.

  4. The $7-Billion Patch for Campus Maintenance

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carlson, Scott

    2009-01-01

    Colleges are facing a growing deferred-maintenance problem, which at many public institutions adds up to repair bills in the hundreds of millions of dollars. Sometimes state legislatures have not supported those colleges at levels needed to maintain campus infrastructure. But at the same time, colleges continue to expand their campuses even as…

  5. Gates Learns to Think Big

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Robelen, Erik W.

    2006-01-01

    This article discusses how the philanthropy of Microsoft Corp software magnate co-chairs, Bill Gates and his wife Melinda, are reshaping the American high school nowadays. Gates and his wife have put the issue on the national agenda like never before, with a commitment of more than 1.3 billion US dollars this decade toward the foundation's agenda…

  6. California Bus Aid Still in Budget Cross Hairs

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Fleming, Nora

    2012-01-01

    California legislators swiftly passed a budget bill last week aimed at sheltering school busing dollars from a midyear budget cut many districts and advocates said particularly hurt rural school systems, along with urban districts with desegregation plans. While the measure, which Gov. Jerry Brown was expected to sign into law, would restore $248…

  7. No Laughing Matter

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Black Issues in Higher Education, 2004

    2004-01-01

    Comedian, actor and philanthropist Bill Cosby made headlines earlier this year, and not for a starring role in a new TV show or because of a multimillion-dollar gift to a college or university, but for his comments surrounding low-income African Americans at an event commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Brown vs. Board of Education decision,…

  8. Lorain Harbor, Ohio. Preliminary Feasibility Study (Stage 2). Review of Reports. Volume 1. Main Report.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1980-10-01

    May 1980 Dollars) 93 32 Apportionment of Total Project Cost for Alternative 1, Option 1 (1,000-Footer) 94 33 Estimated Investment Cost and Annual...Costs - Alternative 2, Option 1 (1,000-Foot Vessels) (May 1980 Dollars) 101 36 Apportionment of Total Project Cost for Alternative 2, Option 1 (1,000...1 (1,000-Footer) 104 39 Estimate of Navigation Project Codes - Alternative 3, Option 1 (1,000-Foot Vessels) (May 1980 Dollars) 107 40 Apportionment of

  9. 76 FR 8359 - Boulder Canyon Project

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-02-14

    ....gov . Written comments may also be faxed to (602) 605-2490, Attention: Jack Murray. Western will post... charge for electric service and is divided equally between capacity dollars and energy dollars. Annual energy dollars are divided by annual energy sales, and annual capacity dollars are divided by annual...

  10. Modesty Can Be a Virtue for Endowments in Hard Times

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Masterson, Kathryn

    2008-01-01

    While the wealthiest institutions are making headlines with announcements of hiring freezes or possible layoffs to cope with endowment losses in the billions of dollars, colleges of more modest means, like Widener University, are more dependent on tuition to pay the bills. They may actually find themselves in a less nerve-racking position as the…

  11. Gates Fund Creates Plan for College Completion

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gose, Ben

    2008-01-01

    The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation plans to spend several hundred million dollars over the next five years to double the number of low-income young people who complete a college degree or certificate program by age 26. Foundation officials described the ambitious plan to an exclusive group of education leaders, citing 2025 as a target goal. If…

  12. Systematic procedures to determine incentive/disincentive dollar amounts for highway transportation construction projects.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-06-01

    The Federal Highway Administration has encouraged state transportation agencies to implement Incentive/Disincentive (I/D) contracting provisions for early project completion. Although general guidelines to determine the I/D dollar amount for a projec...

  13. Personal finances of residents at three Canadian universities.

    PubMed

    Teichman, Joel M H; Matsumoto, Edward; Smart, Michael; Smith, Aspen E; Tongco, Wayne; Hosking, Denis E; MacNeily, Andrew E; Jewett, Michael A S

    2005-02-01

    To address 3 research questions (What financial choices do residents make? Are the financial choices of residents similar to those of the general public? Are the financial choices of surgical residents reasonable?), we examined financial data from Canadian residents. A written survey was administered to 338 residents (103 of them surgical residents) at 3 Canadian training institutions (University of Toronto, Queen's University and University of Manitoba). Resident household cash flows, assets and liabilities were characterized. Finances for residents were compared with those of the general public, by means of the Survey of Household Spending and Survey of Financial Security. Median resident income was 45,000 dollars annually (Can dollars throughout). With a working spouse, median household income was 87,500 dollars. Among residents, 62% had educational debt (median 37,500 dollars), 39% maintained unpaid credit-card balances (median 1750 dollars), 36% did not budget expenses, 25% maintained cash reserves <275 dollars, and 22% contributed neither to retirement nor nonretirement investments. Residents spent more on vehicles compared with members of the general public (median 17,500 dollars v. 10,720 dollars, p = 0.002) and on monthly housing (median 875 dollars v. 729 dollars, p < 0.001), respectively. Residents were more likely to carry student loans than people in the general population (61% v. 21%), more likely to carry vehicle loans (74% v. 29%) and less likely to carry credit-card debts (39% v. 50%, respectively). Surgical residents had income expectations after graduation higher than current billings justified. Fewer surgical (69%) than anesthesiology residents (88%, p < 0.05) contributed to Registered Retirement Savings Plans. From this limited sample, residents spend more than age- and income-matched members of the general public. Many residents save too little, fail to budget, and carry high educational and credit-card debts. Surgical residents' expectations of future income may be unrealistic. Further study is warranted.

  14. Transportation Infrastructure: Managing the Costs of Large-Dollar Highway Projects

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1997-02-01

    The General Accounting Office (GAO) was requested to assess the effectiveness of the Federal Highway Administration's (FHWA's) oversight of the costs of large-dollar highway and bridge projects (those with a total estimated cost of over $100 million)...

  15. Life under the Spending Caps: The Clinton Fiscal Year 1995 Budget.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Leonard, Paul; Greenstein, Robert

    The stage for the introduction of the Clinton Administration's fiscal year 1995 budget was largely set by the passage of the budget reconciliation bill signed into law in August 1993. In developing the budget, the Administration had to come up with enough spending cuts to meet the spending caps--as well as billions of dollars in additional cuts to…

  16. Environmental Health: A Look at the Cost of Air Pollution

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brennan, A. J. J.

    1973-01-01

    Previous estimates of the cost of air pollution seem to fall short of the true societal cost. Without trying to place a dollar value on the aesthetic loss and psychological pressures air pollution incurs, the author feels that $47 billion constitutes the annual bill for pollution. Pollution abatement and prevention costs are estimated to be $8.45…

  17. An innovative program to fund health-oriented student projects and research.

    PubMed

    Bybee, Ronald F; Thompson, Sharon E

    2004-01-01

    The price of a university education has increased over the years. As a result, students often graduate with thousands of dollars of debt. Conducting research or developing class projects that require personal expenditures can be overwhelming, if not impossible. Participation in research and in developing projects can enhance a student's educational experience. In an effort to address cost issues and provide an optimal learning experience for all students through participation in projects and research, the College of Health Sciences at the University of Texas at El Paso (UTEP) collaborated with a regional foundation to fund health-oriented students' projects and research. Approximately 100 projects have been funded in amounts from 200 dollars to 10,000 dollars at UTEP. Similar programs can be replicated at other US universities. Establishing a general fund and identifying contributors may be a viable option, although finding a foundation or agency to fund the project poses a challenge.

  18. Implementing Six Sigma in The Netherlands.

    PubMed

    van den Heuvel, Jaap; Does, Ronald J M M; Bogers, Ad J J C; Berg, Marc

    2006-07-01

    Six Sigma, a process-focused strategy and methodology for business improvement, can be used to improve care processes, eliminate waste, reduce costs, and enhance patient satisfaction. Six Sigma was introduced in 2001 at the 384-bed Red Cross Hospital (Beverwijk). During the Green Belt training, every participant was required to participate in at least one Six Sigma project. The hospital's total savings in 2004 amounted to 1.4 million dollars, for an average savings of 67,000 dollars for each of the completed 21 projects. In one project, the team designed a new admission process for the operating rooms, resulting in an average starting time nine minutes earlier. This relatively minor improvement made it possible to operate on an additional 400 patients a year and to achieve a net savings of >273,000 dollars. A second project reduced the number of patients receiving intravenous (IV) antibiotics by switching to oral administration, yielding annual savings, based on medication costs alone, of >75,000 dollars. A third project reduced the length of stay in the delivery room from 11.9 to 3.4 hours, yielding an annual savings of 68,000 dollars. The "Ultimate Cure?": Six Sigma, which entails involvement of health care workers; use of improvement tools (from industry); creation of trained project teams to tackle complex, often cross-departmental processes; data analyses; and investment in quality improvement may prove the "ultimate cure" to the current cost, quality, and safety issues that challenge health care.

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

    Thayer, B.M.

    A daylight office building built for Lockheed Martin near San Francisco has saved half a million dollars on energy bills and several times more due to reduced absenteeism and improved employee productivity. The building design incorporates soft daylight throughout the interior of the building. This article discusses the following topics in relationship to the building design: design for the climate; deep daylighting; integrated electric lighting; mechanical system; energy performance; the productivity story.

  20. Novus Ordo Seclorum: Or Why Americans Handle Time in Peculiar Ways.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Grove, Cornelius Lee

    "A new order of the ages (is born)," is the meaning of the Latin phrase "novus ardo seclorum" which can be found on the back of a U.S. dollar bill. U.S. citizens are concerned with the passage of time, the near future, acting in a timely manner, and accomplishing tasks efficiently. These traits have become part of the national character.…

  1. Stochastic Modeling and Analysis of Energy Commodity Spot Price Processes

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-06-27

    Eurocurrency data set [129] collected from Forex database . Table 10: Estimates m̂k, βm̂k,k, µm̂k,k, δm̂k,k, σm̂k,k, γm̂k,k for U. S. Treasury Bill...U. S. Eurocurrency rateUS dollar Eurocurrency data set January 1990-December 2004, Forex Database . [130] U. S. Energy Information Administration

  2. Competency-Based Transfer Pilot Project--Final Report. Executive Summary [and] Competency-Based Transfer Pilot Project: Final Report on House Bill 1909

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board, 2006

    2006-01-01

    This publication contains the following: (1) Competency-Based Transfer Pilot Project--Final Report. Executive Summary (January 2006); and (2) Competency-Based Transfer Pilot Project: Final Report on House Bill 1909 (January 2005). In 2003, the legislature and governor enacted House Bill 1909 to create a pilot project on competency-based transfer…

  3. Funny money: the attentional role of monetary feedback detached from expected value.

    PubMed

    Roper, Zachary J J; Vecera, Shaun P

    2016-10-01

    Stimuli associated with monetary reward can become powerful cues that effectively capture visual attention. We examined whether such value-driven attentional capture can be induced with monetary feedback in the absence of an expected cash payout. To this end, we implemented images of U.S. dollar bills as reward feedback. Participants knew in advance that they would not receive any money based on their performance. Our reward stimuli-$5 and $20 bill images-were thus dissociated from any practical utility. Strikingly, we observed a reliable attentional capture effect for the mere images of bills. Moreover, this finding generalized to Monopoly money. In two control experiments, we found no evidence in favor of nominal or symbolic monetary value. Hence, we claim that bill images are special monetary representations, such that there are strong associations between the defining visual features of bills and reward, probably due to a lifelong learning history. Together, we show that the motivation to earn cash plays a minor role when it comes to monetary rewards, while bill-defining visual features seem to be sufficient. These findings have the potential to influence human factor applications, such as gamification, and can be extended to novel value systems, such as the electronic cash Bitcoin being developed for use in mobile banking. Finally, our procedure represents a proof of concept on how images of money can be used to conserve expenditures in the experimental context.

  4. 38 CFR 3.43 - Burial benefits at the full-dollar rate for certain Filipino veterans residing in the United...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    .... citizenship through birth in the territorial U.S., birth abroad as provided under title 8, United States Code.... passport; (ii) A birth certificate showing that he or she was born in the U.S.; or (iii) A Report of Birth...) Property tax bills and receipts; and (F) School records. (ii) A Post Office box mailing address in the...

  5. 38 CFR 3.43 - Burial benefits at the full-dollar rate for certain Filipino veterans residing in the United...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    .... citizenship through birth in the territorial U.S., birth abroad as provided under title 8, United States Code.... passport; (ii) A birth certificate showing that he or she was born in the U.S.; or (iii) A Report of Birth...) Property tax bills and receipts; and (F) School records. (ii) A Post Office box mailing address in the...

  6. 38 CFR 3.43 - Burial benefits at the full-dollar rate for certain Filipino veterans residing in the United...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    .... citizenship through birth in the territorial U.S., birth abroad as provided under title 8, United States Code.... passport; (ii) A birth certificate showing that he or she was born in the U.S.; or (iii) A Report of Birth...) Property tax bills and receipts; and (F) School records. (ii) A Post Office box mailing address in the...

  7. 38 CFR 3.43 - Burial benefits at the full-dollar rate for certain Filipino veterans residing in the United...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    .... citizenship through birth in the territorial U.S., birth abroad as provided under title 8, United States Code.... passport; (ii) A birth certificate showing that he or she was born in the U.S.; or (iii) A Report of Birth...) Property tax bills and receipts; and (F) School records. (ii) A Post Office box mailing address in the...

  8. 38 CFR 3.43 - Burial benefits at the full-dollar rate for certain Filipino veterans residing in the United...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    .... citizenship through birth in the territorial U.S., birth abroad as provided under title 8, United States Code.... passport; (ii) A birth certificate showing that he or she was born in the U.S.; or (iii) A Report of Birth...) Property tax bills and receipts; and (F) School records. (ii) A Post Office box mailing address in the...

  9. 75 FR 5315 - Boulder Canyon Project-Rate Order No. WAPA-150

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-02-02

    ... 85005-6457, e-mail [email protected] . Written comments may also be faxed to (602) 605-2490, attention: Jack... annual base charge for electric service divided equally between capacity and energy dollars. Annual energy dollars are divided by annual energy sales, and annual capacity dollars are divided by annual...

  10. Building the Green Bank Telescope

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kellermann, Kenneth I.

    2017-01-01

    In a previous presentation, I reported on how the freak collapse of the NRAO 300-ft transit radio telescope led to the inclusion of $75 million for a new radio telescope in the 1989 Congressional Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act. But, this was only the beginning. NRAO was faced with challenging specifications and an unworkable schedule, but there was no design and no project team. Only one bid was even close to the Congressional appropriation. In an attempt to meet the unrealistic antenna delivery date, the contractor started construction of the foundation and fabrication of antenna members before the design was finished, leading to retrofits, redesign, and multiple delays. The antenna contractor was twice sold to other companies leading to further delays and cost escalation. In order to recoup their mounting losses, the new owners sued NRAO for $29 million for claimed design changes, and NRAO countersued demanding to be reimbursed for added project management costs and lost scientific data resulting from the seven-year delay in the completion of the telescope. Legal fees and a small net award in favor of the contractor left NRAO and the NSF with a nine million dollar bill which NSF handled by an innovative accounting adjustment.

  11. Feasibility and cost-effectiveness of treating multidrug-resistant tuberculosis: a cohort study in the Philippines.

    PubMed

    Tupasi, Thelma E; Gupta, Rajesh; Quelapio, Ma Imelda D; Orillaza, Ruth B; Mira, Nona Rachel; Mangubat, Nellie V; Belen, Virgil; Arnisto, Nida; Macalintal, Lualhati; Arabit, Michael; Lagahid, Jaime Y; Espinal, Marcos; Floyd, Katherine

    2006-09-01

    Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) is an important global health problem, and a control strategy known as DOTS-Plus has existed since 1999. However, evidence regarding the feasibility, effectiveness, cost, and cost-effectiveness of DOTS-Plus is still limited. We evaluated the feasibility, effectiveness, cost, and cost-effectiveness of a DOTS-Plus pilot project established at Makati Medical Center in Manila, the Philippines, in 1999. Patients with MDR-TB are treated with regimens, including first- and second-line drugs, tailored to their drug susceptibility pattern (i.e., individualised treatment). We considered the cohort enrolled between April 1999 and March 2002. During this three-year period, 118 patients were enrolled in the project; 117 were considered in the analysis. Seventy-one patients (61%) were cured, 12 (10%) failed treatment, 18 (15%) died, and 16 (14%) defaulted. The average cost per patient treated was US3,355 dollars from the perspective of the health system, of which US1,557 dollars was for drugs, and US837 dollars from the perspective of patients. The mean cost per disability-adjusted life year (DALY) gained by the DOTS-Plus project was US242 dollars (range US85 dollars to US426 dollars). Treatment of patients with MDR-TB using the DOTS-Plus strategy and individualised drug regimens can be feasible, comparatively effective, and cost-effective in low- and middle-income countries.

  12. Health care administration in the United States and Canada: micromanagement, macro costs.

    PubMed

    Woolhandler, Steffie; Campbell, Terry; Himmelstein, David U

    2004-01-01

    A decade ago, U.S. health administration costs greatly exceeded Canada's. Have the computerization of billing and the adoption of a more business-like approach to care cut administrative costs? For the United States and Canada, the authors calculated the 1999 administrative costs of health insurers, employers' health benefit programs, hospitals, practitioners' offices, nursing homes, and home care agencies; they analyzed published data, surveys of physicians, employment data, and detailed cost reports filed by hospitals, nursing homes, and home care agencies; they used census surveys to explore time trends in administrative employment in health care settings. Health administration costs totaled at least dollar 294.3 billion, dollar 1,059 per capita, in the United States vs. dollar 9.4 billion, dollar 307 per capita, in Canada. After exclusions, health administration accounted for 31.0 percent of U.S. health expenditures vs. 16.7 percent of Canadian. Canada's national health insurance program had an overhead of 1.3 percent, but overhead among Canada's private insurers was higher than in the U.S.: 13.2 vs. 11.7 percent. Providers' administrative costs were far lower in Canada. Between 1969 and 1999 administrative workers' share of the U.S. health labor force grew from 18.2 to 27.3 percent; in Canada it grew from 16.0 percent in 1971 to 19.1 percent in 1996. Reducing U.S. administrative costs to Canadian levels would save at least dollar 209 billion annually, enough to fund universal coverage.

  13. Fiscal Year 2007 Budget Press Conference

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2006-02-06

    NASA Associate Administrator for Aeronautics Research Lisa J. Porter answers reporters questions during the fiscal year 2007 news conference, Monday, Feb. 6, 2006, at NASA Headquarters in Washington. NASA Administrator Michael Griffin was joined by the heads of NASA's four mission directorates to explain how the proposed $16.8 billion dollar budget supports the Vision for Space Exploration. The budget represents a 3.2% increase above the fiscal year 2006 appropriated budget. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  14. Fiscal Year 2007 Budget Press Conference

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2006-02-06

    NASA Administrator Michael Griffin, seated center, outlines the President's budget for fiscal year 2007 during a news conference, Monday, Feb. 6, 2006, at NASA Headquarters in Washington. The administrator was joined by the heads of NASA's four mission directorates to explain how the proposed $16.8 billion dollar budget supports the Vision for Space Exploration. The budget represents a 3.2% increase above the Fiscal Year 2006 appropriated budget. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  15. 41 CFR 102-73.40 - What happens if the dollar value of the project exceeds the prospectus threshold?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false What happens if the dollar value of the project exceeds the prospectus threshold? 102-73.40 Section 102-73.40 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Property Management Regulations System (Continued) FEDERAL MANAGEMENT REGULATION REAL PROPERTY 73-REAL ESTATE...

  16. 41 CFR 102-73.40 - What happens if the dollar value of the project exceeds the prospectus threshold?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... 41 Public Contracts and Property Management 3 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false What happens if the dollar value of the project exceeds the prospectus threshold? 102-73.40 Section 102-73.40 Public Contracts and Property Management Federal Property Management Regulations System (Continued) FEDERAL MANAGEMENT REGULATION REAL PROPERTY 73-REAL ESTATE...

  17. Bottling Proliferation of the Uranium Genie: Identifying and Monitoring Clandestine Enrichment Programs

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-04-01

    Separation The first method used to enrich uranium on a significant scale was developed by the United States as part of the Manhattan Project during...there does not seem to be a easy way to enrich uranium. It has been over 60 years since the 33 Manhattan Project successfully enriched U-235 to...Proliferation, 91-3. 14 The cost of $5B dollars is adjusted to FY96 dollars. Brookings Institution, “The Costs of the Manhattan Project ,” Global Politics

  18. EPA evaluates air, water controls

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

    Fairley, P.

    1996-06-05

    Water and air pollution controls make significant contribution to the economy`s health, according to two EPA reports. Clean water provides billions of dollars in benefits to US industries, says a recently released study; and the agency`s draft report on the benefits of air pollution identifiesmore » $$20 in medical costs avoided for every dollar spent on pollution controls. The Clean Water Industry Coalition (CWIC) says the water report reaffirms the need to {open_quotes}modernize{close_quotes} the Clean Water Act (CWA), but EPA administrator Carol Browner says a CWA {open_quotes}rollback{close_quotes} supported by CWIC and passed by House Republicans last May would have jeopardized industries that depend on clean water by weakening effluent standards. Browner denies that the benefits of clean water as identified by the EPA report would have protected water standards from the bill`s cost-benefit requirements. A draft EPA report on clean air leaked by the American Lung Association estimates that tailpipe and smokestack controls for air pollution saved 79,000 lives and resulted in 15 million fewer respiratory illnesses in 1990 alone. The report assesses the costs and benefits of the Clean Air Act from 1970 to 1990. The cost of federal, state, and local regulations were estimated at $$436 billion over the 20-year span, whereas direct benefits of reduced pollution totaled $6.8 trillion.« less

  19. Cost-effectiveness analysis of trastuzumab in the adjuvant setting for treatment of HER2-positive breast cancer.

    PubMed

    Garrison, Louis P; Lubeck, Deborah; Lalla, Deepa; Paton, Virginia; Dueck, Amylou; Perez, Edith A

    2007-08-01

    Adding trastuzumab to adjuvant chemotherapy provides significant clinical benefit in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer. A cost-effectiveness analysis was performed to assess clinical and economic implications of adding trastuzumab to adjuvant chemotherapy, based upon joint analysis of NSABP B-31 and NCCTG N9831 trials. A Markov model with 4 health states was used to estimate the cost utility for a 50-year-old woman on the basis of trial results through 4 years and estimates of long-term recurrence and death based on a meta-analysis of trials. From 6 years onward, rates of recurrence and death were assumed to be the same in both trastuzumab and chemotherapy-only arms. Incremental costs were estimated for diagnostic and treatment-related costs. Analyses were from payer and societal perspectives, and these analyses were projected to lifetime and 20-year horizons. Over a lifetime, the projected cost of trastuzumab per quality-adjusted life year (QALY; discount rate 3%) gained was 26,417 dollars (range 9,104 dollars-69,340 dollars under multiway sensitivity analysis). Discounted incremental lifetime cost was 44,923 dollars, and projected life expectancy was 3 years longer for patients who received trastuzumab (19.4 years vs 16.4 years). During a 20-year horizon, the projected cost of adding trastuzumab to chemotherapy was 34,201 dollars per QALY gained. Key cost-effectiveness drivers were discount rate, trastuzumab price, and probability of metastasis. The cost-effectiveness result was robust to sensitivity analysis. Trastuzumab for adjuvant treatment of early stage breast cancer was projected to be cost effective over a lifetime horizon, achieving a cost-effectiveness ratio below that of many widely accepted oncology treatments. (c) 2007 American Cancer Society.

  20. Community-based youth tobacco control interventions: cost effectiveness of the Full Court Press project.

    PubMed

    Ross, Hana; Powell, Lisa M; Bauer, Joseph E; Levy, David T; Peck, Richard M; Lee, Hye-Ryeon

    2006-01-01

    We evaluated the impact of a community-based tobacco control project that was implemented in the city of Tucson, Arizona, USA, between 1996 and 2001. The project's goal was to reduce the prevalence of youth smoking through change in social norms at schools and in communities and workplaces. As is often the case, these community-based health promotion interventions were implemented in conjunction with other broader programmes, in this case implemented on the state level. Taking into account state level interventions as well as changes in sociodemographic and economic environment over the course of the project (e.g. increases in cigarette prices), we measure the net effect of the intervention in terms of the number of people who quit or did not initiate smoking and by the discounted life-years gained. To establish the value of investing into community-based intervention, we calculated the real discounted cost per quit and per life-year gained of 3789 US dollars and 3942 US dollars, respectively. These compare favourably with the real cost per quit of 4270 US dollars when implementing the 1996 US Clinical Practice Guideline for smoking cessation but exceed the real cost of 2923 US dollars per discounted life-year gained when following the guideline. A sensitivity analysis that assumed 5% programme persistence (i.e. 5% of the programme's impact would last forever in the absence of future funding for the programme), one-third would relapse and that one-third of those who quit may have quit smoking even without the programme, suggested a lower cost per discounted life-year saved of 3476 US dollars. The cost effectiveness of this project compares favourably with other tobacco control interventions. Despite its relatively small target group, this community-based intervention was cost effective.

  1. Reform of the Buy-and-Bill System for Outpatient Chemotherapy Care Is Inevitable: Perspectives from an Economist, a Realpolitik, and an Oncologist

    PubMed Central

    Polite, Blase; Conti, Rena M.; Ward, Jeffery C.

    2015-01-01

    OVERVIEW Treating patients with cancer with infused or injected oncolytics is a core component of outpatient oncology practice. Currently, practices purchase drugs and then bill insurers, colloquially called “buy and bill.” Reimbursement for these drugs is the largest source of gross revenue for oncology practices, and as the prices of cancer drugs have grown over time, these purchases have had significant impact on the financial health of practices and pose a risk that jeopardizes the ability of many practices to operate and provide patient care. Medicare Part B spending on drugs is under political scrutiny because of federal spending pressures, and the margin between buy and bill, lowered to 6% by the Medicare Modernization Act and further decreased to 4.3% by sequestration, is a convenient and popular target of budgetary discussions and proposals, scored to save billions of dollars over 10-year budget windows for each percentage-point reduction. Alternatives to the buy-and-bill system have been proposed to include invoice pricing, least costly alternative reimbursement, bundling of drugs into episode-of-care payments, shifting Part B drugs to the Medicare Part D benefit, and revision of the failed Competitive Acquisition Program. This article brings the perspectives of policy makers, health care economists, and providers together to discuss this major challenge in oncology payment reform. PMID:25993241

  2. Reform of the Buy-and-Bill System for Outpatient Chemotherapy Care Is Inevitable: Perspectives from an Economist, a Realpolitik, and an Oncologist.

    PubMed

    Polite, Blase; Conti, Rena M; Ward, Jeffery C

    2015-01-01

    Treating patients with cancer with infused or injected oncolytics is a core component of outpatient oncology practice. Currently, practices purchase drugs and then bill insurers, colloquially called "buy and bill." Reimbursement for these drugs is the largest source of gross revenue for oncology practices, and as the prices of cancer drugs have grown over time, these purchases have had significant impact on the financial health of practices and pose a risk that jeopardizes the ability of many practices to operate and provide patient care. Medicare Part B spending on drugs is under political scrutiny because of federal spending pressures, and the margin between buy and bill, lowered to 6% by the Medicare Modernization Act and further decreased to 4.3% by sequestration, is a convenient and popular target of budgetary discussions and proposals, scored to save billions of dollars over 10-year budget windows for each percentage-point reduction. Alternatives to the buy-and-bill system have been proposed to include invoice pricing, least costly alternative reimbursement, bundling of drugs into episode-of-care payments, shifting Part B drugs to the Medicare Part D benefit, and revision of the failed Competitive Acquisition Program. This article brings the perspectives of policy makers, health care economists, and providers together to discuss this major challenge in oncology payment reform.

  3. A method for evaluating the funding of components of natural resource and conservation projects

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

    Wellington, John F., E-mail: welling@ipfw.edu; Lewis, Stephen A., E-mail: lewis.sa07@gmail.com

    Many public and private entities such as government agencies and private foundations have missions related to the improvement, protection, and sustainability of the environment. In pursuit of their missions, they fund projects with related outcomes. Typically, the funding scene consists of scarce funding dollars for the many project requests. In light of funding limitations and funder's search for innovative funding schemes, a method to support the allocation of scarce dollars among project components is presented. The proposed scheme has similarities to methods in the project selection literature but differs in its focus on project components and its connection to andmore » enumeration of the universe of funding possibilities. The value of having access to the universe is demonstrated with illustrations. The presentation includes Excel implementations that should appeal to a broad spectrum of project evaluators and reviewers. Access to the space of funding possibilities facilitates a rich analysis of funding alternatives. - Highlights: • Method is given for allocating scarce funding dollars among competing projects. • Allocations are made to fund parts of projects • Proposed method provides access to the universe of funding possibilities. • Proposed method facilitates a rich analysis of funding possibilities. • Excel spreadsheet implementations are provided.« less

  4. Projection display market trends

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mentley, David E.

    1997-05-01

    The projection display industry is now a multi-billion dollar market comprising an expanding variety of technologies and applications. Growth is being driven by a combination of high volume consumer products and high value business demand. After many years of marginal, but steady performance improvements, essentially all types of projectors have crossed the threshold of acceptability and are now facing accelerated continuing growth. Overall worldwide unit sales of all types of projection displays for all applications will nearly double from 1.6 million units in 1996 to 2.8 million units in 2002. By value at the end user price, the global projector market will grow modestly from 6.3 billion dollars in 1996 to 7.7 billion dollars in 2002. Consumer television will represent the largest share of unit consumption over this time period; in 1996, this application represents 72 percent of the total unit volume. The second major application category for projection displays is the business or presentation projector, representing only 14 percent of the unit shipment total in 1996, but 50 percent of the value.

  5. Money circulation networks reveal emerging geographical communities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brockmann, D.; Theis, F.; David, V.

    2008-03-01

    Geographical communities and their boundaries are key determinants of various spatially extended dynamical phenomena. Examples are migration dynamics of species, the spread of infectious diseases, bioinvasive processes, and the spatial evolution of language. We address the question to what extend multiscale human transportation networks encode geographical community structures, how they differ from geopolitical classifications, whether they are spatially coherent, and analyse their structure as a function of length scale. Our analysis is based on a proxy network for human transportation obtained from the geographic circulation of more than 10 million dollar bills in the United States recorded at the bill tracking website www.wheresgeorge.com. The data extends that of a previous study (Brockmann et al., Nature 2006) on the discovery of scaling laws of human travel by an order of magnitude and permits an approach to multiscale human transportation from a network perspective.

  6. 34 CFR 222.193 - What other limitations on grant amounts apply?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... cost of an approved project. (2) The total amount of grant funds may not exceed four million dollars during any four-year period. Example: An LEA that is awarded four million dollars in the first year may...

  7. Responsiveness and Reliability: A History of the Philadelphia District and the Marine Design Center, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, 1972-2008

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-01-01

    Philadelphia, Pa., to the mouth of the Delaware Bay, with appropriate bend widenings, partial deepening of the Marcus Hook anchorage, and relocation...flyway. • Tasked by the North Atlantic Division to support relocating the Army’s C4ISR electronics research and development program to Aberdeen...bill that, in his words , “would cost billions of dollars and often do more harm than good.” His actions outraged Philadelphia’s Delaware River

  8. Retail battle for conservation dollars

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

    McCaughey, J.

    1981-07-16

    Large companies are entering the profitable retail market with conservation equipment and services that will compete for a share of the $10 to $80 billion Americans will spend on energy efficiency this year. Energy centers and clinics are also opening around the country to market products and compete with the utilities for energy audit business. The new retailing efforts are counting on homeowners' willingness to spend money to lower their energy bills. The smaller companies hope to hold their own against competition from large corporations. (DCK)

  9. White House Forum on Modernizing Government

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2010-01-14

    NASA Deputy Administrator Lori Garver, left, talks with Deputy Secretary of Education Tony Miller prior to the start of the White House Forum on Modernizing Government held Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010 at the Old Executive Office Building in Washington. As part of his commitment to change how business is done in Washington and instill a new sense of responsibility for taxpayer dollars, the President welcomed more than 50 of the country’s top CEOs to the White House Forum on Modernizing Government. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  10. White House Forum on Modernizing Government

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2010-01-14

    U.S. President Barack Obama speaks at the opening session of the Forum on Modernizing Government, Thursday, Jan. 14, 2010, in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building in Washington. As part of his commitment to change how business is done in Washington and instill a new sense of responsibility for taxpayer dollars, the President welcomed more than 50 of the country’s top CEOs, deputy secretaries, including NASA's Deputy Administrator Lori Garver and department chief information officers to the forum. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  11. Planning and Implementing Immunization Billing Programs at State and Local Health Departments: Barriers and Possible Solutions.

    PubMed

    Corriero, Rosemary; Redmon, Ginger

    Before participating in a project funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most state and local health departments (LHDs) were not seeking reimbursement or being fully reimbursed by insurance plans for the cost of immunization services (including vaccine costs and administration fees) they provided to insured patients. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Billables Project was designed to enable state and LHDs to bill public and private insurance plans for immunization services provided to insured patients. Identify and describe key barriers state and LHDs may encounter while planning and implementing a billing program, as well as possible solutions for overcoming those barriers. This study used reports from Billables Project participants to explore barriers they encountered when planning and implementing a billing program and steps taken to address those barriers. Thirty-eight state immunization programs. Based on project participants' reports, barriers were noted in 7 categories: (1) funding and costs, (2) staff, (3) health department characteristics, (4) third-party payers and insurance plans, (5) software, (6) patient insurance status, and (7) other barriers. Possible solutions for overcoming those barriers included hiring or seeking external help, creating billing guides and training modules, streamlining workflows, and modifying existing software systems. Overcoming barriers during planning and implementation of a billing program can be challenging for state and LHDs, but the experiences and suggestions of past Billables Project participants can help guide future billing program efforts.

  12. Hospital cost structure in the USA: what's behind the costs? A business case.

    PubMed

    Chandra, Charu; Kumar, Sameer; Ghildayal, Neha S

    2011-01-01

    Hospital costs in the USA are a large part of the national GDP. Medical billing and supplies processes are significant and growing contributors to hospital operations costs in the USA. This article aims to identify cost drivers associated with these processes and to suggest improvements to reduce hospital costs. A Monte Carlo simulation model that uses @Risk software facilitates cost analysis and captures variability associated with the medical billing process (administrative) and medical supplies process (variable). The model produces estimated savings for implementing new processes. Significant waste exists across the entire medical supply process that needs to be eliminated. Annual savings, by implementing the improved process, have the potential to save several billion dollars annually in US hospitals. The other analysis in this study is related to hospital billing processes. Increased spending on hospital billing processes is not entirely due to hospital inefficiency. The study lacks concrete data for accurately measuring cost savings, but there is obviously room for improvement in the two US healthcare processes. This article only looks at two specific costs associated with medical supply and medical billing processes, respectively. This study facilitates awareness of escalating US hospital expenditures. Cost categories, namely, fixed, variable and administrative, are presented to identify the greatest areas for improvement. The study will be valuable to US Congress policy makers and US healthcare industry decision makers. Medical billing process, part of a hospital's administrative costs, and hospital supplies management processes are part of variable costs. These are the two major cost drivers of US hospitals' expenditures that were examined and analyzed.

  13. Resource Management Strategy in the French Navy

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1991-06-01

    central question is whether the French Navy will be able to both upgrade an ageing fleet, and man that projected new fleet with qualified personnel...figures are given in French francs and the dollar equivalent, using an exchange rate of 5.5 francs per dollar. In the most general terms, this thesis...hours worked. The other 240 million francs ($43.6 million) includes projected DCN work hours and the cost of outfitting the ship (i.e. radars, guns

  14. Cost-effectiveness of pneumococcal conjugate vaccination in the prevention of child mortality: an international economic analysis.

    PubMed

    Sinha, Anushua; Levine, Orin; Knoll, Maria D; Muhib, Farzana; Lieu, Tracy A

    2007-02-03

    Routine vaccination of infants against Streptococcus pneumoniae (pneumococcus) needs substantial investment by governments and charitable organisations. Policymakers need information about the projected health benefits, costs, and cost-effectiveness of vaccination when considering these investments. Our aim was to incorporate these data into an economic analysis of pneumococcal vaccination of infants in countries eligible for financial support from the Global Alliance for Vaccines & Immunization (GAVI). We constructed a decision analysis model to compare pneumococcal vaccination of infants aged 6, 10, and 14 weeks with no vaccination in the 72 countries that were eligible as of 2005. We used published and unpublished data to estimate child mortality, effectiveness of pneumococcal conjugate vaccine, and immunisation rates. Pneumococcal vaccination at the rate of diptheria-tetanus-pertussis vaccine coverage was projected to prevent 262,000 deaths per year (7%) in children aged 3-29 months in the 72 developing countries studied, thus averting 8.34 million disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) yearly. If every child could be reached, up to 407,000 deaths per year would be prevented. At a vaccine cost of International 5 dollars per dose, vaccination would have a net cost of 838 million dollars, a cost of 100 dollars per DALY averted. Vaccination at this price was projected to be highly cost-effective in 68 of 72 countries when each country's per head gross domestic product per DALY averted was used as a benchmark. At a vaccine cost of between 1 dollar and 5 dollars per dose, purchase and accelerated uptake of pneumococcal vaccine in the world's poorest countries is projected to substantially reduce childhood mortality and to be highly cost-effective.

  15. Large wind-turbine projects in the United States wind energy program

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Thomas, R. L.; Robbins, W. H.

    1980-01-01

    The technological development of large, horizontal-axis wind turbines (100 kW-2500 kW) is surveyed with attention to prototype projects managed by NASA. Technical feasibility has been demonstrated in utility service for systems with a rated power of up to 200 kW and a rotor diameter of 125 ft (Mod-OA). Current designs of large wind turbines such as the 2500 kW Mod-2 are projected to be cost competitive for utility applications when produced in quantity, with capital costs of 600 to 700 dollars per kW (in 1977 dollars).

  16. Report: EPA Can Improve Its Reporting of Dollars Leveraged From the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act Brownfields Program

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Report #12-R-0898, Sept 27, 2012. EPA project officers verified grant recipient reported outputs and outcomes for Recovery Act brownfields assessments completed, acres ready for reuse, and cleanups completed, but did not always verify dollars leveraged.

  17. Legislation may support STaRS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Congressman Vernon Ehlers (R, MI) has offered three bills in the House of Representatives that support K-12 science, math, engineering, and technology (SMET) education (Eos, April 18, 2000). Although no dollar amounts are mentioned, the three bills contain numerous provisions for improving and expanding SMET education activities at the Department of Education and the National Science Foundation, and for tax incentives for pre-service teacher education and in-service professional development. Of particular interest is Section 15 of H.R. 4271, the National Science Education Act, which directs the NSF to provide scholarships for K-12 teachers to participate in research programs in government agencies, colleges and universities, or private research establishments. Such scholarships could support AGU's Science Teacher and Research Scientist (STaRS) effort, which is intended to provide opportunities for teachers to participate in research under the direction of AGU scientists, and for those same scientists to participate in science teaching under the teachers' direction.

  18. 10 CFR Appendix B to Part 436 - Goal Setting Methodology

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... investment program, (using where appropriate, the life cycle costing factors and methodology in subpart A of... subpart A, the dollars saved can be projected against the dollars invested. Life cycle costing methodology..., maintenance, and equipment acquisition; and phase-out schedule (of older equipment or plants which may be...

  19. 10 CFR Appendix B to Part 436 - Goal Setting Methodology

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... investment program, (using where appropriate, the life cycle costing factors and methodology in subpart A of... subpart A, the dollars saved can be projected against the dollars invested. Life cycle costing methodology..., maintenance, and equipment acquisition; and phase-out schedule (of older equipment or plants which may be...

  20. 10 CFR Appendix B to Part 436 - Goal Setting Methodology

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... investment program, (using where appropriate, the life cycle costing factors and methodology in subpart A of... Subpart A, the dollars saved can be projected against the dollars invested. Life cycle costing methodology..., maintenance, and equipment acquisition; and phase-out schedule (of older equipment or plants which may be...

  1. 10 CFR Appendix B to Part 436 - Goal Setting Methodology

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... investment program, (using where appropriate, the life cycle costing factors and methodology in subpart A of... subpart A, the dollars saved can be projected against the dollars invested. Life cycle costing methodology..., maintenance, and equipment acquisition; and phase-out schedule (of older equipment or plants which may be...

  2. Productivity cost benefit to employers of treating migraine with rizatriptan: a specific worksite analysis and model.

    PubMed

    Gerth, William C; Sarma, Syam; Hu, X Henry; Silberstein, Stephen D

    2004-01-01

    Employers in the United States might not be aware of the productivity costs of migraine or the extent to which those costs can be reduced by optimal treatment. An economic model was developed to enable employers to estimate the productivity costs of migraine to their company and the savings that will accrue if those patients who suffer from migraine are treated with rizatriptan. Analyses were run for both a major financial services corporation and a representative U.S. company. The major financial services corporation, with 87,821 employees, is projected to lose 538 person-years annually, at an estimated cost of 23.8 million dollars. A representative U.S. company with 10,000 employees is projected to lose 46.0 person-years of productive effort annually as a result of migraine, valued at approximately 1.94 million dollars. The value of the annual work loss avoided if migraine is treated with rizatriptan is projected at 10.3 million dollars for the financial services corporation and 841,000 dollars for the representative U.S. company. There is a substantial productivity cost burden of migraine from a U.S. employer perspective. These productivity costs can be reduced significantly by treating migraine headaches with rizatriptan.

  3. A Proposed Legislative Bill to Economically Index the Small Purchase Thresholds Within the Federal Government Procurement System

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1990-12-01

    to others. IF, For example, avocados are two dollars each, a consumer may choose to have cucumber, at twenty-Five cents each, in his salad instead...in 1986, after the revision of the home ownership aspect of the CPI in 1983. The CPI is a Familiar index and despite its overly general market basket...loans by the government to enable producers to continue to produce items whose market price is less than the production price. In other words, commodity

  4. Fiscal Year 2007 Budget Press Conference

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2006-02-06

    NASA Administrator Michael Griffin outlines the President's budget for fiscal year 2007 during a news conference, Monday, Feb. 6, 2006, at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Griffin was joined by the heads of NASA's four mission directorates to explain how the proposed $16.8 billion dollar budget supports the Vision for Space Exploration. Seated left to right: Scott Horowitz, NASA Associate Administrator for Exploration Systems, William Gerstenmaier, NASA Associate Administrator for Space Operations, Lisa Porter, NASA Associate Administrator for Aeronautics Research and Mary Cleave, NASA Associate Administrator for Science. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  5. Estimating the Energy, Demand and Cost Savings from a Geothermal Heat Pump ESPC Project at Fort Polk, LA Through Utility Bill Analysis.

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

    Shonder, John A; Hughes, Patrick

    2006-01-01

    Energy savings performance contracts (ESPCs) are a method of financing energy conservation projects using the energy cost savings generated by the conservation measures themselves. Ideally, reduced energy costs are visible as reduced utility bills, but in fact this is not always the case. On large military bases, for example, a single electric meter typically covers hundreds of individual buildings. Savings from an ESPC involving only a small number of these buildings will have little effect on the overall utility bill. In fact, changes in mission, occupancy, and energy prices could cause substantial increases in utility bills. For this reason, other,more » more practical, methods have been developed to measure and verify savings in ESPC projects. Nevertheless, increasing utility bills--when ESPCs are expected to be reducing them--are problematic and can lead some observers to question whether savings are actually being achieved. In this paper, the authors use utility bill analysis to determine energy, demand, and cost savings from an ESPC project that installed geothermal heat pumps in the family housing areas of the military base at Fort Polk, Louisiana. The savings estimates for the first year after the retrofits were found to be in substantial agreement with previous estimates that were based on submetered data. However, the utility bills also show that electrical use tended to increase as time went on. Since other data show that the energy use in family housing has remained about the same over the period, the authors conclude that the savings from the ESPC have persisted, and increases in electrical use must be due to loads unassociated with family housing. This shows that under certain circumstances, and with the proper analysis, utility bills can be used to estimate savings from ESPC projects. However, these circumstances are rare and over time the comparison may be invalidated by increases in energy use in areas unaffected by the ESPC.« less

  6. Overview of the Starkey Project: mule deer and elk research for management benefits.

    Treesearch

    Michael J. Wisdom; Mary M. Rowland; Bruce K. Johnson; Brian L. Dick

    2004-01-01

    Managers have long been concerned about the welfare of mule deer (Odocoileus hemionus) and elk (Cervus elaphus) on public lands in the western United States. These two species generate millions of dollars annually to state wildlife agencies from sales of hunting licenses, and elk viewing generates millions of additional dollars...

  7. The Million Dollar Difference and 21st Century Teaching Skills Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moon, Debi; Moolenaar-Wirsiy, Pamela

    2008-01-01

    With a limited budget, but a critical need to develop 21st century marketplace skills, Georgia Perimeter College (GPC) developed the Million Dollar Difference Campaign. Focusing on how quality instruction affects retention and student outcomes, GPC re-energized a 1000-faculty workforce in one year through a series of innovative teaching…

  8. Financial impact of hand surgery programs on academic medical centers.

    PubMed

    Hasan, Jafar S; Chung, Kevin C; Storey, Amy F; Bolg, Mary L; Taheri, Paul A

    2007-02-01

    This study analyzes the financial performance of hand surgery in the Department of Surgery at the University of Michigan. This analysis can serve as a reference for other medical centers in the financial evaluation of a hand surgery program. Fiscal year 2004 billing records for all patients (n = 671) who underwent hand surgery procedures were examined. The financial data were separated into professional revenues and costs (relating to the hand surgery program in the Section of Plastic Surgery) and into facility revenues and costs (relating to the overall University of Michigan Health System). Professional net revenue was calculated by applying historical collection rates to procedural and clinic charges. Facility revenue was calculated by applying historical collection rates to the following charge categories: inpatient/operating room, clinic facility, neurology/electromyography, radiology facilities, and occupational therapy. Total professional costs were calculated by adding direct costs and allocated overhead costs. Facility costs were obtained from the hospital's cost accounting system. Professional and facility incomes were calculated by subtracting costs from revenues. The net professional revenue and total costs were 1,069,836 and 1,027,421 dollars, respectively. Professional operating income was 42,415 dollars, or 3.96 percent of net professional revenue. Net facility revenue and total costs were 5,500,606 and 4,592,534 dollars, respectively. Facility operating income was 908,071 dollars, or 16.51 percent of net facility revenues. While contributing to the academic mission of the institution, hand surgery is financially rewarding for the Department of Surgery. In addition, hand surgery activity contributes substantially to the financial well-being of the academic medical center.

  9. Financial ratios in diagnostic radiology practices: variability and trends.

    PubMed

    Hogan, Christopher; Sunshine, Jonathan H

    2004-03-01

    To evaluate variation in financial ratios for radiology practices nationwide and trends in these ratios and in payments. In 1999, the American College of Radiology surveyed radiology practices by mail. The final response rate was 66%. Weighting was used to make responses representative of all radiology practices in the United States. Self-reported financial ratios (payments, charges, accounts receivable turnover) were analyzed; 449 responses had usable data on these ratios. Comparison with results of a similar 1992 survey and combined analysis with Medicare data on billed charges provided information on trends. All measures of payment collections declined sharply from 1992 to 1999, with the gross collections rate (revenues as percentage of billed charges) decreasing from 71% to 55%. Average payment for a typical radiology service decreased approximately 4% in dollar terms or approximately 19% in inflation-adjusted terms. In 1999, nonmetropolitan practices appeared to fare better than others. Among insurers, Medicaid stood out as a low and slow payer, but neither managed care nor Medicare had a consistent effect on financial ratios. The gross collections rate varied substantially across geographic areas, as did, in an inverse pattern, the level of billed charges. One-quarter of practices had accounts receivable equal to 90 or more days of billings. The opposing geographic pattern of billed charges and gross collection rate suggests that geographic variation in the latter is driven more by variation in billed charges than by variation in payment levels. Radiologists saw a substantial decrease in the real (inflation-adjusted) value of payment per service during the 1990s. The large fraction of practices with accounts receivable of 90 or more days of billings-a level considered potentially imprudent by financial management advisors-suggests that many practices should improve financial management and that state prompt-payment laws have not had a substantial positive effect. Copyright RSNA, 2004

  10. Health Care Costs for Adults With Congenital Heart Disease in the United States 2002 to 2012.

    PubMed

    Briston, David A; Bradley, Elisa A; Sabanayagam, Aarthi; Zaidi, Ali N

    2016-08-15

    More adults than children with congenital heart disease (CHD) are alive today. Few studies have evaluated adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) health care utilization in the United States. Data from the National Inpatient Sample from 2002 to 2012, using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, codes for moderate and complex CHD were analyzed. Hospital discharges, total billed and reimbursed amounts, length of stay, and gender/age disparities were evaluated. There was an increase in CHD discharges (moderate CHD: 4,742 vs 6,545; severe CHD: 807 vs 1,115) and total billed and reimbursed dollar amounts across all CHD (billed: $2.7 vs $7.0 billion, 155% increase; reimbursed: $1.3 vs $2.3 billion, 99% increase) and in the ACHD subgroup (billed: $543 million vs $1.5 billion, 178% increase; reimbursed: $221 vs $433 million, 95% increase). Women comprised more discharges in 2002 but not in 2012 (men:women, 2002: 6,503 vs 7,805; 2012: 7,715 vs 7,200, p = 0.39). Gender-based billed amounts followed similar trends (2002: $263 vs $280 million; 2012: $845 vs $662 million, p = 0.006) as did reimbursements (2002: $108 vs $114 million; 2012: $243 vs $190 million, p = 0.008). All age subgroups demonstrated increased health care expenditures, including the >44 versus 18- to 44-year-old age subgroup (billed: $618 vs $347 million, p <0.001; reimbursed: $136 vs $75 million, p <0.001). Our results reveal increased ACHD billed and reimbursed amounts and hospital discharges with a shift in gender-based ACHD hospitalizations: men now account for more hospitalizations in the United States. In conclusion, increased health care expenditure in older patients with ACHD is likely to increase further as health care system use and costs continue to grow. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. 75 FR 73064 - Notice of Competing Preliminary Permit Applications Accepted for Filing and Soliciting Comments...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-29

    ... hydropower at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) C.W. Bill Young Lock and Dam located on the Allegheny... the proposed C.W. Bill Young Lock and Dam Projects: Lock+ Hydro Friends Fund XXXIX's project (Project... attached to the downstream side of the Corps dam which would support one frame module; (2) each frame...

  12. Assessing the Relationship between Ethical Project Management and Information Technology Project Success

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Howell, Byron Winter

    2010-01-01

    The purpose of this quantitative study was to assess the relationship between ethical project management and information technology (IT) project success. The success of IT projects is important for organizational success, but the rate of IT projects is historically low, costing billions of dollars annually. Using four key ethical variables…

  13. Water Infrastructure Finance and Innovation Act

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    How WIFIA works, program implementation, program guidance, how potential recipients can obtain funding, and project eligibility. WIFIA works with State Revolving Funds to provide subsidized financing for large dollar-value projects.

  14. Information Technology Project Processes: Understanding the Barriers to Improvement and Adoption

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Williams, Bernard L.

    2009-01-01

    Every year, organizations lose millions of dollars due to IT (Information Technology) project failures. Over time, organizations have developed processes and procedures to help reduce the incidence of challenged IT projects. Research has shown that IT project processes can work to help reduce the number of challenged projects. The research in this…

  15. Insurance coverage of customers induces dishonesty of sellers in markets for credence goods.

    PubMed

    Kerschbamer, Rudolf; Neururer, Daniel; Sutter, Matthias

    2016-07-05

    Honesty is a fundamental pillar for cooperation in human societies and thus for their economic welfare. However, humans do not always act in an honest way. Here, we examine how insurance coverage affects the degree of honesty in credence goods markets. Such markets are plagued by strong incentives for fraudulent behavior of sellers, resulting in estimated annual costs of billions of dollars to customers and the society as a whole. Prime examples of credence goods are all kinds of repair services, the provision of medical treatments, the sale of software programs, and the provision of taxi rides in unfamiliar cities. We examine in a natural field experiment how computer repair shops take advantage of customers' insurance for repair costs. In a control treatment, the average repair price is about EUR 70, whereas the repair bill increases by more than 80% when the service provider is informed that an insurance would reimburse the bill. Our design allows decomposing the sources of this economically impressive difference, showing that it is mainly due to the overprovision of parts and overcharging of working time. A survey among repair shops shows that the higher bills are mainly ascribed to insured customers being less likely to be concerned about minimizing costs because a third party (the insurer) pays the bill. Overall, our results strongly suggest that insurance coverage greatly increases the extent of dishonesty in important sectors of the economy with potentially huge costs to customers and whole economies.

  16. Insurance coverage of customers induces dishonesty of sellers in markets for credence goods

    PubMed Central

    Kerschbamer, Rudolf; Neururer, Daniel; Sutter, Matthias

    2016-01-01

    Honesty is a fundamental pillar for cooperation in human societies and thus for their economic welfare. However, humans do not always act in an honest way. Here, we examine how insurance coverage affects the degree of honesty in credence goods markets. Such markets are plagued by strong incentives for fraudulent behavior of sellers, resulting in estimated annual costs of billions of dollars to customers and the society as a whole. Prime examples of credence goods are all kinds of repair services, the provision of medical treatments, the sale of software programs, and the provision of taxi rides in unfamiliar cities. We examine in a natural field experiment how computer repair shops take advantage of customers’ insurance for repair costs. In a control treatment, the average repair price is about EUR 70, whereas the repair bill increases by more than 80% when the service provider is informed that an insurance would reimburse the bill. Our design allows decomposing the sources of this economically impressive difference, showing that it is mainly due to the overprovision of parts and overcharging of working time. A survey among repair shops shows that the higher bills are mainly ascribed to insured customers being less likely to be concerned about minimizing costs because a third party (the insurer) pays the bill. Overall, our results strongly suggest that insurance coverage greatly increases the extent of dishonesty in important sectors of the economy with potentially huge costs to customers and whole economies. PMID:27325784

  17. A Syrian man with abdominal pain.

    PubMed

    Chughtai, Mary; Hoencamp, Rigo; Bronkhorst, Maarten

    2017-05-22

    A 32-year-old man presented with progressive abdominal pain, nausea and vomiting after swallowing a packet of dollar bills, his entire money savings, during his journey to Europe as a refugee. Subsequent imaging confirmed the presence of a foreign body in his stomach, which required surgical intervention to be removed. This is one of many cases that illustrate the hopeless circumstances people in the Middle-Eastern warzone are currently facing. © BMJ Publishing Group Ltd (unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  18. The rising cost of NIH-funded biomedical research?

    PubMed

    Kennedy, T J

    1990-02-01

    During the last decade, total appropriations for the NIH have grown in current as well as constant dollars. Constant dollar expenditures for indirect costs and research project grants have increased, as also has the number of the latter, while such expenditures for research centers, training, and research contracts have shrunk. The most impressive redistribution in emphasis has been toward traditional research project grants (R01s). The size of the average R01 award, discounted for inflation, has grown at an annual rate of 1.1% during the last decade and 1.3% since fiscal year (FY) 1970; that of the average research program project (P01) has declined over the same periods, after a slight rise in the early 1970s. Factors contributing to the modest rise in the real (constant-dollar) size of the average R01 are explored. The regularity with which current-services-requirements estimates for the NIH exceed inflation reflects real growth in the program, particularly in the category of research project grants; the artifact of basing calculations on the post-rather than pre-"negotiated" levels of awards in the "current" year; and the extent to which the project periods of awards have been extended. The effect of lengthening project periods is slow to become manifest, but inexorably swells the pool of non-competing awards; decisions in this area undertaken in 1985, and continued at least through FY 1988, could very significantly increase current services requirements in FYs 1991 and 1992.

  19. Media framing and political advertising in the Patients' Bill of Rights debate.

    PubMed

    Rabinowitz, Aaron

    2010-10-01

    The purpose of this article is to assess the influence of interest groups over news content. In particular, I explore the possibility that political advertising campaigns affect the tenor and framing of newspaper coverage in health policy debates. To do so, I compare newspaper coverage of the Patients' Bill of Rights debate in 1999 in five states that were subject to extensive advertising campaigns with coverage in five comparison states that were not directly exposed to the advocacy campaigns. I find significant differences in coverage depending on the presence or absence of paid advertising campaigns, and conclude that readers were exposed to different perspectives and arguments about managed care regulation if the newspapers they read were published in states targeted by political advertisements. Specifically, newspaper coverage was 17 percent less likely to be supportive of managed care reform in states subject to advertising campaigns designed to foment opposition to the Patients' Bill of Rights. Understanding the ability of organized interests and political actors to successfully promote their preferred issue frames in a dynamic political environment is particularly important in light of the proliferation of interest groups, the prevalence of multimillion-dollar political advertising campaigns, and the health care reform debate under President Barack Obama.

  20. What if pediatric residents could bill for their outpatient services?

    PubMed

    Ng, M; Lawless, S T

    2001-10-01

    We prospectively studied the potential of billing and coding practices of pediatric residents in outpatient clinics and extrapolated our results to assess the financial implications of billing inaccuracies. Using Medicare as a common measure of "currency," we also used the relative value unit (RVU) and ambulatory payment class methodologies as means of assessing the productivity and financial value of resident-staffed pediatric clinics. Residents were asked to submit voluntarily shadow billing forms and documentation of outpatient clinic visits. Documentation of work was assessed by a blinded reviewer, and current procedure terminology evaluation and management codes were assigned. Comparisons between resident codes and calculated codes were made. Financial implications of physician productivity were calculated in terms of dollar amounts and RVUs. Resource intensity was measured using the ambulatory payment class methodology. A total of 344 charts were reviewed. Coding agreement for health maintenance visits was 86%, whereas agreement for acute care visits was 38%. Eighty-three percent of coding disagreement in the latter group was resulting from undercoding by residents. Errors accounted for a 4.79% difference in potential reimbursement for all visit types and a 19.10% difference for acute care visits. No significant differences in shadow billing discrepancies were found between different levels of training. Residents were predicted to generate $67 230, $87 593, and $96 072 in Medicare revenue in the outpatient clinic setting during each successive year of training. On average, residents generated 1.17 +/- 0.01 and 0.81 +/- 0.02 work RVUs for each health maintenance visit and office visit, respectively. Annual productivity from outpatient clinic settings was estimated at 548, 735, and 893 work RVUs in the postgraduate levels 1, 2, and 3, respectively. When pediatric residents are not trained adequately in proper coding practices, the potential for billing discrepancies is high and potential reimbursement differences may be substantial. Discussion of financial issues should be considered in curriculum development.

  1. Mining Power and Hydrocarbon Consciousness from the Monthly Electricity Bill: A Classroom Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Brien, William P., Jr.

    2007-01-01

    Residential monthly electricity bills provided by students in physics classes served as data for a project designed to help them develop a sense of scale for electric energy consumption referenced to their own electric lifestyles and insight into how these lifestyles depend heavily on various naturally occurring terrestrial hydrocarbon resources.…

  2. A bill to amend the Energy Policy Act of 2005 to modify the Pilot Project offices of the Federal Permit Streamlining Pilot Project.

    THOMAS, 113th Congress

    Sen. Hoeven, John [R-ND

    2013-02-07

    House - 06/20/2013 Held at the desk. (All Actions) Notes: For further action, see H.R.767, which became Public Law 113-69 on 12/26/2013. Tracker: This bill has the status Passed SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  3. Leadership in Project Management: A Study of the Relationship between Leadership Styles and Industry Type on Project Success

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Barrantes-Guevara, Rita I.

    2013-01-01

    Every year organizations invest billions of dollars in Information Technology (IT) projects; however, IT project success rates continue to be low. Several critical success factors are mentioned in the research literature, the leadership skills of the project manager being one of the most frequently cited in the recent project management…

  4. Collaborative Group Learning and Knowledge Building to Address Information Systems Project Failure

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Angelo, Raymond

    2011-01-01

    Approximately half of the information systems (IS) projects implemented each year are considered failures. These failed projects cost billions of dollars annually. Failures can be due to projects being delivered late, over-budget, abandoned after significant time and resource investment, or failing to achieve desired results. More often than not,…

  5. The 22-Modifier in Reimbursement for Orthopedic Procedures: Hip Arthroplasty and Obesity Are Worth the Effort.

    PubMed

    Smith, Eric L; Tybor, David J; Daniell, Hayley D; Naccarato, Laura A; Pevear, Mary E; Cassidy, Charles

    2018-02-21

    Orthopedic surgeons utilize the 22-modifier when billing for complex procedures under the American Medical Association's Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) for reasons such as excessive blood loss, anatomic abnormality, and morbid obesity, cases that would ideally be reimbursed at a higher rate to compensate for additional physician work and time. We investigated how the 22-modifier affects physician reimbursement in knee and hip arthroplasty. We queried hospital billing data from 2009 to 2016, identifying all cases performed at our urban tertiary care orthopedic center for knee arthroplasty (CPT codes 27438, 27447, 27487, and 27488) and hip arthroplasty (CPT codes 27130, 27132, 27134, 27236). We extracted patient insurance status and reimbursement data to compare the average reimbursement between cases with and without the 22-modifier. We analyzed data from 2605 procedures performed by 10 providers. There were 136 cases with 22-modifiers. For knee arthroplasty (n = 1323), the 22-modifier did not significantly increase reimbursement after adjusting for insurer, provider, and fiscal year (4.2% dollars higher on average, P = .159). For hip arthroplasty (n = 1282), cases with a 22-modifier had significantly higher reimbursement than those without the 22-modifier (6.2% dollars more, P = .049). For hip arthroplasty cases with a 22-modifier, those noting morbid obesity were reimbursed 29% higher than those cases with other etiology. The effect of the 22-modifier on reimbursement amount is differential between knee and hip arthroplasty. Hip arthroplasty procedures coded as 22-modifier are reimbursed more than those without the 22-modifier. Providers should consider these potential returns when considering submitting a 22-modifier. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Changing social policy: Grassroots to legislation.

    PubMed

    Lemiska, Liz; McCann, Eileen M; Mancuso, Margaret

    2002-05-01

    Health care in the United States has evolved into a multimillion dollar business. As the health care industry has grown, so too has government regulation and involvement. As both insurers and patients vie to get the most for their health care dollars, federal and state governments attempt to mediate, prevent fraud and abuse, and protect all parties involved. Consumers feel the effects of this "tug of war" in the form of higher copayments, premiums, and out-of-pocket costs, as well as denial of coverage. This denial of coverage sparked a very successful grassroots effort to stop commercial insurers in the state of Connecticut from defining ostomy supplies as cosmetic and thus denying reimbursement. A tremendous amount of collaboration between Connecticut WOC nurses, state legislators, local American Cancer Society advocates, United Ostomy Association chapter members, and health care providers resulted in a powerful mobilization and support for House Bill No. 5120. This bill went beyond defining ostomy supplies as medically necessary but also set a minimum rate for reimbursement. Social policy changed, improving the lives of Connecticut citizens with an ostomy. Although many people fear they do not have the power to make necessary changes in government, this experience proved otherwise. The collaboration that occurred was patient advocacy at its best. This article describes the process that allowed this successful collaboration to take place with the hope that others will be inspired to get involved with patient advocacy through political involvement. It is the intention of this work to capture the essence of dedication of a grassroots campaign involving a small group of well-organized, highly focused participants who were responsible for changing public health care policy in the state of Connecticut.

  7. An Update to the Budget and Economic Outlook: 2014 to 2024

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2014-08-01

    shares of gross domestic income (GDI). In principle , GDI equals GDP because each dollar of production yields a dollar of income; in practice, they...Projected Actual Percentage of GDP Percentage of the Population 1999 20092004 CONGRESS OF THE UNITED STATES CONGRESSIONAL BUDGET OFFICE CBO An Update to...the collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data

  8. Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Authority Project Abstracts; May 25-27, Portland, Oregon, 1997 Annual Review.

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

    Allee, Brian J.

    1997-06-26

    Abstracts are presented from the 1997 Columbia Basin Fish and Wildlife Program Review of Projects. The purpose was to provide information and education on the approximate 127 million dollars in Northwest electric ratepayer fish and wildlife mitigation projects funded annually.

  9. S-1 project. Volume I. Architecture. 1979 annual report

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

    Not Available

    1979-01-01

    The US Navy is one of the world's largest users of digital computing equipment having a procurement cost of at least $50,000, and is the single largest such computer customer in the Department of Defense. Its projected acquisition plan for embedded computer systems during the first half of the 80s contemplates the installation of over 10,000 such systems at an estimated cost of several billions of dollars. This expenditure, though large, is dwarfed by the 85 billion dollars which DOD is projected to spend during the next half-decade on computer software, the near-majority of which will be spent by themore » Navy; the life-cycle costs of the 700,000+ lines of software for a single large Navy weapons systems application (e.g., AEGIS) have been conservatively estimated at most of a billion dollars. The S-1 Project is dedicated to realizing potentially large improvements in the efficiency with which such very large sums may be spent, so that greater military effectiveness may be secured earlier, and with smaller expenditures. The fundamental objectives of the S-1 Project's work are first to enable the Navy to be able to quickly, reliably and inexpensively evaluate at any time what is available from the state-of-the-art in digital processing systems and what the relevance of such systems may be to Navy data processing applications: and second to provide reference prototype systems to support possible competitive procurement action leading to deployment of such systems.« less

  10. Institutional Venture Capital for the Space Industry: Providing Risk Capital for Space Companies that Provide Investor Returns

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Moore, Roscoe M., III

    2002-01-01

    provided by an institution. Those institutions tend to be Banks, Pension Funds, Insurance Funds, Corporations, and other incorporated entities that are obligated to earn a return on their invested capital. These institutions invest in a venture capital firm for the sole purpose of getting their money back with a healthy profit - within a set period of time. The venture capital firm is responsible for investing in and managing companies whose risk and return are higher than other less risky classes of investment. The venture capital firm's primary skill is its ability to manage the high risk of its venture investments while maintaining the high return potential of its venture investments. to businesses for the purpose of providing the above-mentioned Institutions a substantial return on their invested capital. Institutional Venture Capital for the Space Industry cannot be provided to projects or companies whose philosophy or intention is not to increase shareholder equity value within a set time period. efficiently when tied up in companies that intend to spend billions of dollars before the first dollar of revenue is generated. If 2 billion dollars of venture capital is invested in the equity of a Space Company for a minority equity position, then that Space Company must build that minority shareholder's equity value to a minimum investment return of 4 to 8 billion dollars. There are not many start-up companies that are able to reach public market equity valuations in the tens of billions of dollars within reasonable time horizons. Foundations, Manufacturers, and Strategic Investors can invest in projects that cannot realistically provide a substantial return on their equity to their investors within a reasonable period (5-7 years) of time. Venture Capitalists have to make money. Venture capitalists have made money on Satellite Television, Satellite Radio, Fixed Satellite Services, and other businesses. Venture capitalists have not made money on stand-alone aerospace projects that must create new markets to generate revenue.

  11. Systematic procedures to determine incentive/disincentive dollar amounts for highway transportation construction projects [research brief].

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-06-01

    The Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) has encouraged state transportation agencies (STAs) to implement Incentive/Disincentive (I/D) contracting provisions for early project completion to minimize traffic disruption during highway construction. Th...

  12. Optimal Dredge Fleet Scheduling, Phase 2

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2017-12-21

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) annually spends more than 100 million dollars on dredging hundreds of navigation projects on more than 12, 000 miles of inland and intra-coastal waterways. This project expands on a recently developed constrai...

  13. Identification of Strategies to Leverage Public and Private Resources for National Security Workforce Development

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

    None

    2009-02-01

    This report documents the identification of strategies to leverage public and private resources for the development of an adequate national security workforce as part of the National Security Preparedness Project (NSPP).There are numerous efforts across the United States to develop a properly skilled and trained national security workforce. Some of these efforts are the result of the leveraging of public and private dollars. As budget dollars decrease and the demand for a properly skilled and trained national security workforce increases, it will become even more important to leverage every education and training dollar. The leveraging of dollars serves many purposes.more » These include increasing the amount of training that can be delivered and therefore increasing the number of people reached, increasing the number and quality of public/private partnerships, and increasing the number of businesses that are involved in the training of their future workforce.« less

  14. Cost-effectiveness of social marketing of insecticide-treated nets for malaria control in the United Republic of Tanzania.

    PubMed Central

    Hanson, Kara; Kikumbih, Nassor; Armstrong Schellenberg, Joanna; Mponda, Haji; Nathan, Rose; Lake, Sally; Mills, Anne; Tanner, Marcel; Lengeler, Christian

    2003-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To assess the costs and consequences of a social marketing approach to malaria control in children by means of insecticide-treated nets in two rural districts of the United Republic of Tanzania, compared with no net use. METHODS: Project cost data were collected prospectively from accounting records. Community effectiveness was estimated on the basis of a nested case-control study and a cross-sectional cluster sample survey. FINDINGS: The social marketing approach to the distribution of insecticide-treated nets was estimated to cost 1560 US dollars per death averted and 57 US dollars per disability-adjusted life year averted. These figures fell to 1018 US dollars and 37 US dollars, respectively, when the costs and consequences of untreated nets were taken into account. CONCLUSION: The social marketing of insecticide-treated nets is an attractive intervention for preventing childhood deaths from malaria. PMID:12764493

  15. Development of a funding, cost, and spending model for satellite projects

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Johnson, Jesse P.

    1989-01-01

    The need for a predictive budget/funging model is obvious. The current models used by the Resource Analysis Office (RAO) are used to predict the total costs of satellite projects. An effort to extend the modeling capabilities from total budget analysis to total budget and budget outlays over time analysis was conducted. A statistical based and data driven methodology was used to derive and develop the model. Th budget data for the last 18 GSFC-sponsored satellite projects were analyzed and used to build a funding model which would describe the historical spending patterns. This raw data consisted of dollars spent in that specific year and their 1989 dollar equivalent. This data was converted to the standard format used by the RAO group and placed in a database. A simple statistical analysis was performed to calculate the gross statistics associated with project length and project cost ant the conditional statistics on project length and project cost. The modeling approach used is derived form the theory of embedded statistics which states that properly analyzed data will produce the underlying generating function. The process of funding large scale projects over extended periods of time is described by Life Cycle Cost Models (LCCM). The data was analyzed to find a model in the generic form of a LCCM. The model developed is based on a Weibull function whose parameters are found by both nonlinear optimization and nonlinear regression. In order to use this model it is necessary to transform the problem from a dollar/time space to a percentage of total budget/time space. This transformation is equivalent to moving to a probability space. By using the basic rules of probability, the validity of both the optimization and the regression steps are insured. This statistically significant model is then integrated and inverted. The resulting output represents a project schedule which relates the amount of money spent to the percentage of project completion.

  16. Project Manager Personality as a Factor for Success

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-03-01

    the project manager includes planning , 1 organizing, directing, and controlling the project (Program Management Institute, 2004; Kerzner, 2006). By...programs identified 5 percent cost growth per year from 2004 to 2007, costing $165 billion dollars more than originally planned (United States...Bjeirmi, 1996) and point out that good project managers can "contribute to project success, but are unlikely to prevent failure" ( de Witt, 1988, p

  17. 2005 Tri-Service Infrastructure Systems Conference and Exhibition. Volume 9, Tracks 9-11

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2005-08-04

    Walls ETL 1110-2-563, by John D. Clarkson and Robert C. Patev Belleville Locks & Dam Barge Accident on 6 Jan 05, by John Clarkson Portugues Dam Project...Update, by Alberto Gonzalez, Jim Mangold and Dave Dollar Portugues Dam: RCC Materials Investigation, by Jim Hinds Nonlinear Incremental Thermal Stress...Strain Analysis Portugues Dam, by David Dollar, Ahmed Nisar, Paul Jacob and Charles Logie Seismic Isolation of Mission-Critical Infrastructure to

  18. Incorporating Asymmetric Dependency Patterns in the Evaluation of IS/IT projects Using Real Option Analysis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burke, John C.

    2012-01-01

    The objective of my dissertation is to create a general approach to evaluating IS/IT projects using Real Option Analysis (ROA). This is an important problem because an IT Project Portfolio (ITPP) can represent hundreds of projects, millions of dollars of investment and hundreds of thousands of employee hours. Therefore, any advance in the…

  19. Optimal dredge fleet scheduling within environmental work windows.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2016-09-15

    The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) annually spends more than 100 million dollars on dredging hundreds of navigation projects on more than 12,000 miles of inland and intra-coastal waterways. Building on previous work with USACE, this project exp...

  20. Anti-choice amendment to foreign funding bill fails in Senate.

    PubMed

    1994-07-22

    In a 42 to 58 roll call vote on July 14, the Senate rejected an anti-choice amendment introduced by Senator Jesse Helms (R-NC) during floor debate on the fiscal 1995 Foreign Operations Appropriations bill. The amendment would have proscribed the use of federal dollars for lobbying foreign governments to change their abortion policies. Among the activities that would have been prohibited were efforts by federal agencies and officers of the executive branch, including support for resolutions or participation in activities of multilateral organizations that seek to change or alter abortion laws. In addition, the amendment sought to forbid the use of federal funds by any multilateral or private organization that seeks to alter abortion laws or policies. Many members of the Senate opposed the amendment because it would have restricted United States involvement in the International Conference on Population and Development (ICPD), which will be held in Cairo, Egypt, in September 1994. The amendment was also seen as an attack on the Clinton Administration's policy that abortion should be "safe, legal, and rare." full text

  1. Problems unique to offshore measurement

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

    Young, J.G.

    1995-12-01

    Most of us have arrived at this meeting in some kind of company provided transportation. This is supplied in order for us to do our assigned jobs. These may be trucks, or cars, or even helicopters, and maybe boats. All who are involved in the offshore industry know that transportation is the cost costly of all. The helicopter bill for our company is a bill which costs us somewhere in the 9 million dollar range. Since this costs us so much, we are constantly looking at ways to reduce this. The helicopters we use cost us $510.00 a flying hourmore » plus $28,000.00 a month for lease. These helicopters fly in the neighborhood of 140 miles per hour. You can quickly see how fast the cost can climb. We have two technicians, along with a pilot, and approx. 400 lbs of test gear and spare parts. You have to carry all you think you will need for the day`s activities because it`s a long and costly trip to go pick up some gasket material or an orifice plate.« less

  2. 2005 Tri-Service Infrastructure Systems Conference and Exhibition. Volume 11, Tracks 13 and 14

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2005-08-04

    Walls ETL 1110-2-563, by John D. Clarkson and Robert C. Patev Belleville Locks & Dam Barge Accident on 6 Jan 05, by John Clarkson Portugues Dam Project...Update, by Alberto Gonzalez, Jim Mangold and Dave Dollar Portugues Dam: RCC Materials Investigation, by Jim Hinds Nonlinear Incremental Thermal Stress...Strain Analysis Portugues Dam, by David Dollar, Ahmed Nisar, Paul Jacob and Charles Logie Seismic Isolation of Mission-Critical Infrastructure to

  3. Florida hospital saves 5.3 M dollars by adopting principles of lean manufacturing.

    PubMed

    2005-01-01

    Florida hospital saves 5.3M dollars by adopting principles of lean manufacturing. Surgery cancellations have been slashed from 13% of cases to less than 3%, while emergency department admissions have increased by 20%. Those are just two of the results of a quality improvement project at Lee Memorial Health System in Fort Myers, FL, that focused on using the principles of lean manufacturing to improve patient flow in the five-hospital system

  4. Enhancing discovery and saving money with MERIT.

    PubMed

    Epstein, Jonathan A

    2011-04-01

    The National Institutes of Health and many of our biomedical institutions face significant budgetary challenges that are likely to persist for the foreseeable future. The paylines for Research Project Grant (RO1) applications to the NIH will be near or below the tenth percentile, and many investigators are growing increasingly concerned about maintaining their research programs. One of the most concerning potential results of limited grant dollars is the natural tendency for researchers to propose conservative projects that are more likely to succeed, to do well in peer review, and to be funded, but that may not dramatically advance the field, and a concurrent tendency among study sections to reward proposals that are seen as safe, if uninspiring. Established and well-respected investigators may be (perhaps appropriately) given the benefit of the doubt when compared with less-established colleagues and may therefore command a growing percentage of the total available grant dollars, while simultaneously avoiding bold and potentially groundbreaking approaches. At the same time, fewer dollars are available for new investigators with unproven track records and for the expansion of newly successful programs.

  5. Flat-plate solar array progress and plans

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Callaghan, W. T.; Henry, P. K.

    1984-01-01

    The Flat-Plate Solar Array Project (FSA), sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), has achieved progress in a broad range of technical activities since that reported at the Fourth European Communities Conference. A particularly important analysis has been completed recently which confirms the adoption into practice by the U.S. Photovoltaic (PV Industry, of all the low-cost module technology elements proposed at the 16th Project Integration Meeting for a $2.80/Wp (1980 U.S. Dollars) design approach in the fall of 1980. This work presents along with a projection, using the same techniques, for what is believed to be a very credible ribbon-based module design for less that $0.55/Wp (1980 U.S. Dollars). Other areas to be reported upon include low-cost Si feedstock refinement; ribbon growth; process sequence development for cells; environmental isolation; engineering science investigations; and module testing progress.

  6. Bringing Researchers and Community Developers Together to Revitalize a Public Housing Project and Improve Health

    PubMed Central

    LeWinn, Kaja Z.; Hutson, Malo A.; Dare, Ramie; Falk, Janet

    2014-01-01

    Billions of dollars are invested annually to improve low-income neighborhoods, the health impacts of which are rarely studied prospectively. University of California researchers and Mercy Housing/The Related Companies formed a “Learning Community” with the dual goals of examining the health impacts of a large-scale San Francisco redevelopment project and informing the development team of best public health practices. Early experiences highlight challenges and opportunities, including differences in stakeholders, incentives, and funding, the strengths of local partnerships, and fresh insights from new analytic tools and perspectives. Research suggests interventions that ameliorate upstream causes of poor health would save health care dollars, but policy makers must incentivize collaboration in order to spread a Learning Community model. PMID:22068398

  7. Regulatory changes that affect coding for immunotherapy.

    PubMed

    Atwater, J Spencer

    2006-02-01

    During the past decade, a variety of federal regulations have had a significant impact on the way allergen immunotherapy is reimbursed and how Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) codes are used for this purpose. As mandated by the US Congress, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) through the Office of the Inspector General (OIG) targeted immunotherapy codes for scrutiny, because they are some of the most frequently used codes. To examine how federal regulations have affected reimbursement for allergy immunotherapy and other allergy services. A review was performed of the OIG survey of allergy immunotherapy and the OIG recommendations on CPT coding compliance guidelines. A preliminary survey found problems with medical appropriateness of allergen immunotherapy. For this reason, the OIG performed a more comprehensive study of 301 physicians using code 95165 to analyze by medical record and billing data whether the new billing rules were being correctly used and found that only 44% of physicians were following the new definition of a billable dose. In the early 1990s, the federal government served notice of its intent to more aggressively identify and prosecute health care providers who improperly billed and collected for medical services. Through the adoption of the 1991 US Sentencing Commission Guidelines, the government sought to enhance compliance by mandating lesser criminal penalties for violating organizations that nevertheless maintained and operated "effective compliance plans." In 2002, the OIG audited health care providers and recouped dollar 14.4 billion in improper payments by Medicare. Between January and June 2003, Medicare excluded 1,241 individual providers and health care entities due to fraudulent billing practices. Federal regulations have significantly affected reimbursement for allergy immunotherapy and other allergy services. Allergists need to be aware of these changes and implement the new recommendations into their practices.

  8. National health insurance scheme: how protected are households in Oyo State, Nigeria from catastrophic health expenditure?

    PubMed Central

    Ilesanmi, Olayinka Stephen; Adebiyi, Akindele Olupelumi; Fatiregun, Akinola Ayoola

    2014-01-01

    Background: The major objective of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in Nigeria is to protect families from the financial hardship of large medical bills. Catastrophic Health Expenditure (CHE) is rampart in Nigeria despite the take-off of the NHIS. This study aimed to determine if households enrolled in the NHIS were protected from having CHE. Methods: The study took place among 714 households in urban communities of Oyo State. CHE was measured using a threshold of 40% of monthly non-food expenditure. Descriptive statistics were done, Principal Component Analysis was used to divide households into wealth quintiles. Chi-square test and binary logistic regression were done. Results: The mean age of household respondent was 33.5 years. The median household income was 43,500 naira (290 US dollars) and the range was 7,000–680,000 naira (46.7–4,533 US dollars) in 2012. The overall median household healthcare cost was 890 naira (5.9 US dollars) and the range was 10-17,700 naira (0.1–118 US dollars) in 2012. In all, 67 (9.4%) households were enrolled in NHIS scheme. Healthcare services was utilized by 637 (82.9%) and CHE occurred in 42 (6.6%) households. CHE occurred in 14 (10.9%) of the households in the lowest quintile compared to 3 (2.5%) in the highest wealth quintile (P= 0.004). The odds of CHE among households in lowest wealth quintile is about 5 times. They had Crude OR (CI): 4.7 (1.3–16.8), P= 0.022. Non enrolled households were two times likely to have CHE, though not significant Conclusion: Households in the lowest wealth quintiles were at higher risk of CHE. Universal coverage of health insurance in Nigeria should be fast-tracked to give the expected financial risk protection and decreased incidence of CHE. PMID:24847483

  9. National health insurance scheme: how protected are households in Oyo State, Nigeria from catastrophic health expenditure?

    PubMed

    Ilesanmi, Olayinka Stephen; Adebiyi, Akindele Olupelumi; Fatiregun, Akinola Ayoola

    2014-05-01

    The major objective of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) in Nigeria is to protect families from the financial hardship of large medical bills. Catastrophic Health Expenditure (CHE) is rampart in Nigeria despite the take-off of the NHIS. This study aimed to determine if households enrolled in the NHIS were protected from having CHE. The study took place among 714 households in urban communities of Oyo State. CHE was measured using a threshold of 40% of monthly non-food expenditure. Descriptive statistics were done, Principal Component Analysis was used to divide households into wealth quintiles. Chi-square test and binary logistic regression were done. The mean age of household respondent was 33.5 years. The median household income was 43,500 naira (290 US dollars) and the range was 7,000-680,000 naira (46.7-4,533 US dollars) in 2012. The overall median household healthcare cost was 890 naira (5.9 US dollars) and the range was 10-17,700 naira (0.1-118 US dollars) in 2012. In all, 67 (9.4%) households were enrolled in NHIS scheme. Healthcare services was utilized by 637 (82.9%) and CHE occurred in 42 (6.6%) households. CHE occurred in 14 (10.9%) of the households in the lowest quintile compared to 3 (2.5%) in the highest wealth quintile (P= 0.004). The odds of CHE among households in lowest wealth quintile is about 5 times. They had Crude OR (CI): 4.7 (1.3-16.8), P= 0.022. Non enrolled households were two times likely to have CHE, though not significant Conclusion: Households in the lowest wealth quintiles were at higher risk of CHE. Universal coverage of health insurance in Nigeria should be fast-tracked to give the expected financial risk protection and decreased incidence of CHE.

  10. Determining significance within CEQA: a new UC program to assist planners in conserving oak woodlands

    Treesearch

    Gregory A. Giusti; Douglas D. McCreary

    2008-01-01

    In 2004, the California State Legislature passed Senate Bill 1334 (Bill), titled Oak Woodlands Conservation: Environmental Quality. This Bill states, “A county…shall determine whether a project within its jurisdiction may result in a conversion of oak woodlands that will have a significant effect on the environment”. Once a determination has been...

  11. A Musical Intervention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wheeler, David L.

    2012-01-01

    In this article, the author describes a multimillion-dollar project that aims to save traditional expressions of music from around the world and reflects a shift in ethnomusicology. The $5-million project led by Huib Schippers on "sustainable cultures for music futures" is using nine case studies, including Western opera, Balinese…

  12. Report: EPA’s Allowing States to Use Bonds to Meet Revolving Fund Match Requirements Reduces Funds Available for Water Projects

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Report #2007-P-00012, March 29, 2007. EPA regulations and policies allowing States to use bonds repaid from SRF interest to meet SRF match requirements are resulting in fewer dollars being available for water projects.

  13. US Advanced Freight and Passenger MAGLEV System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Morena, John J.; Danby, Gordon; Powell, James

    1996-01-01

    Japan and Germany will operate first generation Maglev passenger systems commercially shortly after 2000 A.D. The United States Maglev systems will require sophisticated freight and passenger carrying capability. The U.S. freight market is larger than passenger transport. A proposed advanced freight and passenger Maglev Project in Brevard County Florida is described. Present Maglev systems cost 30 million dollars or more per mile. Described is an advanced third generation Maglev system with technology improvements that will result in a cost of 10 million dollars per mile.

  14. Return on investment. What is ROI and how to use it.

    PubMed

    Cotter, Steve

    2014-08-01

    Formulated and interpreted correctly, ROI tools and techniques can be very useful for EMS managers when evaluating various competing projects and initiatives within the organization. More so, decision makers and elected bodies responsible for approving the financial support of these initiatives are demanding that they be presented with a more complete picture of the return for any dollars allocated under ever-tightening financial considerations that all organizations face today. ROI can be a powerful tool in supporting your organization when competing for limited dollars.

  15. Low cost solar array project. Experimental process system development unit for producing semiconductor-grade silicon using the silane-to-silicon process

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1980-01-01

    Technical activities are reported in the design of process, facilities, and equipment for producing silicon at a rate and price comensurate with production goals for low cost solar cell modules. The silane-silicone process has potential for providing high purity poly-silicon on a commercial scale at a price of fourteen dollars per kilogram by 1986, (1980 dollars). Commercial process, economic analysis, process support research and development, and quality control are discussed.

  16. American Indians and Minnesota's Private Colleges. An Evaluation of the Minnesota Private College Research Foundation's Indian Education Project, 1971-72 -- 1974-75.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Panitz, Emanuel

    The Minnesota Private College Research Foundation - Indian Education Project (MPCRF-IEP) provided additional financial support for programs that were unique, developmental, and Indian in their approach to expansion of higher educational opportunities for Native American students. Funding allocated by the Project was made on a dollar for dollar…

  17. "Immersive Education" Submerges Students in Online Worlds Made for Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Foster, Andrea L.

    2007-01-01

    Immersive Education is a multimillion-dollar project devoted to build virtual-reality software exclusively for education within commercial and nonprofit fantasy spaces like Second Life. The project combines interactive three-dimensional graphics, Web cameras, Internet-based telephony, and other digital media. Some critics have complained that…

  18. South Texas Maquiladora Suppliers Project.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Patrick, J. Michael

    This project was undertaken to assist South Texas industries in improving export to nearby Mexican maquiladoras (factories). The maquiladora program is based on co-production by two plants under a single management, one on each side of the border. Activities addressed four objectives: (1) to determine the dollar value, quantity, and source of the…

  19. OMB estimates indicate that 900,000 children will lose health insurance due to reductions in federal SCHIP funding.

    PubMed

    Park, Edwin; Ku, Leighton; Broaddus, Matthew

    2003-01-01

    Despite the success of the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) in reducing the ranks of uninsured children, the program now faces significant financing challenges. Analysis based on a model developed by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services indicates that by 2007, 20 states will have insufficient federal funding to sustain their current programs, with the first states affected in 2004. As a result, the Office of Management and Budget projected last year that SCHIP enrollment will fall by 900,000 children between 2003 and 2007. The funding shortfalls are the result of several factors. Federal SCHIP funding fell by 26 percent--by more than dollar 1 billion-in each of fiscal years 2002, 2003, and 2004; dollar 1.2 billion in SCHIP funds has already expired and reverted to the Treasury at the end of fiscal year 2002, and another dollar 1.5 billion will expire at the end of 2003. The SCHIP program also has a redistribution system with targeting and timing problems. However, proposed Congressional legislation restoring federal funding, extending the dollar 2.7 billion in expiring funds, and targeting the funds to the states that most need them could avert most, if not all, of the projected enrollment decline. On the other hand, the Bush administration proposed to extend the expiring funds but does not target them to needy states; the proposal will do little to reduce the magnitude of the decline.

  20. Implementing transit coordination in North Dakota pilot regions.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-12-01

    This project was designed to facilitate further regional transit coordination in North Dakota as mandated by the 2009 Legislature when it enacted Senate Bill No. 2223, a copy of which is presented in Figure 1.1. The intent of the bill was to coordina...

  1. A bill to reinstate and extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a hydroelectric project involving the American Falls Reservoir.

    THOMAS, 111th Congress

    Sen. Risch, James E. [R-ID

    2010-03-10

    Senate - 05/24/2010 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 403. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  2. Prevention of hospital payment errors and implications for case management: a study of nine hospitals with a high proportion of short-term admissions over time.

    PubMed

    Hightower, Rebecca E

    2008-01-01

    Since the publication of the first analysis of Medicare payment error rates in 1998, the Office of Inspector General and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services have focused resources on Medicare payment error prevention programs, now referred to as the Hospital Payment Monitoring Program. The purpose of the Hospital Payment Monitoring Program is to educate providers of Medicare Part A services in strategies to improve medical record documentation and decrease the potential for payment errors through appropriate claims completion. Although the payment error rates by state (and dollars paid in error) have decreased significantly, opportunities for improvement remain as demonstrated in this study of nine hospitals with a high proportion of short-term admissions over time. Previous studies by the Quality Improvement Organization had focused on inpatient stays of 1 day or less, a primary target due to the large amount of Medicare dollars spent on these admissions. Random review of Louisiana Medicare admissions revealed persistent medical record documentation and process issues regardless of length of stay as well as the opportunity for significant future savings to the Medicare Trust Fund. The purpose of this study was to determine whether opportunities for improvement in reduction of payment error continue to exist for inpatient admissions of greater than 1 day, despite focused education provided by Louisiana Health Care Review, the Louisiana Medicare Quality Improvement Organization, from 1999 to 2005, and to work individually with the nine selected hospitals to assist them in reducing the number of unnecessary short-term admissions and billing errors in each hospital by a minimum of 50% by the end of the study period. Inpatient Short-Term Acute Care Hospitals. A sample of claims for short-term stays (defined as an inpatient admission with a length of stay of 3 days or less excluding deaths, interim bills for those still a patient and those who left against medical advice) occurring during the baseline and remeasurement time frames was examined. The baseline period consisted of 1 month's claims-the complete month just prior to the start of approved project activities. Remeasurement was performed by each hospital and reported to the Quality Improvement Organization on a monthly basis following implementation of the hospital's quality improvement plan. Each hospital was required to provide a monthly remeasurement report by indicator until it had met its stated goal(s) for improvement for 2 consecutive months; therefore, each hospital completed its required monthly reporting for a specific indicator in a different month. Results were calculated for the following indicators: INDICATOR 1: Proportion of unnecessary short-term admissions = number of unnecessary short-term inpatient admissions/total short-term inpatient admissions in time frame. INDICATOR 2: Proportion of errors in billed treatment setting, that is, outpatient observation billed as inpatient = number of errors in billed treatment setting/total short-term admissions in time frame.Six of the 9 hospitals were able to accomplish reduction of their error rates within 6 months from the beginning of the study. The seventh hospital reached its goals in the 7th month, with the 2 remaining hospitals making progress toward their goals by the conclusion of the study. 1 Case managers must be up-to-date with payor requirements regarding medical record documentation for medical necessity of services and timing of inpatient admission, e.g., for Medicare, the date and time of the written physician's order for admission to the inpatient care setting is the date and time of inpatient admission. 2 The balancing of clinical decisions and financial considerations required of case managers in hospital settings remains an ongoing challenge. 3 Senior leadership must be engaged in ensuring the success of the case management program by providing the resources required. 4 Managers of case management programs must have in place an effective process to address compliance with changes in federal and state regulations and maintain collaborative relationships with senior leaders responsible for clinical, financial, and strategic plans and goals for the organization. 5 The case management process must include all related services, e.g., admissions, nursing services, health information management, finance/business services, contracting, medical staff, etc.

  3. EnergySavers: Tips on Saving Money & Energy at Home (Brochure)

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

    Not Available

    The U.S. Department of Energy's consumer guide to saving money and energy at home and on the road. It consists of the following articles: (1) Save Money and Energy Today - Get started with things you can do now, and use the whole-house approach to ensure that your investments are wisely made to save you money and energy; (2) Your Home's Energy Use - Find out how your home uses energy, and where it's losing the most energy so you can develop a plan to save in the short and long term; (3) Air Leaks and Insulation - Seal airmore » leaks and insulate your home properly so your energy dollars don't seep through the cracks; (4) Heating and Cooling - Use efficient systems to heat and cool your home, and save money and increase comfort by properly maintaining and upgrading equipment; (5) Water Heating - Use the right water heater for your home, insulate it and lower its temperature, and use less water to avoid paying too much; (6) Windows - Enjoy light and views while saving money by installing energy-efficient windows, and use strategies to keep your current windows from losing energy; (7) Lighting - Choose today's energy-efficient lighting for some of the easiest and cheapest ways to reduce your electric bill; (8) Appliances - Use efficient appliances through-out your home, and get greater performance with lower energy bills; (9) Home Office and Electronics - Find out how much energy your electronics use, reduce their out-put when you're not using them, and choose efficient electronics to save money; (10) Renewable Energy - Use renewable energy at home such as solar and wind to save energy dollars while reducing environmental impact; (11) Transportation - Choose efficient transportation options and drive more efficiently to save at the gas pump; and (12) References - Use our reference list to learn more about energy efficiency and renewable energy.« less

  4. Manhattan Project National Historical Park Act

    THOMAS, 112th Congress

    Rep. Hastings, Doc [R-WA-4

    2012-06-21

    House - 09/20/2012 On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Failed by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 237 - 180 (Roll no. 591). (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Failed HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  5. A bill to reinstate and extend the deadline for commencement of construction of a hydroelectric project involving the Little Wood River Ranch.

    THOMAS, 111th Congress

    Sen. Risch, James E. [R-ID

    2010-03-10

    Senate - 05/24/2010 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 404. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  6. 75 FR 44851 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request for Regulation Project

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-29

    ... Reduction Act of 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is soliciting... Income and Earnings and Profits under the Dollar Approximate Separate Transactions Method of Accounting... Transactions Method of Accounting (DASTM). OMB Number: 1545-1051. Regulation Project Number: INTL-29-91...

  7. Indian Tribal Trade and Investment Demonstration Project Act of 2011

    THOMAS, 112th Congress

    Rep. Cole, Tom [R-OK-4

    2011-06-24

    House - 07/23/2012 On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Failed by the Yeas and Nays: (2/3 required): 222 - 160 (Roll no. 499). (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Failed HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  8. Budget update: Future is looking gloomier for science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    As the wheels of the new Republican-controlled Congress have been turning, it looks like belts are indeed going to be tighter around U.S. research and development budgets. In mid-March, the House Budget Committee voted to cut $100 billion over the next five years from federal agency budgets and published guidelines for how this could be done. NASA's Earth Observing System and the U.S. Geological Survey were again mentioned as potential targets and so was the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. If the reduction bill goes the legislative mile, the appropriations committees in each house of Congress will have to figure out where the cuts will fall. Republican and Democratic members of the House Science Committee quickly jumped into the traditional fray with their respective “Views and Estimates” on how science dollars should be doled out for fiscal year 1996. President Clinton has also jumped in the budget-cutting game with the release last week of a plan to cut $13 billion from four federal agencies over the next 5 years. In the meantime, a rescission bill for FY 1995 has been on the fast track through Congress. Here are some of the latest highlights:

  9. In Congress NOAA budget set

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Richman, Barbara T.

    In late November, President Ronald Reagan signed into law the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) budget, which is part of the appropriations bill for the Departments of Commerce, Justice, State, the Judiciary, and related agencies; at the same time, he also signed into law an amendment attached to that bill that prohibits the sale of the weather satellites (Eos, May 17, 1983, p. 377, and March 22, 1983, p. 113). Commercialization of the land remote sensing satellite system is still being considered, however.As a result of the conference between the House of Representatives and the Senate appropriations committees, the appropriation for NOAA totals $1020.6 million, with a program level of $1073.1 million. The appropriation is the money that comes from the federal treasury; the program level represents all of the funds—including treasury funds, transfers, residuals, etc.—actually available for the program. Strictly in terms of dollars, the total fiscal 1984 NOAA appropriation is almost level with the fiscal 1983 appropriation of $1000.9 million. In fiscal 1984, NOAA's research core, called Operations, Research, and Facilities (ORF), receives an appropriation of $988.2 million, with a program level of $1014.8 million

  10. 75 FR 51881 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request for Regulation Project

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-08-23

    ... Corporations. The regulation provides that financial statement information must be expressed in U.S. dollars translated according to U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and permits functional reporting of...

  11. 7 CFR 1291.4 - Eligible grant project.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... partners. (d) Multi-state projects that address solutions to problems that cross state boundaries are... 7 Agriculture 10 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Eligible grant project. 1291.4 Section 1291.4... PROGRAM-FARM BILL § 1291.4 Eligible grant project. (a) To be eligible for a grant, the project(s) must...

  12. Silicon material task - Low cost solar array project /JPL/DOE/

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lutwack, R.

    1979-01-01

    The paper describes the silicon material task of the low-cost solar array project, which has the objective of establishing a silicon production capability equivalent to 500 mW per year at a price less than 10 dollars/kg (1975 dollars) in 1986. The task program is divided into four phases: technical feasibility, scale-up studies (the present phase), experimental process system development units, and implementation of large-scale production plants, and it involves the development of processes for two groups of materials, that is, semiconductor grade and solar cell grade. In addition, the effects of impurities on solar cell performance are being investigated. Attention is given to problem areas of the task program, such as environmental protection, material compatibility between the reacting chemicals and materials of construction of the equipment, and waste disposal.

  13. MarketBusting: strategies for exceptional business growth.

    PubMed

    McGrath, Rita Gunther; MacMillan, Ian C

    2005-03-01

    If company leaders were granted a single wish, it would surely be for a reliable way to create new growth businesses. Business practitioners'overwhelming interest in this subject prompted the authors to conduct a three-year study of organizational growth--specifically, to find out which growth strategies were most successful. They discovered, somewhat to their surprise, that even companies in mature industries found rich new sources of growth when they reconfigured their unit of business (what they bill customers for) or their key metrics (how they measure success). In this article, the authors outline these and other moves companies can make to redefine their profit drivers and realize low-risk growth. They offer plenty of real-world examples. For instance: CHANGING YOUR UNIT OF BUSINESS: Once a conventional printing house, Madden Communications not only prints promotional materials for customers but also manages the distribution and installation of those materials on-site. Its revenues grew from dollars 1o million in 1990 to dollars 133 million in 2004, in an industry that many had come to regard as hopelessly mature. IMPROVING YOUR KEY METRICS-PARTICULARLY PRODUCTIVITY: Lamons Gasket, with dollars 80 million in revenues, built a Web site that radically improved its customers' ability to find, order, and pay for goods. The firm's market share rose along with its customer retention rate. The authors also suggest ways to identify your unit of business and associated key metrics and recognize the obstacles to changing them; review the key customer segments you serve; assess the need for new capabilities and the potential for internal resistance to change; and communicate to internal and external constituencies the changes you wish to make in your unit of business or key metrics.

  14. Boosting Student Achievement: The Effect of Comprehensive School Reform on Student Achievement

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gross, Betheny; Booker, T. Kevin; Goldhaber, Dan

    2009-01-01

    Between the late 1980s and early 2000s, schools, districts, states, and the federal government devoted enormous resources to the implementation of Comprehensive School Reform (CSR) models. With more than 1.6 billion federal dollars distributed through the Comprehensive School Reform Demonstration (CSRD) project and its successor, the CSR project,…

  15. Data Flow in Relation to Life-Cycle Costing of Construction Projects in the Czech Republic

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Biolek, Vojtěch; Hanák, Tomáš; Marović, Ivan

    2017-10-01

    Life-cycle costing is an important part of every construction project, as it makes it possible to take into consideration future costs relating to the operation and demolition phase of a built structure. In this way, investors can optimize the project design to minimize the total project costs. Even though there have already been some attempts to implement BIM software in the Czech Republic, the current state of affairs does not support automated data flow between the bill of costs and applications that support building facility management. The main aim of this study is to critically evaluate the current situation and outline a future framework that should allow for the use of the data contained in the bill of costs to manage building operating costs.

  16. Cost-benefit analysis of first-generation antihistamines in the treatment of allergic rhinitis.

    PubMed

    Sullivan, Patrick W; Follin, Sheryl L; Nichol, Michael B

    2004-01-01

    The majority of individuals with allergic rhinitis in the US take first-generation antihistamines (FGAs). Although FGAs have been proven effective in alleviating allergic rhinitis symptoms, they have been associated with an increased risk of motor vehicle, aviation and occupational injuries and deaths, reduced productivity and impaired learning. The objective of this analysis was to quantify the total costs and benefits of FGA use in the US from the societal perspective. We used a decision-analytic model to quantify the annual societal costs and benefits of treatment with FGAs compared with the hypothetical alternative of no treatment for the population of individuals with allergic rhinitis and taking FGAs in the US in 2001. The benefit associated with FGA use was estimated using the willingness-to-pay framework and projected to the US population using published estimates of the prevalence of allergic rhinitis. The costs of FGA-associated sedation included lost productivity and the direct and indirect cost of unintentional injuries (including motor vehicle, occupational, public and home injuries and fatalities). The incidence of injuries and fatalities associated with FGA use was estimated using the risk of injury attributable to the sedentary effects of FGAs in the allergic rhinitis population. To evaluate uncertainty in the model assumptions, a probabilistic sensitivity analysis was conducted using Bayesian second-order Monte Carlo simulation. Costs and benefits are expressed in 2001 US dollars, using a 3% discount rate. Based on current utilisation, the total societal benefit (95% credible interval) associated with the use of FGAs for the treatment of allergic rhinitis was US 7.7 billion dollars (US 1.3 billion dollars to US 21 billion dollars). The societal cost of purchasing FGAs was only US 697 million dollars. However, the societal cost of FGA-associated sedation was US 11.3 billion dollars (US 2.4 billion dollars to US 50.8 billion dollars). The annual societal net benefit of FGA use for the treatment of allergic rhinitis in the US was -US4.2 billion dollars (-US 36 billion dollars to +US 0.296 billion dollars). The net benefit was negative in 97% of the 10,000 Monte Carlo simulations. The societal benefits of FGA use in alleviating the symptoms of allergic rhinitis are significant. However, based on the assumptions, probability distributions and parameter estimate ranges used in the current model, it is very likely that the costs associated with sedation exceed the benefits of FGA use in the US. The cost of FGA-associated sedation is comparable to estimates of the cost of all medical care expenditures on respiratory conditions in the US (US 12.1 billion dollars to US 31.3 billion dollars) [1996 values] and provides compelling evidence of the economic burden of sedation associated with FGA use.

  17. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers: Building Overhead Costs into Projects and Customers’ Views on Information Provided

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-06-01

    U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS Building Overhead Costs into Projects and Customers ’ Views on Information Provided...Overhead Costs into Projects and Customers ’ Views on Information Provided 5a. CONTRACT NUMBER 5b. GRANT NUMBER 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S...and Customers ’ Views on Information Provided Why GAO Did This Study The Corps spends billions of dollars annually on projects in its Civil Works

  18. AB 9: California bill would end county mandate for last-resort care, including communicable diseases.

    PubMed

    1996-02-16

    The California Assembly passed a bill to end the current requirement that counties provide general assistance and medical care as last resort care to persons who do not have access to Medi-Cal or private insurance. There is concern that all counties will close the facilities and reduce or eliminate last resort care, leaving people with no access to treatment when they become ill. The bill is now in the California State Senate. AIDS organizations are urging Californians to call their state senator and urge them to oppose the bill. More information is available by contacting AIDS Project Los Angeles, Life AIDS Lobby (916)444-0424, or ACT UP/Golden Gate.

  19. Look beyond the Obvious Energy Savers to Conserve School Dollars.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wisniewski, Adrian T.

    1985-01-01

    Describes a Milwaukee, Wisconsin, school system's energy conservation project that insulated utility tunnels and pipes in two schools. Energy savings will pay back the insulation cost in less than two years. (MD)

  20. Railroad decision support tools for track maintenance.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2016-01-01

    North American railroads spend billions of dollars each year on track maintenance. With : expenditures of this level, incremental improvements in planning or execution of maintenance projects can result in either substantial savings or the ability to...

  1. 78 FR 5461 - Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-01-25

    ... for Native Americans' (ANA) established Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) measures, and (2... projects assisted through ANA grant dollars ``including evaluations that describe and measure the impact of... Colleges and Universities. [[Page 5462

  2. Implementation of Strategies to Leverage Public and Private Resources for National Security Workforce Development

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

    None

    2009-04-01

    This report documents implementation strategies to leverage public and private resources for the development of an adequate national security workforce as part of the National Security Preparedness Project (NSPP), being performed under a U.S. Department of Energy (DOE)/National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) grant. There are numerous efforts across the United States to develop a properly skilled and trained national security workforce. Some of these efforts are the result of the leveraging of public and private dollars. As budget dollars decrease and the demand for a properly skilled and trained national security workforce increases, it will become even more important tomore » leverage every education and training dollar. This report details some of the efforts that have been implemented to leverage public and private resources, as well as implementation strategies to further leverage public and private resources.« less

  3. Optimization of Composition and Heat Treating of Die Steels for Extended Lifetime

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

    David Schwam; John F. Wallace; Quanyou Zhou

    2002-01-30

    An ''average'' die casting die costs fifty thousand dollars. A die used in making die cast aluminum engine blocks can cost well over one million dollars. These costs provide a strong incentive for extension of die life. While vacuum quenched Premium Grade H13 dies have become the most widely used in the United States, tool makers and die casters are constantly searching for new steels and heat treating procedures to extend die life. This project was undertaken to investigate the effects of composition and heat treating on die life and optimize these parameters.

  4. In Search of Craft

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schwalbe, Michael

    2010-01-01

    In the spring of 2009, this author asked the director of North Carolina State's Crafts Center to help him find people who might be willing to participate in a project about skill. Bill Wallace, an occasional teacher at the Crafts Center, was one of the people recommended to him. Bill Wallace is a man who can look at a tree and instinctively know…

  5. A bill to increase the maximum mortgage amount limitations under the Federal Housing Administration mortgage insurance programs for multi-family housing projects with elevators and for extremely high-cost areas.

    THOMAS, 111th Congress

    Sen. Schumer, Charles E. [D-NY

    2010-08-04

    Senate - 08/04/2010 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  6. A bill to amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to clarify that uncertified States and Indian tribes have the authority to use certain payments for certain noncoal reclamation projects.

    THOMAS, 111th Congress

    Sen. Bingaman, Jeff [D-NM

    2009-12-03

    Senate - 08/05/2010 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 534. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  7. A framework for projecting the potential statewide vehicle miles traveled (VMT) reduction from state-level strategies in California : a National Center for Sustainable Transportation white paper.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2017-03-01

    The California Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006 (Assembly Bill 32) created a : comprehensive, multi-year program to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in the state to : 80% below 1990 levels by 2050. With the recent passage of Senate Bill 32, ...

  8. Educational Development in Thailand: The Role of World Bank Lending. A World Bank Operations Evaluation Study.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    World Bank, Washington, DC.

    The World Bank's Operation Evaluation Department (OED) evaluates educational development in Thailand and assesses the cumulative impact of the Bank's projects on development in that country. From 1966 to date, the Bank supported six education projects with an estimated cost of a half billion dollars. The report covers: (1) economic and educational…

  9. Projection matrices as a forest management tool: an invasive tree case study

    Treesearch

    Ian J. Renne; Benjamin F. Tracy; Timothy P. Spira

    2003-01-01

    Life history parameters of many forest-dwelling species are affected by native and non-native pests. In turn, these pests alter forest processes and cost the United States billions of dollars annually. Population projection matrices can aid ecologists and managers in evaluating the impact of pests on forest species as well as devising effective strategies for pest...

  10. Project Enlightenment Evaluation, 2011-12. Eye on Evaluation. D&A Report No. 12.11

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rhea, Anisa; Baenen, Nancy; Paeplow, Colleen

    2012-01-01

    Project Enlightenment, part of the Wake County Public School System (WCPSS), has been providing services to children ages birth through 5 years, their parents, and teachers in childcare and preschool settings since 1969. With a local and grant funded budget of just over 2 million dollars, staff members served about 2,400 children in 2011-12. The…

  11. Organizational Behavior Analysis Focusing on the University of Texas System

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Terry, Bobby K.

    2011-01-01

    This project analyzes the organizational behavior of the University of Texas System. The University of Texas System is comprised of nine academic and six health institutions. The University of Texas System has over 85,000 employees; the student enrollment is 202,240 with a budget of $2.25 billion dollars. This project has a total of four parts and…

  12. Annual Report and Evaluation, ESEA Title I (P. L. 89-10), Fiscal Year 1972.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cupp, Marion E.; Farris, Dale

    In the State of Washington, 297 of 316 local school districts operated Title I, Elementary Secondary Education Act projects during Fiscal Year 1972 with approximately 12,272,000 dollars appropriated. The bulk of Title I funds (85 percent) supported project activities in the 25 largest school districts where most of the target populations are…

  13. [Reviewing the shared strategy health bill: further measures to meet the structural challenges of the health system].

    PubMed

    Lombrail, Pierre

    2014-01-01

    This article reviews the draft health bill entitled "Federate health professionals around a shared strategy", currently submitted for consultation in the context of the national health strategy in France. This bill comprises innovative measures for prevention and health care in France. In particular, it is designed to develop, strengthen and structure the prevention sector, especially in children and young people. It is also designed to organize health care trajectories and acquire the necessary tools to promote their development. However, the bill sometimes presents limited ambitions in terms of objectives and means. In particular, the project comprises almost none of the necessary actions on the social determinants of health. Overall, the orientations of this bill represent a first major step towards a health policy in France beyond the field of health care. However, we must remain vigilant concerning application of these orientations in the process of elaboration of the bill and its related regulations, and implementation of the national health strategy.

  14. Safety and mobility impacts of winter weather : phase I.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2011-08-01

    Highway agencies spend millions of dollars to ensure safe and efficient winter travel. However, the effectiveness of winter weather maintenance practices on safety and mobility are somewhat difficult to quantify. : Phase I of this project investigate...

  15. User guide : process for quantifying the benefits of research.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2017-07-01

    The Minnesota Department of Transportation Research Services has adopted a process for quantifying the monetary benefits of research projects, such as the dollar value of particular ideas when implemented across the states transportation system. T...

  16. H. R. 3743: This Act may be cited as the Iran Nuclear Proliferation Prevention Act of 1998, Introduced in the House of Representatives, One Hundred Fifth Congress, Second Session, April 29, 1998

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

    Not Available

    1998-04-29

    The purpose of this bill is to withhold voluntary proportional assistance for programs and projects of the International Atomic Energy Agency relating to the development and completion of the Bushehr nuclear power plant in Iran, and for other purposes. This bill is divided into the following sections: Section 1. Short Title; Section 2. Findings; Section 3. Withholding of voluntary contributions to the International Atomic Energy Agency for programs and projects in Iran. Section 4. Annual review by Secretary of State of programs and projects of the International Atomic Energy Agency; United States opposition to programs and projects of the Agencymore » in Iran; Section 5. Reporting Requirements; and Section 7. Sense of the Congress.« less

  17. Urologic diseases in America Project: analytical methods and principal findings.

    PubMed

    Litwin, Mark S; Saigal, Christopher S; Yano, Elizabeth M; Avila, Chantal; Geschwind, Sandy A; Hanley, Jan M; Joyce, Geoffrey F; Madison, Rodger; Pace, Jennifer; Polich, Suzanne M; Wang, Mingming

    2005-03-01

    The burden of urological diseases on the American public is immense in human and financial terms but it has been under studied. We undertook a project, Urologic Diseases in America, to quantify the burden of urological diseases on the American public. We identified public and private data sources that contain population based data on resource utilization by patients with benign and malignant urological conditions. Sources included the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, National Center for Health Statistics, Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, Department of Veterans Affairs, National Association of Children's Hospitals and Related Institutions, and private data sets maintained by MarketScan Health and Productivity Management (MarketScan, Chichester, United Kingdom), Ingenix (Ingenix, Salt Lake City, Utah) and Center for Health Care Policy and Evaluation. Using diagnosis and procedure codes we described trends in the utilization of urological services. In 2000 urinary tract infections accounted for more than 6.8 million office visits and 1.3 million emergency room visits, and 245,000 hospitalizations in women with an annual cost of more than 2.4 billion dollars. Urinary tract infections accounted for more than 1.4 million office visits, 424,000 emergency room visits and 121,000 hospitalizations in men with an annual cost of more than 1 billion dollars. Benign prostatic hyperplasia was the primary diagnosis in more than 4.4 million office visits, 117,000 emergency room visits and 105,000 hospitalizations, accounting for 1.1 billion dollars in expenditures that year. Urolithiasis was the primary diagnosis for almost 2 million office visits, more than 600,000 emergency room visits, and more than 177,000 hospitalizations, totaling more than 2 billion dollars in annual expenditures. Urinary incontinence in women was the primary cause for more than 1.1 million office visits in 2000 and 452 million dollars in aggregate primary cause for more than 1.1 million office visits in 2000 and 452 million dollars in aggregate annual expenditures. Other manuscripts in this series present further detail for specific urologic conditions. Recent trends in epidemiology, practice patterns, resource utilization and costs for urological diseases have broad implications for quality of health care, access to care and the equitable allocation of scarce resources for clinical care and research.

  18. Senate working on reauthorization of water resources development bill

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Showstack, Randy

    2012-10-01

    Although the details are not even written for forthcoming legislation to reauthorize the U.S. federal Water Resources Development Act (WRDA), three broad themes emerged during a 20 September hearing by the U.S. Senate Committee on Environment and Public Works (EPW). First, passage of the WRDA bill, which would authorize water projects around the country, already appears to have bipartisan support, as well as support from conservation, industry, and labor groups. WRDA was last reauthorized in 2007 when the Senate voted 79-14 in broad bipartisan support to override President George W. Bush's veto of the $23 billion bill. Second, although the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers—which manages, operates, and maintains a vast water resources infrastructure including more than 600 dams, 926 harbors, and 12,000 miles of commercial inland navigation channels—received some praise for its projects, it was also criticized as being a bureaucracy in need of repair. Third, WRDA legislation is operating under different ground rules than in the past. EPW committee chair Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) said that she has been working with Republicans on WRDA legislation and that she hopes to move forward with a bill later this year—possibly bringing it up for a markup during Congress's lame duck session following the national election in November. She said that would be a way to set a marker for leadership on both sides of the congressional aisle to move forward with the bill. Boxer said she would "get my dream bill in place" and then provide it to committee ranking member James Inhofe (R-Okla.) and other Republicans for their comments.

  19. Pro-sustainability choices and child deaths averted: from project experience to investment strategy.

    PubMed

    Sarriot, Eric G; Swedberg, Eric A; Ricca, James G

    2011-05-01

    The pursuit of the Millennium Development Goals and advancing the 'global health agenda' demand the achievement of health impact at scale through efficient investments. We have previously offered that sustainability-a necessary condition for successful expansion of programmes-can be addressed in practical terms. Based on benchmarks from actual child survival projects, we assess the expected impact of translating pro-sustainability choices into investment strategies. We review the experience of Save the Children US in Guinea in terms of investment, approach to sustainability and impact. It offers three benchmarks for impact: Entry project (21 lives saved of children under age five per US$100 000), Expansion project (37 LS/US$100k), and Continuation project (100 LS/US$100k). Extrapolating this experience, we model the impact of a traditional investment scenario against a pro-sustainability scenario and compare the deaths averted per dollar spent over five project cycles. The impact per dollar spent on a pro-sustainability strategy is 3.4 times that of a traditional one over the long run (range from 2.2 to 5.7 times in a sensitivity analysis). This large efficiency differential between two investment approaches offers a testable hypothesis for large-scale/long-term studies. The 'bang for the buck' of health programmes could be greatly increased by following a pro-sustainability investment strategy.

  20. Technological trends in health care: electronic health record.

    PubMed

    Abraham, Sam

    2010-01-01

    The most relevant technological trend affecting health care organizations and physician services is the electronic health record (EHR). Billions of dollars from the federal government stimulus bill are available for investment toward EHR. Based on the government directives, it is evident EHR has to be a high-priority technological intervention in health care organizations. Addressed in the following pages are the effects of the EHR trend on financial and human resources; analysis of advantages and disadvantages of EHR; action steps involved in implementing EHR, and a timeline for implementation. Medical facilities that do not meet the timetable for using EHR will likely experience reduction of Medicare payments. This article also identifies the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats of the EHR and steps to be taken by hospitals and physician medical groups to receive stimulus payment.

  1. The stingy hour: how accounting for time affects volunteering.

    PubMed

    DeVoe, Sanford E; Pfeffer, Jeffrey

    2010-04-01

    These studies examined how the practice of accounting for one's time-so that work can be billed or charged to specific clients or projects-affects the decision to allocate time to volunteer activities. Using longitudinal data collected from law students transitioning to their first jobs, Study 1 showed that exposure to billing time diminished individuals' willingness to volunteer, even after controlling for attitudes about volunteering held before entering the workforce as well as the individual's specific opportunity costs of volunteering time. Studies 2-5 experimentally manipulated billing time and confirmed its causal effect on individuals' willingness to volunteer and actual volunteering behavior. Study 5 showed that the effect of exposure to billing time on volunteering occurred above and beyond any effects on general self-efficacy or self-determination. Individual differences moderated the effects of billing, such that people who did not value money as much were less affected.

  2. A model for the cost of doing a cost estimate

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Remer, D. S.; Buchanan, H. R.

    1992-01-01

    A model for estimating the cost required to do a cost estimate for Deep Space Network (DSN) projects that range from $0.1 to $100 million is presented. The cost of the cost estimate in thousands of dollars, C(sub E), is found to be approximately given by C(sub E) = K((C(sub p))(sup 0.35)) where C(sub p) is the cost of the project being estimated in millions of dollars and K is a constant depending on the accuracy of the estimate. For an order-of-magnitude estimate, K = 24; for a budget estimate, K = 60; and for a definitive estimate, K = 115. That is, for a specific project, the cost of doing a budget estimate is about 2.5 times as much as that for an order-of-magnitude estimate, and a definitive estimate costs about twice as much as a budget estimate. Use of this model should help provide the level of resources required for doing cost estimates and, as a result, provide insights towards more accurate estimates with less potential for cost overruns.

  3. Air Traffic Control: Improved Cost Information Needed to Make Billion Dollar Modernization Investment Decisions

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1997-01-01

    This Government Accounting Office report addresses the reliability of the cost information critical to capital investment decision-making on air traffic control projects. Specifically, the GAO evaluated the Federal Aviation Administration's processes...

  4. 7 CFR 3406.5 - Matching support.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) COOPERATIVE STATE RESEARCH, EDUCATION, AND EXTENSION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE 1890 INSTITUTION CAPACITY BUILDING GRANTS PROGRAM Program Description... contributions in support of capacity building projects. CSREES may also announce any required fixed dollar...

  5. A bill to authorize major medical facility projects for the Department of Veterans Affairs for fiscal year 2010, and for other purposes.

    THOMAS, 111th Congress

    Sen. Akaka, Daniel K. [D-HI

    2009-06-19

    Senate - 06/19/2009 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. (All Actions) Notes: For further action, see S.1717, which became Public Law 111-82 on 10/26/2009. Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  6. A bill to authorize the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a major medical facility project lease for a Department of Veterans Affairs outpatient clinic at Ewa Plain, Oahu, Hawaii, and for other purposes.

    THOMAS, 112th Congress

    Sen. Inouye, Daniel K. [D-HI

    2012-06-21

    Senate - 06/27/2012 Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 112-668. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  7. A bill to amend the Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977 to clarify that uncertified States and Indian tribes have the authority to use certain payments for certain noncoal reclamation projects and acid mine remediation programs.

    THOMAS, 113th Congress

    Sen. Udall, Tom [D-NM

    2013-02-04

    Senate - 04/22/2013 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 51. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  8. What Makes a Good Teacher? The Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation Digs for Answers with Its Measures of Effective Teaching Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hirsh, Stephanie

    2011-01-01

    Vicki Phillips from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation talks with Learning Forward about the foundation's investment in effective teaching and the role of professional learning. Phillips said great teachers are the most important school-based ingredient for student success. So they are committed to ensuring teachers have the supports and tools…

  9. A bill to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the City of Hermiston, Oregon, water recycling and reuse project, and for other purposes.

    THOMAS, 113th Congress

    Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR

    2013-04-10

    Senate - 07/15/2013 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 132. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  10. 32 CFR 623.4 - Accounting procedures.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... or O) indicating which loan of the day is first; e.g., A-first, B-second, etc. 51 “M”. 52-53 “G4” for... commercial bills of lading (CBL). Freight charges will be paid by the borrower. The CBL will cite proper project codes. NOTE: In emergencies where use of CBL would delay shipment, government bills of lading (GBL...

  11. 32 CFR 623.4 - Accounting procedures.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... or O) indicating which loan of the day is first; e.g., A-first, B-second, etc. 51 “M”. 52-53 “G4” for... commercial bills of lading (CBL). Freight charges will be paid by the borrower. The CBL will cite proper project codes. NOTE: In emergencies where use of CBL would delay shipment, government bills of lading (GBL...

  12. A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to include contracts and grants for residential care for veterans in the exception to the requirement that the Federal Government recover a portion of the value of certain projects.

    THOMAS, 113th Congress

    Sen. Brown, Sherrod [D-OH

    2013-09-24

    Senate - 10/30/2013 Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 113-280. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  13. Bringing the DERP to consumers: 'Consumer Reports Best Buy Drugs'.

    PubMed

    Findlay, Steven D

    2006-01-01

    Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports magazine, has used the drug class reviews of the Drug Effectiveness Review Project (DERP) as one critical component of a free public information project on the comparative effectiveness, safety, and cost of prescription drugs. The project translates the DERP findings for consumers. Drawing on other sources and adding information on drug costs, the project chooses Best Buy drugs in each category it evaluates. This guidance can help consumers save up to thousands of dollars per year, and it has the potential to reduce overall drug spending.

  14. 75 FR 24757 - Order Making Fiscal Year 2011 Annual Adjustments to the Fee Rates Applicable Under Section 6(b...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-05-05

    ... Management and Budget (``OMB'') to project aggregate offering price for purposes of the fiscal year 2010... methodology it developed in consultation with the CBO and OMB to project dollar volume for purposes of prior... AAMOP is given by exp(FLAAMOP t + [sigma] n \\2\\/2), where [sigma] n denotes the standard error of the n...

  15. Anastrozole is cost-effective vs tamoxifen as initial adjuvant therapy in early breast cancer: Canadian perspectives on the ATAC completed-treatment analysis.

    PubMed

    Rocchi, A; Verma, S

    2006-09-01

    To conduct an economic analysis comparing tamoxifen and anastrozole (Arimidex) in the adjuvant treatment of hormone receptor-positive (HR+), post-menopausal early breast cancer patients. An economic model examined typical patients (64 years of age, HR+, 64% node negative) from the Arimidex, tamoxifen alone, or in combination (ATAC) trial over a lifetime horizon. Rates of events were derived from ATAC trial results. Post-trial event rates were drawn from the literature for tamoxifen; event rates for anastrozole were modified by the relative risks observed in the ATAC trial. Resource utilization was drawn from Statistics Canada's Population Health Model for breast cancer, supplemented by an expert panel. A public health care system perspective, 2004 Canadian prices and a 5% discount rate were employed. Anastrozole-taking patients incurred additional hormonal treatment costs compared to tamoxifen-taking patients (incremental lifetime cost, 6,974 Canadian dollars per patient), partially offset by reduced downstream recurrences of breast cancer (1,143 Canadian dollars lifetime savings per patient) for a net incremental cost of 5,796 Canadian dollars per patient on anastrozole. The anastrozole-treated patients were projected to experience a 5.6% absolute risk reduction of first breast cancer recurrence and a 2.8% absolute risk reduction in breast cancer death. This corresponded to 30,000 Canadian dollars per life year gained and 28,000 Canadian dollars per quality-adjusted life year gained (95% confidence interval, 17,428 to 54,605 Canadian dollars). The results were affected by the duration and extent of anastrozole benefit under sensitivity analysis but remained cost-effective. Compared to tamoxifen, anastrozole therapy is effective and cost-effective as initial adjuvant therapy in post-menopausal, HR+ early breast cancer patients.

  16. Pediatric traumatic amputations and hospital resource utilization in the United States, 2003.

    PubMed

    Conner, Kristen A; McKenzie, Lara B; Xiang, Huiyun; Smith, Gary A

    2010-01-01

    Despite the severity of consequences associated with traumatic amputation, little is known about the epidemiology or healthcare resource burden of amputation injuries, and even less is known about these injuries in the pediatric population. An analysis of patients aged < or =17 years hospitalized with traumatic amputations using the 2003 Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Kids' Inpatient Database was performed. National estimates of amputation-associated hospitalizations, rates, resource use, and demographics were calculated. Potentially significant covariate associations were studied using hospital charges and length of stay (LOS). In 2003, 956 cases of traumatic amputations among children aged < or =17 years resulted in 21.6 million dollars (standard deviation [SD] = 2.2 million dollars) in inpatient charges and 3,967 days (SD = 354) of hospitalization in the United States. Finger and/or thumb amputations accounted for the majority of injuries (64.0%). Mean (SD) hospital charges and LOS were 23,157 dollars (49,018 dollars) and 4.1 (7.4) days, respectively. Traumatic leg amputations incurred the highest mean hospital charges (120,275 dollars) and longest mean LOS (18.5 days). Older children (15-17 years) experienced a higher hospitalization rate (1.84/100,000) than other age groups. Older age, amputation caused by a motorized vehicle, urban hospital location, children's hospital type, and longer LOS were associated with higher total charges. Amputation caused by lawn mower, motorized vehicle or explosives/fireworks, and children's hospital type were associated with longer LOS. Pediatric traumatic amputations contribute substantially to the health resource burden in the United States, resulting in 21 million dollars in inpatient charges annually. More effective interventions to prevent these costly injuries among children must be implemented.

  17. Organ procurement expenditures and the role of financial incentives.

    PubMed

    Evans, R W

    To evaluate the billed charges for organ procurement and to consider the role of financial incentives to encourage organ donation. Observational study. Data were obtained on donor organ acquisition charges from a random sample of kidney, heart, liver, heart-lung, and pancreas transplants. The data were based on 28.7% of all transplants performed in the United States in 1988. Total charges for donor organ acquisition. The median charges (1988 dollars) for donor organs were as follows: kidney, $12,290; heart, $12,578; liver, $16,281; heart-lung, $12,028; and pancreas, $15,400. Since 1983, kidney acquisition charges have increased by 12.9%, heart charges by 64.1%, and liver charges by 61.8%, after adjusting for inflation. Between 9% and 31% of total transplant procedure-specific charges were associated with donor organ acquisition. There is wide unexplained variation in organ procurement charges. Data on actual costs are required to establish the appropriateness of current charges. Prevailing billing and payment methods should be reevaluated in an effort to address a variety of issues related to reimbursement. Current payment methods may actually contribute to cost inefficiency. Finally, while financial incentives may enhance the efficiency of organ procurement efforts, they will adversely affect the cost-effectiveness of transplantation.

  18. Developing a performance measurement approach to benefit/cost freight project prioritization.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2014-10-01

    Future reauthorizations of the federal transportation bill will require a comprehensive and quantitative analysis of the freight benefits : of proposed freight system projects. To prioritize public investments in freight systems and to insure conside...

  19. The Holocaust Memorial Sculpture Project: An Artist's Tale

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Houlihan, Elena Hiatt

    2005-01-01

    This article describes a school residency project which balloons in complexity, difficulty and meaning--making the incomprehensible tangible. The project had started in the spring of 1996, when the social studies teacher of Community Day School in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, Mr. Bill Walter, wanted the students to understand the enormity of the…

  20. An assessment of the risk arising from electrical effects associated with the release of carbon fibers from general aviation aircraft fires

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rosenfield, D.; Fiksel, J.

    1980-01-01

    A Poisson type model was developed and exercised to estimate the risk of economic losses through 1993 due to potential electric effects of carbon fibers released from United States general aviation aircraft in the aftermath of a fire. Of the expected 354 annual general aviation aircraft accidents with fire projected for 1993, approximately 88 could involve carbon fibers. The average annual loss was estimated to be about $250 (1977 dollars) and the likelihood of exceeding $107,000 (1977 dollars) in annual loss in any one year was estimated to be at most one in ten thousand.

  1. Learning about Teaching: Initial Findings from the Measures of Effective Teaching Project. Research Paper. MET Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2010

    2010-01-01

    In fall 2009, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation launched the Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) project to test new approaches to measuring effective teaching. The goal of the MET project is to improve the quality of information about teaching effectiveness available to education professionals within states and districts--information that…

  2. Surface infrastructure : cost, financing and schedules for large-dollar transportation projects

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1998-02-01

    In fiscal year 1998, the federal government will distribute nearly $26 billion to states and localities for the construction and repair of the nation's surface transportation systems. To meet the nations' transportation needs, states and localities a...

  3. Federal climate change programs : funding history and policy issues

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2010-03-01

    In recent years, the federal government has allocated several billion dollars annually for projects to expand the understanding of climate change or to reduce carbon dioxide and other greenhouse-gas (GHG) emissions. Most of that spending is done by t...

  4. Evaluation of cost effective protective coatings for ODOT snow & ice equipment.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2016-04-01

    Current estimates suggest that the United States loses over $220 billion dollars due to corrosion each year. The research results from this project further ODOTs effort to implement a corrosion prevention strategy that will increase public safety ...

  5. Celiac Disease Facts and Figures

    MedlinePlus

    ... stores. • From 2004 – 2005, sales of gluten-free foods increased by 77.8 million dollars (a growth of 14.6%). • T he US Department of Agriculture projects that the gluten-free industries revenues will reach $1.7 Billion by 2010. ...

  6. Foreign currency exchange network topology across the 2008 credit crisis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sharif, Shamshuritawati; Ap, Nuraisah Che; Ruslan, Nuraimi

    2017-05-01

    A stable world currency exchange rate is a very important aspect to be considered for a developed country, i.e Malaysia. A better understanding about the currencies itself is needed nowadays. This project is about to understanding the fluctuation and to identify the most influential world currencies in the three different cases; before credit crisis, during credit crisis and after credit crisis. A network topology approach is use to examine the interrelationship between currencies based on correlation analysis. With this point of view, those relationships can be measured by a correlation structure among the currencies. The network can be analyse by filtering the important information using minimum spanning tree (MST) and interpret it using degree centrality as the centrality measure. This topology will give a useful guide to understand the behaviour and determine the most influential currency in the network as a part of a complex system. All currencies are compared among the three different cases; before credit crisis, during credit crisis and after credit crisis period. The result of this project shows that Unites State Dollar (USD), Brazilian Real (BRL), United Kingdom Pound (EUR) and Danish Krone (DKK) are the most influential currencies before the credit crisis period. With respect to during the credit crisis, New Zealand Dollar (NZD) dominates the network and it is followed by Singapore Dollar (SGD) for after the credit crisis period.

  7. A bill to amend certain definitions contained in the Provo River Project Transfer Act for purposes of clarifying certain property descriptions, and for other purposes.

    THOMAS, 113th Congress

    Sen. Hatch, Orrin G. [R-UT

    2013-02-04

    Senate - 06/27/2013 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 106. (All Actions) Notes: For further action, see H.R.255, which became Public Law 113-129 on 7/25/2014. Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  8. 12 CFR 303.187 - Approval for an insured state branch of a foreign bank to conduct activities not permissible for...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... dollar volume associated with the activity; (ii) An analysis of the impact of the proposed activity on... particular, including a copy of the feasibility study, management plan, financial projections, business plan...

  9. All Our Children Can Make the Grade: A Report on the Illinois Preschool Program, Children at Risk of Academic Failure.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Voices for Illinois Children, Chicago.

    Illinois' state-funded preschool program, the Illinois Prekindergarten Program for Children at Risk of Academic Failure, is serving almost 19,000 children in the 1989-90 period on an allocation of 48 million dollars, which was distributed to 184 projects in 353 school districts. The preschool projects serve children of 3-5 years, who are taught…

  10. Trend analysis of dental practice rent and mortgage expenses: 1989-1995.

    PubMed

    Brown, L J; Lazar, V

    1999-03-01

    The authors analyzed trends for rent and mortgage, as reported by independent active private practitioners, for the period of 1989-1995. Rent and mortgage were analyzed overall and by different characteristics. In the ADA's annual "Survey of Dental Practice," dentists reported gross billings and net incomes, as well as itemized practice expenses. The authors tabulated survey responses over time to develop trends and compare rent and mortgage expenses for each year. If trends over time were not exhibited, the authors combined multiple years of data to develop more reliable statistics. Approximately three-fourths of independent active private practitioners reported rent but no mortgage expenses. The percentages of practitioners who reported rent or mortgage was stable over time. The percentage reporting rent only as an expense increased with the number of dentists in the practice, the age of the reporting dentist and the number of office locations. In contrast, the opposite was true for dentists reporting mortgage only as an expense. The authors found that office rental is more common than is office ownership and that mortgages as a percentage of gross billings and in dollar amounts were similar to rents. They also found that because the cost of office space as a percentage of gross billings decreased as the number of dentists in the practice increased, limited economies of scale may be present in the cost of dental office space. There is not a large financial advantage to ownership, so renting is likely to remain an important way to acquire office space. As only limited economies of scale exist in office space expenses, many group practices may choose to rent office space.

  11. Bill Lowrie In The Apennines U Reading - The Pelagic Record of Geomagnetic Reversals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alvarez, Walter

    Twenty five years ago, Bill Lowrie and I, along with Mike Arthur, Al Fischer, Gio- vanni Napoleone, Isabella Premoli Silva and Bill Roggenthen, published a set of five papers in the Geological Society of America Bulletin (March 1977), reporting a re- markable new source of information on the geomagnetic polarity time scale. The re- versal sequence was already known back to the Late Cretaceous on the basis of marine magnetic anomalies, but only as a sequence of longer and shorter polarity intervals, a kind of fingerprint with almost no age calibration. At Gubbio, in the Umbrian Apen- nines of Italy, we discovered that the polarity intervals are also recorded in pelagic limestones, deposited quietly at moderate oceanic depths at rates of order 10 m/Myr. and these limestones are literally made of fossils, notably the planktic foraminifera which are the best age correlation tool for the last 100 Myr. The reversal sequence was now datable. You can make a discovery like this either by looking for it, as Al Fischer did U hoping ° that such a record would be present and waiting until magnetometers improved enough to make it possible to measure these very weakly magnetic rocks U or by stumbling ° on it as Bill and I did. We went to the Apennines hoping to measure paleomagnetically a tectonic rotation of the Italian crust. Digital spinner magnetometers had just become available and Bill found that he could measure the remanence of the Apennine pelagic limestones I had been studying in the field. Tectonic rotation of the Italian crust turned out to be very difficult to detect, because interbed slip was a major complication. But we accidentally sampled both normal and reversed beds in the Scaglia rossa limestone on our first trip, and back in the lab we recognized that we had a polarity record in front of us. The microfossils made it a datable record, which raised great excitement among our colleagues at Lamont, where sea-floor magnetic reversals were the key to tectonic reconstructions. We dropped everything else and raced to measure the polar- ity stratigraphy of the Apennine limestones. When we found that Al Fischer and his friends were doing the same, we teamed up with them. Scientifically it was a wonderful project. The pelagic limestone sequence in the Apen- nines represents more than 100 Myr of Earth history, and we worked our way up and down that section over a number of years, publishing papers in which we gradually 1 dated the reversal sequence from the Oligocene back to the end of the Cretaceous Long Normal polarity interval. We had a little window of opportunity because deep- sea drilling cores of similar lithologies on the modern sea floor did not give usable results until the development of the hydraulic piston corer got past the problem of drilling vibrations resetting the magnetization in the soft deep-sea sediments. In con- trast, our hard limestones in the mountains gave excellent results, but only because of the exquisite care Bill took in measuring and cleaning these very weakly magnetic rocks. We felt slightly smug that with a dilapidated Fiat 850 and a converted-chainsaw drill we could get better results than scientists with a multi-million-dollar drilling ship. Even now I cannot hear a chain saw without a flood of memories of the agony of start- ing the thing, and the interesting Scottish words Bill used on occasions like that. In the field we developed high-precision stratigraphic measurement techniques, and returned year after year to fill in the gaps and find the exact position of reversals. It was a great personal and cultural experience as well. Bill and I drove and walked and measured and drilled all over Umbria and the Marche, a land of history, music, gentle beauty, and delicious food. In the evenings we walked in little historic cities like Assisi, Perugia, Spoleto and Gubbio, talking and arguing about history, science, and Mediaeval architecture. In those years Bill undertook my education in geophysics, which has benefitted me ever since. Perhaps it was an omen U on our first trip U when Bill and I stood by a balustrade in ° ° Assisi, looking down to the valley below. The Porziuncola U the basilica built over a ° ruined church that Saint Francis had restored U was precisely transfixed by a perfect ° rainbow. It was almost as if San Francesco were saying, "Welcome to Umbria! Here you will find wonderful things." and that is the way it turned out. 2

  12. The Human Resources Certificate of Advanced Mastery Curriculum Framework and Statewide Articulation Projects. A Senate Bill 81 Project of the 1993 Oregon Legislature.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Southwestern Oregon Community Coll., Coos Bay.

    In 1993, the Oregon Legislature funded six curriculum development projects to design frameworks for integrating academic content with technical skills, work behaviors, sample teaching activities, and assessment strategies appropriate to the state's Certificates of Advanced Mastery (CAMs). This report describes results for the six projects as of…

  13. Washington State Need Grant: Less-Than-Halftime Pilot Project (SHB 1345)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Washington Higher Education Coordinating Board, 2006

    2006-01-01

    The 2005 Washington State Legislature authorized, through Substitute House Bill 1345, a two-year pilot project allowing eligible students, who enroll for four or five credits in a term, to receive the State Need Grant (SNG). Several important policy considerations emerged during the pilot project. Board staff explored these issues with financial…

  14. K-6 Early Intervention Project: Evaluation of the First Year of Implementation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McDaid, Janet L.

    California's K-6 Early Intervention Project was established in 1986 under the authority of California Assembly Bill 1535, Pilot Project on Hyperactivity, to provide a system of early identification and assistance to children in kindergarten through grade 6 whose behavior problems interfere with learning. This report contains evaluation findings…

  15. Going South: Analysis of an Historic Project Engineering Failure

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Scott, John H.

    2009-01-01

    NASA's successful conduct of the Apollo Program greatly enhanced the prestige of the United States and remains broadly accepted as America's gift to all Mankind. NASA's accomplishments continue to amaze the world. With the Vision for Space Exploration (VSE) Americans once again tasked NASA to carry out a project that is expected to provide inspiration and economic stimulus to the United States and to the world. In preparation NASA has thoroughly examined space program precedents. There is, however, another precedent which has not been examined in this context but whose scope and environment in many ways parallel the VSE. This project was initiated by a team that had, ten years before, successfully completed an effort that, at a cost of $173 billion (in 2008 dollars), had pushed the envelope of technology, brought economic growth, established their country as the world leader in engineering, and been broadly accepted as that country's gift to all Mankind. The new project was again inspired by popular desire to enhance national prestige and make yet another major contribution to Humanity. This effort was predicted to require eight years and $156 billion (2008 dollars). However, after nine years and expenditures of 96% beyond the baseline, the project collapsed amid bankruptcy, political scandal, and criminal prosecution. This paper applies current project management metrics, such as earned value analysis, to review the strategic decisions in this historic failure and describe its ultimate collapse. Key mistakes are identified, and lessons are drawn which may prove useful in guiding the VSE.

  16. Cost-Savings Analysis of the Better Beginnings, Better Futures Community-Based Project for Young Children and Their Families: A 10-Year Follow-up.

    PubMed

    Peters, Ray DeV; Petrunka, Kelly; Khan, Shahriar; Howell-Moneta, Angela; Nelson, Geoffrey; Pancer, S Mark; Loomis, Colleen

    2016-02-01

    This study examined the long-term cost-savings of the Better Beginnings, Better Futures (BBBF) initiative, a community-based early intervention project for young children living in socioeconomically disadvantaged neighborhoods during their transition to primary school. A quasi-experimental, longitudinal two-group design was used to compare costs and outcomes for children and families in three BBBF project neighborhoods (n = 401) and two comparison neighborhoods (n = 225). A cost-savings analysis was conducted using all project costs for providing up to 4 years of BBBF programs when children were in junior kindergarten (JK) (4 years old) to grade 2 (8 years old). Data on 19 government service cost measures were collected from the longitudinal research sample from the time the youth were in JK through to grade 12 (18 years old), 10 years after ending project participation. The average family incremental net savings to government of providing the BBBF project was $6331 in 2014 Canadian dollars. When the BBBF monetary return to government as a ratio of savings to costs was calculated, for every dollar invested by the government, a return of $2.50 per family was saved. Findings from this study have important implications for government investments in early interventions focused on a successful transition to primary school as well as parenting programs and community development initiatives in support of children's development.

  17. Economic evaluations and usefulness of standardized nursing terminologies.

    PubMed

    Stone, Patricia W; Lee, Nam-Ju; Giannini, Melinna; Bakken, Suzanne

    2004-01-01

    To review different types of economic analyses commonly found in healthcare literature, discuss methodologic considerations in framing economic analyses, identify useful resources for economic evaluations, and describe the current and potential roles of standardized nursing terminologies in providing cost and outcome data for economic analysis. The Advanced Billing Concepts Code Resource-based Relative Value Scale and Nursing Outcomes Classification. Using case studies, the applicability of standardized nursing terminologies in cost-effectiveness analysis is demonstrated. While there is potential to inform specific questions, comparisons across analyses are limited because of the many outcome measures. Including a standardized quality-of-life measure in nursing terminologies would allow for the calculation of accepted outcome measures and dollars per quality adjusted life years gained. The nurse's ability to assess and contribute to all aspects of rigorous economic evidence is an essential competency for responsible practice.

  18. Man Portable Vector EMI Sensor for Full UXO Characterization

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-05-01

    with project management and coordination. Drs. Laurens Beran, Leonard Pasion , and Stephen Billings advised on technical aspects and Dr. Gregory Schultz...approximated as a point dipole (e.g., Bell et al., 2001; Pasion and Oldenburg, 2001; Gasperikova et al., 2009). The process of estimating the target...39, 1286–1293. Bell, T. 2005. Geo-location Requirements for UXO Discrimination. SERDP Geo-location Workshop. Billings, S., L. Pasion , N. Lhomme

  19. A bill to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the city of Hermiston, Oregon, water recycling and reuse project, and for other purposes.

    THOMAS, 111th Congress

    Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR

    2009-08-04

    Senate - 04/27/2010 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 111-619. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  20. A bill to amend the Reclamation Wastewater and Groundwater Study and Facilities Act to authorize the Secretary of the Interior to participate in the City of Hermiston, Oregon, water recycling and reuse project, and for other purposes.

    THOMAS, 112th Congress

    Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR

    2011-05-19

    Senate - 06/23/2011 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 112-129. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  1. A Comprehensive Framework for the Evaluation of Engineered Nanomaterials

    EPA Science Inventory

    Engineered nanomaterials (ENM) are a fundamental and growing component of the global economy, and are projected to reach an annual economic impact in the hundreds of billions of dollars. Currently, their growing use far outpaces our ability to evaluate potential for adverse impac...

  2. A Comprehensive Framework for Evaluation of Engineered Nanomaterials- NS2017

    EPA Science Inventory

    Engineered nanomaterials (ENM) are a fundamental and growing component of the global economy, and are projected to reach an annual economic impact in the hundreds of billions of dollars. Currently, their growing use far outpaces our ability to evaluate potential for adverse impac...

  3. Worldwide Report, Telecommunications Policy, Research and Development

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1984-03-23

    billion dollars) in credit to China under the second economic cooperation package starting in fiscal 1984, government sources said Thursday. The...Minister Mota Pinto recently announced during his trip to the United States that this project, which was budgeted for 9 million escudos at the

  4. Decision-support framework for quantifying the most economical incentive/disincentive dollar amounts for critical highway pavement rehabilitation projects.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2013-11-01

    One innovative way of reducing construction duration is to reward contractors with an early completion incentive : bonus and levy fines for delays. Although use of Incentive/Disincentive (I/D) is increasingly common, State : Transportation Agencies (...

  5. Projection display technology and product trends

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kahn, Frederic J.

    1999-05-01

    Major technology and market trends that could generate a 20 billion dollar electronic projector market by 2010 are reviewed in the perspective of recent product introductions. A log linear analysis shows that the light outputs of benchmark transportable data video projectors have increased at a rate of almost 90 percent per year since 1993. The list prices of these same projectors have decreased at a rate of over 40 percent per year. The tradeoffs of light output vs. resolution and weight are illustrated. Recent trends in projector efficacy vs. year are discussed. Lumen output per dollar of list price is shown to be a useful market metric. Continued technical advances and innovations including higher throughput light valve technologies with integrated drivers, brighter light source, field sequential color, integrated- and micro-optical components, and aerospace materials are likely to sustain these trends. The new technologies will enable projection displays for entertainment and computer applications with unprecedented levels of performance, compactness, and cost-effectiveness.

  6. Net present value analysis to select public R&D programs and valuate expected private sector participation

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

    Hinman, N.D.; Yancey, M.A.

    1997-12-31

    One of the main functions of government is to invest taxpayers dollars in projects, programs, and properties that will result in social benefit. Public programs focused on the development of technology are examples of such opportunities. Selecting these programs requires the same investment analysis approaches that private companies and individuals use. Good use of investment analysis approaches to these programs will minimize our tax costs and maximize public benefit from tax dollars invested. This article describes the use of the net present value (NPV) analysis approach to select public R&D programs and valuate expected private sector participation in the programs.more » 5 refs.« less

  7. Use of net present value analysis to evaluate a publicly funded biomass-to-ethanol research, development, and demonstration program and valuate expected private sector participation.

    PubMed

    Hinman, N D; Yancey, M A

    1998-01-01

    One of the functions of government is to invest tax dollars in programs, projects, and properties that will result in greater public benefit than would have resulted from leaving the tax dollars in the private sector or using them to pay off the public debt. This paper describes the use of Net Present Value (NPV) as an approach to analyze and select investment opportunities for government money in public research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) programs and to evaluate potential private sector participation in the programs. This approach is then applied to a specific biomass-to-ethanol opportunity in California.

  8. Obituary: William F. M. Buscombe, 1918-2003

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Taam, Ronald Everett; Bahng, John D. R.

    2003-12-01

    William Buscombe, an emeritus professor at Northwestern University, died from a massive stroke on 13 March 2003. He was a stellar spectroscopist and was working on the 16th edition of his catalog, entitled ``MK Spectral Classifications" at the time of his death. Bill was born on 12 February 1918 in Hamilton, Canada to Ethel Minett Buscombe and William Henry Buscombe. His mother was a business woman prior to marriage and his father was an executive secretary to a fire insurance company. His interest in astronomy was stimulated by a mathematics teacher in grade school and this interest carried over to his undergraduate years at the University of Toronto where he worked as a research assistant measuring stellar spectra at the David Dunlop Observatory. He earned a BA degree in Mathematics and Physics in 1940. Upon graduation he entered the graduate program in meteorology under the Department of Transport of the Government of Canada and worked as a meteorologist for the Canadian government until 1945. His studies and service eventually led to a MA degree in Meteorology from the University of Toronto in 1948. From the period 1945 to 1948, Bill was an instructor in the Department of Mathematics at the University of Saskatchewan. During the summer of 1947 Bill resumed his research in astronomy working with Andew McKellar in a study of the intensities of molecular bands in R-type stars at the Dominion Astrophysical Observatory. Subsequently, Bill entered into the graduate program in the Department of Astronomy at Princeton University where he worked with Martin Schwarzschild and Lyman Spitzer, Jr. In 1950, he was awarded a PhD in Astronomy for his thesis entitled, ``Spectrophotometry of Early A-Type Stars." Bill joined the staff at the Mt. Wilson and Palomar Observatories as a Fellow of the Carnegie Institution of Washington from 1950--1952. During this period he spent a significant amount of time observing at Mount Wilson studying the variations of atomic absorption lines in the spectra of long period variable stars with Paul Merrill. In 1952 Bill took an astronomer staff position at the Commonwealth Observatory (later called the Mount Stromlo Observatory). When it became part of the Australian National University in Canberra, Australia, he became a professor of astronomy. Until 1968, Bill observed the stars in the southern hemisphere measuring their radial velocities and classifying them spectroscopically. His research spanned over several directions including studies of the atmospheres of cool giant stars, the Magellanic clouds, novae, and galactic structure. His work led him to become one of the first astronomers to undertake spectral classifications of stars in the southern hemisphere. Bill briefly returned to the US as a visiting professor in astronomy at the University of Pennsylvania from 1964--1965 and permanently relocated to the US in 1968. Bill was persuaded to leave Australia to join the faculty at Northwestern University as Professor of Astronomy by J. Allen Hynek, the then chair of the department. At that time, the Lindheimer Observatory had been constructed on the Evanston campus and the installation of a new Coudé spectrograph for the 1-meter reflector was planned. However, due to budgetary constraints the Coudé project (estimated at the time to be on the order of 1 million dollars) had to be scrapped and a more modest Cassegrain spectrograph was installed instead. Having lost an opportunity to carry on his favorite research field of high dispersion spectroscopy, Bill settled down to concentrate on teaching the art of astronomical spectroscopy and supervising several PhD students in their research. During the subsequent years he continued and expanded his earlier efforts with Pamela Kennedy in Australia of compiling a photometric and spectroscopic database forming the early basis for his spectral catalogs. He was appointed emeritus professor in the Department of Physics and Astronomy upon his retirement in 1988. Bill very much loved to teach and to talk to young people about astronomy. His enthusiasm was infectious, and he was a welcome visitor in primary school classes on Chicago's North Shore. His interests in the young students led him to be involved as a faculty associate in the residential colleges of the University. Bill's interest in teaching extended beyond the Northwestern boundaries as he also lectured at other colleges and universities under the auspices of the Harlow Shapley Visiting Lectureship program of the American Astronomical Society and to gatherings of amateur astronomers. He was a member of the American Astronomical Society, Royal Astronomical Society, International Astronomical Union and Sigma Xi. Professionally, Bill was very meticulous in his approach and execution. His desire for perfection was reflected in his teaching as well. Some students felt that he was too demanding, but he had no sympathy for anyone who did not strive to go past mediocrity. He read extensively and made it a point to attend and participate in seminars and colloquia even late in his life. Since he made a very conscious effort to keep up with the latest developments in astronomy, he was very well versed in astronomical literature going back to many years. He is survived by his wife, Royal, along with three sons (Peter, Martin, and Timothy), four daughters (Dawn, Eve, Lucy, and Katherine), 11 grandchildren, and a great grand child. His family remembers his smile, his wit, his integrity, his knowledge and his helpfulness. Bill was a man of conviction and an active member of the Society of Friends (Quakers). He was firmly against violence and wars and was quite outspoken, expressing his opinions in public, forcefully and very directly. In private, he was more reserved and showed a good sense of humor. Bill was generous with his time for the cause of ``Reading for the Blind," regularly spending an afternoon at a taping session to record books on astronomy. He enjoyed listening to classical music. Bill was a loyal and generous friend.

  9. The Heart of the Matter: Increasing Quality and Charge Capture from Intraoperative Transesophageal Echocardiography.

    PubMed

    Sanford, Joseph A; Kadry, Bassam; Oakes, Daryl; Macario, Alex; Schmiesing, Cliff

    2016-04-15

    Although transesophageal echocardiography is routinely performed at our institution, there is no easy way to document the procedure in the electronic medical record and generate a bill compliant with reimbursement requirements. We present the results of a quality improvement project that used agile development methodology to incorporate intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography into the electronic medical record. We discuss improvements in the quality of clinical documentation, technical workflow challenges overcome, and cost and time to return on investment. Billing was increased from an average of 36% to 84.6% when compared with the same time period in the previous year. The expected recoupment of investment for this project is just 18 weeks.

  10. Stabilization Success in Afghanistan: The Challenges Within

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-12-01

    areas ( SIKa ) program are examples of multiyear projects that had total estimated costs of more than a billion dollars, so at first glance one...2011, or 2012 regarding the CDP, afghanistan Stabilization Initiative, or SIKa projects would be incorrect if it stated that uSaID has little...Kunduz and 27 in Baghlan. the program in northern afghanistan will now begin its own transition to something new. uSaID will implement the SIKa

  11. Martin County, FL, Case Study: Physical and Economic Performance of Martin County Federal Shore Protection Project During 2004 Tropical Season. Flood and Coastal Storm Damage Reduction Program

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-08-01

    the landward toe of the dune along with the loss of upland width associated with erosion and volume of sand placed in each reach for emergency dune ...landward toe of the dune for the with-project design cross- section is approximately 49 cu yd/ft. All but one of the representative without-project profiles...2004, 9.2 million dollars in emergency protective actions including seawalls, revetments and construction of emergency dune features are estimated to

  12. Expanding Access, Participation, and Success in International Baccalaureate Programmes: Year 1 Documentation Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Corcoran, Thomas B.; Gerry, Gail B.

    2010-01-01

    In fall 2009, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation funded a three-year project (IB Access Project) with International Baccalaureate (IB) to increase participation of minority students and students in poverty in the Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (DP). The IB Access Project seeks to do four things: (1) Improve teacher practice…

  13. Integrating Research Methods into Substantive Courses: A Class Project to Identify Social Backgrounds of Political Elites.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Margaret A.; Steward, Gary Jr.

    1997-01-01

    Reports on a class project that combined an examination of social class and political power with an introduction to sociological research. The project consisted of compiling biographical profiles of cabinet members from the Ronald Reagan, George Bush, and Bill Clinton administrations. Introduces students to issues of conceptualization,…

  14. Working with Teachers to Develop Fair and Reliable Measures of Effective Teaching. MET Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2010

    2010-01-01

    In fall 2009, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation launched the Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) project to develop and test multiple measures of teacher effectiveness. The goal of the MET project is to improve the quality of information about teaching effectiveness available to education professionals within states and districts--information…

  15. Validation Engine for Observational Protocols. Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) Project

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, 2010

    2010-01-01

    In the fall of 2009, the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation launched the two-year Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) project to rigorously develop and test multiple measures of teacher effectiveness. As part of the project, partners from more than a dozen reputable academic, non-profit and for-profit organizations collected and analyzed data from…

  16. Dollars for lives : the effect of highway capital investments on traffic fatalities.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2014-10-01

    There is no research that links capital investments on highways with highway fatalities. Our research project aimed to fill : t : hat gap. We used state : - : level data from the 48 contiguous states of the U.S. from 1968 through 2010 to estimate the...

  17. Gamification in Blackboard Learn

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Machajewski, Szymon

    2017-01-01

    Gamification is an important movement in business management, but also in higher education. Projects like the GradeCraft LMS, funded at $1.8 million dollars at U of M, demonstrate that designing student experience in learning is a top priority for major educational institutions. Considering enrollment limitations and changes in population…

  18. Evaluating the Environmental Health and Safety Impact of Engineered Nanomaterials

    EPA Science Inventory

    Engineered nanomaterials (ENM) are a fundamental and growing component of the global economy, and are projected to reach an annual economic impact in the hundreds of billions of dollars. Their spreading use far outpaces our ability to evaluate potential for adverse impacts on env...

  19. Targeting Resources for Local Growth.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Casto, James E.

    2001-01-01

    Focusing state and federal dollars on targeted areas, the Kentucky Appalachian Community Development Initiative helps communities in eastern Kentucky fund their own strategies for economic growth. In Hindman, the project focuses on creating the Kentucky School of Crafts, to train master artisans; supporting the Kentucky Appalachian Artisan Center;…

  20. Energy R & D: Under Pressure, a National Policy Takes Form

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gillette, Robert

    1973-01-01

    Outlines the 5 year, 10 billion dollar energy research and development plan proposed by the newly constituted Energy R Advisory Council of the White House Energy Policy Office. The formulation of a national energy policy is in response to President Nixon's proposed Project Independence. (JR)

  1. Educational Opportunities in the Global Village.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jenkins, John M.; Loveland, Tom

    2000-01-01

    Describes the Japan-Florida Teens Meet Project, an international program linking students at a Florida high school and a Japanese high school. Students were encouraged to e-mail their partners daily. The program also involved videoconferencing, a dollar/yen conversion exercise, and construction of space-station scale models. (MLH)

  2. Summary Impacts of Modeled Provisions of the 2003 Conference Energy Bill

    EIA Publications

    2004-01-01

    This service report was undertaken at the February 2, 2004, request of Senator John Sununu to perform an assessment of the Conference Energy Bill of 2003. This report summarizes the CEB provisions that can be analyzed using the National Energy Modeling System (NEMS) and have the potential to affect energy consumption, supply, and prices. The impacts are estimated by comparing the projections with the CEB provisions to the AEO2004 Reference Case.

  3. Compensation, benefits, and satisfaction: the Longitudinal Emergency Medical Technician Demographic Study (LEADS) Project.

    PubMed

    Brown, William E; Dawson, Drew; Levine, Roger

    2003-01-01

    To determine the compensation, benefit package, and level of satisfaction with the benefits of nationally registered emergency medical technicians (NREMTs) in 2001. The Longitudinal EMT Attribute Demographic Study (LEADS) Project included an 18-question snapshot survey on compensation with the 2001 core survey. This survey was sent to 4,835 randomly selected NREMTs. A total of 1,718 NREMT-Basics and NREMT-Paramedics, from 1,317 different postal zip codes, responded to the survey. Most NREMTs in the survey (86% of the compensated NREMT-Basics and 85% of the compensated NREMT-Paramedics) were employed primarily as patient care providers. For their emergency medical services (EMS) work in the previous 12 months, compensated NREMT-Basics had mean earnings of 18,324 US dollars (standard error, 978 US dollars) and compensated NREMT-Paramedics had mean earnings of 34,654 US dollars (standard error, 646 US dollars). At least 26% of compensated NREMT-Basics and 9% of compensated NREMT-Paramedics had no health insurance. The majority of compensated NREMTs (62% of the Basics and 57% of the Paramedics) reported their retirement plans were not adequate to meet their financial needs. EMTs are not satisfied with the appreciation and recognition they receive from EMS employers. About one-third (35% of the compensated NREMT-Basics and 30% of the compensated NREMT-Paramedics) were not satisfied with all of the benefits they receive from their EMS employer. Nearly all (94% of both compensated NREMT-Basics and NREMT-Paramedics) believed that EMTs should be paid more for the job that they do. The adequacy of EMT compensation and benefit packages is an area of concern. It is not unreasonable to believe that these factors are associated with EMT retention and attrition. Additional longitudinal EMT information on compensation and benefits are anticipated to determine the extent to which compensation and benefits are factors in EMT retention.

  4. National and surgical health care expenditures, 2005-2025.

    PubMed

    Muñoz, Eric; Muñoz, William; Wise, Leslie

    2010-02-01

    Health care expenditures for 2005 in the United States were $1.9733 trillion and 15.9% of the gross domestic product (GDP). Twenty-nine percent of those expenditures were secondary to surgical revenues. Health care expenditures are increasing 2(1/2) times the rate of the general US economy and are being fed by new technologies, new medications, the aging population, more services provided per patient, defensive medicine and little tort reform, the insurance system, and the free rider problem, ie, patients are cared for as emergencies regardless of insurance coverage and legality, which all have contributed to rising health care and surgical expenditures over the last 50 years. The purpose of this study was to project aggregate national health care expenditures, aggregate surgical health care expenditures, and the United States GDP for the years 2005-2025. Model building and existing state and national data were used. Aggregate surgical health care expenditures were computed as 29% of aggregate health care expenditures using a unique model developed by the late Dr. Francis D. Moore. The model of Dr. Moore which used 1981 federal data was verified/tested using data from UMDNJ-University Hospital, and New Jersey and national data from 2005. From 1965 to 2005 mean health care expenditures increased at 4.9% per year, and US GDP increased at a mean of 2.1% per year. Aggregate surgical expenditures are expected to grow from $572 billion in 2005 (4.6% of US GDP) to $912 billion (2005 dollars) in the year 2025 (7.3% of US GDP). Aggregate health care expenditures are projected to increase from $5572 per capita (15.9% of GDP) in 2005 to $8832 per capita (2005 dollars) in 2025 (25.2% of US GDP). Both surgery and national health care expenditures are expected to expand by almost 60% during the period 2005-2025. Thus, surgical health care expenditures by 2025 are likely to be 1/14 of the US economy, and health care expenditures will be (1/4) of the US economy. Real per capita GDP growth is relatively flat in the United States. Rising surgical health care expenditures and national health care expenditures are a significant issue for the US population. Unfortunately, programs at the state and federal level as well as private programs, for the last 50 years have not been able to slow the growth in health care expenditures. These trends are likely to continue and the effects will be: * A change in the US standard of living as surgical and health care expenditures become a larger part of the earned dollar per American especially with the current volatility of the US economy, * A rise in the cost of products made in the United States to pay the rising health care bill with a concomitant change in our national and international standard of living, and * An increasing debt and increases in federal and state taxes which will be required to maintain the current health care system, ie, Medicare, Medicaid, and the private health care insurance payment scheme, which has not changed substantially over the past 40 to 50 years. Surgeons must look at the incremental benefit of new technologies and procedures and determine which to choose if we are to slow the growth of surgical health care expenditures.

  5. A cohort cost analysis of lumbar laminectomy--current trends in surgeon and hospital fees distribution.

    PubMed

    Molina, Camilo A; Zadnik, Patricia L; Gokaslan, Ziya L; Witham, Timothy F; Bydon, Ali; Wolinsky, Jean-Paul; Sciubba, Daniel M

    2013-11-01

    Spine-related health-care expenditures accounted for $86 billion dollars in 2005, a 65% increase from 1997. However, when adjusting for inflation, surgeons have seen decreased reimbursement rates over the last decade. To assess contribution of surgeon fees to overall procedure cost, we reviewed the charges and reimbursements for a noninstrumented lumbar laminectomy and compared the amounts reimbursed to the hospital and to the surgeon at a major academic institution. Retrospective review of costs associated with lumbar laminectomies. Seventy-seven patients undergoing lumbar laminectomy for spinal stenosis throughout an 18-month period at a single academic medical center were included in this study. Cost and number of laminectomy levels. The reimbursement schedule of six academic spine surgeons was collected over 18 months for performed noninstrumented lumbar laminectomy procedures. Bills and collections by the hospital and surgeon professional fees were comparatively analyzed and substratified by number of laminectomy levels and patient insurance status. Unpaired two-sample Student t test was used for analysis of significant differences. During an 18-month period, patients underwent a lumbar laminectomy involving on average three levels and stayed in the hospital on average 3.5 days. Complications were uncommon (13%). Average professional fee billing for the surgeon was $6,889±$2,882, and collection was $1,848±$1,433 (28% overall, 30% for private insurance, and 23% for Medicare/Medicaid insurance). Average hospital billing for the inpatient hospital stay minus professional fees from the surgeon was $14,766±$7,729, and average collection on such bills was $13,391±$7,256 (92% overall, 91% for private insurance, and 85% for Medicare/Medicaid insurance). Based on this analysis, the proportion of overall costs allocated to professional fees for a noninstrumented lumbar laminectomy is small, whereas those allocated to hospital costs are far greater. These findings suggest that the current focus on decreasing physician reimbursement as the principal cost saving strategy will lead to minimal reimbursement for surgeons without a substantial drop in the overall cost of procedures performed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Low-Income Community Solar: Utility Return Considerations for Electric Cooperatives

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

    Aznar, Alexandra Y; Gagne, Douglas A

    The objective of this short report is to identify project structures that make low-income community solar projects more cost-effective, replicable, and scalable, for electric cooperative and municipal utilities. This report explores the tradeoffs between providing energy bill savings for low-income subscribers and utility project returns, as well as some of the key lessons learned from existing successful low-income community solar pilot projects.

  7. 129,000 pound pilot project : report to the 62nd Idaho State Legislature.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2013-01-01

    In 2003, the Idaho Legislature passed House Bill 395, which created a pilot project to test the effect of : increasing the legal truck weights on State Highways. Trucks configured to increase gross vehicle weight : (GVW) from 105,500 pounds to 129,00...

  8. 15 CFR 750.7 - Issuance of licenses.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    .... After a license application is approved, a computer generated license is issued by the Department of... technology, commodities will be approved with a quantity or dollar value limit. The “Unit” paragraph within... is related to a multi-year project, when production lead time will not permit an export or reexport...

  9. 48 CFR 36.609-1 - Design within funding limitations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... 48 Federal Acquisition Regulations System 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Design within funding... Services 36.609-1 Design within funding limitations. (a) The Government may require the architect-engineer contractor to design the project so that construction costs will not exceed a contractually specified dollar...

  10. Fast Payback

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Simon, David

    2008-01-01

    Energy costs are projected to rise as much as 12 percent in 2008, and a facility's "carbon footprint" has become an issue of increasing importance. So, many schools and universities are taking a hard look at their energy consumption. Education facilities can save tens of thousands of dollars in yearly electric costs, and cut harmful emissions by…

  11. 7 CFR 1726.202 - Informal competitive bidding.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... persons or organizations on its qualified bidder list for the specific project (see § 1726.23). (b... a responsive bid. (d) Evaluation basis. Any factors, other than lowest dollar amount of the bid, which are to be considered in evaluating the proposals of qualified bidders (e.g., power consumption...

  12. Cleaning Data Helps Clean the Air

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Donalds, Kelley; Liu, Xiangrong

    2014-01-01

    In this project, students use a real-world, complex database and experience firsthand the consequences of inadequate data modeling. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency created the database as part of a multimillion dollar data collection effort undertaken in order to set limits on air pollutants from electric power plants. First, students…

  13. Universal Service Brings Fiber to Their Doorsteps.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vedro, Steven

    1996-01-01

    In a time of fiscal belt tightening, many states will hesitate to launch new multimillion-dollar distance education network projects. Instead they will concentrate on regulatory initiatives to stimulate the development of affordable advanced universal service by the private sector. Discusses the limitations of state regulatory strategies in the…

  14. It Pays to Go to School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Shubin, Joanna

    2004-01-01

    This article describes a class project that engages students in a scientific dialogue almost immediately upon entering science class on the first day of school. The teacher's first announcement is that each student will receive one dollar. Student response will most likely be suspicion, amazement, and perplexity--all the attributes of scientists…

  15. Fund Raising: An International Feast.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Babb, Valorie; Marshall, Gene

    The procedure for planning an international dinner to raise funds and publicize foreign language study is described. The project, which netted several hundred dollars for a high school in North Dakota, involves careful planning over a period of months. Publicity and facilities are discussed, and the various culinary and other jobs to be…

  16. Hunting for Alumni Dollars

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wong, Wylie

    2007-01-01

    Fundraising has never been a strong suit for most community colleges. But in recent years, it's become a major focus. Forced to offset a decrease in government funding to help pay for student scholarships, capital improvement projects, and additional personnel to launch new educational programs, community college leaders have been forced to…

  17. Off-the-Wall Project Brings Aerial Mapping down to Earth

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Davidhazy, Andrew

    2008-01-01

    The technology of aerial photography, photogrametry, has widespread applications in mapping and aerial surveying. A multi-billion-dollar industry, aerial surveying and mapping is "big business" in both civilian and military sectors. While the industry has grown increasingly automated, employment opportunities still exist for people with a basic…

  18. Human Resource Implications of Robotics.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hunt, H. Allan; Hunt, Timothy L.

    A study examined the job creation and job displacement potential of industrial robots in the United States and specifically, in Michigan, by 1990. To complete an analysis of the impact of robotics on the American labor force, researchers combined data from previous forecasts of future unit and dollar sales projections and from interviews with…

  19. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Civil Works, New England District, Complied With The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2010-09-30

    made a nonstatistical selection of three projects at USACE New England for review: Blackstone River Fisherville Pond, Shpack Landfill, and Fox Point...Figure 1. Blackstone River Fisherville Pond What We Found USACE New England complied with the Recovery Act requirements for the three projects...would know how, when, and where tax dollars were spent. Further, the Recovery Act stated that the President and the heads of Federal departments

  20. Flat-plate solar array project of the US Department of Energy's National Photovoltaics Program: Ten years of progress

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Christensen, Elmer

    1985-01-01

    The Flat-Plate Solar Array (FSA) Project, a Government-sponsored photovoltaics project, was initiated in January 1975 (previously named the Low-Cost Silicon Solar Array Project) to stimulate the development of PV systems for widespread use. Its goal then was to develop PV modules with 10% efficiency, a 20-year lifetime, and a selling price of $0.50 per peak watt of generating capacity (1975 dollars). It was recognized that cost reduction of PV solar-cell and module manufacturing was the key achievement needed if PV power systems were to be economically competitive for large-scale terrestrial use.

  1. Academia's role in Test Ban Treaty monitoring remains unresolved

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wakefield, J.

    However, some progress has been made in negotiating how this university consortium will be coordinated with the federal government's efforts to develop comprehensive nuclear test ban monitoring systems. Before Congress closed shop, changes were made in the conference wording of a Defense authorization bill for fiscal year 1995 that covers seismic research. Instead of requiring the secretaries of Defense and State to sign off on all seismic projects for monitoring nuclear explosions before the funds may be obligated, as the Senate version of the bill originally proposed, the seismic projects must now be approved by an existing annual review group, which was established by a classified presidential directive. In addition, some of the controversial language in a complementing Senate report will be changed.

  2. Sustaining and Enhancing the US Militarys Technology Edge

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-01-01

    www.congress . gov /bill/114th-congress/house-bill/1735/text. 14. Michael J. Sullivan, Defense Acquisitions: Observations on Whether or Not the Service Chief...Washington, DC: Gov - ernment Accountability Office, May 2010), http://www.gao.gov/new.items/d10522.pdf. 16. The first offset refers to the threat of massive...Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and previously as a general counsel at NASA and as an USAF judge advocate. He explained the history of

  3. An evaluation of contractor projected and actual costs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kwiatkowski, K. A.; Buffalano, C.

    1974-01-01

    GSFC contractors with cost-plus contracts provide cost estimates for each of the next four quarters on a quarterly basis. Actual expenditures over a two-year period were compared to the estimates, and the data were sorted in different ways to answer several questions and give quantification to observations, such as how much does the accuracy of estimates degrade as they are made further into the future? Are estimates made for small dollar amounts more accurate than for large dollar estimates? Other government agencies and private companies with cost-plus contracts may be interested in this analysis as potential methods of contract management for their organizations. It provides them with the different methods one organization is beginning to use to control costs.

  4. 78 FR 38969 - Agency Information Collection Extension

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-06-28

    ... Project Management, 1000 Independence Avenue SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121 or by email at richard.bonnell... Project Management. [FR Doc. 2013-15533 Filed 6-27-13; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 6450-01-P ... the Office of Management and Budget (OMB). Comments are invited on: (a) Whether the extended...

  5. 75 FR 47839 - Notice of Quarterly Report (January 1, 2010-March 31, 2010)

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-08-09

    ... Facilitate $45,219,525 Number of international Project. transportation to tourists--Efate. increase tourism...,264 Establish an $11,978,769 Total wage bill of Improvement Project. independent and tourism industry... $637,900 Average revenue of added to tourism potters receiving and artisan Artisan Production sectors...

  6. Impact of the agricultural research service watershed assessment studies on the conservation effects assessment project cropland national assessment

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    USDA initiated the Conservation Effects Assessment Project (CEAP) in 2002 to analyze societal and environmental benefits gained from the increased conservation program funding provided in the 2002 Farm Bill. The Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), Agricultural Research Service (ARS), and...

  7. 18 CFR 375.308 - Delegations to the Director of the Office of Energy Projects.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... the Federal Power Act, where no substantive changes in ownership, corporate structure or domicile, or... government dams or other structures billed to licensees each year for contractual payments for the... resources projects submitted by other agencies of the Federal government for Commission review or comment...

  8. 75 FR 54419 - Environmental Impact Statement: Yellowstone County, MT

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-09-07

    ... be prepared for a proposed highway project in Yellowstone County, Montana. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION... that an EIS will be prepared on the re-scoped, proposed project. These improvements are considered... be prepared for a proposal to construct a bypass route north of the city of Billings. Funding...

  9. Dental insurance! Are we ready?

    PubMed

    Toor, Ravi S S; Jindal, R

    2011-01-01

    Dental insurance is insurance designed to pay the costs associated with dental care. The Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) bill which was put forward in the winter session of the Lok Sabha (2008) focused on increasing the foreign investment share from the existing 26% to 49% in the insurance companies of India. This will allow the multibillion dollar international insurance companies to enter the Indian market and subsequently cover all aspects of insurance in India. Dental insurance will be an integral a part of this system. Dental insurance is a new concept in Southeast Asia as very few countries in Southeast Asia cover this aspect of insurance. It is important that the dentists in India should be acquainted with the different types of plans these companies are going to offer and about a new relationship which is going to emerge in the coming years between dentist, patient and the insurance company.

  10. Half a century of light scatter metrology and counting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stover, John C.

    2014-09-01

    Back in the early days Bill Wolf once said something like: "The guy with the lowest scatter measurement is closest to the right answer." He was often right then - but not anymore. Everything has changed. Today measurements are limited by Rayleigh scatter from the air - not the instrument. We have both written and physical standards and everybody spells BRDF the same way. In the time it takes to give this talk, over 100,000 silicon wafers will be inspected around the world using a few thousand scatterometers - average price about one million dollars each. The way the world illuminates everything from homes to football fields is changing with the advent of high brightness LED's and these lighting systems are designed using a combination of scatter metrology and analysis techniques - many of which were started at The Optical Sciences Center. This paper reviews two major highlights in half a century of scatter metrology progress.

  11. Coping with unreliable public water supplies: Averting expenditures by households in Kathmandu, Nepal

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pattanayak, Subhrendu K.; Yang, Jui-Chen; Whittington, Dale; Bal Kumar, K. C.

    2005-02-01

    This paper investigates two complementary pieces of data on households' demand for improved water services, coping costs and willingness to pay (WTP), from a survey of 1500 randomly sampled households in Kathmandu, Nepal. We evaluate how coping costs and WTP vary across types of water users and income. We find that households in Kathmandu Valley engage in five main types of coping behaviors: collecting, pumping, treating, storing, and purchasing. These activities impose coping costs on an average household of as much as 3 U.S. dollars per month or about 1% of current incomes, representing hidden but real costs of poor infrastructure service. We find that these coping costs are almost twice as much as the current monthly bills paid to the water utility but are significantly lower than estimates of WTP for improved services. We find that coping costs are statistically correlated with WTP and several household characteristics.

  12. Financial considerations insurance and coverage issues in intestinal transplantation.

    PubMed

    Chaney, Michael

    2004-12-01

    To increase healthcare workers' knowledge of reimbursement concerns. Chronological survey of transplants reimbursed at the University of Nebraska Medical Center from December 1997 to October 2003, which include accounts of 30 patients who received intestine transplants. Gross billed hospital charges for the past 30 transplantations ranged from dollars 112094 to dollars 667597. Length of stay ranged from 18 to 119 days. Charges include organ procurement fees. All 30 intestine transplants were reimbursed by third-party healthcare coverage; combination of coverage; and/or patient and family payments, which resulted in adherence to financial guidelines prearranged by the hospital. Financial guidelines are usually cost plus a percentage. Thirteen transplantations occurred after April 2001, when Medicare made a national coverage decision to reimburse this form of transplantation. Since then, obtaining surgical authorization and reimbursement is easier. Most insurance companies and state public health agencies accept intestinal transplantations as a form of treatment. Researching transplant coverage before evaluation is essential to be compensated adequately. Financial guidelines will secure the fiscal success of the program. Educating patients to insurance and entitlements may reduce the out-of-pocket cost to patients. Transplant financial coordinators coordinate these efforts for the facility. The best coverage option for the patient and transplant programs is a combination of commercial healthcare coverage, secondary entitlement program, and fund-raising. With length of stay ranging up to 119 days and a lifetime of posttransplant outpatient follow-up care, it is beneficial for the facility to also have a fundraising program to assist patients.

  13. Natural Resources Research Program: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting, Natural Resources Research Program (14th) Held in Omaha, Nebraska on 19-20 April 1989

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1989-09-01

    here in Omaha. First, I’d like to mention a change we’ve made in the process for reviewing proposed programs for approval in HQUSACE. As most of you... changing markets, we must be more structured in the way we determine what, when, and where to provide our products and how much they are worth. We need to...the O&M area because the projects are on the ground, demands on these projects are changing , and new projects that require additional dollars are

  14. Multimillion Dollar Construction Project Completed in Glenn's Icing Research Tunnel

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kevdzija, Susan L.

    2001-01-01

    Over the last year, the Glenn Research Center's Icing Research Tunnel (IRT) underwent a major $5.2 million rehabilitation project as part of the Construction of Facilities program. The scope of the project included redesign and replacement of the 55-yr-old heat exchanger, the addition of fan outlet guide vanes for flow conditioning downstream of the 25-ft-diameter fan, and redesign and replacement of the C and D corner-turning vanes. The purpose of the rehabilitation was to replace old portions of the infrastructure and to improve the aerodynamic flow quality in the tunnel.

  15. Enthanol fuels from biomass projects

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hsieh, B. C. B.

    About 100 projects are proposed or underway to convert organic crops such as corn and grains or waste organic material into a clean usable ethyl alcohol fuel. Total production capacity could reach more than two billion gallons per year in 1985, excluding beverage and industrial uses. Congressional appropriation of approximately one-half billion dollars to DOE/USDA for loan guarantees and federal and state laws exempting excise taxes can make this ethanol fuel from biomass possible. An overview and status of the projects will be reviewed. Net energy production of ethyl alcohol from biomass and the impacts of increasing alcohol fuel use will also be discussed.

  16. Healthy city projects in developing countries: the first evaluation.

    PubMed

    Harpham, T; Burton, S; Blue, I

    2001-06-01

    The 'healthy city' concept has only recently been adopted in developing countries. From 1995 to 1999, the World Health Organization (WHO), Geneva, supported healthy city projects (HCPs) in Cox's Bazar (Bangladesh), Dar es Salaam (Tanzania), Fayoum (Egypt), Managua (Nicaragua) and Quetta (Pakistan). The authors evaluated four of these projects, representing the first major evaluation of HCPs in developing countries. Methods used were stakeholder analysis, workshops, document analysis and interviews with 102 managers/implementers and 103 intended beneficiaries. Municipal health plan development (one of the main components of the healthy city strategy) in these cities was limited, which is a similar finding to evaluations of HCPs in Europe. The main activities selected by the projects were awareness raising and environmental improvements, particularly solid waste disposal. Two of the cities effectively used the 'settings' approach of the healthy city concept, whereby places such as markets and schools are targeted. The evaluation found that stakeholder involvement varied in relation to: (i) the level of knowledge of the project; (ii) the project office location; (iii) the project management structure; and (iv) type of activities (ranging from low stakeholder involvement in capital-intensive infrastructure projects, to high in some settings-type activities). There was evidence to suggest that understanding of environment-health links was increased across stakeholders. There was limited political commitment to the healthy city projects, perhaps due to the fact that most of the municipalities had not requested the projects. Consequently, the projects had little influence on written/expressed municipal policies. Some of the projects mobilized considerable resources, and most projects achieved effective intersectoral collaboration. WHO support enabled the project coordinators to network at national and international levels, and the capacity of these individuals (although not necessarily their institutions) was increased by the project. The average annual running cost of the projects was approximately 132,000 US dollars per city, which is close to the costs of the only other HCP for which a cost analysis has been undertaken, Bangkok (115,000 US dollars per year) Recommendations for these and other HCPs are provided.

  17. Paved with Good Intentions: Rethinking the Ethics of ELSI Research

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Seltzer, Daniel; Zoloth, Laurie; Traina, Cristina L. H.; Kiesling, Lynne

    2011-01-01

    Ethical, Legal and Social Implications ("ELSI") research has played an increasingly important role in scientific research. Tens of millions of dollars, many of which are public, are spent funding scientific research projects. Taxpayers are demanding that scientific advancement move forward, hand-in-hand with careful examination of the many ethical…

  18. Motivational and Persistence Factors for Military Spouses Earning a College Degree

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Keenan, Lisa A.

    2012-01-01

    Projections estimated that nontraditional student enrollment in post-secondary education would increase by 19% as compared to traditional student enrollments of 10% from 2006 through 2017. Adult students were less likely to complete a college degree compared to traditional students, and drop-outs cost taxpayers billions of dollars in lost taxes.…

  19. Deferred Maintenance Needs of California Public Higher Education. Fact Sheet 05-05

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    California Postsecondary Education Commission, 2005

    2005-01-01

    The California Postsecondary Education Commission estimated in the year 2000 that the State would need to spend approximately $1.5 billion annually to maintain and expand public higher education facilities to meet student demand. This fact sheet updates information about the dollar amount of maintenance projects that are currently backlogged or…

  20. The Road to 24/7

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Briggs, Linda L.

    2006-01-01

    Wireless and mobile technologies are now everywhere, and 24/7 computing is as pervasive a term as the actual capability promises to be. Sometimes, in fact, the push toward mobile technologies can seem overwhelming. But every wireless project doesn't have to involve redesigning the network and investing in mega-dollars worth of hardware and…

  1. Helping Undergraduates Discover the Value of a Dollar through Self-Monitoring

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Palmer, Lance; Bliss, Donna L.; Goetz, Joseph W.; Moorman, Diann

    2010-01-01

    Many college undergraduates lack basic financial management knowledge and skills while bearing ever increasing debt burdens upon graduation. In order to encourage students to become aware of their spending patterns and weigh those patterns against personal values, a self-monitoring project was implemented as a class activity. The resulting effect…

  2. A Whole New Dimension

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gedemer, Linda

    2012-01-01

    3D projection plays a key training role in industry, especially for high-skills jobs such as airline pilots, astronauts, and a variety of positions in the military. By utilizing 3D simulators, organizations in these sectors conduct safe and effective training that would otherwise cost millions of dollars--or be impossible. Given the pressure on…

  3. Update on the DNT In Vitro Alternative Methods Project at the USEPA

    EPA Science Inventory

    Current approaches to toxicity testing rely heavily on the use of animals, can cost millions of dollars and can take years to complete for a single chemical. To implement the predictive toxicity testing envisioned in the NAS report on Toxicity Testing in the 21st century, rapid a...

  4. Proceedings of the ADA Debut, Washington, DC, 4-5 September 1980

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1980-09-01

    AREA & WORK UNIT NUMBERS Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency 1400 Wilson Blvd. Arlington- VA 22209 II. CONTROLLING OFFICE NAME AND ADDRESS 12...convocations of this type and seeing old friends, and I’m especially glad to see Bill Whitaker. I can remember working late at night but I never worked any...later at night at ARPA than my colleague Bill, when he was in his office working at a terminal on the various thirgs he had to do as Chairman of the

  5. Additional Analysis of the ESTCP Discrimination Study Data at Camp Sibert, Alabama. Project 200504: Practical Discrimination Strategies for Application to Live Sites

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-10-20

    Dr. Stephen Billings Dr. Leonard Pasion Sky Research, Inc) Laurens Beran UBC-GIF Approved for public release; distribution...Sites 5. FUNDING NUMBERS Contract # W912HQ-05-C-0018 6. AUTHOR(S) Dr. Stephen Billings, Dr. Leonard Pasion (Sky Research, Inc.) Laurens Beran...representative of the test datasets. ESTCP MM-0504: Additional Analysis of Camp Sibert Data Sky Research Inc October 2008 References [1] L.R. Pasion , N

  6. Minot, North Dakota: Oroville-Tonasket, Washington; and San Luis Valley project, Colorado - water resource legislation. Hearing before the Subcommittee on Water and Power of the Committee on Energy and Natural Resources, United States Senate, One Hundredth Congress, First Session on S. 641, S. 649, and S. 1549, August 5, 1987

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

    Not Available

    1987-01-01

    The first bill, S. 641, would provide for the relief of the city of Minot, North Dakota. S. 641 was introduced by Senator Burdick and is cosponsored by the vice chairman of this subcommittee, Senator Conrad. The second bill would amend the Reclamation Authorization Act of 1976 to increase the authorization ceiling on the Oroville-Tonasket project in Washington State. S. 649 was introduced by Senator Evans, the ranking member of the subcommittee and is cosponsored by Senator Adams. The third measure, S. 1549, would increase the authorization ceiling for the Closed Basin Division of the San Luis Valley project inmore » Colorado, and was introduced by Senator Wirth, also a member of the subcommittee, and is cosponsored by Senator Armstrong. Copies of each bill are first included, followed by statements by: US Senators and Congressmen from the cognizant states; C. Dale Dwall, Commissioner, Bureau of Reclamation, Department of the Interior; George Christensen, major, Minot, North Dakota; Edward Kuhn, president Minot City Council; Richard B. Price, counsel Oroville-Tonasket Irrigation District; and Leland Robinson, board president, Oroville-Tonasket Irrigation District.« less

  7. A resolution recognizing the efforts and accomplishments of the GOD'S CHILD Project and congratulating the GOD'S CHILD Project on its 20th anniversary.

    THOMAS, 112th Congress

    Sen. Conrad, Kent [D-ND

    2011-04-12

    Senate - 06/20/2011 Resolution agreed to in Senate with an amendment and an amended preamble by Unanimous Consent. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  8. Anticipating Stimulus Money for Campus Projects, Colleges Get "Shovel Ready"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carlson, Scott

    2009-01-01

    Help for colleges may be on the way in the $825-billion stimulus package being pressed by Congressional leaders. The bill that House Democrats introduced this month includes $7-billion for higher-education modernization, renovation, and repair that could kick-start projects like upgrading heating and cooling systems, fixing roofs, and doing…

  9. "Met" Made Simple: Building Research-Based Teacher Evaluations. Issue Analysis Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    New Teacher Project, 2012

    2012-01-01

    Groundbreaking new findings from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation's Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) project hold the potential to answer crucial questions about how to assess teachers' performance. For the past two years, MET researchers have conducted a research project of unprecedented scope, involving 3,000 teachers in six school…

  10. Restoration as Responsibility: An Interview with Bill Jordan III.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jordan, Bill, III

    2002-01-01

    Interest in ecological restoration is increasing. A pioneer in the field discusses the value of restoration projects; deciding what state of the landscape to restore; how to educate people about the importance of reintroducing species, especially large predators; why people are so willing to volunteer and sacrifice for restoration projects; and…

  11. Innovative Educational Activities for Disabled and Gifted Students. Selected Projects from the Minigrant Program.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haim, Ytje Politiek

    Described is a selection of the 1981-1985 awards given by the Foundation for Exceptional Children's Bill Geer Minigrant Award Program, which supports the creation of innovative educational activities to benefit handicapped or gifted students from preschool through secondary levels. For each grant, information provided includes: project director,…

  12. Establishing an eastern broccoli industry: where are we and where do we need to go?

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    A Coordinated Agricultural Project (CAP) entitled “Establishing an Eastern Broccoli Industry” has been underway since the fall of 2010 and funded under the USDA Specialty Crop Research Initiative (SCRI), which was established as part of the 2008 Farm Bill. This project has brought together research...

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

    Allgood, Tiffany L.; Sorter, Andy

    The Coeur d'Alene Tribe's Energy Efficiency Feasibility Study (EEFS) is the culminating document that compiles the energy efficiency and building performance assessment and project prioritization process completed on 36 Tribally owned and operated facilities within Tribal lands. The EEFS contains sections on initial findings, utility billing analyses, energy conservation measures and prioritization and funding sources and strategies for energy project implementation.

  14. Similarities and differences in philanthropic and federal support for medical research in the United States: an analysis of funding by nonprofits in 2006-2008.

    PubMed

    Myers, Elizabeth R; Alciati, Marianne H; Ahlport, Kathryn N; Sung, Nancy S

    2012-11-01

    The medical community currently has no detailed source of information on philanthropic research funding. The authors sought to identify trends in research funding by members of the Health Research Alliance (HRA), a consortium of nonprofit funders of biomedical research, and compare findings with research support from the federal government. Thirty-two HRA members uploaded information about grants with start dates in 2006, 2007, and 2008. Data were collected about each grant, investigator, and recipient institution. Disease categorization codes were assigned by a computer process similar to that used by the National Institutes of Health (NIH). In the three years under study, HRA members awarded 9,934 grants, totaling $2,712,418,254 in research and training support. Grant funding increased by 26% between 2006 and 2008. In contrast, NIH research spending increased by only 3% over the same time. Fifty-six percent of HRA grant dollars supported research projects, whereas 30% supported career development and training. During the same period, more than two-thirds of NIH grant dollars supported research projects, although NIH invested proportionally less in career development and training (7%). The largest proportion of HRA grant dollars addressed cancer, followed by diabetes and genetics. Sixty-three percent of HRA-supported investigators were men and 36% were women; 66% of investigators were white, 32% Asian, and fewer than 2% black. These results indicate that nonprofit organizations play an important role in developing careers and advancing research in significant disease areas such as cancer and diabetes, and in basic science areas such as genetics.

  15. The Jet Propulsion Laboratory low-cost solar array project, 1974-1986

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Maycock, P. D.

    1986-01-01

    The overall objective of the photovoltaic program is to ensure that photovoltaic conversion systems play a significant role in the nation's energy supply by stimulating an industry capable of providing approximately 50 GWe of installed electricity generating capacity by the year 2000. In order to achieve this overall objective, several time-phased program goals have been defined. Near-term goals are to achieve photovoltaic flat-plate module or concentrator array prices of $2 per peak watt (1975 dollars) at an annual production rate of 20 peak megawatts in 1982. At this price level, energy costs should range from 100 to 200 mills/kwh. Mid-term goals are to achieve photovoltaic flat-plate module or concentrator array prices of $0.50 per peak watt (in 1975 dollars), and an annual production rate of 500 peak megawatts in 1986. Studies project that photovoltaic systems will begin to compete for both distributed and larger load-center utility-type applications and thereby open up significant markets for large-scale photovoltaic systems. Far term goals are to achieve the photovoltaic flat-plate module or concentrator array price goal of $0.10 to $0.30 per peak watt in 1990 (in 1975 dollars), and an annual production rate of 10 to 20 peak gigawatts in 2000. At this price range, energy cost should be in the range of 40 to 60 mills. kwh and be cost effective for utility applications. Achievement of these goals can make photovoltaic systems economically competitive with other energy sources for dispersed on-site applications as well as for central power generation.

  16. Project Ready STEM Act

    THOMAS, 113th Congress

    Rep. Fudge, Marcia L. [D-OH-11

    2013-03-21

    House - 04/23/2013 Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  17. Project Ready STEM Act

    THOMAS, 112th Congress

    Rep. Fudge, Marcia L. [D-OH-11

    2012-04-17

    House - 09/26/2012 Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  18. Project Rebuild Act of 2011

    THOMAS, 112th Congress

    Rep. Waters, Maxine [D-CA-35

    2011-11-18

    House - 01/12/2012 Referred to the Subcommittee on Insurance, Housing and Community Opportunity. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  19. ODOT research news : spring 2006.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2006-01-01

    The research newsletter includes: : 1) Northwest Transportation Conference; : 2) Research Opportunities In The SAFETEA-LU Transportation Reauthorization Bill; : 3) 2007 Project Selection Process; : 4) Testing Cracked Cross-beams; : 5) An Enhancement ...

  20. Health plan budget impact analysis for pimecrolimus.

    PubMed

    Chang, Jane; Sung, Jennifer

    2005-01-01

    Budget impact models are useful tools for managed care organizations to make drug formulary decisions. The objective of this study was to estimate the incremental budgetary change in per-member-per-month (PMPM) medical and pharmacy costs for atopic dermatitis (AD) or eczema after the introduction of pimecrolimus cream 1%, a topical calcineurin inhibitor. Estimates of the percentage of patients seeking care, treatment patterns, and quantities of medications dispensed for AD were measured using 2001 and 2002 medical and pharmacy records in a proprietary database for health plans distributed throughout the United States. Approximately 2.5 million health plan members had continuous health insurance coverage during the study period. Costs for medications were assigned using the 2003 wholesale acquisition cost, and costs for physician visits were based on average 2003 Medicare reimbursement rates. Efficacy data from clinical trials were used to model the impact of pimecrolimus on subsequent physician visits. Sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate the impact of varying the percentage of patients seeking care, practice patterns, medication quantities, percentage of pimecrolimus users, and levels of patient cost sharing. The estimated percentage of health plan members seeking care for AD in 2001 was 3.2%. The estimated total cost PMPM for AD treatment prior to introduction of pimecrolimus was 0.362 dollars for all covered lives, assuming no patient cost sharing. In the year after its introduction, 5.2% of the AD population filled a prescription for pimecrolimus. The incremental increase in pharmacy benefit cost was 0.008 dollars PMPM in 2003 dollars, but the total incremental medical and pharmacy cost was 0.002 dollars PMPM after accounting for the projected reduction in physician visit costs, representing a 0.7% increase in all AD-related costs. Based on sensitivity analyses, the incremental total cost PMPM after the introduction of pimecrolimus ranged from -0.004 dollars to 0.026 dollars. Using claims data for the medical treatment of AD in 2001-2002 and the utilization of pimecrolimus, the addition of pimecrolimus as a treatment option for AD had a minimal impact on PMPM costs for AD-related care in 2003 dollars. As with all pharmacoeconomic models, health plans should perform their own budget forecasting using assumptions derived from their own pharmacy and medical claims data.

  1. Effectiveness of Loan Guarantees versus Tax Incentives for Space Launch Ventures

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Scottoline, S.; Coleman, R.

    1999-01-01

    Over the course of the past few years, several new and innovative fully or partiailly reusable launch vehicle designs have been initiated with the objective of reducing the cost of space transportation. These new designs are in various stages hardware development for technology and system demonstrators. The larger vehicles include the Lockheed Martin X-33 technology demonstrator for VentureStar and the Space Access launcher. The smaller launcher ventures include Kelly Space and Technology and Rotary Rocket Company. A common denominator between the new large and small commercial launch systems is the ability to obtain project financing and at an affordable cost. Both are having or will have great difficulty in obtaining financing in the capital markets because of the dollar amounts and the risk involved. The large established companies are pursuing multi-billion dollar developments which are a major challenge to finance because of the size and risk of the projects. The smaller start-up companies require less capital for their smaller systems, however, their lack of corporate financial muscle and launch vehicle track record results in a major challenge to obtain financing also because of high risk. On Wall Street, new launch system financing is a question of market, technical, organizational, legal/regulatory and financial risk. The current limit of acceptable financial risk for Space businesses on Wall Street are the telecommunications and broadcast satellite projects, of which many in number are projected for the future. Tbc recent problems with Iridium market and financial performance are casting a long shadow over new satellite project financing, making it increasingly difficult for the new satellite projects to obtain needed financing.

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

    De Meo, E.A.

    During the past ten years, over two billion dollars of public and private funds have been applied toward the development of new renewable power sources. The efforts conducted over this period have led to several primary results: Lofty dreams of large energy contributions by year 2000 have been replaced by realistic projections and the realization that successful development of new power technologies takes a number of years. We have also come to realize that a contribution of one or two percent of U.S. energy needs by year 2000 from a new technology would represent a truly significant achievement, would implymore » productive capital investments of tens of billions of dollars, and would signal the emergence of a very healthy power option whose ultimate role would be influenced primarily by normal market forces.« less

  3. Fort Sumner Project Title Conveyance Act

    THOMAS, 113th Congress

    Sen. Udall, Tom [D-NM

    2013-02-12

    Senate - 06/27/2013 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 110. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  4. Manhattan Project National Historical Park Act

    THOMAS, 113th Congress

    Sen. Cantwell, Maria [D-WA

    2013-03-07

    Senate - 06/27/2013 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 119. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  5. Authorized Rural Water Projects Completion Act

    THOMAS, 113th Congress

    Sen. Baucus, Max [D-MT

    2013-04-11

    Senate - 05/22/2014 Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 393. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  6. Aquatic organism passage at road-stream crossings—synthesis and guidelines for effectiveness monitoring

    Treesearch

    Robert L. Hoffman; Jason B. Dunham; Bruce P. Hansen

    2012-01-01

    Restoration and maintenance of passage for aquatic organisms at road-stream crossings represents a major management priority, involving an investment of hundreds of millions of dollars. This report has been written, in part, for field biologists who will be undertaking and evaluating the effectiveness of aquatic organism passage restoration projects at road-stream...

  7. What "World of Warcraft" Is Teaching Us about Learning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ackerman, Lyn Kajiwara

    2017-01-01

    Video games are a growing multi-billion dollar industry. Pew Internet & American Life Project (2008) reported that 97 percent of teens ages 12 to 17 years play computer, web, portable, or console games. Of the various genres that were reported, 36 percent of teens played role playing games and 21 percent played massively multiplayer online…

  8. Digging up Classroom Dollars on DonorsChoose

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Curriculum Review, 2006

    2006-01-01

    Back in 2000, Charles Best was teaching at Wings Academy, an alternative high school in the Bronx, when he got the idea for a Web site where teachers could solicit donations for class projects. With help from his students, DonorsChoose.org soon was born. Last year, the site won Amazon.com's Nonprofit Innovation Award. So far, DonorsChoose has…

  9. 31 CFR 205.12 - What funding techniques may be used?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... that the State pays out each day. The projected amount paid out each day is determined by applying a clearance pattern to the total amount the State will disburse. (3) Average clearance means that a Federal Program Agency, on the dollar-weighted average day of clearance of a disbursement, transfers to a State a...

  10. Appropriating and Enacting Literacy Teaching Practices in the Context of the Pathway Project Professional Development Program

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chung, Huy Quoc

    2015-01-01

    Given that teacher professional development is a part of teachers' professional lives and given that billions of dollars have been invested in teacher professional development, this dissertation advocates for research that studies teacher learning and the conditions under which they learn, as an equally important component of studying the impact…

  11. 14 CFR Appendix A to Part 1215 - Estimated Service Rates in 1997 Dollars for TDRSS Standard Services (Based on NASA Escalation...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... Services (Based on NASA Escalation Estimate) Time: Project conceptualization (at least two years before... TDRSS Standard Services (Based on NASA Escalation Estimate) A Appendix A to Part 1215 Aeronautics and... the service requirements by NASA Headquarters, communications for the reimbursable development of a...

  12. 14 CFR Appendix A to Part 1215 - Estimated Service Rates in 1997 Dollars for TDRSS Standard Services (Based on NASA Escalation...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... Services (Based on NASA Escalation Estimate) Time: Project conceptualization (at least two years before... TDRSS Standard Services (Based on NASA Escalation Estimate) A Appendix A to Part 1215 Aeronautics and... the service requirements by NASA Headquarters, communications for the reimbursable development of a...

  13. Linking plant ecology and long-term hydrology to improve wetland restoration success

    Treesearch

    P.V. Caldwell; M.J. Vepraskas; J.D. Gregory; R.W. Skaggs; R.L. Huffman

    2011-01-01

    Although millions of dollars are spent restoring wetlands, failures are common, in part because the planted vegetation cannot survive in the restored hydrology. Wetland restoration would be more successful if the hydrologic requirements of wetland plant communities were known so that the most appropriate plants could be selected for the range of projected hydrology at...

  14. Feasibility of Using a Caribbean Strain of the New World Screwworm for SIT Campaigns in Brazil

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The New World Screwworm (NWS) is one of the most damaging parasites of livestock in South America with annual losses of millions of dollars. Recently, Mercado Común del Sur countries demonstrated interest for the control of this pest by the Sterile Insect Technique (SIT). A pilot-project was conduct...

  15. 40 CFR 35.3565 - Specific cash draw rules for authorized types of assistance from the Fund.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... to 5 percent of each fiscal year's capitalization grant or 2 million dollars, whichever is greater... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Specific cash draw rules for authorized... the following rules: (a) Loans—(1) Eligible project costs. A State may draw cash based on the...

  16. 40 CFR 35.3565 - Specific cash draw rules for authorized types of assistance from the Fund.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... to 5 percent of each fiscal year's capitalization grant or 2 million dollars, whichever is greater... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Specific cash draw rules for authorized... the following rules: (a) Loans—(1) Eligible project costs. A State may draw cash based on the...

  17. 40 CFR 35.3565 - Specific cash draw rules for authorized types of assistance from the Fund.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... to 5 percent of each fiscal year's capitalization grant or 2 million dollars, whichever is greater... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Specific cash draw rules for authorized... the following rules: (a) Loans—(1) Eligible project costs. A State may draw cash based on the...

  18. 40 CFR 35.3565 - Specific cash draw rules for authorized types of assistance from the Fund.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... to 5 percent of each fiscal year's capitalization grant or 2 million dollars, whichever is greater... 40 Protection of Environment 1 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Specific cash draw rules for authorized... the following rules: (a) Loans—(1) Eligible project costs. A State may draw cash based on the...

  19. Project Robot: A Software Simulation for Systems Engineering Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Arnold, Ross D.; Wade, Jon P.

    2017-01-01

    The U.S. defense industry spends billions of dollars each year developing defense systems to keep the nation and allies secure. However, the failure rate of system development is notoriously high. Even when development efforts do succeed, they often do so with cost overruns and compromises in system performance. As a result, large amounts of money…

  20. Partnerships in Sustainable Tourism Development: The Case of Canmore, Alberta, Canada

    Treesearch

    Dianne Draper

    1992-01-01

    A variety of formal and informal "partnerships" have evolved in the course of planning for the first two of several large-scale, multi-million dollar private sector tourism development projects proposed for the small town of Canmore, adjacent to Banff National Park, Canada. This paper briefly identifies the major impetuses for and the nature of these...

  1. Calculating CMMI-Based ROI: Why, When, What, and How?

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2007-03-01

    flows are discounted using either: • The company’s weighted average cost of capital ( WACC ) • A “hurdle rate” consisting of the company’s cost of...Provides a “one number” method of comparing projects that is independent of the company’s WACC or hurdle rate Cons • No way to know the dollar magnitude of

  2. Assessing the Acceptability and Feasibility of a School-Located Influenza Vaccination Program with Third-Party Billing in Elementary Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Christensen, Julie J.; Humiston, Sharon G.; Long, Christine E.; Kennedy, Allison M.; DiMattia, Kimberly; Kolasa, Maureen S.

    2012-01-01

    This study qualitatively assesses the acceptability and feasibility of a school-located vaccination for influenza (SLIV) project that was conducted in New York State in 2009-2011, from the perspectives of project participants with different roles. Fourteen in-depth semistructured interviews with participating schools' personnel and the mass…

  3. Encouraging Efficiency, Rewarding Quality: Lessons for School Choice Policy and Practice

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McShane, Michael Q.; Eden, Max

    2015-01-01

    There is strong evidence that the fiscal position of states moving forward will require K-12 schooling to become less expensive. States are projected to see spikes in pension contributions for public sector workers and increased expenditures related to Medicaid expansion. While these bills are coming due, the country is also projected to change…

  4. To ensure that minority-owned and women-owned businesses have a full and fair opportunity to compete in covered rail projects and contracts, and that the Federal Government does not subsidize discrimination in covered rail projects.

    THOMAS, 113th Congress

    Rep. Brown, Corrine [D-FL-5

    2014-04-09

    House - 04/10/2014 Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  5. 76 FR 34102 - Notice of Lodging of Consent Decree Under The Clean Air Act

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-06-10

    ... supplemental environmental project by spending $132,627 to retrofit municipal or school bus diesel vehicles... and hydrocarbons; (4) perform a supplemental environmental project by spending $132,627 to restore..., Environment and Natural Resources Division. [FR Doc. 2011-14380 Filed 6-9-11; 8:45 am] BILLING CODE 4410-15-P ...

  6. State Variation in Medicaid Reimbursements for Orthopaedic Surgery.

    PubMed

    Lalezari, Ramin M; Pozen, Alexis; Dy, Christopher J

    2018-02-07

    Medicaid reimbursements are determined by each state and are subject to variability. We sought to quantify this variation for commonly performed inpatient orthopaedic procedures. The 10 most commonly performed inpatient orthopaedic procedures, as ranked by the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project (HCUP) National Inpatient Sample, were identified for study. Medicaid reimbursement amounts for those procedures were benchmarked to state Medicare reimbursement amounts in 3 ways: (1) ratio, (2) dollar difference, and (3) dollar difference divided by the relative value unit (RVU) amount. Variability was quantified by determining the range and coefficient of variation for those reimbursement amounts. The range of variability of Medicaid reimbursements among states exceeded $1,500 for all 10 procedures. The coefficients of variation ranged from 0.32 (hip hemiarthroplasty) to 0.57 (posterior or posterolateral lumbar interbody arthrodesis) (a higher coefficient indicates greater variability), compared with 0.07 for Medicare reimbursements for all 10 procedures. Adjusted as a dollar difference between Medicaid and Medicare per RVU, the median values ranged from -$8/RVU (total knee arthroplasty) to -$17/RVU (open reduction and internal fixation of the femur). Variability of Medicaid reimbursement for inpatient orthopaedic procedures among states is substantial. This variation becomes especially remarkable given recent policy shifts toward focusing reimbursements on value.

  7. Financial comparative analysis of minimally invasive surgery to open surgery for localized prostate cancer: a single-institution experience.

    PubMed

    Mouraviev, Vladimir; Nosnik, Israel; Sun, Leon; Robertson, Cary N; Walther, Philip; Albala, David; Moul, Judd W; Polascik, Thomas J

    2007-02-01

    To evaluate the financial implications of how the costs of new minimally invasive surgery such as laparoscopic robotic prostatectomy (LRP) and cryosurgical ablation of the prostate (CAP) technologies compare with those of conventional surgery. From January 2002 to July 2005, 452 consecutive patients underwent surgical treatment for clinically localized (Stage T1-T2) prostate cancer. The distribution of patients among the surgical procedures was as follows: group 1, radical retropubic prostatectomy (RRP) (n = 197); group 2, radical perineal prostatectomy (RPP) (n = 60); group 3, LRP (n = 137); and group 4, CAP (n = 58). The total direct hospital costs and grand total hospital costs were analyzed for each type of surgery. The mean length of stay in the CAP group was significantly lower (0.16 +/- 0.14 days) than that for RRP (2.79 +/- 1.46 days), RPP (2.87 +/- 1.43 days), and LRP (2.15 +/- 1.48 days; P <0.0005). The direct surgical costs were less for the RRP (2471 dollars +/- 636 dollars) and RPP (2788 dollars +/- 762 dollars) groups than for the technology-dependent procedures: LRP (3441 dollars +/- 545 dollars) and CAP (5702 dollars +/- 1606 dollars; P <0.0005). The total hospital cost differences, including pathologic assessment costs, were less for LRP (10,047 dollars +/- 107 dollars, median 9343 dollars) and CAP (9195 dollars +/- 1511 dollars, median 8796 dollars) than for RRP (10,704 dollars +/- 3468 dollars, median 9724 dollars) or RPP (10,536 dollars +/- 3088 dollars, median 9251 dollars), with significant differences (P <0.05) between the minimally invasive technique and open surgery groups. In our study, despite the relatively increased surgical expense of CAP compared with conventional surgical prostatectomy (RRP or RPP) and LRP, the overall direct costs were offset by the significantly lower nonoperative hospital costs. The cost advantages associated with CAP included a shorter length of stay in the hospital and the absence of pathologic costs and the need for blood transfusion.

  8. Project Rebuild Act

    THOMAS, 112th Congress

    Sen. Reed, Jack [D-RI

    2012-03-06

    Senate - 05/08/2012 Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 112-677. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  9. The case and opportunity for public-supported financial incentives to implement integrated pest management.

    PubMed

    Brewer, Michael J; Hoard, Robert J; Landis, Joy N; Elworth, Lawrence E

    2004-12-01

    Food, water, and worker protection regulations have driven availability, and loss, of pesticides for use in pest management programs. In response, public-supported research and extension projects have targeted investigation and demonstration of reduced-risk integrated pest management (IPM) techniques. But these new techniques often result in higher financial burden to the grower, which is counter to the IPM principle that economic competitiveness is critical to have IPM adopted. As authorized by the 2002 Farm Bill and administered by the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), conservation programs exist for delivering public-supported financial incentives to growers to increase environmental stewardship on lands in production. NRCS conservation programs are described, and the case for providing financial incentives to growers for implementing IPM is presented. We also explored the opportunity and challenge to use one key program, the Environmental Quality Incentives Program (EQIP), to aid grower adoption of IPM. The EQIP fund distribution to growers from 1997 to 2002 during the last Farm Bill cycle totaled approximately 1.05 billion dollars with a portion of funds supporting an NRCS-designed pest management practice. The average percentage of allocation of EQIP funds to this pest management practice among states was 0.77 +/- 0.009% (mean +/- SD). Using Michigan as an example, vegetable and fruit grower recognition of the program's use to implement IPM was modest (25% of growers surveyed), and their recognition of its use in aiding implementation of IPM was improved after educational efforts (74%). Proposals designed to enhance program usefulness in implementing IPM were delivered through the NRCS advisory process in Michigan. Modifications for using the NRCS pest management practice to address resource concerns were adopted, incentive rates for pest management were adjusted, and an expanded incentive structure for IPM technique adoption was tabled for future consideration. The case is strong for using public-supported financial incentives offered by the EQIP to aid grower adoption of IPM as a means to address resource concerns, but current use of the EQIP for this purpose is modest to meager. With appropriate program adjustments and increased grower awareness, USDA NRCS conservation programs, and the EQIP in particular, may provide an important opportunity for growers to increase their use of IPM as a resource conservation and farm management tool.

  10. Health economic analysis of human papillomavirus vaccines in women of Chile: perspective of the health care payer using a Markov model.

    PubMed

    Gomez, Jorge Alberto; Lepetic, Alejandro; Demarteau, Nadia

    2014-11-26

    In Chile, significant reductions in cervical cancer incidence and mortality have been observed due to implementation of a well-organized screening program. However, it has been suggested that the inclusion of human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccination for young adolescent women may be the best prospect to further reduce the burden of cervical cancer. This cost-effectiveness study comparing two available HPV vaccines in Chile was performed to support decision making on the implementation of universal HPV vaccination. The present analysis used an existing static Markov model to assess the effect of screening and vaccination. This analysis includes the epidemiology of low-risk HPV types allowing for the comparison between the two vaccines (HPV-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine and the HPV-6/11/16/18 vaccine), latest cross-protection data on HPV vaccines, treatment costs for cervical cancer, vaccine costs and 6% discounting per the health economic guideline for Chile. Projected incremental cost-utility ratio (ICUR) and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICERs) for the HPV-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine was 116 United States (US) dollars per quality-adjusted life years (QALY) gained or 147 US dollars per life-years (LY) saved, while the projected ICUR/ICER for the HPV-6/11/16/18 vaccine was 541 US dollars per QALY gained or 726 US dollars per LY saved. Introduction of any HPV vaccine to the present cervical cancer prevention program of Chile is estimated to be highly cost-effective (below 1X gross domestic product [GDP] per capita, 14278 US dollars). In Chile, the addition of HPV-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine to the existing screening program dominated the addition of HPV-6/11/16/18 vaccine. In the probabilistic sensitivity analysis results show that the HPV-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine is expected to be dominant and cost-saving in 69.3% and 77.6% of the replicates respectively. The findings indicate that the addition of any HPV vaccine to the current cervical screening program of Chile will be advantageous. However, this cost-effectiveness model shows that the HPV-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine dominated the HPV-6/11/16/18 vaccine. Beyond the context of Chile, the data from this modelling exercise may support healthcare policy and decision-making pertaining to introduction of HPV vaccination in similar resource settings in the region.

  11. Atmospheric Science Program. Summaries of research in FY 1994

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

    NONE

    1995-06-01

    This report provides descriptions for all projects funded by ESD under annual contracts in FY 1994. Each description contains the project`s title; three-year funding history (in thousands of dollars); the contract period over which the funding applies; the name(s) of the principal investigator(s); the institution(s) conducting the projects; and the project`s objectives, products, approach, and results to date (for most projects older than one year). Project descriptions are categorized within the report according to program areas: atmospheric chemistry, atmospheric dynamics, and support operations. Within these categories, the descriptions are ordered alphabetically by principal investigator. Each program area is preceded bymore » a brief text that defines the program area, states it goals and objectives, lists principal research questions, and identifies program managers. Appendixes provide the addresses and telephone numbers of the principal investigators and define the acronyms used.« less

  12. Multimodal freight project prioritization.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2014-05-01

    As available data has increased and as the national transportation funding bills have moved toward : objective evaluation, departments of transportation (DOTs) throughout the country have begun to : develop tools to measure the impacts of different p...

  13. Pine River Indian Irrigation Project Act of 2009

    THOMAS, 111th Congress

    Sen. Udall, Mark [D-CO

    2009-06-15

    Senate - 11/18/2010 Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  14. Energy Production and Project Delivery Act of 2013

    THOMAS, 113th Congress

    Rep. Bishop, Rob [R-UT-1

    2013-05-08

    House - 06/14/2013 Referred to the Subcommittee on Regulatory Reform, Commercial And Antitrust Law. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  15. Office of the National Alzheimer's Project Act

    THOMAS, 111th Congress

    Sen. Martinez, Mel [R-FL

    2009-07-31

    Senate - 07/31/2009 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  16. Authorized Rural Water Projects Completion Act

    THOMAS, 112th Congress

    Sen. Baucus, Max [D-MT

    2012-07-16

    Senate - 07/31/2012 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 112-588. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  17. Electronics technician Bill Clark assembling a cannon plug with the help of Jim Lewis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1991-01-01

    There is always something needed for a NASA aircraft before a research flight can take place. This photo shows William J. Clark working on one of those 'somethings' while Jimmie C. Lewis watches ready to help. Working on a research project is a challenge, for there is no set pattern to follow. From the drawings to the final product there are many people who contribute to that final product -- the flight. The electronic technicians in the Instrumentation Laboratory at NASA Ames-Dryden Flight Research Facility are no exception. Bill Clark is busy creating a cannon plug to be used on the CV-990. He is soldering wires in the appropriate order so the plug will transmit electrical currents correctly when installed in the airplane. Jim stands by to give help and support on the project.

  18. Costs and compensation of work-related injuries in British Columbia sawmills.

    PubMed

    Alamgir, Hasanat; Tompa, Emile; Koehoorn, Mieke; Ostry, Aleck; Demers, Paul A

    2007-03-01

    To estimate the costs of work-related injury in a cohort of sawmill workers in British Columbia from the perspective of the workers' compensation system. Hospital discharge records were extracted from 1989 to 1998 for a cohort of 5786 actively employed sawmill workers. A total of 173 work-related injury cases were identified from these records using the International classification of diseases-ninth revision (ICD-9) external cause of injury codes and the responsibility of payment schedule. Workers' compensation records were extracted and matched with hospital records by dates and ICD-9 diagnosis codes. All costs were converted into 1995 constant Canadian dollars using the Provincial General Consumer Price Index for the non-healthcare costs and Medical Consumer Price Index for the healthcare costs. A 5% discounting rate was applied to adjust for the time value of money. For the uncompensated cases, costs were imputed from the compensated cases using the median cost for a similar nature of injury. 370 hospitalisation events due to injury were captured, and by either of the two indicators (E Codes or payment schedules), 173 (47%) hospitalisation events due to injury, were identified as work related. The median healthcare cost was 4377 dollars and the median non-healthcare cost was 16,559 dollars for a work-related injury. The median non-healthcare and healthcare costs by injury were falls, 19,978 dollars and 5185 dollars; struck by falling object, 32,398 dollars and 8625 dollars; struck against, 12,667 dollars and 5741 dollars; machinery related, 26,480 dollars and 6643 dollars; caught in or between, 24,130 dollars and 4389 dollars; and overexertion, 7801 dollars and 2710 dollars. The total cost was 10,374,115 dollars for non-healthcare and 1,764,137 dollars for healthcare. The compensation agency did not compensate 874,871 dollars (8.4%) of the non-healthcare costs and 200,588 dollars (11.4%) of the healthcare costs. Eliminating avoidable work-related injury events can save valuable resources.

  19. Waste-efficient materials procurement for construction projects: A structural equation modelling of critical success factors.

    PubMed

    Ajayi, Saheed O; Oyedele, Lukumon O

    2018-05-01

    Albeit the understanding that construction waste is caused by activities ranging from all stages of project delivery process, research efforts have been concentrated on design and construction stages, while the possibility of reducing waste through materials procurement process is widely neglected. This study aims at exploring and confirming strategies for achieving waste-efficient materials procurement in construction activities. The study employs sequential exploratory mixed method approach as its methodological framework, using focus group discussion, statistical analysis and structural equation modelling. The study suggests that for materials procurement to enhance waste minimisation in construction projects, the procurement process would be characterised by four features. These include suppliers' commitment to low waste measures, low waste purchase management, effective materials delivery management and waste-efficient Bill of Quantity, all of which have significant impacts on waste minimisation. This implies that commitment of materials suppliers to such measures as take back scheme and flexibility in supplying small materials quantity, among others, are expected of materials procurement. While low waste purchase management stipulates the need for such measures as reduced packaging and consideration of pre-assembled/pre-cut materials, efficient delivery management entails effective delivery and storage system as well as adequate protection of materials during the delivery process, among others. Waste-efficient specification and bill of quantity, on the other hand, requires accurate materials take-off and ordering of materials based on accurately prepared design documents and bill of quantity. Findings of this study could assist in understanding a set of measures that should be taken during materials procurement process, thereby corroborating waste management practices at other stages of project delivery process. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  20. Nanotechnology on a dime: building affordable research facilities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    DiBattista, Jeff; Clare, Donna; Lynch, David

    2005-08-01

    Designing buildings to house nanotechnology research presents a multitude of well-recognized challenges to architectural and engineering design teams, from environmental control to spatial arrangements to operational functionality. These technical challenges can be solved with relative ease on projects with large budgets: designers have the option of selecting leading-edge systems without undue regard for their expense. This is reflected in the construction cost of many nanotechnology research facilities that run well into the hundreds of millions of dollars. Smaller universities and other institutions need not be shut out of the nanotechnology research field simply because their construction budgets are tens of millions of dollars or less. The key to success for these less expensive projects lies with making good strategic decisions: identifying priorities for the facility in terms of what it will is--and will not--provide to the researchers. Making these strategic decisions puts bounds on the tactical, technical problems that the design team at large must address, allowing them to focus their efforts on the key areas for success. The process and challenges of this strategic decision-making process are examined, with emphasis placed on the types of decisions that must be made and the factors that must be considered when making them. Case study examples of projects undertaken at the University of Alberta are used to illustrate how strategic-level decision-making sets the stage for cutting-edge success on a modest budget.

  1. Nuclear and isotopic techniques applied to supporting nutritional studies in East Asia and Pacific Countries: IAEA's contributions over 20 years.

    PubMed

    Kim, Seong-Ai; Miranda-da-Cruz, B; Mokhtar, Najat; Iyengar, Venkatesh

    2004-01-01

    The world's scientific community has recognized that isotopic techniques play a vital role in monitoring the effectiveness of nutrition intervention by providing precise data on absorption, bioavailablity and interaction of various micronutrients in a cost effective manner. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has been supporting many such health related studies in Member States from developing countries using nuclear and isotopic methods for over 20 years. This report documents the Agency's support for a variety of projects in East Asia and Pacific countries to assess body composition, total energy expenditure, nutrient intake, osteoporosis, infection, vitamin and mineral bioavailability as well as food composition. The IAEA spent a total of 10,302,356 US dollars through Coordinated Research Projects (CRP) and Technical Cooperation Projects (TCP) over the past 20 years. Out of this only 2,732,802, US dollars or 26.5% was used by the East Asia and Pacific countries. While the participation of East Asia and Pacific countries was strong in CRPs and moderate in regional TCPs, they did not participate in national TCPs at all. The non-participation under national TCPs is a serious deficiency when compared with Latin American and African regions and therefore, more participation from the East Asia and Pacific countries in national TCPs is strongly encouraged in the future.

  2. Projected health impact and cost-effectiveness of rotavirus vaccination among children <5 years of age in China.

    PubMed

    Liu, Na; Yen, Catherine; Fang, Zhao-yin; Tate, Jacqueline E; Jiang, Baoming; Parashar, Umesh D; Zeng, Guang; Duan, Zhao-jun

    2012-11-06

    Two rotavirus vaccines have been licensed globally since 2006. In China, only a lamb rotavirus vaccine is licensed and several new rotavirus vaccines are in development. Data regarding the projected health impact and cost-effectiveness of vaccination of children in China against rotavirus will assist policy makers in developing recommendations for vaccination. Using a Microsoft Excel model, we compared the national health and economic burden of rotavirus disease in China with and without a vaccination program. Model inputs included 2007 data on burden and cost of rotavirus outcomes (deaths, hospitalizations, outpatient visits), projected vaccine efficacy, coverage, and cost. Cost-effectiveness was measured in US dollars per disability-adjusted life-year (DALY) and US dollars per life saved. A 2-dose rotavirus vaccination program could annually avert 3013 (62%) deaths, 194,794 (59%) hospitalizations and 1,333,356 (51%) outpatient visits associated with rotavirus disease in China. The medical break-even price of the vaccine is $1.19 per dose. From a societal perspective, a vaccination program would be highly cost-effective in China at the vaccine price of $2.50 to $5 per dose, and be cost-effective at the price of $10 to $20 per dose. A national rotavirus vaccination program could be a cost-effective measure to effectively reduce deaths, hospitalizations, and outpatient visits due to rotavirus disease in China. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Automated Array Assembly, Phase 2. Low-cost Solar Array Project, Task 4

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lopez, M.

    1978-01-01

    Work was done to verify the technological readiness of a select process sequence with respect to satisfying the Low Cost Solar Array Project objectives of meeting the designated goals of $.50 per peak watt in 1986 (1975 dollars). The sequence examined consisted of: (1) 3 inches diameter as-sawn Czochralski grown 1:0:0 silicon, (2) texture etching, (3) ion implanting, (4) laser annealing, (5) screen printing of ohmic contacts and (6) sprayed anti-reflective coatings. High volume production projections were made on the selected process sequence. Automated processing and movement of hardware at high rates were conceptualized to satisfy the PROJECT's 500 MW/yr capability. A production plan was formulated with flow diagrams integrating the various processes in the cell fabrication sequence.

  4. Fly Away

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Tibbitts, Scott

    2004-01-01

    Kurt was one of the lead engineers/project managers at our company, Starsys, in Boulder, Colorado. I had hired Kurt six years ago and found him to be a man of few words but huge actions. Kurt had single-handedly created two new business areas in the company and made a significant contribution to the upcoming Mars Exploration. While running in the mountains, Kurt had a fatal heart attack. An avid back country skier and climber, he was 45 years old and appeared in great health. I spoke honestly from my heart, and from my own experience as a father. That day people started to ask what they could do to help the family. Over the next couple days we set up a fund where people could contribute dollars or vacation time or comp time, and Starsya would translate that into equivalent dollars and provide a matching contribution.

  5. 77 FR 23768 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc.; Notice of Filing and Order...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-04-20

    .... Dollar/Denmark Krone (``USD/DKK''), Euro/U.S. Dollar (``EUR/USD''), U.S. Dollar/Japanese Yen (``USD/JPY... (``USD/ZAR''), Australian Dollar/Japanese Yen (``AUD/JPY''), Euro/ Australian Dollar (``EUR/AUD''), Canadian Dollar/Japanese Yen (``CAD/JPY''), Euro/Great British Pound (``EUR/GBP''), Euro/Japanese Yen...

  6. Automatic milking systems, farm size, and milk production.

    PubMed

    Rotz, C A; Coiner, C U; Soder, K J

    2003-12-01

    Automatic milking systems (AMS) offer relief from the demanding routine of milking. Although many AMS are in use in Europe and a few are used in the United States, the potential benefit for American farms is uncertain. A farm-simulation model was used to determine the long-term, whole-farm effect of implementing AMS on farm sizes of 30 to 270 cows. Highest farm net return to management and unpaid factors was when AMS were used at maximal milking capacity. Adding stalls to increase milking frequency and possibly increase production generally did not improve net return. Compared with new traditional milking systems, the greatest potential economic benefit was a single-stall AMS on a farm size of 60 cows at a moderate milk production level (8600 kg/cow). On other farm sizes using single-stall type robotic units, losses in annual net return of 0 dollars to 300 dollars/cow were projected, with the greatest losses on larger farms and at high milk production (10,900 kg/cow). Systems with one robot serving multiple stalls provided a greater net return than single-stall systems, and this net return was competitive with traditional parlors for 50- to 130-cow farm sizes. The potential benefit of AMS was improved by 100 dollars/cow per year if the AMS increased production an additional 5%. A 20% reduction in initial equipment cost or doubling milking labor cost also improved annual net return of an AMS by up to 100 dollars/cow. Annual net return was reduced by 110 dollars/cow, though, if the economic life of the AMS was reduced by 3 yr for a more rapid depreciation than that normally used with traditional milking systems. Thus, under current assumptions, the economic return for an AMS was similar to that of new parlor systems on smaller farms when the milking capacity of the AMS was well matched to herd size and milk production level.

  7. Evaluation of Green Dot's Locke Transformation Project: Supplemental Report on Cohort 2 Student Outcomes. CRESST Report 825

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rickles, Jordan; Wang, Jia; Herman, Joan

    2013-01-01

    With funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, CRESST conducted a multi-year evaluation of a major school reform project at Alain Leroy Locke High School, historically one of California's lowest performing secondary schools. Beginning in 2007, Locke High School transitioned into a set of smaller, Green Dot Charter High Schools,…

  8. Disruptive Innovation? Open Educational Projects Peer 2 Peer University and StraighterLine Take Shape

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Observatory on Borderless Higher Education, 2010

    2010-01-01

    The pilot phase of Peer 2 Peer University (P2PU), a "grassroots" open educational project aimed at creating a new model for lifelong learning is now underway. Billing itself as an institution which promotes "learning for everyone, by everyone, about almost anything", P2PU is seeking to provide high-quality, low-cost educational opportunities by…

  9. Evaluation of Green Dot's Locke Transformation Project: Findings for Cohort 1 and 2 Students. CRESST Report 815

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Herman, Joan L.; Wang, Jia; Rickles, Jordan; Hsu, Vivian; Monroe, Scott; Leon, Seth; Straubhaar, Rolf

    2012-01-01

    With funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, CRESST conducted a multi-year evaluation of a major school reform project at Alain Leroy Locke High School, historically one of California's lowest performing secondary schools. Beginning in 2007, Locke High School transitioned into a set of smaller, Green Dot Charter High Schools,…

  10. 77 FR 14272 - Review and Approval of Projects

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-03-09

    ... SUSQUEHANNA RIVER BASIN COMMISSION 18 CFR Part 806 Review and Approval of Projects CFR Correction In Title 18 of the Code of Federal Regulations, Part 400 to End, revised as of April 1, 2011, on page 118, in Sec. 806.6, (b)(1)(i) and (ii) are removed. [FR Doc. 2012-5837 Filed 3-8-12; 8:45 am] BILLING...

  11. Helping Students and the Bottom Line: Creating a Module-Based Academic Program to Drive SEM Goals

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Levine, Jeffrey P.

    2012-01-01

    The chief academic officer to whom the author once reported gave him the freedom to be creative in implementing their institution's then-new, three-year strategic enrollment management (SEM) plan. For the fall 2010 semester, they had already exceeded projected net-tuition dollar amounts for the entire academic year. Just five months prior to…

  12. A Human Systems Integration Approach to Energy Efficiency in Ground Transportation

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-12-01

    Granite Construction Organizational Structure .........................................53 Figure 7. A Comparison of USMC Structure to Granite Construction...Caterpillar Corporation and the implementation and use of their telematics systems within a company called Granite Construction. Granite Construction...profit over 250 million dollars annually. In addition, similar to the USMC, Granite Construction handles both large and small scale projects in a

  13. Responding to Disaster with a Service Learning Project for Honors Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yoder, Stephen A.

    2013-01-01

    On Thursday, April 27, 2011, one of the worst natural disasters in the history of Alabama struck in the form of ferocious tornadoes touching down in various parts of the state. The dollar amount of the property damage was in the billions. Lives were lost and thousands of survivors' lives were seriously and in many cases forever disrupted. A few…

  14. Building Schools in a Tight Economy? Do Your Homework

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Watts, Chris

    2009-01-01

    With unemployment rising and the public more concerned about the economy than at any other time in recent memory, the idea of a municipality deciding to spend millions of dollars to build or refurbish a school seems an uphill challenge to say the least. In the best of times, voter approval for school construction projects is difficult to get;…

  15. 14 CFR 399.44 - Treatment of deferred Federal income taxes for rate purposes.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... April 1, 1979 to April 1, 1980 6 8.13 N.A. Estimated change in fuel cost, year ended September 1979... 1, 1980 7 (dollars) .06731 15 .06782 Year ended March 1977 Total operating expense 1 (millions) $11... revenues. 6 We here project costs from April 1, 1979 (the midpoint of the data year ended September 1979...

  16. 14 CFR 399.44 - Treatment of deferred Federal income taxes for rate purposes.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... April 1, 1979 to April 1, 1980 6 8.13 N.A. Estimated change in fuel cost, year ended September 1979... 1, 1980 7 (dollars) .06731 15 .06782 Year ended March 1977 Total operating expense 1 (millions) $11... revenues. 6 We here project costs from April 1, 1979 (the midpoint of the data year ended September 1979...

  17. 14 CFR 399.44 - Treatment of deferred Federal income taxes for rate purposes.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... April 1, 1979 to April 1, 1980 6 8.13 N.A. Estimated change in fuel cost, year ended September 1979... 1, 1980 7 (dollars) .06731 15 .06782 Year ended March 1977 Total operating expense 1 (millions) $11... revenues. 6 We here project costs from April 1, 1979 (the midpoint of the data year ended September 1979...

  18. 14 CFR 399.44 - Treatment of deferred Federal income taxes for rate purposes.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... April 1, 1979 to April 1, 1980 6 8.13 N.A. Estimated change in fuel cost, year ended September 1979... 1, 1980 7 (dollars) .06731 15 .06782 Year ended March 1977 Total operating expense 1 (millions) $11... revenues. 6 We here project costs from April 1, 1979 (the midpoint of the data year ended September 1979...

  19. 78 FR 25515 - Order Making Fiscal Year 2013 Annual Adjustments to Transaction Fee Rates

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-05-01

    ... appropriation for fiscal year 2013. To make the adjustment, the Commission must project the aggregate dollar....0102 and [sigma] = 0.122, respectively. 4. Assume that the natural logarithm of ADS follows a random... given by exp ([mu] + [sigma]\\2\\/2), or on average ADS t = 1.0178 x ADS t-1 . 6. For March 2013, this...

  20. 77 FR 3818 - Order Making Fiscal Year 2012 Annual Adjustments to Transaction Fee Rates

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-01-25

    ... Commission must project the aggregate dollar amount of covered sales of securities on the securities... series {[Delta] 1 , [Delta] 2 , ... , [Delta] 120 {time} . These are given by [mu] = 0.0087 and [sigma...] + [sigma]\\2\\/2), or on average ADS t = 1.017 x ADS t-1 . 6. For December 2011, this gives a forecast ADS of...

  1. America: The Trillion Dollar Lemonade Stand. Fundamentals of Free Enterprise, No. 1. Revised.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    American Fletcher National Bank and Trust Co., Indianapolis, IN.

    Designed for high school economics students as a public service project of the American Fletcher National Bank, the booklet examines the American free enterprise system as it relates to the traditional lemonade stand and its ability to make a profit. The parallel is made by considering some basic principles: (1) the constant need for capital to…

  2. DOE EPSCoR Initiative in Structural and computational Biology/Bioinformatics

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

    Wallace, Susan S.

    2008-02-21

    The overall goal of the DOE EPSCoR Initiative in Structural and Computational Biology was to enhance the competiveness of Vermont research in these scientific areas. To develop self-sustaining infrastructure, we increased the critical mass of faculty, developed shared resources that made junior researchers more competitive for federal research grants, implemented programs to train graduate and undergraduate students who participated in these research areas and provided seed money for research projects. During the time period funded by this DOE initiative: (1) four new faculty were recruited to the University of Vermont using DOE resources, three in Computational Biology and one inmore » Structural Biology; (2) technical support was provided for the Computational and Structural Biology facilities; (3) twenty-two graduate students were directly funded by fellowships; (4) fifteen undergraduate students were supported during the summer; and (5) twenty-eight pilot projects were supported. Taken together these dollars resulted in a plethora of published papers, many in high profile journals in the fields and directly impacted competitive extramural funding based on structural or computational biology resulting in 49 million dollars awarded in grants (Appendix I), a 600% return on investment by DOE, the State and University.« less

  3. Consumers devise drug cost-cutting measures: medical and legal issues to consider.

    PubMed

    Ganguli, Gouranga

    2003-01-01

    Health care costs in general, and prescription drug costs in particular, are rapidly rising. Between 1996 and 2007 the average annual per capita health care cost is projected to increase from dollar 3,781 to dollar 7,100. [AQ1] The single leading component of health care cost is the cost of prescription drugs (currently 10% of total health care spending, projected to become 18% in 2008). The average cost per drug increased 40% during the 1993-1998 period. Forty-one million Americans have no health insurance, and those who have, have inadequate prescription drug coverage. [AQ2] To cope with this situation, many consumers are trying to economize by doing without the prescriptions or the appropriate doses, buying generics or medicines from Canada or Mexico, or splitting pills of higher doses to take advantage of the pricing policy of drug manufacturers. Some of these approaches are medically and/or legally acceptable, while some are dubious. Most adversely affected are the seniors and poor; for certain groups of seniors prescription drugs account for 30% of their health care spending. The problem must receive prompt concerted attention from consumers, insurers, pharmaceutical companies, and lawmakers before it gets out of hand.

  4. Advancing Competency-Based Education Demonstration Project Act of 2014

    THOMAS, 113th Congress

    Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO

    2014-06-23

    Senate - 06/23/2014 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  5. To establish pilot projects for agriculture renewable energy systems.

    THOMAS, 111th Congress

    Rep. Holden, Tim [D-PA-17

    2010-09-29

    House - 11/16/2010 Referred to the Subcommittee on Rural Development, Biotechnology, Specialty Crops, and Foreign Agriculture. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  6. Transportation reinvestment zone training materials

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2010-01-01

    A funding crisis exists for financing much needed transportation infrastructure projects : across the nation and Texas is no exception. The State of Texas has responded to the crisis by : passing several bills allowing innovative financing and altern...

  7. Honors for the Virtual Frog Dissection Kit

    Science.gov Websites

    Honors for the Virtual Frog Dissection Kit Study Web The dissection kit received a StudyWeb award Frog Project | Virtual Frog Page last modified: 01/23/05 Contacts: Bill Johnston, David Robertson

  8. To provide for audits of programs, projects, and activities funded through earmarks.

    THOMAS, 111th Congress

    Rep. Fortenberry, Jeff [R-NE-1

    2009-01-06

    House - 05/04/2009 Referred to the Subcommittee on Government Management, Organization, and Procurement. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  9. Avra/Black Wash Reclamation and Riparian Restoration Project

    THOMAS, 111th Congress

    Rep. Grijalva, Raul M. [D-AZ-7

    2009-01-08

    Senate - 04/27/2010 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power. Hearings held. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Passed HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  10. 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

  11. Natural language processing of clinical notes for identification of critical limb ischemia.

    PubMed

    Afzal, Naveed; Mallipeddi, Vishnu Priya; Sohn, Sunghwan; Liu, Hongfang; Chaudhry, Rajeev; Scott, Christopher G; Kullo, Iftikhar J; Arruda-Olson, Adelaide M

    2018-03-01

    Critical limb ischemia (CLI) is a complication of advanced peripheral artery disease (PAD) with diagnosis based on the presence of clinical signs and symptoms. However, automated identification of cases from electronic health records (EHRs) is challenging due to absence of a single definitive International Classification of Diseases (ICD-9 or ICD-10) code for CLI. In this study, we extend a previously validated natural language processing (NLP) algorithm for PAD identification to develop and validate a subphenotyping NLP algorithm (CLI-NLP) for identification of CLI cases from clinical notes. We compared performance of the CLI-NLP algorithm with CLI-related ICD-9 billing codes. The gold standard for validation was human abstraction of clinical notes from EHRs. Compared to billing codes the CLI-NLP algorithm had higher positive predictive value (PPV) (CLI-NLP 96%, billing codes 67%, p < 0.001), specificity (CLI-NLP 98%, billing codes 74%, p < 0.001) and F1-score (CLI-NLP 90%, billing codes 76%, p < 0.001). The sensitivity of these two methods was similar (CLI-NLP 84%; billing codes 88%; p < 0.12). The CLI-NLP algorithm for identification of CLI from narrative clinical notes in an EHR had excellent PPV and has potential for translation to patient care as it will enable automated identification of CLI cases for quality projects, clinical decision support tools and support a learning healthcare system. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  12. Cost-effectiveness of achieving clinical improvement with a dissonance-based eating disorder prevention program.

    PubMed

    Akers, Laura; Rohde, Paul; Stice, Eric; Butryn, Meghan L; Shaw, Heather

    2017-01-01

    Using data from an effectiveness trial delivered by college clinicians, we examined the cost-effectiveness of the dissonance-based Body Project program for reducing eating disorder symptoms in women with body dissatisfaction. The outcome of interest was individual-level change; 14.9% of Body Project participants attained clinically meaningful improvement vs. 6.7% of controls. Delivering the intervention costs approximately $70 (2012 U.S. dollars) per person. Incremental cost-effectiveness was $838 for each additional at-risk person reducing eating disorder symptomology to a clinically meaningful degree. These analyses demonstrate the economic value of the Body Project for college-age women with symptoms below the eating disorder diagnosis threshold.

  13. Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) Briefing

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-28

    Jeff Volosin, TESS project manager, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, holds a model of the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) during a media briefing, Wednesday, March 28, 2018 at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  14. Safety, Efficiency, and Accountability in Transportation Projects Through Public Inspection Act of 2013

    THOMAS, 113th Congress

    Rep. Edwards, Donna F. [D-MD-4

    2013-11-21

    House - 11/22/2013 Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  15. Recycled plastics in highway construction and maintenance : construction report.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1993-12-01

    Oregon Senate Bill 66 directed the Oregon Department of Transportation to conduct a research project to evaluate the use of recycled plastic products and composite materials containing recycled plastic in construction maintenance. This report documen...

  16. To authorize the use of certain rail relocation funding for high-speed rail projects.

    THOMAS, 112th Congress

    Rep. Johnson, Timothy V. [R-IL-15

    2011-10-03

    House - 10/04/2011 Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  17. Policy options for the split incentive: Increasing energy efficiency for low-income renters.

    PubMed

    Bird, Stephen; Hernández, Diana

    2012-09-01

    The split incentive problem concerns the lack of appropriate incentives to implement energy efficiency measures. In particular, low income tenants face a phenomenon of energy poverty in which they allocate significantly more of their household income to energy expenditures than other renters. This problem is substantial, affecting 1.89% of all United States' energy use. If effectively addressed, it would create a range of savings between 4 and 11 billion dollars per year for many of the nation's poorest residents. We argue that a carefully designed program of incentives for participants (including landlords) in conjunction with a unique type of utility-managed on-bill financing mechanism has significant potential to solve many of the complications. We focus on three kinds of split incentives, five concerns inherent to addressing split incentive problems (scale, endurance, incentives, savings, political disfavor), and provide a detailed policy proposal designed to surpass those problems, with a particular focus on low-income tenants in a U.S.

  18. Policy options for the split incentive: Increasing energy efficiency for low-income renters

    PubMed Central

    Bird, Stephen; Hernández, Diana

    2016-01-01

    The split incentive problem concerns the lack of appropriate incentives to implement energy efficiency measures. In particular, low income tenants face a phenomenon of energy poverty in which they allocate significantly more of their household income to energy expenditures than other renters. This problem is substantial, affecting 1.89% of all United States' energy use. If effectively addressed, it would create a range of savings between 4 and 11 billion dollars per year for many of the nation's poorest residents. We argue that a carefully designed program of incentives for participants (including landlords) in conjunction with a unique type of utility-managed on-bill financing mechanism has significant potential to solve many of the complications. We focus on three kinds of split incentives, five concerns inherent to addressing split incentive problems (scale, endurance, incentives, savings, political disfavor), and provide a detailed policy proposal designed to surpass those problems, with a particular focus on low-income tenants in a U.S. context. PMID:27053828

  19. New Whole-House Solutions Case Study: Low-Cost Evaluation of Energy Savings at the Community Scale - Fresno, California

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

    None

    2014-10-01

    In this project, IBACOS partnered with builder Wathen-Castanos Hybrid Homes to develop a simple and low-cost methodology by which community-scale energy savings can be evaluated based on results at the occupied test house level.Research focused on the builder and trade implementation of a whole-house systems integrated measures package and the actual utility usage in the houses at the community scale of production. Five occupants participated in this community-scale research by providing utility bills and information on occupancy and miscellaneous gas and electric appliance use for their houses. IBACOS used these utility data and background information to analyze the actual energymore » performance of the houses. Verification with measured data is an important component in predictive energy modeling. The actual utility bill readings were compared to projected energy consumption using BEopt with actual weather and thermostat set points for normalization.« less

  20. Lifetime cost of stroke subtypes in Australia: findings from the North East Melbourne Stroke Incidence Study (NEMESIS).

    PubMed

    Dewey, Helen M; Thrift, Amanda G; Mihalopoulos, Cathy; Carter, Robert; Macdonell, Richard A L; McNeil, John J; Donnan, Geoffrey A

    2003-10-01

    Little is known about any variations in resource use and costs of care between stroke subtypes, especially nonhospital costs. The purpose of this study was to describe the patterns of resource use and to estimate the first-year and lifetime costs for stroke subtypes. A cost-of-illness model was used to estimate the total first-year costs and lifetime costs of stroke subtypes for all strokes (subarachnoid hemorrhages excluded) that occurred in Australia during 1997. For each subtype, average cost per case during the first year and the present value of average cost per case over a lifetime were calculated. Resource use data obtained in the North East Melbourne Stroke Incidence Study (NEMESIS) were used. The present value of total lifetime costs for all strokes was Aus 1.3 billion dollars (US 985 million dollars). Total lifetime costs were greatest for ischemic stroke (72%; Aus 936.8 million dollars; US 709.7 million dollars), followed by intracerebral hemorrhage (26%; Aus 334.5 million dollars; US 253.4 million dollars) and unclassified stroke (2%; Aus 30 million dollars; US 22.7 million dollars). The average cost per case during the first year was greatest for total anterior circulation infarction (Aus 28 266 dollars). Over a lifetime, the present value of average costs was greatest for intracerebral hemorrhage (Aus 73 542 dollars), followed by total anterior circulation infarction (Aus 53 020 dollars), partial anterior circulation infarction (Aus 50 692 dollars), posterior circulation infarction (Aus 37 270 dollars), lacunar infarction (Aus 34 470 dollars), and unclassified stroke (Aus 12 031 dollars). First-year and lifetime costs vary considerably between stroke subtypes. Variation in average length of total hospital stay is the main explanation for differences in first-year costs.

  1. Cost and cost-effectiveness of community-based care for tuberculosis in Cape Town, South Africa.

    PubMed

    Sinanovic, E; Floyd, K; Dudley, L; Azevedo, V; Grant, R; Maher, D

    2003-09-01

    Guguletu and Nyanga areas of Cape Town, South Africa. To evaluate the affordability and cost-effectiveness of community involvement in tuberculosis (TB) care. A cost-effectiveness analysis comparing treatment for new smear-positive pulmonary and retreatment TB patients in two similar townships, one providing clinic-based-care with community-based observation options available for its TB patients (Guguletu) and one providing clinic-based care only, with no community-based observation of treatment (Nyanga). Costs were assessed from a societal perspective in 1997 US dollars, and cost-effectiveness was calculated as the cost per patient successfully treated. TB treatment in Guguletu was more cost-effective than TB treatment in Nyanga for both new and retreatment patients (dollars 726 vs. dollars 1201 and dollars 1419 vs. dollars 2058, respectively). This reflected both lower costs (dollars 495 vs. dollars 769 per patient treated for new cases; dollars 823 vs. dollars 1070 per patient treated for retreatment cases) and better treatment outcomes (successful treatment rate 68% vs. 64% and 58% vs. 52% for new and retreatment patients, respectively). Within Guguletu, community-based care was more than twice as cost-effective as clinic-based care (dollars 392 vs. dollars 1302 per patient successfully treated for new patients, and dollars 766 vs. dollars 2008 for retreatment patients), for similar reasons (e.g., for new cases, dollars 314 vs. dollars 703 per patient treated, successful treatment rate 80% vs. 54%). Community involvement in TB care can improve the affordability and cost-effectiveness of TB treatment in urban South Africa. Expansion in the Western Cape and in similar areas of the country is worthy of serious consideration by planners and policy-makers.

  2. Evaluation of Green Dot's Locke Transformation Project: From the Perspective of Teachers and Administrators. CRESST Report 824

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Herman, Joan L.; Wang, Jia; Ong, Christine; Straubhaar, Rolf; Schweig, Jon; Hsu, Vivian

    2013-01-01

    With funding from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, CRESST researchers conducted a multi-year evaluation of a major school reform project at Alain Leroy Locke High School, historically one of California's lowest performing secondary schools. We found the one-year teacher retention rate at GDL in 2010-2011 was 79%; Green Dot Locke teachers,…

  3. Is a Mass Prevention and Control Program for Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Good Value for Money? Evidence from the Chinese Experience.

    PubMed

    Wang, Biyan; Xie, Jinliang; Fang, Pengqian

    2012-01-01

    In order to provide guidance on the efficient allocation of health resources when handling public health emergencies in the future, the study evaluated the H1N1 influenza prevention and control program in Hubei Province of China using cost-benefit analysis. The costs measured the resources consumed and other expenses incurred in the prevention and control of H1N1. The assumed benefits include resource consumption and economic losses which could be avoided by the measures for the prevention and control of H1N1. The benefit was evaluated by counterfactual thinking, which estimates the resource consumption and economic losses could be happened without any measures for the prevention and control, which have been avoided after measures were taken to prevent and control H1N1 in Hubei Province, these constitutes the benefit of this project. The total costs of this program were 38.81 million U.S. dollars, while the total benefit was assessed as 203.71 million U.S. dollars. The net benefit was 164.9 million U.S. dollars with a cost-effectiveness ratio of 1:5.25. The joint prevention and control strategy introduced by Hubei for H1N1 influenza is cost-effective.

  4. Capital Construction Fund Program :: Office of Management and Budget

    Science.gov Websites

    vessels with before-tax, rather than after-tax dollars. Under the CCF Program, the amount accumulated by deferring tax on fishing income, when used to help pay for a vessel project, represents the time value of , to be applicable to any given tax year, a CCF agreement must be executed and entered on or before the

  5. JPRS Report, Environmental Issues.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1990-12-06

    Station To Close [ ADN International 14 NovJ 104 Groundwater Pollution Research Projects Announced , 104 Volkswagen Foundation Subsidizes Joint...some 275 million. The experts said: "Many U.S. factories and cities have historically sent their waste to Mexico , Central America, and Canada...help to farmers. Here are just two examples. The fruit fly has almost vanished in Mexico , and that means half a billion dollars of additional profits

  6. A Benefit-Cost Analysis of the Tulsa Universal Pre-K Program. Upjohn Institute Working Paper 16-261

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bartik, Timothy J.; Belford, Jonathan A.; Gormley, William T.; Anderson, Sara

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, benefits and costs are estimated for a universal pre-K program, provided by Tulsa Public Schools. Benefits are derived from estimated effects of Tulsa pre-K on retention by grade 9. Retention effects are projected to dollar benefits from future earnings increases and crime reductions. Based on these estimates, Tulsa pre-K has…

  7. Youth Unemployment in New York City: The Cost of Doing Nothing.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Interface, Inc., New York, NY.

    This paper reports on a study of the costs of youth unemployment in New York City. The dollar cost is measured in two ways: first, by calculating the cost of direct benefits paid by the city to unemployed 16 to 21 year olds; and second, by projecting the tax revenues and productivity that these young people would add to the city economy if they…

  8. Leveraging Knowledge Management Tools to Support Security Risk Management in the Department of Homeland Security

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-12-01

    34 Figure 7. NASA Knowledge Management Environment (From Holm, 2009, p. 5). ......36 x...sharing That are not able to show measurable benefits Loose management support without demonstrating effectiveness Because users do not perceive value...explore KM in one form or another. Both are large agencies with annual budgets in the billions and manage multi -billion dollar projects, whose

  9. Direct Government Lending: The Bottom Line. A Critique of GAO's Report on Guaranteed Student Loans versus Direct Lending and Revised Savings Estimates.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Quick, Perry D.

    This report addresses the dollar savings described in the Government Accounting Office's (GAO) report supporting direct lending as opposed to the present guaranteed student loan program. The critique explains the changes in the GAO model assumptions and projections that are believed necessary to move from the original $4.8 billion savings to a…

  10. Pentagon Reservation Maintenance Revolving Fund Financial Statements - FY 1992

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1993-06-25

    3.2 million were reported. The Fund is resourced through direct appropriations and reimbursements from tenants of the Pentagon Reservation. For FY...and liabilities of $3.2 million. The Fund is resourced through direct appropriations and reimbursements from Fund property users. For FY 1992 the...Financial Statements - FY1992 4 Overview e. SizeofthePRMRF: Dollars expended: Building Operations Renovation Projects Tenant Reimbursable Total

  11. The influences of gender on fishing participation in New York's eastern Lake Ontario Counties

    Treesearch

    Diane Kuehn

    2003-01-01

    Recreational fishing generates millions of dollars in visitor expenditures every year in New York's Great Lakes Region. While projected total participation in recreational fishing statewide is anticipated to increase between 1996 and 2005, the number of anglers in the 18- to 44-year-old age class is expected to decrease by an estimated 7.9% or 32,049 anglers. In...

  12. Identifying western yellow-billed cuckoo breeding habitat with a dual modelling approach

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Johnson, Matthew J.; Hatten, James R.; Holmes, Jennifer A.; Shafroth, Patrick B.

    2017-01-01

    The western population of the yellow-billed cuckoo (Coccyzus americanus) was recently listed as threatened under the federal Endangered Species Act. Yellow-billed cuckoo conservation efforts require the identification of features and area requirements associated with high quality, riparian forest habitat at spatial scales that range from nest microhabitat to landscape, as well as lower-suitability areas that can be enhanced or restored. Spatially explicit models inform conservation efforts by increasing ecological understanding of a target species, especially at landscape scales. Previous yellow-billed cuckoo modelling efforts derived plant-community maps from aerial photography, an expensive and oftentimes inconsistent approach. Satellite models can remotely map vegetation features (e.g., vegetation density, heterogeneity in vegetation density or structure) across large areas with near perfect repeatability, but they usually cannot identify plant communities. We used aerial photos and satellite imagery, and a hierarchical spatial scale approach, to identify yellow-billed cuckoo breeding habitat along the Lower Colorado River and its tributaries. Aerial-photo and satellite models identified several key features associated with yellow-billed cuckoo breeding locations: (1) a 4.5 ha core area of dense cottonwood-willow vegetation, (2) a large native, heterogeneously dense forest (72 ha) around the core area, and (3) moderately rough topography. The odds of yellow-billed cuckoo occurrence decreased rapidly as the amount of tamarisk cover increased or when cottonwood-willow vegetation was limited. We achieved model accuracies of 75–80% in the project area the following year after updating the imagery and location data. The two model types had very similar probability maps, largely predicting the same areas as high quality habitat. While each model provided unique information, a dual-modelling approach provided a more complete picture of yellow-billed cuckoo habitat requirements and will be useful for management and conservation activities.

  13. Code JEF Facilities Engineering Home Page for the Internet

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mahaffey, Valerie A.; Harrison, Marla J. (Technical Monitor)

    1995-01-01

    There are always many activities going on in JEF. We work on and manage the Construction of Facilities (C of F) projects at NASA-Ames. We are constantly designing or analyzing a new facility or project, or a modification to an existing facility. Every day we answer numerous questions about engineering policy, codes and standards, we attend design reviews, we count dollars and we make sure that everything at the Center is designed and built according to good engineering judgment. In addition, we study literature and attend conferences to make sure that we keep current on new legislation and standards.

  14. Photovoltaics - Where are we going?

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Callaghan, W. T.

    1984-01-01

    The directions that will be followed for solar cell development, production and marketing are projected on the basis of experiences gained during the JPL's Flat-Plate Solar Array project. It is thought that a billion dollar market for Si ribbons can be established by 1990. Thin film technology will yield a product at $2 U.S./W at the end of the 1980s. R&D is growing more focused on central station photovoltaic generators, although the residential market may be the more suitable goal. The intermediate markets, e.g., schools, hospitals and shopping centers may be developed before the central stations.

  15. Native American Challenge Demonstration Project Act of 2009

    THOMAS, 111th Congress

    Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK

    2009-05-05

    Senate - 11/18/2010 Committee on Indian Affairs. Ordered to be reported with an amendment in the nature of a substitute favorably. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  16. Fort Sumner Project Title Conveyance Act

    THOMAS, 112th Congress

    Sen. Bingaman, Jeff [D-NM

    2011-06-16

    Senate - 06/23/2011 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 112-129. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  17. Manhattan Project National Historical Park Act

    THOMAS, 112th Congress

    Sen. Bingaman, Jeff [D-NM

    2012-06-14

    Senate - 06/27/2012 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on National Parks. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 112-578. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  18. 78 FR 15011 - Environmental Impacts Statements; Notice of Availability

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-03-08

    ..., Final EIS, DOE, TX, W.A. Parish Post-Combustion CO 2 Capture and Sequestration Project, Review Period.... 20130055, Final EIS, NPS, IA, Effigy Mounds National Monument Final General Management Plan, Review Period...] BILLING CODE 6560-50-P ...

  19. Eyes Wide Open.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sartorius, Tara Cady

    1999-01-01

    Discusses the life and artwork of Bill Traylor, who started his art career late in life, focusing on his work "Scary Creature." Provides accompanying project ideas in the areas of history/technology, theater, language arts, debate, social studies, visual arts, and mathematics. (CMK)

  20. Reinventing radiology reimbursement.

    PubMed

    Marshall, John; Adema, Denise

    2005-01-01

    Lee Memorial Health System (LMHS), located in southwest Florida, consists of 5 hospitals, a home health agency, a skilled nursing facility, multiple outpatient centers, walk-in medical centers, and primary care physician offices. LMHS annually performs more than 300,000 imaging procedures with gross imaging revenues exceeding dollar 350 million. In fall 2002, LMHS received the results of an independent audit of its IR coding. The overall IR coding error rate was determined to be 84.5%. The projected net financial impact of these errors was an annual reimbursement loss of dollar 182,000. To address the issues of coding errors and reimbursement loss, LMHS implemented its clinical reimbursementspecialist (CRS) system in October 2003, as an extension of financial services' reimbursement division. LMHS began with CRSs in 3 service lines: emergency department, cardiac catheterization, and radiology. These 3 CRSs coordinate all facets of their respective areas' chargemaster, patient charges, coding, and reimbursement functions while serving as a resident coding expert within their clinical areas. The radiology reimbursement specialist (RRS) combines an experienced radiologic technologist, interventional technologist, medical records coder, financial auditor, reimbursement specialist, and biller into a single position. The RRS's radiology experience and technologist knowledge are key assets to resolving coding conflicts and handling complex interventional coding. In addition, performing a daily charge audit and an active code review are essential if an organization is to eliminate coding errors. One of the inherent effects of eliminating coding errors is the capturing of additional RVUs and units of service. During its first year, based on account level detail, the RRS system increased radiology productivity through the additional capture of just more than 3,000 RVUs and 1,000 additional units of service. In addition, the physicians appreciate having someone who "keeps up with all the coding changes" and looks out for the charges. By assisting a few physicians' staff with coding questions, providing coding updates, and allowing them to sit in on educational sessions, at least 2 physicians have transferred some their volume to LMHS from a competitor. The provision of a "clean account," without coding errors, allows the biller to avoid the rework and billing delays caused by coding issues. During the first quarter of the RRS system, the billers referred an average of 9 accounts per day for coding resolution. During the fourth quarter of the system, these referrals were reduced to less than one per day. Prior to the RRS system, resolving these issues took an average of 4 business days. Now the conflicts are resolved within 24 hours.

  1. 7 CFR 457.139 - Fresh market tomato (dollar plan) crop insurance provisions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 7 Agriculture 6 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Fresh market tomato (dollar plan) crop insurance... Fresh market tomato (dollar plan) crop insurance provisions. The fresh market tomato (dollar plan) crop...) Both FCIC and Reinsured Policies Fresh market tomato (dollar plan) crop provisions If a conflict exists...

  2. Building the Superconducting Super Collider, 1989-1993: The Problem of Project Management

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Riordan, Michael

    2011-04-01

    In attempting to construct the Superconducting Super Collider, US particle physicists faced a challenge unprecedented in the history of science. The SSC was the biggest and costliest pure scientific project ever, comparable in overall scale to the Manhattan Project or the Panama Canal - an order of magnitude larger than any previous particle accelerator or collider project. Managing such an enormous endeavor involved coordinating conventional-construction, magnet-manufacturing, and detector-building efforts costing over a billion dollars apiece. Because project-management experience at this scale did not exist within the physics community, the Universities Research Association and the US Department of Energy turned to companies and individuals from the military-industrial complex, with mixed results. The absence of a strong, qualified individual to serve as Project Manager throughout the duration of the project was a major problem. I contend that these problems in its project management contributed importantly to the SSC's 1993 demise. Research supported by NSF Award No. 823296.

  3. Cost considerations of acute migraine treatment.

    PubMed

    Adelman, James U; Adelman, Leon C; Freeman, Marshall C; Von Seggern, Randal L; Drake, Jaclyn

    2004-03-01

    To provide medication price data and cost-reducing strategies for the acute treatment of migraine. Retail prices for common acute care medications were found at http://www.drugstore.com. Cost-reduction tactics were obtained from literature searches and clinical experience. Several strategies can reduce cost without sacrificing treatment outcome. In mild to moderate migraine, low-priced nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can be used as first-line medications due to their proven efficacy and favorable tolerability. For patients with more severe migraine, implementing a stratified care approach-using migraine-specific medications early in acute treatment-is cost-effective for most patients. Stratified care not only improves outcome and decreases disability, but also reduces cost. Pill splitting and early administration of triptans within an attack enhance their value. Supplying rescue medications, such as opioids, sedatives, and phenothiazines, can prevent emergency department visits. Minimizing multiple dosing of triptans and reducing utilization of expensive health care resources are key factors in reducing the cost of effective migraine treatment. An important affordability factor for patients with co-payments is the number of triptan pills per package. Sumatriptan, naratriptan, and frovatriptan each contain 9 tablets per package, while most other triptan packages contain 6. Current triptan retail prices (per unit) include: Amerge 1 and 2.5 mg, 17.78 dollars; Axert 6.25 and 12.5 mg, 16.31 dollars; Frova 2.5 mg, 13.89 dollars; Imitrex 50 mg, 14.96 dollars; Imitrex 100 mg, 14.41 dollars; Imitrex Nasal Spray 20 mg, 21.61 dollars; Imitrex SQ 6 mg, 50.26 dollars; Maxalt 5 and 10 mg, 15 dollars; Maxalt-MLT 5 and 10 mg, 15 dollars; Relpax 40 mg, 13.58 dollars; Zomig 2.5 mg, 13.67 dollars; Zomig 5 mg, 15.89 dollars; Zomig-ZMT 2.5 mg, 13.67 dollars; and Zomig-ZMT 5 mg, 15.89 dollars. Practitioners can optimize the use of health care dollars without compromising quality of care through awareness of cost-saving treatment strategies, as well as price variations among medications.

  4. Gag rule is formally suspended as Title X renewal advances in House.

    PubMed

    1993-02-09

    In February 1993, the US House of Representatives reintroduced a bill (HR 670) which was similar to an earlier bill introduced during the Bush Administration in late 1992 to override a Supreme Court decision upholding Reagan's executive order and vetoed by President Bush. This executive order restricted abortion counseling at federally funded clinics. Bill HR 670 clarified congressional intent of Title X. It also called for increased funding for Title X programs. The bill cleared the full Energy and Commerce Committee within 2 days. Family planning groups and the Clinton Administration strongly supported this bill. Acting Assistant Secretary for Health opposed a proposed restrictive parental notification amendment, however, which the full committee had defeated (18-25). The bill should have reached the Senate shortly after the winter recess. Also in February, the Clinton Administration suspended the Title X gag rule regulations implemented during the waning days of the Reagan Administration and upheld during the waning days of the Reagan Administration and upheld during the Bush Administration. The Clinton Administration did so by issuing an interim rule which returned oversight of federally supported family planning clinics to previous regulations and policies, e.g., US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) 1981 Program Guidelines for Family Planning Projects. It also issued a proposed rule which could become law after a 60-day comment period. Therefore the new rulings required federally supported clinics to provide nondirective counseling and abortion referrals upon request for women with unwanted pregnancies. DHHS' Office for Population Affairs continued to administer the Title X program.

  5. Projected national impact of colorectal cancer screening on clinical and economic outcomes and health services demand.

    PubMed

    Ladabaum, Uri; Song, Kenneth

    2005-10-01

    Colorectal cancer (CRC) screening is effective and cost-effective, but the potential national impact of widespread screening is uncertain. It is controversial whether screening colonoscopy can be offered widely and how emerging tests may impact health services demand. Our aim was to produce integrated, comprehensive estimates of the impact of widespread screening on national clinical and economic outcomes and health services demand. We used a Markov model and census data to estimate the national consequences of screening 75% of the US population with conventional and emerging strategies. Screening decreased CRC incidence by 17%-54% to as few as 66,000 cases per year and CRC mortality by 28%-60% to as few as 23,000 deaths per year. With no screening, total annual national CRC-related expenditures were 8.4 US billion dollars. With screening, expenditures for CRC care decreased by 1.5-4.4 US billion dollars but total expenditures increased to 9.2-15.4 US billion dollars. Screening colonoscopy every 10 years required 8.1 million colonoscopies per year including surveillance, with other strategies requiring 17%-58% as many colonoscopies. With improved screening uptake, total colonoscopy demand increased in general, even assuming substantial use of virtual colonoscopy. Despite savings in CRC care, widespread screening is unlikely to be cost saving and may increase national expenditures by 0.8-2.8 US billion dollars per year with conventional tests. The current national endoscopic capacity, as recently estimated, may be adequate to support widespread use of screening colonoscopy in the steady state. The impact of emerging tests on colonoscopy demand will depend on the extent to which they replace screening colonoscopy or increase screening uptake in the population.

  6. Projected health impact of the Los Angeles City living wage ordinance.

    PubMed

    Cole, Brian L; Shimkhada, Riti; Morgenstern, Hal; Kominski, Gerald; Fielding, Jonathan E; Wu, Sheng

    2005-08-01

    To estimate the relative health effects of the income and health insurance provisions of the Los Angeles City living wage ordinance. About 10 000 employees of city contractors are subject to the Los Angeles City living wage ordinance, which establishes an annually adjusted minimum wage (7.99 US dollars per hour in July 2002) and requires employers to contribute 1.25 US dollars per hour worked towards employees' health insurance, or, if health insurance is not provided, to add this amount to wages. As part of a comprehensive health impact assessment (HIA), we used estimates of the effects of health insurance and income on mortality from the published literature to construct a model to estimate and compare potential reductions in mortality attributable to the increases in wage and changes in health insurance status among workers covered by the Los Angeles City living wage ordinance. The model predicts that the ordinance currently reduces mortality by 1.4 deaths per year per 10,000 workers at a cost of 27.5 million US dollars per death prevented. If the ordinance were modified so that all uninsured workers received health insurance, mortality would be reduced by eight deaths per year per 10,000 workers at a cost of 3.4 million US dollars per death prevented. The health insurance provisions of the ordinance have the potential to benefit the health of covered workers far more cost effectively than the wage provisions of the ordinance. This analytical model can be adapted and used in other health impact assessments of related policy actions that might affect either income or access to health insurance in the affected population.

  7. To freeze the availability of Federal funding for high-speed rail projects in California, and for other purposes.

    THOMAS, 112th Congress

    Rep. McCarthy, Kevin [R-CA-22

    2011-10-07

    House - 10/11/2011 Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  8. Advancing Competency-Based Education Demonstration Project Act of 2014

    THOMAS, 113th Congress

    Rep. Salmon, Matt [R-AZ-5

    2013-09-19

    Senate - 07/24/2014 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Passed HouseHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  9. Locomotive emissions test stand with particulate matter measurement integration : final report.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2015-10-01

    This project builds upon previous research efforts, in which a complete instruction manual and bill of materials was developed for : a blueprint that allows any organization in the railroad industry to build their own locomotive emissions measurement...

  10. Mni Wiconi Project Act Amendments of 2012

    THOMAS, 112th Congress

    Sen. Johnson, Tim [D-SD

    2012-07-31

    Senate - 09/19/2012 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water and Power. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 112-624. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  11. The Economics of NASA Mission Cost Reserves

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Whitley, Sally; Shinn, Stephen

    2012-01-01

    Increases in NASA mission costs are well-noted but not well-understood, and there is little evidence that they are decreasing in frequency or amount over time. The need to control spending has led to analysis of the causes and magnitude of historical mission overruns, and many program control efforts are being implemented to attempt to prevent or mitigate the problem (NPR 7120). However, cost overruns have not abated, and while some direct causes of increased spending may be obvious (requirements creep, launch delays, directed changes, etc.), the underlying impetus to spend past the original budget may be more subtle. Gaining better insight into the causes of cost overruns will help NASA and its contracting organizations to avoid .them. This paper hypothesizes that one cause of NASA mission cost overruns is that the availability of reserves gives project team members an incentive to make decisions and behave in ways that increase costs. We theorize that the presence of reserves is a contributing factor to cost overruns because it causes organizations to use their funds less efficiently or to control spending less effectively. We draw a comparison to the insurance industry concept of moral hazard, the phenomenon that the presence of insurance causes insureds to have more frequent and higher insurance losses, and we attempt to apply actuarial techniques to quantifY the increase in the expected cost of a mission due to the availability of reserves. We create a theoretical model of reserve spending motivation by defining a variable ReserveSpending as a function of total reserves. This function has a positive slope; for every dollar of reserves available, there is a positive probability of spending it. Finally, the function should be concave down; the probability of spending each incremental dollar of reserves decreases progressively. We test the model against available NASA CADRe data by examining missions with reserve dollars initially available and testing whether they are more likely to spend those dollars, and whether larger levels of reserves lead to higher cost overruns. Finally, we address the question of how to prevent reserves from increasing mission spending without increasing cost risk to projects budgeted without any reserves. Is there a "sweet spot"? How can we derive the maximum benefit associated with risk reduction from reserves while minimizing the effects of reserve spending motivation?

  12. Money well spent: a comparison of hospital operating margin for laparoscopic and open colectomies.

    PubMed

    Koopmann, M C; Harms, B A; Heise, C P

    2007-10-01

    Cost analysis after laparoscopic colectomy has been examined, although reports evaluating the effects of laparoscopy on hospital operating margin are lacking. We compared several cost/revenue measures, including hospital operating margin, between open and laparoscopic colectomies at an academic center. Our cost-accounting database was queried for laparoscopic partial (LPC) and total colectomies (LTC), and open partial (OPC) and total colectomies (OTC) to analyze net revenue, total costs, and total hospital operating margin over a 4-year period. Laparoscopic and open colectomy cases were compared, with mean operating margin as the primary outcome. From July, 2002 through May, 2006, 842 patients were included for analysis with 138 undergoing laparoscopic colectomy. Net revenue was higher in the LTC group compared with open (US dollars 30,300 vs US dollars 26,800 [P = .02]), and lower in the LPC group (US dollars 15,300 vs US dollars 21,300 open [P < .0001]). Total costs were reduced in both the LPC and LTC groups compared with open [US dollars 11,700 vs US dollars 17,600 [P < .0001] and US dollars 18,000 vs US dollars 19,400 [P = .0019], respectively). LPC resulted in a similar HOM (US dollars 3,602) compared with OPC (US dollars 3,647; P = .35). LTC resulted in a higher HOM (US dollars 12,300) compared with OTC (US dollars 7,400; P = .02). LTC generates a significantly higher hospital operating margin than an OTC, although the margins are similar for LPC and OPC.

  13. Decommissioning of the TRIGA mark II and III and radioactive waste management

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

    Doo Seong Hwang; Yoon Ji Lee; Gyeong Hwan Chung

    2013-07-01

    KAERI has carried out decommissioning projects for two research reactors (KRR-1 and 2). The decommissioning project of KRR-1 (TRIGA Mark II) and 2 (TRIGA Mark III) was launched in 1997 with a total budget of 23.25 million US dollars. KRR-2 and all auxiliary facilities were already decommissioned, and KRR-1 is being decommissioned now. Much more dismantled waste is generated than in any other operations of nuclear facilities. Thus, the waste needs to be reduced and stabilized through decontamination or treatment before disposal. This paper introduces the current status of the decommissioning projects and describes the volume reduction and conditioning ofmore » decommissioning waste for final disposal. (authors)« less

  14. Model projections of atmospheric steering of Sandy-like superstorms

    PubMed Central

    Barnes, Elizabeth A.; Polvani, Lorenzo M.; Sobel, Adam H.

    2013-01-01

    Superstorm Sandy ravaged the eastern seaboard of the United States, costing a great number of lives and billions of dollars in damage. Whether events like Sandy will become more frequent as anthropogenic greenhouse gases continue to increase remains an open and complex question. Here we consider whether the persistent large-scale atmospheric patterns that steered Sandy onto the coast will become more frequent in the coming decades. Using the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, phase 5 multimodel ensemble, we demonstrate that climate models consistently project a decrease in the frequency and persistence of the westward flow that led to Sandy’s unprecedented track, implying that future atmospheric conditions are less likely than at present to propel storms westward into the coast. PMID:24003129

  15. [Unit cost variation in a social security company in Querétaro, México].

    PubMed

    Villarreal-Ríos, Enrique; Campos-Esparza, Maribel; Garza-Elizondo, María E; Martínez-González, Lidia; Núñez-Rocha, Georgina M; Romero-Islas, Nestor R

    2006-01-01

    Comparing unit cost variation between departments and reasons for consultation in outpatient health services provided by a social security company from Querétaro, Mexico. A study of costs (in US dollars) was carried out in outpatient health service units during 2004. Fixed unit costs were estimated per department and adjusted for one year's productivity. Material, physical and consumer resources were included. Weighting was assigned to resources invested in each department. Unit cost was estimated by using the micro cost technique; medicaments, materials used during treatment and reagents were considered to be consumer items. Unit cost resulted from adding fixed unit cost to the variable unit cost corresponding to the reason for consulting. Units costs were then compared between the medical units. Unit cost per month for diabetic treatment varied from 34.8 US dollars, 32,2 US dollars to US 34 US dollars, pap smear screening test costs were 7,2 US dollars, 8,7 US dollars and 7,3 US dollars and dental treatment 27 US dollars, 33 US dollars, 6 and 28,7 US dollars. Unit cost variation was more important in the emergency room and the dental service.

  16. Hard Lessons: The Iraq Reconstruction Experience

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2009-02-01

    late to influence pre- war planning.81 Moreover, the completed reports proved of varying utility . The Transitional Justice Working Group, for example...the import of more than a billion dollars in spare parts and equipment under the Oil-for-Food program, Iraq’s production capacity only marginally ...from the Future of Iraq Project and experts across the government to draft contingency plans to prevent a mone - tary collapse and stabilize Iraqi

  17. A Collection of JPME Operational Contract Support Case Studies and Vignettes

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-12-01

    Contracting for goods and services in the contingency operational environment is a mission-enabling necessity; however, analyzing the strategic effects...choosing to contract for goods or services are largely ignored. This project explores the use of OCS in contingency environments, and the positive and...think of the costs literally, as tax dollars spent to enhance mission effectiveness. However, the less literal costs and the associated effects of

  18. Naval S&T Strategic Plan

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-01-01

    warfare centers and the Fleet/Force with international academia, industry , government laboratories and research consortia. Many tools are used to...range of options helps make every dollar count. Delivering on the promise of this plan requires us to work with the best and brightest people from...emerging reality. Our potential adversaries will seek to deny us access and freedom of maneuver and action. Sea-based forces that can project power or

  19. CrossTalk: The Journal of Defense Software Engineering. Volume 19, Number 6

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-06-01

    improvement methods. The total volume of projects studied now exceeds 12,000. Software Productivity Research, LLC Phone: (877) 570-5459 (973) 273-5829...While performing quality con- sulting, Olson has helped organizations measurably improve quality and productivity , save millions of dollars in costs of...This article draws parallels between the outrageous events on the Jerry Springer Show and problems faced by process improvement programs. by Paul

  20. Defense Standardization Program Journal. July/September 2011

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-09-01

    identify a potential standardization solution, and develop a standardization approach. However, there are certain prerequisites for success : (1) a...sufficient resources to complete the project. Without these, success will be limited. About the Author Tom Ridgway is a member of the DSPO staff. He...cost avoidance associated with preventing an item from entering the federal catalog: $7,235 (FY10 dollars). 2The study team concluded that DoD could

  1. Defense: FY2013 Authorization and Appropriations

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-09-05

    dollars and overturn several cost- cutting initiatives incorporated in the Administration’s budget, including proposed reductions in the Air Force...deficit reduction through FY2021 of $2.1 trillion). In FY2013, the BCA requires an across the board cut in budget authority (or “sequester”) that would...some $59 billion—about 10 percent—would be cut from the Administration’s budget request, with equal percentages cut from each program, project

  2. 76 FR 26324 - Order Making Fiscal Year 2012 Annual Adjustments to Section 31 Fee Rates

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-05-06

    ... Commission is using the same methodology it developed in consultation with the CBO and OMB to project dollar... , * * *, [Delta] 120 {time} . These are given by [mu] = 0.0074 and [sigma] = 0.123, respectively. 4. Assume that... expected value of ADS t /ADS t-1 is given by exp ([mu] + [sigma]\\2\\/2), or on average ADS t = 1.015 x ADS t...

  3. International trade and air pollution: estimating the economic costs of air emissions from waterborne commerce vessels in the United States.

    PubMed

    Gallagher, Kevin P

    2005-10-01

    Although there is a burgeoning literature on the effects of international trade on the environment, relatively little work has been done on where trade most directly effects the environment: the transportation sector. This article shows how international trade is affecting air pollution emissions in the United States' shipping sector. Recent work has shown that cargo ships have been long overlooked regarding their contribution to air pollution. Indeed, ship emissions have recently been deemed "the last unregulated source of traditional air pollutants". Air pollution from ships has a number of significant local, national, and global environmental effects. Building on past studies, we examine the economic costs of this increasing and unregulated form of environmental damage. We find that total emissions from ships are largely increasing due to the increase in foreign commerce (or international trade). The economic costs of SO2 pollution range from dollars 697 million to dollars 3.9 billion during the period examined, or dollars 77 to dollars 435 million on an annual basis. The bulk of the cost is from foreign commerce, where the annual costs average to dollars 42 to dollars 241 million. For NOx emissions the costs are dollars 3.7 billion over the entire period or dollars 412 million per year. Because foreign trade is driving the growth in US shipping, we also estimate the effect of the Uruguay Round on emissions. Separating out the effects of global trade agreements reveals that the trade agreement-led emissions amounted to dollars 96 to dollars 542 million for SO2 between 1993 and 2001, or dollars 10 to dollars 60 million per year. For NOx they were dollars 745 million for the whole period or dollars 82 million per year. Without adequate policy responses, we predict that these trends and costs will continue into the future.

  4. Recursive Joins to Query Data Hierarchies in Microsoft Access

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dadashzadeh, Mohammad

    2007-01-01

    Organizational charts (departments, sub-departments, sub-sub-departments, and so on), project work breakdown structures (tasks, subtasks, work packages, etc.), discussion forums (posting, response, response to response, etc.), family trees (parent, child, grandchild, etc.), manufacturing bill-of-material, product classifications, and document…

  5. Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) Briefing

    NASA Image and Video Library

    2018-03-28

    Jeff Volosin, TESS project manager, NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center, holds a spare camera lens and a model of the Transiting Exoplanet Survey Satellite (TESS) during a media briefing, Wednesday, March 28, 2018 at NASA Headquarters in Washington. Photo Credit: (NASA/Bill Ingalls)

  6. Pinyon-Juniper Related Projects Implementation Act

    THOMAS, 113th Congress

    Sen. Heller, Dean [R-NV

    2013-11-04

    Senate - 07/30/2014 Committee on Energy and Natural Resources Senate Subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. Hearings held. With printed Hearing: S.Hrg. 113-433. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

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

    President Obama

    On October 27th, Baltimore Gas & Electric was selected to receive $200 million for Smart Grid innovation projects under the Recovery Act. Watch as members of their team, along with President Obama, explain how building a smarter grid will help consumers cut their utility bills, battle climate change and create jobs.

  8. National Alzheimer's Project Act

    THOMAS, 111th Congress

    Rep. Markey, Edward J. [D-MA-7

    2010-02-25

    House - 02/25/2010 Referred to the House Committee on Energy and Commerce. (All Actions) Notes: For further action, see S.3036, which became Public Law 111-375 on 1/4/2011. Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  9. Planning tools to assess the real estate leveraging potential for roadways and transit : technical report.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2011-01-01

    A funding crisis exists for financing much needed transportation infrastructure projects across the nation and : Texas is no exception. Texas has responded to the crisis by passing several bills allowing innovative : financing and alternative options...

  10. Evolution of the U.S. Energy Service Company Industry: Market Size and Project Performance from 1990-2008

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

    Larsen, Peter; Goldman, Charles A.; Satchwell, Andrew

    2012-05-08

    The U.S. energy service company (ESCO) industry is an example of a private sector business model where energy savings are delivered to customers primarily through the use of performance-based contracts. This study was conceived as a snapshot of the ESCO industry prior to the economic slowdown and the introduction of federal stimulus funding mandated by enactment of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (ARRA). This study utilizes two parallel analytic approaches to characterize ESCO industry and market trends in the U.S.: (1) a “top-down” approach involving a survey of individual ESCOs to estimate aggregate industry activity and (2)more » a “bottom-up” analysis of a database of -3,265 projects (representing over $8B in project investment) that reports market trends including installed EE retrofit strategies, project installation costs and savings, project payback times, and benefit-cost ratios over time. Despite the onset of an economic recession, the U.S. ESCO industry managed to grow at about 7% per year between 2006 and 2008. ESCO industry revenues are relatively small compared to total U.S. energy expenditures (about $4.1 billion in 2008), but ESCOs anticipated accelerated growth through 2011 (25% per year). We found that 2,484 ESCO projects in our database generated -$4.0 billion ($2009) in net, direct economic benefits to their customers. We estimate that the ESCO project database includes about 20% of all U.S. ESCO market activity from 1990-2008. Assuming the net benefits per project are comparable for ESCO projects that are not included in the LBNL database, this would suggest that the ESCO industry has generated -$23 billion in net direct economic benefits for customers at projects installed between 1990 and 2008. We found that nearly 85% of all public and institutional projects met or exceeded the guaranteed level of savings. We estimated that a typical ESCO project generated $1.5 dollars of direct benefits for every dollar of customer investment. There is empirical evidence confirming that the industry is responding to customer demand by installing more comprehensive and complex measures—including onsite generation and measures to address deferred maintenance—but this evolution has significant implications for customer project economics, especially at K-12 schools. We found that the median simple payback time has increased from 1.9 to 3.2 years in private sector projects since the early-to-mid 1990s and from 5.2 to 10.5 years in public sector projects for the same time period.« less

  11. ACE/AACE Inspection and Analysis Handbook. Part 3. Profiling

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1985-06-30

    Peso Liberia Dollar Australia Dollar Libya Dinar Austria Schilling Liechtenstein Franc Bahamas Dollar Luxembourg Franc Bahrain Dinar Madagascar Franc...Dollar Mauritania Ouguiya Bolivia Peso Mauritius Rupee Botswana Pula Mexico Peso Brazil Cruzeiro Monaco Franc Bulgaria Lev Mongolia Tugrik Burma Kyat...Zealand Dollar Chad CFA Franc Nicaragua Cordoba Chile Peso Niger CFA Franc China Yuan Nigeria Naira Colombia Peso Norway Krone Congo CFA Franc Chan Rial

  12. [Evaluation of public health risk. A new instrument for environmental management in Chile].

    PubMed

    Matus C, Patricia

    2011-08-01

    One of the main challenges in environmental management is to prevent the public health impact of projects that can cause pollution. To tackle this problem, the new Chilean bill on environmental management has defined the need to determine the potential health risks of a given Project. This paper gives a summary of the method used for risk evaluation and its evolution. Its incorporation in the Environmental Impact Evaluation System is proposed, to guarantee an effective prevention of the potential risks on health of new projects.

  13. Dedollarization in Turkey after decades of dollarization: A myth or reality?

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Metin-Özcan, Kıvılcım; Us, Vuslat

    2007-11-01

    The paper analyzes dollarization in the Turkish economy given the evidence on dedollarization signals. On conducting a Vector Autoregression (VAR) model, the empirical evidence suggests that dollarization has mostly been shaped by macroeconomic imbalances as measured by exchange rate depreciation volatility, inflation volatility and expectations. Furthermore, the generalized impulse response function (IRF) analysis, in addition to the analysis of variance decomposition (VDC) gives support to the notion that dollarization seems to sustain its persistent nature, thus hysteresis still prevails. Hence, unfavorable macroeconomic conditions apparently contribute to dollarization while dollarization itself contains inertia. Furthermore, dedollarization that presumably started after 2001 has lost headway after May 2006. Thus, it seems too early to conclude that dollarization changed its route to dedollarization.

  14. Domestic returns from investment in the control of tuberculosis in other countries.

    PubMed

    Schwartzman, Kevin; Oxlade, Olivia; Barr, R Graham; Grimard, Franque; Acosta, Ivelisse; Baez, Jeannette; Ferreira, Elizabeth; Melgen, Ricardo Elías; Morose, Willy; Salgado, Arturo Cruz; Jacquet, Vary; Maloney, Susan; Laserson, Kayla; Mendez, Ariel Pablos; Menzies, Dick

    2005-09-08

    We hypothesized that investments to improve the control of tuberculosis in selected high-incidence countries would prove to be cost saving for the United States by reducing the incidence of the disease among migrants. Using decision analysis, we estimated tuberculosis-related morbidity, mortality, and costs among legal immigrants and refugees, undocumented migrants, and temporary visitors from Mexico after their entry into the United States. We assessed the current strategy of radiographic screening of legal immigrants plus current tuberculosis-control programs alone and with the addition of either U.S.-funded expansion of the strategy of directly observed treatment, short course (DOTS), in Mexico or tuberculin skin testing to screen legal immigrants from Mexico. We also examined tuberculosis-related outcomes among migrants from Haiti and the Dominican Republic using the same three strategies. As compared with the current strategy, expanding the DOTS program in Mexico at a cost to the United States of 34.9 million dollars would result in 2591 fewer cases of tuberculosis in the United States, with 349 fewer deaths from the disease and net discounted savings of 108 million dollars over a 20-year period. Adding tuberculin skin testing to radiographic screening of legal immigrants from Mexico would result in 401 fewer cases of tuberculosis in the United States but would cost an additional 329 million dollars. Expansion of the DOTS program would remain cost saving even if the initial investment were doubled, if the United States paid for all antituberculosis drugs in Mexico, or if the decline in the incidence of tuberculosis in Mexico was less than projected. A 9.4 million dollars investment to expand the DOTS program in Haiti and the Dominican Republic would result in net U.S. savings of 20 million dollars over a 20-year period. U.S.-funded efforts to expand the DOTS program in Mexico, Haiti, and the Dominican Republic could reduce tuberculosis-related morbidity and mortality among migrants to the United States, producing net cost savings for the United States. Copyright 2005 Massachusetts Medical Society.

  15. Factors influencing adherence to guidelines for screening mammography among women aged 40 years and older.

    PubMed

    Rahman, Saleh M M; Dignan, Mark B; Shelton, Brent J

    2003-01-01

    To explore patterns of adherence to guidelines for screening mammography among participants in the Colorado Mammography Project (CMAP) surveillance database. An algorithm was developed to assess factors associated with adherence to mammography screening guidelines. Of the 27,778 women ranging from 40-90 years of age included in the analysis, 41.4% were adherent with mammography screening guidelines. According to the model tested in this study, race/ethnicity (Black vs White, OR=0.76, 95% CI=0.64-0.91); educational attainment (high school vs 55,000 dollars vs <15,000 dollars, OR 1.14, 95% CI=1.03-1.26) were statistically significant predictors of adherence to guidelines. A significant interaction between age and family history of breast cancer (BC) was also found. Younger females with a family history of BC were less likely to be adherent than their counterparts without a family history (OR=0.93, 95% CI=0.90-0.96). In general, elderly women were more likely to be adherent compared with the youngest group in this cohort (OR=1.21, 95% CI=1.11-1.33). Inclusion or exclusion of women aged 70 years and older did not change the outcome of the analysis. Adherence with screening mammography guidelines was found to be associated with women's personal characteristics including race/ethnicity, age, and family history of BC. In addition, socioeconomic status, as measured by educational level and community economic status, are important predictors of adherence. Efforts to increase adherence may need to be specific to race/ethnic group and age, but the effect of age is mediated by family history of BC and vice versa.

  16. Recovery of Utility Fixed Costs: Utility, Consumer, Environmental and Economist Perspectives

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

    Wood, Lisa; Hemphill, Ross; Howat, John

    Utilities recover costs for providing electric service to retail customers through a combination of rate components that together comprise customers’ monthly electric bills. Rates and rate designs are set by state regulators and vary by jurisdiction, utility and customer class. In addition to the fundamental tenet of setting fair and reasonable rates, rate design balances economic efficiency, equity and fairness, customer satisfaction, utility revenue stability, and customer price and bill stability.1 At the most basic level, retail electricity bills in the United States typically include a fixed monthly customer charge — a set dollar amount regardless of energy usage —more » and a volumetric energy charge for each kilowatt-hour consumed.2 The energy charge may be flat across all hours, vary by usage level (for example, higher rates at higher levels of usage), or vary based on time of consumption.3 While some utility costs, such as fuel costs, clearly vary according to electricity usage, other costs are “fixed” over the short run — generally, those that do not vary over the course of a year. Depending on your point of view, and whether the state’s electricity industry has been restructured or remains vertically integrated, the set of costs that are “fixed” may be quite limited. Or the set may extend to all capacity costs for generation, transmission and distribution. In the long run, all costs are variable. In the context of flat or declining loads in some regions, utilities are proposing a variety of changes to retail rate designs, particularly for residential customers, to recover fixed costs. In this report, authors representing utility (Chapter 1), consumer (Chapter 2), environmentalist (Chapter 3) and economist (Chapter 4) perspectives discuss fixed costs for electric utilities and set out their principles for recovering those costs. The table on the next page summarizes each author’s relative preferences for various options for fixed cost recovery, some of which may be used in combination.4 The specific design of any ratemaking option matters crucially, so a general preference for a given option does not indicate support for any particular application.« less

  17. CERT tribal internship program. Final intern report: Melinda Jacquez, 1995

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

    NONE

    1998-09-01

    The purpose of the intern project was to write a comprehensive booklet on all state legislation proposed in 1995 on Native American issues. A second purpose was to contact tribal governments and request an ordinance, law or resolution on hazardous and nuclear waste transportation. This intern report contains a summary of bills proposed in 37 state legislatures pertaining to Native American issues. Time ran out before the second project objective could be met.

  18. A resolution expressing support for designation of a National Veterans History Project Week to encourage public participation in a nationwide project that collects and preserves the stories of the men and women who served our Nation in times of war and conflict.

    THOMAS, 111th Congress

    Sen. Crapo, Mike [R-ID

    2009-11-05

    Senate - 11/10/2009 Resolution agreed to in Senate without amendment and with a preamble by Unanimous Consent. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status Agreed to in SenateHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  19. ACE/AACE Inspection and Analysis Handbook. Part 2. Engineering

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1985-06-30

    Albania Lek Lebanon Pound Algeria Diner Lsotho Lott Argentina New Peso Liberia Dollar Australia Dollar Libya Diner Austria Schilling Liechtenstein...Maldives Rupee Bllize Doll ar Mali Franc Benin CFA Franc Malta Pound eruda Dollar Mauritania OgutyaBolivia Peso Mauritius Rupee Botswana Pula Mx io Peso ...Canada Dollar Netherlands Guilder Central African Eap. CFA Franc New Zealand Dollar Chad CFA Franc Niceragua Cordoba Chile Peso Niger CFA Franc China Yuan

  20. Population and the World Bank.

    PubMed

    Sankaran, S

    1973-12-01

    The World Bank Group regards excessive population growth as the single greatest obstacle to economic and social advance in the underdeveloped world. Since 1969 the Bank and the International Development Agency have provided countries with technical assistance through education, fact-finding, and analysis and given 65.7 million dollars for population projects. These projects, in India, Indonesia, Iran, Jamaica, and Malaysia provide training centers, population education, research, and evaluation as well as actual construction of clinics and mobile units. Because population planning touches sensitive areas of religion, caste, race, morality, and politics, the involved nation's political commitment to plan population growth is critical to the success of any program.

  1. San Mateo County Geographic Information Systems (GIS) project

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Brabb, E.E.

    1986-01-01

    Earthquakes and ground failures in the United States cause billions of dollars of damages each year, but techniques for predicting and reducing these hazardous geologic processes remain elusive. geologists, geophysicists, hydrologists, engineers, cartographers, and computer specialists from the U.S geological Survey in Menlo Park, California, are working together on a project involving GIS techniques to determine how to predict the consequences of earthquakes and landslides, using San Mateo County as a subject area. Together with members of the Planning and Emergency Serivces Departments of San Mateo County and the Association of Bay Area Governments, They are also determining how to reduce the losses caused by hazards. 

  2. Semiconductor grade, solar silicon purification project

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ingle, W. M.; Rosler, R. R.; Thompson, S. W.; Chaney, R. E.

    1979-01-01

    Experimental apparatus and procedures used in the development of a 3-step SiF2(x) polymer transport purification process are described. Both S.S.M.S. and E.S. analysis demonstrated that major purification had occured and some samples were indistinguishable from semiconductor grade silicon (except possibly for phosphorus). Recent electrical analysis via crystal growth reveals that the product contains compensated phosphorus and boron. The low projected product cost and short energy payback time suggest that the economics of this process will result in a cost less than the goal of $10/Kg(1975 dollars). The process appears to be readily scalable to a major silicon purification facility.

  3. Impact of business infrastructure on financial metrics in departments of surgery.

    PubMed

    Wai, Philip Y; O'Hern, Tim; Andersen, Dave O; Kuo, Marissa C; Weber, Cynthia E; Talbot, Lindsay J; Kuo, Paul C

    2012-10-01

    In the current environment, pressure is ever increasing to maximize financial performance in surgery departments. Factors such as physician extenders, billing and collection, payor mix, contracting, incentives from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, and administrative incentives may greatly influence financial performance. However, despite a plethora of information from the University HealthSystem Consortium and the Association of American Medical Colleges, best-practice information for business infrastructure is lacking. To obtain a sampling of current practices, we conducted a survey of departments of surgery. An anonymous 30-question survey addressing demographics, productivity, revenue and expense profile, payor mix, physician extender and staff personnel, billing and collections methodology, and financial performance was distributed among members of the Society of Surgical Chairs via SurveyMonkey. This was approved by the Loyola Institutional Research Board. Multivariate linear regression analyses and t tests/rank-sum tests were performed, as appropriate. Data are presented as mean ± SEM. A total of 25 (19%) departments responded; 14 were integrated with the hospital/health system, and 11 were integrated with the medical school. In 60% (n = 15), the main hospital had 500 to 1,000 beds; 48% (n = 12) had >4 hospitals in their system. For FY10, MD clinical full-time equivalents (FTEs) were 49 ± 10; total work relative value units (wRVUs) were 320 ± 8 k; and total billed cases were 43 ± 16 k. A total of 23 of 25 used physician-extenders with an average of 18 ± 5 per department and in 22 of 23, the physician extenders billed. On average, there were 18 ± 6 clinical-support staff, 25 ± 11 front-office staff, and 13 ± 3 back-office support staff FTEs. Among these FTEs, there were 16 ± 5 devoted to business operations (billing, coding, denial/claims management, financial oversight). Collections/wRVUs were $60 ± 3 (range, 39-80). Regression modeling demonstrated that total wRVUs were determined by the number of MD FTEs (P = .01), number of physician extenders (P = .01), number of front-office staff (P = .01), number of back-office staff (P = .02), and number of total business staff (P = .01). Collections/wRVUs were predicted by number of hospitals (P = .04), number of MD FTEs (P = .03), number of physician extenders (P = .01), and number of cases/total business staff (P = .02). Interestingly, wRVUs/MD was predicted by number of MD FTEs (P = .01) but were not greatly impacted by numbers of clinical or business support staff. In 4 of 25, the billing and coding staff were incentivized and had a Collections/wRVU = 64 ± 5 whereas nonincentivized staff had collections/wRVU = 59 ± 3. (P = NS) Also, %Accounts receivable >90 days (15% vs 25%) were not substantially different. Only 48% (12/25) have departments have recouped Centers for Medicare and Medicaid dollars for Physician Quality Reporting Initiative, Meaningful Use, Patient-Centered Medical Homes, or other Accountable Care-like programs. One-half (13) of the departments had both an inpatient and outpatient electronic medical record. Finally, on a scale of 1-10 (10 = highest), the average level of satisfaction with billing and collections processes was 6. Our results indicate that the physician extender, clinical support staff, and business staff environment can impact surgeon productivity, and there is opportunity for improvement. Determining best practices for ratios of support staff/MD and optimizing the role of electronic medical record in workflow and billing/collections are critical in the current environment. Our pilot study requires extension across more institutions for validation. Copyright © 2012 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. 24 CFR 208.108 - Requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... their software packages and begin electronic transmission of that data in a HUD specified format by... for certification, recertification and subsidy billing procedures in a HUD specified format to the... format after appropriate review and correction of the data. (d) Projects specified in § 208.104(c...

  5. Honoring all those participating in a production of "The Laramie Project: 10 Years Later" in remembrance of Matthew Shepard.

    THOMAS, 111th Congress

    Rep. McDermott, Jim [D-WA-7

    2009-09-24

    House - 01/04/2010 Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights, and Civil Liberties. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

  6. Global Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCoubrey, Sharon

    1994-01-01

    This theme issue focuses on topics related to global issues. (1) "Recycling for Art Projects" (Wendy Stephenson) gives an argument for recycling in the art classroom; (2) "Winds of Change: Tradition and Innovation in Circumpolar Art" (Bill Zuk and Robert Dalton) includes profiles of Alaskan Yupik artist, Larry Beck, who creates…

  7. Is a Mass Prevention and Control Program for Pandemic (H1N1) 2009 Good Value for Money? Evidence from the Chinese Experience

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Biyan; Xie, Jinliang; Fang, Pengqian

    2012-01-01

    Background In order to provide guidance on the efficient allocation of health resources when handling public health emergencies in the future, the study evaluated the H1N1 influenza prevention and control program in Hubei Province of China using cost-benefit analysis. Methods: The costs measured the resources consumed and other expenses incurred in the prevention and control of H1N1. The assumed benefits include resource consumption and economic losses which could be avoided by the measures for the prevention and control of H1N1. The benefit was evaluated by counterfactual thinking, which estimates the resource consumption and economic losses could be happened without any measures for the prevention and control, which have been avoided after measures were taken to prevent and control H1N1 in Hubei Province, these constitutes the benefit of this project. Results: The total costs of this program were 38.81 million U.S. dollars, while the total benefit was assessed as 203.71 million U.S. dollars. The net benefit was 164.9 million U.S. dollars with a cost-effectiveness ratio of 1:5.25. Conclusions: The joint prevention and control strategy introduced by Hubei for H1N1 influenza is cost-effective. PMID:23304674

  8. The kids oneida project: what happened to services when the payment rules changed.

    PubMed

    Macintyre, James C; Essock, Susan; Clay, Sally; Zuber, Michael P; Felton, Chip J

    2006-09-01

    Community-based systems of care may provide high quality, cost-effective alternatives to institutional care for children and adolescents. This report examines Kids Oneida (KO), a not-for-profit managed care entity established in upstate New York in 1998 to serve such children and their families. Changes in payment rules that established the program allowed KO to contract with a wide array of providers to provide and be reimbursed for non-traditional and formerly unreimbursable services, such as mentoring and supervision. By design, emphasis was on highly individualized plans of care in which traditional office-based services played only a small part. During the first 30 months of KO's operation, 228 children, whose severity of emotional disturbances was comparable to those of children placed in residential treatment centers, had average monthly expenditures for first admissions of 2,734 dollars for services and 228 dollars for administrative fees. Median length of stay in the program was 13.5 months, yielding an estimate of 39,987 dollars for typical length of stay. Length of stay and treatment costs were not related to children's gender or race. Length of stay was significantly longer for children with diagnoses indicating attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and behavior disorders. Treatment costs were significantly higher for children with behavior disorders and/or substance use and children who had had prior contact with the juvenile justice system.

  9. Projections of the Cost of Cancer Care in the United States: 2010–2020

    PubMed Central

    Robin Yabroff, K.; Shao, Yongwu; Feuer, Eric J.; Brown, Martin L.

    2011-01-01

    Background Current estimates of the costs of cancer care in the United States are based on data from 2003 and earlier. However, incidence, survival, and practice patterns have been changing for the majority of cancers. Methods Cancer prevalence was estimated and projected by phase of care (initial year following diagnosis, continuing, and last year of life) and tumor site for 13 cancers in men and 16 cancers in women through 2020. Cancer prevalence was calculated from cancer incidence and survival models estimated from Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results (SEER) Program data. Annualized net costs were estimated from recent SEER–Medicare linkage data, which included claims through 2006 among beneficiaries aged 65 years and older with a cancer diagnosis. Control subjects without cancer were identified from a 5% random sample of all Medicare beneficiaries residing in the SEER areas to adjust for expenditures not related to cancer. All cost estimates were adjusted to 2010 dollars. Different scenarios for assumptions about future trends in incidence, survival, and cost were assessed with sensitivity analysis. Results Assuming constant incidence, survival, and cost, we projected 13.8 and 18.1 million cancer survivors in 2010 and 2020, respectively, with associated costs of cancer care of 124.57 and 157.77 billion 2010 US dollars. This 27% increase in medical costs reflects US population changes only. The largest increases were in the continuing phase of care for prostate cancer (42%) and female breast cancer (32%). Projections of current trends in incidence (declining) and survival (increasing) had small effects on 2020 estimates. However, if costs of care increase annually by 2% in the initial and last year of life phases of care, the total cost in 2020 is projected to be $173 billion, which represents a 39% increase from 2010. Conclusions The national cost of cancer care is substantial and expected to increase because of population changes alone. Our findings have implications for policy makers in planning and allocation of resources. PMID:21228314

  10. A 25-year analysis of the American College of Gastroenterology Research Grant Program:

    PubMed Central

    Crockett, Seth D.; Dellon, Evan S.; Bright, Stephanie D.; Shaheen, Nicholas J.

    2011-01-01

    Introduction The American College of Gastroenterology (ACG) has awarded research grants for 25 years. We assessed the characteristics of grant recipients, their current academic status, and the likelihood of publication resulting from the grant. Methods Demographic data, year and amount of award, title of project, and recipient’s institution were extracted from ACG databases. Using ACG reports and medical literature search engines, we assessed publication based on grant-funded research, as well as career publication record. We also determined the current position of awardees. Similar analysis was performed for recipients of junior investigator awards. Results A total of 396 clinical research awards totaling $5,374,497 ($6,867,937 in 2008 dollars) were awarded to 341 recipients in the 25 years between 1983 and 2008. The most commonly funded areas of research were endoscopy (22% of awards) and motility/functional disorders (21%). At least one peer-reviewed publication based on grant-funded research occurred in 255 of the awards (69%). Higher award value was associated with subsequent publication. Of 341 past awardees, 195 (62%) are currently in academic positions. Factors associated with staying in academics included higher award value (p<0.01), a Master’s degree (p=0.02) and publishing grant-funded research (p<0.01). The junior faculty career development award was granted to 27 individuals for a total of $3,000,000 (3,398,004 in 2008 dollars). Publication resulted from 90% of the funded projects, and 95% of awardees have remained in academics. Overall, the mean cost in grant dollars per published paper based on the research was $14,875. Conclusion The majority of ACG grant recipients published the results of their research and remained in academics. Higher amount of award, holding an advanced degree, and publication were associated with careers in academics. The ACG research grant award program is an important engine of investigation, publications, and academic career development in the field of gastroenterology. PMID:19319125

  11. Sediment Transport in the Bill Williams River and Turbidity in Lake Havasu During and Following Two High Releases from Alamo Dam, Arizona, in 2005 and 2006

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Wiele, Stephen M.; Hart, Robert J.; Darling, Hugh L.; Hautzinger, Andrew B.

    2009-01-01

    Discharges higher than are typically released from Alamo Dam in west-central Arizona were planned and released in 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2008 to study the effects of these releases on the Bill Williams River and Lake Havasu, into which the river debouches. Sediment concentrations and water discharges were measured in the Bill Williams River, and turbidity, temperature, and dissolved oxygen were measured in Lake Havasu during and after experimental releases in 2005 and 2006 from Alamo Dam. Data from such releases will support ongoing ecological studies, improve environmentally sensitive management of the river corridor, and support the development of a predictive relationship between the operation of Alamo Dam and downstream flows and their impact on Lake Havasu and the Colorado River. Elevated discharges in the Bill Williams River mobilize more sediment than during more typical dam operation and can generate a turbidity plume in Lake Havasu. The intakes for the Central Arizona Project, which transfers Colorado River water to central and southern Arizona, are near the mouth of the Bill Williams River. Measurement of the turbidity and the development of the plume over time consequently were important components of the study. In this report, the measurements of suspended sediment concentration and discharges in the Bill Williams River and of turbidity in Lake Havasu are presented along with calculations of silt and sand loads in the Bill Williams River. Sediment concentrations were varied and likely dependent on a variable supply. Sediment loads were calculated at the mouth of the river and near Planet, about 10 km upstream from the mouth for the 2005 release, and they indicate that a net increase in transport of silt and a net decrease in the transport of sand occurred in the reach between the two sites.

  12. The economic effect of a tertiary hospital-based heart failure program.

    PubMed

    Gregory, Douglas; DeNofrio, David; Konstam, Marvin A

    2005-08-16

    This study was designed to determine the economic effect of a tertiary heart failure (HF) program at an academic medical center. Most hospitals use cross-sectional financial models to analyze the economic contribution of clinical programs for a budget period. We estimated the incremental value of a tertiary hospital HF program on the basis of the longitudinal utilization of a sample of HF patients. The primary data source was a sample of 82 HF patients referred for cardiac transplant evaluation at an academic medical center during calendar years 2000 to 2001. Cumulative recurrent rates of utilization, cost, and reimbursement for hospital services were computed as functions of time using reliability models. The economic contribution of patients transplanted was contrasted with those not transplanted. Mean hospitalizations and outpatient encounters per patient at the end of the first year of follow-up for those transplanted were 2.1 (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.6 to 2.7) and 11.9 (95% CI 9.2 to 15.4), compared with 1.1 (95% CI 0.8 to 1.6) and 6.0 (95% CI 4.8 to 7.6), respectively, for those not transplanted. Mean revenue and direct cost per patient were 194,470 dollars (95% CI 136,683 dollars to 276,689 dollars) and 146,623 dollars (95% CI 96,377 dollars to 233,065 dollars), respectively, for transplanted patients and 43,587 dollars (95% CI 28,149 dollars to 67,503 dollars) and 33,424 dollars (95% CI 21,584 dollars to 51,760 dollars), respectively, for non-transplanted patients. The point estimates of first-year contribution margins per patient for transplanted and non-transplanted patients were 47,847 dollars and 10,163 dollars, respectively. Newly evaluated patients for cardiac transplantation at an academic medical center generated substantial incident demands for inpatient and outpatient services over a two-year follow-up period. The estimated contribution margin associated with these services was positive. Hospitals without cardiac transplantation that serve high-acuity HF patients may generate favorable long-term contribution margins, on the basis of the results for the non-transplant group.

  13. Project management lessons learned on SDIO's Delta Star and Single Stage Rocket Technology programs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Klevatt, Paul L.

    1992-01-01

    The topics are presented in viewgraph form and include the following: a Delta Star (Delta 183) Program Overview, lessons learned, and rapid prototyping and the Single Stage Rocket Technology (SSRT) Program. The basic objective of the Strategic Defense Initiative Programs are to quickly reduce key uncertainties to a manageable range of parameters and solutions, and to yield results applicable to focusing subsequent research dollars on high payoff areas.

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

    None

    2016 accomplishments and primary areas of focus for the Department of Energy's (DOE's) Office of Environmental Management and EM sites are presented. For DOE EM, these include Focusing on the Field, Teaming with Cleanup Partners, Developing New Technology, and Maximizing Cleanup Dollars. Major 2016 achievements are highlighted for EM, Richland Operations Office, Office of River Protection, Savannah River Site, Oak Ridge, Idaho, Waste Isolation Pilot Plant, Los Alamos, Portsmouth, Paducah, West Valley Demonstration Project, and the Nevada National Security Site,

  15. LLNL's Big Science Capabilities Help Spur Over $796 Billion in U.S. Economic Activity Sequencing the Human Genome

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

    Stewart, Jeffrey S.

    LLNL’s successful history of taking on big science projects spans beyond national security and has helped create billions of dollars per year in new economic activity. One example is LLNL’s role in helping sequence the human genome. Over $796 billion in new economic activity in over half a dozen fields has been documented since LLNL successfully completed this Grand Challenge.

  16. Costs and benefits to industry of online literature searches

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jensen, R. J.; Asbury, H. O.; King, R. G.

    1980-01-01

    A description is given of a client survey conducted by the NASA Industrial Application Center, U.S.C., examining user-identified dollar costs and benefits of an online computerized literature search. Telephone interviews were conducted on a random sample of clients using a Denver Research Institute questionnaire. Of the total 159 clients surveyed, over 53% identified dollar benefits. A direct relationship between client dollars invested and benefits derived from the search was shown. The ratio of dollar benefit to investment dollar averaged 2.9 to 1. Precise data on the end user's evaluation of the dollar value of an information search are presented.

  17. Bill would establish pilot project for denturism in Kentucky.

    PubMed

    Campbell, C A

    2000-04-01

    HB 238 has been reported favorably to the floor of the House of Representatives by the Committee on Licensing and Occupations, but has not yet been acted upon by the full House. When asked whether he thought his legislation would be approved, Representative Burch said he thought the bill had a "50-50" chance of passing the Kentucky legislature this year. Sources within the Kentucky dental laboratory and dental communities disagree on the legislation's chances for passage. Some within the industry feel the legislation simply does not have enough votes to pass the General Assembly, primarily because of opposition from the Kentucky Dental Association. Others speculate that the bill has a better opportunity to be approved this year than it did in the previous years when it was introduced. The Kentucky General Assembly adjourns its session for the year 2000 on April 12, so there will be a quick answer to the question of whether HB 238 will be approved. The May issue of this column will provide details.

  18. The economic consequences of neurosurgical disease in low- and middle-income countries.

    PubMed

    Rudolfson, Niclas; Dewan, Michael C; Park, Kee B; Shrime, Mark G; Meara, John G; Alkire, Blake C

    2018-05-18

    OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to estimate the economic consequences of neurosurgical disease in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). METHODS The authors estimated gross domestic product (GDP) losses and the broader welfare losses attributable to 5 neurosurgical disease categories in LMICs using two distinct economic models. The value of lost output (VLO) model projects annual GDP losses due to neurosurgical disease during 2015-2030, and is based on the WHO's "Projecting the Economic Cost of Ill-health" tool. The value of lost economic welfare (VLW) model estimates total welfare losses, which is based on the value of a statistical life and includes nonmarket losses such as the inherent value placed on good health, resulting from neurosurgical disease in 2015 alone. RESULTS The VLO model estimates the selected neurosurgical diseases will result in $4.4 trillion (2013 US dollars, purchasing power parity) in GDP losses during 2015-2030 in the 90 included LMICs. Economic losses are projected to disproportionately affect low- and lower-middle-income countries, risking up to a 0.6% and 0.54% loss of GDP, respectively, in 2030. The VLW model evaluated 127 LMICs, and estimates that these countries experienced $3 trillion (2013 US dollars, purchasing power parity) in economic welfare losses in 2015. Regardless of the model used, the majority of the losses can be attributed to stroke and traumatic brain injury. CONCLUSIONS The economic impact of neurosurgical diseases in LMICs is significant. The magnitude of economic losses due to neurosurgical diseases in LMICs provides further motivation beyond already compelling humanitarian reasons for action.

  19. Cost-effectiveness of treating multidrug-resistant tuberculosis.

    PubMed

    Resch, Stephen C; Salomon, Joshua A; Murray, Megan; Weinstein, Milton C

    2006-07-01

    Despite the existence of effective drug treatments, tuberculosis (TB) causes 2 million deaths annually worldwide. Effective treatment is complicated by multidrug-resistant TB (MDR TB) strains that respond only to second-line drugs. We projected the health benefits and cost-effectiveness of using drug susceptibility testing and second-line drugs in a lower-middle-income setting with high levels of MDR TB. We developed a dynamic state-transition model of TB. In a base case analysis, the model was calibrated to approximate the TB epidemic in Peru, a setting with a smear-positive TB incidence of 120 per 100,000 and 4.5% MDR TB among prevalent cases. Secondary analyses considered other settings. The following strategies were evaluated: first-line drugs administered under directly observed therapy (DOTS), locally standardized second-line drugs for previously treated cases (STR1), locally standardized second-line drugs for previously treated cases with test-confirmed MDR TB (STR2), comprehensive drug susceptibility testing and individualized treatment for previously treated cases (ITR1), and comprehensive drug susceptibility testing and individualized treatment for all cases (ITR2). Outcomes were costs per TB death averted and costs per quality-adjusted life year (QALY) gained. We found that strategies incorporating the use of second-line drug regimens following first-line treatment failure were highly cost-effective compared to strategies using first-line drugs only. In our base case, standardized second-line treatment for confirmed MDR TB cases (STR2) had an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of 720 dollars per QALY (8,700 dollars per averted death) compared to DOTS. Individualized second-line drug treatment for MDR TB following first-line failure (ITR1) provided more benefit at an incremental cost of 990 dollars per QALY (12,000 dollars per averted death) compared to STR2. A more aggressive version of the individualized treatment strategy (ITR2), in which both new and previously treated cases are tested for MDR TB, had an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio of 11,000 dollars per QALY (160,000 dollars per averted death) compared to ITR1. The STR2 and ITR1 strategies remained cost-effective under a wide range of alternative assumptions about treatment costs, effectiveness, MDR TB prevalence, and transmission. Treatment of MDR TB using second-line drugs is highly cost-effective in Peru. In other settings, the attractiveness of strategies using second-line drugs will depend on TB incidence, MDR burden, and the available budget, but simulation results suggest that individualized regimens would be cost-effective in a wide range of situations.

  20. Medical therapy cost considerations for glaucoma.

    PubMed

    Fiscella, Richard G; Green, Amy; Patuszynski, Daniel H; Wilensky, Jacob

    2003-07-01

    To determine the calculated daily patient cost (cost minimization) of medical glaucoma therapy and review cost trends. Experimental, controlled, prospective study. The actual volume of various glaucoma medications or glaucoma medications with redesigned bottles was determined for most commercially available sizes of the tested products. The drops per milliliter based on the actual volume and the daily costs of the dosage schedules recommended by the manufacturers were compared. The cost of each bottle of medication was determined from the average wholesale price (AWP) in the United States. A comparison to 1999 prices where applicable will be analyzed to review costing trends. The generic timolol products (range, US dollars 0.38-US dollars 0.46 per day) were similar on a cost per day basis vs Betimol (Santen, Napa Valley, California, USA), Optipranolol (Bausch and Lomb Pharmaceuticals, Tampa, Florida, USA) and Timoptic (Merck, West Point, Pennsylvania, USA). Their percentage cost increase ranged from 5% to 22% since 1999, except for generic timolol XE gel-forming solution (48%). Betagan (Allergan, Irvine, California, USA), Betoptic S (Alcon Laboratories, Fort Worth, Texas, USA), and Ocupress (Novartis, Duluth, Georgia, USA) ranged from US dollars 0.88 to US dollars 1.11 per day, and their percentage cost increase ranged from 33% to 53%. Some brand-only products have raised their AWPs a greater percentage, including Betoptic S (37%), Iopidine (Alcon, Fort Worth, Texas, USA) (50%), Ocupress (Novartis Ophthalmics, Duluth, Georgia, USA) (53%), and Pilopine gel (Alcon, Fort Worth, Texas, USA) (32%). The mean cost per day for the topical carbonic anhydrase inhibitors Azopt (Alcon Laboratories; US dollars 1.33 per day) and Trusopt (Merck; US dollars 1.05 per day) differed from 1999 when prices were almost identical. Cosopt (Merck; timolol 0.5% plus dorzolamide 2%, US dollars 1.04 per day) was less than the cost of separate bottles of a topical carbonic anhydrase inhibitor and a beta-blocker. The selective alpha-2 agonist brimonidine 0.15% with Purite (Alphagan-P, Allergan, 5 ml) twice daily was US dollars 1.29 per day. The prostaglandin analogs were comparably priced with Lumigan (Allergan) US dollars 0.95 per day, Xalatan (Pharmacia and Upjohn, Kalamazoo, Michigan, USA) US dollars 1.25 per day, Travatan (Alcon Laboratories) US dollars 1.01 per day, and Rescula (Novartis) US dollars 0.90 per day. All generic timolol, Betimol, Optipranolol, Timoptic, and Timoptic XE (Merck) ranged from US dollars 0.38 to US dollars 0.50 per day. Other beta-blocker products were about twice as costly, ranging from US dollars 0.88 to US dollars 1.11 per day. Cosopt (US dollars 1.05 per day) was less costly than separate bottles of a topical beta-blocker and a topical carbonic anhydrase inhibitor dosed three times daily or twice daily. The prostaglandin analogs ranged from US dollars 0.90 per day (Rescula) to US dollars 1.25 per day (Xalatan). Newer glaucoma medications exhibit similar costs per day in many cases, compared with more traditional medications, especially with greater price increases in older brand-only products.

  1. A Clean Bill of Health.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    American School & University, 1998

    1998-01-01

    Explores the steps to take to reduce the likelihood that indoor-air-quality (IAQ) problems will develop in educational facilities. Highlights sources and hazards of IAQ when renovating buildings; control strategies and the establishment of IAQ close-out criteria for all renovation projects; heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning system…

  2. Capturing the Dimensions of Effective Teaching

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kane, Thomas J.

    2012-01-01

    In the largest study of instructional practice ever undertaken, the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation's Measures of Effective Teaching (MET) project is searching for tools to save the world from perfunctory teacher evaluations. The first report (released in December 2010) described the potential usefulness of student surveys for providing…

  3. Reimagining Financial Aid to Improve Student Access and Outcomes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators (NJ1), 2013

    2013-01-01

    As the student aid programs rapidly approach reauthorization in 2014, they continue to face severe funding and efficiency problems. With grant assistance from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation through their "Reimagining Aid Design and Delivery" (RADD) project, the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators…

  4. 26 CFR 1.985-3 - United States dollar approximate separate transactions method.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... transactions method. 1.985-3 Section 1.985-3 Internal Revenue INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF THE... dollar approximate separate transactions method. (a) Scope and effective date—(1) Scope. This section describes the United States dollar (dollar) approximate separate transactions method of accounting (DASTM...

  5. Flat-plate solar array project. Volume 1: Executive summary

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Callaghan, W.; Mcdonald, R.

    1986-01-01

    In 1975, the U.S. Government contracted the Jet Propulsion Lab. to develop, by 1985, in conjunction with industry, the photovoltaics (PV) module and array technology required for widespread use of photovoltaics as a significant terrestrial energy source. As a result, a project that eventually became known as the Flat Plate Solar Array (FSA) Project was formed to manage an industry, university, and Government team to perform the necessary research and development. The original goals were to achieve widespread commercial use of PV modules and arrays through the development of technology that would allow them to be profitably sold for $1.07/peak watts (1985 dollars). A 10% module conversion efficiency and a 20 year lifetime were also goals. It is intended that the executive summary provide the means by which one can gain a perspective on 11 years of terrestrial photovoltaic research and development conducted by the FSA Project.

  6. Health system costs for stage-specific breast cancer: a population-based approach

    PubMed Central

    Mittmann, N.; Porter, J.M.; Rangrej, J.; Seung, S.J.; Liu, N.; Saskin, R.; Cheung, M.C.; Leighl, N.B.; Hoch, J.S.; Trudeau, M.; Evans, W.K.; Dainty, K.N.; DeAngelis, C.; Earle, C.C.

    2014-01-01

    Objective The objective of the present analysis was to determine the publicly funded health care costs associated with the care of breast cancer (bca) patients by disease stage. Methods Incident cases of female invasive bca (2005–2009) were extracted from the Ontario Cancer Registry and linked to administrative datasets from the publicly funded system. The type and use of health care services were stratified by disease stage over the first 2 years after diagnosis. Mean costs and costs by type of clinical resource used in the care of bca patients were compared with costs for a matched control group. The attributable cost for the 2-year time horizon was determined in 2008 Canadian dollars. Results This cohort study involved 39,655 patients with bca and 190,520 control subjects. The average age in those groups was 61.1 and 60.9 years respectively. Most bca patients were classified as either stage i (34.4%) or stage ii (31.8%). Of the bca cohort, 8% died within the first 2 years after diagnosis. The overall mean cost per bca case from a public payer perspective in the first 2 years after diagnosis was $41,686. Over the 2-year time horizon, the mean cost increased by stage: i, $29,938; ii, $46,893; iii, $65,369; and iv, $66,627. The attributable cost of bca was $31,732. Cost drivers were cancer clinic visits, physician billings, and hospitalizations. Conclusions Costs of care increased by stage of bca. Cost drivers were cancer clinic visits, physician billings, and hospitalizations. These data will assist planning and decision-making for the use of limited health care resources. PMID:25489255

  7. The wisdom of deliberate mistakes.

    PubMed

    Schoemaker, Paul J H; Gunther, Robert E

    2006-06-01

    Before the breakup of the Bell System, U.S. telephone companies were permitted by law to ask for security deposits from a small percentage of subscribers. The companies used statistical models to decide which customers were most likely to pay their bills late and thus should be charged a deposit, but no one knew whether the models were right. So the Bell companies made a deliberate mistake. They asked for no deposit from nearly 100,000 new customers randomly selected from among those who were considered high risks. Surprisingly, quite a few paid their bills on time. As a result, the companies instituted a smarter screening strategy, which added millions to the Bell System's bottom line. Usually, individuals and organizations go to great lengths to avoid errors. Companies are designed for optimum performance rather than for learning, and mistakes are seen as defects. But as the Bell System example shows, making mistakes--correctly--is a powerful way to accelerate learning and increase competitiveness. If one of a company's fundamental assumptions is wrong, the firm can achieve success more quickly by deliberately making errors than by considering only data that support the assumption. Moreover, executives who apply a conventional, systematic approach to solving a pattern recognition problem are often slower to find a solution than those who test their assumptions by knowingly making mistakes. How do you distinguish between smart mistakes and dumb ones? The authors' consulting firm has developed, and currently uses, a five-step process for identifying constructive mistakes. In one test, the firm assumed that a mistake it was planning to make would cost a significant amount of money, but the opposite happened. By turning assumptions on their heads, the firm created more than dollar 1 million in new business.

  8. At what cost? Payment for abortion care by U.S. women.

    PubMed

    Jones, Rachel K; Upadhyay, Ushma D; Weitz, Tracy A

    2013-01-01

    Most U.S. abortion patients are poor or low-income, yet most pay several hundred dollars out of pocket for these services. This study explores how women procure these funds. iPad-administered surveys were implemented among 639 women obtaining abortions at six geographically diverse healthcare facilities. Women provided information about insurance coverage, payment for service, acquisition of funds, and ancillary costs incurred. Only 36% of the sample lacked health insurance, but at least 69% were paying out of pocket for abortion care. Women were twice as likely to pay using Medicaid (16% of abortions) than private health insurance (7%). The most common reason women were not using private insurance was because it did not cover the procedure (46%), or they were unsure if it was covered (29%). Among women who did not use insurance for their abortion, 52% found it difficult to pay for the procedure. One half of patients relied on someone else to help cover costs, most commonly the man involved in the pregnancy. Most women incurred ancillary expenses in the form of transportation (mean, $44), and a minority also reported lost wages (mean, $198), childcare expenses (mean, $57) and other travel-related costs (mean, $140). Substantial minorities also delayed or did not pay bills such as rent (14%), food (16%), or utilities and other bills (30%) to pay for the abortion. Public and private health insurance plan coverage of abortion care services could ease the financial strain experienced by abortion patients, many of whom are low income. Copyright © 2013 Jacobs Institute of Women's Health. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. 26 CFR 1.61-22 - Taxation of split-dollar life insurance arrangements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Taxation of split-dollar life insurance..., and Taxable Income § 1.61-22 Taxation of split-dollar life insurance arrangements. (a) Scope—(1) In general. This section provides rules for the taxation of a split-dollar life insurance arrangement for...

  10. 77 FR 4084 - Prices for 2012 Infantry Soldier Silver Dollar and 2012 Star-Spangled Banner Commemorative Coin...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-01-26

    ... 2012 Star- Spangled Banner Commemorative Coin Program Products AGENCY: United States Mint, Department... Infantry Soldier Silver Dollar and 2012 Star-Spangled Banner Commemorative Coin Program products. Prices.... Silver Dollar. 2012 Infantry Soldier Silver Dollar N/A $61.95. Defenders of Freedom Set. 2012 Star...

  11. 77 FR 6865 - Pricing for 2012 Infantry Soldier Silver Dollar and 2012 Star-Spangled Banner Commemorative Coin...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-02-09

    ... 2012 Star- Spangled Banner Commemorative Coin Products AGENCY: United States Mint, Department of the... Infantry Soldier Silver Dollar and 2012 Star-Spangled Banner Commemorative Coin products: Introductory... Uncirculated Silver 44.95 49.95 Dollar Infantry Soldier Silver Dollar Special N/A 51.95 Set Star-Spangled...

  12. 26 CFR 1.61-22 - Taxation of split-dollar life insurance arrangements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 2 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Taxation of split-dollar life insurance..., and Taxable Income § 1.61-22 Taxation of split-dollar life insurance arrangements. (a) Scope—(1) In general. This section provides rules for the taxation of a split-dollar life insurance arrangement for...

  13. 26 CFR 1.61-22 - Taxation of split-dollar life insurance arrangements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 26 Internal Revenue 2 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Taxation of split-dollar life insurance..., and Taxable Income § 1.61-22 Taxation of split-dollar life insurance arrangements. (a) Scope—(1) In general. This section provides rules for the taxation of a split-dollar life insurance arrangement for...

  14. Estimating workers' marginal valuation of employer health benefits: would insured workers prefer more health insurance or higher wages?

    PubMed

    Royalty, Anne Beeson

    2008-01-01

    In recent years the cost of health insurance has been increasing much faster than wages. In the face of these rising costs, many employers will have to make difficult decisions about whether to cut back health benefits or to compensate workers with lower wages or lower wage growth. In this paper, we ask the question, "Which do workers value more -- one additional dollar's worth of health benefits or one more dollar in their pockets?" Using a new approach to obtaining estimates of insured workers' marginal valuation of health benefits this paper estimates how much, on average, employees value the marginal dollar paid by employers for their workers' health insurance. We find that insured workers value the marginal health premium dollar at significantly less than the marginal wage dollar. However, workers value insurance generosity very highly. The marginal dollar spent on health insurance that adds an additional dollar's worth of observable dimensions of plan generosity, such as lower deductibles or coverage of additional services, is valued at significantly more than one dollar.

  15. On the brink of reform: Four bills vie for the Superfund reauthorization title

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

    Zodrow, J.J.

    1995-12-01

    After months of hearings in the House of Representatives and the Senate, Congress is poised to reform the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act of 1980. Without CERCLA reauthorization, no federal tax dollars will be allocated to the Superfund for remediating contaminated industrial sites. Authorization to pay into the Superfund expired officially in 1994, and only $2.8 billion remains in the trust fund, enough to run the program through next September at its current annual budget of $1.4 billion. Critics state that Congress acted ambitiously in enacting CERCLA 15 years ago in response to a general belief that onlymore » dozens of contaminated sites existed and could be addressed within a few years. However, the Environmental Protection Agency since 1980 has named 1,300 sites to the National Priorities List. Many contend that the Superfund program was not designed to be a clearinghouse for a multitude of site cleanups. CERCLA`s complicated procedural requirements and taxing transactional costs, some say, were intended to apply to a few, highly toxic sites.« less

  16. Historic and contemporary mercury exposure and potential risk to yellow-billed loons (Gavia adamsii) breeding in Alaska and Canada

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Evers, David C.; Schmutz, Joel A.; Basu, Niladri; DeSorbo, Christopher R.; Fair, Jeff; Gray, Carrie E.; Paruk, James D.; Perkins, Marie; Regan, Kevin; Uher-Koch, Brian D.; Wright, Kenneth G.

    2014-01-01

    The Yellow-billed Loon (Gavia adamsii) is one of the rarest breeding birds in North America. Because of the small population size and patchy distribution, any stressor to its population is of concern. To determine risks posed by environmental mercury (Hg) loads, we captured 115 Yellow-billed Loons between 2002 and 2012 in the North American Arctic and sampled their blood and/or feather tissues and collected nine eggs. Museum samples from Yellow-billed Loons also were analyzed to examine potential changes in Hg exposure over time. An extensive database of published Hg concentrations and associated adverse effects in Common Loons (G. immer) is highly informative and representative for Yellow-billed Loons. Blood Hg concentrations reflect dietary uptake of methylmercury (MeHg) from breeding areas and are generally considered near background levels if less than 1.0 µg/g wet weight (ww). Feather (grown at wintering sites) and egg Hg concentrations can represent a mix of breeding and wintering dietary uptake of MeHg. Based on Common Loon studies, significant risk of reduced reproductive success generally occurs when adult Hg concentrations exceed 2.0 µg/g ww in blood, 20.0 µg/g fresh weight (fw) in flight feathers and 1.0 µg/g ww in eggs. Contemporary mercury concentrations for 176 total samples (across all study sites for 115 Yellow-billed Loons) ranged from 0.08 to 1.45 µg/g ww in blood, 3.0 to 24.9 µg/g fw in feathers and 0.21 to 1.23 µg/g ww in eggs. Mercury concentrations in blood, feather and egg tissues indicate that some individual Yellow-billed Loons in breeding populations across North America are at risk of lowered productivity resulting from Hg exposure. Most Yellow-billed Loons breeding in Alaska overwinter in marine waters of eastern Asia. Although blood Hg concentrations from most breeding loons in Alaska are within background levels, some individuals exhibit elevated feather and egg Hg concentrations, which likely indicate the uptake of MeHg originating from eastern Asia. Feather Hg concentrations tended to be highest in individuals overwintering farthest west (closer to Asia). A retrospective analysis of museum specimens (n = 25) found a two-fold increase in Yellow-billed Loon feather Hg concentrations from the pre-1920s (as early as 1845) to the present. The projected increase in Hg deposition (approximately four-fold by 2050) along with the uncertainty of Hg being released through the thawing of permafrost and Arctic sea ice suggest that Hg body burdens in Yellow-billed Loons may increase. These findings indicate that Hg is a current and potentially increasing environmental stressor for the Yellow-billed Loon and possibly other Nearctic-Palearctic migrant birds.

  17. California Endangered Species Resource Guide.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    California State Dept. of Education, Los Angeles.

    This document was developed in response to California Senate Bill No. 885, "The Endangered Species Education Project," that called for a statewide program in which schools adopt a local endangered species, research past and current efforts to preserve the species' habitat, develop and implement an action plan to educate the community…

  18. The Very Young and Education: 1974 State Activity.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hayas, Denise Kale; Ross, Doris M.

    This booklet contains more than 100 brief descriptions of early childhood projects, activities, studies, and legislation obtained from newsletters, bulletins, and the Education Commission of the States' (ECS) 1974 Annual Survey. Only legislation and activities that have been validated or newly reported are included. Bills which failed or were…

  19. THREE CITIES STUDY OF WELFARE REFORM AND THE WELL-BEING OF CHILDREN

    EPA Science Inventory

    Studies the effects of the 1996 Welfare Reform Bill on children in three Northeastern, Southwestern and Midwestern cities, Boston, San Antonio, and Chicago, over a four-year period. The project also addresses the broader issue of the effects of parental time and money resources o...

  20. Some Problems and Proposals for Knowledge Representation.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1984-01-01

    BROTHER(BiI, AI ) and FATHER( AI ,John) According to Woods, these both denote the fact that Bill is the uncle of John. However, we now must have two...34knowledge representation language being developed at the Berkeley Artificial Inteligience Research Project. KODIAK is an attempt to redress the above

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