Sample records for effective distributed tier-2

  1. Immunologic response among HIV-infected patients enrolled in a graduated cost-recovery programme of antiretroviral therapy delivery in Chennai, India.

    PubMed

    Solomon, Sunil Suhas; Ganesh, Aylur K; Mehta, Shruti H; Yepthomi, Tokugha; Balaji, Kavitha; Anand, Santhanam; Gallant, Joel E; Solomon, Suniti

    2013-06-01

    Sustainability of free antiretroviral therapy (ART) roll out programmes in resource-limited settings is challenging given the need for lifelong therapy and lack of effective vaccine. This study was undertaken to compare treatment outcomes among HIV-infected patients enrolled in a graduated cost-recovery programme of ART delivery in Chennai, India. Financial status of patients accessing care at a tertiary care centre, YRGCARE, Chennai, was assessed using an economic survey; patients were distributed into tiers 1- 4 requiring them to pay 0, 50, 75 or 100 per cent of their medication costs, respectively. A total of 1754 participants (ART naοve = 244) were enrolled from February 2005-January 2008 with the following distribution: tier 1=371; tier 2=338; tier 3=693; tier 4=352. Linear regression models with generalized estimating equations were used to examine immunological response among patients across the four tiers. Median age was 34; 73 per cent were male, and the majority were on nevirapine-based regimens. Median follow up was 11.1 months. The mean increase in CD4 cell count within the 1 st three months of HAART was 50.3 cells/μl per month in tier 1. Compared to those in tier 1, persons in tiers 2, 3 and 4 had comparable increases (49.7, 57.0, and 50.9 cells/μl per month, respectively). Increases in subsequent periods (3-18 and >18 months) were also comparable across tiers. No differential CD4 gains across tiers were observed when the analysis was restricted to patients initiating ART under the GCR programme. This ART delivery model was associated with significant CD4 gains with no observable difference by how much patients paid. Importantly, gains were comparable to those in other free rollout programmes. Additional cost-effectiveness analyses and mathematical modelling would be needed to determine whether such a delivery programme is a sustainable alternative to free ART programmes.

  2. Prospective Environmental Risk Assessment for Sediment-Bound Organic Chemicals: A Proposal for Tiered Effect Assessment.

    PubMed

    Diepens, Noël J; Koelmans, Albert A; Baveco, Hans; van den Brink, Paul J; van den Heuvel-Greve, Martine J; Brock, Theo C M

    A broadly accepted framework for prospective environmental risk assessment (ERA) of sediment-bound organic chemicals is currently lacking. Such a framework requires clear protection goals, evidence-based concepts that link exposure to effects and a transparent tiered-effect assessment. In this paper, we provide a tiered prospective sediment ERA procedure for organic chemicals in sediment, with a focus on the applicable European regulations and the underlying data requirements. Using the ecosystem services concept, we derived specific protection goals for ecosystem service providing units: microorganisms, benthic algae, sediment-rooted macrophytes, benthic invertebrates and benthic vertebrates. Triggers for sediment toxicity testing are discussed.We recommend a tiered approach (Tier 0 through Tier 3). Tier-0 is a cost-effective screening based on chronic water-exposure toxicity data for pelagic species and equilibrium partitioning. Tier-1 is based on spiked sediment laboratory toxicity tests with standard benthic test species and standardised test methods. If comparable chronic toxicity data for both standard and additional benthic test species are available, the Species Sensitivity Distribution (SSD) approach is a more viable Tier-2 option than the geometric mean approach. This paper includes criteria for accepting results of sediment-spiked single species toxicity tests in prospective ERA, and for the application of the SSD approach. We propose micro/mesocosm experiments with spiked sediment, to study colonisation success by benthic organisms, as a Tier-3 option. Ecological effect models can be used to supplement the experimental tiers. A strategy for unifying information from various tiers by experimental work and exposure-and effect modelling is provided.

  3. Optimising LAN access to grid enabled storage elements

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Stewart, G. A.; Cowan, G. A.; Dunne, B.; Elwell, A.; Millar, A. P.

    2008-07-01

    When operational, the Large Hadron Collider experiments at CERN will collect tens of petabytes of physics data per year. The worldwide LHC computing grid (WLCG) will distribute this data to over two hundred Tier-1 and Tier-2 computing centres, enabling particle physicists around the globe to access the data for analysis. Although different middleware solutions exist for effective management of storage systems at collaborating institutes, the patterns of access envisaged for Tier-2s fall into two distinct categories. The first involves bulk transfer of data between different Grid storage elements using protocols such as GridFTP. This data movement will principally involve writing ESD and AOD files into Tier-2 storage. Secondly, once datasets are stored at a Tier-2, physics analysis jobs will read the data from the local SE. Such jobs require a POSIX-like interface to the storage so that individual physics events can be extracted. In this paper we consider the performance of POSIX-like access to files held in Disk Pool Manager (DPM) storage elements, a popular lightweight SRM storage manager from EGEE.

  4. The impact of tiered physician networks on patient choices.

    PubMed

    Sinaiko, Anna D; Rosenthal, Meredith B

    2014-08-01

    To assess whether patient choice of physician or health plan was affected by physician tier-rankings. Administrative claims and enrollment data on 171,581 nonelderly beneficiaries enrolled in Massachusetts Group Insurance Commission health plans that include a tiered physician network and who had an office visit with a tiered physician. We estimate the impact of tier-rankings on physician market share within a plan of new patients and on the percent of a physician's patients who switch to other physicians with fixed effects regression models. The effect of tiering on consumer plan choice is estimated using logistic regression and a pre-post study design. Physicians in the bottom (least-preferred) tier, particularly certain specialist physicians, had lower market share of new patient visits than physicians with higher tier-rankings. Patients whose physician was in the bottom tier were more likely to switch health plans. There was no effect of tier-ranking on patients switching away from physicians whom they have seen previously. The effect of tiering appears to be among patients who choose new physicians and at the lower end of the distribution of tiered physicians, rather than moving patients to the "best" performers. These findings suggest strong loyalty of patients to physicians more likely to be considered their personal doctor. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  5. 76 FR 33380 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Arca, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-06-08

    ... Two New Pricing Tiers, Investor Tier 1 and Investor Tier 2 June 3, 2011. Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1... Services (the ``Schedule'') to introduce two new pricing tiers, Investor Tier 1 and Investor Tier 2. The... proposes to introduce two new pricing tier levels, Investor Tier 1 and Investor Tier 2. Investor Tier 1...

  6. Effects of Tier 2 and Tier 3 Mathematics Interventions for Second Graders with Mathematics Difficulties

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dennis, Minyi Shih

    2015-01-01

    Two studies were conducted to examine the effects of Tier 2 and Tier 3 mathematics interventions on students with mathematics learning difficulties. In the first study, the work of Bryant et al. was replicated and expanded upon by documenting the sustained effects of a Tier 2 mathematics intervention on mathematics performance by second graders.…

  7. Implementation of Grid Tier 2 and Tier 3 facilities on a Distributed OpenStack Cloud

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Limosani, Antonio; Boland, Lucien; Coddington, Paul; Crosby, Sean; Huang, Joanna; Sevior, Martin; Wilson, Ross; Zhang, Shunde

    2014-06-01

    The Australian Government is making a AUD 100 million investment in Compute and Storage for the academic community. The Compute facilities are provided in the form of 30,000 CPU cores located at 8 nodes around Australia in a distributed virtualized Infrastructure as a Service facility based on OpenStack. The storage will eventually consist of over 100 petabytes located at 6 nodes. All will be linked via a 100 Gb/s network. This proceeding describes the development of a fully connected WLCG Tier-2 grid site as well as a general purpose Tier-3 computing cluster based on this architecture. The facility employs an extension to Torque to enable dynamic allocations of virtual machine instances. A base Scientific Linux virtual machine (VM) image is deployed in the OpenStack cloud and automatically configured as required using Puppet. Custom scripts are used to launch multiple VMs, integrate them into the dynamic Torque cluster and to mount remote file systems. We report on our experience in developing this nation-wide ATLAS and Belle II Tier 2 and Tier 3 computing infrastructure using the national Research Cloud and storage facilities.

  8. 76 FR 40974 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Arca, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-07-12

    ... Two New Pricing Tiers, Step-Up Tier 1 and Step-Up Tier 2 July 6, 2011. Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) of... Services (the ``Schedule'') to introduce two new pricing tiers, Step-Up Tier 1 and Step-Up Tier 2. The text... Arca proposes to introduce two new pricing tier levels, Step-Up Tier 1 and Step-Up Tier 2. Step-Up Tier...

  9. 26 CFR 1.959-3 - Allocation of distributions to earnings and profits of foreign corporations.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... of ownership described in section 958(a)(2) shall be reduced by any income, war profits, or excess... allowable under section 901 in a case in which distributions are made by a second-tier corporation or a... and profits for such taxable year of the second-tier corporation shall be considered first...

  10. MADGE: scalable distributed data management software for cDNA microarrays.

    PubMed

    McIndoe, Richard A; Lanzen, Aaron; Hurtz, Kimberly

    2003-01-01

    The human genome project and the development of new high-throughput technologies have created unparalleled opportunities to study the mechanism of diseases, monitor the disease progression and evaluate effective therapies. Gene expression profiling is a critical tool to accomplish these goals. The use of nucleic acid microarrays to assess the gene expression of thousands of genes simultaneously has seen phenomenal growth over the past five years. Although commercial sources of microarrays exist, investigators wanting more flexibility in the genes represented on the array will turn to in-house production. The creation and use of cDNA microarrays is a complicated process that generates an enormous amount of information. Effective data management of this information is essential to efficiently access, analyze, troubleshoot and evaluate the microarray experiments. We have developed a distributable software package designed to track and store the various pieces of data generated by a cDNA microarray facility. This includes the clone collection storage data, annotation data, workflow queues, microarray data, data repositories, sample submission information, and project/investigator information. This application was designed using a 3-tier client server model. The data access layer (1st tier) contains the relational database system tuned to support a large number of transactions. The data services layer (2nd tier) is a distributed COM server with full database transaction support. The application layer (3rd tier) is an internet based user interface that contains both client and server side code for dynamic interactions with the user. This software is freely available to academic institutions and non-profit organizations at http://www.genomics.mcg.edu/niddkbtc.

  11. Combining Tier 2 and Tier 3 Supports for Students with Disabilities in General Education Settings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    MacLeod, K. Sandra; Hawken, Leanne S.; O'Neill, Robert E.; Bundock, Kaitlin

    2016-01-01

    Secondary level or Tier 2 interventions such as the Check-in Check-out (CICO) intervention effectively reduce problem behaviors of students who are non-responsive to school-wide interventions. However, some students will not be successful with Tier 2 interventions. This study investigated the effects of adding individualized function-based support…

  12. Acute tier-1 and tier-2 effect assessment approaches in the EFSA Aquatic Guidance Document: are they sufficiently protective for insecticides?

    PubMed

    van Wijngaarden, René P A; Maltby, Lorraine; Brock, Theo C M

    2015-08-01

    The objective of this paper is to evaluate whether the acute tier-1 and tier-2 methods as proposed by the Aquatic Guidance Document recently published by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) are appropriate for deriving regulatory acceptable concentrations (RACs) for insecticides. The tier-1 and tier-2 RACs were compared with RACs based on threshold concentrations from micro/mesocosm studies (ETO-RAC). A lower-tier RAC was considered as sufficiently protective, if less than the corresponding ETO-RAC. ETO-RACs were calculated for repeated (n = 13) and/or single pulsed applications (n = 17) of 26 insecticides to micro/mesocosms, giving a maximum of 30 insecticide × application combinations (i.e. cases) for comparison. Acute tier-1 RACs (for 24 insecticides) were lower than the corresponding ETO-RACs in 27 out of 29 cases, while tier-2 Geom-RACs (for 23 insecticides) were lower in 24 out of 26 cases. The tier-2 SSD-RAC (for 21 insecticides) using HC5 /3 was lower than the ETO-RAC in 23 out of 27 cases, whereas the tier-2 SSD-RAC using HC5 /6 was protective in 25 out of 27 cases. The tier-1 and tier-2 approaches proposed by EFSA for acute effect assessment are sufficiently protective for the majority of insecticides evaluated. Further evaluation may be needed for insecticides with more novel chemistries (neonicotinoids, biopesticides) and compounds that show delayed effects (insect growth regulators). © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

  13. Grid Computing at GSI for ALICE and FAIR - present and future

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schwarz, Kilian; Uhlig, Florian; Karabowicz, Radoslaw; Montiel-Gonzalez, Almudena; Zynovyev, Mykhaylo; Preuss, Carsten

    2012-12-01

    The future FAIR experiments CBM and PANDA have computing requirements that fall in a category that could currently not be satisfied by one single computing centre. One needs a larger, distributed computing infrastructure to cope with the amount of data to be simulated and analysed. Since 2002, GSI operates a tier2 center for ALICE@CERN. The central component of the GSI computing facility and hence the core of the ALICE tier2 centre is a LSF/SGE batch farm, currently split into three subclusters with a total of 15000 CPU cores shared by the participating experiments, and accessible both locally and soon also completely via Grid. In terms of data storage, a 5.5 PB Lustre file system, directly accessible from all worker nodes is maintained, as well as a 300 TB xrootd-based Grid storage element. Based on this existing expertise, and utilising ALICE's middleware ‘AliEn’, the Grid infrastructure for PANDA and CBM is being built. Besides a tier0 centre at GSI, the computing Grids of the two FAIR collaborations encompass now more than 17 sites in 11 countries and are constantly expanding. The operation of the distributed FAIR computing infrastructure benefits significantly from the experience gained with the ALICE tier2 centre. A close collaboration between ALICE Offline and FAIR provides mutual advantages. The employment of a common Grid middleware as well as compatible simulation and analysis software frameworks ensure significant synergy effects.

  14. Four peer reviews in support of the Tier 3 rulemaking ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Peer review of ERG's KenCaryl (CO) estimated summer hot-soak distributions report in support of the Tier 3 rulemaking To peer review ERG's KenCaryl (CO) estimated summer hot-soak distributions report (for Tier 3 rulemaking)

  15. Mathematics Intervention for First- and Second-Grade Students with Mathematics Difficulties: The Effects of Tier 2 Intervention Delivered as Booster Lessons

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bryant, Diane Pedrotty; Bryant, Brian R.; Gersten, Russell; Scammacca, Nancy; Chavez, Melissa M.

    2008-01-01

    This study sought to examine the effects of Tier 2 intervention in a multitiered model on the performance of first- and second-grade students who were identified as having mathematics difficulties. A regression discontinuity design was utilized. Participants included 126 (Tier 2, n = 26) first graders and 140 (Tier 2, n = 25) second graders. Tier…

  16. Effects of a Tier 3 Self-Management Intervention Implemented with and without Treatment Integrity

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lower, Ashley; Young, K. Richard; Christensen, Lynnette; Caldarella, Paul; Williams, Leslie; Wills, Howard

    2016-01-01

    This study investigated the effects of a Tier 3 peer-matching self-management intervention on two elementary school students who had previously been less responsive to Tier 1 and Tier 2 interventions. The Tier 3 self-management intervention, which was implemented in the general education classrooms, included daily electronic communication between…

  17. The Adam Walsh Act: An Examination of Sex Offender Risk Classification Systems.

    PubMed

    Zgoba, Kristen M; Miner, Michael; Levenson, Jill; Knight, Raymond; Letourneau, Elizabeth; Thornton, David

    2016-12-01

    This study was designed to compare the Adam Walsh Act (AWA) classification tiers with actuarial risk assessment instruments and existing state classification schemes in their respective abilities to identify sex offenders at high risk to re-offend. Data from 1,789 adult sex offenders released from prison in four states were collected (Minnesota, New Jersey, Florida, and South Carolina). On average, the sexual recidivism rate was approximately 5% at 5 years and 10% at 10 years. AWA Tier 2 offenders had higher Static-99R scores and higher recidivism rates than Tier 3 offenders, and in Florida, these inverse correlations were statistically significant. Actuarial measures and existing state tier systems, in contrast, did a better job of identifying high-risk offenders and recidivists. As well, we examined the distribution of risk assessment scores within and across tier categories, finding that a majority of sex offenders fall into AWA Tier 3, but more than half score low or moderately low on the Static-99R. The results indicate that the AWA sex offender classification scheme is a poor indicator of relative risk and is likely to result in a system that is less effective in protecting the public than those currently implemented in the states studied. © The Author(s) 2015.

  18. Research and Design of the Three-tier Distributed Network Management System Based on COM / COM + and DNA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Liang, Likai; Bi, Yushen

    Considered on the distributed network management system's demand of high distributives, extensibility and reusability, a framework model of Three-tier distributed network management system based on COM/COM+ and DNA is proposed, which adopts software component technology and N-tier application software framework design idea. We also give the concrete design plan of each layer of this model. Finally, we discuss the internal running process of each layer in the distributed network management system's framework model.

  19. A distributed Tier-1

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fischer, L.; Grønager, M.; Kleist, J.; Smirnova, O.

    2008-07-01

    The Tier-1 facility operated by the Nordic DataGrid Facility (NDGF) differs significantly from other Tier-1s in several aspects: firstly, it is not located at one or a few premises, but instead is distributed throughout the Nordic countries; secondly, it is not under the governance of a single organization but instead is a meta-center built of resources under the control of a number of different national organizations. We present some technical implications of these aspects as well as the high-level design of this distributed Tier-1. The focus will be on computing services, storage and monitoring.

  20. Examining the Effects and Feasibility of a Teacher-Implemented Tier 1 and Tier 2 Intervention in Word Reading, Fluency, and Comprehension

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Solari, Emily J.; Denton, Carolyn A.; Petscher, Yaacov; Haring, Christa

    2018-01-01

    This study investigates the effects and feasibility of an intervention for first-grade students at risk for reading difficulties or disabilities (RD). The intervention was provided by general education classroom teachers and consisted of 15 min whole-class comprehension lessons (Tier 1) and 30 min Tier 2 intervention sessions in word reading,…

  1. CMS tier structure and operation of the experiment-specific tasks in Germany

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nowack, A.

    2008-07-01

    In Germany, several university institutes and research centres take part in the CMS experiment. Concerning the data analysis, a couple of computing centres at different Tier levels, ranging from Tier 1 to Tier 3, exists at these places. The German Tier 1 centre GridKa at the research centre at Karlsruhe serves all four LHC experiments as well as four non-LHC experiments. With respect to the CMS experiment, GridKa is mainly involved in central tasks. The Tier 2 centre in Germany consists of two sites, one at the research centre DESY at Hamburg and one at RWTH Aachen University, forming a federated Tier 2 centre. Both parts cover different aspects of a Tier 2 centre. The German Tier 3 centres are located at the research centre DESY at Hamburg, at RWTH Aachen University, and at the University of Karlsruhe. Furthermore the building of a German user analysis facility is planned. Since the CMS community in German is rather small, a good cooperation between the different sites is essential. This cooperation includes physical topics as well as technical and operational issues. All available communication channels such as email, phone, monthly video conferences, and regular personal meetings are used. For example, the distribution of data sets is coordinated globally within Germany. Also the CMS-specific services such as the data transfer tool PhEDEx or the Monte Carlo production are operated by people from different sites in order to spread the knowledge widely and increase the redundancy in terms of operators.

  2. EDSP Tier 2 test (T2T) guidances and protocols are delivered, including web-based guidance for diagnosing and scoring, and evaluating EDC-induced pathology in fish and amphibian

    EPA Science Inventory

    The Agency’s Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP) consists of two tiers. The first tier provides information regarding whether a chemical may have endocrine disruption properties. Tier 2 tests provide confirmation of ED effects and dose-response information to be us...

  3. Effects of a Tier 3 Phonological Awareness Intervention on Preschoolers' Emergent Literacy

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Noe, Sean; Spencer, Trina D.; Kruse, Lydia; Goldstein, Howard

    2014-01-01

    This multiple baseline design study examined the effects of a Tier 3 early literacy intervention on low-income preschool children's phonological awareness (PA). Seven preschool children who did not make progress on identifying first sounds in words during a previous Tier 2 intervention participated in a more intensive Tier 3 intervention. Children…

  4. An Experimental Study of Scheduling and Duration of "Tier 2" First-Grade Reading Intervention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Denton, Carolyn A.; Cirino, Paul T.; Barth, Amy E.; Romain, Melissa; Vaughn, Sharon; Wexler, Jade; Francis, David J.; Fletcher, Jack M.

    2011-01-01

    This study compared the effects on reading outcomes of delivering supplemental, small-group intervention to first-grade students at risk for reading difficulties randomly assigned to one of three different treatment schedules: extended (4 sessions per week, 16 weeks; n = 66), concentrated (4 sessions per week, 8 weeks; n = 64), or distributed (2…

  5. A New Generation of Networks and Computing Models for High Energy Physics in the LHC Era

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Newman, H.

    2011-12-01

    Wide area networks of increasing end-to-end capacity and capability are vital for every phase of high energy physicists' work. Our bandwidth usage, and the typical capacity of the major national backbones and intercontinental links used by our field have progressed by a factor of several hundred times over the past decade. With the opening of the LHC era in 2009-10 and the prospects for discoveries in the upcoming LHC run, the outlook is for a continuation or an acceleration of these trends using next generation networks over the next few years. Responding to the need to rapidly distribute and access datasets of tens to hundreds of terabytes drawn from multi-petabyte data stores, high energy physicists working with network engineers and computer scientists are learning to use long range networks effectively on an increasing scale, and aggregate flows reaching the 100 Gbps range have been observed. The progress of the LHC, and the unprecedented ability of the experiments to produce results rapidly using worldwide distributed data processing and analysis has sparked major, emerging changes in the LHC Computing Models, which are moving from the classic hierarchical model designed a decade ago to more agile peer-to-peer-like models that make more effective use of the resources at Tier2 and Tier3 sites located throughout the world. A new requirements working group has gauged the needs of Tier2 centers, and charged the LHCOPN group that runs the network interconnecting the LHC Tierls with designing a new architecture interconnecting the Tier2s. As seen from the perspective of ICFA's Standing Committee on Inter-regional Connectivity (SCIC), the Digital Divide that separates physicists in several regions of the developing world from those in the developed world remains acute, although many countries have made major advances through the rapid installation of modern network infrastructures. A case in point is Africa, where a new round of undersea cables promises to transform the continent.

  6. The CMS Tier0 goes cloud and grid for LHC Run 2

    DOE PAGES

    Hufnagel, Dirk

    2015-12-23

    In 2015, CMS will embark on a new era of collecting LHC collisions at unprecedented rates and complexity. This will put a tremendous stress on our computing systems. Prompt Processing of the raw data by the Tier-0 infrastructure will no longer be constrained to CERN alone due to the significantly increased resource requirements. In LHC Run 2, we will need to operate it as a distributed system utilizing both the CERN Cloud-based Agile Infrastructure and a significant fraction of the CMS Tier-1 Grid resources. In another big change for LHC Run 2, we will process all data using the multi-threadedmore » framework to deal with the increased event complexity and to ensure efficient use of the resources. Furthermore, this contribution will cover the evolution of the Tier-0 infrastructure and present scale testing results and experiences from the first data taking in 2015.« less

  7. The CMS TierO goes Cloud and Grid for LHC Run 2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hufnagel, Dirk

    2015-12-01

    In 2015, CMS will embark on a new era of collecting LHC collisions at unprecedented rates and complexity. This will put a tremendous stress on our computing systems. Prompt Processing of the raw data by the Tier-0 infrastructure will no longer be constrained to CERN alone due to the significantly increased resource requirements. In LHC Run 2, we will need to operate it as a distributed system utilizing both the CERN Cloud-based Agile Infrastructure and a significant fraction of the CMS Tier-1 Grid resources. In another big change for LHC Run 2, we will process all data using the multi-threaded framework to deal with the increased event complexity and to ensure efficient use of the resources. This contribution will cover the evolution of the Tier-0 infrastructure and present scale testing results and experiences from the first data taking in 2015.

  8. The Legnaro-Padova distributed Tier-2: challenges and results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Badoer, Simone; Biasotto, Massimo; Costa, Fulvia; Crescente, Alberto; Fantinel, Sergio; Ferrari, Roberto; Gulmini, Michele; Maron, Gaetano; Michelotto, Michele; Sgaravatto, Massimo; Toniolo, Nicola

    2014-06-01

    The Legnaro-Padova Tier-2 is a computing facility serving the ALICE and CMS LHC experiments. It also supports other High Energy Physics experiments and other virtual organizations of different disciplines, which can opportunistically harness idle resources if available. The unique characteristic of this Tier-2 is its topology: the computational resources are spread in two different sites, about 15 km apart: the INFN Legnaro National Laboratories and the INFN Padova unit, connected through a 10 Gbps network link (it will be soon updated to 20 Gbps). Nevertheless these resources are seamlessly integrated and are exposed as a single computing facility. Despite this intrinsic complexity, the Legnaro-Padova Tier-2 ranks among the best Grid sites for what concerns reliability and availability. The Tier-2 comprises about 190 worker nodes, providing about 26000 HS06 in total. Such computing nodes are managed by the LSF local resource management system, and are accessible using a Grid-based interface implemented through multiple CREAM CE front-ends. dCache, xrootd and Lustre are the storage systems in use at the Tier-2: about 1.5 PB of disk space is available to users in total, through multiple access protocols. A 10 Gbps network link, planned to be doubled in the next months, connects the Tier-2 to WAN. This link is used for the LHC Open Network Environment (LHCONE) and for other general purpose traffic. In this paper we discuss about the experiences at the Legnaro-Padova Tier-2: the problems that had to be addressed, the lessons learned, the implementation choices. We also present the tools used for the daily management operations. These include DOCET, a Java-based webtool designed, implemented and maintained at the Legnaro-Padova Tier-2, and deployed also in other sites, such as the LHC Italian T1. DOCET provides an uniform interface to manage all the information about the physical resources of a computing center. It is also used as documentation repository available to the Tier-2 operations team. Finally we discuss about the foreseen developments of the existing infrastructure. This includes in particular the evolution from a Grid-based resource towards a Cloud-based computing facility.

  9. An Examination of the Efficacy of a Multitiered Intervention on Early Reading Outcomes for First Grade Students at Risk for Reading Difficulties.

    PubMed

    Fien, Hank; Smith, Jean Louise M; Smolkowski, Keith; Baker, Scott K; Nelson, Nancy J; Chaparro, Erin

    2015-01-01

    This article presents findings of an efficacy trial examining the effect of a multitiered instruction and intervention model on first grade at-risk students' reading outcomes. Schools (N = 16) were randomly assigned to the treatment or control condition. In the fall of Grade 1, students were assigned to an instructional tier on the basis of Stanford Achievement Test-10th Edition scores (31st percentile and above = Tier 1; from the 10th to the 30th percentile = Tier 2). In both conditions, students identified as at risk (i.e., Tier 2; n = 267) received 90 min of whole group instruction (Tier 1) and an additional 30 min of daily small group intervention (Tier 2). In the treatment condition, teachers were trained to enhance core reading instruction by making instruction more explicit and increasing practice opportunities for students in Tier 1. In addition, at-risk readers were provided an additional 30-min daily small group intervention with content that was highly aligned with the Tier 1 core reading program. Results indicate significant, positive effects of the intervention on students' decoding and first semester fluent reading and potentially positive effects on reading comprehension and total reading achievement. © Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2014.

  10. The Influence Of Team Rating On Running Performance In Elite Gaelic Football.

    PubMed

    Mangan, Shane; Malone, Shane; Ryan, Martin; Gahan, Jason Mc; Warne, Joe; Martin, Denise; O'Neill, Cian; Burns, Con; Collins, Kieran

    2017-11-06

    It is currently unknown how team rating influences running performance in Gaelic football. GPS technologies were used to quantify match-running performance within 5 elite Gaelic football teams over a period of 5 years (2012-2016). In total 780 player data sets were collected over 95 matches. Running performance variables included total distance, high-speed distance (≥17 km h) and the percentage of high-speed distance. Team ratings were determined objectively using the Elo Ratings System for Gaelic football. Reference team rating had trivial effects on total distance (p = 0.011, partial η2 = 0.008) and high-speed distance (p = 0.011, partial η2 = 0.008). Opposition team rating had small effects on total distance (p = 0.005, partial η2 = 0.016) and high-speed distance (p = 0.001, partial η2 = 0.020). Top tier teams cover greater total distances and high-speed distance than lower tier teams. Players cover considerably less total distance and high-speed distance against tier 3 and tier 4 teams. Tier 1 players ran a significantly higher percentage of distance at high-speed, than players who played for tier 2 teams (p = 0.020). The competitive advantage of top tier Gaelic football teams is closely linked with their ability to demonstrate a higher physical intensity than lower tier teams.

  11. Integrating scales of seagrass monitoring to meet conservation needs

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Neckles, Hilary A.; Kopp, Blaine S.; Peterson, Bradley J.; Pooler, Penelope S.

    2012-01-01

    We evaluated a hierarchical framework for seagrass monitoring in two estuaries in the northeastern USA: Little Pleasant Bay, Massachusetts, and Great South Bay/Moriches Bay, New York. This approach includes three tiers of monitoring that are integrated across spatial scales and sampling intensities. We identified monitoring attributes for determining attainment of conservation objectives to protect seagrass ecosystems from estuarine nutrient enrichment. Existing mapping programs provided large-scale information on seagrass distribution and bed sizes (tier 1 monitoring). We supplemented this with bay-wide, quadrat-based assessments of seagrass percent cover and canopy height at permanent sampling stations following a spatially distributed random design (tier 2 monitoring). Resampling simulations showed that four observations per station were sufficient to minimize bias in estimating mean percent cover on a bay-wide scale, and sample sizes of 55 stations in a 624-ha system and 198 stations in a 9,220-ha system were sufficient to detect absolute temporal increases in seagrass abundance from 25% to 49% cover and from 4% to 12% cover, respectively. We made high-resolution measurements of seagrass condition (percent cover, canopy height, total and reproductive shoot density, biomass, and seagrass depth limit) at a representative index site in each system (tier 3 monitoring). Tier 3 data helped explain system-wide changes. Our results suggest tiered monitoring as an efficient and feasible way to detect and predict changes in seagrass systems relative to multi-scale conservation objectives.

  12. 78 FR 68895 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NASDAQ OMX PHLX LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-11-15

    ... Options Classes, Category A Category B excluding SPY Options (Monthly) Tier 1 0.00%-0.75% 0.00 0.00 Tier 2 Above 0.75%-1.60% 0.12 0.17 Tier 3 Above 1.60%-2.60% 0.14 0.17 Tier 4 Above 2.60% 0.15 0.17 The Exchange... Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (``Act'') \\1\\ and Rule 19b-4 thereunder,\\2\\ notice is hereby given that, on...

  13. 26 CFR 1.707-0 - Table of contents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... Rules Applicable to Guaranteed Payments, Preferred Returns, Operating Cash Flow Distributions, and...) Presumption regarding operating cash flow distributions. (1) In general. (2) Operating cash flow distributions. (i) In general. (ii) Operating cash flow safe harbor. (iii) Tiered partnerships. (c) Accumulation of...

  14. 26 CFR 1.707-0 - Table of contents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... Rules Applicable to Guaranteed Payments, Preferred Returns, Operating Cash Flow Distributions, and...) Presumption regarding operating cash flow distributions. (1) In general. (2) Operating cash flow distributions. (i) In general. (ii) Operating cash flow safe harbor. (iii) Tiered partnerships. (c) Accumulation of...

  15. 26 CFR 1.707-0 - Table of contents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... Guaranteed Payments, Preferred Returns, Operating Cash Flow Distributions, and Reimbursements of Preformation... operating cash flow distributions. (1) In general. (2) Operating cash flow distributions. (i) In general. (ii) Operating cash flow safe harbor. (iii) Tiered partnerships. (c) Accumulation of guaranteed...

  16. 26 CFR 1.707-0 - Table of contents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... Rules Applicable to Guaranteed Payments, Preferred Returns, Operating Cash Flow Distributions, and...) Presumption regarding operating cash flow distributions. (1) In general. (2) Operating cash flow distributions. (i) In general. (ii) Operating cash flow safe harbor. (iii) Tiered partnerships. (c) Accumulation of...

  17. 26 CFR 1.707-0 - Table of contents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... Rules Applicable to Guaranteed Payments, Preferred Returns, Operating Cash Flow Distributions, and...) Presumption regarding operating cash flow distributions. (1) In general. (2) Operating cash flow distributions. (i) In general. (ii) Operating cash flow safe harbor. (iii) Tiered partnerships. (c) Accumulation of...

  18. Influence of genetic strain and access to litter on spatial distribution of 4 strains of laying hens in an aviary system1

    PubMed Central

    Ali, A. B. A.; Campbell, D. L. M.; Karcher, D. M.; Siegford, J. M.

    2016-01-01

    Many laying hen producers are transitioning from conventional cages to new housing systems including multi-tier aviaries. Aviary resources, such as litter areas, are intended to encourage hens’ expression of natural behaviors to improve their welfare. Little research has examined the influence of laying hen strain on distribution and behavior inside aviaries, yet differences could influence a strain's suitability for an aviary design. This research examined how laying hens of 4 strains (Hy-Line Brown [HB], Bovans Brown [BB], DeKalb White [DW], and Hy-Line W36) distributed themselves among 3 enclosed aviary tiers and 2 litter areas at peak lay (25 to 28 wk of age) and after gaining access to litter on the floor (26 wk). Observations of hens’ spatial distribution were conducted immediately before and after, and 3 wk after hens gained access to litter. More HB and BB hens were in upper tiers in morning compared to DW and W36 (all P ≤ 0.05). However, DW and W36 hens roosted in upper tiers in larger numbers than HB and BB during evening (all P ≤ 0.05). More DW and W36 hens were on litter compared to BB and HB, particularly when litter was first accessible (all P ≤ 0.05). The number of hens on litter increased over time for all strains (P ≤ 0.06). White hens on litter occupied open areas in higher numbers (P ≤ 0.05), while more brown hens occupied litter under the aviary after acclimation (P ≤ 0.05). In the dark period, W36 and DW hens were present in higher numbers in upper tiers than HB and BB, while HB and BB showed higher tier-to-tier movement than DW and W36 (P ≤ 0.05). In general, more white hens roosted higher at night and explored litter sooner, while more brown hens were near or in nests in the morning and moved at night. Distinct strain differences indicate that attention should be paid to the match between configuration of the aviary design and strain of laying hen. PMID:27444438

  19. Lessons learned from the ATLAS performance studies of the Iberian Cloud for the first LHC running period

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sánchez-Martínez, V.; Borges, G.; Borrego, C.; del Peso, J.; Delfino, M.; Gomes, J.; González de la Hoz, S.; Pacheco Pages, A.; Salt, J.; Sedov, A.; Villaplana, M.; Wolters, H.

    2014-06-01

    In this contribution we describe the performance of the Iberian (Spain and Portugal) ATLAS cloud during the first LHC running period (March 2010-January 2013) in the context of the GRID Computing and Data Distribution Model. The evolution of the resources for CPU, disk and tape in the Iberian Tier-1 and Tier-2s is summarized. The data distribution over all ATLAS destinations is shown, focusing on the number of files transferred and the size of the data. The status and distribution of simulation and analysis jobs within the cloud are discussed. The Distributed Analysis tools used to perform physics analysis are explained as well. Cloud performance in terms of the availability and reliability of its sites is discussed. The effect of the changes in the ATLAS Computing Model on the cloud is analyzed. Finally, the readiness of the Iberian Cloud towards the first Long Shutdown (LS1) is evaluated and an outline of the foreseen actions to take in the coming years is given. The shutdown will be a good opportunity to improve and evolve the ATLAS Distributed Computing system to prepare for the future challenges of the LHC operation.

  20. Essential Features of Tier 2 Social-Behavioral Interventions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Yong, Minglee; Cheney, Douglas A.

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to identify the essential features of Tier 2 interventions conducted within multitier systems of behavior support in schools. A systematic literature search identified 12 empirical studies that were coded and scored according to a list of Tier 2 specific RE-AIM criteria, related to the Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption,…

  1. Effect of E85 on Tailpipe Emissions from Light-Duty Vehicles.

    PubMed

    Yanowitz, Janet; McCormick, Robert L

    2009-02-01

    E85, which consists of nominally 85% fuel grade ethanol and 15% gasoline, must be used in flexible-fuel (or "flex-fuel") vehicles (FFVs) that can operate on fuel with an ethanol content of 0-85%. Published studies include measurements of the effect of E85 on tailpipe emissions for Tier 1 and older vehicles. Car manufacturers have also supplied a large body of FFV certification data to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, primarily on Tier 2 vehicles. These studies and certification data reveal wide variability in the effects of E85 on emissions from different vehicles. Comparing Tier 1 FFVs running on E85 to similar non-FFVs running on gasoline showed, on average, significant reductions in emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NO x ; 54%), non-methane hydrocarbons (NMHCs; 27%), and carbon monoxide (CO; 18%) for E85. Comparing Tier 2 FFVs running on E85 and comparable non-FFVs running on gasoline shows, for E85 on average, a signifi-cant reduction in emissions of CO (20%), and no signifi-cant effect on emissions of non-methane organic gases (NMOGs). NO x emissions from Tier 2 FFVs averaged approximately 28% less than comparable non-FFVs. However, perhaps because of the wide range of Tier 2 NO x standards, the absolute difference in NO x emissions between Tier 2 FFVs and non-FFVs is not significant (P =0.28). It is interesting that Tier 2 FFVs operating on gasoline produced approximately 13% less NMOGs than non-FFVs operating on gasoline. The data for Tier 1 vehicles show that E85 will cause significant reductions in emissions of benzene and butadiene, and significant increases in emissions of formaldehyde and acetaldehyde, in comparison to emissions from gasoline in both FFVs and non-FFVs. The compound that makes up the largest proportion of organic emissions from E85-fueled FFVs is ethanol.

  2. The Impact of Tier 2 Mathematics Instruction on Second Graders with Mathematics Difficulties

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dennis, Minyi Shih; Bryant, Brian R.; Drogan, Robin

    2015-01-01

    Although research on Tier 2 interventions for early mathematics is accumulating, such efforts remain far behind those for reading, especially regarding specific features such as the ideal time to begin an intervention. The present study investigated the effectiveness of a Tier 2 intervention using a single subject multiple baseline, across-groups…

  3. ATLAS Distributed Computing Experience and Performance During the LHC Run-2

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Filipčič, A.; ATLAS Collaboration

    2017-10-01

    ATLAS Distributed Computing during LHC Run-1 was challenged by steadily increasing computing, storage and network requirements. In addition, the complexity of processing task workflows and their associated data management requirements led to a new paradigm in the ATLAS computing model for Run-2, accompanied by extensive evolution and redesign of the workflow and data management systems. The new systems were put into production at the end of 2014, and gained robustness and maturity during 2015 data taking. ProdSys2, the new request and task interface; JEDI, the dynamic job execution engine developed as an extension to PanDA; and Rucio, the new data management system, form the core of Run-2 ATLAS distributed computing engine. One of the big changes for Run-2 was the adoption of the Derivation Framework, which moves the chaotic CPU and data intensive part of the user analysis into the centrally organized train production, delivering derived AOD datasets to user groups for final analysis. The effectiveness of the new model was demonstrated through the delivery of analysis datasets to users just one week after data taking, by completing the calibration loop, Tier-0 processing and train production steps promptly. The great flexibility of the new system also makes it possible to execute part of the Tier-0 processing on the grid when Tier-0 resources experience a backlog during high data-taking periods. The introduction of the data lifetime model, where each dataset is assigned a finite lifetime (with extensions possible for frequently accessed data), was made possible by Rucio. Thanks to this the storage crises experienced in Run-1 have not reappeared during Run-2. In addition, the distinction between Tier-1 and Tier-2 disk storage, now largely artificial given the quality of Tier-2 resources and their networking, has been removed through the introduction of dynamic ATLAS clouds that group the storage endpoint nucleus and its close-by execution satellite sites. All stable ATLAS sites are now able to store unique or primary copies of the datasets. ATLAS Distributed Computing is further evolving to speed up request processing by introducing network awareness, using machine learning and optimisation of the latencies during the execution of the full chain of tasks. The Event Service, a new workflow and job execution engine, is designed around check-pointing at the level of event processing to use opportunistic resources more efficiently. ATLAS has been extensively exploring possibilities of using computing resources extending beyond conventional grid sites in the WLCG fabric to deliver as many computing cycles as possible and thereby enhance the significance of the Monte-Carlo samples to deliver better physics results. The exploitation of opportunistic resources was at an early stage throughout 2015, at the level of 10% of the total ATLAS computing power, but in the next few years it is expected to deliver much more. In addition, demonstrating the ability to use an opportunistic resource can lead to securing ATLAS allocations on the facility, hence the importance of this work goes beyond merely the initial CPU cycles gained. In this paper, we give an overview and compare the performance, development effort, flexibility and robustness of the various approaches.

  4. How do quality information and cost affect patient choice of provider in a tiered network setting? Results from a survey.

    PubMed

    Sinaiko, Anna D

    2011-04-01

    To assess how quality information from multiple sources and financial incentives affect consumer choice of physicians in tiered physician networks. Survey of a stratified random sample of Massachusetts state employees. Respondents were assigned a hypothetical structure with differential copayments for "Tier 1" (preferred) and "Tier 2" (nonpreferred) physicians. Half of respondents were told they needed to select a cardiologist, and half were told they needed to select a dermatologist. Patients were asked whether they would choose a Tier 1 doctor, a Tier 2 doctor, or had no preference in a case where they had no further quality information, a case where a family member or friend recommended a Tier 2 doctor, and a case where their personal physician recommended a Tier 2 doctor. The effects of copayments, recommendations, physician specialty, and patient characteristics on the reported probability of selecting a Tier 1 doctor are analyzed using multinomial logit and logistic regression. Relative to a case where there is no copayment differential between tiers, copayment differences of U.S.$10-U.S.$35 increase the number of respondents indicating they would select a Tier 1 physician by 3.5-11.7 percent. Simulations suggest copayments must exceed U.S.$300 to counteract the recommendation for a lower tiered physician from friends, family, or a referring physician. Sensitivity to the copayments varied with physician specialty. Tiered provider networks with these copayment levels appear to have limited influence on physician choice when contradicted by other trusted sources. Consumers' response likely varies with physician specialty. © Health Research and Educational Trust.

  5. A Review of Tier 2 Interventions Conducted within Multitiered Models of Behavioral Prevention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bruhn, Allison Leigh; Lane, Kathleen Lynne; Hirsch, Shanna Eisner

    2014-01-01

    To support students' academic, behavioral, and social needs, many schools have adopted multitiered models of prevention. Because Tier 3 interventions are costly in terms of time and resources, schools must find efficient and effective Tier 2 interventions prior to providing such intense supports. In this article, we review the literature base on…

  6. 26 CFR 1.902-0 - Outline of regulations provisions for section 902.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    .... (ii) Distributions out of earnings and profits accumulated by a lower-tier corporation in its taxable...) Distributions out of earnings and profits accumulated by a lower-tier corporation in its taxable years beginning... beginning after December 31, 1986. (iii) Reduction for foreign income taxes paid or accrued. (iv) Special...

  7. 26 CFR 1.902-0 - Outline of regulations provisions for section 902.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    .... (ii) Distributions out of earnings and profits accumulated by a lower-tier corporation in its taxable...) Distributions out of earnings and profits accumulated by a lower-tier corporation in its taxable years beginning... beginning after December 31, 1986. (iii) Reduction for foreign income taxes paid or accrued. (iv) Special...

  8. Federated Giovanni: A Distributed Web Service for Analysis and Visualization of Remote Sensing Data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Lynnes, Chris

    2014-01-01

    The Geospatial Interactive Online Visualization and Analysis Interface (Giovanni) is a popular tool for users of the Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC) and has been in use for over a decade. It provides a wide variety of algorithms and visualizations to explore large remote sensing datasets without having to download the data and without having to write readers and visualizers for it. Giovanni is now being extended to enable its capabilities at other data centers within the Earth Observing System Data and Information System (EOSDIS). This Federated Giovanni will allow four other data centers to add and maintain their data within Giovanni on behalf of their user community. Those data centers are the Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center (PO.DAAC), MODIS Adaptive Processing System (MODAPS), Ocean Biology Processing Group (OBPG), and Land Processes Distributed Active Archive Center (LP DAAC). Three tiers are supported: Tier 1 (GES DISC-hosted) gives the remote data center a data management interface to add and maintain data, which are provided through the Giovanni instance at the GES DISC. Tier 2 packages Giovanni up as a virtual machine for distribution to and deployment by the other data centers. Data variables are shared among data centers by sharing documents from the Solr database that underpins Giovanni's data management capabilities. However, each data center maintains their own instance of Giovanni, exposing the variables of most interest to their user community. Tier 3 is a Shared Source model, in which the data centers cooperate to extend the infrastructure by contributing source code.

  9. RE-AIM Checklist for Integrating and Sustaining Tier 2 Social-Behavioral Interventions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cheney, Douglas A.; Yong, Minglee

    2014-01-01

    Even though evidence-based Tier 2 programs are now more commonly available, integrating and sustaining these interventions in schools remain challenging. RE-AIM, which stands for Reach, Effectiveness, Adoption, Implementation, and Maintenance, is a public health framework used to maximize the effectiveness of health promotion programs in…

  10. The Clinician-Educator Pathway in Radiology: An Analysis of Institutional Promotion Criteria.

    PubMed

    Jhala, Khushboo; Kim, Jisoo; Chetlen, Alison; Nickerson, Joshua P; Lewis, Petra J

    2017-12-01

    To provide radiology departmental promotional committees and vice chairs of education with a more global perspective on the types of academic activity valued by institutions to aid in their faculty mentoring and standardizing of the Clinician-Educator (ClinEd) pathway. Ninety-two research schools were ranked into three tiers. Ranking was correlated with the presence of a ClinEd track. Thirty promotion documents (ten from each tier) were analyzed to identify common criteria. Differences in guidelines between tiers were assessed by the frequency distribution of criteria. Tier 1 had a significantly greater proportion of schools with a ClinEd track than tier 2 (73% versus 44%, p < 0.05). Thirty-nine criteria were identified and organized into four categories teaching (13), scholarship (12), service/clinical excellence (7), and research (7). The top five included meeting presentations, trainee evaluations, leadership in committees, development of teaching methodologies and materials, and publication of book chapters. First and second tier schools were most similar in frequency distribution. The criteria for the ClinEd promotion track still vary across institutions, though many commonalities exist. A handful of innovative criteria reflect the changing structure of modern health care systems, such as incorporation of online teaching modules and quality improvement efforts. As health care changes, guidelines and incentive structures for faculty should change as well. The information gathered may provide promotion committees with a more global perspective on the types of academic activity valued by modern-day institutions to aid in the national standardization of this pathway and to assist in faculty mentoring. Copyright © 2017 American College of Radiology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. 75 FR 1055 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-01-08

    ... for biodiesel, water/diesel emulsions, several atypical additives, and renewable diesel fuels. Tier 2... effects. Tier 2 data have been submitted for baseline diesel, biodiesel, and water/diesel emulsions...

  12. Prioritization of constituents for national- and regional-scale ambient monitoring of water and sediment in the United States

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Olsen, Lisa D.; Valder, Joshua F.; Carter, Janet M.; Zogorski, John S.

    2013-01-01

    A total of 2,541 constituents were evaluated and prioritized for national- and regional-scale ambient monitoring of water and sediment in the United States. This prioritization was done by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in preparation for the upcoming third decade (Cycle 3; 2013–23) of the National Water-Quality Assessment (NAWQA) Program. This report provides the methods used to prioritize the constituents and the results of that prioritization. Constituents were prioritized by the NAWQA National Target Analyte Strategy (NTAS) work group on the basis of available information on physical and chemical properties, observed or predicted environmental occurrence and fate, and observed or anticipated adverse effects on human health or aquatic life. Constituents were evaluated within constituent groups that were determined on the basis of physical or chemical properties or on uses or sources. Some constituents were evaluated within more than one constituent group. Although comparable objectives were used in the prioritization of constituents within the different constituent groups, differences in the availability of information accessed for each constituent group led to the development of separate prioritization approaches adapted to each constituent group to make best use of available resources. Constituents were assigned to one of three prioritization tiers: Tier 1, those having the highest priority for inclusion in ambient monitoring of water or sediment on a national or regional scale (including NAWQA Cycle 3 monitoring) on the basis of their likelihood of environmental occurrence in ambient water or sediment, or likelihood of effects on human health or aquatic life; Tier 2, those having intermediate priority for monitoring on the basis of their lower likelihood of environmental occurrence or lower likelihood of effects on human health or aquatic life; and Tier 3, those having low or no priority for monitoring on the basis of evidence of nonoccurrence or lack of effects on human health or aquatic life, or of having insufficient evidence of potential occurrence or effects to justify placement into Tier 2. Of the 1,081 constituents determined to be of highest priority for ambient monitoring (Tier 1), 602 were identified for water and 686 were identified for sediment (note that some constituents were evaluated for both water and sediment). These constituents included various types of organic compounds, trace elements and other inorganic constituents, and radionuclides. Some of these constituents are difficult to analyze, whereas others are mixtures, isomers, congeners, salts, and acids of other constituents; therefore, modifications to the list of high-priority constituents for ambient monitoring could be made on the basis of the availability of suitable methods for preparation, extraction, or analysis. An additional 1,460 constituents were placed into Tiers 2 or 3 for water or sediment, including some constituents that had been placed into Tier 1 for a different matrix; 436 constituents were placed into Tier 2 for water and 246 constituents into Tier 2 for sediment; 979 constituents were placed into Tier 3 for water and 779 constituents into Tier 3 for sediment.

  13. Tier 2 Team Processes and Decision-Making in a Comprehensive Three-Tiered Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pool, Juli L.; Carter, Deborah Russell; Johnson, Evelyn S.

    2013-01-01

    Three-tiered models of academic and behavioral support are being increasingly adopted across the nation, and with that adoption has come an increasing message that designing and implementing effective practices alone is not enough. Systems are needed to help staff to collectively implement best practices. These systems, as well as effective…

  14. Intensive Reading Interventions for Inadequate Responders in Grades K-3: A Synthesis

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Austin, Christy R.; Vaughn, Sharon; McClelland, Amanda M.

    2017-01-01

    A subset of students fail to respond adequately to reading interventions. This synthesis systematically reviews studies in which students in grades K-3 responded inadequately to a Tier 2 reading intervention and were provided with a Tier 3 intervention. Descriptions of the Tier 3 reading interventions and effects are provided. To meet inclusion…

  15. 78 FR 38074 - Announcement Regarding a Change in Eligibility for Unemployment Insurance (UI) Claimants in...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-06-25

    ...Announcement regarding a change in eligibility for Unemployment Insurance (UI) claimants in Alabama, Alaska, Delaware, Illinois, Louisiana, Michigan, Mississippi, Ohio, the Virgin Islands and Wisconsin in the Emergency Unemployment Compensation (EUC08) program, and the Federal-State Extended Benefits (EB) program. The U.S. Department of Labor (Department) produces trigger notices indicating which states qualify for both EB and EUC08 benefits, and provides the beginning and ending dates of payable periods for each qualifying state. The trigger notices covering state eligibility for these programs can be found at: http://ows.doleta.gov/unemploy/claims-- arch.asp. The following changes have occurred since the publication of the last notice regarding states EUC08 and EB trigger status: Alabama's trigger value had fallen below the 7.0% threshold and has triggered ``off'' Tier 3 of EUC08. Based on data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on March 18, 2013, the three month average, seasonally adjusted total unemployment rate (TUR) in Alabama was 6.9%, falling below the 7.0% trigger threshold necessary to remain ``on'' Tier 3 of EUC08. The week ending April 13, 2013, was the last week in which EUC08 claimants in Alabama could exhaust Tier 2 and establish Tier 3 eligibility. Under the phase-out provisions, claimants could receive any remaining entitlement they had for Tier 3 after April 13, 2013. Alaska's insured unemployment rate (IUR) has fallen below the 6.0% trigger threshold and has triggered ``off'' of EB. Based on data from Alaska for the week ending April 13, 2013, the 13 week IUR in Alaska fell below the 6.0% trigger threshold necessary to remain ``on'' EB. The payable period in EB for Alaska ended May 4, 2013. Alaska's IUR has fallen below the 6.0% trigger threshold and has triggered ``off'' Tier 4 of EUC08. Based on data from Alaska for the week ending April 13, 2013, the 13 week IUR in Alaska fell below the 6.0% trigger rate threshold to remain ``on'' Tier 4 of EUC08. The week ending May 4, 2013, was the last week in which EUC08 claimants in Alaska could exhaust Tier 3, and establish Tier 4 eligibility. Under the phase-out provisions, claimants could receive any remaining entitlement they had for Tier 4 after May 4, 2013. Delaware's trigger value exceeds the 7.0% trigger threshold and has triggered ``on'' Tier 3 of EUC08. Based on data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on March 18, 2013, the three month average, seasonally adjusted TUR in Delaware was 7.1%, exceeding the 7.0% threshold necessary to trigger ``on'' Tier 3 of EUC08. The week beginning April 7, 2013, was the first week in which EUC08 claimants in Delaware who had exhausted Tier 2, and are otherwise eligible, could establish Tier 3 eligibility. Illinois' trigger value met the 9.0% trigger threshold and has triggered ``on'' Tier 4 of EUC08. Based on data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on March 29, 2013, the three month average, seasonally adjusted TUR in Illinois met the 9.0% trigger threshold to trigger ``on'' Tier 4 of EUC08. The week beginning April 14, 2013, was the first week in which EUC08 claimants in Illinois who had exhausted Tier 3, and were otherwise eligible, could establish Tier 4 eligibility. Louisiana's trigger value has fallen below the 6.0% trigger threshold and has triggered ``off'' Tier 2 of EUC08. Based on data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on March 18, 2013, the three month average, seasonally adjusted TUR in Louisiana was 5.8%, falling below the 6.0% trigger threshold to remain ``on'' Tier 2 of EUC08. The week ending April 13, 2013, was the last week in which EUC08 claimants in Louisiana could exhaust Tier 1, and establish Tier 2 eligibility. Under the phase-out provisions, claimants could receive any remaining entitlement they had in Tier 2 after April 13, 2013. Michigan's trigger value has fallen below the 9.0% trigger threshold and has triggered ``off'' Tier 4 of EUC08. Based on data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on March 18, 2013, the three month average, seasonally adjusted TUR for Michigan was 8.9%, falling below the 9.0% trigger threshold to remain ``on'' Tier 4 of EUC08. The week ending April 13, 2013, was the last week in which EUC08 claimants in Michigan could exhaust Tier 3, and establish Tier 4 eligibility. Under the phase-out provisions, claimants could receive any remaining entitlement they had in Tier 4 after April 13, 2013. Mississippi's trigger value exceeds the 9.0% trigger threshold and has triggered ``on'' Tier 4 of EUC08. Based on data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on March 29, 2013, the three month average, seasonally adjusted TUR in Mississippi was 9.3%, exceeding the 9.0% trigger threshold to trigger ``on'' Tier 4 of EUC08. The week beginning April 14, 2013, was the first week in which EUC08 claimants in Mississippi who had exhausted Tier 3, and are otherwise eligible, could establish Tier 4 eligibility. Ohio's trigger value met the 7.0% trigger threshold and has triggered ``on'' Tier 3 of EUC08. Based on data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on April 19, 2013, the three month average, seasonally adjusted total unemployment rate in Ohio had met 7.0% trigger threshold to trigger ``on'' in Tier 3 of EUC08. The week beginning May 5, 2013, was the first week in which EUC08 claimants in Ohio who had exhausted Tier 2, and were otherwise eligible, could establish Tier 3 eligibility. The Virgin Islands' estimated trigger rate fell below the 6.0% threshold and has triggered ``off'' both Tier 2 and Tier 3 of EUC08. Based on data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on March 8, 2013, the estimated three month average, seasonally adjusted TUR in the Virgin Islands fell below the 6.0% trigger threshold rate to remain ``on'' both Tier 2 and Tier 3 of EUC08. That triggered the Virgin Islands off both Tier 2 and Tier 3 of EUC08. The week ending March, 30 2013, was the last week in which EUC08 claimants in the Virgin Islands could exhaust Tier 1 and establish Tier 2 eligibility, or exhaust Tier 2 and establish Tier 3 eligibility. Wisconsin's trigger value met the 7.0% threshold and has triggered ``on'' Tier 3 of EUC08, however mandatory 13 week ``off'' period delayed effective date. Based on data released by the Bureau of Labor Statistics on April 19, 2013, the three month average, seasonally adjusted TUR for Wisconsin has met the 7.0% trigger rate threshold to trigger ``on'' Tier 3 of EUC08. However, Wisconsin was in a 13 week mandatory ``off'' period that started February 9, 2013, and did not conclude until May 11, 2013. As a result, Wisconsin remained in an ``off'' period for Tier 3 of EUC08 through May 11, 2013, and triggered ``on'' Tier 3 of EUC08 effective May 12, 2013. The week beginning May 12, 2013, was the first week in which EUC08 claimants in Wisconsin who have exhausted Tier 2, and are otherwise eligible, can establish Tier 3 eligibility.

  16. The microbial community of a biofilm contact reactor for the treatment of winery wastewater.

    PubMed

    de Beer, D M; Botes, M; Cloete, T E

    2018-02-01

    To utilize a three-tiered approach to provide insight into the microbial community structure, the spatial distribution and the metabolic capabilities of organisms of a biofilm in the two towers of a high-rate biological contact reactor treating winery wastewater. Next-generation sequencing indicated that bacteria primarily responsible for the removal of carbohydrates, sugars and alcohol were more abundant in tower 1 than tower 2 while nitrifying and denitrifying bacteria were more abundant in tower 2. Yeast populations differed in each tower. Fluorescent in situ hybridization coupled with confocal microscopy showed distribution of organisms confirming an oxygen gradient across the biofilm depth. The Biolog system (ECO plates) specified the different carbon-metabolizing profiles of the two biofilms. The three-tiered approach confirmed that the addition of a second subunit to the bioreactor, expanded the treatment capacity by augmenting the microbial and metabolic diversity of the system, improving the treatment scope of the system. A three-tiered biofilm analysis provided data required to optimize the design of a bioreactor to provide favourable conditions for the development of a microbial consortium, which has optimal waste removal properties for the treatment requirements at hand. © 2017 The Society for Applied Microbiology.

  17. Understanding the T2 traffic in CMS during Run-1

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    T, Wildish

    2015-12-01

    In the run-up to Run-1 CMS was operating its facilities according to the MONARC model, where data-transfers were strictly hierarchical in nature. Direct transfers between Tier-2 nodes was excluded, being perceived as operationally intensive and risky in an era where the network was expected to be a major source of errors. By the end of Run-1 wide-area networks were more capable and stable than originally anticipated. The original data-placement model was relaxed, and traffic was allowed between Tier-2 nodes. Tier-2 to Tier-2 traffic in 2012 already exceeded the amount of Tier-2 to Tier-1 traffic, so it clearly has the potential to become important in the future. Moreover, while Tier-2 to Tier-1 traffic is mostly upload of Monte Carlo data, the Tier-2 to Tier-2 traffic represents data moved in direct response to requests from the physics analysis community. As such, problems or delays there are more likely to have a direct impact on the user community. Tier-2 to Tier-2 traffic may also traverse parts of the WAN that are at the 'edge' of our network, with limited network capacity or reliability compared to, say, the Tier-0 to Tier-1 traffic which goes the over LHCOPN network. CMS is looking to exploit technologies that allow us to interact with the network fabric so that it can manage our traffic better for us, this we hope to achieve before the end of Run-2. Tier-2 to Tier-2 traffic would be the most interesting use-case for such traffic management, precisely because it is close to the users' analysis and far from the 'core' network infrastructure. As such, a better understanding of our Tier-2 to Tier-2 traffic is important. Knowing the characteristics of our data-flows can help us place our data more intelligently. Knowing how widely the data moves can help us anticipate the requirements for network capacity, and inform the dynamic data placement algorithms we expect to have in place for Run-2. This paper presents an analysis of the CMS Tier-2 traffic during Run 1.

  18. Professional Development to Differentiate Kindergarten Tier 1 Instruction: Can Already Effective Teachers Improve Student Outcomes by Differentiating Tier 1 Instruction?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Al Otaiba, Stephanie; Folsom, Jessica S.; Wanzek, Jeanne; Greulich, Luana; Waesche, Jessica; Schatschneider, Christopher; Connor, Carol M.

    2016-01-01

    Two primary purposes guided this quasi-experimental within-teacher study: (a) to examine changes from baseline through 2 years of professional development (Individualizing Student Instruction) in kindergarten teachers' differentiation of Tier 1 literacy instruction; and (b) to examine changes in reading and vocabulary of 3 cohorts of the teachers'…

  19. To Wait in Tier 1 or Intervene Immediately: A Randomized Experiment Examining First Grade Response to Intervention (RTI) in Reading.

    PubMed

    Al Otaiba, Stephanie; Connor, Carol M; Folsom, Jessica S; Wanzek, Jeanne; Greulich, Luana; Schatschneider, Christopher; Wagner, Richard K

    2014-10-01

    This randomized controlled experiment compared the efficacy of two Response to Intervention (RTI) models - Typical RTI and Dynamic RTI - and included 34 first-grade classrooms ( n = 522 students) across 10 socio-economically and culturally diverse schools. Typical RTI was designed to follow the two-stage RTI decision rules that wait to assess response to Tier 1 in many districts, whereas Dynamic RTI provided Tier 2 or Tier 3 interventions immediately according to students' initial screening results. Interventions were identical across conditions except for when intervention began. Reading assessments included letter-sound, word, and passage reading, and teacher-reported severity of reading difficulties. An intent-to-treat analysis using multi-level modeling indicated an overall effect favoring the Dynamic RTI condition ( d = .36); growth curve analyses demonstrated that students in Dynamic RTI showed an immediate score advantage, and effects accumulated across the year. Analyses of standard score outcomes confirmed that students in the Dynamic condition who received Tier 2 and Tier 3 ended the study with significantly higher reading performance than students in the Typical condition. Implications for RTI implementation practice and for future research are discussed.

  20. To Wait in Tier 1 or Intervene Immediately: A Randomized Experiment Examining First Grade Response to Intervention (RTI) in Reading

    PubMed Central

    Al Otaiba, Stephanie; Connor, Carol M.; Folsom, Jessica S.; Wanzek, Jeanne; Greulich, Luana; Schatschneider, Christopher; Wagner, Richard K.

    2014-01-01

    This randomized controlled experiment compared the efficacy of two Response to Intervention (RTI) models – Typical RTI and Dynamic RTI - and included 34 first-grade classrooms (n = 522 students) across 10 socio-economically and culturally diverse schools. Typical RTI was designed to follow the two-stage RTI decision rules that wait to assess response to Tier 1 in many districts, whereas Dynamic RTI provided Tier 2 or Tier 3 interventions immediately according to students’ initial screening results. Interventions were identical across conditions except for when intervention began. Reading assessments included letter-sound, word, and passage reading, and teacher-reported severity of reading difficulties. An intent-to-treat analysis using multi-level modeling indicated an overall effect favoring the Dynamic RTI condition (d = .36); growth curve analyses demonstrated that students in Dynamic RTI showed an immediate score advantage, and effects accumulated across the year. Analyses of standard score outcomes confirmed that students in the Dynamic condition who received Tier 2 and Tier 3 ended the study with significantly higher reading performance than students in the Typical condition. Implications for RTI implementation practice and for future research are discussed. PMID:25530622

  1. Modeling Market Shares of Competing (e)Care Providers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    van Ooteghem, Jan; Tesch, Tom; Verbrugge, Sofie; Ackaert, Ann; Colle, Didier; Pickavet, Mario; Demeester, Piet

    In order to address the increasing costs of providing care to the growing group of elderly, efficiency gains through eCare solutions seem an obvious solution. Unfortunately not many techno-economic business models to evaluate the return of these investments are available. The construction of a business case for care for the elderly as they move through different levels of dependency and the effect of introducing an eCare service, is the intended application of the model. The simulation model presented in this paper allows for modeling evolution of market shares of competing care providers. Four tiers are defined, based on the dependency level of the elderly, for which the market shares are determined. The model takes into account available capacity of the different care providers, in- and outflow distribution between tiers and churn between providers within tiers.

  2. Large scale commissioning and operational experience with tier-2 to tier-2 data transfer links in CMS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Letts, J.; Magini, N.

    2011-12-01

    Tier-2 to Tier-2 data transfers have been identified as a necessary extension of the CMS computing model. The Debugging Data Transfers (DDT) Task Force in CMS was charged with commissioning Tier-2 to Tier-2 PhEDEx transfer links beginning in late 2009, originally to serve the needs of physics analysis groups for the transfer of their results between the storage elements of the Tier-2 sites associated with the groups. PhEDEx is the data transfer middleware of the CMS experiment. For analysis jobs using CRAB, the CMS Remote Analysis Builder, the challenges of remote stage out of job output at the end of the analysis jobs led to the introduction of a local fallback stage out, and will eventually require the asynchronous transfer of user data over essentially all of the Tier-2 to Tier-2 network using the same PhEDEx infrastructure. In addition, direct file sharing of physics and Monte Carlo simulated data between Tier-2 sites can relieve the operational load of the Tier-1 sites in the original CMS Computing Model, and already represents an important component of CMS PhEDEx data transfer volume. The experience, challenges and methods used to debug and commission the thousands of data transfers links between CMS Tier-2 sites world-wide are explained and summarized. The resulting operational experience with Tier-2 to Tier-2 transfers is also presented.

  3. The Use of Proxy Caches for File Access in a Multi-Tier Grid Environment

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brun, R.; Duellmann, D.; Ganis, G.; Hanushevsky, A.; Janyst, L.; Peters, A. J.; Rademakers, F.; Sindrilaru, E.

    2011-12-01

    The use of proxy caches has been extensively studied in the HEP environment for efficient access of database data and showed significant performance with only very moderate operational effort at higher grid tiers (T2, T3). In this contribution we propose to apply the same concept to the area of file access and analyse the possible performance gains, operational impact on site services and applicability to different HEP use cases. Base on a proof-of-concept studies with a modified XROOT proxy server we review the cache efficiency and overheads for access patterns of typical ROOT based analysis programs. We conclude with a discussion of the potential role of this new component at the different tiers of a distributed computing grid.

  4. The Use of Proxy Caches for File Access in a Multi-Tier Grid Environment

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

    Brun, R.; Dullmann, D.; Ganis, G.

    2012-04-19

    The use of proxy caches has been extensively studied in the HEP environment for efficient access of database data and showed significant performance with only very moderate operational effort at higher grid tiers (T2, T3). In this contribution we propose to apply the same concept to the area of file access and analyze the possible performance gains, operational impact on site services and applicability to different HEP use cases. Base on a proof-of-concept studies with a modified XROOT proxy server we review the cache efficiency and overheads for access patterns of typical ROOT based analysis programs. We conclude with amore » discussion of the potential role of this new component at the different tiers of a distributed computing grid.« less

  5. Single-channel kinetics of BK (Slo1) channels

    PubMed Central

    Geng, Yanyan; Magleby, Karl L.

    2014-01-01

    Single-channel kinetics has proven a powerful tool to reveal information about the gating mechanisms that control the opening and closing of ion channels. This introductory review focuses on the gating of large conductance Ca2+- and voltage-activated K+ (BK or Slo1) channels at the single-channel level. It starts with single-channel current records and progresses to presentation and analysis of single-channel data and the development of gating mechanisms in terms of discrete state Markov (DSM) models. The DSM models are formulated in terms of the tetrameric modular structure of BK channels, consisting of a central transmembrane pore-gate domain (PGD) attached to four surrounding transmembrane voltage sensing domains (VSD) and a large intracellular cytosolic domain (CTD), also referred to as the gating ring. The modular structure and data analysis shows that the Ca2+ and voltage dependent gating considered separately can each be approximated by 10-state two-tiered models with five closed states on the upper tier and five open states on the lower tier. The modular structure and joint Ca2+ and voltage dependent gating are consistent with a 50 state two-tiered model with 25 closed states on the upper tier and 25 open states on the lower tier. Adding an additional tier of brief closed (flicker states) to the 10-state or 50-state models improved the description of the gating. For fixed experimental conditions a channel would gate in only a subset of the potential number of states. The detected number of states and the correlations between adjacent interval durations are consistent with the tiered models. The examined models can account for the single-channel kinetics and the bursting behavior of gating. Ca2+ and voltage activate BK channels by predominantly increasing the effective opening rate of the channel with a smaller decrease in the effective closing rate. Ca2+ and depolarization thus activate by mainly destabilizing the closed states. PMID:25653620

  6. Risk assessment of watershed erosion at Naesung Stream, South Korea.

    PubMed

    Ji, Un; Velleux, Mark; Julien, Pierre Y; Hwang, Manha

    2014-04-01

    A three-tiered approach was used to assess erosion risks within the Nakdong River Basin in South Korea and included: (1) a screening based on topography and land use; (2) a lumped parameter analysis using RUSLE; and (3) a detailed analysis using TREX, a fully distributed watershed model. These tiers span a range of spatial and temporal scales, with each tier providing increasing detail and resolution. The first two tiers were applied to the entire Nakdong River Basin and the Naesung Stream watershed was identified as having the highest soil erosion risk and potential for sedimentation problems. For the third tier, the TREX watershed model simulated runoff, channel flow, soil erosion, and stream sediment transport in the Naesung Stream watershed at very high resolution. TREX was calibrated for surface flows and sediment transport, and was used to simulate conditions for a large design storm. Highly erosive areas were identified along ridgelines in several headwater areas, with the northeast area of Songriwon having a particularly high erosion potential. Design storm simulations also indicated that sediment deposition of up to 55 cm could occur. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. 78 FR 11869 - Proposed Information Collection Request; Comment Request; Registration of Fuels and Fuel...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-02-20

    ... biodiesel, water/diesel emulsions, several atypical additives, and renewable gasoline and diesel fuels. Tier... health effects. Tier 2 data have been submitted for baseline diesel, biodiesel, and water/diesel...

  8. Response to Instruction in Preschool: Results of Two Randomized Studies with Children At Significant Risk of Reading Difficulties

    PubMed Central

    Lonigan, Christopher J.; Phillips, Beth M.

    2015-01-01

    Although response-to-instruction (RTI) approaches have received increased attention, few studies have evaluated the potential impacts of RTI approaches with preschool populations. This manuscript presents results of two studies examining impacts of Tier II instruction with preschool children. Participating children were identified as substantially delayed in the acquisition of early literacy skills despite exposure to high-quality, evidence-based classroom instruction. Study 1 included 93 children (M age = 58.2 months; SD = 3.62) attending 12 Title I preschools. Study 2 included 184 children (M age = 58.2 months; SD = 3.38) attending 19 Title I preschools. The majority of children were Black/African American, and about 60% were male. In both studies, eligible children were randomized to receive either 11 weeks of need-aligned, small-group instruction or just Tier I. Tier II instruction in Study 1 included variations of activities for code- and language-focused domains with prior evidence of efficacy in non-RTI contexts. Tier II instruction in Study 2 included instructional activities narrower in scope, more intensive, and delivered to smaller groups of children. Impacts of Tier II instruction in Study 1 were minimal; however, there were significant and moderate-to-large impacts in Study 2. These results identify effective Tier II instruction but indicate that the context in which children are identified may alter the nature of Tier II instruction that is required. Children identified as eligible for Tier II in an RTI framework likely require more intensive and more narrowly focused instruction than do children at general risk of later academic difficulties. PMID:26869730

  9. Status and Trends in Networking at LHC Tier1 Facilities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bobyshev, A.; DeMar, P.; Grigaliunas, V.; Bigrow, J.; Hoeft, B.; Reymund, A.

    2012-12-01

    The LHC is entering its fourth year of production operation. Most Tier1 facilities have been in operation for almost a decade, when development and ramp-up efforts are included. LHC's distributed computing model is based on the availability of high capacity, high performance network facilities for both the WAN and LAN data movement, particularly within the Tier1 centers. As a result, the Tier1 centers tend to be on the leading edge of data center networking technology. In this paper, we analyze past and current developments in Tier1 LAN networking, as well as extrapolating where we anticipate networking technology is heading. Our analysis will include examination into the following areas: • Evolution of Tier1 centers to their current state • Evolving data center networking models and how they apply to Tier1 centers • Impact of emerging network technologies (e.g. 10GE-connected hosts, 40GE/100GE links, IPv6) on Tier1 centers • Trends in WAN data movement and emergence of software-defined WAN network capabilities • Network virtualization

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

    Bobyshev, A.; DeMar, P.; Grigaliunas, V.

    The LHC is entering its fourth year of production operation. Most Tier1 facilities have been in operation for almost a decade, when development and ramp-up efforts are included. LHC's distributed computing model is based on the availability of high capacity, high performance network facilities for both the WAN and LAN data movement, particularly within the Tier1 centers. As a result, the Tier1 centers tend to be on the leading edge of data center networking technology. In this paper, we analyze past and current developments in Tier1 LAN networking, as well as extrapolating where we anticipate networking technology is heading. Ourmore » analysis will include examination into the following areas: Evolution of Tier1 centers to their current state Evolving data center networking models and how they apply to Tier1 centers Impact of emerging network technologies (e.g. 10GE-connected hosts, 40GE/100GE links, IPv6) on Tier1 centers Trends in WAN data movement and emergence of software-defined WAN network capabilities Network virtualization« less

  11. The effect of incentive-based formularies on prescription-drug utilization and spending.

    PubMed

    Huskamp, Haiden A; Deverka, Patricia A; Epstein, Arnold M; Epstein, Robert S; McGuigan, Kimberly A; Frank, Richard G

    2003-12-04

    Many employers and health plans have adopted incentive-based formularies in an attempt to control prescription-drug costs. We used claims data to compare the utilization of and spending on drugs in two employer-sponsored health plans that implemented changes in formulary administration with those in comparison groups of enrollees covered by the same insurers. One plan simultaneously switched from a one-tier to a three-tier formulary and increased all enrollee copayments for medications. The second switched from a two-tier to a three-tier formulary, changing only the copayments for tier-3 drugs. We examined the utilization of angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitors, proton-pump inhibitors, and 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase inhibitors (statins). Enrollees covered by the employer that implemented more dramatic changes experienced slower growth than the comparison group in the probability of the use of a drug and a major shift in spending from the plan to the enrollee. Among the enrollees who were initially taking tier-3 statins, more enrollees in the intervention group than in the comparison group switched to tier-1 or tier-2 medications (49 percent vs. 17 percent, P<0.001) or stopped taking statins entirely (21 percent vs. 11 percent, P=0.04). Patterns were similar for ACE inhibitors and proton-pump inhibitors. The enrollees covered by the employer that implemented more moderate changes were more likely than the comparison enrollees to switch to tier-1 or tier-2 medications but not to stop taking a given class of medications altogether. Different changes in formulary administration may have dramatically different effects on utilization and spending and may in some instances lead enrollees to discontinue therapy. The associated changes in copayments can substantially alter out-of-pocket spending by enrollees, the continuation of the use of medications, and possibly the quality of care. Copyright 2003 Massachusetts Medical Society

  12. Predicting Response to Treatment in a Tier 2 Supplemental Vocabulary Intervention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kelley, Elizabeth; Leary, Emily; Goldstein, Howard

    2018-01-01

    Purpose: To effectively implement a response to intervention approach, there is a need for timely and specific information about student learning in response to treatment to ensure that treatment decisions are appropriate. This exploratory study examined responsivity to a supplemental, Tier 2 vocabulary intervention delivered to preschool children…

  13. Tier Two Interventions Implemented within the Context of a Tiered Prevention Framework

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mitchell, Barbara S.; Stormont, Melissa; Gage, Nicholas A.

    2011-01-01

    Despite a growing body of evidence demonstrating the value of Tier 1 and Tier 3 interventions, significantly less is known about Tier 2 level treatments when they are added within the context of a tiered continuum of support. The purpose of this article is to systematically review the existing research base for Tier 2 small group intervention…

  14. Teaching Strategies for Effective Fifth Grade Math Intervention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zank, Alicia A.

    2015-01-01

    The purpose of the study is to determine what effects explicit and systematic math intervention instruction will have on student's performance on math assessments. The study will focus on a small group of fifth grade students that have been identified as needing targeted intervention (tier 2) and intensive interventions (tier 1) through the…

  15. Impact of 3-tier formularies on drug treatment of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder in children.

    PubMed

    Huskamp, Haiden A; Deverka, Patricia A; Epstein, Arnold M; Epstein, Robert S; McGuigan, Kimberly A; Muriel, Anna C; Frank, Richard G

    2005-04-01

    Expenditures for medications used to treat attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) in children have increased rapidly. Many employers and health plans have adopted 3-tier formularies in an attempt to control costs for these and other drugs. To assess the effect of copayment increases associated with 3-tier formulary adoption on use and spending patterns for ADHD medications for children. Observational study using quasi-experimental design to compare effects on ADHD medication use and spending for children enrolled as dependents in an employer-sponsored plan that made major changes to its pharmacy benefit design and a comparison group of children covered by the same insurer. The plan simultaneously moved from a 1-tier (same copayment required for all drugs) to a 3-tier formulary and implemented an across-the-board copayment increase. The plan later moved 3 drugs from tier 3 to tier 2. An intervention group of 20 326 and a comparison group of 15 776 children aged 18 years and younger. Monthly probability of using an ADHD medication; plan, enrollee, and total ADHD medication spending; and medication continuation. A 3-tier formulary implementation resulted in a 17% decrease in the monthly probability of using medication (P<.001), a 20% decrease in expected total medication expenditures, and a substantial shifting of costs from the plan to families (P<.001). Intervention group children using medications in the pre-period were more likely to change to a medication in a different tier after 3-tier adoption, relative to the comparison group (P = .08). The subsequent tier changes resulted in increased plan spending (P<.001) and decreased patient spending (P = .003) for users but no differences in continuation. The copayment increases associated with 3-tier formulary implementation by 1 employer resulted in lower total ADHD medication spending, sizeable increases in out-of-pocket expenditures for families of children with ADHD, and a significant decrease in the probability of using these medications.

  16. Tiers of intervention in kindergarten through third grade.

    PubMed

    O'Connor, Rollanda E; Harty, Kristin R; Fulmer, Deborah

    2005-01-01

    This study measured the effects of increasing levels of intervention in reading for a cohort of children in Grades K through 3 to determine whether the severity of reading disability (RD) could be significantly reduced in the catchment schools. Tier 1 consisted of professional development for teachers of reading. The focus of this study is on additional instruction that was provided as early as kindergarten for children whose achievement fell below average. Tier 2 intervention consisted of small-group reading instruction 3 times per week, and Tier 3 of daily instruction delivered individually or in groups of two. A comparison of the reading achievement of third-grade children who were at risk in kindergarten showed moderate to large differences favoring children in the tiered interventions in decoding, word identification, fluency, and reading comprehension.

  17. Development, deployment and operations of ATLAS databases

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vaniachine, A. V.; Schmitt, J. G. v. d.

    2008-07-01

    In preparation for ATLAS data taking, a coordinated shift from development towards operations has occurred in ATLAS database activities. In addition to development and commissioning activities in databases, ATLAS is active in the development and deployment (in collaboration with the WLCG 3D project) of the tools that allow the worldwide distribution and installation of databases and related datasets, as well as the actual operation of this system on ATLAS multi-grid infrastructure. We describe development and commissioning of major ATLAS database applications for online and offline. We present the first scalability test results and ramp-up schedule over the initial LHC years of operations towards the nominal year of ATLAS running, when the database storage volumes are expected to reach 6.1 TB for the Tag DB and 1.0 TB for the Conditions DB. ATLAS database applications require robust operational infrastructure for data replication between online and offline at Tier-0, and for the distribution of the offline data to Tier-1 and Tier-2 computing centers. We describe ATLAS experience with Oracle Streams and other technologies for coordinated replication of databases in the framework of the WLCG 3D services.

  18. A socio-technical critique of tiered services: implications for interprofessional care.

    PubMed

    Hood, Rick

    2015-01-01

    In the health and social care sector, tiered services have become an increasingly influential way of organising professional expertise to address the needs of vulnerable people. Drawing on its application to UK child welfare services, this paper discusses the merits of the tiered model from a socio-technical perspective - an approach that has emerged from the fields of accident analysis and systems design. The main elements of a socio-technical critique are outlined and used to explore how tiered services provide support to families and prevent harm to children. Attention is drawn to the distribution of expertise and resources in a tiered system, and to the role of referral and gate-keeping procedures in dispersing accountability for outcomes. An argument is made for designing systems "against demand", and the paper concludes by discussing some alternative models of multi-agency provision.

  19. Mapping of the US Domestic Influenza Virologic Surveillance Landscape.

    PubMed

    Jester, Barbara; Schwerzmann, Joy; Mustaquim, Desiree; Aden, Tricia; Brammer, Lynnette; Humes, Rosemary; Shult, Pete; Shahangian, Shahram; Gubareva, Larisa; Xu, Xiyan; Miller, Joseph; Jernigan, Daniel

    2018-07-17

    Influenza virologic surveillance is critical each season for tracking influenza circulation, following trends in antiviral drug resistance, detecting novel influenza infections in humans, and selecting viruses for use in annual seasonal vaccine production. We developed a framework and process map for characterizing the landscape of US influenza virologic surveillance into 5 tiers of influenza testing: outpatient settings (tier 1), inpatient settings and commercial laboratories (tier 2), state public health laboratories (tier 3), National Influenza Reference Center laboratories (tier 4), and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention laboratories (tier 5). During the 2015-16 season, the numbers of influenza tests directly contributing to virologic surveillance were 804,000 in tiers 1 and 2; 78,000 in tier 3; 2,800 in tier 4; and 3,400 in tier 5. With the release of the 2017 US Pandemic Influenza Plan, the proposed framework will support public health officials in modeling, surveillance, and pandemic planning and response.

  20. Meta-Analyses of the Effects of Tier 2 Type Reading Interventions in Grades K-3.

    PubMed

    Wanzek, Jeanne; Vaughn, Sharon; Scammacca, Nancy; Gatlin, Brandy; Walker, Melodee A; Capin, Philip

    2016-09-01

    This meta-analysis extends previous work on extensive Tier 3 type reading interventions (Wanzek & Vaughn, 2007; Wanzek et al., 2013) to Tier 2 type interventions by examining a non-overlapping set of studies addressing the effects of less extensive reading interventions for students with or at risk for reading difficulties in Grades K-3. We examined the overall effects of these interventions on students' foundational skills, language, and comprehension as well as the intervention features that may be associated with improved outcomes. We conducted four meta-analyses on 72 studies to examine effects on (1) standardized foundational skill measures (mean ES = 0.54), (2) not-standardized foundational skill measures (mean ES = 0.62), (3) standardized language/comprehension measures (mean ES = 0.36), and (4) not-standardized language/comprehension measures (mean ES = 1.02). There were no differences in effects related to intervention type, instructional group size, grade level, intervention implementer, or the number of intervention hours.

  1. Early Numeracy Intervention Program for First-Grade Students with Mathematics Difficulties

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bryant, Diane Pedrotty; Bryant, Brian R.; Roberts, Greg; Vaughn, Sharon; Pfannenstiel, Kathleen Hughes; Porterfield, Jennifer; Gersten, Russell

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the effects of an early numeracy preventative Tier 2 intervention on the mathematics performance of first-grade students with mathematics difficulties. Researchers used a pretest-posttest control group design with randomized assignment of 139 students to the Tier 2 treatment condition and 65 students to…

  2. Determining Responsiveness to Tier 2 Intervention in Response to Intervention: Level of Performance, Growth, or Both

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Milburn, Trelani F.; Lonigan, Christopher J.; Phillips, Beth M.

    2017-01-01

    This response to intervention study examined agreement between classification methods of preschool children's responsiveness to Tier 2 intervention using level of performance (25th percentile), growth (equivalent to small and medium effect sizes), and both level of performance and growth in a dual-discrepancy approach. Overall, 181 children…

  3. The effect of cigarette prices on brand-switching in China: a longitudinal analysis of data from the ITC China Survey

    PubMed Central

    White, Justin S; Li, Jing; Hu, Teh-wei; Fong, Geoffrey T; Jiang, Yuan

    2014-01-01

    Background Recent studies have found that Chinese smokers are relatively unresponsive to cigarette prices. As the Chinese government contemplates higher tobacco taxes, it is important to understand the reasons for this low response. One possible explanation is that smokers buffer themselves from rising cigarette prices by switching to cheaper cigarette brands. Objective This study examines how cigarette prices influence consumers’ choices of cigarette brands in China. Methods This study uses panel data from the first three waves of the International Tobacco Control China Survey, drawn from six large cities in China and collected between 2006 and 2009. The study sample includes 3477 smokers who are present in at least two waves (8552 person-years). Cigarette brands are sorted by price into four tiers, using excise tax categories to determine the cut-off for each tier. The analysis relies on a conditional logit model to identify the relationship between price and brand choice. Findings Overall, 38% of smokers switched price tiers from one wave to the next. A ¥1 change in the price of cigarettes alters the tier choice of 4–7% of smokers. Restricting the sample to those who chose each given tier at baseline, a ¥1 increase in price in a given tier would decrease the share choosing that tier by 4% for Tier 1 and 1–2% for Tiers 2 and 3. Conclusions China's large price spread across cigarette brands appears to alter the brand selection of some consumers, especially smokers of cheaper brands. Tobacco pricing and tax policy can influence consumers’ incentives to switch brands. In particular, whereas ad valorem taxes in a tiered pricing system like China's encourage trading down, specific excise taxes discourage the practice. PMID:23697645

  4. General Framework for Animal Food Safety Traceability Using GS1 and RFID

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cao, Weizhu; Zheng, Limin; Zhu, Hong; Wu, Ping

    GS1 is global traceability standard, which is composed by the encoding system (EAN/UCC, EPC), the data carriers identified automatically (bar codes, RFID), electronic data interchange standards (EDI, XML). RFID is a non-contact, multi-objective automatic identification technique. Tracing of source food, standardization of RFID tags, sharing of dynamic data are problems to solve urgently for recent traceability systems. The paper designed general framework for animal food safety traceability using GS1 and RFID. This framework uses RFID tags encoding with EPCglobal tag data standards. Each information server has access tier, business tier and resource tier. These servers are heterogeneous and distributed, providing user access interfaces by SOAP or HTTP protocols. For sharing dynamic data, discovery service and object name service are used to locate dynamic distributed information servers.

  5. Middle School Students' Responses to Two-Tier Tasks

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Haja, Shajahan; Clarke, David

    2011-01-01

    The structure of two-tier testing is such that the first tier consists of a multiple-choice question and the second tier requires justifications for choices of answers made in the first tier. This study aims to evaluate two-tier tasks in "proportion" in terms of students' capacity to write and select justifications and to examine the effect of…

  6. Accelerating chronically unresponsive children to tier 3 instruction: what level of data is necessary to ensure selection accuracy?

    PubMed

    Compton, Donald L; Gilbert, Jennifer K; Jenkins, Joseph R; Fuchs, Douglas; Fuchs, Lynn S; Cho, Eunsoo; Barquero, Laura A; Bouton, Bobette

    2012-01-01

    Response-to-intervention (RTI) approaches to disability identification are meant to put an end to the so-called wait-to-fail requirement associated with IQ discrepancy. However, in an unfortunate irony, there is a group of children who wait to fail in RTI frameworks. That is, they must fail both general classroom instruction (Tier 1) and small-group intervention (Tier 2) before becoming eligible for the most intensive intervention (Tier 3). The purpose of this article was to determine how to predict accurately which at-risk children will be unresponsive to Tiers 1 and 2, thereby allowing unresponsive children to move directly from Tier 1 to Tier 3. As part of an efficacy study of a multitier RTI approach to prevention and identification of reading disabilities (RD), 129 first-grade children who were unresponsive to classroom reading instruction were randomly assigned to 14 weeks of small-group, Tier 2 intervention. Nonresponders to this instruction (n = 33) were identified using local norms on first-grade word identification fluency growth linked to a distal outcome of RD at the end of second grade. Logistic regression models were used to predict membership in responder and nonresponder groups. Predictors were entered as blocks of data from least to most difficult to obtain: universal screening data, Tier 1 response data, norm referenced tests, and Tier 2 response data. Tier 2 response data were not necessary to classify students as responders and nonresponders to Tier 2 instruction, suggesting that some children can be accurately identified as eligible for Tier 3 intervention using only Tier 1 data, thereby avoiding prolonged periods of failure to instruction.

  7. Triple combination antibiotic therapy for carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae: a systematic review.

    PubMed

    Jacobs, David M; Safir, M Courtney; Huang, Dennis; Minhaj, Faisal; Parker, Adam; Rao, Gauri G

    2017-11-25

    The spread of carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae (CPKP) has become a significant problem worldwide. Combination therapy for CPKP is encouraging, but polymyxin resistance to many antibiotics is hampering effective treatment. Combination therapy with three or more antibiotics is being increasingly reported, therefore we performed a systematic review of triple combination cases in an effort to evaluate their clinical effectiveness for CPKP infections. The PubMed database was searched to identify all published clinical outcomes of CPKP infections treated with triple combination therapy. Articles were stratified into two tiers depending on the level of clinical detail provided. A tier 1 study included: antibiotic regimen, regimen-specific outcome, patient status at onset of infection, and source of infection. Articles not reaching these criteria were considered tier 2. Thirty-three studies were eligible, 23 tier 1 and ten tier 2. Among tier 1 studies, 53 cases were included in this analysis. The most common infection was pneumonia (31%) followed by primary or catheter-related bacteremia (21%) and urinary tract infection (17%). Different combinations of antibiotic classes were utilized in triple combinations, the most common being a polymyxin (colistin or polymyxin B, 86.8%), tigecycline (73.6%), aminoglycoside (43.4%), or carbapenem (43.4%). Clinical and microbiological failure occurred in 14/39 patients (35.9%) and 22/42 patients (52.4%), respectively. Overall mortality for patients treated with triple combination therapy was 35.8% (19/53 patients). Triple combination therapy is being considered as a treatment option for CPKP. Polymyxin-based therapy is the backbone antibiotic in these regimens, but its effectiveness needs establishing in prospective clinical trials.

  8. 75 FR 73166 - Publication of the Tier 2 Tax Rates

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-11-29

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service Publication of the Tier 2 Tax Rates AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service, Treasury. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: Publication of the tier 2 tax rates for...). Tier 2 taxes on railroad employees, employers, and employee representatives are one source of funding...

  9. CMS results in the Combined Computing Readiness Challenge CCRC'08

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bonacorsi, D.; Bauerdick, L.; CMS Collaboration

    2009-12-01

    During February and May 2008, CMS participated to the Combined Computing Readiness Challenge (CCRC'08) together with all other LHC experiments. The purpose of this worldwide exercise was to check the readiness of the Computing infrastructure for LHC data taking. Another set of major CMS tests called Computing, Software and Analysis challenge (CSA'08) - as well as CMS cosmic runs - were also running at the same time: CCRC augmented the load on computing with additional tests to validate and stress-test all CMS computing workflows at full data taking scale, also extending this to the global WLCG community. CMS exercised most aspects of the CMS computing model, with very comprehensive tests. During May 2008, CMS moved more than 3.6 Petabytes among more than 300 links in the complex Grid topology. CMS demonstrated that is able to safely move data out of CERN to the Tier-1 sites, sustaining more than 600 MB/s as a daily average for more than seven days in a row, with enough headroom and with hourly peaks of up to 1.7 GB/s. CMS ran hundreds of simultaneous jobs at each Tier-1 site, re-reconstructing and skimming hundreds of millions of events. After re-reconstruction the fresh AOD (Analysis Object Data) has to be synchronized between Tier-1 centers: CMS demonstrated that the required inter-Tier-1 transfers are achievable within a few days. CMS also showed that skimmed analysis data sets can be transferred to Tier-2 sites for analysis at sufficient rate, regionally as well as inter-regionally, achieving all goals in about 90% of >200 links. Simultaneously, CMS also ran a large Tier-2 analysis exercise, where realistic analysis jobs were submitted to a large set of Tier-2 sites by a large number of people to produce a chaotic workload across the systems, and with more than 400 analysis users in May. Taken all together, CMS routinely achieved submissions of 100k jobs/day, with peaks up to 200k jobs/day. The achieved results in CCRC'08 - focussing on the distributed workflows - are presented and discussed.

  10. 76 FR 71623 - Publication of the Tier 2 Tax Rates

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-11-18

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service Publication of the Tier 2 Tax Rates AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: Publication of the tier 2 tax rates for...). Tier 2 taxes on railroad employees, employers, and employee representatives are one source of funding...

  11. The advantage of calculating emission reduction with local emission factor in South Sumatera region

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Buchari, Erika

    2017-11-01

    Green House Gases (GHG) which have different Global Warming Potential, usually expressed in CO2 equivalent. German has succeeded in emission reduction of CO2 in year 1990s, while Japan since 2001 increased load factor of public transports. Indonesia National Medium Term Development Plan, 2015-2019, has set up the target of minimum 26% and maximum 41% National Emission Reduction in 2019. Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), defined three types of accuracy in counting emission of GHG, as tier 1, tier 2, and tier 3. In tier 1, calculation is based on fuel used and average emission (default), which is obtained from statistical data. While in tier 2, calculation is based fuel used and local emission factors. Tier 3 is more accurate from those in tier 1 and 2, and the calculation is based on fuel used from modelling method or from direct measurement. This paper is aimed to evaluate the calculation with tier 2 and tier 3 in South Sumatera region. In 2012, Regional Action Plan for Greenhouse Gases of South Sumatera for 2020 is about 6,569,000 ton per year and with tier 3 is about without mitigation and 6,229,858.468 ton per year. It was found that the calculation in tier 3 is more accurate in terms of fuel used of variation vehicles so that the actions of mitigation can be planned more realistically.

  12. A component-based, distributed object services architecture for a clinical workstation.

    PubMed

    Chueh, H C; Raila, W F; Pappas, J J; Ford, M; Zatsman, P; Tu, J; Barnett, G O

    1996-01-01

    Attention to an architectural framework in the development of clinical applications can promote reusability of both legacy systems as well as newly designed software. We describe one approach to an architecture for a clinical workstation application which is based on a critical middle tier of distributed object-oriented services. This tier of network-based services provides flexibility in the creation of both the user interface and the database tiers. We developed a clinical workstation for ambulatory care using this architecture, defining a number of core services including those for vocabulary, patient index, documents, charting, security, and encounter management. These services can be implemented through proprietary or more standard distributed object interfaces such as CORBA and OLE. Services are accessed over the network by a collection of user interface components which can be mixed and matched to form a variety of interface styles. These services have also been reused with several applications based on World Wide Web browser interfaces.

  13. A component-based, distributed object services architecture for a clinical workstation.

    PubMed Central

    Chueh, H. C.; Raila, W. F.; Pappas, J. J.; Ford, M.; Zatsman, P.; Tu, J.; Barnett, G. O.

    1996-01-01

    Attention to an architectural framework in the development of clinical applications can promote reusability of both legacy systems as well as newly designed software. We describe one approach to an architecture for a clinical workstation application which is based on a critical middle tier of distributed object-oriented services. This tier of network-based services provides flexibility in the creation of both the user interface and the database tiers. We developed a clinical workstation for ambulatory care using this architecture, defining a number of core services including those for vocabulary, patient index, documents, charting, security, and encounter management. These services can be implemented through proprietary or more standard distributed object interfaces such as CORBA and OLE. Services are accessed over the network by a collection of user interface components which can be mixed and matched to form a variety of interface styles. These services have also been reused with several applications based on World Wide Web browser interfaces. PMID:8947744

  14. The Targeted Reading Intervention (TRI): A Classroom Teacher Tier 2 Intervention to Help Struggling Readers in Early Elementary School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vernon-Feagans, Lynne; Amendum, Steve; Kainz, Kirsten; Ginsburg, Marnie

    2009-01-01

    The two studies presented in this report were designed to test the effectiveness of a new diagnostic-based reading intervention for classroom teachers, called the Targeted Reading Intervention (TRI). This TRI Tier 2 intervention stressed diagnostic teaching as the key to helping struggling readers make rapid progress in reading in the regular…

  15. Locomotive emissions measurements for various blends of biodiesel fuel.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2014-12-01

    The objective of this project was to assess the effects of various blends of biodiesel on locomotive engine exhaust emissions. The : emission tests were conducted on two locomotive models, a Tier 2 EMD SD70ACe and a Tier 1 Plus GE Dash9-44CW, using t...

  16. Comprehensive monitoring for heterogeneous geographically distributed storage

    DOE PAGES

    Ratnikova, Natalia; Karavakis, E.; Lammel, S.; ...

    2015-12-23

    Storage capacity at CMS Tier-1 and Tier-2 sites reached over 100 Petabytes in 2014, and will be substantially increased during Run 2 data taking. The allocation of storage for the individual users analysis data, which is not accounted as a centrally managed storage space, will be increased to up to 40%. For comprehensive tracking and monitoring of the storage utilization across all participating sites, CMS developed a space monitoring system, which provides a central view of the geographically dispersed heterogeneous storage systems. The first prototype was deployed at pilot sites in summer 2014, and has been substantially reworked since then.more » In this study, we discuss the functionality and our experience of system deployment and operation on the full CMS scale.« less

  17. Tier 2 Interventions in Positive Behavior Support: A Survey of School Implementation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rodriguez, Billie Jo; Loman, Sheldon L.; Borgmeier, Christopher

    2016-01-01

    As increasing numbers of schools implement Multi-Tiered Systems of Support (MTSS), schools are looking for and implementing evidence-based practices for students whose needs are not fully met by Tier 1 supports. Although there is relative consistency and clarity in what constitutes Tier 1 behavior support within MTSS, Tier 2 supports may be more…

  18. An Xrootd Italian Federation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Boccali, T.; Donvito, G.; Diacono, D.; Marzulli, G.; Pompili, A.; Della Ricca, G.; Mazzoni, E.; Argiro, S.; Gregori, D.; Grandi, C.; Bonacorsi, D.; Lista, L.; Fabozzi, F.; Barone, L. M.; Santocchia, A.; Riahi, H.; Tricomi, A.; Sgaravatto, M.; Maron, G.

    2014-06-01

    The Italian community in CMS has built a geographically distributed network in which all the data stored in the Italian region are available to all the users for their everyday work. This activity involves at different level all the CMS centers: the Tier1 at CNAF, all the four Tier2s (Bari, Rome, Legnaro and Pisa), and few Tier3s (Trieste, Perugia, Torino, Catania, Napoli, ...). The federation uses the new network connections as provided by GARR, our NREN (National Research and Education Network), which provides a minimum of 10 Gbit/s to all the sites via the GARR-X[2] project. The federation is currently based on Xrootd[1] technology, and on a Redirector aimed to seamlessly connect all the sites, giving the logical view of a single entity. A special configuration has been put in place for the Tier1, CNAF, where ad-hoc Xrootd changes have been implemented in order to protect the tape system from excessive stress, by not allowing WAN connections to access tape only files, on a file-by-file basis. In order to improve the overall performance while reading files, both in terms of bandwidth and latency, a hierarchy of xrootd redirectors has been implemented. The solution implemented provides a dedicated Redirector where all the INFN sites are registered, without considering their status (T1, T2, or T3 sites). An interesting use case were able to cover via the federation are disk-less Tier3s. The caching solution allows to operate a local storage with minimal human intervention: transfers are automatically done on a single file basis, and the cache is maintained operational by automatic removal of old files.

  19. Use of Self-Monitoring to Maintain Program Fidelity of Multi-Tiered Interventions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nelson, J. Ron; Oliver, Regina M.; Hebert, Michael A.; Bohaty, Janet

    2015-01-01

    Multi-tiered system of supports represents one of the most significant advancements in improving the outcomes of students for whom typical instruction is not effective. While many practices need to be in place to make multi-tiered systems of support effective, accurate implementation of evidence-based practices by individuals at all tiers is…

  20. Meeting the Needs of ELLs with Response to Instruction and Intervention: A Mixed Methods Case Study Focusing on the Implementation of Tier 2 Intervention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nguyen-Quang, Florence

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine how the Response to Instruction and Intervention (RtI2) framework was implemented at a culturally, ethnically, and linguistically diverse urban school. This study also evaluated the effectiveness of Burst: Early Literacy Intervention (Wireless Generation®, 2009), a Tier 2 intervention program, in regards to…

  1. Effects of Tier 3 Intervention for Students With Persistent Reading Difficulties and Characteristics of Inadequate Responders.

    PubMed

    Denton, Carolyn A; Tolar, Tammy D; Fletcher, Jack M; Barth, Amy E; Vaughn, Sharon; Francis, David J

    2013-08-01

    This article describes a randomized controlled trial conducted to evaluate the effects of an intensive, individualized, Tier 3 reading intervention for second grade students who had previously experienced inadequate response to quality first grade classroom reading instruction (Tier 1) and supplemental small-group intervention (Tier 2). Also evaluated were cognitive characteristics of students with inadequate response to intensive Tier 3 intervention. Students were randomized to receive the research intervention ( N = 47) or the instruction and intervention typically provided in their schools ( N = 25). Results indicated that students who received the research intervention made significantly better growth than those who received typical school instruction on measures of word identification, phonemic decoding, and word reading fluency and on a measure of sentence- and paragraph-level reading comprehension. Treatment effects were smaller and not statistically significant on phonemic decoding efficiency, text reading fluency, and reading comprehension in extended text. Effect sizes for all outcomes except oral reading fluency met criteria for substantive importance; however, many of the students in the intervention continued to struggle. An evaluation of cognitive profiles of adequate and inadequate responders was consistent with a continuum of severity (as opposed to qualitative differences), showing greater language and reading impairment prior to the intervention in students who were inadequate responders.

  2. Effects of Tier 3 Intervention for Students With Persistent Reading Difficulties and Characteristics of Inadequate Responders

    PubMed Central

    Denton, Carolyn A.; Tolar, Tammy D.; Fletcher, Jack M.; Barth, Amy E.; Vaughn, Sharon; Francis, David J.

    2013-01-01

    This article describes a randomized controlled trial conducted to evaluate the effects of an intensive, individualized, Tier 3 reading intervention for second grade students who had previously experienced inadequate response to quality first grade classroom reading instruction (Tier 1) and supplemental small-group intervention (Tier 2). Also evaluated were cognitive characteristics of students with inadequate response to intensive Tier 3 intervention. Students were randomized to receive the research intervention (N = 47) or the instruction and intervention typically provided in their schools (N = 25). Results indicated that students who received the research intervention made significantly better growth than those who received typical school instruction on measures of word identification, phonemic decoding, and word reading fluency and on a measure of sentence- and paragraph-level reading comprehension. Treatment effects were smaller and not statistically significant on phonemic decoding efficiency, text reading fluency, and reading comprehension in extended text. Effect sizes for all outcomes except oral reading fluency met criteria for substantive importance; however, many of the students in the intervention continued to struggle. An evaluation of cognitive profiles of adequate and inadequate responders was consistent with a continuum of severity (as opposed to qualitative differences), showing greater language and reading impairment prior to the intervention in students who were inadequate responders. PMID:25308995

  3. The Effects of a Tier 3 Intervention on the Mathematics Performance of Second Grade Students With Severe Mathematics Difficulties.

    PubMed

    Bryant, Brian R; Bryant, Diane Pedrotty; Porterfield, Jennifer; Dennis, Minyi Shih; Falcomata, Terry; Valentine, Courtney; Brewer, Chelsea; Bell, Kathy

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a systematic, explicit, intensive Tier 3 (tertiary) intervention on the mathematics performance of students in second grade with severe mathematics difficulties. A multiple-baseline design across groups of participants showed improved mathematics performance on number and operations concepts and procedures, which are the foundation for later mathematics success. In the previous year, 12 participants had experienced two doses (first and second semesters) of a Tier 2 intervention. In second grade, the participants continued to demonstrate low performance, falling below the 10th percentile on a researcher-designed universal screener and below the 16th percentile on a distal measure, thus qualifying for the intensive intervention. A project interventionist, who met with the students 5 days a week for 10 weeks (9 weeks for one group), conducted the intensive intervention. The intervention employed more intensive instructional design features than the previous Tier 2 secondary instruction, and also included weekly games to reinforce concepts and skills from the lessons. Spring results showed significantly improved mathematics performance (scoring at or above the 25th percentile) for most of the students, thus making them eligible to exit the Tier 3 intervention. © Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2014.

  4. Towards an integrative soil health assessment strategy: a three tier (integrative biomarker response) approach with Eisenia fetida applied to soils subjected to chronic metal pollution.

    PubMed

    Asensio, Vega; Rodríguez-Ruiz, Amaia; Garmendia, Larraitz; Andre, Jane; Kille, Peter; Morgan, Andrew John; Soto, Manu; Marigómez, Ionan

    2013-01-01

    This is a pilot study for assessing soil ecosystem health in chronically polluted sites on the basis of a 3-tier approach (screening+scoring+understanding) designed to be cost-effective and scientifically based, and to provide straightforward advice and support to managers and stakeholders involved in environmental protection. For the initial screening (Tier 1), the use of a highly sensitive, low-cost biomarker such as neutral red uptake (NRU) in earthworm coelomocytes is proposed. In sites where an alteration in NRU has been established, the stress level may be further assessed by utilising a suite of low-cost and rapid biomarkers of effect integrated in an integrative biological response (IBR) index to obtain an objective (scored) assessment of the induced stress syndrome (Tier 2). The IBR/n index is based on the integration of biomarkers at different levels of biological organisation. Acyl-CoA oxidase activity (AOX), catalase activity (CAT), lipofuscin optical density (LOD%), NRU and the mean epithelial thickness (MET) have been used to calculate the IBR/n index. Biomarkers are determined in earthworms, Eisenia fetida, exposed ex situ to real soils (three mining sites and a reference) for 3, 10 and 17d. The 3d NRU (Tier 1) provided signal of stress. After 3d, PCA, based on the suite of biomarkers (Tier 2), discriminated reference and polluted sites according to toxicity profiles and at 17d, the most polluted site is segregated from less polluted and reference sites. Soils were classified as harmful, unhealthy (not apparently toxic) or healthy. Soils were investigated by microarray transcriptomics (Tier 3), to understand the causes (aetiology) and consequences (prognosis) of health impairment. Tier 3 discriminates, according to stress syndrome traits, soils that did not fall into the category of highly stressed and revealed the main agent causing toxicity at each site by identifying the toxicity mechanisms and biological responses. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  5. Which Tier? Effects of Linear Assessment and Student Characteristics on GCSE Entry Decisions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vitello, Sylvia; Crawford, Cara

    2018-01-01

    In England, students obtain General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) qualifications, typically at age 16. Certain GCSEs are tiered; students take either higher-level (higher tier) or lower-level (foundation tier) exams, which may have different educational, career and psychological consequences. In particular, foundation tier entry, if…

  6. Building Tier 3 Intervention for Long-Term Slow Growers in Grades 3-4: A Pilot Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sanchez, Victoria; O'Connor, Rollanda E.

    2015-01-01

    Tier 3 interventions are necessary for students who fail to respond adequately to Tier 1 general education instruction and Tier 2 supplemental reading intervention instruction. We identified 8 students in 3rd and 4th grade who had demonstrated a slow response to Tier 2 reading interventions for three years. Students participated in a…

  7. Assessment of the concordance among 2-tier, 3-tier, and 5-tier fetal heart rate classification systems.

    PubMed

    Gyamfi Bannerman, Cynthia; Grobman, William A; Antoniewicz, Leah; Hutchinson, Maria; Blackwell, Sean

    2011-09-01

    In 2008, a National Institute of Child Health and Human Development/Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine-sponsored workshop on electronic fetal monitoring recommended a new fetal heart tracing interpretation system. Comparison of this 3-tier system with other systems is lacking. Our purpose was to determine the relationships between fetal heart rate categories for the 3 existing systems. Three Maternal-Fetal Medicine specialists reviewed 120 fetal heart rates. All tracings were from term, singleton pregnancies with known umbilical artery pH. The fetal heart rates were classified by a 2-tier, 3-tier, and 5-tier system. Each Maternal-Fetal Medicine examiner reviewed 120 fetal heart rate segments. When compared with the 2-tier system, 0%, 54%, and 100% tracings in categories 1, 2, and 3 were "nonreassuring." There was strong concordance between category 1 and "green" as well as category 3 and "red" tracings. The 3-tier and 5-tier systems were similar in fetal heart rate interpretations for tracings that were either very normal or very abnormal. Whether one system is superior to the others in predicting fetal acidemia remains unknown. Copyright © 2011 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  8. A Responsive Tier 2 Process for a Middle School Student with Behavior Problems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McDaniel, Sara C.; Bruhn, Allison L.; Mitchell, Barbara S.

    2017-01-01

    Students requiring Tier 2 behavioral supports frequently display behavioral deficits in multiple domains (e.g., emotional symptoms and peer problems). The Tier 2 framework developed by McDaniel, Bruhn, & Mitchell (2015a) is a responsive structure for identifying and intervening at Tier 2. This process is described with a practical case example…

  9. The Science behind Curriculum Development and Evaluation: Taking a Design Science Approach in the Production of a Tier 2 Mathematics Curriculum

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Doabler, Christian T.; Clarke, Ben; Fien, Hank; Baker, Scott K.; Kosty, Derek B.; Cary, Mari Strand

    2015-01-01

    The production of an effective mathematics curriculum begins with a scientific development, evaluation, and revision framework. The purpose of this study was to conduct an initial investigation of a recently developed Tier 2 mathematics curriculum designed to improve the outcomes of first grade students at risk for mathematics difficulties (MD).…

  10. Estimating implementation and operational costs of an integrated tiered CD4 service including laboratory and point of care testing in a remote health district in South Africa.

    PubMed

    Cassim, Naseem; Coetzee, Lindi M; Schnippel, Kathryn; Glencross, Deborah K

    2014-01-01

    An integrated tiered service delivery model (ITSDM) has been proposed to provide 'full-coverage' of CD4 services throughout South Africa. Five tiers are described, defined by testing volumes and number of referring health-facilities. These include: (1) Tier-1/decentralized point-of-care service (POC) in a single site; Tier-2/POC-hub servicing processing < 30-40 samples from 8-10 health-clinics; Tier-3/Community laboratories servicing ∼ 50 health-clinics, processing < 150 samples/day; high-volume centralized laboratories (Tier-4 and Tier-5) processing < 300 or > 600 samples/day and serving > 100 or > 200 health-clinics, respectively. The objective of this study was to establish costs of existing and ITSDM-tiers 1, 2 and 3 in a remote, under-serviced district in South Africa. Historical health-facility workload volumes from the Pixley-ka-Seme district, and the total volumes of CD4 tests performed by the adjacent district referral CD4 laboratories, linked to locations of all referring clinics and related laboratory-to-result turn-around time (LTR-TAT) data, were extracted from the NHLS Corporate-Data-Warehouse for the period April-2012 to March-2013. Tiers were costed separately (as a cost-per-result) including equipment, staffing, reagents and test consumable costs. A one-way sensitivity analyses provided for changes in reagent price, test volumes and personnel time. The lowest cost-per-result was noted for the existing laboratory-based Tiers- 4 and 5 ($6.24 and $5.37 respectively), but with related increased LTR-TAT of > 24-48 hours. Full service coverage with TAT < 6-hours could be achieved with placement of twenty-seven Tier-1/POC or eight Tier-2/POC-hubs, at a cost-per-result of $32.32 and $15.88 respectively. A single district Tier-3 laboratory also ensured 'full service coverage' and < 24 hour LTR-TAT for the district at $7.42 per-test. Implementing a single Tier-3/community laboratory to extend and improve delivery of services in Pixley-ka-Seme, with an estimated local ∼ 12-24-hour LTR-TAT, is ∼ $2 more than existing referred services per-test, but 2-4 fold cheaper than implementing eight Tier-2/POC-hubs or providing twenty-seven Tier-1/POCT CD4 services.

  11. Impact of multi-tiered pharmacy benefits on attitudes of plan members with chronic disease states.

    PubMed

    Nair, Kavita V; Ganther, Julie M; Valuck, Robert J; McCollum, Marianne M; Lewis, Sonya J

    2002-01-01

    To evaluate the effects of 2- and 3-tiered pharmacy benefit plans on member attitudes regarding their pharmacy benefits. We performed a mail survey and cross-sectional comparison of the outcome variables in a large managed care population in the western United States. Participants were persons with chronic disease states who were in 2- or 3-tier copay drug plans. A random sample of 10,662 was selected from a total of 25,008 members who had received 2 or more prescriptions for a drug commonly used to treat one of 5 conditions: hypertension, diabetes, dyslipidemia, gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), or arthritis. Statistical analysis included bivariate comparisons and regression analysis of the factors affecting member attitudes, including satisfaction, loyalty, health plan choices, and willingness to pay a higher out-of-pocket cost for medications. A response rate of 35.8% was obtained from continuously enrolled plan members. Respondents were older, sicker, and consumed more prescriptions than nonrespondents. There were significant differences in age and health plan characteristics between 2- and 3-tier plan members: respondents aged 65 or older represented 11.7% of 2-tier plan members and 54.7% of 3-tier plan members, and 10.0% of 2-tier plan members were in Medicare+Choice plans versus 61.4% in Medicare+Choice plans for 3-tier plan members (P<0.05). Controlling for demographic characteristics, number of comorbidities, and the cost of health care, 2-tier plan members were more satisfied with their plan, more likely to recommend their plan to others, and less likely to switch their current plans to obtain better prescription drug coverage than 3-tier plan members. While members were willing to purchase higher cost nonformulary and brand-name medications, in general, they were not willing to pay more than 10 dollars (in addition to their copayment amount) for these medications. Older respondents and sicker individuals (those with higher scores on the Chronic Disease Indicator) appeared to have more positive attitudes toward their pharmacy benefit plans in general. Higher reported incomes by respondents were also associated with greater satisfaction with prescription drug coverage and increased loyalty toward the pharmacy benefit plan. Conversely, the more individuals spent for either their health care or prescription medications, the less satisfied they were with their prescription drug coverage and less loyalty they appeared to have for their health plans. An inverse relationship also appeared to exist between the out-of-pocket costs for prescription medications and members' willingness to pay for nonformulary medications. Three-tier members had lower reported satisfaction with their plans compared to members in 2-tier plans. The financial resources available to members (which may be a function of being older and having more education and higher incomes), the number of chronic disease states that members have, and other factors may influence their attitudes toward their prescription drug coverage.

  12. The distribution of cigarette prices under different tax structures: findings from the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation (ITC) Project

    PubMed Central

    Shang, Ce; Chaloupka, Frank J; Zahra, Nahleen; Fong, Geoffrey T

    2013-01-01

    Background The distribution of cigarette prices has rarely been studied and compared under different tax structures. Descriptive evidence on price distributions by countries can shed light on opportunities for tax avoidance and brand switching under different tobacco tax structures, which could impact the effectiveness of increased taxation in reducing smoking. Objective This paper aims to describe the distribution of cigarette prices by countries and to compare these distributions based on the tobacco tax structure in these countries. Methods We employed data for 16 countries taken from the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project to construct survey-derived cigarette prices for each country. Self-reported prices were weighted by cigarette consumption and described using a comprehensive set of statistics. We then compared these statistics for cigarette prices under different tax structures. In particular, countries of similar income levels and countries that impose similar total excise taxes using different tax structures were paired and compared in mean and variance using a two-sample comparison test. Findings Our investigation illustrates that, compared with specific uniform taxation, other tax structures, such as ad valorem uniform taxation, mixed (a tax system using ad valorem and specific taxes) uniform taxation, and tiered tax structures of specific, ad valorem and mixed taxation tend to have price distributions with greater variability. Countries that rely heavily on ad valorem and tiered taxes also tend to have greater price variability around the median. Among mixed taxation systems, countries that rely more heavily on the ad valorem component tend to have greater price variability than countries that rely more heavily on the specific component. In countries with tiered tax systems, cigarette prices are skewed more towards lower prices than are prices under uniform tax systems. The analyses presented here demonstrate that more opportunities exist for tax avoidance and brand switching when the tax structure departs from a uniform specific tax. PMID:23792324

  13. The distribution of cigarette prices under different tax structures: findings from the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation (ITC) Project.

    PubMed

    Shang, Ce; Chaloupka, Frank J; Zahra, Nahleen; Fong, Geoffrey T

    2014-03-01

    The distribution of cigarette prices has rarely been studied and compared under different tax structures. Descriptive evidence on price distributions by countries can shed light on opportunities for tax avoidance and brand switching under different tobacco tax structures, which could impact the effectiveness of increased taxation in reducing smoking. This paper aims to describe the distribution of cigarette prices by countries and to compare these distributions based on the tobacco tax structure in these countries. We employed data for 16 countries taken from the International Tobacco Control Policy Evaluation Project to construct survey-derived cigarette prices for each country. Self-reported prices were weighted by cigarette consumption and described using a comprehensive set of statistics. We then compared these statistics for cigarette prices under different tax structures. In particular, countries of similar income levels and countries that impose similar total excise taxes using different tax structures were paired and compared in mean and variance using a two-sample comparison test. Our investigation illustrates that, compared with specific uniform taxation, other tax structures, such as ad valorem uniform taxation, mixed (a tax system using ad valorem and specific taxes) uniform taxation, and tiered tax structures of specific, ad valorem and mixed taxation tend to have price distributions with greater variability. Countries that rely heavily on ad valorem and tiered taxes also tend to have greater price variability around the median. Among mixed taxation systems, countries that rely more heavily on the ad valorem component tend to have greater price variability than countries that rely more heavily on the specific component. In countries with tiered tax systems, cigarette prices are skewed more towards lower prices than are prices under uniform tax systems. The analyses presented here demonstrate that more opportunities exist for tax avoidance and brand switching when the tax structure departs from a uniform specific tax.

  14. Principles for characterizing the potential human health effects from exposure to nanomaterials: elements of a screening strategy

    PubMed Central

    Oberdörster, Günter; Maynard, Andrew; Donaldson, Ken; Castranova, Vincent; Fitzpatrick, Julie; Ausman, Kevin; Carter, Janet; Karn, Barbara; Kreyling, Wolfgang; Lai, David; Olin, Stephen; Monteiro-Riviere, Nancy; Warheit, David; Yang, Hong

    2005-01-01

    The rapid proliferation of many different engineered nanomaterials (defined as materials designed and produced to have structural features with at least one dimension of 100 nanometers or less) presents a dilemma to regulators regarding hazard identification. The International Life Sciences Institute Research Foundation/Risk Science Institute convened an expert working group to develop a screening strategy for the hazard identification of engineered nanomaterials. The working group report presents the elements of a screening strategy rather than a detailed testing protocol. Based on an evaluation of the limited data currently available, the report presents a broad data gathering strategy applicable to this early stage in the development of a risk assessment process for nanomaterials. Oral, dermal, inhalation, and injection routes of exposure are included recognizing that, depending on use patterns, exposure to nanomaterials may occur by any of these routes. The three key elements of the toxicity screening strategy are: Physicochemical Characteristics, In Vitro Assays (cellular and non-cellular), and In Vivo Assays. There is a strong likelihood that biological activity of nanoparticles will depend on physicochemical parameters not routinely considered in toxicity screening studies. Physicochemical properties that may be important in understanding the toxic effects of test materials include particle size and size distribution, agglomeration state, shape, crystal structure, chemical composition, surface area, surface chemistry, surface charge, and porosity. In vitro techniques allow specific biological and mechanistic pathways to be isolated and tested under controlled conditions, in ways that are not feasible in in vivo tests. Tests are suggested for portal-of-entry toxicity for lungs, skin, and the mucosal membranes, and target organ toxicity for endothelium, blood, spleen, liver, nervous system, heart, and kidney. Non-cellular assessment of nanoparticle durability, protein interactions, complement activation, and pro-oxidant activity is also considered. Tier 1 in vivo assays are proposed for pulmonary, oral, skin and injection exposures, and Tier 2 evaluations for pulmonary exposures are also proposed. Tier 1 evaluations include markers of inflammation, oxidant stress, and cell proliferation in portal-of-entry and selected remote organs and tissues. Tier 2 evaluations for pulmonary exposures could include deposition, translocation, and toxicokinetics and biopersistence studies; effects of multiple exposures; potential effects on the reproductive system, placenta, and fetus; alternative animal models; and mechanistic studies. PMID:16209704

  15. Building Tier 3 Intervention for Long-Term Slow Growers in Grades 3-4: A Pilot Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sanchez, Victoria M.; O'Connor, Rollanda E.

    2015-01-01

    Tier 3 interventions are necessary for improving the reading performance of students who fail to respond adequately to Tier 1 general education instruction and Tier 2 supplemental reading intervention. In this pilot study, we identified 8 students in 3rd and 4th grade who had demonstrated slow response to Tier 2 reading interventions for three…

  16. 77 FR 48568 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Arca, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-14

    ... daily customer contracts issue fee 0 to 2,000 $75 2,001 to 5,000 200 5,001 to 15,000 375 15,001 to 100... penny pilot issues executions in SPY (except SPY) Base ($0.32) ($0.34) Tier 1 30,000 Contracts from Market Maker ($0.34) ($0.36) Posted Orders in Penny Pilot Issues. Tier 2 80,000 Contracts from Market...

  17. 40 CFR 86.1861-04 - How do the Tier 2 and interim non-Tier 2 NOX averaging, banking and trading programs work?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 2 NOX averaging, banking and trading programs work? 86.1861-04 Section 86.1861-04 Protection of... work? (a) General provisions for Tier 2 credits and debits. (1) A manufacturer whose Tier 2 fleet... to a full useful life of 100,000 miles, provided that the credits are prorated by a multiplicative...

  18. Professional development to differentiate kindergarten Tier 1 instruction: Can already effective teachers improve student outcomes by differentiating Tier 1 instruction?

    PubMed Central

    Otaiba, Stephanie Al; Folsom, Jessica S.; Wanzek, Jeannie; Greulich, Luana; Wasche, Jessica; Schatschneider, Christopher; Connor, Carol

    2015-01-01

    Two primary purposes guided this quasi-experimental within-teacher study: (1) to examine changes from baseline through two years of professional development (Individualizing Student Instruction) in kindergarten teachers’ differentiation of Tier 1 literacy instruction; (2) to examine changes in reading and vocabulary of three cohorts of the teachers’ students (n = 416). Teachers’ instruction was observed and students were assessed on standardized measures of vocabulary and word reading. Results suggested that teachers significantly increased their differentiation and students showed significantly greater word reading outcomes relative to baseline. No change was observed for vocabulary. Results have implications for supporting teacher effectiveness through technology-supported professional development. PMID:27346927

  19. Professional development to differentiate kindergarten Tier 1 instruction: Can already effective teachers improve student outcomes by differentiating Tier 1 instruction?

    PubMed

    Otaiba, Stephanie Al; Folsom, Jessica S; Wanzek, Jeannie; Greulich, Luana; Wasche, Jessica; Schatschneider, Christopher; Connor, Carol

    Two primary purposes guided this quasi-experimental within-teacher study: (1) to examine changes from baseline through two years of professional development (Individualizing Student Instruction) in kindergarten teachers' differentiation of Tier 1 literacy instruction; (2) to examine changes in reading and vocabulary of three cohorts of the teachers' students ( n = 416). Teachers' instruction was observed and students were assessed on standardized measures of vocabulary and word reading. Results suggested that teachers significantly increased their differentiation and students showed significantly greater word reading outcomes relative to baseline. No change was observed for vocabulary. Results have implications for supporting teacher effectiveness through technology-supported professional development.

  20. Grading Practices and Distributions Across Internal Medicine Clerkships.

    PubMed

    Fazio, Sara B; Torre, Dario M; DeFer, Thomas M

    2016-01-01

    Clerkship evaluation and grading practices vary widely between U.S. medical schools. Grade inflation continues to exist, and grade distribution is likely to be different among U.S. medical schools. Increasing the number of available grades curtails "grade inflation." A national survey of all Clerkship Directors in Internal Medicine members was administered in 2011. The authors assessed key aspects of grading. Response rate was 76%. Among clerkship directors (CDs), 61% of respondents agreed that grade inflation existed in the internal medicine clerkship at their school, and 43% believed that it helped students obtain better residency positions. With respect to grading practices, 79% of CDs define specific behaviors needed to achieve each grade, and 36% specify an ideal grade distribution. In addition, 44% have a trained core faculty responsible for evaluating students, 35% describe formal grading meetings, and 39% use the Reporter-Interpreter-Manager-Educator (RIME) scheme. Grading scales were described as follows: 4% utilize a pass/fail system, 13% a 3-tier (e.g., Honors/Pass/Fail), 45% 4-tier, 35% 5-tier, and 4% 6+-tier system. There was a trend to higher grades with more tiers available. Grade inflation continues in the internal medicine clerkship. Almost half of CDs feel that this practice assists students to obtain better residency positions. A minority of programs have a trained core faculty who are responsible for evaluation. About one third have formal grading meetings and use the RIME system; both have been associated with more robust and balanced grading practices. In particular, there is a wide variation between schools in the percentage of students who are awarded the highest grade, which has implications for residency applications. Downstream users of clinical clerkship grades must be fully aware of these variations in grading in order to appropriately judge medical student performance.

  1. Examining the Efficacy of a Tier 2 Kindergarten Mathematics Intervention.

    PubMed

    Clarke, Ben; Doabler, Christian T; Smolkowski, Keith; Baker, Scott K; Fien, Hank; Strand Cary, Mari

    2016-01-01

    This study examined the efficacy of a Tier 2 kindergarten mathematics intervention program, ROOTS, focused on developing whole number understanding for students at risk in mathematics. A total of 29 classrooms were randomly assigned to treatment (ROOTS) or control (standard district practices) conditions. Measures of mathematics achievement were collected at pretest and posttest. Treatment and control students did not differ on mathematics assessments at pretest. Gain scores of at-risk intervention students were significantly greater than those of control peers, and the gains of at-risk treatment students were greater than the gains of peers not at risk, effectively reducing the achievement gap. Implications for Tier 2 mathematics instruction in a response to intervention (RtI) model are discussed. © Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2014.

  2. Identifying Students for Secondary and Tertiary Prevention Efforts: How Do We Determine Which Students Have Tier 2 and Tier 3 Needs?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lane, Kathleen Lynne; Oakes, Wendy Peia; Ennis, Robin Parks; Hirsch, Shanna Eisner

    2014-01-01

    In comprehensive, integrated, three-tiered models, it is essential to have a systematic method for identifying students who need supports at Tier 2 or Tier 3. This article provides explicit information on how to use multiple sources of data to determine which students might benefit from these supports. First, the authors provide an overview of how…

  3. 77 FR 56683 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Arca, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-09-13

    ... the Tape A Step Up Tier, Modify the Remaining Tape Step Up Tiers and Introduce an Alternative Method... and Charges for Exchange Services (``Fee Schedule'') to (i) eliminate the Tape A Step Up Tier; (ii) modify the remaining Tape Step Up Tiers to exclude ETP Holders that qualify for the Cross-Asset Tier or...

  4. Induction of a Tier-1-Like Phenotype in Diverse Tier-2 Isolates by Agents That Guide HIV-1 Env to Perturbation-Sensitive, Nonnative States.

    PubMed

    Johnson, Jacklyn; Zhai, Yinjie; Salimi, Hamid; Espy, Nicole; Eichelberger, Noah; DeLeon, Orlando; O'Malley, Yunxia; Courter, Joel; Smith, Amos B; Madani, Navid; Sodroski, Joseph; Haim, Hillel

    2017-08-01

    The envelope glycoproteins (Envs) on the surfaces of HIV-1 particles are targeted by host antibodies. Primary HIV-1 isolates demonstrate different global sensitivities to antibody neutralization; tier-1 isolates are sensitive, whereas tier-2 isolates are more resistant. Single-site mutations in Env can convert tier-2 into tier-1-like viruses. We hypothesized that such global change in neutralization sensitivity results from weakening of intramolecular interactions that maintain Env integrity. Three strategies commonly applied to perturb protein structure were tested for their effects on global neutralization sensitivity: exposure to low temperature, Env-activating ligands, and a chaotropic agent. A large panel of diverse tier-2 isolates from clades B and C was analyzed. Incubation at 0°C, which globally weakens hydrophobic interactions, causes gradual and reversible exposure of the coreceptor-binding site. In the cold-induced state, Envs progress at isolate-specific rates to unstable forms that are sensitive to antibody neutralization and then gradually lose function. Agents that mimic the effects of CD4 (CD4Ms) also induce reversible structural changes to states that exhibit isolate-specific stabilities. The chaotropic agent urea (at low concentrations) does not affect the structure or function of native Env. However, urea efficiently perturbs metastable states induced by cold and CD4Ms and increases their sensitivity to antibody neutralization and their inactivation rates Therefore, chemical and physical agents can guide Env from the stable native state to perturbation-sensitive forms and modulate their stability to bestow tier-1-like properties on primary tier-2 strains. These concepts can be applied to enhance the potency of vaccine-elicited antibodies and microbicides at mucosal sites of HIV-1 transmission. IMPORTANCE An effective vaccine to prevent transmission of HIV-1 is a primary goal of the scientific and health care communities. Vaccine-elicited antibodies target the viral envelope glycoproteins (Envs) and can potentially inhibit infection. However, the potency of such antibodies is generally low. Single-site mutations in Env can enhance the global sensitivity of HIV-1 to neutralization by antibodies. We found that such a hypersensitivity phenotype can also be induced by agents that destabilize protein structure. Exposure to 0°C or low concentrations of Env-activating ligands gradually guides Env to metastable forms that expose cryptic epitopes and that are highly sensitive to neutralization. Low concentrations of the chaotropic agent urea do not affect native Env but destabilize perturbed states induced by cold or CD4Ms and increase their neutralization. The concept of enhancing antibody sensitivity by chemical agents that affect the structural stability of proteins can be applied to increase the potency of topical microbicides and vaccine-elicited antibodies. Copyright © 2017 American Society for Microbiology.

  5. Is the chronic Tier-1 effect assessment approach for insecticides protective for aquatic ecosystems?

    PubMed

    Brock, Theo Cm; Bhatta, Ranjana; van Wijngaarden, René Pa; Rico, Andreu

    2016-10-01

    We investigated the appropriateness of several methods, including those recommended in the Aquatic Guidance Document of the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), for the derivation of chronic Tier-1 regulatory acceptable concentrations (RACs) for insecticides and aquatic organisms. The insecticides represented different chemical classes (organophosphates, pyrethroids, benzoylureas, insect growth regulators, biopesticides, carbamates, neonicotinoids, and miscellaneous). Chronic Tier-1 RACs derived using toxicity data for the standard species Daphnia magna, Chironomus spp., and/or Americamysis bahia, were compared with Tier-3 RACs derived from micro- and mesocosm studies on basis of the ecological threshold option (ETO-RACs). ETO-RACs could be derived for 31 insecticides applied to micro- and mesocosms in single or multiple applications, yielding a total number of 36 cases for comparison. The chronic Tier-1 RACs calculated according to the EFSA approach resulted in a sufficient protection level, except for 1 neonicotinoid (slightly underprotective) and for several pyrethroids if toxicity data for A. bahia were not included. This latter observation can be explained by 1) the fact that A. bahia is the most sensitive standard test species for pyrethroids, 2) the hydrophobic properties of pyrethroids, and 3) the fact that long-term effects observed in (epi) benthic arthropods may be better explained by exposure via the sediment than via overlying water. Besides including toxicity data for A. bahia, the protection level for pyrethroids can be improved by selecting both D. magna and Chironomus spp. as standard test species for chronic Tier-1 derivation. Although protective in the majority of cases, the conservativeness of the recommended chronic Tier-1 RACs appears to be less than an order of magnitude for a relatively large proportion of insecticides when compared with their Tier-3 ETO-RACs. This may leave limited options for refinement of the chronic effect assessment using laboratory toxicity data for additional species. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2016;12:747-758. © 2015 SETAC. © 2015 SETAC.

  6. Systematic Implementation of a Tier 2 Behavior Intervention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carter, Deborah Russell; Carter, Gabriel M.; Johnson, Evelyn S.; Pool, Juli L.

    2013-01-01

    Schools are increasingly adopting tiered models of prevention to meet the needs of diverse populations of students. This article outlines the steps involved in designing and implementing a systematic Tier 2 behavior intervention within a tiered service delivery model. An elementary school example is provided to outline the identification,…

  7. Estimating Implementation and Operational Costs of an Integrated Tiered CD4 Service including Laboratory and Point of Care Testing in a Remote Health District in South Africa

    PubMed Central

    Cassim, Naseem; Coetzee, Lindi M.; Schnippel, Kathryn; Glencross, Deborah K.

    2014-01-01

    Background An integrated tiered service delivery model (ITSDM) has been proposed to provide ‘full-coverage’ of CD4 services throughout South Africa. Five tiers are described, defined by testing volumes and number of referring health-facilities. These include: (1) Tier-1/decentralized point-of-care service (POC) in a single site; Tier-2/POC-hub servicing processing <30–40 samples from 8–10 health-clinics; Tier-3/Community laboratories servicing ∼50 health-clinics, processing <150 samples/day; high-volume centralized laboratories (Tier-4 and Tier-5) processing <300 or >600 samples/day and serving >100 or >200 health-clinics, respectively. The objective of this study was to establish costs of existing and ITSDM-tiers 1, 2 and 3 in a remote, under-serviced district in South Africa. Methods Historical health-facility workload volumes from the Pixley-ka-Seme district, and the total volumes of CD4 tests performed by the adjacent district referral CD4 laboratories, linked to locations of all referring clinics and related laboratory-to-result turn-around time (LTR-TAT) data, were extracted from the NHLS Corporate-Data-Warehouse for the period April-2012 to March-2013. Tiers were costed separately (as a cost-per-result) including equipment, staffing, reagents and test consumable costs. A one-way sensitivity analyses provided for changes in reagent price, test volumes and personnel time. Results The lowest cost-per-result was noted for the existing laboratory-based Tiers- 4 and 5 ($6.24 and $5.37 respectively), but with related increased LTR-TAT of >24–48 hours. Full service coverage with TAT <6-hours could be achieved with placement of twenty-seven Tier-1/POC or eight Tier-2/POC-hubs, at a cost-per-result of $32.32 and $15.88 respectively. A single district Tier-3 laboratory also ensured ‘full service coverage’ and <24 hour LTR-TAT for the district at $7.42 per-test. Conclusion Implementing a single Tier-3/community laboratory to extend and improve delivery of services in Pixley-ka-Seme, with an estimated local ∼12–24-hour LTR-TAT, is ∼$2 more than existing referred services per-test, but 2–4 fold cheaper than implementing eight Tier-2/POC-hubs or providing twenty-seven Tier-1/POCT CD4 services. PMID:25517412

  8. DSCOVR_EPIC_L2_AER_01

    Atmospheric Science Data Center

    2018-04-23

    DSCOVR_EPIC_L2_AER_01 The Aerosol UV product provides aerosol and UV products in three tiers. Tier 1 products include Absorbing Aerosol Index (AAI) and above-cloud-aerosol optical depth (ACAOD). Tier 2 ...

  9. 78 FR 69470 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; BATS Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-11-19

    ... in BATS Rule 11.13(a)(3)(H). Modifications to Definitions Used for Equities Pricing Tiers The... change to its definitions of ADV and TCV for purposes of BYX tiered pricing.\\13\\ \\12\\ Securities Exchange... strategies at the Exchange's affiliate, BATS Y-Exchange, Inc. (``BYX''); and (2) modify the way that, for...

  10. Modeling individual exposures to ambient PM2.5 in the diabetes and the environment panel study (DEPS).

    PubMed

    Breen, Michael; Xu, Yadong; Schneider, Alexandra; Williams, Ronald; Devlin, Robert

    2018-06-01

    Air pollution epidemiology studies of ambient fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) often use outdoor concentrations as exposure surrogates, which can induce exposure error. The goal of this study was to improve ambient PM 2.5 exposure assessments for a repeated measurements study with 22 diabetic individuals in central North Carolina called the Diabetes and Environment Panel Study (DEPS) by applying the Exposure Model for Individuals (EMI), which predicts five tiers of individual-level exposure metrics for ambient PM 2.5 using outdoor concentrations, questionnaires, weather, and time-location information. Using EMI, we linked a mechanistic air exchange rate (AER) model to a mass-balance PM 2.5 infiltration model to predict residential AER (Tier 1), infiltration factors (F inf_home , Tier 2), indoor concentrations (C in , Tier 3), personal exposure factors (F pex , Tier 4), and personal exposures (E, Tier 5) for ambient PM 2.5 . We applied EMI to predict daily PM 2.5 exposure metrics (Tiers 1-5) for 174 participant-days across the 13 months of DEPS. Individual model predictions were compared to a subset of daily measurements of F pex and E (Tiers 4-5) from the DEPS participants. Model-predicted F pex and E corresponded well to daily measurements with a median difference of 14% and 23%; respectively. Daily model predictions for all 174 days showed considerable temporal and house-to-house variability of AER, F inf_home , and C in (Tiers 1-3), and person-to-person variability of F pex and E (Tiers 4-5). Our study demonstrates the capability of predicting individual-level ambient PM 2.5 exposure metrics for an epidemiological study, in support of improving risk estimation. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  11. Proposed Tier 2 Screening Criteria and Tier 3 Field Procedures for Evaluation of Vapor Intrusion (ESTCP Cost and Performance Report)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-08-01

    Interstate Technology & Regulatory Council, Washington, DC, Copyright 2007. McHugh T.E., D.E. Hammond, T. Nickels , and B. Hartman. 2008. Use of...based corrective action have realized significant cost savings for their corrective action programs (Connor and McHugh , 2002). As described above...Groundwater (Tier 2) VOCs USEPA 8260B 40 mL VOA vial HCl 14 days Vapor (Tier 2 and Tier 3) Radon McHugh et al., 2008 500 mL Tedlar bag None 14

  12. 40 CFR Appendix I to Part 1042 - Summary of Previous Emission Standards

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ...: (a) Engines below 37 kW. Tier 1 and Tier 2 standards for engines below 37 kW apply as specified in 40... Engines Below 37 kW (g/kW-hr) Rated power (kW) Tier Model year NMHC + NOX CO PM kWTier 1 2000 10.5 8.0 1.0 Tier 2 2005 7.5 8.0 0.80 8≤kWTier 1 2000 9.5 6.6 0.80 Tier 2 2005 7.5 6.6 0.80 19≤kWTier...

  13. 24 CFR 203.605 - Loss mitigation performance.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... performance. (1) HUD will measure and advise mortgagees of their loss mitigation performance through the Tier... mitigation attempts, defaults, and claims. Based on the ratios, HUD will group mortgagees in four tiers (Tiers 1, 2, 3, and 4), with Tier 1 representing the highest or best ranking mortgagees and Tier 4...

  14. Examination of the Mechanisms Underlying Effectiveness of the Turtle Technique

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Drogan, Robin R.; Kern, Lee

    2014-01-01

    A significant number of young children exhibit challenging behaviors in preschool settings. A tiered framework of intervention has documented effectiveness in elementary and secondary schools, and recently has been extended to preschool settings. Although there is emerging research to support the effectiveness of Tier 1 (universal) and Tier 3…

  15. Structure of eukaryotic CMG helicase at a replication fork and implications to replisome architecture and origin initiation

    PubMed Central

    Georgescu, Roxana; Yuan, Zuanning; Bai, Lin; de Luna Almeida Santos, Ruda; Sun, Jingchuan; Zhang, Dan; Yurieva, Olga; Li, Huilin; O’Donnell, Michael E.

    2017-01-01

    The eukaryotic CMG (Cdc45, Mcm2–7, GINS) helicase consists of the Mcm2–7 hexameric ring along with five accessory factors. The Mcm2–7 heterohexamer, like other hexameric helicases, is shaped like a ring with two tiers, an N-tier ring composed of the N-terminal domains, and a C-tier of C-terminal domains; the C-tier contains the motor. In principle, either tier could translocate ahead of the other during movement on DNA. We have used cryo-EM single-particle 3D reconstruction to solve the structure of CMG in complex with a DNA fork. The duplex stem penetrates into the central channel of the N-tier and the unwound leading single-strand DNA traverses the channel through the N-tier into the C-tier motor, 5′-3′ through CMG. Therefore, the N-tier ring is pushed ahead by the C-tier ring during CMG translocation, opposite the currently accepted polarity. The polarity of the N-tier ahead of the C-tier places the leading Pol ε below CMG and Pol α-primase at the top of CMG at the replication fork. Surprisingly, the new N-tier to C-tier polarity of translocation reveals an unforeseen quality-control mechanism at the origin. Thus, upon assembly of head-to-head CMGs that encircle double-stranded DNA at the origin, the two CMGs must pass one another to leave the origin and both must remodel onto opposite strands of single-stranded DNA to do so. We propose that head-to-head motors may generate energy that underlies initial melting at the origin. PMID:28096349

  16. Early responses measured in the brachyuran crab Carcinus maenas exposed to carbamazepine and novobiocin: application of a 2-tier approach.

    PubMed

    Aguirre-Martínez, G V; Del Valls, T A; Martín-Díaz, M L

    2013-11-01

    One of the main consequences of the constant input of pharmaceuticals to the aquatic environment is that biota might develop unknown chronic effects, thus affecting their health even at low concentrations. The aim of this study is to evaluate the health status of Carcinus maenas employing a 2-tier approach, after 28 days of exposure to carbamazepine (CBZ) and novobiocin (NOV) at 0.1, 1, 10 and 50µgL(-1). Lysosomal membrane stability (LMS) is employed in tier 1. In tier 2 was applied a battery of biomarkers of exposure and effect (ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase (EROD), dibenzyl flourescein dealkylase (DBF), glutathione S-transferase (GST), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), lipid peroxidation (LPO) and DNA adducts) measured in gill, hepatopancreas, muscle and gonad tissues. Results show a dose-dependent effect. LMS in crabs exposed to environmental concentrations of pharmaceuticals was significantly lower compared to controls (p<0.05), indicating their stressed status. EROD activity was induced significantly (p<0.05) in all tissues by NOV (10-50µgL(-1)). DBF activity was induced significantly (p<0.05) in gill and hepatopancreas tissues by CBZ (10-50µgL(-1)). GST activity was activated in all tissues of crabs exposed to the highest concentrations tested (p<0.05). All tissues showed induction of GPX activity after exposure to selected drugs (p<0.05). LPO was activated in gill and hepatopancreas tissues by the pharmaceuticals at 50µgL(-1) (p<0.05). Crabs exposed to NOV (50µgL(-1)) presented DNA damage in gill and hepatopancreas tissues (p<0.05). Environmental concentrations of these pharmaceuticals have a measurable effect on the biomarkers studied. The 2-tier approach applied might be a suitable tool for the assessment of sublethal responses in crabs exposed to pharmaceuticals in the marine environment. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  17. Prioritizing pesticide compounds for analytical methods development

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Norman, Julia E.; Kuivila, Kathryn; Nowell, Lisa H.

    2012-01-01

    The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has a periodic need to re-evaluate pesticide compounds in terms of priorities for inclusion in monitoring and studies and, thus, must also assess the current analytical capabilities for pesticide detection. To meet this need, a strategy has been developed to prioritize pesticides and degradates for analytical methods development. Screening procedures were developed to separately prioritize pesticide compounds in water and sediment. The procedures evaluate pesticide compounds in existing USGS analytical methods for water and sediment and compounds for which recent agricultural-use information was available. Measured occurrence (detection frequency and concentrations) in water and sediment, predicted concentrations in water and predicted likelihood of occurrence in sediment, potential toxicity to aquatic life or humans, and priorities of other agencies or organizations, regulatory or otherwise, were considered. Several existing strategies for prioritizing chemicals for various purposes were reviewed, including those that identify and prioritize persistent, bioaccumulative, and toxic compounds, and those that determine candidates for future regulation of drinking-water contaminants. The systematic procedures developed and used in this study rely on concepts common to many previously established strategies. The evaluation of pesticide compounds resulted in the classification of compounds into three groups: Tier 1 for high priority compounds, Tier 2 for moderate priority compounds, and Tier 3 for low priority compounds. For water, a total of 247 pesticide compounds were classified as Tier 1 and, thus, are high priority for inclusion in analytical methods for monitoring and studies. Of these, about three-quarters are included in some USGS analytical method; however, many of these compounds are included on research methods that are expensive and for which there are few data on environmental samples. The remaining quarter of Tier 1 compounds are high priority as new analytes. The objective for analytical methods development is to design an integrated analytical strategy that includes as many of the Tier 1 pesticide compounds as possible in a relatively few, cost-effective methods. More than 60 percent of the Tier 1 compounds are high priority because they are anticipated to be present at concentrations approaching levels that could be of concern to human health or aquatic life in surface water or groundwater. An additional 17 percent of Tier 1 compounds were frequently detected in monitoring studies, but either were not measured at levels potentially relevant to humans or aquatic organisms, or do not have benchmarks available with which to compare concentrations. The remaining 21 percent are pesticide degradates that were included because their parent pesticides were in Tier 1. Tier 1 pesticide compounds for water span all major pesticide use groups and a diverse range of chemical classes, with herbicides and their degradates composing half of compounds. Many of the high priority pesticide compounds also are in several national regulatory programs for water, including those that are regulated in drinking water by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under the Safe Drinking Water Act and those that are on the latest Contaminant Candidate List. For sediment, a total of 175 pesticide compounds were classified as Tier 1 and, thus, are high priority for inclusion in analytical methods available for monitoring and studies. More than 60 percent of these compounds are included in some USGS analytical method; however, some are spread across several research methods that are expensive to perform, and monitoring data are not extensive for many compounds. The remaining Tier 1 compounds for sediment are high priority as new analytes. The objective for analytical methods development for sediment is to enhance an existing analytical method that currently includes nearly half of the pesticide compounds in Tier 1 by adding as many additional Tier 1 compounds as are analytically compatible. About 35 percent of the Tier 1 compounds for sediment are high priority on the basis of measured occurrence. A total of 74 compounds, or 42 percent, are high priority on the basis of predicted likelihood of occurrence according to physical-chemical properties, and either have potential toxicity to aquatic life, high pesticide useage, or both. The remaining 22 percent of Tier 1 pesticide compounds were either degradates of Tier 1 parent compounds or included for other reasons. As with water, the Tier 1 pesticide compounds for sediment are distributed across the major pesticide-use groups; insecticides and their degradates are the largest fraction, making up 45 percent of Tier 1. In contrast to water, organochlorines, at 17 percent, are the largest chemical class for Tier 1 in sediment, which is to be expected because there is continued widespread detection in sediments of persistent organochlorine pesticides and their degradates at concentrations high enough for potential effects on aquatic life. Compared to water, there are fewer available benchmarks with which to compare contaminant concentrations in sediment, but a total of 19 Tier 1 compounds have at least one sediment benchmark or screening value for aquatic organisms. Of the 175 compounds in Tier 1, 77 percent have high aquatic-life toxicity, as defined for this process. This evaluation of pesticides and degradates resulted in two lists of compounds that are priorities for USGS analytical methods development, one for water and one for sediment. These lists will be used as the basis for redesigning and enhancing USGS analytical capabilities for pesticides in order to capture as many high-priority pesticide compounds as possible using an economically feasible approach.

  18. A Systematic Review of the Empirical Support for Check-in Check-Out

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wolfe, Katie; Pyle, Daniel; Charlton, Cade T.; Sabey, Christian V.; Lund, Emily M.; Ross, Scott W.

    2016-01-01

    Tier 2 interventions play an important role within the Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports framework, bridging the gap between schoolwide Tier 1 interventions and individualized Tier 3 supports. Check-in Check-out (CICO) is a promising Tier 2 intervention for addressing mild problem behavior and potentially preventing the need for more…

  19. Tier 1 and Tier 2 Early Intervention for Handwriting and Composing

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Berninger, Virginia W.; Rutberg, Judith E.; Abbott, Robert D.; Garcia, Noelia; Anderson-Youngstrom, Marci; Brooks, Allison; Fulton, Cynthia

    2006-01-01

    Three studies evaluated Tier 1 early intervention for handwriting at a critical period for literacy development in first grade and one study evaluated Tier 2 early intervention in the critical period between third and fourth grades for composing on high stakes tests. The results contribute to knowledge of research-supported handwriting and…

  20. 30 CFR 57.5067 - Engines.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ...) light duty truck 0.1 g/mile. 40 CFR 86.094-11(a)(1)(iv)(B) heavy duty highway engine 0.1 g/bhp-hr. 40... g/bhp-hr). tier 1 8≤kWbhp-hr). tier 1 19≤kWbhp-hr). tier 2 37≤kWbhp-hr). tier 2 75≤kW<130...

  1. Single-tier testing with the C6 peptide ELISA kit compared with two-tier testing for Lyme disease.

    PubMed

    Wormser, Gary P; Schriefer, Martin; Aguero-Rosenfeld, Maria E; Levin, Andrew; Steere, Allen C; Nadelman, Robert B; Nowakowski, John; Marques, Adriana; Johnson, Barbara J B; Dumler, J Stephen

    2013-01-01

    For the diagnosis of Lyme disease, the 2-tier serologic testing protocol for Lyme disease has a number of shortcomings including low sensitivity in early disease; increased cost, time, and labor; and subjectivity in the interpretation of immunoblots. In this study, the diagnostic accuracy of a single-tier commercial C6 ELISA kit was compared with 2-tier testing. The results showed that the C6 ELISA was significantly more sensitive than 2-tier testing with sensitivities of 66.5% (95% confidence interval [CI] 61.7-71.1) and 35.2% (95% CI 30.6-40.1), respectively (P < 0.001) in 403 sera from patients with erythema migrans. The C6 ELISA had sensitivity statistically comparable to 2-tier testing in sera from Lyme disease patients with early neurologic manifestations (88.6% versus 77.3%, P = 0.13) or arthritis (98.3% versus 95.6%, P = 0.38). The specificities of C6 ELISA and 2-tier testing in over 2200 blood donors, patients with other conditions, and Lyme disease vaccine recipients were found to be 98.9% and 99.5%, respectively (P < 0.05, 95% CI surrounding the 0.6 percentage point difference of 0.04 to 1.15). In conclusion, using a reference standard of 2-tier testing, the C6 ELISA as a single-step serodiagnostic test provided increased sensitivity in early Lyme disease with comparable sensitivity in later manifestations of Lyme disease. The C6 ELISA had slightly decreased specificity. Future studies should evaluate the performance of the C6 ELISA compared with 2-tier testing in routine clinical practice. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. The ATLAS Tier-0: Overview and operational experience

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Elsing, Markus; Goossens, Luc; Nairz, Armin; Negri, Guido

    2010-04-01

    Within the ATLAS hierarchical, multi-tier computing infrastructure, the Tier-0 centre at CERN is mainly responsible for prompt processing of the raw data coming from the online DAQ system, to archive the raw and derived data on tape, to register the data with the relevant catalogues and to distribute them to the associated Tier-1 centers. The Tier-0 is already fully functional. It has been successfully participating in all cosmic and commissioning data taking since May 2007, and was ramped up to its foreseen full size, performance and throughput for the cosmic (and short single-beam) run periods between July and October 2008. Data and work flows for collision data taking were exercised in several "Full Dress Rehearsals" (FDRs) in the course of 2008. The transition from an expert to a shifter-based system was successfully established in July 2008. This article will give an overview of the Tier-0 system, its data and work flows, and operations model. It will review the operational experience gained in cosmic, commissioning, and FDR exercises during the past year. And it will give an outlook on planned developments and the evolution of the system towards first collision data taking expected now in late Autumn 2009.

  3. 50 CFR 660.211 - Fixed gear fishery-definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... vessel registered to a limited entry fixed gear permit(s) with a Tier 1, Tier 2, and/or Tier 3... fishery or sablefish tier limit fishery means, for the limited entry fixed gear sablefish fishery north of... tier limit and when they are not eligible to fish in the DTL fishery. Sablefish primary season means...

  4. Variations in patient response to tiered physician networks.

    PubMed

    Sinaiko, Anna D

    2016-06-01

    Prior studies found that tiered provider networks channel patients to preferred providers in certain contexts. This paper evaluates whether the effects of tiered physician networks vary for different types of patients. Cross-sectional analysis of fiscal year 2009 to 2010 administrative enrollment and claims data on nonelderly beneficiaries in Massachusetts Group Insurance Commission health plans. Main outcome measures are physician market share among new patients and the percent of physician's patients who switch away. We utilized estimated fixed effects linear regression models that were stratified by patient characteristics. Physicians with the worst tier rankings had lower market share among new patients who are older and sicker, or male, representing losses in market share of 10% and 15%, respectively, than other tiered physicians. A poor tier ranking did not affect physician market share of new patients who are female or younger. There was no effect of a physician's tier ranking on the proportion of patients who switch to other doctors among any groups of patients. Loyalty to their own physicians is pervasive across groups of patients. Physicians with poor tier rankings lost market share among new patients who are older and sicker, and among new male patients. Together, these findings suggest that tiered network designs have the potential for the greatest impact on value in healthcare over time, as more patients seek new relationships with physicians.

  5. Tier One Performance Screen Initial Operational Test and Evaluation: 2011 Interim Report

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-04-01

    Alexandria, Virginia 22314 8 . PERFORMING ORGANIZATION REPORT NUMBER 9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) U. S. Army Research...DISTRIBUTION OF MOS IN THE FULL SCHOOLHOUSE DATA FILE ............ 8 TABLE 2.3. BACKGROUND AND DEMOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TOPS SAMPLES...SCHOOLHOUSE SAMPLE ....................................................................................................................B-6 TABLE B. 8

  6. 7 CFR Appendix A to Subpart C of... - Model Form of Loan Contract for Electric Distribution Borrowers

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... financial ratios: (i) TIER of 1.25; (ii) Operating TIER of 1.1; (iii) DSC of 1.25; and Operating DSC of 1.1... Coverage Ratios Requirements. Section 5.5. Depreciation Rates. Section 5.6. Property Maintenance. Section 5.7. Financial Books. Section 5.8. Rights of Inspection. Section 5.9. Area Coverage. Section 5.10...

  7. 7 CFR Appendix A to Subpart C of... - Model Form of Loan Contract for Electric Distribution Borrowers

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... financial ratios: (i) TIER of 1.25; (ii) Operating TIER of 1.1; (iii) DSC of 1.25; and Operating DSC of 1.1... Coverage Ratios Requirements. Section 5.5. Depreciation Rates. Section 5.6. Property Maintenance. Section 5.7. Financial Books. Section 5.8. Rights of Inspection. Section 5.9. Area Coverage. Section 5.10...

  8. 7 CFR Appendix A to Subpart C of... - Model Form of Loan Contract for Electric Distribution Borrowers

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... financial ratios: (i) TIER of 1.25; (ii) Operating TIER of 1.1; (iii) DSC of 1.25; and Operating DSC of 1.1... Coverage Ratios Requirements. Section 5.5. Depreciation Rates. Section 5.6. Property Maintenance. Section 5.7. Financial Books. Section 5.8. Rights of Inspection. Section 5.9. Area Coverage. Section 5.10...

  9. 7 CFR Appendix A to Subpart C of... - Model Form of Loan Contract for Electric Distribution Borrowers

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... financial ratios: (i) TIER of 1.25; (ii) Operating TIER of 1.1; (iii) DSC of 1.25; and Operating DSC of 1.1... Coverage Ratios Requirements. Section 5.5. Depreciation Rates. Section 5.6. Property Maintenance. Section 5.7. Financial Books. Section 5.8. Rights of Inspection. Section 5.9. Area Coverage. Section 5.10...

  10. WMO summit on exchange of weather data may yield to status quo

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wakefield, Julie

    A stalemate may seal the stormy debate over the free exchange of weather data at the upcoming Congress of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) that begins May 26 in Geneva, U.S. officials say. The central conflict is how to maintain open access for academics while allowing government and industry players to have commercialism.European nations are pushing for a vote on a proposal to develop a two-tiered system for the exchange of international meteorological data. The first-tier data—to include mainly synoptic-scale information—would be freely exchanged internationally; distribution of the second-tier data would be regulated by guidelines established by WMO.

  11. Is the tier-1 effect assessment for herbicides protective for aquatic algae and vascular plant communities?

    PubMed

    van Wijngaarden, René P A; Arts, Gertie H P

    2018-01-01

    In the aquatic tier-1 effect assessment for plant protection products with an herbicidal mode of action in Europe, it is usually algae and/or vascular plants that determine the environmental risks. This tier includes tests with at least 2 algae and 1 macrophyte (Lemna). Although such tests are considered to be of a chronic nature (based on the duration of the test in relation to the life cycle of the organism), the measurement endpoints derived from the laboratory tests with plants (including algae) and used in the first-tier effect assessment for herbicides are acute effect concentrations affecting 50% of the test organisms (EC50 values) and not no-observed-effect concentrations (NOECs) or effect concentrations affecting 10% of the test organisms (EC10) values. Other European legislative frameworks (e.g., the Water Framework Directive) use EC10 values. The present study contributes to a validation of the tiered herbicide risk assessment approach by comparing the standard first-tier effect assessment with results of microcosm and mesocosm studies. We evaluated EC50 and EC10 values for standard test algae and macrophytes based on either the growth rate endpoint (E r C50) or the lowest available endpoint for growth rate or biomass/yield (E r /E y C50). These values were compared with the regulatory acceptable concentrations for the threshold option as derived from microcosm and mesocosm studies. For these studies, protection is maintained if growth rate is taken as the regulatory endpoint instead of the lowest value of either growth rate or biomass/yield in conjunction with the standard assessment factor of 10. Based on a limited data set of 14 herbicides, we did not identify a need to change the current practice. Environ Toxicol Chem 2018;37:175-183. © 2017 SETAC. © 2017 SETAC.

  12. Operationally Responsive Space: Creating Responsive Space for America

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2008-06-20

    programs. Items identified for improvement include: 1 ) Fractured management and accounting , 2 ) Satellite availability, 3) Facilities (Processing...enveloped by our three output tiers. The three tiers: • Tier 1 is an immediate response taking minutes to days. • Tier 2 is a mid term response taking...needs to improve. 2 . Develop a philosophy. 3. Set a direction with specific goals (Fuchs 1 -7). The Department of Space should follow these

  13. Examining the Predictive Validity of a Dynamic Assessment of Decoding to Forecast Response to Tier 2 Intervention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cho, Eunsoo; Compton, Donald L.; Fuchs, Douglas; Fuchs, Lynn S.; Bouton, Bobette

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the role of a dynamic assessment (DA) of decoding in predicting responsiveness to Tier 2 small-group tutoring in a response-to-intervention model. First grade students (n = 134) who did not show adequate progress in Tier 1 based on 6 weeks of progress monitoring received Tier 2 small-group tutoring in…

  14. Examining the Predictive Validity of a Dynamic Assessment of Decoding to Forecast Response Tier 2 to Intervention

    PubMed Central

    Cho, Eunsoo; Compton, Donald L.; Fuchs, Doug; Fuchs, Lynn S.; Bouton, Bobette

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the role of a dynamic assessment (DA) of decoding in predicting responsiveness to Tier 2 small group tutoring in a response-to-intervention model. First-grade students (n=134) who did not show adequate progress in Tier 1 based on 6 weeks of progress monitoring received Tier 2 small-group tutoring in reading for 14 weeks. Student responsiveness to Tier 2 was assessed weekly with word identification fluency (WIF). A series of conditional individual growth curve analyses were completed that modeled the correlates of WIF growth (final level of performance and growth). Its purpose was to examine the predictive validity of DA in the presence of 3 sets of variables: static decoding measures, Tier 1 responsiveness indicators, and pre-reading variables (phonemic awareness, rapid letter naming, oral vocabulary, and IQ). DA was a significant predictor of final level and growth, uniquely explaining 3% – 13% of the variance in Tier 2 responsiveness depending on the competing predictors in the model and WIF outcome (final level of performance or growth). Although the additional variances explained uniquely by DA were relatively small, results indicate the potential of DA in identifying Tier 2 nonresponders. PMID:23213050

  15. Examining the predictive validity of a dynamic assessment of decoding to forecast response to tier 2 intervention.

    PubMed

    Cho, Eunsoo; Compton, Donald L; Fuchs, Douglas; Fuchs, Lynn S; Bouton, Bobette

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the role of a dynamic assessment (DA) of decoding in predicting responsiveness to Tier 2 small-group tutoring in a response-to-intervention model. First grade students (n = 134) who did not show adequate progress in Tier 1 based on 6 weeks of progress monitoring received Tier 2 small-group tutoring in reading for 14 weeks. Student responsiveness to Tier 2 was assessed weekly with word identification fluency (WIF). A series of conditional individual growth curve analyses were completed that modeled the correlates of WIF growth (final level of performance and growth). Its purpose was to examine the predictive validity of DA in the presence of three sets of variables: static decoding measures, Tier 1 responsiveness indicators, and prereading variables (phonemic awareness, rapid letter naming, oral vocabulary, and IQ). DA was a significant predictor of final level and growth, uniquely explaining 3% to 13% of the variance in Tier 2 responsiveness depending on the competing predictors in the model and WIF outcome (final level of performance or growth). Although the additional variances explained uniquely by DA were relatively small, results indicate the potential of DA in identifying Tier 2 nonresponders. © Hammill Institute on Disabilities 2012.

  16. 78 FR 62903 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; EDGX Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-10-22

    ....0027 per share; (vi) lower the ADV threshold required to meet the MidPoint Match Volume Tier; and (vii...) lower the ADV threshold required to meet the MidPoint Match Volume Tier; and (vii) decrease the rebate... shares in average daily volume (``ADV'') on a daily basis, measured monthly; and (2) add at least 1,000...

  17. A Demonstration of Individualized Positive Behavior Support Interventions by Head Start Staff to Address Children's Challenging Behavior

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Voorhees, Mary D.; Walker, Virginia L.; Snell, Martha E.; Smith, Carol G.

    2013-01-01

    Following the implementation of Tier 1 and Tier 2 Positive Behavior Support (PBS) strategies in six Head Start (HS) classrooms, three children in two classrooms were identified who had significant behavioral challenges and met the criteria for the use of individualized PBS. The purpose of this demonstration was to evaluate whether the effects of…

  18. Achieving Potent Autologous Neutralizing Antibody Responses against Tier 2 HIV-1 Viruses by Strategic Selection of Envelope Immunogens.

    PubMed

    Hessell, Ann J; Malherbe, Delphine C; Pissani, Franco; McBurney, Sean; Krebs, Shelly J; Gomes, Michelle; Pandey, Shilpi; Sutton, William F; Burwitz, Benjamin J; Gray, Matthew; Robins, Harlan; Park, Byung S; Sacha, Jonah B; LaBranche, Celia C; Fuller, Deborah H; Montefiori, David C; Stamatatos, Leonidas; Sather, D Noah; Haigwood, Nancy L

    2016-04-01

    Advancement in immunogen selection and vaccine design that will rapidly elicit a protective Ab response is considered critical for HIV vaccine protective efficacy. Vaccine-elicited Ab responses must therefore have the capacity to prevent infection by neutralization-resistant phenotypes of transmitted/founder (T/F) viruses that establish infection in humans. Most vaccine candidates to date have been ineffective at generating Abs that neutralize T/F or early variants. In this study, we report that coimmunizing rhesus macaques with HIV-1 gp160 DNA and gp140 trimeric protein selected from native envelope gene sequences (envs) induced neutralizing Abs against Tier 2 autologous viruses expressing cognate envelope (Env). The Env immunogens were selected from envs emerging during the earliest stages of neutralization breadth developing within the first 2 years of infection in two clade B-infected human subjects. Moreover, the IgG responses in macaques emulated the targeting to specific regions of Env known to be associated with autologous and heterologous neutralizing Abs developed within the human subjects. Furthermore, we measured increasing affinity of macaque polyclonal IgG responses over the course of the immunization regimen that correlated with Tier 1 neutralization. In addition, we report firm correlations between Tier 2 autologous neutralization and Tier 1 heterologous neutralization, as well as overall TZM-bl breadth scores. Additionally, the activation of Env-specific follicular helper CD4 T cells in lymphocytes isolated from inguinal lymph nodes of vaccinated macaques correlated with Tier 2 autologous neutralization. These results demonstrate the potential for native Env derived from subjects at the time of neutralization broadening as effective HIV vaccine elements. Copyright © 2016 by The American Association of Immunologists, Inc.

  19. Positive youth development programs for adolescents with greater psychosocial needs: evaluation based on program implementers.

    PubMed

    Shek, Daniel T L; Ng, Catalina S M; Law, Moon Y M

    2017-02-01

    As program implementers' views are seldom included in program evaluation and there are few related studies in different Chinese communities, this study examined the perceptions of the program implementers who implemented the Tier 2 Program of the P.A.T.H.S. Program in Hong Kong. The Tier 2 Program was designed to promote the development of adolescents with greater psychosocial needs. In the community-based P.A.T.H.S. Project, 400 program implementers completed a subjective outcome evaluation form (Form D) for program implementers. Consistent with the previous findings, program implementers generally held positive views towards the program, implementers, and program effectiveness and their views towards these three domains did not differ across grades. In line with the hypotheses, perceived program quality and perceived implementer quality predicted program effectiveness. The present findings provided an alternative perspective showing that the Tier 2 Program was well received by the program implementers and they regarded the program to be beneficial to the program participants.

  20. 26 CFR 1.1248-7 - Taxpayer to establish earnings and profits and foreign taxes.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... shall also show for the first tier corporation, and for each lower tier corporation as to which...) of § 1.1248-2, and (iv) If the amount of earnings and profits of a lower tier corporation... lower tier corporation which the taxpayer owns within the meaning of section 958(a)(2)(b) the total...

  1. A Data-Driven Preschool PD Model for Literacy and Oral Language Instruction

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Abbott, Mary; Atwater, Jane; Lee, Younwoo; Edwards, Liesl

    2011-01-01

    The purpose of this article is to describe the professional development (PD) model for preschool literacy and language instruction that took place in a 3-year, 2-tiered Early Reading First project in 9 Head Start and community-based school classrooms. In our tiered model, the Tier 1 level was classroom instruction and Tier 2 was intervention…

  2. Role of ion-pair states in the predissociation dynamics of Rydberg states of molecular iodine.

    PubMed

    von Vangerow, J; Bogomolov, A S; Dozmorov, N V; Schomas, D; Stienkemeier, F; Baklanov, A V; Mudrich, M

    2016-07-28

    Using femtosecond pump-probe ion imaging spectroscopy, we establish the key role of I(+) + I(-) ion-pair (IP) states in the predissociation dynamics of molecular iodine I2 excited to Rydberg states. Two-photon excitation of Rydberg states lying above the lowest IP state dissociation threshold (1st tier) is found to be followed by direct parallel transitions into IP states of the 1st tier asymptotically correlating to a pair of I ions in their lowest states I(+)((3)P2) + I(-)((1)S0), of the 2nd tier correlating to I(+)((3)P0) + I(-)((1)S0), and of the 3rd tier correlating to I(+)((1)D2) + I(-)((1)S0). Predissociation via the 1st tier proceeds presumably with a delay of 1.6-1.7 ps which is close to the vibrational period in the 3rd tier state (3rd tier-mediated process). The 2nd tier IP state is concluded to be the main precursor for predissociation via lower lying Rydberg states proceeding with a characteristic time of 7-8 ps and giving rise to Rydberg atoms I(5s(2)5p(4)6s(1)). The channel generating I((2)P3/2) + I((2)P1/2) atoms with total kinetic energy corresponding to one-photon excitation is found to proceed via a pump - dump mechanism with dramatic change of angular anisotropy of this channel as compared with earlier nanosecond experiments.

  3. Regulatory Compliance in Multi-Tier Supplier Networks

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Goossen, Emray R.; Buster, Duke A.

    2014-01-01

    Over the years, avionics systems have increased in complexity to the point where 1st tier suppliers to an aircraft OEM find it financially beneficial to outsource designs of subsystems to 2nd tier and at times to 3rd tier suppliers. Combined with challenging schedule and budgetary pressures, the environment in which safety-critical systems are being developed introduces new hurdles for regulatory agencies and industry. This new environment of both complex systems and tiered development has raised concerns in the ability of the designers to ensure safety considerations are fully addressed throughout the tier levels. This has also raised questions about the sufficiency of current regulatory guidance to ensure: proper flow down of safety awareness, avionics application understanding at the lower tiers, OEM and 1st tier oversight practices, and capabilities of lower tier suppliers. Therefore, NASA established a research project to address Regulatory Compliance in a Multi-tier Supplier Network. This research was divided into three major study efforts: 1. Describe Modern Multi-tier Avionics Development 2. Identify Current Issues in Achieving Safety and Regulatory Compliance 3. Short-term/Long-term Recommendations Toward Higher Assurance Confidence This report presents our findings of the risks, weaknesses, and our recommendations. It also includes a collection of industry-identified risks, an assessment of guideline weaknesses related to multi-tier development of complex avionics systems, and a postulation of potential modifications to guidelines to close the identified risks and weaknesses.

  4. Effect of electronic prescribing with formulary decision support on medication tier, copayments, and adherence

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Medication non-adherence is prevalent. We assessed the effect of electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) with formulary decision support on preferred formulary tier usage, copayment, and concomitant adherence. Methods We retrospectively analyzed 14,682 initial pharmaceutical claims for angiotensin receptor blocker and inhaled steroid medications among 14,410 patients of 2189 primary care physicians (PCPs) who were offered e-prescribing with formulary decision support, including 297 PCPs who adopted it. Formulary decision support was initially non-interruptive, such that formulary tier symbols were displayed adjacent to medication names. Subsequently, interruptive formulary decision support alerts also interrupted e-prescribing when preferred-tier alternatives were available. A difference in differences design was used to compare the pre-post differences in medication tier for each new prescription attributed to non-adopters, low user (<30% usage rate), and high user PCPs (>30% usage rate). Second, we modeled the effect of formulary tier on prescription copayment. Last, we modeled the effect of copayment on adherence (proportion of days covered) to each new medication. Results Compared with non-adopters, high users of e-prescribing were more likely to prescribe preferred-tier medications (vs. non-preferred tier) when both non-interruptive and interruptive formulary decision support were in place (OR 1.9 [95% CI 1.0-3.4], p = 0.04), but no more likely to prescribe preferred-tier when only non-interruptive formulary decision support was in place (p = 0.90). Preferred-tier claims had only slightly lower mean monthly copayments than non-preferred tier claims (angiotensin receptor blocker: $10.60 versus $11.81, inhaled steroid: $14.86 versus $16.42, p < 0.0001). Medication possession ratio was 8% lower for each $1.00 increase in monthly copayment to the one quarter power (p < 0.0001). However, we detected no significant direct association between formulary decision support usage and adherence. Conclusion Interruptive formulary decision support shifted prescribing toward preferred tiers, but these medications were only minimally less expensive in the studied patient population. In this context, formulary decision support did not significantly increase adherence. To impact cost-related non-adherence, formulary decision support will likely need to be paired with complementary drug benefit design. Formulary decision support should be studied further, with particular attention to its effect on adherence in the setting of different benefit designs. PMID:25167807

  5. Effect of electronic prescribing with formulary decision support on medication tier, copayments, and adherence.

    PubMed

    Pevnick, Joshua M; Li, Ning; Asch, Steven M; Jackevicius, Cynthia A; Bell, Douglas S

    2014-08-28

    Medication non-adherence is prevalent. We assessed the effect of electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) with formulary decision support on preferred formulary tier usage, copayment, and concomitant adherence. We retrospectively analyzed 14,682 initial pharmaceutical claims for angiotensin receptor blocker and inhaled steroid medications among 14,410 patients of 2189 primary care physicians (PCPs) who were offered e-prescribing with formulary decision support, including 297 PCPs who adopted it. Formulary decision support was initially non-interruptive, such that formulary tier symbols were displayed adjacent to medication names. Subsequently, interruptive formulary decision support alerts also interrupted e-prescribing when preferred-tier alternatives were available. A difference in differences design was used to compare the pre-post differences in medication tier for each new prescription attributed to non-adopters, low user (<30% usage rate), and high user PCPs (>30% usage rate). Second, we modeled the effect of formulary tier on prescription copayment. Last, we modeled the effect of copayment on adherence (proportion of days covered) to each new medication. Compared with non-adopters, high users of e-prescribing were more likely to prescribe preferred-tier medications (vs. non-preferred tier) when both non-interruptive and interruptive formulary decision support were in place (OR 1.9 [95% CI 1.0-3.4], p = 0.04), but no more likely to prescribe preferred-tier when only non-interruptive formulary decision support was in place (p = 0.90). Preferred-tier claims had only slightly lower mean monthly copayments than non-preferred tier claims (angiotensin receptor blocker: $10.60 versus $11.81, inhaled steroid: $14.86 versus $16.42, p < 0.0001). Medication possession ratio was 8% lower for each $1.00 increase in monthly copayment to the one quarter power (p < 0.0001). However, we detected no significant direct association between formulary decision support usage and adherence. Interruptive formulary decision support shifted prescribing toward preferred tiers, but these medications were only minimally less expensive in the studied patient population. In this context, formulary decision support did not significantly increase adherence. To impact cost-related non-adherence, formulary decision support will likely need to be paired with complementary drug benefit design. Formulary decision support should be studied further, with particular attention to its effect on adherence in the setting of different benefit designs.

  6. An ecological risk assessment of the acute and chronic effects of the herbicide clopyralid to rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Fairchild, J.F.; Allert, A.L.; Feltz, K.P.; Nelson, K.J.; Valle, J.A.

    2009-01-01

    Clopyralid (3,6-dichloro-2-pyridinecarboxylic acid) is a pyridine herbicide frequently used to control invasive, noxious weeds in the northwestern United States. Clopyralid exhibits low acute toxicity to fish, including the rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss) and the threatened bull trout (Salvelinus confluentus). However, there are no published chronic toxicity data for clopyralid and fish that can be used in ecological risk assessments. We conducted 30-day chronic toxicity studies with juvenile rainbow trout exposed to the acid form of clopyralid. The 30-day maximum acceptable toxicant concentration (MATC) for growth, calculated as the geometric mean of the no observable effect concentration (68 mg/L) and the lowest observable effect concentration (136 mg/L), was 96 mg/L. No mortality was measured at the highest chronic concentration tested (273 mg/L). The acute:chronic ratio, calculated by dividing the previously published 96-h acutely lethal concentration (96-h ALC50; 700 mg/L) by the MATC was 7.3. Toxicity values were compared to a four-tiered exposure assessment profile assuming an application rate of 1.12 kg/ha. The Tier 1 exposure estimation, based on direct overspray of a 2-m deep pond, was 0.055 mg/L. The Tier 2 maximum exposure estimate, based on the Generic Exposure Estimate Concentration model (GEENEC), was 0.057 mg/L. The Tier 3 maximum exposure estimate, based on previously published results of the Groundwater Loading Effects of Agricultural Management Systems model (GLEAMS), was 0.073 mg/L. The Tier 4 exposure estimate, based on published edge-of-field monitoring data, was estimated at 0.008 mg/L. Comparison of toxicity data to estimated environmental concentrations of clopyralid indicates that the safety factor for rainbow trout exposed to clopyralid at labeled use rates exceeds 1000. Therefore, the herbicide presents little to no risk to rainbow trout or other salmonids such as the threatened bull trout. ?? 2009 US Government.

  7. 40 CFR 1033.102 - Transition to the standards of this part.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... Tier 0 and Tier 1 standards of § 1033.101 apply for new locomotives beginning January 1, 2010, except as specified in § 1033.150(a). The Tier 0 and Tier 1 standards of 40 CFR part 92 apply for earlier... locomotives beginning January 1, 2013. The Tier 2 standards of 40 CFR part 92 apply for earlier model years...

  8. 77 FR 9277 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Arca, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-02-16

    ... Change Amending the NYSE Arca Equities Fee Schedule Increasing the Indication of Interest Tier 1 Credit and the Tracking Order Tier 1 Credit for ETP Holders and Market Makers February 10, 2012. Pursuant to... Schedule'') to increase the indication of interest (``IOI'') Tier 1 credit and the Tracking Order Tier 1...

  9. HIV Neutralizing Antibodies Induced by Native-like Envelope Trimers

    PubMed Central

    Sanders, Rogier W.; van Gils, Marit J.; Derking, Ronald; Sok, Devin; Ketas, Thomas J.; Burger, Judith A.; Ozorowski, Gabriel; Cupo, Albert; Simonich, Cassandra; Goo, Leslie; Arendt, Heather; Kim, Helen J.; Lee, Jeong Hyun; Pugach, Pavel; Williams, Melissa; Debnath, Gargi; Moldt, Brian; van Breemen, Mariëlle J.; Isik, Gözde; Medina-Ramírez, Max; Back, Jaap Willem; Koff, Wayne; Julien, Jean-Philippe; Rakasz, Eva G.; Seaman, Michael S.; Guttman, Miklos; Lee, Kelly K.; Klasse, Per Johan; LaBranche, Celia; Schief, William R.; Wilson, Ian A.; Overbaugh, Julie; Burton, Dennis R.; Ward, Andrew B.; Montefiori, David C.; Dean, Hansi; Moore, John P.

    2015-01-01

    A challenge for HIV-1 immunogen design is inducing neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) against neutralization-resistant (Tier-2) viruses that dominate human transmissions. We show that a soluble recombinant HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein trimer that adopts a native conformation (BG505 SOSIP.664) induced NAbs potently against the sequence-matched Tier-2 virus in rabbits and similar but weaker responses in macaques. The trimer also consistently induced cross-reactive NAbs against more sensitive (Tier-1) viruses. Tier-2 NAbs recognized conformational epitopes that differed between animals and in some cases overlapped with those recognized by broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs), whereas Tier-1 responses targeted linear V3 epitopes. A second trimer, B41 SOSIP.664, also induced a strong autologous Tier-2 NAb response in rabbits. Thus, native-like trimers represent a promising starting point for developing HIV-1 vaccines aimed at inducing bNAbs. PMID:26089353

  10. Tier 1 and Tier 3 eAdjudication Business Rule Validation

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2018-04-01

    Approved for Public Distribution Defense Personnel and Security Research Center Office of People Analytics OPA-2018-038 PERSEREC-TR-18-06 April...Northrop Grumman Technology Services Leissa C. Nelson, Ph.D. Susan C. Reed Defense Personnel and Security Research Center Office of People Analytics...Defense Personnel and Security Research Center Office of People Analytics 400 Gigling Road, Seaside, CA 93955 OPA-2018-038 PERSEREC-TR-06 April

  11. 77 FR 42343 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Arca, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-07-18

    ... market maker executions (except SPY) in SPY Base ($0.32) ($0.34) Tier 1 30,000 Contracts from ($0.34) ($0.36) Market Maker Posted Orders in Penny Pilot Issues. Tier 2 80,000 Contracts from ($0.38) ($0.40... would receive a credit of $0.34 per contract for posted electronic executions in non-SPY Penny Pilot...

  12. The Effects of Tier 2 Intervention on the Mathematics Performance of First-Grade Students Who Are at Risk for Mathematics Difficulties

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bryant, Diane Pedrotty; Bryant, Brian R.; Gersten, Russell M.; Scammacca, Nancy N.; Funk, Catherine; Winter, Amanda; Shih, Minyi; Pool, Cathy

    2008-01-01

    Responsiveness to Intervention (RtI) is recommended both as an essential step before identifying learning disabilities (LD) and as a mechanism for preventing learning difficulties. The use of evidence-based multi-tiered interventions is of critical importance when implementing RtI. This article presents the results of a study that examined the…

  13. Comparing a Behavioral Check-In/Check-Out (CICO) Intervention to Standard Practice in an Urban Middle School Setting Using an Experimental Group Design

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Simonsen, Brandi; Myers, Diane; Briere, Donald E., III

    2011-01-01

    Students who continue to demonstrate at-risk behaviors after a school implements schoolwide primary (Tier 1) interventions require targeted-group secondary (Tier 2) interventions. This study was conducted to compare the effectiveness of a targeted-group behavioral check-in/check-out (CICO) intervention with the school's standard practice (SP) with…

  14. The effect of three-tier formulary adoption on medication continuation and spending among elderly retirees.

    PubMed

    Huskamp, Haiden A; Deverka, Patricia A; Landrum, Mary Beth; Epstein, Robert S; McGuigan, Kimberly A

    2007-10-01

    To assess the effect of three-tier formulary adoption on medication continuation and spending among elderly members of retiree health plans. Pharmacy claims and enrollment data on elderly members of four retiree plans that adopted a three-tier formulary over the period July 1999 through December 2002 and two comparison plans that maintained a two-tier formulary during this period. We used a quasi-experimental design to compare the experience of enrollees in intervention and comparison plans. We used propensity score methods to match intervention and comparison users of each drug class and plan. We estimated repeated measures regression models for each class/plan combination for medication continuation and monthly plan, enrollee, and total spending. We estimated logit models of the probability of nonpersistent use, medication discontinuation, and medication changes. We used pharmacy claims to create person-level drug utilization and spending files for the year before and year after three-tier adoption. Three-tier formulary adoption resulted in shifting of costs from plan to enrollee, with relatively small effects on medication continuation. Although implementation had little effect on continuation on average, a small minority of patients were more likely to have gaps in use and discontinue use relative to comparison patients. Moderate cost sharing increases from three-tier formulary adoption had little effect on medication continuation among elderly enrolled in retiree health plans with relatively generous drug coverage.

  15. The rising prevalence of severe poverty in America: a growing threat to public health.

    PubMed

    Woolf, Steven H; Johnson, Robert E; Geiger, H Jack

    2006-10-01

    The U.S. poverty rate has increased since 2000, but the depth of poverty experienced by Americans has been inadequately studied. Of particular concern is whether severe poverty is increasing, a trend that would carry important public health implications. Income-to-poverty (I/P) ratios and income deficits/surpluses were examined for the 1990-2004 period. The severely poor, moderately poor, and near-poor were classified as those with I/P ratios of less than 0.5, 0.5 to 1.0, or 1.0 to 2.0, respectively. Income deficits/surpluses were classified relative to the poverty threshold as Tier I (deficit Dollars 8000 or more), Tier II (deficit or surplus less than Dollars 8000), or Tier III (surplus more than Dollars 8000). Odds ratios for severe poverty and Tier I were also calculated. Severe poverty increased between 2000 and 2004-those with I/P ratios of less than 0.5 grew by 20%, and Tier I grew by 45% to 55%-while the prevalence of higher levels of income diminished. The population in severe poverty was over-represented by children (odds ratio [OR] = 1.69, confidence interval [CI] = 1.63-1.75), African Americans (OR = 2.84, CI = 2.74-2.95), and Hispanics (OR = 1.64, CI = 1.58-1.71). From 2000 to 2004, the prevalence of severe poverty increased sharply while the proportion of Americans in higher income tiers diminished. These trends have broad societal implications. Likely health consequences include a higher prevalence of chronic illnesses, more frequent and severe disease complications, and increased demands and costs for healthcare services. Adverse effects on children warrant special concern. The growth in the number of Americans living in poverty calls for the re-examination of policies enacted in recent years to foster economic progress.

  16. Simple Objective Detection of Human Lyme Disease Infection Using Immuno-PCR and a Single Recombinant Hybrid Antigen

    PubMed Central

    Halpern, Micah D.; Molins, Claudia R.; Schriefer, Martin

    2014-01-01

    A serology-based tiered approach has, to date, provided the most effective means of laboratory confirmation of clinically suspected cases of Lyme disease, but it lacks sensitivity in the early stages of disease and is often dependent on subjectively scored immunoblots. We recently demonstrated the use of immuno-PCR (iPCR) for detecting Borrelia burgdorferi antibodies in patient serum samples that were positive for Lyme disease. To better understand the performance of the Lyme disease iPCR assay, the repeatability and variability of the background of the assay across samples from a healthy population (n = 36) were analyzed. Both of these parameters were found to have coefficients of variation of <3%. Using eight antigen-specific iPCR assays and positive call thresholds established for each assay, iPCR IgM and/or IgG diagnosis from Lyme disease patient serum samples (n = 12) demonstrated a strong correlation with that of 2-tier testing. Furthermore, a simplified iPCR approach using a single hybrid antigen and detecting only IgG antibodies confirmed the 2-tier diagnosis in the Lyme disease patient serum samples (n = 12). Validation of the hybrid antigen IgG iPCR assay using a blinded panel of Lyme disease and non-Lyme disease patient serum samples (n = 92) resulted in a sensitivity of 69% (95% confidence interval [CI], 50% to 84%), compared to that of the 2-tier analysis at 59% (95% CI, 41% to 76%), and a specificity of 98% (95% CI, 91% to 100%) compared to that of the 2-tier analysis at 97% (95% CI, 88% to 100%). A single-tier hybrid antigen iPCR assay has the potential to be an improved method for detecting host-generated antibodies against B. burgdorferi. PMID:24899074

  17. 40 CFR 92.305 - Credit generation and use calculation.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... and Tier 1 PM line-haul credits; Std=0.59 g/kW-hr, for Tier 0 and Tier 1 PM switch credits; and Std.... For Tier 1 and Tier 2 engine families, the FEL may not exceed the limit established in § 92.304(k) for...). Consistent units are to be used throughout the calculation. (1) When useful life is expressed in terms of...

  18. To Wait in Tier 1 or Intervene Immediately: A Randomized Experiment Examining First Grade Response to Intervention (RTI) in Reading

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Al Otaiba, Stephanie; Connor, Carol M.; Folsom, Jessica S.; Wanzek, Jeanne; Greulich, Luana; Schatschneider, Christopher; Wagner, Richard K.

    2015-01-01

    This randomized control study compares the efficacy of two response-to-intervention (RTI) models: (1) Dynamic RTI, which immediately refers grade 1 students with the weakest skills to the most intensive intervention supports (Tier 2 or Tier 3); and (2) Typical RTI, which starts all students in Tier 1 and after 8 weeks, decides whether students who…

  19. Developing the Capacity to Implement Tier 2 and Tier 3 Supports: How Do We Support Our Faculty and Staff in Preparing for Sustainability?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oakes, Wendy Peia; Lane, Kathleen Lynne; Germer, Kathryn A.

    2014-01-01

    School-site and district-level leadership teams rely on the existing knowledge base to select, implement, and evaluate evidence-based practices meeting students' multiple needs within the context of multitiered systems of support. The authors focus on the stages of implementation science as applied to Tier 2 and Tier 3 supports; the…

  20. 75 FR 20413 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Arca, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of a...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-04-19

    ... volume levels in non-Premium Tier Penny Pilot issues. This new tiered pricing structure will replace the.... The Exchange also proposes to introduce a Premium Tier for electronic transactions in certain Penny..., UNG, FAZ, DIA, GDX, and USO will qualify for the Premium Tier, and will receive an additional $.05 per...

  1. 75 FR 39301 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-07-08

    ...,000 contracts. Payments would be made at the stated rate for each tier for those contracts that fall... increasing the per contract rate on the Tier II and Tier III levels. The Exchange still continues to afford the members [sic] organizations who transact volume in Tier I a benefit as well. Amending the...

  2. Effects of a Response-Based, Tiered Framework for Intervening with Struggling Readers in Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Roberts, Greg; Vaughn, Sharon; Fletcher, Jack; Stuebing, Karla; Barth, Amy

    2013-01-01

    This study addressed the effects of multiyear, response-based, tiered intervention for struggling readers in grades 6-8. A sample of 768 sixth-grade students with reading difficulties was randomized to a response-based, tiered-intervention condition or "business as usual," and initial treatment status was maintained over the three-year…

  3. LHCNet: Wide Area Networking and Collaborative Systems for HEP

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

    Newman, H.B,

    2007-08-20

    This proposal presents the status and progress in 2006-7, and the technical and financial plans for 2008-2010 for the US LHCNet transatlantic network supporting U.S. participation in the LHC physics program. US LHCNet provides transatlantic connections of the Tier1 computing facilities at Fermilab and Brookhaven with the Tier0 and Tier1 facilities at CERN as well as Tier1s elsewhere in Europe and Asia. Together with ESnet, Internet2, the GEANT pan-European network, and NSF’s UltraLight project, US LHCNet also supports connections between the Tier2 centers (where most of the analysis of the data will take place, starting this year) and the Tier1smore » as needed.See report« less

  4. Collective screening tools for early identification of dyslexia

    PubMed Central

    Andrade, Olga V. C. A.; Andrade, Paulo E.; Capellini, Simone A.

    2015-01-01

    Current response to intervention models (RTIs) favor a three-tier system. In general, Tier 1 consists of evidence-based, effective reading instruction in the classroom and universal screening of all students at the beginning of the grade level to identify children for early intervention. Non-responders to Tier 1 receive small-group tutoring in Tier 2. Non-responders to Tier 2 are given still more intensive, individual intervention in Tier 3. Limited time, personnel and financial resources derail RTI’s implementation in Brazilian schools because this approach involves procedures that require extra time and extra personnel in all three tiers, including screening tools which normally consist of tasks administered individually. We explored the accuracy of collectively and easily administered screening tools for the early identification of second graders at risk for dyslexia in a two-stage screening model. A first-stage universal screening based on collectively administered curriculum-based measurements was used in 45 7 years old early Portuguese readers from 4 second-grade classrooms at the beginning of the school year and identified an at-risk group of 13 academic low-achievers. Collectively administered tasks based on phonological judgments by matching figures and figures to spoken words [alternative tools for educators (ATE)] and a comprehensive cognitive-linguistic battery of collective and individual assessments were both administered to all children and constituted the second-stage screening. Low-achievement on ATE tasks and on collectively administered writing tasks (scores at the 25th percentile) showed good sensitivity (true positives) and specificity (true negatives) to poor literacy status defined as scores ≤1 SD below the mean on literacy abilities at the end of fifth grade. These results provide implications for the use of a collectively administered screening tool for the early identification of children at risk for dyslexia in a classroom setting. PMID:25667575

  5. A comparison of Tier 1 and Tier 3 medical homes under Oklahoma Medicaid program.

    PubMed

    Kumar, Jay I; Anthony, Melody; Crawford, Steven A; Arky, Ronald A; Bitton, Asaf; Splinter, Garth L

    2014-04-01

    The patient-centered medical home (PCMH) is a team-based model of care that seeks to improve quality of care and control costs. The Oklahoma Health Care Authority (OHCA) directs Oklahoma's Medicaid program and contracts with 861 medical home practices across the state in one of three tiers of operational capacity: Tier 1 (Basic), Tier 2 (Advanced) and Tier 3 (Optimal). Only 13.5% (n = 116) homes are at the optimal level; the majority (59%, n = 508) at the basic level. In this study, we sought to determine the barriers that prevented Tier 1 homes from advancing to Tier 3 level and the incentives that would motivate providers to advance from Tier 1 to 3. Our hypotheses were that Tier 1 medical homes were located in smaller practices with limited resources and the providers are not convinced that the expense of advancing from Tier 1 status to Tier 3 status was worth the added value. We analyzed OHCA records to compare the 508 Tier 1 (entry-level) with 116 Tier 3 (optimal) medical homes for demographic differences with regards to location: urban or rural, duration as medical home, percentage of contracts that were group contracts, number of providers per group contract, panel age range, panel size, and member-provider ratio. We surveyed all 508 Tier 1 homes with a mail-in survey, and with focused follow up visits to identify the barriers to, and incentives for, upgrading from Tier 1 to Tier 2 or 3. We found that Tier 1 homes were more likely to be in rural areas, run by solo practitioners, serve exclusively adult panels, have smaller panel sizes, and have higher member-to-provider ratios in comparison with Tier 3 homes. Our survey had a 35% response rate. Results showed that the most difficult changes for Tier 1 homes to implement were providing 4 hours of after-hours care and a dedicated program for mental illness and substance abuse. The results also showed that the most compelling incentives for encouraging Tier 1 homes to upgrade their tier status were less"red tape"with prior authorizations, higher pay, and help with panel member follow-up. Multiple interventions may help medical homes in Oklahoma advance from the basic to the optimal level such as sharing of resources among nearby practices, expansion of OHCA online resources to help with preauthorizations and patient follow up, and the generation and transmission of data on the benefits of medical homes.

  6. Newborn Screening for Vitamin B6 Non-responsive Classical Homocystinuria: Systematical Evaluation of a Two-Tier Strategy.

    PubMed

    Okun, Jürgen G; Gan-Schreier, Hongying; Ben-Omran, Tawfeq; Schmidt, Kathrin V; Fang-Hoffmann, Junmin; Gramer, Gwendolyn; Abdoh, Ghassan; Shahbeck, Noora; Al Rifai, Hilal; Al Khal, Abdul Latif; Haege, Gisela; Chiang, Chuan-Chi; Kasper, David C; Wilcken, Bridget; Burgard, Peter; Hoffmann, Georg F

    2017-01-01

    In classical homocystinuria (HCU, MIM# 236200) due to the deficiency of cystathionine β-synthase (EC 4.2.1.22) there is a clear evidence for the success of early treatment. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a two-tier strategy for HCU newborn screening. We reevaluated data from our newborn screening programme for Qatar in a total number of 125,047 neonates including 30 confirmed HCU patients. Our hitherto existing screening strategy includes homocysteine (Hcy) measurements in every child, resulting in a unique dataset for evaluation of two-tier strategies. Reevaluation included methionine (Met) levels, Met to phenylalanine (Phe) ratio, and Hcy. Four HCU cases identified after database closure were also included in the evaluation. In addition, dried blood spot samples selected by Met values >P97 in the newborn screening programs in Austria, Australia, the Netherlands, and Taiwan were analyzed for Hcy. Met to Phe ratio was found to be more effective for first sieve than Met, sorting out nearly 90% of normal samples. Only 10% of the samples would have to be processed by second-tier measurement of Hcy in dried blood spots. As no patient with HCU was found neither in the samples investigated for HCU, nor by clinical diagnosis in the other countries, the generalization of our two-tier strategy could only be tested indirectly. The finally derived two-tier algorithm using Met to Phe ratio as first- and Hcy as second-tier requires 10% first-tier positives to be transferred to Hcy measurement, resulting in 100% sensitivity and specificity in HCU newborn screening.

  7. The effect of a three-tier formulary on antidepressant utilization and expenditures.

    PubMed

    Hodgkin, Dominic; Parks Thomas, Cindy; Simoni-Wastila, Linda; Ritter, Grant A; Lee, Sue

    2008-06-01

    Health plans in the United States are struggling to contain rapid growth in their spending on medications. They have responded by implementing multi-tiered formularies, which label certain brand medications 'non-preferred' and require higher patient copayments for those medications. This multi-tier policy relies on patients' willingness to switch medications in response to copayment differentials. The antidepressant class has certain characteristics that may pose problems for implementation of three-tier formularies, such as differences in which medication works for which patient, and high rates of medication discontinuation. To measure the effect of a three-tier formulary on antidepressant utilization and spending, including decomposing spending allocations between patient and plan. We use claims and eligibility files for a large, mature nonprofit managed care organization that started introducing its three-tier formulary on January 1, 2000, with a staggered implementation across employer groups. The sample includes 109,686 individuals who were continuously enrolled members during the study period. We use a pretest-posttest quasi-experimental design that includes a comparison group, comprising members whose employer had not adopted three-tier as of March 1, 2000. This permits some control for potentially confounding changes that could have coincided with three-tier implementation. For the antidepressants that became nonpreferred, prescriptions per enrollee decreased 11% in the three-tier group and increased 5% in the comparison group. The own-copay elasticity of demand for nonpreferred drugs can be approximated as -0.11. Difference-in-differences regression finds that the three-tier formulary slowed the growth in the probability of using antidepressants in the post-period, which was 0.3 percentage points lower than it would have been without three-tier. The three-tier formulary also increased out-of-pocket payments while reducing plan payments and total spending. The results indicate that the plan enrollees were somewhat responsive to the changed incentives, shifting away from the drugs that became nonpreferred. However, the intervention also resulted in cost-shifting from plan to enrollees, indicating some price-inelasticity. The reduction in the proportion of enrollees filling any prescriptions contrasts with results of prior studies for non-psychotropic drug classes. Limitations include the possibility of confounding changes coinciding with three-tier implementation (if they affected the two groups differentially); restriction to continuous enrollees; and lack of data on rebates the plan paid to drug manufacturers. The results of this study suggest that the impact of the three-tier formulary approach may be somewhat different for antidepressants than for some other classes. Policymakers should monitor the effects of three-tier programs on utilization in psychotropic medication classes. Future studies should seek to understand the reasons for patients' limited response to the change in incentives, perhaps using physician and/or patient surveys. Studies should also examine the effects of three-tier programs on patient adherence, quality of care, and clinical and economic outcomes.

  8. 76 FR 11381 - Magnuson-Stevens Act Provisions; Fisheries Off West Coast States; Pacific Coast Groundfish...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-03-02

    ... calculate the fixed gear primary sablefish fishery tier limits for 2011 at a level that will reduce concerns..., 2011, NMFS is implementing the following decrease in the annual tier limits for sablefish for 2011 and beyond: From Tier 1 at 56,081-lb (25,437 kg), Tier 2 at 25,492-lb (11,562 kg), and Tier 3 at 14,567-lb (6...

  9. 26 CFR 1.1503-2 - Dual consolidated loss.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... tiers of separate units. If a separate unit of a domestic corporation is owned indirectly through... upper-tier separate unit were a subsidiary of the domestic corporation and the lower-tier separate unit were a lower-tier subsidiary. (4) Examples. The following examples illustrate the application of this...

  10. 38 CFR 36.4318 - Servicer tier ranking-temporary procedures.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 38 Pensions, Bonuses, and Veterans' Relief 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Servicer tier ranking... § 36.4318 Servicer tier ranking—temporary procedures. (a) The Secretary shall assign to each servicer a “Tier Ranking” based upon the servicer's performance in servicing guaranteed loans. There shall be four...

  11. Effect of electronic prescribing with formulary decision support on medication use and cost.

    PubMed

    Fischer, Michael A; Vogeli, Christine; Stedman, Margaret; Ferris, Timothy; Brookhart, M Alan; Weissman, Joel S

    2008-12-08

    Electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) with formulary decision support (FDS) prompts prescribers to prescribe lower-cost medications and may help contain health care costs. In April 2004, 2 large Massachusetts insurers began providing an e-prescribing system with FDS to community-based practices. Using 18 months (October 1, 2003, to March 31, 2005) of administrative data, we conducted a pre-post study with concurrent controls. We first compared the change in the proportion of prescriptions for 3 formulary tiers before and after e-prescribing began, then developed multivariate longitudinal models to estimate the specific effect of e-prescribing when controlling for baseline differences between intervention and control prescribers. Potential savings were estimated using average medication costs by formulary tier. More than 1.5 million patients filled 17.4 million prescriptions during the study period. Multivariate models controlling for baseline differences between prescribers and for changes over time estimated that e-prescribing corresponded to a 3.3% increase (95% confidence interval, 2.7%-4.0%) in tier 1 prescribing. The proportion of prescriptions for tiers 2 and 3 (brand-name medications) decreased correspondingly. e-Prescriptions accounted for 20% of filled prescriptions in the intervention group. Based on average costs for private insurers, we estimated that e-prescribing with FDS at this rate could result in savings of $845,000 per 100,000 patients. Higher levels of e-prescribing use would increase these savings. Clinicians using e-prescribing with FDS were significantly more likely to prescribe tier 1 medications, and the potential financial savings were substantial. Widespread use of e-prescribing systems with FDS could result in reduced spending on medications.

  12. Cross-species extrapolation of toxicity information using the ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    In the United States, the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP) was established to identify chemicals that may lead to adverse effects via perturbation of the endocrine system (i.e., estrogen, androgen, and thyroid hormone systems). In the mid-1990s the EDSP adopted a two tiered approach for screening chemicals that applied standardized in vitro and in vivo toxicity tests. The Tier 1 screening assays were designed to identify substances that have the potential of interacting with the endocrine system and Tier 2 testing was developed to identify adverse effects caused by the chemical, with documentation of dose-response relationships. While this tiered approach was effective in identifying possible endocrine disrupting chemicals, the cost and time to screen a single chemical was significant. Therefore, in 2012 the EDSP proposed a transition to make greater use of computational approaches (in silico) and high-throughput screening (HTS; in vitro) assays to more rapidly and cost-efficiently screen chemicals for endocrine activity. This transition from resource intensive, primarily in vivo, screening methods to more pathway-based approaches aligns with the simultaneously occurring transformation in toxicity testing termed “Toxicity Testing in the 21st Century” which shifts the focus to the disturbance of the biological pathway predictive of the observable toxic effects. An example of such screening tools include the US Environmental Protection Agency’s

  13. Anatomy of a decision II: Potential effects of changes to Tier I chemical approaches in Canadian Disposal at Sea program sediment assessment protocols.

    PubMed

    Apitz, Sabine E; Agius, Suzanne

    2017-11-01

    The effects of possible changes to the Canadian 2-tiered assessment framework for dredged material based on outcomes of the 2006 Contaminated Dredged Material Management Decisions Workshop (CDMMD) are evaluated. Expanding on the "data mining" approach described in a previous paper, which focused solely on chemical lines of evidence, the efficacy of Tier 1 approaches (increases to the number of chemical analytes, use of mean hazard quotients, and the use of a screening bioassay) in predicting toxicity are evaluated. Results suggest value in additional work to evaluate the following areas: 1) further expanding minimum chemical requirements, 2) using more advanced approaches for chemical interpretation, and 3) using a screening-level bioassay (e.g., Canadian solid-phase photoluminescent bacteria test) to determine whether it would complement Tier 1 chemistry as well as or better than the solvent-based Microtox™ test method evaluated in the present study. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2017;13:1072-1085. © 2017 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC). © 2017 The Authors. Integrated Environmental Assessment and Management published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of Society of Environmental Toxicology & Chemistry (SETAC).

  14. Reported Effects of the SRTR 5-tier Rating System on US Transplant Centers: Results of a National Survey.

    PubMed

    Van Pilsum Rasmussen, Sarah E; Thomas, Alvin G; Garonzik-Wang, Jacqueline; Henderson, Macey L; Stith, Sarah S; Segev, Dorry L; Hersch Nicholas, Lauren

    2018-05-26

    In the US, the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) provides publicly available quality report cards. These reports have historically rated transplant programs using a 3-tier system. In 2016, the SRTR temporarily transitioned to a 5-tier system, which classified more programs as under-performing. As part of a larger survey about transplant quality metrics, we surveyed members of the American Society of Transplant Surgeons and American Society of Transplantation (N = 280 respondents) on transplant center experiences with patient and payer responses to the 5-tier SRTR ratings. Over half of respondents (n=137, 52.1%) reported ≥1 negative effect of the new 5-tier ranking system, including losing patients, losing insurers, increased concern among patients, and increased concern among referring providers. Few respondents (n=35, 13.7%) reported any positive effects of the 5-tier ranking system. Lower SRTR-reported scores on the 5-tier scale were associated with increased risk of reporting at least one negative effect in a logistic model (p<0.01). The change to a more granular rating system provoked an immediate response in the transplant community that may have long-term implications for transplant hospital finances and patient options for transplantation. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

  15. Genomic sequencing in cystic fibrosis newborn screening: what works best, two-tier predefined CFTR mutation panels or second-tier CFTR panel followed by third-tier sequencing?

    PubMed

    Currier, Robert J; Sciortino, Stan; Liu, Ruiling; Bishop, Tracey; Alikhani Koupaei, Rasoul; Feuchtbaum, Lisa

    2017-10-01

    PurposeThe purpose of this study was to model the performance of several known two-tier, predefined mutation panels and three-tier algorithms for cystic fibrosis (CF) screening utilizing the ethnically diverse California population.MethodsThe cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) mutations identified among the 317 CF cases in California screened between 12 August 2008 and 18 December 2012 were used to compare the expected CF detection rates for several two- and three-tier screening approaches, including the current California approach, which consists of a population-specific 40-mutation panel followed by third-tier sequencing when indicated.ResultsThe data show that the strategy of using third-tier sequencing improves CF detection following an initial elevated immunoreactive trypsinogen and detection of only one mutation on a second-tier panel.ConclusionIn a diverse population, the use of a second-tier panel followed by third-tier CFTR gene sequencing provides a better detection rate for CF, compared with the use of a second-tier approach alone, and is an effective way to minimize the referrals of CF carriers for sweat testing. Restricting screening to a second-tier testing to predefined mutation panels, even broad ones, results in some missed CF cases and demonstrates the limited utility of this approach in states that have diverse multiethnic populations.

  16. Neutralization tiers of HIV-1

    PubMed Central

    Montefiori, David C.; Roederer, Mario; Morris, Lynn; Seaman, Michael S.

    2018-01-01

    Purpose of review HIV-1 isolates are often classified on the basis of neutralization ‘tier’ phenotype. Tier classification has important implications for the monitoring and interpretation of vaccine-elicited neutralizing antibody responses. The molecular basis that distinguishes the multiple neutralization phenotypes of HIV-1 has been unclear. We present a model based on the dynamic nature of the HIV-1 envelope glycoproteins and its impact on epitope exposure. We also describe a new approach for ranking HIV-1 vaccine-elicited neutralizing antibody responses. Recent findings The unliganded trimeric HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein spike spontaneously transitions through at least three conformations. Neutralization tier phenotypes correspond to the frequency by which the trimer exists in a closed (tiers 2 and 3), open (tier 1A), or intermediate (tier 1B) conformation. An increasing number of epitopes become exposed as the trimer opens, making the virus more sensitive to neutralization by certain antibodies. The closed conformation is stabilized by many broadly neutralizing antibodies. Summary The tier 2 neutralization phenotype is typical of most circulating strains and is associated with a predominantly closed Env trimer configuration that is a high priority to target with vaccines. Assays with tier 1A viruses should be interpreted with caution and with the understanding that they detect many antibody specificities that do not neutralize tier 2 viruses and do not protect against HIV-1 infection. PMID:29266013

  17. The Effect of Three-Tier Formulary Adoption on Medication Continuation and Spending among Elderly Retirees

    PubMed Central

    Huskamp, Haiden A; Deverka, Patricia A; Landrum, Mary Beth; Epstein, Robert S; McGuigan, Kimberly A

    2007-01-01

    Objective To assess the effect of three-tier formulary adoption on medication continuation and spending among elderly members of retiree health plans. Data Sources Pharmacy claims and enrollment data on elderly members of four retiree plans that adopted a three-tier formulary over the period July 1999 through December 2002 and two comparison plans that maintained a two-tier formulary during this period. Study Design We used a quasi-experimental design to compare the experience of enrollees in intervention and comparison plans. We used propensity score methods to match intervention and comparison users of each drug class and plan. We estimated repeated measures regression models for each class/plan combination for medication continuation and monthly plan, enrollee, and total spending. We estimated logit models of the probability of nonpersistent use, medication discontinuation, and medication changes. Data Collection/Extraction Methods We used pharmacy claims to create person-level drug utilization and spending files for the year before and year after three-tier adoption. Principal Findings Three-tier formulary adoption resulted in shifting of costs from plan to enrollee, with relatively small effects on medication continuation. Although implementation had little effect on continuation on average, a small minority of patients were more likely to have gaps in use and discontinue use relative to comparison patients. Conclusions Moderate cost sharing increases from three-tier formulary adoption had little effect on medication continuation among elderly enrolled in retiree health plans with relatively generous drug coverage. PMID:17850526

  18. Transporting Motivational Interviewing to School Settings to Improve the Engagement and Fidelity of Tier 2 Interventions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Frey, Andy J.; Lee, Jon; Small, Jason W.; Seeley, John R.; Walker, Hill M.; Feil, Edward G.

    2013-01-01

    The majority of Tier 2 interventions are facilitated by specialized instructional support personnel, such as a school psychologists, school social workers, school counselors, or behavior consultants. Many professionals struggle to involve parents and teachers in Tier 2 behavior interventions. However, attention to the motivational issues for…

  19. 78 FR 71039 - Publication of the Tier 2 Tax Rates

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-11-27

    ...Publication of the tier 2 tax rates for calendar year 2014 as required by section 3241(d) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. section 3241). Tier 2 taxes on railroad employees, employers, and employee representatives are one source of funding for benefits under the Railroad Retirement Act.

  20. 77 FR 71481 - Publication of the Tier 2 Tax Rates

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-11-30

    ... DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY Internal Revenue Service Publication of the Tier 2 Tax Rates AGENCY... tax rates for calendar year 2013 as required by section 3241(d) of the Internal Revenue Code (26 U.S.C. 3241). Tier 2 taxes on railroad employees, employers, and employee representatives are one source of...

  1. Source apportionment of emissions from light-duty gasoline vehicles and other sources in the United States for ozone and particulate matter.

    PubMed

    Vijayaraghavan, Krish; Lindhjem, Chris; Koo, Bonyoung; DenBleyker, Allison; Tai, Edward; Shah, Tejas; Alvarez, Yesica; Yarwood, Greg

    2016-02-01

    Federal Tier 3 motor vehicle emission and fuel sulfur standards have been promulgated in the United States to help attain air quality standards for ozone and PM2.5 (particulate matter with an aerodynamic diameter <2.5 μm). The authors modeled a standard similar to Tier 3 (a hypothetical nationwide implementation of the California Low Emission Vehicle [LEV] III standards) and prior Tier 2 standards for on-road gasoline-fueled light-duty vehicles (gLDVs) to assess incremental air quality benefits in the United States (U.S.) and the relative contributions of gLDVs and other major source categories to ozone and PM2.5 in 2030. Strengthening Tier 2 to a Tier 3-like (LEV III) standard reduces the summertime monthly mean of daily maximum 8-hr average (MDA8) ozone in the eastern U.S. by up to 1.5 ppb (or 2%) and the maximum MDA8 ozone by up to 3.4 ppb (or 3%). Reducing gasoline sulfur content from 30 to 10 ppm is responsible for up to 0.3 ppb of the improvement in the monthly mean ozone and up to 0.8 ppb of the improvement in maximum ozone. Across four major urban areas-Atlanta, Detroit, Philadelphia, and St. Louis-gLDV contributions range from 5% to 9% and 3% to 6% of the summertime mean MDA8 ozone under Tier 2 and Tier 3, respectively, and from 7% to 11% and 3% to 7% of the maximum MDA8 ozone under Tier 2 and Tier 3, respectively. Monthly mean 24-hr PM2.5 decreases by up to 0.5 μg/m(3) (or 3%) in the eastern U.S. from Tier 2 to Tier 3, with about 0.1 μg/m(3) of the reduction due to the lower gasoline sulfur content. At the four urban areas under the Tier 3 program, gLDV emissions contribute 3.4-5.0% and 1.7-2.4% of the winter and summer mean 24-hr PM2.5, respectively, and 3.8-4.6% and 1.5-2.0% of the mean 24-hr PM2.5 on days with elevated PM2.5 in winter and summer, respectively. Following U.S. Tier 3 emissions and fuel sulfur standards for gasoline-fueled passenger cars and light trucks, these vehicles are expected to contribute less than 6% of the summertime mean daily maximum 8-hr ozone and less than 7% and 4% of the winter and summer mean 24-hr PM2.5 in the eastern U.S. in 2030. On days with elevated ozone or PM2.5 at four major urban areas, these vehicles contribute less than 7% of ozone and less than 5% of PM2.5, with sources outside North America and U.S. area source emissions constituting some of the main contributors to ozone and PM2.5, respectively.

  2. Retrospective analysis supports algorithm as efficient diagnostic approach to treatable intellectual developmental disabilities.

    PubMed

    Sayson, Bryan; Popurs, Marioara Angela Moisa; Lafek, Mirafe; Berkow, Ruth; Stockler-Ipsiroglu, Sylvia; van Karnebeek, Clara D M

    2015-05-01

    Intellectual developmental disorders (IDD(1)), characterized by a significant impairment in cognitive function and behavior, affect 2.5% of the population and are associated with considerable morbidity and healthcare costs. Inborn errors of metabolism (IEM) currently constitute the largest group of genetic defects presenting with IDD, which are amenable to causal therapy. Recently, we created an evidence-based 2-tiered diagnostic protocol (TIDE protocol); the first tier is a 'screening step' applied in all patients, comprising routinely performed, wide available metabolic tests in blood and urine, while second-tier tests are more specific and based on the patient's phenotype. The protocol is supported by an app (www.treatable-ID.org). To retrospectively examine the cost- and time-effectiveness of the TIDE protocol in patients identified with a treatable IEM at the British Columbia Children's Hospital. We searched the database for all IDD patients diagnosed with a treatable IEM, during the period 2000-2009 in our academic institution. Data regarding the patient's clinical phenotype, IEM, diagnostic tests and interval were collected. Total costs and time intervals associated with all testing and physician consultations actually performed were calculated and compared to the model of the TIDE protocol. Thirty-one patients (16 males) were diagnosed with treatable IDD during the period 2000-2009. For those identifiable via the 1st tier (n=20), the average cost savings would have been $311.17 CAD, and for those diagnosed via a second-tier test (n=11) $340.14 CAD. Significant diagnostic delay (mean 9 months; range 1-29 months) could have been avoided in 9 patients with first-tier diagnoses, had the TIDE protocol been used. For those with second-tier treatable IDD, diagnoses could have been more rapidly achieved with the use of the Treatable IDD app allowing for specific searches based on signs and symptoms. The TIDE protocol for treatable forms of IDD appears effective reducing diagnostic delay and unnecessary costs. Larger prospective studies, currently underway, are needed to prove that standard screening for treatable conditions in patients with IDD is time- and cost-effective, and most importantly will preserve brain function by timely diagnosis enabling initiation of causal therapy. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. SWPBIS Tiered Fidelity Inventory. Version 2.1

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Algozzine, B.; Barrett, S.; Eber, L.; George, H.; Horner, R.; Lewis, T.; Putnam, B.; Swain-Bradway, J.; McIntosh, K.; Sugai, G.

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of the SWPBIS Tiered Fidelity Inventory (TFI) is to provide a valid, reliable, and efficient measure of the extent to which school personnel are applying the core features of school-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SWPBIS). The TFI is divided into three sections (Tier I: Universal SWPBIS Features; Tier II: Targeted…

  4. 40 CFR 1033.135 - Labeling.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... Tier 1 and later locomotives. The label on the engine is replaced each time the locomotive is... 0 and Tier 1 locomotives, the label may be made up of more than one piece, as long as all pieces are... to Tier 1+ locomotives.” (4) “This locomotive conforms to U.S. EPA regulations applicable to Tier 2...

  5. Do Students Know What They Know and What They Don't Know? Using a Four-Tier Diagnostic Test to Assess the Nature of Students' Alternative Conceptions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Caleon, Imelda S.; Subramaniam, R.

    2010-01-01

    This study reports on the development and application of a four-tier multiple-choice (4TMC) diagnostic instrument, which has not been reported in the literature. It is an enhanced version of the two-tier multiple-choice (2TMC) test. As in 2TMC tests, its answer and reason tiers measure students' content knowledge and explanatory knowledge,…

  6. 40 CFR 142.16 - Special primacy requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... enforceable requirements and procedures when the State adds to or changes the requirements under: (i) Table 1... distribution system that is out of compliance; (iii) Table 1 of 40 CFR 141.202(a) (Items (5), (6), and (9))—To... require a different form and manner of delivery for Tier 1, 2 and 3 public notices. (vi) Table 1 to 40 CFR...

  7. 76 FR 74079 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; BATS Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-11-30

    ... applicable Exchange listing tier into which such products fall. \\3\\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b). \\4\\ 15 U.S.C. 78f(b)(5... on the Exchange pursuant to Rule 14.11 as Tier I securities. Exchange Rule 14.11 sets forth the... the Exchange's current rules, ETPs are not designated as either Tier I or Tier II securities. The...

  8. A Step-by-Step Guide to Tier 2 Behavioral Progress Monitoring

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bruhn, Allison L.; McDaniel, Sara C.; Rila, Ashley; Estrapala, Sara

    2018-01-01

    Students who are at risk for or show low-intensity behavioral problems may need targeted, Tier 2 interventions. Often, Tier 2 problem-solving teams are charged with monitoring student responsiveness to intervention. This process may be difficult for those who are not trained in data collection and analysis procedures. To aid practitioners in these…

  9. 12 CFR 34.81 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... Real Estate Owned § 34.81 Definitions. (a) Capital and surplus means: (1) A bank's Tier 1 and Tier 2... 12 Banks and Banking 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Definitions. 34.81 Section 34.81 Banks and... (2) The balance of a bank's allowance for loan and lease losses not included in the bank's Tier 2...

  10. Using Regression Discontinuity to Test the Impact of a Tier 2 Reading Intervention in First Grade

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Baker, Scott K.; Smolkowski, Keith; Chaparro, Erin A.; Smith, Jean L. M.; Fien, Hank

    2015-01-01

    Multitiered systems of reading instruction and intervention, including response to intervention, are widely used in early reading by schools to provide more intense services to students who need them. Research using randomized controlled trials has compared innovative Tier 2 interventions to business-as-usual Tier 2 approaches and established a…

  11. A Three-Tier Diagnostic Test to Assess Pre-Service Teachers' Misconceptions about Global Warming, Greenhouse Effect, Ozone Layer Depletion, and Acid Rain

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Arslan, Harika Ozge; Cigdemoglu, Ceyhan; Moseley, Christine

    2012-01-01

    This study describes the development and validation of a three-tier multiple-choice diagnostic test, the atmosphere-related environmental problems diagnostic test (AREPDiT), to reveal common misconceptions of global warming (GW), greenhouse effect (GE), ozone layer depletion (OLD), and acid rain (AR). The development of a two-tier diagnostic test…

  12. Improved Serodiagnostic Performance for Lyme Disease by Use of Two Recombinant Proteins in Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay Compared to Standardized Two-Tier Testing.

    PubMed

    Bradshaw, Gary L; Thueson, R Kelley; Uriona, Todd J

    2017-10-01

    The most reliable test method for the serological confirmation of Lyme disease (LD) is a 2-tier method recommended by the CDC in 1995. The first-tier test is a low-specificity enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and the second-tier tests are higher-specificity IgG and IgM Western blots. This study describes the selection of two Borrelia burgdorferi recombinant proteins and evaluation of their performance in a simple 1-tier test for the serological confirmation of LD. These two proteins were generated from (i) the full-length dbpA gene combined with the invariable region 6 of the vlsE gene (DbpA/C6) and (b) the full-length ospC gene (OspC). The expressed DbpA/C6 and OspC proteins were useful in detecting anti- Borrelia IgG and IgM antibodies, respectively. A blind study was conducted on a well-characterized panel of 279 human sera from the CDC, comparing ELISAs using these two recombinant antigens with the 2-tier test method. The two methods (DbpA/C6-OspC versus 2-tier test) were equivalent in identifying sera from negative-control subjects (99% and 100% specificity, respectively) and in detecting stage II and III LD patient sera (100% and 100% sensitivity). However, the DbpA/C6-OspC ELISA was markedly better (80% versus 63%) than the 2-tier test method in detecting anti- Borrelia antibodies in stage I LD patients. The findings suggest that these antigens could be used in a simple 1-tier ELISA that is faster to perform, easier to interpret, and less expensive than the 2-tier test method and which is better at detecting Borrelia -specific antibodies in sera from patients with stage I LD. Copyright © 2017 Bradshaw et al.

  13. Three tiers of genome evolution in reptiles

    PubMed Central

    Organ, Chris L.; Moreno, Ricardo Godínez; Edwards, Scott V.

    2008-01-01

    Characterization of reptilian genomes is essential for understanding the overall diversity and evolution of amniote genomes, because reptiles, which include birds, constitute a major fraction of the amniote evolutionary tree. To better understand the evolution and diversity of genomic characteristics in Reptilia, we conducted comparative analyses of online sequence data from Alligator mississippiensis (alligator) and Sphenodon punctatus (tuatara) as well as genome size and karyological data from a wide range of reptilian species. At the whole-genome and chromosomal tiers of organization, we find that reptilian genome size distribution is consistent with a model of continuous gradual evolution while genomic compartmentalization, as manifested in the number of microchromosomes and macrochromosomes, appears to have undergone early rapid change. At the sequence level, the third genomic tier, we find that exon size in Alligator is distributed in a pattern matching that of exons in Gallus (chicken), especially in the 101—200 bp size class. A small spike in the fraction of exons in the 301 bp—1 kb size class is also observed for Alligator, but more so for Sphenodon. For introns, we find that members of Reptilia have a larger fraction of introns within the 101 bp–2 kb size class and a lower fraction of introns within the 5–30 kb size class than do mammals. These findings suggest that the mode of reptilian genome evolution varies across three hierarchical levels of the genome, a pattern consistent with a mosaic model of genomic evolution. PMID:21669810

  14. Self-Regulated Strategy Development as a Tier 2 Writing Intervention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Johnson, Evelyn S.; Hancock, Christine; Carter, Deborah R.; Pool, Juli L.

    2013-01-01

    In a response to intervention framework, the implication of limited writing instruction suggests an immediate need for Tier 2 interventions to support struggling writers while at the same time addressing instructional gaps in Tier 1. Many schools struggle with implementing writing intervention, partly because of the limited number of…

  15. From the CMS Computing Experience in the WLCG STEP'09 Challenge to the First Data Taking of the LHC Era

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bonacorsi, D.; Gutsche, O.

    The Worldwide LHC Computing Grid (WLCG) project decided in March 2009 to perform scale tests of parts of its overall Grid infrastructure before the start of the LHC data taking. The "Scale Test for the Experiment Program" (STEP'09) was performed mainly in June 2009 -with more selected tests in September- October 2009 -and emphasized the simultaneous test of the computing systems of all 4 LHC experiments. CMS tested its Tier-0 tape writing and processing capabilities. The Tier-1 tape systems were stress tested using the complete range of Tier-1 work-flows: transfer from Tier-0 and custody of data on tape, processing and subsequent archival, redistribution of datasets amongst all Tier-1 sites as well as burst transfers of datasets to Tier-2 sites. The Tier-2 analysis capacity was tested using bulk analysis job submissions to backfill normal user activity. In this talk, we will report on the different performed tests and present their post-mortem analysis.

  16. 7 CFR 1416.302 - Eligible crops and producers.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... determine payment rates are as follows: Tier I—75 percent or greater crop loss and associated tree damage. Tier II—50 to 74 percent crop loss and associated tree damage/loss. Tier III—35 to 49 percent crop loss and associated tree damage/loss. Tier IV —15 percent and greater associated tree damage only. (2...

  17. 25 CFR 542.30 - What is a Tier B gaming operation?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What is a Tier B gaming operation? 542.30 Section 542.30 Indians NATIONAL INDIAN GAMING COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR HUMAN SERVICES MINIMUM INTERNAL CONTROL STANDARDS § 542.30 What is a Tier B gaming operation? A Tier B gaming operation is one with gross...

  18. 25 CFR 542.40 - What is a Tier C gaming operation?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What is a Tier C gaming operation? 542.40 Section 542.40 Indians NATIONAL INDIAN GAMING COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR HUMAN SERVICES MINIMUM INTERNAL CONTROL STANDARDS § 542.40 What is a Tier C gaming operation? A Tier C gaming operation is one with annual...

  19. 25 CFR 542.20 - What is a Tier A gaming operation?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 25 Indians 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false What is a Tier A gaming operation? 542.20 Section 542.20 Indians NATIONAL INDIAN GAMING COMMISSION, DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR HUMAN SERVICES MINIMUM INTERNAL CONTROL STANDARDS § 542.20 What is a Tier A gaming operation? A Tier A gaming operation is one with annual...

  20. 76 FR 3184 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Chicago Board Options Exchange, Incorporated; Notice of Filing and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-01-19

    ...); (ii) establish a VIX Tier Appointment; (iii) amend the monthly fee for Floor Broker Trading Permits... demutualization, CBOE amended its Fees Schedule to establish Trading Permit, tier appointment and bandwidth packet... permit ($) 1 permit 10 permits 6,000 Tier 1 11 permits 20 permits 4,800 Tier 2 21 or more permits...

  1. 12 CFR 325.2 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... Report.” (m) Leverage ratio means the ratio of Tier 1 capital to total assets, as calculated under this... assets may be included in calculating the bank's Tier 1 capital. (v) Tier 1 capital or core capital means... in excess of the limit set forth in § 325.5(g), minus identified losses (to the extent that Tier 1...

  2. Progress in landslide susceptibility mapping over Europe using Tier-based approaches

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Günther, Andreas; Hervás, Javier; Reichenbach, Paola; Malet, Jean-Philippe

    2010-05-01

    The European Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection aims, among other objectives, to ensure a sustainable use of soil. The legal instrument of the strategy, the proposed Framework Directive, suggests identifying priority areas of several soil threats including landslides using a coherent and compatible approach based on the use of common thematic data. In a first stage, this can be achieved through landslide susceptibility mapping using geographically nested, multi-step tiered approaches, where areas identified as of high susceptibility by a first, synoptic-scale Tier ("Tier 1") can then be further assessed and mapped at larger scale by successive Tiers. In order to identify areas prone to landslides at European scale ("Tier 1"), a number of thematic terrain and environmental data sets already available for the whole of Europe can be used as input for a continental scale susceptibility model. However, since no coherent landslide inventory data is available at the moment over the whole continent, qualitative heuristic zonation approaches are proposed. For "Tier 1" a preliminary, simplified model has been developed. It consists of an equally weighting combination of a reduced, continent-wide common dataset of landslide conditioning factors including soil parent material, slope angle and land cover, to derive a landslide susceptibility index using raster mapping units consisting of 1 x 1 km pixels. A preliminary European-wide susceptibility map has thus been produced at 1:1 Million scale, since this is compatible with that of the datasets used. The map has been validated by means of a ratio of effectiveness using samples from landslide inventories in Italy, Austria, Hungary and United Kingdom. Although not differentiated for specific geomorphological environments or specific landslide types, the experimental model reveals a relatively good performance in many European regions at a 1:1 Million scale. An additional "Tier 1" susceptibility map at the same scale and using the same or equivalent thematic data as for the one above has been generated for six French departments using a heuristic, weighting-based multi-criteria evaluation model applied also to raster-cell mapping units. In this experiment, thematic data class weights have been differentiated for two stratification areas, namely mountains and plains, and four main landslide types. Separate susceptibility maps for each landslide type and a combined map for all types have been produced. Results have been validated using BRGM's BDMvT landslide inventory. Unlike "Tier 1", "Tier 2" assessment requires landslide inventory data and additional thematic data on conditioning factors which may not be available for all European countries. For the "Tier 2", a nation-wide quantitative landslide susceptibility assessment has been performed for Italy by applying a statistical model. In this assessment, multivariate analysis was applied using bedrock, soil and climate data together with a number of derivatives from SRTM90 DEM. In addition, separate datasets from a historical landslide inventory were used for model training and validation respectively. The mapping units selected were based on administrative boundaries (municipalities). The performance of this nation-wide, quantitative susceptibility assessment has been evaluated using multi-temporal landslide inventory data. Finally, model limitations for "Tier 1" are discussed, and recommendations for enhanced Tier 1 and Tier 2 models including additional thematic data for conditioning factors are drawn. This project is part of the collaborative research carried out within the European Landslide Expert Group coordinated by JRC in support to the EU Soil Thematic Strategy. It is also supported by the International Programme on Landslides of the International Consortium on Landslides.

  3. Seeing the Elephant -- Consequence Management Policy for the Department of Defense

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2001-05-01

    required for effective Consequence Management. The three response tiers allows the DoD to provide a predesignated level of support to the appropriate Federal...recommendation is the creation of a tiered response capability that balances time and tasks required for effective Consequence Management. The three...the response required for toxic chemical events. The third tier is reserved for the actions required for the Consequence Management for a biological

  4. Positive Behavior Supports: Tier 2 Interventions in Middle Schools

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hoyle, Carol G.; Marshall, Kathleen J.; Yell, Mitchell L.

    2011-01-01

    School personnel are using Schoolwide Positive Behavior Supports in public schools throughout the United States. A number of studies have evaluated the universal level, or Tier 1, of Schoolwide Positive Behavior Supports. In this study, the authors describe and analyze the interventions offered as options for use for Tier 2 in middle schools…

  5. Response to Intervention: Evaluation Report and Executive Summary

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gorard, Stephen; Siddiqui, Nadia; See, Beng Huat

    2014-01-01

    Response to Intervention (RTI) is a targeted programme that uses a tiered approach to identify the needs of low achieving pupils. The approach begins with whole class teaching (Tier 1), followed by small group tuition (Tier 2) for those who need more attention, and one to one tutoring (Tier 3) for those who do not respond to the small group…

  6. Development of a tier 1 R5 clade C simian-human immunodeficiency virus as a tool to test neutralizing antibody-based immunoprophylaxis.

    PubMed

    Siddappa, Nagadenahalli B; Hemashettar, Girish; Wong, Yin Ling; Lakhashe, Samir; Rasmussen, Robert A; Watkins, Jennifer D; Novembre, Francis J; Villinger, François; Else, James G; Montefiori, David C; Ruprecht, Ruth M

    2011-04-01

    While some recently transmitted HIV clade C (HIV-C) strains exhibited tier 1 neutralization phenotypes, most were tier 2 strains (J Virol 2010; 84:1439). Because induction of neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) through vaccination against tier 2 viruses has proven difficult, we have generated a tier 1, clade C simian-human immunodeficiency virus (SHIV-C) to permit efficacy testing of candidate AIDS vaccines against tier 1 viruses. SHIV-1157ipEL was created by swapping env of a late-stage virus with that of a tier 1, early form. After adaptation to rhesus macaques (RM), passaged SHIV-1157ipEL-p replicated vigorously in vitro and in vivo while maintaining R5 tropism. The virus was reproducibly transmissible intrarectally. Phylogenetically, SHIV-1157ipEL-p Env clustered with HIV-C sequences. All RM chronically infected with SHIV-1157ipEL-p developed high nAb titers against autologous as well as heterologous tier 1 strains. SHIV-1157ipEL-p was reproducibly transmitted in RM, induced cross-clade nAbs, and represents a tool to evaluate anti-HIV-C nAb responses in primates. © 2010 John Wiley & Sons A/S.

  7. Sequence variation and phylogenetic analysis of envelope glycoprotein of hepatitis G virus.

    PubMed

    Lim, M Y; Fry, K; Yun, A; Chong, S; Linnen, J; Fung, K; Kim, J P

    1997-11-01

    A transfusion-transmissible agent provisionally designated hepatitis G virus (HGV) was recently identified. In this study, we examined the variability of the HGV genome by analysing sequences in the putative envelope region from 72 isolates obtained from diverse geographical sources. The 1561 nucleotide sequence of the E1/E2/NS2a region of HGV was determined from 12 isolates, and compared with three published sequences. The most variability was observed in 400 nucleotides at the N terminus of E2. We next analysed this 400 nucleotide envelope variable region (EV) from an additional 60 HGV isolates. This sequence varied considerably among the 75 isolates, with overall identity ranging from 79.3% to 99.5% at the nucleotide level, and from 83.5% to 100% at the amino acid level. However, hypervariable regions were not identified. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that the 75 HGV isolates belong to a single genotype. A single-tier distribution of evolutionary distances was observed among the 15 E1/E2/NS2a sequences and the 75 EV sequences. In contrast, 11 isolates of HCV were analysed and showed a three-tiered distribution, representing genotypes, subtypes, and isolates. The 75 isolates of HGV fell into four clusters on the phylogenetic tree. Tight geographical clustering was observed among the HGV isolates from Japan and Korea.

  8. Advanced technologies for scalable ATLAS conditions database access on the grid

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Basset, R.; Canali, L.; Dimitrov, G.; Girone, M.; Hawkings, R.; Nevski, P.; Valassi, A.; Vaniachine, A.; Viegas, F.; Walker, R.; Wong, A.

    2010-04-01

    During massive data reprocessing operations an ATLAS Conditions Database application must support concurrent access from numerous ATLAS data processing jobs running on the Grid. By simulating realistic work-flow, ATLAS database scalability tests provided feedback for Conditions Db software optimization and allowed precise determination of required distributed database resources. In distributed data processing one must take into account the chaotic nature of Grid computing characterized by peak loads, which can be much higher than average access rates. To validate database performance at peak loads, we tested database scalability at very high concurrent jobs rates. This has been achieved through coordinated database stress tests performed in series of ATLAS reprocessing exercises at the Tier-1 sites. The goal of database stress tests is to detect scalability limits of the hardware deployed at the Tier-1 sites, so that the server overload conditions can be safely avoided in a production environment. Our analysis of server performance under stress tests indicates that Conditions Db data access is limited by the disk I/O throughput. An unacceptable side-effect of the disk I/O saturation is a degradation of the WLCG 3D Services that update Conditions Db data at all ten ATLAS Tier-1 sites using the technology of Oracle Streams. To avoid such bottlenecks we prototyped and tested a novel approach for database peak load avoidance in Grid computing. Our approach is based upon the proven idea of pilot job submission on the Grid: instead of the actual query, an ATLAS utility library sends to the database server a pilot query first.

  9. Research and development of web oriented remote sensing image publication system based on Servlet technique

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Juanle, Wang; Shuang, Li; Yunqiang, Zhu

    2005-10-01

    According to the requirements of China National Scientific Data Sharing Program (NSDSP), the research and development of web oriented RS Image Publication System (RSIPS) is based on Java Servlet technique. The designing of RSIPS framework is composed of 3 tiers, which is Presentation Tier, Application Service Tier and Data Resource Tier. Presentation Tier provides user interface for data query, review and download. For the convenience of users, visual spatial query interface is included. Served as a middle tier, Application Service Tier controls all actions between users and databases. Data Resources Tier stores RS images in file and relationship databases. RSIPS is developed with cross platform programming based on Java Servlet tools, which is one of advanced techniques in J2EE architecture. RSIPS's prototype has been developed and applied in the geosciences clearinghouse practice which is among the experiment units of NSDSP in China.

  10. AUDIOME: a tiered exome sequencing-based comprehensive gene panel for the diagnosis of heterogeneous nonsyndromic sensorineural hearing loss.

    PubMed

    Guan, Qiaoning; Balciuniene, Jorune; Cao, Kajia; Fan, Zhiqian; Biswas, Sawona; Wilkens, Alisha; Gallo, Daniel J; Bedoukian, Emma; Tarpinian, Jennifer; Jayaraman, Pushkala; Sarmady, Mahdi; Dulik, Matthew; Santani, Avni; Spinner, Nancy; Abou Tayoun, Ahmad N; Krantz, Ian D; Conlin, Laura K; Luo, Minjie

    2018-03-29

    PurposeHereditary hearing loss is highly heterogeneous. To keep up with rapidly emerging disease-causing genes, we developed the AUDIOME test for nonsyndromic hearing loss (NSHL) using an exome sequencing (ES) platform and targeted analysis for the curated genes.MethodsA tiered strategy was implemented for this test. Tier 1 includes combined Sanger and targeted deletion analyses of the two most common NSHL genes and two mitochondrial genes. Nondiagnostic tier 1 cases are subjected to ES and array followed by targeted analysis of the remaining AUDIOME genes.ResultsES resulted in good coverage of the selected genes with 98.24% of targeted bases at >15 ×. A fill-in strategy was developed for the poorly covered regions, which generally fell within GC-rich or highly homologous regions. Prospective testing of 33 patients with NSHL revealed a diagnosis in 11 (33%) and a possible diagnosis in 8 cases (24.2%). Among those, 10 individuals had variants in tier 1 genes. The ES data in the remaining nondiagnostic cases are readily available for further analysis.ConclusionThe tiered and ES-based test provides an efficient and cost-effective diagnostic strategy for NSHL, with the potential to reflex to full exome to identify causal changes outside of the AUDIOME test.Genetics in Medicine advance online publication, 29 March 2018; doi:10.1038/gim.2018.48.

  11. 78 FR 35903 - Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request; ICR...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-06-14

    ...; Tier 1 Screening of Certain Chemicals Under the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program AGENCY... Chemicals; Tier 1 Screening of Certain Chemicals Under the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP... effects. The EDSP consists of a two-tiered approach to screen chemicals for potential endocrine disrupting...

  12. 20 CFR 228.2 - Tier I and tier II annuity components.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... Social Security Act if all of the employee's earnings after 1936 under both the railroad retirement system and the social security system had been creditable under the Social Security Act. (b) Tier II...

  13. Storageless and caching Tier-2 models in the UK context

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cadellin Skipsey, Samuel; Dewhurst, Alastair; Crooks, David; MacMahon, Ewan; Roy, Gareth; Smith, Oliver; Mohammed, Kashif; Brew, Chris; Britton, David

    2017-10-01

    Operational and other pressures have lead to WLCG experiments moving increasingly to a stratified model for Tier-2 resources, where “fat” Tier-2s (“T2Ds”) and “thin” Tier-2s (“T2Cs”) provide different levels of service. In the UK, this distinction is also encouraged by the terms of the current GridPP5 funding model. In anticipation of this, testing has been performed on the implications, and potential implementation, of such a distinction in our resources. In particular, this presentation presents the results of testing of storage T2Cs, where the “thin” nature is expressed by the site having either no local data storage, or only a thin caching layer; data is streamed or copied from a “nearby” T2D when needed by jobs. In OSG, this model has been adopted successfully for CMS AAA sites; but the network topology and capacity in the USA is significantly different to that in the UK (and much of Europe). We present the result of several operational tests: the in-production University College London (UCL) site, which runs ATLAS workloads using storage at the Queen Mary University of London (QMUL) site; the Oxford site, which has had scaling tests performed against T2Ds in various locations in the UK (to test network effects); and the Durham site, which has been testing the specific ATLAS caching solution of “Rucio Cache” integration with ARC’s caching layer.

  14. Three-tier rough superhydrophobic surfaces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cao, Yuanzhi; Yuan, Longyan; Hu, Bin; Zhou, Jun

    2015-08-01

    A three-tier rough superhydrophobic surface was fabricated by growing hydrophobic modified (fluorinated silane) zinc oxide (ZnO)/copper oxide (CuO) hetero-hierarchical structures on silicon (Si) micro-pillar arrays. Compared with the other three control samples with a less rough tier, the three-tier surface exhibits the best water repellency with the largest contact angle 161° and the lowest sliding angle 0.5°. It also shows a robust Cassie state which enables the water to flow with a speed over 2 m s-1. In addition, it could prevent itself from being wetted by the droplet with low surface tension (mixed water and ethanol 1:1 in volume) which reveals a flow speed of 0.6 m s-1 (dropped from the height of 2 cm). All these features prove that adding another rough tier on a two-tier rough surface could futher improve its water-repellent properties.

  15. Three-tier rough superhydrophobic surfaces.

    PubMed

    Cao, Yuanzhi; Yuan, Longyan; Hu, Bin; Zhou, Jun

    2015-08-07

    A three-tier rough superhydrophobic surface was fabricated by growing hydrophobic modified (fluorinated silane) zinc oxide (ZnO)/copper oxide (CuO) hetero-hierarchical structures on silicon (Si) micro-pillar arrays. Compared with the other three control samples with a less rough tier, the three-tier surface exhibits the best water repellency with the largest contact angle 161° and the lowest sliding angle 0.5°. It also shows a robust Cassie state which enables the water to flow with a speed over 2 m s(-1). In addition, it could prevent itself from being wetted by the droplet with low surface tension (mixed water and ethanol 1:1 in volume) which reveals a flow speed of 0.6 m s(-1) (dropped from the height of 2 cm). All these features prove that adding another rough tier on a two-tier rough surface could futher improve its water-repellent properties.

  16. 26 CFR 31.3221-2 - Rates and computation of employer tax.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ...-2 Rates and computation of employer tax. (a) Rates—(1)(i) Tier 1 tax. The Tier 1 employer tax rate... disability insurance, and section 3111(b), relating to hospital insurance. The Tier 1 employer tax rate is... Federal Insurance Contributions Act. (ii) Example. The rule in paragraph (a)(1)(i) of this section is...

  17. 26 CFR 31.3201-2 - Rates and computation of employee tax.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ...-2 Rates and computation of employee tax. (a) Rates—(1)(i) Tier 1 tax. The Tier 1 employee tax rate... disability insurance, and section 3101(b), relating to hospital insurance. The Tier 1 employee tax rate is... Federal Insurance Contributions Act. (ii) Example. The rule in paragraph (a)(1)(i) of this section is...

  18. Tier-scalable reconnaissance: the challenge of sensor optimization, sensor deployment, sensor fusion, and sensor interoperability

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fink, Wolfgang; George, Thomas; Tarbell, Mark A.

    2007-04-01

    Robotic reconnaissance operations are called for in extreme environments, not only those such as space, including planetary atmospheres, surfaces, and subsurfaces, but also in potentially hazardous or inaccessible operational areas on Earth, such as mine fields, battlefield environments, enemy occupied territories, terrorist infiltrated environments, or areas that have been exposed to biochemical agents or radiation. Real time reconnaissance enables the identification and characterization of transient events. A fundamentally new mission concept for tier-scalable reconnaissance of operational areas, originated by Fink et al., is aimed at replacing the engineering and safety constrained mission designs of the past. The tier-scalable paradigm integrates multi-tier (orbit atmosphere surface/subsurface) and multi-agent (satellite UAV/blimp surface/subsurface sensing platforms) hierarchical mission architectures, introducing not only mission redundancy and safety, but also enabling and optimizing intelligent, less constrained, and distributed reconnaissance in real time. Given the mass, size, and power constraints faced by such a multi-platform approach, this is an ideal application scenario for a diverse set of MEMS sensors. To support such mission architectures, a high degree of operational autonomy is required. Essential elements of such operational autonomy are: (1) automatic mapping of an operational area from different vantage points (including vehicle health monitoring); (2) automatic feature extraction and target/region-of-interest identification within the mapped operational area; and (3) automatic target prioritization for close-up examination. These requirements imply the optimal deployment of MEMS sensors and sensor platforms, sensor fusion, and sensor interoperability.

  19. Expanding clarity or confusion? Volatility of the 5-tier ratings assessing quality of transplant centers in the United States.

    PubMed

    Schold, Jesse D; Andreoni, Kenneth A; Chandraker, Anil K; Gaston, Robert S; Locke, Jayme E; Mathur, Amit K; Pruett, Timothy L; Rana, Abbas; Ratner, Lloyd E; Buccini, Laura D

    2018-06-01

    Outcomes of patients receiving solid organ transplants in the United States are systematically aggregated into bi-annual Program-Specific Reports (PSRs) detailing risk-adjusted survival by transplant center. Recently, the Scientific Registry of Transplant Recipients (SRTR) issued 5-tier ratings evaluating centers based on risk-adjusted 1-year graft survival. Our primary aim was to examine the reliability of 5-tier ratings over time. Using 10 consecutive PSRs for adult kidney transplant centers from June 2012 to December 2016 (n = 208), we applied 5-tier ratings to center outcomes and evaluated ratings over time. From the baseline period (June 2012), 47% of centers had at least a 1-unit tier change within 6 months, 66% by 1 year, and 94% by 3 years. Similarly, 46% of centers had at least a 2-unit tier change by 3 years. In comparison, 15% of centers had a change in the traditional 3-tier rating at 3 years. The 5-tier ratings at 4 years had minimal association with baseline rating (Kappa 0.07, 95% confidence interval [CI] -0.002 to 0.158). Centers had a median of 3 different 5-tier ratings over the period (q1 = 2, q3 = 4). Findings were consistent for center volume, transplant rate, and baseline 5-tier rating. Cumulatively, results suggest that 5-tier ratings are highly volatile, limiting their utility for informing potential stakeholders, particularly transplant candidates given expected waiting times between wait listing and transplantation. © 2018 The American Society of Transplantation and the American Society of Transplant Surgeons.

  20. Is the step-wise tiered approach for ERA of pharmaceuticals useful for the assessment of cancer therapeutic drugs present in marine environment?

    PubMed

    Aguirre-Martínez, G V; Okello, C; Salamanca, M J; Garrido, C; Del Valls, T A; Martín-Díaz, M L

    2016-01-01

    Methotrexate (MTX) and tamoxifen (TMX) cancer therapeutic drugs have been detected within the aquatic environment. Nevertheless, MTX and TMX research is essentially bio-medically orientated, with few studies addressing the question of its toxicity in fresh water organisms, and none to its' effect in the marine environment. To the authors' knowledge, Environmental Risk Assessments (ERA) for pharmaceuticals has mainly been designed for freshwater and terrestrial environments (European Medicines Agency-EMEA guideline, 2006). Therefore, the purpose of this research was (1) to assess effect of MTX and TMX in marine organism using the EMEA guideline, (2) to develop an ERA methodology for marine environment, and (3) to evaluate the suitability of including a biomarker approach in Phase III. To reach these aims, a risk assessment of MTX and TMX was performed following EMEA guideline, including a 2-tier approach during Phase III, applying lysosomal membrane stability (LMS) as a screening biomarker in tier-1 and a battery of biochemical biomarkers in tier-2. Results from Phase II indicated that MTX was not toxic for bacteria, microalgae and sea urchin at the concentrations tested, thus no further assessment was required, while TMX indicated a possible risk. Therefore, Phase III was performed for only TMX. Ruditapes philippinarum were exposed during 14 days to TMX (0.1, 1, 10, 50 μg L(-1)). At the end of the experiment, clams exposed to environmental concentration indicated significant changes in LMS compared to the control (p<0.01); thus a second tier was applied. A significant induction of biomarkers (activity of Ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase [EROD], glutathione S-transferase [GST], glutathione peroxidase [GPX], and lipid peroxidation [LPO] levels) was observed in digestive gland tissues of clams compared with control (p<0.01). Finally, this study indicated that MTX was not toxic at an environmental concentration, whilst TMX was potentially toxic for marine biota. This study has shown the necessity to create specific guidelines in order to evaluate effects of pharmaceuticals in marine environment which includes sensitive endpoints. The inadequacy of current EMEA guideline to predict chemotherapy agents toxicity in Phase II was displayed whilst the usefulness of other tests were demonstrated. The 2-tier approach, applied in Phase III, appears to be suitable for an ERA of cancer therapeutic drugs in the marine environment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  1. Assessing the nutritional quality of diets of Canadian children and adolescents using the 2014 Health Canada Surveillance Tool Tier System.

    PubMed

    Jessri, Mahsa; Nishi, Stephanie K; L'Abbe, Mary R

    2016-05-10

    Health Canada's Surveillance Tool (HCST) Tier System was developed in 2014 with the aim of assessing the adherence of dietary intakes with Eating Well with Canada's Food Guide (EWCFG). HCST uses a Tier system to categorize all foods into one of four Tiers based on thresholds for total fat, saturated fat, sodium, and sugar, with Tier 4 reflecting the unhealthiest and Tier 1 the healthiest foods. This study presents the first application of the HCST to examine (i) the dietary patterns of Canadian children, and (ii) the applicability and relevance of HCST as a measure of diet quality. Data were from the nationally-representative, cross-sectional Canadian Community Health Survey 2.2. A total of 13,749 participants aged 2-18 years who had complete lifestyle and 24-hour dietary recall data were examined. Dietary patterns of Canadian children and adolescents demonstrated a high prevalence of Tier 4 foods within the sub-groups of processed meats and potatoes. On average, 23-31 % of daily calories were derived from "other" foods and beverages not recommended in EWCFG. However, the majority of food choices fell within the Tier 2 and 3 classifications due to lenient criteria used by the HCST for classifying foods. Adherence to the recommendations presented in the HCST was associated with closer compliance to meeting nutrient Dietary Reference Intake recommendations, however it did not relate to reduced obesity as assessed by body mass index (p > 0.05). EWCFG recommendations are currently not being met by most children and adolescents. Future nutrient profiling systems need to incorporate both positive and negative nutrients and an overall score. In addition, a wider range of nutrient thresholds should be considered for HCST to better capture product differences, prevent categorization of most foods as Tiers 2-3 and provide incentives for product reformulation.

  2. Establishing causality in the decline and deformity of amphibians: The amphibian research and monitoring initiative model

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Little, E.E.; Bridges, C.M.; Linder, G.; Boone, M.; ,

    2003-01-01

    Research to date has indicated that a range of environmental variables such as disease, parasitism, predation, competition, environmental contamination, solar ultraviolet radiation, climate change, or habitat alteration may be responsible for declining amphibian populations and the appearance of deformed organisms, yet in many cases no definitive environmental variable stands out as a causal factor. Multiple Stressors are often present in the habitat, and interactions among these can magnify injury to biota. This raises the possibility that the additive or synergistic impact of these Stressors may be the underlying cause of amphibian declines. Effective management for the restoration of amphibian populations requires the identification of causal factors contributing to their declines. A systematic approach to determine causality is especially important because initial impressions may be misleading or ambiguous. In addition, the evaluation of amphibian populations requires consideration of a broader spatial scale than commonly used in regulatory monitoring. We describe a systematic three-tiered approach to determine causality in amphibian declines and deformities. Tier 1 includes an evaluation of historic databases and extant data and would involve a desktop synopsis of the status of various stressors as well as site visits. Tier 2 studies are iterative, hypothesis driven studies beginning with general tests and continuing with analyses of increasing complexity as certain stressors are identified for further investigation. Tier 3 applies information developed in Tier 2 as predictive indicators of habitats and species at risk over broad landscape scales and provides decision support for the adaptive management of amphibian recovery. This comprehensive, tiered program could provide a mechanistic approach to identifying and addressing specific stressors responsible for amphibian declines across various landscapes.

  3. 2 CFR 1326.332 - What methods must I use to pass requirements down to participants at lower tiers with whom I...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false What methods must I use to pass requirements down to participants at lower tiers with whom I intend to do business? 1326.332 Section 1326.332 Grants...-tier participants to comply with subpart C of the OMB guidance in 2 CFR Part 180, as supplemented by...

  4. 2 CFR 1200.332 - What methods must I use to pass requirements down to participants at lower tiers with whom I...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false What methods must I use to pass requirements down to participants at lower tiers with whom I intend to do business? 1200.332 Section 1200.332 Grants...-tier participants to comply with subpart C of the OMB guidance in 2 CFR part 180, as supplemented by...

  5. 2 CFR 1400.332 - What methods must I use to pass requirements down to participants at lower tiers with whom I...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false What methods must I use to pass requirements down to participants at lower tiers with whom I intend to do business? 1400.332 Section 1400.332 Grants...-tier participants to comply with subpart C of the OMB guidance in 2 CFR part 180. ...

  6. 2 CFR 901.332 - What methods must I use to pass requirements down to participants at lower tiers with whom I...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false What methods must I use to pass requirements down to participants at lower tiers with whom I intend to do business? 901.332 Section 901.332 Grants... lower-tier participants to comply with subpart C of the OMB guidance in 2 CFR part 180, as supplemented...

  7. Assessing the Nutritional Quality of Diets of Canadian Adults Using the 2014 Health Canada Surveillance Tool Tier System.

    PubMed

    Jessri, Mahsa; Nishi, Stephanie K; L'Abbé, Mary R

    2015-12-12

    The 2014 Health Canada Surveillance Tool (HCST) was developed to assess adherence of dietary intakes with Canada's Food Guide. HCST classifies foods into one of four Tiers based on thresholds for sodium, total fat, saturated fat and sugar, with Tier 1 representing the healthiest and Tier 4 foods being the unhealthiest. This study presents the first application of HCST to assess (a) dietary patterns of Canadians; and (b) applicability of this tool as a measure of diet quality among 19,912 adult participants of Canadian Community Health Survey 2.2. Findings indicated that even though most of processed meats and potatoes were Tier 4, the majority of reported foods in general were categorized as Tiers 2 and 3 due to the adjustable lenient criteria used in HCST. Moving from the 1st to the 4th quartile of Tier 4 and "other" foods/beverages, there was a significant trend towards increased calories (1876 kcal vs. 2290 kcal) and "harmful" nutrients (e.g., sodium) as well as decreased "beneficial" nutrients. Compliance with the HCST was not associated with lower body mass index. Future nutrient profiling systems need to incorporate both "positive" and "negative" nutrients, an overall score and a wider range of nutrient thresholds to better capture food product differences.

  8. A Randomised Control Trial of a Tier-2 Small-Group Intervention ("MiniLit") for Young Struggling Readers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Buckingham, Jennifer; Wheldall, Kevin; Beaman, Robyn

    2012-01-01

    The response-to-intervention model is predicated upon increasingly intensive tiers of instruction. The aim of the present study was to examine the efficacy of a Tier-2 small-group literacy intervention ("MiniLit") designed for young readers who are still struggling after experiencing whole-class initial instruction. A total of 22…

  9. R5 clade C SHIV strains with tier 1 or 2 neutralization sensitivity: tools to dissect env evolution and to develop AIDS vaccines in primate models.

    PubMed

    Siddappa, Nagadenahalli B; Watkins, Jennifer D; Wassermann, Klemens J; Song, Ruijiang; Wang, Wendy; Kramer, Victor G; Lakhashe, Samir; Santosuosso, Michael; Poznansky, Mark C; Novembre, Francis J; Villinger, François; Else, James G; Montefiori, David C; Rasmussen, Robert A; Ruprecht, Ruth M

    2010-07-21

    HIV-1 clade C (HIV-C) predominates worldwide, and anti-HIV-C vaccines are urgently needed. Neutralizing antibody (nAb) responses are considered important but have proved difficult to elicit. Although some current immunogens elicit antibodies that neutralize highly neutralization-sensitive (tier 1) HIV strains, most circulating HIVs exhibiting a less sensitive (tier 2) phenotype are not neutralized. Thus, both tier 1 and 2 viruses are needed for vaccine discovery in nonhuman primate models. We constructed a tier 1 simian-human immunodeficiency virus, SHIV-1157ipEL, by inserting an "early," recently transmitted HIV-C env into the SHIV-1157ipd3N4 backbone [1] encoding a "late" form of the same env, which had evolved in a SHIV-infected rhesus monkey (RM) with AIDS. SHIV-1157ipEL was rapidly passaged to yield SHIV-1157ipEL-p, which remained exclusively R5-tropic and had a tier 1 phenotype, in contrast to "late" SHIV-1157ipd3N4 (tier 2). After 5 weekly low-dose intrarectal exposures, SHIV-1157ipEL-p systemically infected 16 out of 17 RM with high peak viral RNA loads and depleted gut CD4+ T cells. SHIV-1157ipEL-p and SHIV-1157ipd3N4 env genes diverge mostly in V1/V2. Molecular modeling revealed a possible mechanism for the increased neutralization resistance of SHIV-1157ipd3N4 Env: V2 loops hindering access to the CD4 binding site, shown experimentally with nAb b12. Similar mutations have been linked to decreased neutralization sensitivity in HIV-C strains isolated from humans over time, indicating parallel HIV-C Env evolution in humans and RM. SHIV-1157ipEL-p, the first tier 1 R5 clade C SHIV, and SHIV-1157ipd3N4, its tier 2 counterpart, represent biologically relevant tools for anti-HIV-C vaccine development in primates.

  10. Robust Rate Maximization for Heterogeneous Wireless Networks under Channel Uncertainties

    PubMed Central

    Xu, Yongjun; Hu, Yuan; Li, Guoquan

    2018-01-01

    Heterogeneous wireless networks are a promising technology in next generation wireless communication networks, which has been shown to efficiently reduce the blind area of mobile communication and improve network coverage compared with the traditional wireless communication networks. In this paper, a robust power allocation problem for a two-tier heterogeneous wireless networks is formulated based on orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing technology. Under the consideration of imperfect channel state information (CSI), the robust sum-rate maximization problem is built while avoiding sever cross-tier interference to macrocell user and maintaining the minimum rate requirement of each femtocell user. To be practical, both of channel estimation errors from the femtocells to the macrocell and link uncertainties of each femtocell user are simultaneously considered in terms of outage probabilities of users. The optimization problem is analyzed under no CSI feedback with some cumulative distribution function and partial CSI with Gaussian distribution of channel estimation error. The robust optimization problem is converted into the convex optimization problem which is solved by using Lagrange dual theory and subgradient algorithm. Simulation results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed algorithm by the impact of channel uncertainties on the system performance. PMID:29466315

  11. Comparison of tiered formularies and reference pricing policies: a systematic review

    PubMed Central

    Morgan, Steve; Hanley, Gillian; Greyson, Devon

    2009-01-01

    Objectives To synthesize methodologically comparable evidence from the published literature regarding the outcomes of tiered formularies and therapeutic reference pricing of prescription drugs. Methods We searched the following electronic databases: ABI/Inform, CINAHL, Clinical Evidence, Digital Dissertations & Theses, Evidence-Based Medicine Reviews (which incorporates ACP Journal Club, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, Cochrane Methodology Register, Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness, Health Technology Assessments and NHS Economic Evaluation Database), EconLit, EMBASE, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, MEDLINE, PAIS International and PAIS Archive, and the Web of Science. We also searched the reference lists of relevant articles and several grey literature sources. We sought English-language studies published from 1986 to 2007 that examined the effects of either therapeutic reference pricing or tiered formularies, reported on outcomes relevant to patient care and cost-effectiveness, and employed quantitative study designs that included concurrent or historical comparison groups. We abstracted and assessed potentially appropriate articles using a modified version of the data abstraction form developed by the Cochrane Effective Practice and Organisation of Care Group. Results From an initial list of 2964 citations, 12 citations (representing 11 studies) were deemed eligible for inclusion in our review: 3 studies (reported in 4 articles) of reference pricing and 8 studies of tiered formularies. The introduction of reference pricing was associated with reduced plan spending, switching to preferred medicines, reduced overall drug utilization and short-term increases in the use of physician services. Reference pricing was not associated with adverse health impacts. The introduction of tiered formularies was associated with reduced plan expenditures, greater patient costs and increased rates of non-compliance with prescribed drug therapy. From the data available, we were unable to examine the hypothesis that tiered formulary policies result in greater use of physician services and potentially worse health outcomes. Conclusion The available evidence does not clearly differentiate between reference pricing and tiered formularies in terms of policy outcomes. Reference pricing appears to have a slight evidentiary advantage, given that patients’ health outcomes under tiered formularies have not been well studied and that tiered formularies are associated with increased rates of medicine discontinuation. PMID:21603047

  12. EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE MANAGEMENT AND UTILIZATION OF LANDFILL GAS

    EPA Science Inventory

    The report gives information on emerging technologies that are considered to be commercially available (Tier 1), currently undergoing research and development (Tier 2), or considered as potentially applicable (Tier 3) for the management of landfill gas (LFG) emissions or for the ...

  13. A single, continuous metric to define tiered serum neutralization potency against HIV

    DOE PAGES

    Hraber, Peter Thomas; Korber, Bette Tina Marie; Wagh, Kshitij; ...

    2018-01-19

    HIV-1 Envelope (Env) variants are grouped into tiers by their neutralization-sensitivity phenotype. This helped to recognize that tier 1 neutralization responses can be elicited readily, but do not protect against new infections. Tier 3 viruses are the least sensitive to neutralization. Because most circulating viruses are tier 2, vaccines that elicit neutralization responses against them are needed. While tier classification is widely used for viruses, a way to rate serum or antibody neutralization responses in comparable terms is needed. Logistic regression of neutralization outcomes summarizes serum or antibody potency on a continuous, tier-like scale. It also tests significance of themore » neutralization score, to indicate cases where serum response does not depend on virus tiers. The method can standardize results from different virus panels, and could lead to high-throughput assays, which evaluate a single serum dilution, rather than a dilution series, for more efficient use of limited resources to screen samples from vaccinees.« less

  14. A single, continuous metric to define tiered serum neutralization potency against HIV

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

    Hraber, Peter Thomas; Korber, Bette Tina Marie; Wagh, Kshitij

    HIV-1 Envelope (Env) variants are grouped into tiers by their neutralization-sensitivity phenotype. This helped to recognize that tier 1 neutralization responses can be elicited readily, but do not protect against new infections. Tier 3 viruses are the least sensitive to neutralization. Because most circulating viruses are tier 2, vaccines that elicit neutralization responses against them are needed. While tier classification is widely used for viruses, a way to rate serum or antibody neutralization responses in comparable terms is needed. Logistic regression of neutralization outcomes summarizes serum or antibody potency on a continuous, tier-like scale. It also tests significance of themore » neutralization score, to indicate cases where serum response does not depend on virus tiers. The method can standardize results from different virus panels, and could lead to high-throughput assays, which evaluate a single serum dilution, rather than a dilution series, for more efficient use of limited resources to screen samples from vaccinees.« less

  15. 12 CFR 390.74 - Civil money penalties.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    .... 1467a(i)(3) Holding Company Act Violation 32,500 12 U.S.C. 1467a(r)(1) Late/Inaccurate Reports—1st Tier 2,200 12 U.S.C. 1467a(r)(2) Late/Inaccurate Reports—2nd Tier 32,500 12 U.S.C. 1467a(r)(3) Late...) Violation of Law or Unsafe or Unsound Practice—3rd Tier 1,375,000 12 U.S.C. 1820(k)(6)(A)(ii) Violation of...

  16. 12 CFR 109.103 - Civil money penalties.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    .... 1467a(r)(1) Late/Inaccurate Reports—1st Tier 2,200 12 U.S.C. 1467a(r)(2) Late/Inaccurate Reports—2nd Tier 32,500 12 U.S.C. 1467a(r)(3) Late/Inaccurate Reports—3rd Tier 1,375,000 12 U.S.C. 1817(j)(16)(A...,375,000 12 U.S.C. 1820(k)(6)(A)(ii) Violation of Post Employment Restrictions 275,000 12 U.S.C. 1884...

  17. 78 FR 35996 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; EDGX Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-06-14

    ... liquidity; (5) add the Midpoint Match Volume Tier (``MPM Volume Tier'') to Footnote 3 of the Exchange's fee... add liquidity to the Exchange absent Members qualifying for additional volume tiered pricing. \\5... average daily volume (``ADV'') to EDGX, then the Member would get the current rate of $0.0001 per share...

  18. Knowledge Management Systems and Open Innovation in Second Tier UK Universities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Chaston, Ian

    2012-01-01

    The purpose of this paper is to examine the performance of second tier UK universities in relation to the effectiveness of their knowledge management systems and involvement in open innovation. Data were acquired using a mail survey of academic staff in social science and business faculties in second tier institutions. The results indicate that…

  19. Fundamentalists, Priests, Martyrs and Converts: A Typology of First Tier Management in Further Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Page, Damien

    2011-01-01

    This article presents findings from a study of first tier managers in English Further Education colleges, a role critically neglected within the literature, despite its centrality to organisational effectiveness and learner success. The role was found to be diverse, contested and elastic and while first tier managers were found to be highly…

  20. 78 FR 11935 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NASDAQ OMX BX, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-02-20

    ... changes to these fees: Modifying the pricing tier that currently requires providing an average daily... more shares of liquidity would be required; Instituting a new pricing tier under which a member would..., including use of routable orders, will remain unchanged. Moreover, a new pricing tier is being created so...

  1. Ecological Risk Assessment of a Metal-Contaminated Area in the Tropics. Tier II: Detailed Assessment.

    PubMed

    Niemeyer, Júlia Carina; Moreira-Santos, Matilde; Ribeiro, Rui; Rutgers, Michiel; Nogueira, Marco Antonio; da Silva, Eduardo Mendes; Sousa, José Paulo

    2015-01-01

    This study presents data on the detailed evaluation (tier 2) of a site-specific ecological risk assessment (ssERA) in a former smelter area contaminated with metals (Santo Amaro, Bahia, Brazil). Combining information from three lines of evidence (LoE), chemical (ChemLoE), ecotoxicological (EcotoxLoE) and ecological (EcoLoE), in the Triad approach, integrated risk values were calculated to rank sites and confirm the potential risk disclosed with tier 1. Risk values were calculated for the habitat and for the retention functions in each sampling point. Habitat function included the ChemLoE calculated from total metal concentrations. The EcotoxLoE was based on reproduction tests with terrestrial invertebrates (Folsomia candida, Enchytraeus crypticus, Eisenia andrei), shoot length and plant biomass (Avena sativa, Brassica rapa). For the EcoLoE, ecological parameters (microbial parameters, soil invertebrate community, litter breakdown) were used to derive risk values. Retention function included the ChemLoE, calculated from extractable metal concentrations, and the EcotoxLoE based on eluate tests with aquatic organisms (Daphnia magna reproduction and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata growth). Results related to the habitat function indicated that the metal residues are sufficient to cause risk to biota, while the low metal levels in extracts and the general lack of toxicity in aquatic tests indicated a high soil retention capacity in most sampling points. Integrated risk of tier 2 showed the same trend of tier 1, suggesting the need to proceed with remediation actions. The high risk levels were related to direct toxicity to organisms and indirect effects, such as failure in the establishment of vegetation and the consequent loss of habitat quality for microorganisms and soil fauna. This study shed some light on the selection of tools for the tier 2 of an ssERA in tropical metal-contaminated sites, focusing on ecological receptors at risk and using available chemical methods, ecological surveys and ecotoxicity tests.

  2. Ecological Risk Assessment of a Metal-Contaminated Area in the Tropics. Tier II: Detailed Assessment

    PubMed Central

    Niemeyer, Júlia Carina; Moreira-Santos, Matilde; Ribeiro, Rui; Rutgers, Michiel; Nogueira, Marco Antonio; da Silva, Eduardo Mendes; Sousa, José Paulo

    2015-01-01

    This study presents data on the detailed evaluation (tier 2) of a site-specific ecological risk assessment (ssERA) in a former smelter area contaminated with metals (Santo Amaro, Bahia, Brazil). Combining information from three lines of evidence (LoE), chemical (ChemLoE), ecotoxicological (EcotoxLoE) and ecological (EcoLoE), in the Triad approach, integrated risk values were calculated to rank sites and confirm the potential risk disclosed with tier 1. Risk values were calculated for the habitat and for the retention functions in each sampling point. Habitat function included the ChemLoE calculated from total metal concentrations. The EcotoxLoE was based on reproduction tests with terrestrial invertebrates (Folsomia candida, Enchytraeus crypticus, Eisenia andrei), shoot length and plant biomass (Avena sativa, Brassica rapa). For the EcoLoE, ecological parameters (microbial parameters, soil invertebrate community, litter breakdown) were used to derive risk values. Retention function included the ChemLoE, calculated from extractable metal concentrations, and the EcotoxLoE based on eluate tests with aquatic organisms (Daphnia magna reproduction and Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata growth). Results related to the habitat function indicated that the metal residues are sufficient to cause risk to biota, while the low metal levels in extracts and the general lack of toxicity in aquatic tests indicated a high soil retention capacity in most sampling points. Integrated risk of tier 2 showed the same trend of tier 1, suggesting the need to proceed with remediation actions. The high risk levels were related to direct toxicity to organisms and indirect effects, such as failure in the establishment of vegetation and the consequent loss of habitat quality for microorganisms and soil fauna. This study shed some light on the selection of tools for the tier 2 of an ssERA in tropical metal-contaminated sites, focusing on ecological receptors at risk and using available chemical methods, ecological surveys and ecotoxicity tests. PMID:26528915

  3. 2-tiered antibody testing for early and late Lyme disease using only an immunoglobulin G blot with the addition of a VlsE band as the second-tier test.

    PubMed

    Branda, John A; Aguero-Rosenfeld, Maria E; Ferraro, Mary Jane; Johnson, Barbara J B; Wormser, Gary P; Steere, Allen C

    2010-01-01

    Standard 2-tiered immunoglobulin G (IgG) testing has performed well in late Lyme disease (LD), but IgM testing early in the illness has been problematic. IgG VlsE antibody testing, by itself, improves early sensitivity, but may lower specificity. We studied whether elements of the 2 approaches could be combined to produce a second-tier IgG blot that performs well throughout the infection. Separate serum sets from LD patients and control subjects were tested independently at 2 medical centers using whole-cell enzyme immunoassays and IgM and IgG immunoblots, with recombinant VlsE added to the IgG blots. The results from both centers were combined, and a new second-tier IgG algorithm was developed. With standard 2-tiered IgM and IgG testing, 31% of patients with active erythema migrans (stage 1), 63% of those with acute neuroborreliosis or carditis (stage 2), and 100% of those with arthritis or late neurologic involvement (stage 3) had positive results. Using new IgG criteria, in which only the VlsE band was scored as a second-tier test among patients with early LD (stage 1 or 2) and 5 of 11 IgG bands were required in those with stage 3 LD, 34% of patients with stage 1, 96% of those with stage 2, and 100% of those with stage 3 infection had positive responses. Both new and standard testing achieved 100% specificity. Compared with standard IgM and IgG testing, the new IgG algorithm (with VlsE band) eliminates the need for IgM testing; it provides comparable or better sensitivity, and it maintains high specificity.

  4. Fuzzy-logic based Q-Learning interference management algorithms in two-tier networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Xu, Qiang; Xu, Zezhong; Li, Li; Zheng, Yan

    2017-10-01

    Unloading from macrocell network and enhancing coverage can be realized by deploying femtocells in the indoor scenario. However, the system performance of the two-tier network could be impaired by the co-tier and cross-tier interference. In this paper, a distributed resource allocation scheme is studied when each femtocell base station is self-governed and the resource cannot be assigned centrally through the gateway. A novel Q-Learning interference management scheme is proposed, that is divided into cooperative and independent part. In the cooperative algorithm, the interference information is exchanged between the cell-edge users which are classified by the fuzzy logic in the same cell. Meanwhile, we allocate the orthogonal subchannels to the high-rate cell-edge users to disperse the interference power when the data rate requirement is satisfied. The resource is assigned directly according to the minimum power principle in the independent algorithm. Simulation results are provided to demonstrate the significant performance improvements in terms of the average data rate, interference power and energy efficiency over the cutting-edge resource allocation algorithms.

  5. Optimisation of the usage of LHC and local computing resources in a multidisciplinary physics department hosting a WLCG Tier-2 centre

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barberis, Stefano; Carminati, Leonardo; Leveraro, Franco; Mazza, Simone Michele; Perini, Laura; Perlz, Francesco; Rebatto, David; Tura, Ruggero; Vaccarossa, Luca; Villaplana, Miguel

    2015-12-01

    We present the approach of the University of Milan Physics Department and the local unit of INFN to allow and encourage the sharing among different research areas of computing, storage and networking resources (the largest ones being those composing the Milan WLCG Tier-2 centre and tailored to the needs of the ATLAS experiment). Computing resources are organised as independent HTCondor pools, with a global master in charge of monitoring them and optimising their usage. The configuration has to provide satisfactory throughput for both serial and parallel (multicore, MPI) jobs. A combination of local, remote and cloud storage options are available. The experience of users from different research areas operating on this shared infrastructure is discussed. The promising direction of improving scientific computing throughput by federating access to distributed computing and storage also seems to fit very well with the objectives listed in the European Horizon 2020 framework for research and development.

  6. 76 FR 45742 - Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fisheries...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-08-01

    ... vessel must have landed at least 400,000 lb (181.44 mt) in any one year 1997-2005 to qualify for a Tier 1... Tier 2 permit; or at least 1,000 lb (0.45 mt) in any one year March 1, 1994--December 31, 2005, to qualify for a Tier 3 permit, with Tier 3 allocated up to 7 percent of the commercial quota, through the...

  7. The Impact of Income and Taxation in a Price-Tiered Cigarette Market - findings from the ITC Bangladesh Surveys.

    PubMed

    Huq, Iftekharul; Nargis, Nigar; Lkhagvasuren, Damba; Hussain, Akm Ghulam; Fong, Geoffrey T

    2018-04-25

    Taxing tobacco is among the most effective measures of tobacco control. However, in a tiered market structure where multiple tiers of taxes coexist, the anticipated impact of tobacco taxes on consumption is complex. This paper investigates changing smoking behaviour in lieu of changing prices and changing income. The objective of the paper is to evaluate the effectiveness of change in prices (through taxes) and change in income in a price-tiered cigarette market. A panel dataset from the International Tobacco Control Bangladesh surveys is used for analysis. For preliminary analysis transition matrices are developed. Next, probit and multinomial logit regression models are used to identify the effects of changes in prices and changes in income along with other control variables. Transition matrices show significant movement of smokers across price tiers from one wave to another. Regression results show that higher income raises the probability to up-trade and decreases the probability to down-trade. Results also show that higher prices raises the probability to up-trade and reduces the probability to down-trade. Although not significant, there exists a negative relationship between the probability to down-trade and the probability to intend to quit. It is evident from the results that a price-tiered market provides smokers more opportunities to accommodate their smoking behaviour when faced with price and income change. Therefore, tiered structure of the tax system should be replaced with uniform taxes. Moreover, overall cigarette taxes need to be raised to an extent so that it off-sets any positive effects of income growth. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  8. Evaluation of programs for adolescents with greater psychosocial needs: community-based Project P.A.T.H.S. in Hong Kong.

    PubMed

    Shek, Daniel T L; Law, Moon Y M

    2017-02-01

    This study examined the perceptions of the Tier 2 Program of the Project P.A.T.H.S. (Positive Adolescent Training through Holistic Social programmes) among Chinese secondary school students displaying greater psychosocial needs. Results showed that participants held positive views of program qualities, implementer qualities, as well as the perceived effectiveness of the program. Significant grade differences in terms of various indicators of satisfaction related to program qualities, implementer qualities, and program effectiveness were found. Correlation analyses showed that there were significant inter-relationships amongst program qualities, implementer qualities and program effectiveness. In line with the predictions, both program qualities and implementer qualities were significant predictors of perceived program effectiveness. The present study provides support for the perceived effectiveness of the Tier 2 Program of the Project P.A.T.H.S. in the community-based project context.

  9. Tier 2 Supports to Improve Motivation and Performance of Elementary Students with Behavioral Challenges and Poor Work Completion

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Oakes, Wendy Peia; Lane, Kathleen Lynne; Cox, Meredith; Magrane, Ashley; Jenkins, Abbie; Hankins, Katy

    2012-01-01

    We offer a methodological illustration for researchers and practitioners of how to conduct a development study consistent with the parameters delineated by the Institute of Education Sciences (IES; U.S. Department of Education [USDE], 2010) to explore the utility of an existing Tier 1 intervention applied as a Tier 2 support within a three-tiered…

  10. 18 CFR 707.9 - Tiering.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Tiering. 707.9 Section 707.9 Conservation of Power and Water Resources WATER RESOURCES COUNCIL COMPLIANCE WITH THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT (NEPA) Water Resources Council Implementing Procedures § 707.9 Tiering. In accordance...

  11. 18 CFR 707.9 - Tiering.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-04-01

    ... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Tiering. 707.9 Section 707.9 Conservation of Power and Water Resources WATER RESOURCES COUNCIL COMPLIANCE WITH THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT (NEPA) Water Resources Council Implementing Procedures § 707.9 Tiering. In accordance...

  12. 18 CFR 707.9 - Tiering.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-04-01

    ... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Tiering. 707.9 Section 707.9 Conservation of Power and Water Resources WATER RESOURCES COUNCIL COMPLIANCE WITH THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT (NEPA) Water Resources Council Implementing Procedures § 707.9 Tiering. In accordance...

  13. 18 CFR 707.9 - Tiering.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2013-04-01 2012-04-01 true Tiering. 707.9 Section 707.9 Conservation of Power and Water Resources WATER RESOURCES COUNCIL COMPLIANCE WITH THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT (NEPA) Water Resources Council Implementing Procedures § 707.9 Tiering. In accordance...

  14. 18 CFR 707.9 - Tiering.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... 18 Conservation of Power and Water Resources 2 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Tiering. 707.9 Section 707.9 Conservation of Power and Water Resources WATER RESOURCES COUNCIL COMPLIANCE WITH THE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY ACT (NEPA) Water Resources Council Implementing Procedures § 707.9 Tiering. In accordance...

  15. 12 CFR 3.2 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ..., deferred tax assets, and credit-enhancing interest-only strips, that are deducted from Tier 1 capital, and minus nonfinancial equity investments for which a Tier 1 capital deduction is required pursuant to... carry out the purposes of this part. (b) Bank means a national banking association. (c) Tier 1 capital...

  16. Is it clean or contaminated soil? Using petrogenic versus biogenic GC-FID chromatogram patterns to mathematically resolve false petroleum hydrocarbon detections in clean organic soils: a crude oil-spiked peat microcosm experiment.

    PubMed

    Kelly-Hooper, Francine; Farwell, Andrea J; Pike, Glenna; Kennedy, Jocelyn; Wang, Zhendi; Grunsky, Eric C; Dixon, D George

    2013-10-01

    The Canadian Council of Ministers of the Environment (CCME) reference method for the Canada-wide standard (CWS) for petroleum hydrocarbon (PHC) in soil provides chemistry analysis standards and guidelines for the management of contaminated sites. However, these methods can coextract natural biogenic organic compounds (BOCs) from organic soils, causing false exceedences of toxicity guidelines. The present 300-d microcosm experiment used CWS PHC tier 1 soil extraction and gas chromatography-flame ionization detector (GC-FID) analysis to develop a new tier 2 mathematical approach to resolving this problem. Carbon fractions F2 (C10-C16), F3 (C16-C34), and F4 (>C34) as well as subfractions F3a (C16-C22) and F3b (C22-C34) were studied in peat and sand spiked once with Federated crude oil. These carbon ranges were also studied in 14 light to heavy crude oils. The F3 range in the clean peat was dominated by F3b, whereas the crude oils had approximately equal F3a and F3b distributions. The F2 was nondetectable in the clean peat but was a significant component in crude oil. The crude oil–spiked peat had elevated F2 and F3a distributions. The BOC-adjusted PHC F3 calculation estimated the true PHC concentrations in the spiked peat. The F2:F3b ratio of less than 0.10 indicated PHC absence in the clean peat, and the ratio of greater than or equal to 0.10 indicated PHC presence in the spiked peat and sand. Validation studies are required to confirm whether this new tier 2 approach is applicable to real-case scenarios. Potential adoption of this approach could minimize unnecessary ecological disruptions of thousands of peatlands throughout Canada while also saving millions of dollars in management costs. © 2013 SETAC.

  17. Do drug formulary policies reflect evidence of value?

    PubMed

    Neumann, Peter J; Lin, Pei-Jung; Greenberg, Dan; Berger, Marc; Teutsch, Steven; Mansley, Edward; Weinstein, Milton C; Rosen, Allison B

    2006-01-01

    To investigate the extent to which preferred drug lists and tiered formularies reflect evidence of value, as measured in published cost-utility analyses (CUAs). Using 1998-2001 data from a large registry of cost-effectiveness analyses, we examined the 2004 Florida Medicaid preferred drug list and the 2004 Harvard Pilgrim Pharmacy Program 3-tier formulary, and compared cost-utility ratios (standardized to 2002 US dollars) of drugs with preferred and nonpreferred status. Few drugs on the formularies had any cost-utility data available. Of those that did, median cost-utility ratios were somewhat higher (less favorable) for Florida's preferred drugs compared with the nonpreferred drugs (25,465 dollars vs 13,085 dollars; P = .09). Ratios did not differ for drugs on tiers 1 and 2 of the Harvard Pilgrim formulary, although they were higher for tier 3 and for excluded drugs (18,309 dollars, 18,846 dollars, 52,119 dollars, and 22,580 dollars, respectively; P = .01). Among therapies reported to be cost-saving or to have cost-utility ratios below 50,000 dollars, 77% had favored status in Florida Medicaid and 73% in Harvard Pilgrim. Among dominated drug interventions (reported to be more costly and less effective than alternatives), 95% had favored status in Florida Medicaid and 56% in Harvard Pilgrim. This study underscores the paucity of published cost-utility data available to formulary committees. Some discrepancies prevail between the value of drugs, as reflected in published cost-utility ratios, and the formulary placement policies of 2 large health plans.

  18. 12 CFR 509.103 - Civil money penalties.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... Company Act Violation 32,500 12 U.S.C. 1467a(i)(3) Holding Company Act Violation 32,500 12 U.S.C. 1467a(r)(1) Late/Inaccurate Reports—1st Tier 2,200 12 U.S.C. 1467a(r)(2) Late/Inaccurate Reports—2nd Tier 32,500 12 U.S.C. 1467a(r)(3) Late/Inaccurate Reports—3rd Tier 1,375,000 12 U.S.C. 1817(j)(16)(A) Change...

  19. 12 CFR 509.103 - Civil money penalties.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... Company Act Violation 32,500 12 U.S.C. 1467a(i)(3) Holding Company Act Violation 32,500 12 U.S.C. 1467a(r)(1) Late/Inaccurate Reports—1st Tier 2,200 12 U.S.C. 1467a(r)(2) Late/Inaccurate Reports—2nd Tier 32,500 12 U.S.C. 1467a(r)(3) Late/Inaccurate Reports—3rd Tier 1,375,000 12 U.S.C. 1817(j)(16)(A) Change...

  20. 12 CFR 509.103 - Civil money penalties.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... Company Act Violation 32,500 12 U.S.C. 1467a(i)(3) Holding Company Act Violation 32,500 12 U.S.C. 1467a(r)(1) Late/Inaccurate Reports—1st Tier 2,200 12 U.S.C. 1467a(r)(2) Late/Inaccurate Reports—2nd Tier 32,500 12 U.S.C. 1467a(r)(3) Late/Inaccurate Reports—3rd Tier 1,375,000 12 U.S.C. 1817(j)(16)(A) Change...

  1. 12 CFR 509.103 - Civil money penalties.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... Company Act Violation 32,500 12 U.S.C. 1467a(i)(3) Holding Company Act Violation 32,500 12 U.S.C. 1467a(r)(1) Late/Inaccurate Reports—1st Tier 2,200 12 U.S.C. 1467a(r)(2) Late/Inaccurate Reports—2nd Tier 32,500 12 U.S.C. 1467a(r)(3) Late/Inaccurate Reports—3rd Tier 1,375,000 12 U.S.C. 1817(j)(16)(A) Change...

  2. 12 CFR 509.103 - Civil money penalties.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ...,500 12 U.S.C. 1467a(r)(3) Late/Inaccurate Reports—3rd Tier 1,375,000 12 U.S.C. 1817(j)(16)(A) Change in Control—1st Tier 7,500 12 U.S.C. 1817(j)(16)(B) Change in Control—2nd Tier 37,500 12 U.S.C. 1817(j.... 4012a(f) Flood Insurance 1 385 2 135,000 1 Per day. 2 Per year. [56 FR 38306, Aug. 12, 1991, as amended...

  3. Storage assignment optimization in a multi-tier shuttle warehousing system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Yanyan; Mou, Shandong; Wu, Yaohua

    2016-03-01

    The current mathematical models for the storage assignment problem are generally established based on the traveling salesman problem(TSP), which has been widely applied in the conventional automated storage and retrieval system(AS/RS). However, the previous mathematical models in conventional AS/RS do not match multi-tier shuttle warehousing systems(MSWS) because the characteristics of parallel retrieval in multiple tiers and progressive vertical movement destroy the foundation of TSP. In this study, a two-stage open queuing network model in which shuttles and a lift are regarded as servers at different stages is proposed to analyze system performance in the terms of shuttle waiting period (SWP) and lift idle period (LIP) during transaction cycle time. A mean arrival time difference matrix for pairwise stock keeping units(SKUs) is presented to determine the mean waiting time and queue length to optimize the storage assignment problem on the basis of SKU correlation. The decomposition method is applied to analyze the interactions among outbound task time, SWP, and LIP. The ant colony clustering algorithm is designed to determine storage partitions using clustering items. In addition, goods are assigned for storage according to the rearranging permutation and the combination of storage partitions in a 2D plane. This combination is derived based on the analysis results of the queuing network model and on three basic principles. The storage assignment method and its entire optimization algorithm method as applied in a MSWS are verified through a practical engineering project conducted in the tobacco industry. The applying results show that the total SWP and LIP can be reduced effectively to improve the utilization rates of all devices and to increase the throughput of the distribution center.

  4. Analytical Study on Multi-Tier 5G Heterogeneous Small Cell Networks: Coverage Performance and Energy Efficiency.

    PubMed

    Xiao, Zhu; Liu, Hongjing; Havyarimana, Vincent; Li, Tong; Wang, Dong

    2016-11-04

    In this paper, we investigate the coverage performance and energy efficiency of multi-tier heterogeneous cellular networks (HetNets) which are composed of macrocells and different types of small cells, i.e., picocells and femtocells. By virtue of stochastic geometry tools, we model the multi-tier HetNets based on a Poisson point process (PPP) and analyze the Signal to Interference Ratio (SIR) via studying the cumulative interference from pico-tier and femto-tier. We then derive the analytical expressions of coverage probabilities in order to evaluate coverage performance in different tiers and investigate how it varies with the small cells' deployment density. By taking the fairness and user experience into consideration, we propose a disjoint channel allocation scheme and derive the system channel throughput for various tiers. Further, we formulate the energy efficiency optimization problem for multi-tier HetNets in terms of throughput performance and resource allocation fairness. To solve this problem, we devise a linear programming based approach to obtain the available area of the feasible solutions. System-level simulations demonstrate that the small cells' deployment density has a significant effect on the coverage performance and energy efficiency. Simulation results also reveal that there exits an optimal small cell base station (SBS) density ratio between pico-tier and femto-tier which can be applied to maximize the energy efficiency and at the same time enhance the system performance. Our findings provide guidance for the design of multi-tier HetNets for improving the coverage performance as well as the energy efficiency.

  5. Analytical Study on Multi-Tier 5G Heterogeneous Small Cell Networks: Coverage Performance and Energy Efficiency

    PubMed Central

    Xiao, Zhu; Liu, Hongjing; Havyarimana, Vincent; Li, Tong; Wang, Dong

    2016-01-01

    In this paper, we investigate the coverage performance and energy efficiency of multi-tier heterogeneous cellular networks (HetNets) which are composed of macrocells and different types of small cells, i.e., picocells and femtocells. By virtue of stochastic geometry tools, we model the multi-tier HetNets based on a Poisson point process (PPP) and analyze the Signal to Interference Ratio (SIR) via studying the cumulative interference from pico-tier and femto-tier. We then derive the analytical expressions of coverage probabilities in order to evaluate coverage performance in different tiers and investigate how it varies with the small cells’ deployment density. By taking the fairness and user experience into consideration, we propose a disjoint channel allocation scheme and derive the system channel throughput for various tiers. Further, we formulate the energy efficiency optimization problem for multi-tier HetNets in terms of throughput performance and resource allocation fairness. To solve this problem, we devise a linear programming based approach to obtain the available area of the feasible solutions. System-level simulations demonstrate that the small cells’ deployment density has a significant effect on the coverage performance and energy efficiency. Simulation results also reveal that there exits an optimal small cell base station (SBS) density ratio between pico-tier and femto-tier which can be applied to maximize the energy efficiency and at the same time enhance the system performance. Our findings provide guidance for the design of multi-tier HetNets for improving the coverage performance as well as the energy efficiency. PMID:27827917

  6. 77 FR 68862 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; BATS Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-11-16

    ... order book in Penny Pilot Securities. The Exchange proposes to decrease the lower volume tier level from... average TCV. The Exchange also proposes to lower the upper volume tier level from an ADV equal to or... Exchange proposes to add an additional volume tier level at an ADV equal to or greater than 1.25% of...

  7. 78 FR 68108 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Arca, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-11-13

    ... for Low-Volume Issues November 6, 2013. Pursuant to Section 19(b)(1) \\1\\ of the Securities Exchange... 100,000 1,500 The Exchange introduced the current lowest-volume LMM rights fee tier on October 1, 2013...-volume LMM rights fee tier, beginning November 1, 2013 the fee for the next highest tier would apply...

  8. Development and Application of a Four-Tier Test to Assess Pre-Service Physics Teachers' Misconceptions about Geometrical Optics

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kaltakci-Gurel, Derya; Eryilmaz, Ali; McDermott, Lillian Christie

    2017-01-01

    Background: Correct identification of misconceptions is an important first step in order to gain an understanding of student learning. More recently, four-tier multiple choice tests have been found to be effective in assessing misconceptions. Purpose: The purposes of this study are (1) to develop and validate a four-tier misconception test to…

  9. Assessing the Nutritional Quality of Diets of Canadian Adults Using the 2014 Health Canada Surveillance Tool Tier System

    PubMed Central

    Jessri, Mahsa; Nishi, Stephanie K.; L’Abbé, Mary R.

    2015-01-01

    The 2014 Health Canada Surveillance Tool (HCST) was developed to assess adherence of dietary intakes with Canada’s Food Guide. HCST classifies foods into one of four Tiers based on thresholds for sodium, total fat, saturated fat and sugar, with Tier 1 representing the healthiest and Tier 4 foods being the unhealthiest. This study presents the first application of HCST to assess (a) dietary patterns of Canadians; and (b) applicability of this tool as a measure of diet quality among 19,912 adult participants of Canadian Community Health Survey 2.2. Findings indicated that even though most of processed meats and potatoes were Tier 4, the majority of reported foods in general were categorized as Tiers 2 and 3 due to the adjustable lenient criteria used in HCST. Moving from the 1st to the 4th quartile of Tier 4 and “other” foods/beverages, there was a significant trend towards increased calories (1876 kcal vs. 2290 kcal) and “harmful” nutrients (e.g., sodium) as well as decreased “beneficial” nutrients. Compliance with the HCST was not associated with lower body mass index. Future nutrient profiling systems need to incorporate both “positive” and “negative” nutrients, an overall score and a wider range of nutrient thresholds to better capture food product differences. PMID:26703721

  10. Behaviour of laying hens in two types of aviary systems on 25 commercial farms in Sweden.

    PubMed

    Odén, K; Keeling, L J; Algers, B

    2002-05-01

    1. Fifty-one flocks of laying hens in two high-density loose-housing systems were studied on 25 commercial farms in Sweden as part of a government test programme for evaluating new systems for laying hens. Six different hybrids were used in group sizes ranging from 250 to 5 000 birds. Stocking-densities varied from 10.2 to 19.1 birds per m2 floor area. No birds were beak trimmed. 2. The distribution of birds in the system, the frequency and location of aggressive pecks and feather pecks, the dust bathing activity and the birds' fear reaction to the keeper and to a novel object were measured. Direct behaviour observations were carried out twice per flock, at weeks 35 and 55. 3. The proportion of birds at the different locations was relatively constant across the 8-h observation period in the tiered system, but changed over time in the perch system, which may reflect a difference in access to resources between the systems. At night the top perches/tiers were preferred although when stocking-density increased, other sites were also used. 4. Aggression occurred mainly on the litter or in the nest areas. It did not differ between hybrids, but increased with age in the tiered system. Feather pecks occurred mainly on the litter. Brown hybrids feather pecked more than white ones, while white hybrids reacted more both to the keeper and to a novel object than did the brown hybrids. 5. It was concluded that access to nests was insufficient in both systems, as was litter space. Feed space was insufficient in the tiered system if food requirements increased. Design of the top perches, in the perch system, should be improved to allow birds to perch high up in the system without blocking access to feed etc. for others.

  11. A multi-tiered architecture for content retrieval in mobile peer-to-peer networks.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-01-01

    In this paper, we address content retrieval in Mobile Peer-to-Peer (P2P) Networks. We design a multi-tiered architecture for content : retrieval, where at Tier 1, we design a protocol for content similarity governed by a parameter that trades accu...

  12. XENOENDOCRINE DISRUPTERS-TIERED SCREENING AND TESTING: FILLING KEY DATA GAPS

    EPA Science Inventory

    The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is developing a screening and testing program for endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs). High priority chemicals would be evaluated in the Tier 1 Screening (T1S) battery. Chemicals positive in T1S would then be tested (Tier 2). T1S...

  13. Response to Intervention with Secondary School Students with Reading Difficulties

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vaughn, Sharon; Fletcher, Jack M.

    2012-01-01

    The authors summarize evidence from a multiyear study with secondary students with reading difficulties on (a) the potential efficacy of primary-level (Tier 1), secondary-level (Tier 2), and tertiary-level (Tier 3) interventions in remediating reading difficulties with middle school students, (b) the likelihood of resolving reading disabilities…

  14. Tier-specific evolution of match performance characteristics in the English Premier League: it's getting tougher at the top.

    PubMed

    Bradley, Paul S; Archer, David T; Hogg, Bob; Schuth, Gabor; Bush, Michael; Carling, Chris; Barnes, Chris

    2016-01-01

    This study investigated the evolution of physical and technical performances in the English Premier League (EPL), with special reference to league ranking. Match performance observations (n = 14,700) were collected using a multiple-camera computerised tracking system across seven consecutive EPL seasons (2006-07 to 2012-13). Final league rankings were classified into Tiers: (A) 1st-4th ranking (n = 2519), (B) 5th-8th ranking (n = 2965), (C) 9th-14th ranking (n = 4448) and (D) 15th-20th ranking (n = 4768). Teams in Tier B demonstrated moderate increases in high-intensity running distance while in ball possession from the 2006-07 to 2012-13 season (P < 0.001; effect size [ES]: 0.68), with Tiers A, C and D producing less pronounced increases across the same period (P < 0.005; ES: 0.26, 0.41 and 0.33, respectively). Large increases in sprint distance were observed from the 2006-07 to 2012-13 season for Tier B (P < 0.001; ES: 1.21), while only moderate increases were evident for Tiers A, C and D (P < 0.001; ES: 0.75, 0.97 and 0.84, respectively). Tier B demonstrated large increases in the number of passes performed and received in 2012-13 compared to 2006-07 (P < 0.001; ES: 1.32-1.53) with small-to-moderate increases in Tier A (P < 0.001; ES: 0.30-0.38), Tier C (P < 0.001; ES: 0.46-0.54) and Tier D (P < 0.001; ES: 0.69-0.87). The demarcation line between 4th (bottom of Tier A) and 5th ranking (top of Tier B) in the 2006-07 season was 8 points, but this decreased to just a single point in the 2012-13 season. The data demonstrate that physical and technical performances have evolved more in Tier B than any other Tier in the EPL and could indicate a narrowing of the performance gap between the top two Tiers.

  15. 7 CFR 4284.960 - Monitoring and reporting program performance.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-01-01

    ... advantages or disadvantages of supply chain arrangements or equitable distribution of rewards and responsibilities for mid-tier value chain projects; and (v) Recommendations from Beginning Farmers or Socially...

  16. 7 CFR 4284.960 - Monitoring and reporting program performance.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-01-01

    ... advantages or disadvantages of supply chain arrangements or equitable distribution of rewards and responsibilities for mid-tier value chain projects; and (v) Recommendations from Beginning Farmers or Socially...

  17. 7 CFR 4284.960 - Monitoring and reporting program performance.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... advantages or disadvantages of supply chain arrangements or equitable distribution of rewards and responsibilities for mid-tier value chain projects; and (v) Recommendations from Beginning Farmers or Socially...

  18. Evaluation of a Two-Phase Implementation of a Tier-2 (Small Group) Reading Intervention for Young Low-Progress Readers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Buckingham, Jennifer; Wheldall, Kevin; Beaman-Wheldall, Robyn

    2014-01-01

    In a response to intervention (RtI) model, reading is taught in increasingly intensive tiers of instruction. The aim of the study was to examine the efficacy of a Tier-2 (small group) literacy intervention for young struggling readers. This article focuses on the second phase of a randomised control trial involving 14 students in kindergarten as…

  19. 78 FR 77178 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; International Securities Exchange, LLC; Notice of Filing and...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-12-20

    ... ADV (excluding SPY) symbols SPY Tier 1; 0-39,999 ($0.33) ($0.66) ($0.36) Tier 2; 40,000-74,999 ($0.37... complex contracts. For Select Symbols (excluding SPY) this rebate is $0.33 per contract for Members with a... with a Priority Customer Complex ADV of 40,000-74,999 contracts (i.e., Tier 2), $0.37 per contract for...

  20. 2 CFR 180.440 - What action may I take if a primary tier participant knowingly does business with an excluded or...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 2 Grants and Agreements 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false What action may I take if a primary tier... Transactions § 180.440 What action may I take if a primary tier participant knowingly does business with an... person, you as a Federal agency official may refer the matter for suspension and debarment consideration...

  1. Wind energy development: methods for assessing risks to birds and bats pre-construction

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Katzner, Todd E.; Bennett, Victoria; Miller, Tricia A.; Duerr, Adam E.; Braham, Melissa A.; Hale, Amanda

    2016-01-01

    Wind power generation is rapidly expanding. Although wind power is a low-carbon source of energy, it can impact negatively birds and bats, either directly through fatality or indirectly by displacement or habitat loss. Pre-construction risk assessment at wind facilities within the United States is usually required only on public lands. When conducted, it generally involves a 3-tier process, with each step leading to more detailed and rigorous surveys. Preliminary site assessment (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Tier 1) is usually conducted remotely and involves evaluation of existing databases and published materials. If potentially at-risk wildlife are present and the developer wishes to continue the development process, then on-site surveys are conducted (Tier 2) to verify the presence of those species and to assess site-specific features (e.g., topography, land cover) that may influence risk from turbines. The next step in the process (Tier 3) involves quantitative or scientific studies to assess the potential risk of the proposed project to wildlife. Typical Tier-3 research may involve acoustic, aural, observational, radar, capture, tracking, or modeling studies, all designed to understand details of risk to specific species or groups of species at the given site. Our review highlights several features lacking from many risk assessments, particularly the paucity of before-and-after-control- impact (BACI) studies involving modeling and a lack of understanding of cumulative effects of wind facilities on wildlife. Both are essential to understand effective designs for pre-construction monitoring and both would help expand risk assessment beyond eagles.

  2. A predictive data-driven framework for endocrine prioritization: a triazole fungicide case study.

    PubMed

    Paul Friedman, Katie; Papineni, Sabitha; Marty, M Sue; Yi, Kun Don; Goetz, Amber K; Rasoulpour, Reza J; Kwiatkowski, Pat; Wolf, Douglas C; Blacker, Ann M; Peffer, Richard C

    2016-10-01

    The US Environmental Protection Agency Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP) is a tiered screening approach to determine the potential for a chemical to interact with estrogen, androgen, or thyroid hormone systems and/or perturb steroidogenesis. Use of high-throughput screening (HTS) to predict hazard and exposure is shifting the EDSP approach to (1) prioritization of chemicals for further screening; and (2) targeted use of EDSP Tier 1 assays to inform specific data needs. In this work, toxicology data for three triazole fungicides (triadimefon, propiconazole, and myclobutanil) were evaluated, including HTS results, EDSP Tier 1 screening (and other scientifically relevant information), and EPA guideline mammalian toxicology study data. The endocrine-related bioactivity predictions from HTS and information that satisfied the EDSP Tier 1 requirements were qualitatively concordant. Current limitations in the available HTS battery for thyroid and steroidogenesis pathways were mitigated by inclusion of guideline toxicology studies in this analysis. Similar margins (3-5 orders of magnitude) were observed between HTS-predicted human bioactivity and exposure values and between in vivo mammalian bioactivity and EPA chronic human exposure estimates for these products' registered uses. Combined HTS hazard and human exposure predictions suggest low priority for higher-tiered endocrine testing of these triazoles. Comparison with the mammalian toxicology database indicated that this HTS-based prioritization would have been protective for any potential in vivo effects that form the basis of current risk assessment for these chemicals. This example demonstrates an effective, human health protective roadmap for EDSP evaluation of pesticide active ingredients via prioritization using HTS and guideline toxicology information.

  3. A predictive data-driven framework for endocrine prioritization: a triazole fungicide case study

    PubMed Central

    Paul Friedman, Katie; Papineni, Sabitha; Marty, M. Sue; Yi, Kun Don; Goetz, Amber K.; Rasoulpour, Reza J.; Kwiatkowski, Pat; Wolf, Douglas C.; Blacker, Ann M.; Peffer, Richard C.

    2016-01-01

    Abstract The US Environmental Protection Agency Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP) is a tiered screening approach to determine the potential for a chemical to interact with estrogen, androgen, or thyroid hormone systems and/or perturb steroidogenesis. Use of high-throughput screening (HTS) to predict hazard and exposure is shifting the EDSP approach to (1) prioritization of chemicals for further screening; and (2) targeted use of EDSP Tier 1 assays to inform specific data needs. In this work, toxicology data for three triazole fungicides (triadimefon, propiconazole, and myclobutanil) were evaluated, including HTS results, EDSP Tier 1 screening (and other scientifically relevant information), and EPA guideline mammalian toxicology study data. The endocrine-related bioactivity predictions from HTS and information that satisfied the EDSP Tier 1 requirements were qualitatively concordant. Current limitations in the available HTS battery for thyroid and steroidogenesis pathways were mitigated by inclusion of guideline toxicology studies in this analysis. Similar margins (3–5 orders of magnitude) were observed between HTS-predicted human bioactivity and exposure values and between in vivo mammalian bioactivity and EPA chronic human exposure estimates for these products’ registered uses. Combined HTS hazard and human exposure predictions suggest low priority for higher-tiered endocrine testing of these triazoles. Comparison with the mammalian toxicology database indicated that this HTS-based prioritization would have been protective for any potential in vivo effects that form the basis of current risk assessment for these chemicals. This example demonstrates an effective, human health protective roadmap for EDSP evaluation of pesticide active ingredients via prioritization using HTS and guideline toxicology information. PMID:27347635

  4. Named Data Networking in Climate Research and HEP Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shannigrahi, Susmit; Papadopoulos, Christos; Yeh, Edmund; Newman, Harvey; Jerzy Barczyk, Artur; Liu, Ran; Sim, Alex; Mughal, Azher; Monga, Inder; Vlimant, Jean-Roch; Wu, John

    2015-12-01

    The Computing Models of the LHC experiments continue to evolve from the simple hierarchical MONARC[2] model towards more agile models where data is exchanged among many Tier2 and Tier3 sites, relying on both large scale file transfers with strategic data placement, and an increased use of remote access to object collections with caching through CMS's AAA, ATLAS' FAX and ALICE's AliEn projects, for example. The challenges presented by expanding needs for CPU, storage and network capacity as well as rapid handling of large datasets of file and object collections have pointed the way towards future more agile pervasive models that make best use of highly distributed heterogeneous resources. In this paper, we explore the use of Named Data Networking (NDN), a new Internet architecture focusing on content rather than the location of the data collections. As NDN has shown considerable promise in another data intensive field, Climate Science, we discuss the similarities and differences between the Climate and HEP use cases, along with specific issues HEP faces and will face during LHC Run2 and beyond, which NDN could address.

  5. 77 FR 36027 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Arca, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-06-15

    ... Rates; and For Investor Tiers 1-3, the applicable rate based on an ETP Holder's qualifying levels. The... applicable Tier, Step Up Tier or Basic Rate and would be based on an ETP Holder's qualifying levels, as...-listed Tape B securities based on an ETP Holder's qualifying levels. $0.0026 per share fee for Tape B...

  6. 78 FR 16023 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; EDGA Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-03-13

    ..., qualifies for BX's volume tiered rebate of $0.0010 per share by adding an average of 25,000 shares but less...\\ The Exchange notes that to the extent DE Route does or does not achieve any volume tiered rebate on BX... ``Single MPID Step-up Add Tier'' by posting more than .10% of the Total Consolidated Volume (``TCV''), on a...

  7. 78 FR 76337 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; EDGX Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-12-17

    ... under the Market Depth Tier 1 from $0.0032 per share to $0.00325 per share and amend the criteria... Depth Tier 1 from $0.0032 per share to $0.00325 per share and amend the criteria necessary to achieve... Depth Tier 1 The Exchange proposes to amend its Fee Schedule to increase the rebate to add liquidity...

  8. 12 CFR 3.63 - Disclosures by national banks or Federal savings associations described in § 3.61.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ... tier 1 capital, tier 2 capital, tier 1 and total capital ratios, including the regulatory capital elements and all the regulatory adjustments and deductions needed to calculate the numerator of such ratios... to calculate total risk-weighted assets; (3) Regulatory capital ratios during any transition periods...

  9. 33 CFR 154.1135 - Response plan development and evaluation criteria.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... Operating in Prince William Sound, Alaska § 154.1135 Response plan development and evaluation criteria. The following response times must be used in determining the on scene arrival time in Prince William Sound for the response resources required by § 154.1045: Tier 1 (hrs.) Tier 2 (hrs.) tier 3 (hrs.) Prince...

  10. To What Interventions Are Students Responding?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lipson, Marjorie Y.; Wixson, Karen K.

    2012-01-01

    Intervention is a central tenet of the various (multitiered) approaches used to implement Response to Intervention (RTI). It appears in Tier 1 core instruction in the form of differentiation, in Tier 2 in the form of supplemental small groups, and in Tier 3 and 4 instruction in the form of more intensive, often individualized support from…

  11. Using Brief Experimental Analysis to Intensify Tier 3 Reading Interventions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Coolong-Chaffin, Melissa; Wagner, Dana

    2015-01-01

    As implementation of multi-tiered systems of support becomes common practice across the nation, practitioners continue to need strategies for intensifying interventions and supports for the subset of students who fail to make adequate progress despite strong programs at Tiers 1 and 2. Experts recommend making several changes to the structure and…

  12. Examining Proportional Representation of Ethnic Groups within the SWPBIS Model

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jewell, Kelly

    2012-01-01

    The quantitative study seeks to analyze if School-wide Positive Behavior Intervention and Support (SWPBIS) model reduces the likelihood that minority students will receive more individualized supports due to behavior problems. In theory, the SWPBIS model should reflect a 3-tier system with tier 1 representing approximately 80%, tier 2 representing…

  13. Ligand accessibility to the HIV-1 Env co-receptor binding site can occur prior to CD4 engagement and is independent of viral tier category.

    PubMed

    Boliar, Saikat; Patil, Shilpa; Shukla, Brihaspati N; Ghobbeh, Ali; Deshpande, Suprit; Chen, Weizao; Guenaga, Javier; Dimitrov, Dimiter S; Wyatt, Richard T; Chakrabarti, Bimal K

    2018-06-01

    HIV-1 virus entry into target cells requires the envelope glycoprotein (Env) to first bind the primary receptor, CD4 and subsequently the co-receptor. Antibody access to the co-receptor binding site (CoRbs) in the pre-receptor-engaged state, prior to cell attachment, remains poorly understood. Here, we have demonstrated that for tier-1 Envs, the CoRbs is directly accessible to full-length CD4-induced (CD4i) antibodies even before primary receptor engagement, indicating that on these Envs the CoRbs site is either preformed or can conformationally sample post-CD4-bound state. Tier-2 and tier-3 Envs, which are resistant to full-length CD4i antibody, are neutralized by m36.4, a lower molecular mass of CD4i-directed domain antibody. In some tier-2 and tier-3 Envs, CoRbs is accessible to m36.4 even prior to cellular attachment in an Env-specific manner independent of their tier category. These data suggest differential structural arrangements of CoRbs and varied masking of ligand access to the CoRbs in different Env isolates. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. The Quality of Selected Essential Medicines Sold in Accredited Drug Dispensing Outlets and Pharmacies in Tanzania.

    PubMed

    Kaale, Eliangiringa; Manyanga, Vicky; Chambuso, Mhina; Liana, Jafary; Rutta, Edmund; Embrey, Martha; Layloff, Thomas; Johnson, Keith

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to investigate the quality of a select group of medicines sold in accredited drug dispensing outlets (ADDOs) and pharmacies in different regions of Tanzania as part of an in-depth cross-sectional assessment of community access to medicines and community use of medicines. We collected 242 samples of amoxicillin trihydrate, artemether-lumefantrine (ALu), co-trimoxazole, ergometrine maleate, paracetamol, and quinine from selected ADDOs and pharmacies in Mbeya, Morogoro, Singida, and Tanga regions. The analysis included physical examination and testing with validated analytical techniques. Assays for eight of nine products were conducted using high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC). For ALu tablets, we used a two-tiered approach, where tier 1 was a semi-quantitative Global Pharma Health Fund-Minilab® method and tier 2 was high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) as described in The International Pharmacopoeia's monograph for artemether-lumefantrine. The physical examination of samples revealed no defects in the solid and oral liquid dosage forms, but unusual discoloration in an injectable solution, ergometrine maleate. For ALu, the results showed that of 38 samples, 31 (81.6%) passed tier 1 testing and 7 (18.4%) gave inconclusive drug content results. The inconclusive ALu samples were submitted for tier 2 testing and all met the quality standards. The pass rate using the HPTLC and TLC/HPLC assays was 93.8%; the failures were the ergometrine maleate samples purchased from both ADDOs and pharmacies. The disintegration testing of the solid dosage forms was conducted in accordance with US Pharmacopeia monographs. Only two samples of paracetamol, 1.2% of the solid dosage forms, failed to comply to standards. The study revealed a high overall rate of 92.6% of samples that met the quality standards. Although the overall failure rate was 7.4%, it is important to note that this was largely limited to one product and likely due to poor distribution and storage rather than poor manufacturing practices. Over 90% of the medicines sold in ADDOs and pharmacies met quality standards. Policy makers need to reconsider ergometrine maleate's place on the list of medicines that ADDOs are allowed to dispense, by either substituting a more temperature-stable therapeutically equivalent product or requiring those sites to have refrigerators, which is not a feasible option for rural Tanzania.

  15. The Quality of Selected Essential Medicines Sold in Accredited Drug Dispensing Outlets and Pharmacies in Tanzania

    PubMed Central

    Manyanga, Vicky; Chambuso, Mhina; Liana, Jafary; Rutta, Edmund; Embrey, Martha; Layloff, Thomas; Johnson, Keith

    2016-01-01

    Introduction The purpose of this study was to investigate the quality of a select group of medicines sold in accredited drug dispensing outlets (ADDOs) and pharmacies in different regions of Tanzania as part of an in-depth cross-sectional assessment of community access to medicines and community use of medicines. Methods We collected 242 samples of amoxicillin trihydrate, artemether-lumefantrine (ALu), co-trimoxazole, ergometrine maleate, paracetamol, and quinine from selected ADDOs and pharmacies in Mbeya, Morogoro, Singida, and Tanga regions. The analysis included physical examination and testing with validated analytical techniques. Assays for eight of nine products were conducted using high-performance thin-layer chromatography (HPTLC). For ALu tablets, we used a two-tiered approach, where tier 1 was a semi-quantitative Global Pharma Health Fund-Minilab® method and tier 2 was high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) as described in The International Pharmacopoeia’s monograph for artemether-lumefantrine. Results and Discussion The physical examination of samples revealed no defects in the solid and oral liquid dosage forms, but unusual discoloration in an injectable solution, ergometrine maleate. For ALu, the results showed that of 38 samples, 31 (81.6%) passed tier 1 testing and 7 (18.4%) gave inconclusive drug content results. The inconclusive ALu samples were submitted for tier 2 testing and all met the quality standards. The pass rate using the HPTLC and TLC/HPLC assays was 93.8%; the failures were the ergometrine maleate samples purchased from both ADDOs and pharmacies. The disintegration testing of the solid dosage forms was conducted in accordance with US Pharmacopeia monographs. Only two samples of paracetamol, 1.2% of the solid dosage forms, failed to comply to standards. The study revealed a high overall rate of 92.6% of samples that met the quality standards. Although the overall failure rate was 7.4%, it is important to note that this was largely limited to one product and likely due to poor distribution and storage rather than poor manufacturing practices. Conclusions Over 90% of the medicines sold in ADDOs and pharmacies met quality standards. Policy makers need to reconsider ergometrine maleate’s place on the list of medicines that ADDOs are allowed to dispense, by either substituting a more temperature-stable therapeutically equivalent product or requiring those sites to have refrigerators, which is not a feasible option for rural Tanzania. PMID:27846216

  16. Distributed Leadership in a Maltese College: The Voices of Those among Whom Leadership Is "Distributed" and Who Concurrently Narrate Themselves as Leadership "Distributors"

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Mifsud, Denise

    2017-01-01

    In the unfolding Maltese education scenario of decentralization and school networking, I explore distributed leadership as it occurs at the college level through the leaders' narrative and performance in an investigation of the power relations among the different-tiered leaders. This article uses data from the case study of a Maltese college…

  17. The 2016 ACCP Pharmacotherapy Didactic Curriculum Toolkit.

    PubMed

    Schwinghammer, Terry L; Crannage, Andrew J; Boyce, Eric G; Bradley, Bridget; Christensen, Alyssa; Dunnenberger, Henry M; Fravel, Michelle; Gurgle, Holly; Hammond, Drayton A; Kwon, Jennifer; Slain, Douglas; Wargo, Kurt A

    2016-11-01

    The 2016 American College of Clinical Pharmacy (ACCP) Educational Affairs Committee was charged with updating and contemporizing ACCP's 2009 Pharmacotherapy Didactic Curriculum Toolkit. The toolkit has been designed to guide schools and colleges of pharmacy in developing, maintaining, and modifying their curricula. The 2016 committee reviewed the recent medical literature and other documents to identify disease states that are responsive to drug therapy. Diseases and content topics were organized by organ system, when feasible, and grouped into tiers as defined by practice competency. Tier 1 topics should be taught in a manner that prepares all students to provide collaborative, patient-centered care upon graduation and licensure. Tier 2 topics are generally taught in the professional curriculum, but students may require additional knowledge or skills after graduation (e.g., residency training) to achieve competency in providing direct patient care. Tier 3 topics may not be taught in the professional curriculum; thus, graduates will be required to obtain the necessary knowledge and skills on their own to provide direct patient care, if required in their practice. The 2016 toolkit contains 276 diseases and content topics, of which 87 (32%) are categorized as tier 1, 133 (48%) as tier 2, and 56 (20%) as tier 3. The large number of tier 1 topics will require schools and colleges to use creative pedagogical strategies to achieve the necessary practice competencies. Almost half of the topics (48%) are tier 2, highlighting the importance of postgraduate residency training or equivalent practice experience to competently care for patients with these disorders. The Pharmacotherapy Didactic Curriculum Toolkit will continue to be updated to provide guidance to faculty at schools and colleges of pharmacy as these academic pharmacy institutions regularly evaluate and modify their curricula to keep abreast of scientific advances and associated practice changes. Access the current Pharmacotherapy Didactic Curriculum Toolkit at http://www.accp.com/docs/positions/misc/Toolkit_final.pdf. © 2016 Pharmacotherapy Publications, Inc.

  18. A new data format for the commissioning phase of the ATLAS detector

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Köneke, Karsten; ATLAS Collaboration

    2010-04-01

    In the commissioning phase of the ATLAS experiment, low-level Event Summary Data (ESD) are analyzed to evaluate the performance of the individual subdetectors, the performance of the reconstruction and particle identification algorithms, and to obtain calibration coefficients. In the grid model of distributed analysis, these data must be transferred to Tier-1 and Tier-2 sites before they can be analyzed. However, the large size of ESD (approxeq1 MByte/event) constrains the amount of data that can be distributed on the grid and is available on disks. In order to overcome this constraint and make the data fully available, new data sets — collectively known as Derived Physics Data (DPD) — have been designed. Each DPD set contains a subset of the ESD data, tailored to specific needs of the subdetector and object reconstruction and identification performance groups. Filtering algorithms perform a selection based on physics contents and trigger response, further reducing the data volume. Thanks to these techniques, the total volume of DPD to be distributed on the grid amounts to 20% of the initial ESD data. An evolution of the tools developed in this context serves to produce another set of DPDs that are specifically tailored for physics analysis. All selection criteria and other relevant information is stored inside these DPDs as meta-data and a connection to external databases is also established.

  19. Implications of limiting mechanical thrombectomy to patients with emergent large vessel occlusion meeting top tier evidence criteria.

    PubMed

    Bhole, Rohini; Goyal, Nitin; Nearing, Katherine; Belayev, Andrey; Doss, Vinodh T; Elijovich, Lucas; Hoit, Daniel A; Tsivgoulis, Georgios; Alexandrov, Andrei V; Arthur, Adam S; Alexandrov, Anne W

    2017-03-01

    Recent guidelines for endovascular management of emergent large vessel occlusion (ELVO) award top tier evidence to the same selective criteria in recent trials. We aimed to understand how guideline adherence would have impacted treatment numbers and outcomes in a cohort of patients from a comprehensive stroke center. A retrospective observational study was conducted using consecutive emergent endovascular patients. Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) was performed with stent retrievers or large bore clot aspiration catheters. Procedural outcomes were compared between patients meeting, and those failing to meet, top tier evidence criteria. 126 patients receiving MT from January 2012 to June 2015 were included (age 31-89 years, National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score 2-38); 62 (49%) patients would have been excluded if top tier criteria were upheld: pretreatment NIHSS score <6 (10%), Alberta Stroke Program Early CT score <6 (6.5%), premorbid modified Rankin Scale (mRS) score ≥2 (27%), M2 occlusion (10%), posterior circulation (32%), symptom to groin puncture >360 min (58%). 26 (42%) subjects had more than one top tier exclusion. Symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage (sICH) and systemic hemorrhage rates were similar between the groups. 3 month mortality was 45% in those lacking top tier evidence compared with 26% (p=0.044), and 3 month mRS score 0-2 was 33% versus 46%, respectively (NS). After adjusting for potential confounders, top tier treatment was not associated with neurological improvement during hospitalization (β -8.2; 95% CI -24.6 to -8.2; p=0.321), 3 month mortality (OR=0.38; 95% CI 0.08 to 1.41), or 3 month favorable mRS (OR=0.97; 95% CI 0.28 to 3.35). Our study showed that with strict adherence to top tier evidence criteria, half of patients may not be considered for MT. Our data indicate no increased risk of sICH and a potentially higher mortality that is largely due to treatment of patients with basilar occlusions and those treated at an extended time window. Despite this, good functional recovery is possible, and consideration of MT in patients not meeting top tier evidence criteria may be warranted. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://www.bmj.com/company/products-services/rights-and-licensing/.

  20. Alternate assembly sequence databook for the Tier 2 Bus-1 option of the International Space Station

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brewer, L. M.; Cirillo, W. M.; Cruz, J. N.; Hall, J. B.; Troutman, P. A.; Monell, D. W.; Garn, M. A.; Heck, M. L.; Kumar, R. R.; Llewellyn, C. P.

    1995-01-01

    The JSC International Space Station program office requested that SSB prepare a databook to document the alternate space station assembly sequence known as Tier 2, which assumes that the Russian participation has been eliminated and that the functions that were supplied by the Russians (propulsion, resupply, initial attitude control, communications, etc.) are now supplied by the U.S. Tier 2 utilizes the Lockheed Bus-l to replace much of the missing Russian functionality. The space station at each stage of its buildup during the Tier 2 assembly sequence is characterized in terms of of properties, functionality, resource balances, operations, logistics, attitude control, microgravity environment and propellant usage. The assembly sequence as analyzed was defined by JSC as a first iteration, with subsequent iterations required to address some of the issues that the analysis in this databook identified. Several significant issues were identified, including: less than desirable orbit lifetimes, shortage of EVA, large flight attitudes, poor microgravity environments, and reboost propellant shortages. Many of these issues can be resolved but at the cost of possible baseline modifications and revisions in the proposed Tier 2 assembly sequence.

  1. 77 FR 35437 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE MKT LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-06-13

    ... Customer Contracts traded tiers and the associated Rights Fee: Monthly Average national daily customer...,000 750 Over 100,000 1,500 The Exchange proposes to amend the tiers and fees as follows: Monthly...,001 to 5,000 200 5,001 to 15,000 375 15,001 to 100,000 750 Over 100,000 1,500 The 0-to-200 tier will...

  2. The Brief Classroom Interaction Observation-Revised: An Observation System to Inform and Increase Teacher Use of Universal Classroom Management Practices

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reinke, Wendy M.; Stormont, Melissa; Herman, Keith C.; Wachsmuth, Sean; Newcomer, Lori

    2015-01-01

    Schools are increasingly using multi-tiered prevention models to address the academic and behavior needs of students. The foundation of these models is the implementation of universal, or Tier 1, practices designed to support the academic and behavioral needs of the vast majority of students. To support teachers in the use of effective Tier 1…

  3. 78 FR 67420 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; EDGX Exchange, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-11-12

    ... decrease the rebate to add liquidity under the Market Depth Tier 1 from $0.0033 per share to $0.0032 per... Market Depth Tier 1 from $0.0033 per share to $0.0032 per share. Footnote 1 of the Fee Schedule currently provides that Members may qualify for the Market Depth Tier 1 and receive a rebate of $0.0033 per share for...

  4. Digestive cell lysosomes as main targets for Ag accumulation and toxicity in marine mussels, Mytilus galloprovincialis, exposed to maltose-stabilised Ag nanoparticles of different sizes.

    PubMed

    Jimeno-Romero, A; Bilbao, E; Izagirre, U; Cajaraville, M P; Marigómez, I; Soto, M

    2017-03-01

    Bioavailability and toxicity of maltose-stabilised AgNPs of different sizes (20, 40 and 100 nm) in mussels were compared with bulk and aqueous forms of the metal through a two-tier experimental approach. In the first tier, mussels were exposed for 3 d to a range of concentrations (0.75, 75, 750 μg Ag/l) in the form of Ag20-Mal, Ag40-Mal, Ag100-Mal, bulk Ag and aqueous Ag (as AgNO 3 ), as well as to the concentrations of maltose used in the formulation of NPs. Mortality, bioaccumulation, tissue and cell distribution and lysosomal responses were investigated. In the second tier, mussels were exposed for 21 d to Ag20-Mal, Ag100-Mal, bulk Ag and aqueous Ag at the lowest effective concentration selected after Tier 1 (0.75 μg Ag/l), biomarkers and toxicopathic effects were investigated. Aqueous Ag was lethal within 3 d at 75 μg Ag/l; Ag NPs or bulk Ag did not produce significant mortality at 750 μg Ag/l. Ag accumulation was limited and metallothionein gene transcription was not regulated although metal accumulation occurred in digestive, brown and stomach epithelial cells and in gut lumen after exposure to AgNPs and aqueous Ag starting at low concentrations after 1 d. Electrondense particles (<10 nm) in lysosomes and residual bodies after exposure to AgNPs contained Ag and S (X-ray). Intralysosomal metal accumulation and lysosomal membrane destabilisation were enhanced after exposure to all the forms of Ag and more marked after exposure to Ag20-Mal than to larger NPs. 21 d exposure to AgNPs provoked digestive cell loss and loss of digestive gland integrity, resulting in atrophy-necrosis in digestive alveoli and oedema/hyperplasia in gills (Ag NP), vacuolisation in digestive cells (aqueous Ag) and haemocyte infiltration of connective tissue (all treatments). Intralysosomal metal accumulation, lysosomal responses and toxicopathic effects are enhanced at decreasing sizes and appear to be caused by Ag +  ions released from NPs, although the metal was not substantially accumulated.

  5. Data sharing as a national quality improvement program: reporting on BRCA1 and BRCA2 variant-interpretation comparisons through the Canadian Open Genetics Repository (COGR).

    PubMed

    Lebo, Matthew S; Zakoor, Kathleen-Rose; Chun, Kathy; Speevak, Marsha D; Waye, John S; McCready, Elizabeth; Parboosingh, Jillian S; Lamont, Ryan E; Feilotter, Harriet; Bosdet, Ian; Tucker, Tracy; Young, Sean; Karsan, Aly; Charames, George S; Agatep, Ronald; Spriggs, Elizabeth L; Chisholm, Caitlin; Vasli, Nasim; Daoud, Hussein; Jarinova, Olga; Tomaszewski, Robert; Hume, Stacey; Taylor, Sherryl; Akbari, Mohammad R; Lerner-Ellis, Jordan

    2018-03-01

    PurposeThe purpose of this study was to develop a national program for Canadian diagnostic laboratories to compare DNA-variant interpretations and resolve discordant-variant classifications using the BRCA1 and BRCA2 genes as a case study.MethodsBRCA1 and BRCA2 variant data were uploaded and shared through the Canadian Open Genetics Repository (COGR; http://www.opengenetics.ca). A total of 5,554 variant observations were submitted; classification differences were identified and comparison reports were sent to participating laboratories. Each site had the opportunity to reclassify variants. The data were analyzed before and after the comparison report process to track concordant- or discordant-variant classifications by three different models.ResultsVariant-discordance rates varied by classification model: 38.9% of variants were discordant when using a five-tier model, 26.7% with a three-tier model, and 5.0% with a two-tier model. After the comparison report process, the proportion of discordant variants dropped to 30.7% with the five-tier model, to 14.2% with the three-tier model, and to 0.9% using the two-tier model.ConclusionWe present a Canadian interinstitutional quality improvement program for DNA-variant interpretations. Sharing of variant knowledge by clinical diagnostic laboratories will allow clinicians and patients to make more informed decisions and lead to better patient outcomes.

  6. Single-tier city logistics model for single product

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Saragih, N. I.; Nur Bahagia, S.; Suprayogi; Syabri, I.

    2017-11-01

    This research develops single-tier city logistics model which consists of suppliers, UCCs, and retailers. The problem that will be answered in this research is how to determine the location of UCCs, to allocate retailers to opened UCCs, to assign suppliers to opened UCCs, to control inventory in the three entities involved, and to determine the route of the vehicles from opened UCCs to retailers. This model has never been developed before. All the decisions will be simultaneously optimized. Characteristic of the demand is probabilistic following a normal distribution, and the number of product is single.

  7. The successively temporal error concealment algorithm using error-adaptive block matching principle

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, Yu-Hsuan; Wu, Tsai-Hsing; Chen, Chao-Chyun

    2014-09-01

    Generally, the temporal error concealment (TEC) adopts the blocks around the corrupted block (CB) as the search pattern to find the best-match block in previous frame. Once the CB is recovered, it is referred to as the recovered block (RB). Although RB can be the search pattern to find the best-match block of another CB, RB is not the same as its original block (OB). The error between the RB and its OB limits the performance of TEC. The successively temporal error concealment (STEC) algorithm is proposed to alleviate this error. The STEC procedure consists of tier-1 and tier-2. The tier-1 divides a corrupted macroblock into four corrupted 8 × 8 blocks and generates a recovering order for them. The corrupted 8 × 8 block with the first place of recovering order is recovered in tier-1, and remaining 8 × 8 CBs are recovered in tier-2 along the recovering order. In tier-2, the error-adaptive block matching principle (EA-BMP) is proposed for the RB as the search pattern to recover remaining corrupted 8 × 8 blocks. The proposed STEC outperforms sophisticated TEC algorithms on average PSNR by 0.3 dB on the packet error rate of 20% at least.

  8. Differentiating by Readiness: Strategies and Lesson Plans for Tiered Instruction, Grades K-8

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Turville, Joni; Allen, Linda; Nickelsen, LeAnn

    2010-01-01

    This book provides a comprehensive introduction to tiering plus step-by-step instructions for using it in your classroom. Also included are 23 ready-to-apply blackline masters, which provide helpful ideas for activities and classroom management. Contents include: (1) Building the foundation: What is tiering in differentiated instruction?; (2) The…

  9. 76 FR 68642 - Fisheries of the Northeastern United States; Atlantic Mackerel, Squid, and Butterfish Fisheries...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-11-07

    ...: Copies of supporting documents used by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council), including..., Tier 1 and Tier 2 vessel owners are required to obtain a fish hold capacity measurement from a certified marine surveyor. The hold capacity measurement submitted at the time of application for a Tier 1...

  10. Exploring the Relationship between Cognitive Characteristics and Responsiveness to a Tier 3 Reading Fluency Intervention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Field, Stacey Allyson

    2015-01-01

    Current research suggests that certain cognitive functions predict the likelihood of intervention response for students who receive Tier 2 instruction through an RTI-framework. However, less is known about cognitive predictors of responder status at a theoretically more critical point of divergence within the RTI model: Tier 3. Moreover, no…

  11. 2 CFR 180.425 - When do I check to see if a person is excluded or disqualified?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... excluded or disqualified? 180.425 Section 180.425 Grants and Agreements OFFICE OF MANAGEMENT AND BUDGET... tier covered transaction; (b) Approve a principal in a primary tier covered transaction; (c) Approve a...) Approve a principal in connection with a lower tier transaction if your agency's approval of the principal...

  12. 26 CFR 31.3211-2 - Rates and computation of employee representative tax.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ...) Rates—(1)(i) Tier 1 tax. The Tier 1 employee representative tax rate equals the sum of the tax rates in... employer tax for hospital insurance. The Tier 1 employee representative tax rate is applied to compensation... Insurance Contributions Act. (ii) Example. The rule in paragraph (a)(1)(i) of this section is illustrated by...

  13. 40 CFR 89.204 - Averaging.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... Provisions § 89.204 Averaging. (a) Requirements for Tier 1 engines rated at or above 37 kW. A manufacturer... credits obtained through trading. (b) Requirements for Tier 2 and later engines rated at or above 37 kW and Tier 1 and later engines rated under 37 kW. A manufacturer may use averaging to offset an emission...

  14. A cloud-based system for automatic glaucoma screening.

    PubMed

    Fengshou Yin; Damon Wing Kee Wong; Ying Quan; Ai Ping Yow; Ngan Meng Tan; Gopalakrishnan, Kavitha; Beng Hai Lee; Yanwu Xu; Zhuo Zhang; Jun Cheng; Jiang Liu

    2015-08-01

    In recent years, there has been increasing interest in the use of automatic computer-based systems for the detection of eye diseases including glaucoma. However, these systems are usually standalone software with basic functions only, limiting their usage in a large scale. In this paper, we introduce an online cloud-based system for automatic glaucoma screening through the use of medical image-based pattern classification technologies. It is designed in a hybrid cloud pattern to offer both accessibility and enhanced security. Raw data including patient's medical condition and fundus image, and resultant medical reports are collected and distributed through the public cloud tier. In the private cloud tier, automatic analysis and assessment of colour retinal fundus images are performed. The ubiquitous anywhere access nature of the system through the cloud platform facilitates a more efficient and cost-effective means of glaucoma screening, allowing the disease to be detected earlier and enabling early intervention for more efficient intervention and disease management.

  15. US LHCNet: Transatlantic Networking for the LHC and the U.S. HEP Community

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

    Newman, Harvey B; Barczyk, Artur J

    2013-04-05

    US LHCNet provides the transatlantic connectivity between the Tier1 computing facilities at the Fermilab and Brookhaven National Labs and the Tier0 and Tier1 facilities at CERN, as well as Tier1s elsewhere in Europe and Asia. Together with ESnet, Internet2, and other R&E Networks participating in the LHCONE initiative, US LHCNet also supports transatlantic connections between the Tier2 centers (where most of the data analysis is taking place) and the Tier1s as needed. Given the key roles of the US and European Tier1 centers as well as Tier2 centers on both continents, the largest data flows are across the Atlantic, wheremore » US LHCNet has the major role. US LHCNet manages and operates the transatlantic network infrastructure including four Points of Presence (PoPs) and currently six transatlantic OC-192 (10Gbps) leased links. Operating at the optical layer, the network provides a highly resilient fabric for data movement, with a target service availability level in excess of 99.95%. This level of resilience and seamless operation is achieved through careful design including path diversity on both submarine and terrestrial segments, use of carrier-grade equipment with built-in high-availability and redundancy features, deployment of robust failover mechanisms based on SONET protection schemes, as well as the design of facility-diverse paths between the LHC computing sites. The US LHCNet network provides services at Layer 1(optical), Layer 2 (Ethernet) and Layer 3 (IPv4 and IPv6). The flexible design of the network, including modular equipment, a talented and agile team, and flexible circuit lease management, allows US LHCNet to react quickly to changing requirements form the LHC community. Network capacity is provisioned just-in-time to meet the needs, as demonstrated in the past years during the changing LHC start-up plans.« less

  16. 77 FR 1969 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Arca, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-01-12

    ... Numerical Thresholds With Percentage Thresholds for the Investor Tiers' Volume Requirements January 6, 2012... replace numerical thresholds with percentage thresholds for the Investor Tiers' volume requirements. The...: Replacing Numerical Thresholds With Percentage Thresholds Effective June 1, 2011, NYSE Arca introduced two...

  17. 78 FR 7828 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Arca, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-02-04

    ...-Regulatory Organizations; NYSE Arca, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of Proposed Rule Change Amending the NYSE Arca Options Fee Schedule To Revise Qualification Thresholds for Tiered Customer...'') to revise the qualification thresholds for tiered Customer posting credits for electronic executions...

  18. Reclassification of serous ovarian carcinoma by a 2-tier system: a Gynecologic Oncology Group Study.

    PubMed

    Bodurka, Diane C; Deavers, Michael T; Tian, Chunqiao; Sun, Charlotte C; Malpica, Anais; Coleman, Robert L; Lu, Karen H; Sood, Anil K; Birrer, Michael J; Ozols, Robert; Baergen, Rebecca; Emerson, Robert E; Steinhoff, Margaret; Behmaram, Behnaz; Rasty, Golnar; Gershenson, David M

    2012-06-15

    A study was undertaken to use the 2-tier system to reclassify the grade of serous ovarian tumors previously classified using the International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) 3-tier system and determine the progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) of patients treated on Gynecologic Oncology Group (GOG) Protocol 158. The authors retrospectively reviewed demographic, pathologic, and survival data of 290 patients with stage III serous ovarian carcinoma treated with surgery and chemotherapy on GOG Protocol 158, a cooperative multicenter group trial. A blinded pathology review was performed by a panel of 6 gynecologic pathologists to verify histology and regrade tumors using the 2-tier system. The association of tumor grade with PFS and OS was assessed. Of 241 cases, both systems demonstrated substantial agreement when combining FIGO grades 2 and 3 (overall agreement, 95%; kappa statistic, 0.68). By using the 2-tier system, patients with low-grade versus high-grade tumors had significantly longer PFS (45.0 vs 19.8 months, respectively; P = .01). By using FIGO criteria, median PFS for patients with grade 1, 2, and 3 tumors was 37.5, 19.8, and 20.1 months, respectively (P = .07). There was no difference in clinical outcome in patients with grade 2 or 3 tumors in multivariate analysis. Woman with high-grade versus low-grade tumors demonstrated significantly higher risk of death (hazard ratio, 2.43; 95% confidence interval, 1.17-5.04; P = .02). Women with high-grade versus low-grade serous carcinoma of the ovary are 2 distinct patient populations. Adoption of the 2-tier grading system provides a simple yet precise framework for predicting clinical outcomes. Copyright © 2011 American Cancer Society.

  19. Methods and apparatus for constructing and implementing a universal extension module for processing objects in a database

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Li, Chung-Sheng (Inventor); Smith, John R. (Inventor); Chang, Yuan-Chi (Inventor); Jhingran, Anant D. (Inventor); Padmanabhan, Sriram K. (Inventor); Hsiao, Hui-I (Inventor); Choy, David Mun-Hien (Inventor); Lin, Jy-Jine James (Inventor); Fuh, Gene Y. C. (Inventor); Williams, Robin (Inventor)

    2004-01-01

    Methods and apparatus for providing a multi-tier object-relational database architecture are disclosed. In one illustrative embodiment of the present invention, a multi-tier database architecture comprises an object-relational database engine as a top tier, one or more domain-specific extension modules as a bottom tier, and one or more universal extension modules as a middle tier. The individual extension modules of the bottom tier operationally connect with the one or more universal extension modules which, themselves, operationally connect with the database engine. The domain-specific extension modules preferably provide such functions as search, index, and retrieval services of images, video, audio, time series, web pages, text, XML, spatial data, etc. The domain-specific extension modules may include one or more IBM DB2 extenders, Oracle data cartridges and/or Informix datablades, although other domain-specific extension modules may be used.

  20. 76 FR 64825 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans, Ohio and Indiana; Redesignation of...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2011-10-19

    ... emissions inventories for primary PM 2.5 ,\\1\\ NO X , and sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ),\\2\\ documented in Ohio and... measures include the following. Tier 2 Emission Standards for Vehicles and Gasoline Sulfur Standards. These... Tier 2 standards included the [[Page 64830

  1. Evaluation of the C6 Lyme Enzyme Immunoassay for the Diagnosis of Lyme Disease in Children and Adolescents.

    PubMed

    Lipsett, Susan C; Branda, John A; McAdam, Alexander J; Vernacchio, Louis; Gordon, Caroline D; Gordon, Catherine R; Nigrovic, Lise E

    2016-10-01

    The commercially-available C6 Lyme enzyme immunoassay (EIA) has been approved to replace the standard whole-cell sonicate EIA as a first-tier test for the diagnosis of Lyme disease and has been suggested as a stand-alone diagnostic. However, the C6 EIA has not been extensively studied in pediatric patients undergoing evaluation for Lyme disease. We collected discarded serum samples from children and adolescents (aged ≤21 years) undergoing conventional 2-tiered testing for Lyme disease at a single hospital-based clinical laboratory located in an area endemic for Lyme disease. We performed a C6 EIA on all collected specimens, followed by a supplemental immunoblot if the C6 EIA result was positive but the whole-cell sonicate EIA result was negative. We defined a case of Lyme disease as either a clinician-diagnosed erythema migrans lesion or a positive standard 2-tiered serologic result in a patient with symptoms compatible with Lyme disease. We then compared the performance of the C6 EIA alone and as a first-tier test followed by immunoblot, with that of standard 2-tiered serology for the diagnosis of Lyme disease. Of the 944 specimens collected, 114 (12%) were from patients with Lyme disease. The C6 EIA alone had sensitivity similar to that of standard 2-tiered testing (79.8% vs 81.6% for standard 2-tiered testing; P = .71) with slightly lower specificity (94.2% vs 98.8% 2; P < .002). Addition of a supplemental immunoblot improved the specificity of the C6 EIA to 98.6%. For children and adolescents undergoing evaluation for Lyme disease, the C6 EIA could guide initial clinical decision making, although a supplemental immunoblot should still be performed. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, e-mail journals.permissions@oup.com.

  2. The contribution of geography to black/white differences in the use of low neonatal mortality hospitals in New York City.

    PubMed

    Hebert, Paul L; Chassin, Mark R; Howell, Elizabeth A

    2011-02-01

    Racial differences in the use of high-quality hospital care contribute to racial disparities in mortality for very low birth weight (VLBW) neonates. We explored the role that geographic distribution of hospitals plays in the racial disparity in the use of top-tier hospitals by mothers of VLBW neonates in New York City. Retrospective analysis of Vital Statistics and administrative databases. VLBW deliveries in New York City from 1996 to 2001 to non-Hispanic Black (n = 4947) and non-Hispanic White (n = 1615) mothers. Black mothers were less likely to deliver in a top-tier hospitals (White = 44%, Black = 28%; P < 0.001) and top-tier hospitals were less likely to be located in Black mothers' neighborhoods (White = 40%, Black = 33%; P < 0.001). Distance, however, did not contribute to the disparity in use of top-tier hospitals. Non-Hispanic Black mothers lived marginally closer to a top-tier hospital than non-Hispanic White mothers (0.65 miles closer; P < 0.001), and mothers of both the races often bypassed their neighborhood hospital (Black = 62% bypassed, White = 71%; P < 0.001). Inattention to recommended prenatal behaviors was associated with using a closer hospital, suggesting that geographic proximity was most important to mothers of vulnerable neonates. Purported measures of hospital quality such as Neonatal Intensive Care Unit level and volume were more strongly associated with use of hospital for White mothers than for Black mothers. The influence of geography on the use of top-tier hospitals for mothers of VLBW neonates is complex. Other personal and hospital characteristics, not just distance or geography, also influenced hospital use in New York City.

  3. Effect of Laughter Yoga on Psychological Well-being and Physiological Measures.

    PubMed

    Miles, Cindy; Tait, Elizabeth; Schure, Marc B; Hollis, Marianne

    2016-01-01

    In 2014, laughter yoga (LY) achieved the intermediate level, tier 2, under the Title III-D Evidence-based Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Program through the Administration on Aging (AOA). Further research is needed to qualify LY under the criteria for the highest tier, tier 3, to assure continued funding for LY classes at senior centers. The study intended to demonstrate further the benefits of LY and to qualify LY as tier 3 under Title III-D. Using a quasi-experimental design, the research team conducted a preintervention/postintervention study in 3 phases. The study was done in a variety of community centers. Phase 1, a pilot phase, was limited to North Carolina, and phase 2 was conducted in multiple states. Phase 3 was held at the North Carolina Area Agency on Aging's annual Volunteer Appreciation meeting. Participants in phases 1 (n = 109) and 2 (n = 247) enrolled in LY classes. Classes were advertised by fliers posted in community and in retirement centers. The ability of participants to participate in a class was based solely on their desire to participate, regardless of age, ability, health status, or physical impairment. Phase 3 (n = 23) was a convenience sample only. All phases were voluntary. The pre- and posttests for all 3 phases were Likert-scale surveys, 10 questions on the Psychological Outcomes of Well-being (POWB) survey. Pulse and other physiological measurements were also assessed pre- and postintervention. Analysis included a t test on each of the 10 POWB and physiological measures for all phases. All 10 POWB measures for phases 1 and 2 showed significant improvements between the pre- and postintervention testing (P < .001). Phase 3, the control, showed no significant improvement. The initial study demonstrated that LY meets the criteria to qualify for tier 3 under the Title III-D Evidence-based Disease Prevention and Health Promotion Program and that a large number of Americans, regardless of age and physical ability, could benefit from LY.

  4. Second-Tier Database for Ecosystem Focus, 2002-2003 Annual Report.

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

    Van Holmes, Chris; Muongchanh, Christine; Anderson, James J.

    2003-11-01

    The Second-Tier Database for Ecosystem Focus (Contract 00004124) provides direct and timely public access to Columbia Basin environmental, operational, fishery and riverine data resources for federal, state, public and private entities. The Second-Tier Database known as Data Access in Realtime (DART) integrates public data for effective access, consideration and application. DART also provides analysis tools and performance measures helpful in evaluating the condition of Columbia Basin salmonid stocks.

  5. Using latent class analysis to identify academic and behavioral risk status in elementary students.

    PubMed

    King, Kathleen R; Lembke, Erica S; Reinke, Wendy M

    2016-03-01

    Identifying classes of children on the basis of academic and behavior risk may have important implications for the allocation of intervention resources within Response to Intervention (RTI) and Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) models. Latent class analysis (LCA) was conducted with a sample of 517 third grade students. Fall screening scores in the areas of reading, mathematics, and behavior were used as indicators of success on an end of year statewide achievement test. Results identified 3 subclasses of children, including a class with minimal academic and behavioral concerns (Tier 1; 32% of the sample), a class at-risk for academic problems and somewhat at-risk for behavior problems (Tier 2; 37% of the sample), and a class with significant academic and behavior problems (Tier 3; 31%). Each class was predictive of end of year performance on the statewide achievement test, with the Tier 1 class performing significantly higher on the test than the Tier 2 class, which in turn scored significantly higher than the Tier 3 class. The results of this study indicated that distinct classes of children can be determined through brief screening measures and are predictive of later academic success. Further implications are discussed for prevention and intervention for students at risk for academic failure and behavior problems. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

  6. Lessons Learned from Implementing a Check-in/Check-out Behavioral Program in an Urban Middle School

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Myers, Diane M.; Briere, Donald E., III

    2010-01-01

    Schoolwide positive behavior support (SWPBS) is an empirically supported approach that is implemented by more than 10,000 schools in the United States to support student and staff behavior (www.pbis.org). SWPBS is based on a three-tiered prevention logic: (a) Tier 1 interventions support all students; (b) Tier 2 interventions support targeted…

  7. 26 CFR 1.960-1 - Foreign tax credit with respect to taxes paid on earnings and profits of controlled foreign...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    ...-, second-, or third-tier corporation's earnings and profits. Section 1.960-2 prescribes rules for applying section 902 to dividends paid by a third-, second-, or first-tier corporation from earnings and profits...) Second-tier corporation. In the case of amounts included in the gross income of the taxpayer under...

  8. 77 FR 52344 - Information Collection Request Sent to the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) for Approval...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-08-29

    ... responses time per burden per nonhour response hours response burden cost Tier 1 (Desktop Analysis... developers of these small-scale projects do the desktop analysis described in Tier 1 or Tier 2 using publicly... published in the Federal Register (77 FR 19683) a notice of our intent to request that OMB renew approval...

  9. 12 CFR 565.4 - Capital measures and capital category definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ...-based capital ratio; (2) The Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio; and (3) The leverage ratio. (b) Capital...; and (ii) Has a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 6.0 percent or greater; and (iii) Has a leverage... total risk-based capital ratio of 8.0 percent or greater; and (ii) Has a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio...

  10. 12 CFR 208.73 - What additional provisions are applicable to state member banks with financial subsidiaries?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... subsidiaries from both the bank's Tier 1 capital and Tier 2 capital; and (ii) Deduct the entire amount of the... deducted from the bank's Tier 1 capital. (b) Financial statement disclosure of capital deduction. Any... (including the well capitalized standard of § 208.71(a)(1)): (1) The bank must not consolidate the assets and...

  11. Use of a 2-tier histologic grading system for canine cutaneous mast cell tumors on cytology specimens.

    PubMed

    Hergt, Franziska; von Bomhard, Wolf; Kent, Michael S; Hirschberger, Johannes

    2016-09-01

    Mast cell tumors (MCT) represent the most common malignant skin tumor in the dog. Diagnosis of an MCT can be achieved through cytologic examination of a fine-needle aspirate. However, the grade of the tumor is an important prognostic marker and currently requires histologic assessment. Recently a 2-tier histologic grading system based on nuclear features including number of mitoses, multinucleated cells, bizarre nuclei, and karyomegaly was proposed. The aim of this study was to assess if the cytomorphologic criteria proposed in the 2-tier histologic grading system are applicable to cytology specimens. A total of 141 MCT specimens reported as grade I, II, or III according to the Patnaik system with both histologic specimens and fine-needle aspirates available were histologically and cytologically reevaluated in a retrospective study. According to the 2-tier grading system, 38 cases were diagnosed histologically as high-grade and 103 as low-grade MCT. Cytologic grading resulted in 36 high-grade and 105 low-grade tumors. Agreement between histologic and cytologic grading based on the 2-tier grading system was achieved in 133 cases (sensitivity 86.8%, specificity 97.1%, kappa value 0.853), but 5 high-grade tumors on histology were classified as low-grade on cytology. Cytologic grading of MCT in the dog is helpful for initial assessment. However, the reliability of cytology using the 2-tier grading system is considered inadequate at this point. Prospective studies including clinical outcome should be pursued to further determine diagnostic accuracy of cytologic mast cell grading. © 2016 American Society for Veterinary Clinical Pathology.

  12. Strain-Specific V3 and CD4 Binding Site Autologous HIV-1 Neutralizing Antibodies Select Neutralization-Resistant Viruses.

    PubMed

    Moody, M Anthony; Gao, Feng; Gurley, Thaddeus C; Amos, Joshua D; Kumar, Amit; Hora, Bhavna; Marshall, Dawn J; Whitesides, John F; Xia, Shi-Mao; Parks, Robert; Lloyd, Krissey E; Hwang, Kwan-Ki; Lu, Xiaozhi; Bonsignori, Mattia; Finzi, Andrés; Vandergrift, Nathan A; Alam, S Munir; Ferrari, Guido; Shen, Xiaoying; Tomaras, Georgia D; Kamanga, Gift; Cohen, Myron S; Sam, Noel E; Kapiga, Saidi; Gray, Elin S; Tumba, Nancy L; Morris, Lynn; Zolla-Pazner, Susan; Gorny, Miroslaw K; Mascola, John R; Hahn, Beatrice H; Shaw, George M; Sodroski, Joseph G; Liao, Hua-Xin; Montefiori, David C; Hraber, Peter T; Korber, Bette T; Haynes, Barton F

    2015-09-09

    The third variable (V3) loop and the CD4 binding site (CD4bs) of the HIV-1 envelope are frequently targeted by neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) in infected individuals. In chronic infection, HIV-1 escape mutants repopulate the plasma, and V3 and CD4bs nAbs emerge that can neutralize heterologous tier 1 easy-to-neutralize but not tier 2 difficult-to-neutralize HIV-1 isolates. However, neutralization sensitivity of autologous plasma viruses to this type of nAb response has not been studied. We describe the development and evolution in vivo of antibodies distinguished by their target specificity for V3 and CD4bs epitopes on autologous tier 2 viruses but not on heterologous tier 2 viruses. A surprisingly high fraction of autologous circulating viruses was sensitive to these antibodies. These findings demonstrate a role for V3 and CD4bs antibodies in constraining the native envelope trimer in vivo to a neutralization-resistant phenotype, explaining why HIV-1 transmission generally occurs by tier 2 neutralization-resistant viruses. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Using pan-tropical biomass maps to improve IPCC Tier 1 default level emission factors - a case study for the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Langner, Andreas; Achard, Frédéric; Grassi, Giacomo

    2014-05-01

    The IPCC proposes three Tier levels for greenhouse gas emission monitoring with a hierarchical order in terms of accuracy as well as data requirements/complexity. While Tier 1 provides default above-ground biomass (AGB) values per ecological zone and continent, Tier 2 and 3 are either based on country-specific remote sensing or permanent sample-plot data. Due to missing capacities most developing countries have to rely on Tier 1 default values, which show highest uncertainties. Furthermore, IPCC Tier 1 values lack transparency as they are based on a variety of studies that have been repeatedly updated and combined with expert opinions, thus blurring the original data sources. A possible way to increase credibility is a conservative monitoring approach, following the principle of conservativeness, thus reducing the likelihood of unjustified payments for emission reductions not reflecting reality. For the implementation of that principle knowledge about the distribution of the biomass within each ecological zone is essential. However, such information is not available for the IPCC Tier 1 values, which only provide mean values and/or AGB ranges that are not based on a common statistical analysis. Using the pan-tropical datasets of Saatchi et al (Proc Natl Acad Sci USA, 108, 9899-9904, 2011; 1km spatial resolution) and Baccini et al (Nat Climate Change, 2:182-185, 2012; 500m spatial resolution) we calculated the mean AGB values as well as their 50% confidence intervals for each ecological zone within the DRC using Globcover2009 as forest/non-forest mask and the FAO ecological zones dataset. Such analysis is more transparent while at the same time leading to "statistically improved" Tier 1 values, potentially allowing a conservative monitoring approach by selecting the lower bound of the confidence interval for emission estimation during the reference period and the higher bound for the assessment period. Within the DRC Baccini generally delivers higher AGB estimates than Saatchi but even Baccini shows between 81t/ha and 143t/ha lower estimates for Tropical Rain Forests and Moist Deciduous Forests respectively than IPCC. While the AGB values for Tropical Dry Forest of both maps are similar to the IPCC, Tropical Mountain Systems cannot easily be compared as their IPCC data lack a mean value. A recent study by Mitchard et al (Carbon Balance and Management, 8, 10, 2013) compared both pan-tropical datasets, pointing out notable differences in the Congo basin. However, their analysis revealed that none of both maps is generally superior. Therefore, we suggest using the average of both maps as a reasonable approximation to the real but unknown AGB values, thus resulting in 213±69t/ha for Tropical Rain Forests, 94±19t/ha for Moist Deciduous Forests, 119±31t/ha for Tropical Dry Forests and 182±61t/ha for Tropical Mountain Systems of the DRC while the corresponding IPCC values are 310t/ha, 260t/ha, 120t/ha and 40-190t/ha.

  14. 40 CFR 86.1810-09 - General standards; increase in emissions; unsafe condition; waivers.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... light-duty vehicles and light-duty trucks fueled by gasoline, diesel, methanol, ethanol, natural gas and... applicable to methanol fueled vehicles are also applicable to Tier 2 and interim non-Tier 2 ethanol fueled...

  15. 40 CFR 86.1810-09 - General standards; increase in emissions; unsafe condition; waivers.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... light-duty vehicles and light-duty trucks fueled by gasoline, diesel, methanol, ethanol, natural gas and... applicable to methanol fueled vehicles are also applicable to Tier 2 and interim non-Tier 2 ethanol fueled...

  16. An Integrated Tiered Service Delivery Model (ITSDM) Based on Local CD4 Testing Demands Can Improve Turn-Around Times and Save Costs whilst Ensuring Accessible and Scalable CD4 Services across a National Programme

    PubMed Central

    Glencross, Deborah K.; Coetzee, Lindi M.; Cassim, Naseem

    2014-01-01

    Background The South African National Health Laboratory Service (NHLS) responded to HIV treatment initiatives with two-tiered CD4 laboratory services in 2004. Increasing programmatic burden, as more patients access anti-retroviral therapy (ART), has demanded extending CD4 services to meet increasing clinical needs. The aim of this study was to review existing services and develop a service-model that integrated laboratory-based and point-of-care testing (POCT), to extend national coverage, improve local turn-around/(TAT) and contain programmatic costs. Methods NHLS Corporate Data Warehouse CD4 data, from 60–70 laboratories and 4756 referring health facilities was reviewed for referral laboratory workload, respective referring facility volumes and related TAT, from 2009–2012. Results An integrated tiered service delivery model (ITSDM) is proposed. Tier-1/POCT delivers CD4 testing at single health-clinics providing ART in hard-to-reach areas (<5 samples/day). Laboratory-based testing is extended with Tier-2/POC-Hubs (processing ≤30–40 CD4 samples/day), consolidating POCT across 8–10 health-clinics with other HIV-related testing and Tier-3/‘community’ laboratories, serving ≤40 health-clinics, processing ≤150 samples/day. Existing Tier-4/‘regional’ laboratories serve ≤100 facilities and process <350 samples/day; Tier-5 are high-volume ‘metro’/centralized laboratories (>350–1500 tests/day, serving ≥200 health-clinics). Tier-6 provides national support for standardisation, harmonization and quality across the organization. Conclusion The ITSDM offers improved local TAT by extending CD4 services into rural/remote areas with new Tier-3 or Tier-2/POC-Hub services installed in existing community laboratories, most with developed infrastructure. The advantage of lower laboratory CD4 costs and use of existing infrastructure enables subsidization of delivery of more expensive POC services, into hard-to-reach districts without reasonable access to a local CD4 laboratory. Full ITSDM implementation across 5 service tiers (as opposed to widespread implementation of POC testing to extend service) can facilitate sustainable ‘full service coverage’ across South Africa, and save>than R125 million in HIV/AIDS programmatic costs. ITSDM hierarchical parental-support also assures laboratory/POC management, equipment maintenance, quality control and on-going training between tiers. PMID:25490718

  17. Application of a framework for extrapolating chemical effects ...

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Cross-species extrapolation of toxicity data from limited surrogate test organisms to all wildlife with potential of chemical exposure remains a key challenge in ecological risk assessment. A number of factors affect extrapolation, including the chemical exposure, pharmacokinetics, life-stage, and pathway similarities/differences. Here we propose a framework using a tiered approach for species extrapolation that enables a transparent weight-of-evidence driven evaluation of pathway conservation (or lack thereof) in the context of adverse outcome pathways. Adverse outcome pathways describe the linkages from a molecular initiating event, defined as the chemical-biomolecule interaction, through subsequent key events leading to an adverse outcome of regulatory concern (e.g., mortality, reproductive dysfunction). Tier 1 of the extrapolation framework employs in silico evaluations of sequence and structural conservation of molecules (e.g., receptors, enzymes) associated with molecular initiating events or upstream key events. Such evaluations make use of available empirical and sequence data to assess taxonomic relevance. Tier 2 uses in vitro bioassays, such as enzyme inhibition/activation, competitive receptor binding, and transcriptional activation assays to explore functional conservation of pathways across taxa. Finally, Tier 3 provides a comparative analysis of in vivo responses between species utilizing well-established model organisms to assess departure from

  18. Achieving Congestion Mitigation Using Distributed Power Control for Spectrum Sensor Nodes in Sensor Network-Aided Cognitive Radio Ad Hoc Networks

    PubMed Central

    Zhuo, Fan; Duan, Hucai

    2017-01-01

    The data sequence of spectrum sensing results injected from dedicated spectrum sensor nodes (SSNs) and the data traffic from upstream secondary users (SUs) lead to unpredictable data loads in a sensor network-aided cognitive radio ad hoc network (SN-CRN). As a result, network congestion may occur at a SU acting as fusion center when the offered data load exceeds its available capacity, which degrades network performance. In this paper, we present an effective approach to mitigate congestion of bottlenecked SUs via a proposed distributed power control framework for SSNs over a rectangular grid based SN-CRN, aiming to balance resource load and avoid excessive congestion. To achieve this goal, a distributed power control framework for SSNs from interior tier (IT) and middle tier (MT) is proposed to achieve the tradeoff between channel capacity and energy consumption. In particular, we firstly devise two pricing factors by considering stability of local spectrum sensing and spectrum sensing quality for SSNs. By the aid of pricing factors, the utility function of this power control problem is formulated by jointly taking into account the revenue of power reduction and the cost of energy consumption for IT or MT SSN. By bearing in mind the utility function maximization and linear differential equation constraint of energy consumption, we further formulate the power control problem as a differential game model under a cooperation or noncooperation scenario, and rigorously obtain the optimal solutions to this game model by employing dynamic programming. Then the congestion mitigation for bottlenecked SUs is derived by alleviating the buffer load over their internal buffers. Simulation results are presented to show the effectiveness of the proposed approach under the rectangular grid based SN-CRN scenario. PMID:28914803

  19. Multi-tiered system of support incorporating the R.E.N.E.W. process and its relationship to perception of school safety and office discipline referrals

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Flood, Molly M.

    This study examined the relationship between the fidelity of multi-tier school-wide positive behavior interventions and supports (SWPBIS) and staff perception of school safety and office discipline referrals. This research provided a case study on multi-tier supports and interventions, and the RENEW person-centered planning process in an alternative special education center following the implementation of a multi-tier SWPBIS model. Pennsylvania is one of several states looking to adopt an effective Tier III behavioral tool. The research described the results of an analysis of implementation fidelity on a multi-tiered school-wide positive behavior support model developed at a special education center operated by a public school system entity. This research explored the fidelity of SWPBIS implementation; analyzed the relationship of SWPBIS to school climate as measured by staff perceptions and reduction of office discipline referrals (ODR); explored tier III supports incorporating a process Rehabilitation and Empowerment, Natural Supports, Education and Work (RENEW); and investigated the potential sustainability of the RENEW process as a multi-tier system of support. This study investigated staff perceptions on integrated supports between schools and communities and identified the degree of relationship to school risk factors, school protective factors, and office discipline referrals following the building of cooperative partnerships between Systems of Care and Local Education Agencies.

  20. A cluster randomized trial to evaluate external support for the implementation of positive behavioral interventions and supports by school personnel

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Urban schools lag behind non-urban schools in attending to the behavioral health needs of their students. This is especially evident with regard to the level of use of evidence-based interventions with school children. Increased used of evidence-based interventions in urban schools would contribute to reducing mental health services disparities in low-income communities. School-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SWPBIS) is a service delivery framework that can be used to deliver universal preventive interventions and evidence-based behavioral health treatments, such as group cognitive behavioral therapy. In this article, we describe our ongoing research on creating internal capacity for program implementation. We also examine the cost-effectiveness and resulting school climate when two different levels of external support are provided to personnel as they implement a two-tier SWPBIS program. Methods/Design The study follows six K – 8 schools in the School District of Philadelphia randomly assigned to consultation support or consultation-plus-coaching support. Participants are: approximately 48 leadership team members, 180 school staff and 3,900 students in Tier 1, and 12 counselors, and 306 child participants in Tier 2. Children who meet inclusion criteria for Tier 2 will participate in group cognitive behavioral therapy for externalizing or anxiety disorders. The study has three phases, baseline/training, implementation, and sustainability. We will measure implementation outcomes, service outcomes, child outcomes, and cost. Discussion Findings from this study will provide evidence as to the appropriateness of school-wide prevention and treatment service delivery models for addressing services disparities in schools. The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness analyses of the two levels of training and consultation should help urban school districts and policymakers with the planning and deployment of cost-effective strategies for the implementation of evidence-based interventions for some of the most common behavioral health problems in school children. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01941069 PMID:24428904

  1. A cluster randomized trial to evaluate external support for the implementation of positive behavioral interventions and supports by school personnel.

    PubMed

    Eiraldi, Ricardo; McCurdy, Barry; Khanna, Muniya; Mautone, Jennifer; Jawad, Abbas F; Power, Thomas; Cidav, Zuleyha; Cacia, Jaclyn; Sugai, George

    2014-01-15

    Urban schools lag behind non-urban schools in attending to the behavioral health needs of their students. This is especially evident with regard to the level of use of evidence-based interventions with school children. Increased used of evidence-based interventions in urban schools would contribute to reducing mental health services disparities in low-income communities. School-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (SWPBIS) is a service delivery framework that can be used to deliver universal preventive interventions and evidence-based behavioral health treatments, such as group cognitive behavioral therapy. In this article, we describe our ongoing research on creating internal capacity for program implementation. We also examine the cost-effectiveness and resulting school climate when two different levels of external support are provided to personnel as they implement a two-tier SWPBIS program. The study follows six K - 8 schools in the School District of Philadelphia randomly assigned to consultation support or consultation-plus-coaching support. Participants are: approximately 48 leadership team members, 180 school staff and 3,900 students in Tier 1, and 12 counselors, and 306 child participants in Tier 2. Children who meet inclusion criteria for Tier 2 will participate in group cognitive behavioral therapy for externalizing or anxiety disorders. The study has three phases, baseline/training, implementation, and sustainability. We will measure implementation outcomes, service outcomes, child outcomes, and cost. Findings from this study will provide evidence as to the appropriateness of school-wide prevention and treatment service delivery models for addressing services disparities in schools. The effectiveness and cost-effectiveness analyses of the two levels of training and consultation should help urban school districts and policymakers with the planning and deployment of cost-effective strategies for the implementation of evidence-based interventions for some of the most common behavioral health problems in school children. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT01941069.

  2. Implementing Positive Behavior Support in Preschools: An Exploratory Study of CW-FIT Tier 1

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jolstead, Krystine A.; Caldarella, Paul; Hansen, Blake; Korth, Byran B.; Williams, Leslie; Kamps, Debra

    2017-01-01

    Challenging behavior in preschool is a serious concern for teachers. Positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) have been shown to be effective in reducing such behaviors. Class-Wide Function-Related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT) is a specific multi-tiered intervention for implementing effective classroom management strategies using PBIS…

  3. Implementing Positive Behavior Support in Preschools: An Exploratory Study of CW-FIT Tier 1

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jolstead, Krystine A.; Caldarella, Paul; Hansen, Blake D.; Korth, Byran B.; Williams, Leslie; Kamps, Debra M.

    2017-01-01

    Challenging behavior in preschool is a serious concern for teachers. Positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS) has been shown to be effective in reducing such behaviors. Class-Wide Function-Related Intervention Teams (CW-FIT) is a specific multi-tiered intervention for implementing effective classroom management strategies using PBIS…

  4. Effects of Tiered Training on General Educators' Use of Specific Praise

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Thompson, Michele Terry; Marchant, Michelle; Anderson, Darlene; Prater, Mary Anne; Gibb, Gordon

    2012-01-01

    Research suggests a compelling correlation between teacher behavior and effective learning environments. Focusing on the evidence-based teaching skill of offering behavior-specific praise (BSP), the researchers worked with three elementary-level general educators in a tiered model of training generally known as response to intervention (RtI).…

  5. 12 CFR 24.2 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... 12 Banks and Banking 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Definitions. 24.2 Section 24.2 Banks and... ENTITIES, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROJECTS, AND OTHER PUBLIC WELFARE INVESTMENTS § 24.2 Definitions. For... adequately capitalized in 12 CFR 6.4. (b) Capital and surplus means: (1) A bank's Tier 1 and Tier 2 capital...

  6. Low Emissions Aftertreatment and Diesel Emissions Reduction

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

    None

    2005-05-27

    Detroit Diesel Corporation (DDC) has successfully completed a five-year Low Emissions Aftertreatment and Diesel Emissions Reduction (LEADER) program under a DOE project entitled: ''Research and Development for Compression-Ignition Direct-Injection Engines (CIDI) and Aftertreatment Sub-Systems''. The objectives of the LEADER Program were to: Demonstrate technologies that will achieve future federal Tier 2 emissions targets; and Demonstrate production-viable technical targets for engine out emissions, efficiency, power density, noise, durability, production cost, aftertreatment volume and weight. These objectives were successfully met during the course of the LEADER program The most noteworthy achievements in this program are listed below: (1) Demonstrated Tier 2 Binmore » 3 emissions target over the FTP75 cycle on a PNGV-mule Neon passenger car, utilizing a CSF + SCR system These aggressive emissions were obtained with no ammonia (NH{sub 3}) slip and a combined fuel economy of 63 miles per gallon, integrating FTP75 and highway fuel economy transient cycle test results. Demonstrated feasibility to achieve Tier 2 Bin 8 emissions levels without active NOx aftertreatment. (2) Demonstrated Tier 2 Bin 3 emissions target over the FTP75 cycle on a light-duty truck utilizing a CSF + SCR system, synergizing efforts with the DOE-DDC DELTA program. This aggressive reduction in tailpipe out emissions was achieved with no ammonia slip and a 41% fuel economy improvement, compared to the equivalent gasoline engine-equipped vehicle. (3) Demonstrated Tier 2 near-Bin 9 emissions compliance on a light-duty truck, without active NOx aftertreatment devices, in synergy with the DOE-DDC DELTA program. (4) Developed and applied advanced combustion technologies such as ''CLEAN Combustion{copyright}'', which yields simultaneous reduction in engine out NOx and PM emissions while also improving engine and aftertreatment integration by providing favorable exhaust species and temperature characteristics. These favorable emissions characteristics were obtained while maintaining performance and fuel economy. These aggressive emissions and performance results were achieved by applying a robust systems technology development methodology. This systems approach benefits substantially from an integrated experimental and analytical approach to technology development, which is one of DDCs core competencies Also, DDC is uniquely positioned to undertake such a systems technology development approach, given its vertically integrated commercial structure within the DaimlerChrysler organization. State-of-the-art analytical tools were developed targeting specific LEADER program objectives and were applied to guide system enhancements and to provide testing directions, resulting in a shortened and efficient development cycle. Application examples include ammonia/NO{sub x} distribution improvement and urea injection controls development, and were key contributors to significantly reduce engine out as well as tailpipe out emissions. Successful cooperation between DDC and Engelhard Corporation, the major subcontractor for the LEADER program and provider of state-of-the-art technologies on various catalysts, was another contributing factor to ensure that both passenger car and LD truck applications achieved Tier 2 Bin 3 emissions levels. Significant technical challenges, which highlight barriers of commercialization of diesel technology for passenger cars and LD truck applications, are presented at the end of this report.« less

  7. Single-Tier Testing with the C6 Peptide ELISA Kit Compared with Two-Tier Testing for Lyme Disease

    PubMed Central

    Wormser, Gary P.; Schriefer, Martin; Aguero-Rosenfeld, Maria E.; Levin, Andrew; Steere, Allen C.; Nadelman, Robert B.; Nowakowski, John; Marques, Adriana; Johnson, Barbara J. B.; Dumler, J. Stephen

    2014-01-01

    Background The two-tier serologic testing protocol for Lyme disease has a number of shortcomings including low sensitivity in early disease; increased cost, time and labor; and subjectivity in the interpretation of immunoblots. Methods The diagnostic accuracy of a single-tier commercial C6 ELISA kit was compared with two-tier testing. Results The C6 ELISA was significantly more sensitive than two-tier testing with sensitivities of 66.5% (95% C.I.:61.7-71.1) and 35.2% (95%C.I.:30.6-40.1), respectively (p<0.001) in 403 sera from patients with erythema migrans. The C6 ELISA had sensitivity statistically comparable to two-tier testing in sera from Lyme disease patients with early neurological manifestations (88.6% vs. 77.3%, p=0.13) or arthritis (98.3% vs. 95.6%, p= 0.38). Te specificities of C6 ELISA and two-tier testing in over 2200 blood donors, patients with other conditions, and Lyme disease vaccine recipients were found to be 98.9% and 99.5%, respectively (p<0.05, 95% C.I. surrounding the 0.6 percentage point difference of 0.04 to 1.15). Conclusions Using a reference standard of two-tier testing, the C6 ELISA as a single step serodiagnostic test provided increased sensitivity in early Lyme disease with comparable sensitivity in later manifestations of Lyme disease. The C6 ELISA had slightly decreased specificity. Future studies should evaluate the performance of the C6 ELISA compared with two-tier testing in routine clinical practice. PMID:23062467

  8. Species distribution model for swift fox in Nebraska.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2016-11-28

    The grasslands of Nebraska are highly altered due to anthropogenic development and : degradation. The loss and degradation of grasslands has significantly impacted populations of : swift fox (Vulpes velox), a Nebraska Natural Legacy Plan Tier1 at ...

  9. The Therapeutic Mechanisms of Check, Connect, and Expect

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stage, Scott A.; Galanti, Sally B.

    2017-01-01

    Given the high prevalence of Tier 2 behavioral intervention use and calls to examine mediation and moderation effects on treatment for children, this study tested the mediation effect of the daily progress report and moderation effects of coach-student, teacher-student, and student-teacher relationships and their interactions for 95 elementary…

  10. Storing files in a parallel computing system based on user or application specification

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

    Faibish, Sorin; Bent, John M.; Nick, Jeffrey M.

    2016-03-29

    Techniques are provided for storing files in a parallel computing system based on a user-specification. A plurality of files generated by a distributed application in a parallel computing system are stored by obtaining a specification from the distributed application indicating how the plurality of files should be stored; and storing one or more of the plurality of files in one or more storage nodes of a multi-tier storage system based on the specification. The plurality of files comprise a plurality of complete files and/or a plurality of sub-files. The specification can optionally be processed by a daemon executing on onemore » or more nodes in a multi-tier storage system. The specification indicates how the plurality of files should be stored, for example, identifying one or more storage nodes where the plurality of files should be stored.« less

  11. Health monitoring display system for a complex plant

    DOEpatents

    Ridolfo, Charles F [Bloomfield, CT; Harmon, Daryl L [Enfield, CT; Colin, Dreyfuss [Enfield, CT

    2006-08-08

    A single page enterprise wide level display provides a comprehensive readily understood representation of the overall health status of a complex plant. Color coded failure domains allow rapid intuitive recognition of component failure status. A three-tier hierarchy of displays provide details on the health status of the components and systems displayed on the enterprise wide level display in a manner that supports a logical drill down to the health status of sub-components on Tier 1 to expected faults of the sub-components on Tier 2 to specific information relative to expected sub-component failures on Tier 3.

  12. Real-time gaseous, PM and ultrafine particle emissions from a modern marine engine operating on biodiesel.

    PubMed

    Jayaram, Varalakshmi; Agrawal, Harshit; Welch, William A; Miller, J Wayne; Cocker, David R

    2011-03-15

    Emissions from harbor-craft significantly affect air quality in populated regions near ports and inland waterways. This research measured regulated and unregulated emissions from an in-use EPA Tier 2 marine propulsion engine on a ferry operating in a bay following standard methods. A special effort was made to monitor continuously both the total Particulate Mass (PM) mass emissions and the real-time Particle Size Distribution (PSD). The engine was operated following the loads in ISO 8178-4 E3 cycle for comparison with the certification standards and across biodiesel blends. Real-time measurements were also made during a typical cruise in the bay. Results showed the in-use nitrogen oxide (NOx) and PM(2.5) emission factors were within the not to exceed standard for Tier 2 marine engines. Comparing across fuels we observed the following: a) no statistically significant change in NO(x) emissions with biodiesel blends (B20, B50); b) ∼ 16% and ∼ 25% reduction of PM(2.5) mass emissions with B20 and B50 respectively; c) a larger organic carbon (OC) to elemental carbon (EC) ratio and organic mass (OM) to OC ratio with B50 compared to B20 and B0; d) a significant number of ultrafine nuclei and a smaller mass mean diameter with increasing blend-levels of biodiesel. The real-time monitoring of gaseous and particulate emissions during a typical cruise in the San Francisco Bay (in-use cycle) revealed important effects of ocean/bay currents on emissions: NO(x) and CO(2) increased 3-fold; PM(2.5) mass increased 6-fold; and ultrafine particles disappeared due to the effect of bay currents. This finding has implications on the use of certification values instead of actual in-use emission values when developing inventories. Emission factors for some volatile organic compounds (VOCs), carbonyls, and poly aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) are reported as supplemental data.

  13. A systems relations model for Tier 2 early intervention child mental health services with schools: an exploratory study.

    PubMed

    van Roosmalen, Marc; Gardner-Elahi, Catherine; Day, Crispin

    2013-01-01

    Over the last 15 years, policy initiatives have aimed at the provision of more comprehensive Child and Adolescent Mental Health care. These presented a series of new challenges in organising and delivering Tier 2 child mental health services, particularly in schools. This exploratory study aimed to examine and clarify the service model underpinning a Tier 2 child mental health service offering school-based mental health work. Using semi-structured interviews, clinician descriptions of operational experiences were gathered. These were analysed using grounded theory methods. Analysis was validated by respondents at two stages. A pathway for casework emerged that included a systemic consultative function, as part of an overall three-function service model, which required: (1) activity as a member of the multi-agency system; (2) activity to improve the system working around a particular child; and (3) activity to universally develop a Tier 1 workforce confident in supporting children at risk of or experiencing mental health problems. The study challenged the perception of such a service serving solely a Tier 2 function, the requisite workforce to deliver the service model, and could give service providers a rationale for negotiating service models that include an explicit focus on improving the children's environments.

  14. Evaluation of Modified 2-Tiered Serodiagnostic Testing Algorithms for Early Lyme Disease

    PubMed Central

    Strle, Klemen; Nigrovic, Lise E.; Lantos, Paul M.; Lepore, Timothy J.; Damle, Nitin S.; Ferraro, Mary Jane; Steere, Allen C.

    2017-01-01

    Abstract Background. The conventional 2-tiered serologic testing protocol for Lyme disease (LD), an enzyme immunoassay (EIA) followed by immunoglobulin M and immunoglobulin G Western blots, performs well in late-stage LD but is insensitive in patients with erythema migrans (EM), the most common manifestation of the illness. Western blots are also complex, difficult to interpret, and relatively expensive. In an effort to improve test performance and simplify testing in early LD, we evaluated several modified 2-tiered testing (MTTT) protocols, which use 2 assays designed as first-tier tests sequentially, without the need of Western blots. Methods. The MTTT protocols included (1) a whole-cell sonicate (WCS) EIA followed by a C6 EIA; (2) a WCS EIA followed by a VlsE chemiluminescence immunoassay (CLIA); and (3) a variable major protein-like sequence, expressed (VlsE) CLIA followed by a C6 EIA. Sensitivity was determined using serum from 55 patients with erythema migrans; specificity was determined using serum from 50 patients with other illnesses and 1227 healthy subjects. Results. Sensitivity of the various MTTT protocols in patients with acute erythema migrans ranged from 36% (95% confidence interval [CI], 25%–50%) to 54% (95% CI, 42%–67%), compared with 25% (95% CI, 16%–38%) using the conventional protocol (P = .003–0.3). Among control subjects, the 3 MTTT protocols were similarly specific (99.3%–99.5%) compared with conventional 2-tiered testing (99.5% specificity; P = .6–1.0). Conclusions. Although there were minor differences in sensitivity and specificity among MTTT protocols, each provides comparable or greater sensitivity in acute EM, and similar specificity compared with conventional 2-tiered testing, obviating the need for Western blots. PMID:28329259

  15. Development of two tier test to assess conceptual understanding in heat and temperature

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Winarti; Cari; Suparmi; Sunarno, Widha; Istiyono, Edi

    2017-01-01

    Heat and temperature is a concept that has been learnt from primary school to undergraduate levels. One problem about heat and temperature is that they are presented abstractly, theoretical concept. A student conceptual frameworks develop from their daily experiences. The purpose of this research was to develop a two-tier test of heat and temperature concept and measure conceptual understanding of heat and temperature of the student. This study consist of two method is qualitative and quantitative method. The two-tier test was developed using procedures defined by Borg and Gall. The two-tier test consisted of 20 question and was tested for 137 students for collecting data. The result of the study showed that the two-tier test was effective in determining the students’ conceptual understanding and also it might be used as an alternative for assessment and evaluation of students’ achievement

  16. What Is the Evidence Base to Support Reading Interventions for Improving Student Outcomes in Grades 1-3? REL 2017-271

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Gersten, Russell; Newman-Gonchar, Rebecca; Haymond, Kelly S.; Dimino, Joseph

    2017-01-01

    Response to intervention (RTI) is a comprehensive early detection and prevention strategy used to identify and support struggling students before they fall behind. An RTI model usually has three tiers or levels of support. Tier 1 is generally defined as classroom instruction provided to all students, tier 2 is typically a preventive intervention…

  17. 5 CFR 919.445 - What action may I take if a primary tier participant knowingly does business with an excluded or...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... § 919.445 What action may I take if a primary tier participant knowingly does business with an excluded... 5 Administrative Personnel 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false What action may I take if a primary tier participant knowingly does business with an excluded or disqualified person? 919.445 Section 919.445...

  18. A prototype Infrastructure for Cloud-based distributed services in High Availability over WAN

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bulfon, C.; Carlino, G.; De Salvo, A.; Doria, A.; Graziosi, C.; Pardi, S.; Sanchez, A.; Carboni, M.; Bolletta, P.; Puccio, L.; Capone, V.; Merola, L.

    2015-12-01

    In this work we present the architectural and performance studies concerning a prototype of a distributed Tier2 infrastructure for HEP, instantiated between the two Italian sites of INFN-Romal and INFN-Napoli. The network infrastructure is based on a Layer-2 geographical link, provided by the Italian NREN (GARR), directly connecting the two remote LANs of the named sites. By exploiting the possibilities offered by the new distributed file systems, a shared storage area with synchronous copy has been set up. The computing infrastructure, based on an OpenStack facility, is using a set of distributed Hypervisors installed in both sites. The main parameter to be taken into account when managing two remote sites with a single framework is the effect of the latency, due to the distance and the end-to-end service overhead. In order to understand the capabilities and limits of our setup, the impact of latency has been investigated by means of a set of stress tests, including data I/O throughput, metadata access performance evaluation and network occupancy, during the life cycle of a Virtual Machine. A set of resilience tests has also been performed, in order to verify the stability of the system on the event of hardware or software faults. The results of this work show that the reliability and robustness of the chosen architecture are effective enough to build a production system and to provide common services. This prototype can also be extended to multiple sites with small changes of the network topology, thus creating a National Network of Cloud-based distributed services, in HA over WAN.

  19. Neurotoxicity profile of supermethrin, a new pyrethroid insecticide.

    PubMed

    Hornychova, M; Frantik, E; Kubat, J; Formanek, J

    1995-11-01

    The use of a standard two-tier neurotoxicity screening procedure in the context of risk assessment is exemplified. Testing of a new pyrethroid in rats addressed the following sequence of questions: Does the substance evoke neurotoxic symptoms in sublethal doses? Do these symptoms reflect a primary neurotropic action? What are the dynamic characteristics of injury, the clinical profile of effect, and the relative potency of the tested substance compared to similar compounds? - The testing protocol is an animal analogue of a systematic neurological and psychological examination in man. First tier tests (structured observation, motor activity measurement, simple neurological examination) were applied after the first dose, during repeated dosing phase and in the restitution phase. Facultative tests for the second-tier examination (motor activity pattern, learning/retention test, evoked potentials, dynamic motor performance) were selected on the basis of effects revealed by the first-tier testing. Supermethrin evoked acute neurotoxicity in sublethal doses, ranging from 1/30 to 1/15 of LD50. The clinical pattern was similar to other cyano-substituted pyrethroids. Behavioural inhibition was transient and complete tolerance to it developed after 4-week repeated dosing. No indications of long-lasting changes in neuronal excitability or in learning and memory processes were found. Ataxia and excitomotoric phenomena dominated both the acute and the subchronic picture. Marked and persistent motor disturbances, including symptoms of lower motoneuron injury, were limited to individual animals of the highest, near-lethal dose group (27 mg-kg-1). Compared to lambda-cyhalothrin, the effects of supermethrin were 2 to 3 times weaker, disappeared more rapidly, cumulated less, and had higher tendency to tolerance.

  20. 12 CFR 23.2 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ... Definitions. (a) Affiliate means an affiliate as described in § 23.6. (b) Capital and surplus means: (1) A bank's Tier 1 and Tier 2 capital calculated under the OCC's risk-based capital standards set forth in... 12 Banks and Banking 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Definitions. 23.2 Section 23.2 Banks and...

  1. Effect of a 2-tier rapid response system on patient outcome and staff satisfaction.

    PubMed

    Aitken, Leanne M; Chaboyer, Wendy; Vaux, Amanda; Crouch, Shannon; Burmeister, Elizabeth; Daly, Michael; Joyce, Chris

    2015-08-01

    Rapid response systems (RRS) have been recommended as a strategy to prevent and treat deterioration in acute care patients. Questions regarding the most effective characteristics of RRS and strategies for implementing these systems remain. The aims of this study were to (i) describe the structures and processes used to implement a 2-tier RRS, (ii) determine the comparative prevalence of deteriorating patients and incidence of unplanned intensive care unit (ICU) admission and cardiac arrest prior to and after implementation of the RRS, and (iii) determine clinician satisfaction with the RRS. A quasi-experimental pre-test, post-test design was used to assess patient related outcomes and clinician satisfaction prior to and after implementation of a 2-tier RRS in a tertiary metropolitan hospital. Primary components of the RRS included an ICU Outreach Nurse and a Rapid Response Team. Prevalence of deteriorating patients was assessed through a point prevalence assessment and chart audit. Incidence of unplanned admission to ICU and cardiac arrests were accessed from routine hospital databases. Clinician satisfaction was measured through surveys. Prevalence of patients who met medical emergency call criteria without current treatment reduced from 3% prior to RRS implementation to 1% after implementation; a similar reduction from 9% to 3% was identified on chart review. The number of unplanned admissions to ICU increased slightly from 17.4/month prior to RRS implementation to 18.1/month after implementation (p=0.45) while cardiac arrests reduced slightly from 7.5/month to 5.6/month (p=0.22) but neither of these changes were statistically significant. Staff satisfaction with the RRS was generally high. The 2-tier RRS was accessed by staff to assist with care of deteriorating patients in a large, tertiary hospital. High levels of satisfaction have been reported by clinical staff. Copyright © 2014 Australian College of Critical Care Nurses Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Final Tier 2 Environmental Impact Statement for International Space Station

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1996-01-01

    The Final Tier 2 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the International Space Station (ISS) has been prepared by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and follows NASA's Record of Decision on the Final Tier 1 EIS for the Space Station Freedom. The Tier 2 EIS provides an updated evaluation of the environmental impacts associated with the alternatives considered: the Proposed Action and the No-Action alternative. The Proposed Action is to continue U.S. participation in the assembly and operation of ISS. The No-Action alternative would cancel NASA!s participation in the Space Station Program. ISS is an international cooperative venture between NASA, the Canadian Space Agency, the European Space Agency, the Science and Technology Agency of Japan, the Russian Space Agency, and the Italian Space Agency. The purpose of the NASA action would be to further develop human presence in space; to meet scientific, technological, and commercial research needs; and to foster international cooperation.

  3. Draft Tier 2 Environmental Impact Statement for International Space Station

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1995-01-01

    The Draft Tier 2 Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the International Space Station (ISS) has been prepared by the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and follows NASA's Record of Decision on the Final Tier 1 EIS for the Space Station Freedom. The Tier 2 EIS provides an updated evaluation of the environmental impacts associated with the alternatives considered: the Proposed Action and the No-Action alternative. The Proposed Action is to continue U.S. participation in the assembly and operation of ISS. The No-Action alternative would cancel NASA's participation in the Space Station Program. ISS is an international cooperative venture between NASA, the Canadian Space Agency, the European Space Agency, the Science and Technology Agency of Japan, the Russian Space Agency, and the Italian Space Agency. The purpose of the NASA action would be to further develop a human presence in space; to meet scientific, technological, and commercial research needs; and to foster international cooperation.

  4. On Statistical Approaches for Demonstrating Analytical Similarity in the Presence of Correlation.

    PubMed

    Yang, Harry; Novick, Steven; Burdick, Richard K

    Analytical similarity is the foundation for demonstration of biosimilarity between a proposed product and a reference product. For this assessment, currently the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends a tiered system in which quality attributes are categorized into three tiers commensurate with their risk and approaches of varying statistical rigor are subsequently used for the three-tier quality attributes. Key to the analyses of Tiers 1 and 2 quality attributes is the establishment of equivalence acceptance criterion and quality range. For particular licensure applications, the FDA has provided advice on statistical methods for demonstration of analytical similarity. For example, for Tier 1 assessment, an equivalence test can be used based on an equivalence margin of 1.5 σ R , where σ R is the reference product variability estimated by the sample standard deviation S R from a sample of reference lots. The quality range for demonstrating Tier 2 analytical similarity is of the form X̄ R ± K × σ R where the constant K is appropriately justified. To demonstrate Tier 2 analytical similarity, a large percentage (e.g., 90%) of test product must fall in the quality range. In this paper, through both theoretical derivations and simulations, we show that when the reference drug product lots are correlated, the sample standard deviation S R underestimates the true reference product variability σ R As a result, substituting S R for σ R in the Tier 1 equivalence acceptance criterion and the Tier 2 quality range inappropriately reduces the statistical power and the ability to declare analytical similarity. Also explored is the impact of correlation among drug product lots on Type I error rate and power. Three methods based on generalized pivotal quantities are introduced, and their performance is compared against a two-one-sided tests (TOST) approach. Finally, strategies to mitigate risk of correlation among the reference products lots are discussed. A biosimilar is a generic version of the original biological drug product. A key component of a biosimilar development is the demonstration of analytical similarity between the biosimilar and the reference product. Such demonstration relies on application of statistical methods to establish a similarity margin and appropriate test for equivalence between the two products. This paper discusses statistical issues with demonstration of analytical similarity and provides alternate approaches to potentially mitigate these problems. © PDA, Inc. 2016.

  5. Deployment-based lifetime optimization for linear wireless sensor networks considering both retransmission and discrete power control.

    PubMed

    Li, Ruiying; Ma, Wenting; Huang, Ning; Kang, Rui

    2017-01-01

    A sophisticated method for node deployment can efficiently reduce the energy consumption of a Wireless Sensor Network (WSN) and prolong the corresponding network lifetime. Pioneers have proposed many node deployment based lifetime optimization methods for WSNs, however, the retransmission mechanism and the discrete power control strategy, which are widely used in practice and have large effect on the network energy consumption, are often neglected and assumed as a continuous one, respectively, in the previous studies. In this paper, both retransmission and discrete power control are considered together, and a more realistic energy-consumption-based network lifetime model for linear WSNs is provided. Using this model, we then propose a generic deployment-based optimization model that maximizes network lifetime under coverage, connectivity and transmission rate success constraints. The more accurate lifetime evaluation conduces to a longer optimal network lifetime in the realistic situation. To illustrate the effectiveness of our method, both one-tiered and two-tiered uniformly and non-uniformly distributed linear WSNs are optimized in our case studies, and the comparisons between our optimal results and those based on relatively inaccurate lifetime evaluation show the advantage of our method when investigating WSN lifetime optimization problems.

  6. CRAB3: Establishing a new generation of services for distributed analysis at CMS

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cinquilli, M.; Spiga, D.; Grandi, C.; Hernàndez, J. M.; Konstantinov, P.; Mascheroni, M.; Riahi, H.; Vaandering, E.

    2012-12-01

    In CMS Computing the highest priorities for analysis tools are the improvement of the end users’ ability to produce and publish reliable samples and analysis results as well as a transition to a sustainable development and operations model. To achieve these goals CMS decided to incorporate analysis processing into the same framework as data and simulation processing. This strategy foresees that all workload tools (TierO, Tier1, production, analysis) share a common core with long term maintainability as well as the standardization of the operator interfaces. The re-engineered analysis workload manager, called CRAB3, makes use of newer technologies, such as RESTFul based web services and NoSQL Databases, aiming to increase the scalability and reliability of the system. As opposed to CRAB2, in CRAB3 all work is centrally injected and managed in a global queue. A pool of agents, which can be geographically distributed, consumes work from the central services serving the user tasks. The new architecture of CRAB substantially changes the deployment model and operations activities. In this paper we present the implementation of CRAB3, emphasizing how the new architecture improves the workflow automation and simplifies maintainability. In particular, we will highlight the impact of the new design on daily operations.

  7. The Effects of a Tier 3 Intervention on the Mathematics Performance of Second Grade Students with Severe Mathematics Difficulties

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bryant, Brian R.; Bryant, Diane Pedrotty; Porterfield, Jennifer; Dennis, Minyi Shih; Falcomata, Terry; Valentine, Courtney; Brewer, Chelsea; Bell, Kathy

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a systematic, explicit, intensive Tier 3 (tertiary) intervention on the mathematics performance of students in second grade with severe mathematics difficulties. A multiple-baseline design across groups of participants showed improved mathematics performance on number and operations…

  8. Effect of Two-Tier Diagnostic Tests on Promoting Learners' Conceptual Understanding of Variables in Conducting Scientific Experiments

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Çil, Emine

    2015-01-01

    Taking a test generally improves the retention of the material tested. This is a phenomenon commonly referred to as testing effect. The present research investigated whether two-tier diagnostic tests promoted student teachers' conceptual understanding of variables in conducting scientific experiments, which is a scientific process skill. In this…

  9. Managing a tier-2 computer centre with a private cloud infrastructure

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bagnasco, Stefano; Berzano, Dario; Brunetti, Riccardo; Lusso, Stefano; Vallero, Sara

    2014-06-01

    In a typical scientific computing centre, several applications coexist and share a single physical infrastructure. An underlying Private Cloud infrastructure eases the management and maintenance of such heterogeneous applications (such as multipurpose or application-specific batch farms, Grid sites, interactive data analysis facilities and others), allowing dynamic allocation resources to any application. Furthermore, the maintenance of large deployments of complex and rapidly evolving middleware and application software is eased by the use of virtual images and contextualization techniques. Such infrastructures are being deployed in some large centres (see e.g. the CERN Agile Infrastructure project), but with several open-source tools reaching maturity this is becoming viable also for smaller sites. In this contribution we describe the Private Cloud infrastructure at the INFN-Torino Computer Centre, that hosts a full-fledged WLCG Tier-2 centre, an Interactive Analysis Facility for the ALICE experiment at the CERN LHC and several smaller scientific computing applications. The private cloud building blocks include the OpenNebula software stack, the GlusterFS filesystem and the OpenWRT Linux distribution (used for network virtualization); a future integration into a federated higher-level infrastructure is made possible by exposing commonly used APIs like EC2 and OCCI.

  10. CON4EI: Development of testing strategies for hazard identification and labelling for serious eye damage and eye irritation of chemicals.

    PubMed

    Adriaens, E; Verstraelen, S; Alépée, N; Kandarova, H; Drzewiecka, A; Gruszka, K; Guest, R; Willoughby, J A; Van Rompay, A R

    2018-06-01

    Assessment of acute eye irritation potential is part of the international regulatory requirements for safety testing of chemicals. In the last decades, many efforts have been made in the search for alternative methods to replace the regulatory in vivo Draize rabbit eye test (OECD TG 405). Success in terms of complete replacement of the regulatory in vivo Draize rabbit eye test has not yet been achieved. The main objective of the CEFIC-LRI-AIMT6-VITO CON4EI (CONsortium for in vitro Eye Irritation testing strategy) project was to develop tiered testing strategies for serious eye damage and eye irritation assessment that can lead to complete replacement of OECD TG 405. A set of 80 reference chemicals (e.g. balanced by important driver of classification and physical state), was tested with seven test methods. Based on the results of this project, three different strategies were suggested. We have provided a standalone (EpiOcular ET-50), a two-tiered and three-tiered strategy, that can be used to distinguish between Cat 1 and Cat 2 chemicals and chemicals that do not require classification (No Cat). The two-tiered and three-tiered strategies use an RhCE test method (EpiOcular EIT or SkinEthic™ EIT) at the bottom (identification No Cat) in combination with the BCOP LLBO (two-tiered strategy) or BCOP OP-KIT and SMI (three-tiered strategy) at the top (identification Cat 1). For our proposed strategies, 71.1% - 82.9% Cat 1, 64.2% - 68.5% Cat 2 and ≥80% No Cat chemicals were correctly identified. Also, similar results were obtained for the Top-Down and Bottom-Up approach. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Thermal Deformation and RF Performance Analyses for the SWOT Large Deployable Ka-Band Reflectarray

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Fang, H.; Sunada, E.; Chaubell, J.; Esteban-Fernandez, D.; Thomson, M.; Nicaise, F.

    2010-01-01

    A large deployable antenna technology for the NASA Surface Water and Ocean Topography (SWOT) Mission is currently being developed by JPL in response to NRC Earth Science Tier 2 Decadal Survey recommendations. This technology is required to enable the SWOT mission due to the fact that no currently available antenna is capable of meeting SWOT's demanding Ka-Band remote sensing requirements. One of the key aspects of this antenna development is to minimize the effect of the on-orbit thermal distortion to the antenna RF performance. An analysis process which includes: 1) the on-orbit thermal analysis to obtain the temperature distribution; 2) structural deformation analysis to get the geometry of the antenna surface; and 3) the RF performance with the given deformed antenna surface has been developed to accommodate the development of this antenna technology. The detailed analysis process and some analysis results will be presented and discussed by this paper.

  12. 5 CFR 919.445 - What action may I take if a primary tier participant knowingly does business with an excluded or...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-01-01

    ... 5 Administrative Personnel 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false What action may I take if a primary tier... § 919.445 What action may I take if a primary tier participant knowingly does business with an excluded... person, you as an agency official may refer the matter for suspension and debarment consideration. You...

  13. 40 CFR 86.1860-04 - How to comply with the Tier 2 and interim non-Tier 2 fleet average NOX standards.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... HIGHWAY VEHICLES AND ENGINES (CONTINUED) General Compliance Provisions for Control of Air Pollution From New and In-Use Light-Duty Vehicles, Light-Duty Trucks, and Complete Otto-Cycle Heavy-Duty Vehicles...

  14. Bridging the Epidemic: A Comprehensive Analysis of Prevalence and Correlates of HIV, Hepatitis C, and Syphilis, and Infection among Female Sex Workers in Guangxi Province, China

    PubMed Central

    Chen, Yi; Shen, Zhiyong; Morano, Jamie P.; Khoshnood, Kaveh; Wu, Zunyou; Lan, Guanghua; Zhu, Qiuying; Zhou, Yuejiao; Tang, Shuai; Liu, Wei; Chen, Jie; Tang, Zhenzhu

    2015-01-01

    Introduction Female sex workers (FSWs) are at highest risk for contracting HIV and facilitating the current heterosexual HIV epidemic in Guangxi, China, yet little is known of the impact of recent harm reduction campaigns in the province. We analyzed sentinel surveillance data collected between 2010 and 2012 in Guangxi to explore correlations between the prevalence of HIV, hepatitis C (HCV), and syphilis and risk behaviors of different categories of FSWs in Guangxi. Methods The sentinel surveillance data for 5,1790 FSWs in all 14 prefectures and 64 city/county regions of Guangxi, China from 2010 to 2012 were collected. Differences between three categories of FSWs (grouped by venue) and disease trends (HIV, HCV, and syphilis) by year were analyzed using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses as to evaluate risk factors correlated with HIV, HCV, or syphilis infection. Results HIV and HCV prevalence remained constant across the three FSW categories; however, syphilis prevalence showed a significant increase from 5.7% to 7.3% for low-tier FSWs. Most cases with HIV, HCV, syphilis and intravenous drug use were seen in low-tier FSWs. Testing positive for HIV and syphilis were most correlated with being HCV positive (AOR 4.12 and AOR 4.36), only completing elementary school (AOR 3.71 and AOR 2.35), low tier venues (AOR 2.02 and AOR 2.00), and prior STI (AOR 1.40 and AOR 3.56), respectively. HCV infection was correlated with ever injecting drugs (AOR 60.65) and testing positive for syphilis (AOR 4.16) or HIV (AOR 3.74). Conclusions This study highlights that low tier FSWs with lower formal education levels are the most vulnerable population at risk for acquiring and transmitting HIV, HCV, and syphilis in Guangxi, China. Condom distribution with evolution to safer sex practices are the reasons to explain the non-increasing prevalence of HIV, HCV in Guangxi for 2010–2012. PMID:25723548

  15. Structural Constraints of Vaccine-Induced Tier-2 Autologous HIV Neutralizing Antibodies Targeting the Receptor-Binding Site.

    PubMed

    Bradley, Todd; Fera, Daniela; Bhiman, Jinal; Eslamizar, Leila; Lu, Xiaozhi; Anasti, Kara; Zhang, Ruijung; Sutherland, Laura L; Scearce, Richard M; Bowman, Cindy M; Stolarchuk, Christina; Lloyd, Krissey E; Parks, Robert; Eaton, Amanda; Foulger, Andrew; Nie, Xiaoyan; Karim, Salim S Abdool; Barnett, Susan; Kelsoe, Garnett; Kepler, Thomas B; Alam, S Munir; Montefiori, David C; Moody, M Anthony; Liao, Hua-Xin; Morris, Lynn; Santra, Sampa; Harrison, Stephen C; Haynes, Barton F

    2016-01-05

    Antibodies that neutralize autologous transmitted/founder (TF) HIV occur in most HIV-infected individuals and can evolve to neutralization breadth. Autologous neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) against neutralization-resistant (Tier-2) viruses are rarely induced by vaccination. Whereas broadly neutralizing antibody (bnAb)-HIV-Envelope structures have been defined, the structures of autologous nAbs have not. Here, we show that immunization with TF mutant Envs gp140 oligomers induced high-titer, V5-dependent plasma neutralization for a Tier-2 autologous TF evolved mutant virus. Structural analysis of autologous nAb DH427 revealed binding to V5, demonstrating the source of narrow nAb specificity and explaining the failure to acquire breadth. Thus, oligomeric TF Envs can elicit autologous nAbs to Tier-2 HIVs, but induction of bnAbs will require targeting of precursors of B cell lineages that can mature to heterologous neutralization. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  16. The overall program effects of California's 3-Tier Assessment System pilot on crashes and mobility among senior drivers.

    PubMed

    Camp, Bayliss J

    2013-12-01

    In 2007, the California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) undertook a pilot study of the 3-Tier Assessment System, the purpose of which was to examine, in a large-scale real-time public agency setting, the effectiveness of this method for both reducing the crash risk of individual drivers and for extending the safe driving years of Californian drivers of all ages. The 3-Tier Assessment System consisted of tiered series of screening tools incorporated into the in-office driver's license renewal process. These screening tools identified drivers with various kinds of functional limitations (physical, visual, and cognitive/perceptual), that might impact safe driving. Paired with the screening tools were educational materials designed to improve drivers' knowledge of their own limitations, including compensating techniques. The present study is a population-based evaluation of the effects of the pilot on subsequent crash risk and mobility outcomes (including delicensure) of participating drivers age 70 and older. Pilot participants were compared with two control groups processed according to standard California DMV license renewal procedures. Because the 3-Tier Assessment System was designed to identify limitations normally associated with aging, the present analyses focus on drivers age 70 and older. However, it should be emphasized that during the 3-Tier pilot the screening tools were applied to drivers of all ages. There were two main findings. First, there were no consistent, statistically significant differences between the pilot and control groups in crash risk in the two years following screening. Second, pilot participants experienced statistically significant effects on mobility. These effects included delays in time to complete their license renewal, an increase in the number of assigned license restrictions, and an increase in the number of customers failing to renew their driving privilege. Based on these findings, suggestions for further research are made. None. © 2013.

  17. A Tiered Approach to Evaluating Salinity Sources in Water at Oil and Gas Production Sites.

    PubMed

    Paquette, Shawn M; Molofsky, Lisa J; Connor, John A; Walker, Kenneth L; Hopkins, Harley; Chakraborty, Ayan

    2017-09-01

    A suspected increase in the salinity of fresh water resources can trigger a site investigation to identify the source(s) of salinity and the extent of any impacts. These investigations can be complicated by the presence of naturally elevated total dissolved solids or chlorides concentrations, multiple potential sources of salinity, and incomplete data and information on both naturally occurring conditions and the characteristics of potential sources. As a result, data evaluation techniques that are effective at one site may not be effective at another. In order to match the complexity of the evaluation effort to the complexity of the specific site, this paper presents a strategic tiered approach that utilizes established techniques for evaluating and identifying the source(s) of salinity in an efficient step-by-step manner. The tiered approach includes: (1) a simple screening process to evaluate whether an impact has occurred and if the source is readily apparent; (2) basic geochemical characterization of the impacted water resource(s) and potential salinity sources coupled with simple visual and statistical data evaluation methods to determine the source(s); and (3) advanced laboratory analyses (e.g., isotopes) and data evaluation methods to identify the source(s) and the extent of salinity impacts where it was not otherwise conclusive. A case study from the U.S. Gulf Coast is presented to illustrate the application of this tiered approach. © 2017, National Ground Water Association.

  18. Tier 2 Reading Interventions, K-2nd Grade Practices and Processes

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Allison, Tamara Alice

    2016-01-01

    Due to variation that exists in providing Tier 2 reading intervention instruction, the purpose of the study was to identify processes and instructional strategies currently being utilized by K-2 teachers of the Gallup, New Mexico elementary schools. 17 teachers from 9 of the 10 elementary schools participated in the study. A survey instrument was…

  19. 77 FR 71371 - Approval and Promulgation of Air Quality Implementation Plans; Ohio; Redesignation of the Ohio...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-11-30

    ....5 , NO X and sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ) emissions inventories as satisfying the requirement in section... control measures include the following. Tier 2 Emission Standards for Vehicles and Gasoline Sulfur... vehicles replace older vehicles. The Tier 2 standards also reduced the sulfur content of gasoline to 30...

  20. Spatial distribution of the capacity to initiate a secondary embryo in the 32-cell embryo of Xenopus laevis.

    PubMed

    Kageura, H

    1990-12-01

    To examine the spatial distribution of dorsal determinants in the early embryos of Xenopus laevis, individual cells from the 32-cell embryo were transplanted into the same tier of the ventral side of a synchronous recipient. Their abilities to initiate a secondary embryo were measured by the incidence of secondary embryos and by the length of the secondary axis relative to the primary embryo. The ability was found to be localized in all cells (A1, B1, C1, and D1) of the dorsal most column and in the vegetal cells (C2 and D2) of the dorsolateral column. Transplanted C1 (subequatorial) cells caused the highest incidence of a secondary embryo and the average relative length of the secondary embryo was also greatest. Effectiveness decreased in the order: D1, B1, D2, C2, and A1. When these results were compared with Dale and Slack's fate map of the 32-cell embryo, it was concluded that the distribution of dorsal determinants is unique and does not coincide with the prospective regions for any tissues, though it is somewhat similar to the prospective region of dorsal endoderm or notochord. From these results it seems that dorsal determinants do not determine a particular tissue in an embryo but rather the "dorsal" region of an embryo.

  1. 78 FR 41059 - Information Collection Request Submitted to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment Request...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-07-09

    ... for biodiesel, water/diesel emulsions, several atypical additives, and renewable gasoline and diesel... adverse health effects. Tier 2 data have been submitted for baseline diesel, biodiesel, and water/diesel...

  2. Tier2 Submit Software

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    Download this tool for Windows or Mac, which helps facilities prepare a Tier II electronic chemical inventory report. The data can also be exported into the CAMEOfm (Computer-Aided Management of Emergency Operations) emergency planning software.

  3. 40 CFR 1042.245 - Deterioration factors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-07-01

    ... to meet the Tier 1 and Tier 2 emission standards would qualify as established technology. We must... deterioration factors for Category 1 and Category 2 engines, either with an engineering analysis, with pre... deterioration factors for an engine family with established technology based on engineering analysis instead of...

  4. 40 CFR 1042.245 - Deterioration factors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-07-01

    ... to meet the Tier 1 and Tier 2 emission standards would qualify as established technology. We must... deterioration factors for Category 1 and Category 2 engines, either with an engineering analysis, with pre... deterioration factors for an engine family with established technology based on engineering analysis instead of...

  5. 40 CFR 1042.245 - Deterioration factors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... to meet the Tier 1 and Tier 2 emission standards would qualify as established technology. We must... deterioration factors for Category 1 and Category 2 engines, either with an engineering analysis, with pre... deterioration factors for an engine family with established technology based on engineering analysis instead of...

  6. 40 CFR 1042.245 - Deterioration factors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... to meet the Tier 1 and Tier 2 emission standards would qualify as established technology. We must... deterioration factors for Category 1 and Category 2 engines, either with an engineering analysis, with pre... deterioration factors for an engine family with established technology based on engineering analysis instead of...

  7. 40 CFR 1042.245 - Deterioration factors.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-07-01

    ... to meet the Tier 1 and Tier 2 emission standards would qualify as established technology. We must... deterioration factors for Category 1 and Category 2 engines, either with an engineering analysis, with pre... deterioration factors for an engine family with established technology based on engineering analysis instead of...

  8. 78 FR 53026 - Regulations Enabling Elections for Certain Transaction Under Section 336(e); Correction

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-08-28

    ... made to treat sale, exchange or distribution of at least 80 percent of the voting power and value of...) * * * (C) Tiered targets. In the case of parent-subsidiary chains of corporations making section 336(e...

  9. Effects of Three Comprehensive Models of Vocabulary Instruction during Shared Storybook Read Alouds on Kindergartener's Tier Two Target Word Knowledge

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Steuber, Julie Ann

    2013-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of three researcher-designed experimental models of vocabulary instruction during shared storybook read alouds on kindergarten children's Tier Two target word learning and maintenance of word knowledge. The Integrated Model consisted of two readings of the same storybook, direct…

  10. Cleavage-Independent HIV-1 Trimers From CHO Cell Lines Elicit Robust Autologous Tier 2 Neutralizing Antibodies

    PubMed Central

    Bale, Shridhar; Martiné, Alexandra; Wilson, Richard; Behrens, Anna-Janina; Le Fourn, Valérie; de Val, Natalia; Sharma, Shailendra K.; Tran, Karen; Torres, Jonathan L.; Girod, Pierre-Alain; Ward, Andrew B.; Crispin, Max; Wyatt, Richard T.

    2018-01-01

    Native flexibly linked (NFL) HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) trimers are cleavage-independent and display a native-like, well-folded conformation that preferentially displays broadly neutralizing determinants. The NFL platform simplifies large-scale production of Env by eliminating the need to co-transfect the precursor-cleaving protease, furin that is required by the cleavage-dependent SOSIP trimers. Here, we report the development of a CHO-M cell line that expressed BG505 NFL trimers at a high level of homogeneity and yields of ~1.8 g/l. BG505 NFL trimers purified by single-step lectin-affinity chromatography displayed a native-like closed structure, efficient recognition by trimer-preferring bNAbs, no recognition by non-neutralizing CD4 binding site-directed and V3-directed antibodies, long-term stability, and proper N-glycan processing. Following negative-selection, formulation in ISCOMATRIX adjuvant and inoculation into rabbits, the trimers rapidly elicited potent autologous tier 2 neutralizing antibodies. These antibodies targeted the N-glycan “hole” naturally present on the BG505 Env proximal to residues at positions 230, 241, and 289. The BG505 NFL trimers that did not expose V3 in vitro, elicited low-to-no tier 1 virus neutralization in vivo, indicating that they remained intact during the immunization process, not exposing V3. In addition, BG505 NFL and BG505 SOSIP trimers expressed from 293F cells, when formulated in Adjuplex adjuvant, elicited equivalent BG505 tier 2 autologous neutralizing titers. These titers were lower in potency when compared to the titers elicited by CHO-M cell derived trimers. In addition, increased neutralization of tier 1 viruses was detected. Taken together, these data indicate that both adjuvant and cell-type expression can affect the elicitation of tier 2 and tier 1 neutralizing responses in vivo.

  11. Forgettable contraception.

    PubMed

    Grimes, David A

    2009-12-01

    The term "forgettable contraception" has received less attention in family planning than has "long-acting reversible contraception." Defined here as a method requiring attention no more often than every 3 years, forgettable contraception includes sterilization (female or male), intrauterine devices, and implants. Five principal factors determine contraceptive effectiveness: efficacy, compliance, continuation, fecundity, and the timing of coitus. Of these, compliance and continuation dominate; the key determinants of contraceptive effectiveness are human, not pharmacological. Human nature undermines methods with high theoretical efficacy, such as oral contraceptives and injectable contraceptives. By obviating the need to think about contraception for long intervals, forgettable contraception can help overcome our human fallibility. As a result, all forgettable contraception methods provide first-tier effectiveness (

  12. An introduction to indigenous health and culture: the first tier of the Three Tiered Plan.

    PubMed

    Sinnott, M J; Wittmann, B

    2001-06-01

    The objective of the present study was to prepare new doctors with an awareness of cultural and health issues to facilitate positive experiences with indigenous patients. The study incorporated the 1998 intern orientation programs in Queensland public hospitals. The study method included tier one of the Three Tiered Plan, which was implemented and audited. Indigenous liaison officers, directors of clinical training and medical education officers were surveyed prior to this implementation to determine whether any or similar initiatives had been carried out in previous years and/or were planned. Post-implementation feedback from interns was obtained by using questionnaires. Follow-up telephone interviews with the directors of clinical training, medical education officers and indigenous hospital liaison officers detailed the format and content of tier one at each hospital. The results indicate that this active intervention improved the implementation rate of tier one from nine of 19 (47%) Queensland public hospitals in 1997 to 17 (90%) in 1998. The 14 indigenous hospital liaison officers (100%) involved in the intervention perceived it as beneficial. Forty-three (67%) of interns who responded to the survey indicated they had encountered an indigenous patient within the last 2-4 months. The level of knowledge of indigenous health and culture self-reported by interns was between the categories 'enough to get by' and 'inadequate'. In conclusion, it appears that tier one has been successful and is to be a formal component of intern orientations in Queensland public hospitals. Further initiatives in indigenous health and culture targeting medical staff (i.e. tier two and tier three), are needed.

  13. High-resolution mapping of wetland vegetation biomass and distribution with L-band radar in southeastern coastal Louisiana

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Thomas, N. M.; Simard, M.; Byrd, K. B.; Windham-Myers, L.; Castaneda, E.; Twilley, R.; Bevington, A. E.; Christensen, A.

    2017-12-01

    Louisiana coastal wetlands account for approximately one third (37%) of the estuarine wetland vegetation in the conterminous United States, yet the spatial distribution of their extent and aboveground biomass (AGB) is not well defined. This knowledge is critical for the accurate completion of national greenhouse gas (GHG) inventories. We generated high-resolution baselines maps of wetland vegetation extent and biomass at the Atchafalaya and Terrebonne basins in coastal Louisiana using a multi-sensor approach. Optical satellite data was used within an object-oriented machine learning approach to classify the structure of wetland vegetation types, offering increased detail over currently available land cover maps that do not distinguish between wetland vegetation types nor account for non-permanent seasonal changes in extent. We mapped 1871 km2 of wetlands during a period of peak biomass in September 2015 comprised of flooded forested wetlands and leaf, grass and emergent herbaceous marshes. The distribution of aboveground biomass (AGB) was mapped using JPL L-band Uninhabited Aerial Vehicle Synthetic Aperture Radar (UAVSAR). Relationships between time-series radar imagery and field data collected in May 2015 and September 2016 were derived to estimate AGB at the Wax Lake and Atchafalaya deltas. Differences in seasonal biomass estimates reflect the increased AGB in September over May, concurrent with periods of peak biomass and the onset of the vegetation growing season, respectively. This method provides a tractable means of mapping and monitoring biomass of wetland vegetation types with L-band radar, in a region threatened with wetland loss under projections of increasing sea-level rise and terrestrial subsidence. Through this, we demonstrate a method that is able to satisfy the IPCC 2013 Wetlands Supplement requirement for Tier 2/Tier 3 reporting of coastal wetland GHG inventories.

  14. Stuttering, Induced Fluency, and Natural Fluency: A Hierarchical Series of Activation Likelihood Estimation Meta-Analyses

    PubMed Central

    Budde, Kristin S.; Barron, Daniel S.; Fox, Peter T.

    2015-01-01

    Developmental stuttering is a speech disorder most likely due to a heritable form of developmental dysmyelination impairing the function of the speech-motor system. Speech-induced brain-activation patterns in persons who stutter (PWS) are anomalous in various ways; the consistency of these aberrant patterns is a matter of ongoing debate. Here, we present a hierarchical series of coordinate-based meta-analyses addressing this issue. Two tiers of meta-analyses were performed on a 17-paper dataset (202 PWS; 167 fluent controls). Four large-scale (top-tier) meta-analyses were performed, two for each subject group (PWS and controls). These analyses robustly confirmed the regional effects previously postulated as “neural signatures of stuttering” (Brown 2005) and extended this designation to additional regions. Two smaller-scale (lower-tier) meta-analyses refined the interpretation of the large-scale analyses: 1) a between-group contrast targeting differences between PWS and controls (stuttering trait); and 2) a within-group contrast (PWS only) of stuttering with induced fluency (stuttering state). PMID:25463820

  15. Extrapolating non-target risk of Bt crops from laboratory to field

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    The tiered approach to assessing the ecological risk of insect-resistant transgenic crops rests on the assumption that lower-tier laboratory studies, which expose surrogate non-target organisms to insecticidal proteins, accurately predict the ecological effects of these crops under field conditions....

  16. 12 CFR 324.63 - Disclosures by FDIC-supervised institutions described in § 324.61.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-01-01

    ..., tier 2 capital, tier 1 and total capital ratios, including the regulatory capital elements and all the regulatory adjustments and deductions needed to calculate the numerator of such ratios; (2) Total risk... risk-weighted assets; (3) Regulatory capital ratios during any transition periods, including a...

  17. Testing the Efficacy of a Tier 2 Mathematics Intervention: A Conceptual Replication Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Doabler, Christian T.; Clarke, Ben; Kosty, Derek B.; Kurtz-Nelson, Evangeline; Fien, Hank; Smolkowski, Keith; Baker, Scott K.

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this closely aligned conceptual replication study was to investigate the efficacy of a Tier 2 kindergarten mathematics intervention. The replication study differed from the initial randomized controlled trial on three important elements: geographical region, timing of the intervention, and instructional context of the…

  18. Examining the Efficacy of a Tier 2 Kindergarten Mathematics Intervention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clarke, Ben; Doabler, Christian T.; Smolkowski, Keith; Baker, Scott K.; Fien, Hank; Cary, Mari Strand

    2016-01-01

    This study examined the efficacy of a Tier 2 kindergarten mathematics intervention program, ROOTS, focused on developing whole number understanding for students at risk in mathematics. A total of 29 classrooms were randomly assigned to treatment (ROOTS) or control (standard district practices) conditions. Measures of mathematics achievement were…

  19. INDUCTION OF SKIN PAPILLOMAS IN THE SENCAR MOUSE AS A TIER 2 CARCINOGENESIS BIOASSAY

    EPA Science Inventory

    The Toxic Substances Control Act mandates the testing of industrial chemicals for which insufficient evidence of safety exists. One of the more critical areas in chemical carcinogenesis testing is a dependable approach to confirmatory tests (tier 2) of identified positives at a s...

  20. Supporting Documentation Used in the Derivation of Selected Freshwater Tier 2 ESBs

    EPA Science Inventory

    Compilation of toxicity data used to derive secondary chronic values (SCVs) and tier 2 equilibrium partitioning sediment benchmarks (ESBs) for a selection of nonionic organic chemicals. The values are used in the following U.S. EPA document: U.S. EPA. 2008. Procedures for th...

  1. Explicit Instructional Interactions: Exploring the Black Box of a Tier 2 Mathematics Intervention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Doabler, Christian T.; Clarke, Ben; Stoolmiller, Mike; Kosty, Derek B.; Fien, Hank; Smolkowski, Keith; Baker, Scott K.

    2017-01-01

    A critical aspect of intervention research is investigating the active ingredients that underlie intensive interventions and their theories of change. This study explored the rate of instructional interactions within treatment groups to determine whether they offered explanatory power of an empirically validated Tier 2 kindergarten mathematics…

  2. 26 CFR 1.704-2 - Allocations attributable to nonrecourse liabilities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-04-01

    ... minimum gain. (iii) Carryover to succeeding taxable year. (k) Tiered partnerships. (1) Increase in upper... increase in the upper-tier partnership's minimum gain (under paragraph (k)(1) of this section) attributable... deductions. (2) Definition of and allocations pursuant to a minimum gain chargeback. (3) Definition of...

  3. 26 CFR 1.704-2 - Allocations attributable to nonrecourse liabilities.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-04-01

    ... minimum gain. (iii) Carryover to succeeding taxable year. (k) Tiered partnerships. (1) Increase in upper... increase in the upper-tier partnership's minimum gain (under paragraph (k)(1) of this section) attributable... deductions. (2) Definition of and allocations pursuant to a minimum gain chargeback. (3) Definition of...

  4. Agreement of three interpretation systems of intrapartum foetal heart rate monitoring by different levels of physicians.

    PubMed

    Pruksanusak, Ninlapa; Thongphanang, Putthaporn; Chainarong, Natthicha; Suntharasaj, Thitima; Kor-Anantakul, Ounjai; Suwanrath, Chitkasaem; Petpichetchian, Chusana

    2017-11-01

    A prospective study was conducted in centre in Southern Thailand, to evaluate agreement in EFM interpretation among various physicians in order to find out the most practical system for daily use. We found strong agreement of very normal FHR tracings among the FIGO, NICHD 3-tier and 5-tier systems. The NICHD 3-tier was more compatible with the FIGO system than 5-tier system. Overall inter-observer agreement was moderate for the NICHD 3-tier system while inter-observer agreement of 5-tier system was fair also the intra-observer agreement was higher in the NICHD 3-tier system. So the 3-tier systems are more suitable than the 5-tier system in general obstetric practice. Impact statement What is already known on this subject: The 3-tier and 5-tier systems were widely used in general obstetrics practice. What the results of this study add: The inter- and intra-observer agreement of NICHD 3-tier system was higher than the 5-tier system. What the implications are of these findings for clinical practice and/or further research: The 3-tier systems were more suitable than the 5-tier systems in general obstetrics practice.

  5. Council Bluffs interstate system improvements project tier 2, segment 3 Pottawattamie County, Iowa IMN-029-2(55)49--13-78 : environmental assessment and section 4(f) de minimis impact finding.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2011-03-14

    This Tier 2 Environmental Assessment (EA) presents the results of studies and analyses : conducted to determine the potential impacts of proposed improvements in Segment 3 of the : Council Bluffs Interstate System (CBIS) in the Council Bluffs metropo...

  6. Validation of the modified 4-tiered categorization system through comparison with the 5-tiered categorization system of the 2015 American Thyroid Association guidelines for classifying small thyroid nodules on ultrasound.

    PubMed

    Lee, Ji Hye; Han, Kyunghwa; Kim, Eun-Kyung; Moon, Hee Jung; Yoon, Jung Hyun; Park, Vivian Y; Kwak, Jin Young

    2017-11-01

    The purpose of this study was to validate the modified 4-tiered categorization system and to compare stratification of malignancy risk in small thyroid nodules with the 2015 American Thyroid Association (ATA) management guidelines. From January 2015 to December 2015, 737 thyroid nodules measured ≥ 1 cm and <2 cm were included in this study. Each nodule was assigned a category with the ultrasonographic patterns described by the 2015 ATA guidelines. On univariate analysis, there was no difference of malignancy risk between low suspicion and very low suspicion nodules (P = .584). Therefore, we suggested a modified 4-tiered categorization, which combines very low suspicion and low suspicion nodules into the "revised low suspicion" category. Specificity, positive predictive value (PPV) and accuracy were higher with the modified 4-tiered categorization system (P < .001 for all). The modified 4-tiered categorization system allows more efficient management with better diagnostic performance than the 2015 ATA categorization system in small thyroid nodules. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  7. Molecular constituents of the extracellular matrix in rat liver mounting a hepatic progenitor cell response for tissue repair

    PubMed Central

    2013-01-01

    Background Tissue repair in the adult mammalian liver occurs in two distinct processes, referred to as the first and second tiers of defense. We undertook to characterize the changes in molecular constituents of the extracellular matrix when hepatic progenitor cells (HPCs) respond in a second tier of defense to liver injury. Results We used transcriptional profiling on rat livers responding by a first tier (surgical removal of 70% of the liver mass (PHx protocol)) and a second tier (70% hepatectomy combined with exposure to 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF/PHx protocol)) of defense to liver injury and compared the transcriptional signatures in untreated rat liver (control) with those from livers of day 1, day 5 and day 9 post hepatectomy in both protocols. Numerous transcripts encoding specific subunits of collagens, laminins, integrins, and various other extracellular matrix structural components were differentially up- or down-modulated (P < 0.01). The levels of a number of transcripts were significantly up-modulated, mainly in the second tier of defense (Agrn, Bgn, Fbn1, Col4a1, Col8a1, Col9a3, Lama5, Lamb1, Lamb2, Itga4, Igtb2, Itgb4, Itgb6, Nid2), and their signal intensities showed a strong or very strong correlation with Krt1-19, a well-established marker of a ductular/HPC reaction. Furthermore, a significant up-modulation and very strong correlation between the transcriptional profiles of Krt1-19 and St14 encoding matriptase, a component of a novel protease system, was found in the second tier of defense. Real-time PCR confirmed the modulation of St14 transcript levels and strong correlation to Krt-19 and also showed a significant up-modulation and strong correlation to Spint1 encoding HAI-1, a cognate inhibitor of matriptase. Immunodetection and three-dimensional reconstructions showed that laminin, Collagen1a1, agrin and nidogen1 surrounded bile ducts, proliferating cholangiocytes, and HPCs in ductular reactions regardless of the nature of defense. Similarly, matriptase and HAI-1 were expressed in cholangiocytes regardless of the tier of defense, but in the second tier of defense, a subpopulation of HPCs in ductular reactions co-expressed HAI-1 and the fetal hepatocyte marker Dlk1. Conclusion Transcriptional profiling and immunodetection, including three-dimensional reconstruction, generated a detailed overview of the extracellular matrix constituents expressed in a second tier of defense to liver injury. PMID:24359594

  8. The Evaluation of a Three-Tier Model of Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports for Preschoolers in Head Start

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stanton-Chapman, Tina L.; Walker, Virginia L.; Voorhees, Mary D.; Snell, Martha E.

    2016-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to evaluate the overall effectiveness of a three-tier model of positive behavior interventions and supports (PBIS), which was developed and tested in Head Start (HS) programs. Ten HS classrooms from five HS programs participated in the current study. Results indicated that PBIS was effective in improving classroom…

  9. The Effects of Tier One RtI at the Elementary School Level Using I-Station on Reading Text Fluency

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lundin, Meredith M.

    2017-01-01

    This study looked at the effects of Tier 1 Response to Intervention (RtI) on elementary school reading fluency using I-Station assessment and intervention. The study included four elementary schools within the same school district that represented the four quadrants of the school district so that a variety of factors and the district's demographic…

  10. A tiered observational system for anthropogenic methane emissions

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Duren, R. M.; Miller, C. E.; Hulley, G. C.; Hook, S. J.; Sander, S. P.

    2014-12-01

    Improved understanding of anthropogenic methane emissions is required for closing the global carbon budget and addressing priority challenges in climate policy. Several decades of top-down and bottom-up studies show that anthropogenic methane emissions are systematically underestimated in key regions and economic sectors. These uncertainties have been compounded by the dramatic rise of disruptive technologies (e.g., the transformation in the US energy system due to unconventional gas and oil production). Methane flux estimates derived from inverse analyses and aircraft-based mass balance approaches underscore the disagreement in nationally and regionally reported methane emissions as well as the possibility of a long-tail distribution in fugitive emissions spanning the US natural gas supply chain; i.e. a small number of super-emitters may be responsible for most of the observed anomalies. Other studies highlight the challenges of sectoral and spatial attribution of fugitive emissions - including the relative contributions of dairies vs oil and gas production or disentangling the contributions of natural gas transmission, distribution, and consumption or landfill emissions in complex urban environments. Limited observational data remains a foundational barrier to resolving these challenges. We present a tiered observing system strategy for persistent, high-frequency monitoring over large areas to provide remote detection, geolocation and quantification of significant anthropogenic methane emissions across cities, states, basins and continents. We describe how this would both improve confidence in methane emission estimates and expedite resolution of fugitive emissions and leaks. We summarize recent prototype field campaigns that employ multiple vantage points and measurement techniques (including NASA's CARVE and HyTES aircraft and PanFTS instrument on Mt Wilson). We share preliminary results of this tiered observational approach including examples of individual methane point sources associated with oil and gas production and distribution, feedlots, and urban landfills in California.

  11. Using a Changing-Criterion Design to Evaluate the Effects of Check-In/Check-Out with Goal Modification

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McDaniel, Sara C.; Bruhn, Allison L.

    2016-01-01

    Check-in/check-out (CICO) is a Tier 2 behavioral intervention that has demonstrated effectiveness for students with challenging behavior in a variety of educational settings. Existing research has focused primarily on testing the intervention's effectiveness and the role of behavioral function in moderating response to intervention. Only a handful…

  12. 40 CFR 63.11517 - What are my monitoring requirements?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ...) of this section. (1) Daily Method 9 testing for welding, Tier 2 or 3. Perform visual determination of... to the requirements of paragraph (d)(1) of this section. (3) Monthly Method 9 testing for welding... Method 22 testing for welding, Tier 2 or 3. If, after two consecutive months of testing, the average of...

  13. Factors Influencing Staff Perceptions of Administrator Support for Tier 2 and 3 Interventions: A Multilevel Perspective

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Debnam, Katrina J.; Pas, Elise T.; Bradshaw, Catherine P.

    2013-01-01

    Although the number of schools implementing School-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports (SWPBIS) is increasing, and there is great demand for evidence-based Tier 2 and 3 interventions for students requiring additional support, little systematic research has examined administrator support for such programming. This article examines…

  14. Response to Intervention: Using Single-Case Design to Examine the Impact of Tier 2 Mathematics Interventions

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Valenzuela, Vanessa V.; Gutierrez, Gabriel; Lambros, Katina M.

    2014-01-01

    An A-B single-case design assessed at-risk students' responsiveness to mathematics interventions. Four culturally and linguistically diverse second-grade students were given a Tier 2 standard protocol mathematics intervention that included number sense instruction, modeling procedures, guided math drill and practice of addition and subtraction…

  15. Evaluating Technology-Based Self-Monitoring as a Tier 2 Intervention across Middle School Settings

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bruhn, Allison Leigh; Woods-Groves, Suzanne; Fernando, Josephine; Choi, Taehoon; Troughton, Leonard

    2017-01-01

    Multitiered frameworks like Positive Behavior Interventions and Supports (PBIS) have been recommended for preventing and remediating behavior problems. In this study, technology-based self-monitoring was used as a Tier 2 intervention to improve the academic engagement and disruptive behavior of three middle school students who were identified as…

  16. Strain-Specific V3 and CD4 Binding Site Autologous HIV-1 Neutralizing Antibodies Select Neutralization-Resistant Viruses

    DOE PAGES

    Moody, M.  Anthony; Gao, Feng; Gurley, Thaddeus  C.; ...

    2015-09-09

    The third variable (V3) loop and the CD4 binding site (CD4bs) of the viral envelope are frequently targeted by neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) in HIV-1-infected individuals. In chronic infection, virus escape mutants repopulate the plasma and V3 and CD4bs nAbs emerge that can neutralize heterologous tier 1 easy-to-neutralize, but not tier 2 difficult-to-neutralize HIV-1 isolates. However, neutralization sensitivity of autologous plasma viruses to this type of nAb response has not been studied. We describe the development and evolution in vivo of antibodies distinguished by their target specificity for V3and CD4bs epitopes on autologous tier 2 viruses but not on heterologous tiermore » 2 viruses. A surprisingly high fraction of autologous circulating viruses was sensitive to these antibodies. These findings demonstrate a role for V3 and CD4bs antibodies in constraining the native envelope trimer in vivo to a neutralization-resistant phenotype, explaining why HIV-1 transmission generally occurs by tier 2 neutralization-resistant viruses.« less

  17. Strain-Specific V3 and CD4 Binding Site Autologous HIV-1 Neutralizing Antibodies Select Neutralization-Resistant Viruses

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

    Moody, M.  Anthony; Gao, Feng; Gurley, Thaddeus  C.

    The third variable (V3) loop and the CD4 binding site (CD4bs) of the viral envelope are frequently targeted by neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) in HIV-1-infected individuals. In chronic infection, virus escape mutants repopulate the plasma and V3 and CD4bs nAbs emerge that can neutralize heterologous tier 1 easy-to-neutralize, but not tier 2 difficult-to-neutralize HIV-1 isolates. However, neutralization sensitivity of autologous plasma viruses to this type of nAb response has not been studied. We describe the development and evolution in vivo of antibodies distinguished by their target specificity for V3and CD4bs epitopes on autologous tier 2 viruses but not on heterologous tiermore » 2 viruses. A surprisingly high fraction of autologous circulating viruses was sensitive to these antibodies. These findings demonstrate a role for V3 and CD4bs antibodies in constraining the native envelope trimer in vivo to a neutralization-resistant phenotype, explaining why HIV-1 transmission generally occurs by tier 2 neutralization-resistant viruses.« less

  18. A tiered approach for the human health risk assessment for consumption of vegetables from with cadmium-contaminated land in urban areas.

    PubMed

    Swartjes, Frank A; Versluijs, Kees W; Otte, Piet F

    2013-10-01

    Consumption of vegetables that are grown in urban areas takes place worldwide. In developing countries, vegetables are traditionally grown in urban areas for cheap food supply. In developing and developed countries, urban gardening is gaining momentum. A problem that arises with urban gardening is the presence of contaminants in soil, which can be taken up by vegetables. In this study, a scientifically-based and practical procedure has been developed for assessing the human health risks from the consumption of vegetables from cadmium-contaminated land. Starting from a contaminated site, the procedure follows a tiered approach which is laid out as follows. In Tier 0, the plausibility of growing vegetables is investigated. In Tier 1 soil concentrations are compared with the human health-based Critical soil concentration. Tier 2 offers the possibility for a detailed site-specific human health risk assessment in which calculated exposure is compared to the toxicological reference dose. In Tier 3, vegetable concentrations are measured and tested following a standardized measurement protocol. To underpin the derivation of the Critical soil concentrations and to develop a tool for site-specific assessment the determination of the representative concentration in vegetables has been evaluated for a range of vegetables. The core of the procedure is based on Freundlich-type plant-soil relations, with the total soil concentration and the soil properties as variables. When a significant plant-soil relation is lacking for a specific vegetable a geometric mean of BioConcentrationFactors (BCF) is used, which is normalized according to soil properties. Subsequently, a 'conservative' vegetable-group-consumption-rate-weighted BioConcentrationFactor is calculated as basis for the Critical soil concentration (Tier 1). The tool to perform site-specific human health risk assessment (Tier 2) includes the calculation of a 'realistic worst case' site-specific vegetable-group-consumption-rate-weighted BioConcentrationFactor. © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  19. 47 CFR 76.921 - Buy-through of other tiers prohibited.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... MULTICHANNEL VIDEO AND CABLE TELEVISION SERVICE Cable Rate Regulation § 76.921 Buy-through of other tiers prohibited. (a) No cable system operator, other than an operator subject to effective competition, may... video programming offered on a per channel or per program charge basis. A cable operator may, however...

  20. 47 CFR 76.921 - Buy-through of other tiers prohibited.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... MULTICHANNEL VIDEO AND CABLE TELEVISION SERVICE Cable Rate Regulation § 76.921 Buy-through of other tiers prohibited. (a) No cable system operator, other than an operator subject to effective competition, may... video programming offered on a per channel or per program charge basis. A cable operator may, however...

  1. 47 CFR 76.921 - Buy-through of other tiers prohibited.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... MULTICHANNEL VIDEO AND CABLE TELEVISION SERVICE Cable Rate Regulation § 76.921 Buy-through of other tiers prohibited. (a) No cable system operator, other than an operator subject to effective competition, may... video programming offered on a per channel or per program charge basis. A cable operator may, however...

  2. 77 FR 65682 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Submission to OMB for Review and Approval; Comment...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-10-30

    ... Under the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP) (Renewal) AGENCY: Environmental Protection Agency....regulations.gov . Title: Tier 1 Screening of Certain Chemicals Under the Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program... of a two-tiered approach to screen chemicals for potential endocrine disrupting effects. The purpose...

  3. 43 CFR 46.140 - Using tiered documents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... documents. A NEPA document that tiers to another broader NEPA document in accordance with 40 CFR 1508.28 must include a finding that the conditions and environmental effects described in the broader NEPA... identified and analyzed in the broader NEPA document, no further analysis is necessary, and the previously...

  4. 43 CFR 46.140 - Using tiered documents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... documents. A NEPA document that tiers to another broader NEPA document in accordance with 40 CFR 1508.28 must include a finding that the conditions and environmental effects described in the broader NEPA... identified and analyzed in the broader NEPA document, no further analysis is necessary, and the previously...

  5. 43 CFR 46.140 - Using tiered documents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... documents. A NEPA document that tiers to another broader NEPA document in accordance with 40 CFR 1508.28 must include a finding that the conditions and environmental effects described in the broader NEPA... identified and analyzed in the broader NEPA document, no further analysis is necessary, and the previously...

  6. 43 CFR 46.140 - Using tiered documents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... documents. A NEPA document that tiers to another broader NEPA document in accordance with 40 CFR 1508.28 must include a finding that the conditions and environmental effects described in the broader NEPA... identified and analyzed in the broader NEPA document, no further analysis is necessary, and the previously...

  7. 43 CFR 46.140 - Using tiered documents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... documents. A NEPA document that tiers to another broader NEPA document in accordance with 40 CFR 1508.28 must include a finding that the conditions and environmental effects described in the broader NEPA... identified and analyzed in the broader NEPA document, no further analysis is necessary, and the previously...

  8. 40 CFR 141.209 - Special notice for nitrate exceedances above MCL by non-community water systems (NCWS), where...

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... to the requirements for a Tier 1 notice under § 141.202(a) and (b). (b) What is the form and manner... exceed 10 mg/l and the potential health effects of exposure, according to the requirements for Tier 1...

  9. Data Driven Professional Development Design for Out-of-School Time Educators Using Planetary Science and Engineering Educational Materials

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Clark, J.; Bloom, N.

    2017-12-01

    Data driven design practices should be the basis for any effective educational product, particularly those used to support STEM learning and literacy. Planetary Learning that Advances the Nexus of Engineering, Technology, and Science (PLANETS) is a five-year NASA-funded (NNX16AC53A) interdisciplinary and cross-institutional partnership to develop and disseminate STEM out-of-school time (OST) curricular and professional development units that integrate planetary science, technology, and engineering. The Center for Science Teaching and Learning at Northern Arizona University, the U.S. Geological Survey Astrogeology Science Center, and the Museum of Science Boston are partners in developing, piloting, and researching the impact of three out of school time units. Two units are for middle grades youth and one is for upper elementary aged youth. The presentation will highlight the data driven development process of the educational products used to provide support for educators teaching these curriculum units. This includes how data from the project needs assessment, curriculum pilot testing, and professional support product field tests are used in the design of products for out of school time educators. Based on data analysis, the project is developing and testing four tiers of professional support for OST educators. Tier 1 meets the immediate needs of OST educators to teach curriculum and include how-to videos and other direct support materials. Tier 2 provides additional content and pedagogical knowledge and includes short content videos designed to specifically address the content of the curriculum. Tier 3 elaborates on best practices in education and gives guidance on methods, for example, to develop cultural relevancy for underrepresented students. Tier 4 helps make connections to other NASA or educational products that support STEM learning in out of school settings. Examples of the tiers of support will be provided.

  10. Impact of a Value-based Formulary on Medication Utilization, Health Services Utilization, and Expenditures.

    PubMed

    Yeung, Kai; Basu, Anirban; Hansen, Ryan N; Watkins, John B; Sullivan, Sean D

    2017-02-01

    Value-based benefit design has been suggested as an effective approach to managing the high cost of pharmaceuticals in health insurance markets. Premera Blue Cross, a large regional health plan, implemented a value-based formulary (VBF) for pharmaceuticals in 2010 that explicitly used cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) to inform medication copayments. The objective of the study was to determine the impact of the VBF. Interrupted time series of employer-sponsored plans from 2006 to 2013. Intervention group: 5235 beneficiaries exposed to the VBF. 11,171 beneficiaries in plans without any changes in pharmacy benefits. The VBF-assigned medications with lower value (estimated by CEA) to higher copayment tiers and assigned medications with higher value to lower copayment tiers. Primary outcome was medication expenditures from member, health plan, and member plus health plan perspectives. Secondary outcomes were medication utilization, emergency department visits, hospitalizations, office visits, and nonmedication expenditures. In the intervention group after VBF implementation, member medication expenditures increased by $2 per member per month (PMPM) [95% confidence interval (CI), $1-$3] or 9%, whereas health plan medication expenditures decreased by $10 PMPM (CI, $18-$2) or 16%, resulting in a net decrease of $8 PMPM (CI, $15-$2) or 10%, which translates to a net savings of $1.1 million. Utilization of medications moved into lower copayment tiers increased by 1.95 days' supply (CI, 1.29-2.62) or 17%. Total medication utilization, health services utilization, and nonmedication expenditures did not change. Cost-sharing informed by CEA reduced overall medication expenditures without negatively impacting medication utilization, health services utilization, or nonmedication expenditures.

  11. ATLAS WORLD-cloud and networking in PanDA

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Barreiro Megino, F.; De, K.; Di Girolamo, A.; Maeno, T.; Walker, R.; ATLAS Collaboration

    2017-10-01

    The ATLAS computing model was originally designed as static clouds (usually national or geographical groupings of sites) around the Tier 1 centres, which confined tasks and most of the data traffic. Since those early days, the sites’ network bandwidth has increased at 0(1000) and the difference in functionalities between Tier 1s and Tier 2s has reduced. After years of manual, intermediate solutions, we have now ramped up to full usage of World-cloud, the latest step in the PanDA Workload Management System to increase resource utilization on the ATLAS Grid, for all workflows (MC production, data (re)processing, etc.). We have based the development on two new site concepts. Nuclei sites are the Tier 1s and large Tier 2s, where tasks will be assigned and the output aggregated, and satellites are the sites that will execute the jobs and send the output to their nucleus. PanDA dynamically pairs nuclei and satellite sites for each task based on the input data availability, capability matching, site load and network connectivity. This contribution will introduce the conceptual changes for World-cloud, the development necessary in PanDA, an insight into the network model and the first half-year of operational experience.

  12. Retrospective economic analysis of the transfer of services from hospitals to the community: an application to an enhanced eye care service.

    PubMed

    Mason, Thomas; Jones, Cheryl; Sutton, Matt; Konstantakopoulou, Evgenia; Edgar, David F; Harper, Robert A; Birch, Stephen; Lawrenson, John G

    2017-07-10

    This research aims to evaluate the wider health system effects of the introduction of an intermediate-tier service for eye care. This research employs the Minor Eye Conditions Scheme (MECS), an intermediate-tier eye care service introduced in two London boroughs, Lewisham and Lambeth, in April 2013. Retrospective difference-in-differences analysis comparing changes over time in service use and costs between April 2011 and October 2014 in two commissioning areas that introduced an intermediate-tier service programme with changes in a neighbouring area that did not introduce the programme. MECS audit data; unit costs for MECS visits; volumes of first and follow-up outpatient attendances to hospital ophthalmology; the national schedule of reference costs. Volumes and costs of patients treated. In one intervention area (Lewisham), general practitioner (GP) referrals to hospital ophthalmology decreased differentially by 75.2% (95% CI -0.918% to -0.587%) for first attendances, and by 40.3% for follow-ups (95% CI -0.489% to -0.316%). GP referrals to hospital ophthalmology decreased differentially by 30.2% (95% CI -0.468% to -0.137%) for first attendances in the other intervention area (Lambeth). Costs increased by 3.1% in the comparison area between 2011/2012 and 2013/2014. Over the same period, costs increased by less (2.5%) in one intervention area and fell by 13.8% in the other intervention area. Intermediate-tier services based in the community could potentially reduce volumes of patients referred to hospitals by GPs and provide replacement services at lower unit costs. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

  13. Demonstration of Energy Savings in Commercial Buildings for Tiered Trim and Respond Method in Resetting Static Pressure for VAV Systems

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2017-03-01

    Systems March 2017 This document has been cleared for public release; Distribution Statement A REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE Form Approved OMB No. 0704... FORM TO THE ABOVE ADDRESS. 1. REPORT DATE (DD-MM-YYYY) 28-02-2017 2. REPORT TYPE Cost and Performance Report 3. DATES COVERED (From - To) September...ABSTRACT c. THIS PAGE 71 19b. TELEPHONE NUMBER (include area code) (515)965-7342 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 8-98) Prescribed by ANSI Std. Z39.18 Page

  14. Tier 3 multidisciplinary medical weight management improves outcome of Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery.

    PubMed

    Patel, P; Hartland, A; Hollis, A; Ali, R; Elshaw, A; Jain, S; Khan, A; Mirza, S

    2015-04-01

    In 2013 the Department of Health specified eligibility for bariatric surgery funded by the National Health Service. This included a mandatory specification that patients first complete a Tier 3 medical weight management programme. The clinical effectiveness of this recommendation has not been evaluated previously. Our bariatric centre has provided a Tier 3 programme six months prior to bariatric surgery since 2009. The aim of our retrospective study was to compare weight loss in two cohorts: Roux-en-Y gastric bypass only (RYGB only cohort) versus Tier 3 weight management followed by RYGB (Tier 3 cohort). A total of 110 patients were selected for the study: 66 in the RYGB only cohort and 44 in the Tier 3 cohort. Patients in both cohorts were matched for age, sex, preoperative body mass index and pre-existing co-morbidities. The principal variable was therefore whether they undertook the weight management programme prior to RYGB. Patients from both cohorts were followed up at 6 and 12 months to assess weight loss. The mean weight loss at 6 months for the Tier 3 cohort was 31% (range: 18-69%, standard deviation [SD]: 0.10 percentage points) compared with 23% (range: 4-93%, SD: 0.12 percentage points) for the RYGB only cohort (p=0.0002). The mean weight loss at 12 months for the Tier 3 cohort was 34% (range: 17-51%, SD: 0.09 percentage points) compared with 27% (range: 14-48%, SD: 0.87 percentage points) in the RYGB only cohort (p=0.0037). Our study revealed that in our matched cohorts, patients receiving Tier 3 specialist medical weight management input prior to RYGB lost significantly more weight at 6 and 12 months than RYGB only patients. This confirms the clinical efficacy of such a weight management programme prior to gastric bypass surgery and supports its inclusion in eligibility criteria for bariatric surgery.

  15. Recalibration of the earthworm tier 1 risk assessment of plant protection products.

    PubMed

    Christl, Heino; Bendall, Julie; Bergtold, Matthias; Coulson, Mike; Dinter, Axel; Garlej, Barbara; Hammel, Klaus; Kabouw, Patrick; Sharples, Amanda; von Mérey, Georg; Vrbka, Silvie; Ernst, Gregor

    2016-10-01

    In the first step of earthworm risk assessment for plant protection products (PPPs), the risk is assessed by comparing the no-observed effect levels (NOELs) from laboratory reproduction tests with the predicted exposure of the PPP in soil, while applying a trigger value (assessment factor [AF]) to cover uncertainties. If this step indicates a potential risk, field studies are conducted. However, the predicted environmental concentration in soil, which can be calculated, for example, for different soil layers (ranging from 0-1 cm to 0-20 cm), and the AF determine the conservatism that is applied in this first step. In this review paper, the tier 1 earthworm risk assessment for PPPs is calibrated by comparing the NOEL in earthworm reproduction tests with effect levels on earthworm populations under realistic field conditions. A data set of 54 pairs of studies conducted in the laboratory and in the field with the same PPP was compiled, allowing a direct comparison of relevant endpoints. The results indicate that a tier 1 AF of 5 combined with a regulatory relevant soil layer of 0 to 5 cm provides a conservative tier 1 risk assessment. A risk was identified by the tier 1 risk assessment in the majority of the cases at application rates that were of low risk for natural earthworm populations under field conditions. Increasing the conservatism in the tier 1 risk assessment by reducing the depth of the regulatory relevant soil layer or by increasing the tier 1 AF would increase the number of false positives and trigger a large number of additional field studies. This increased conservatism, however, would not increase the margin of safety for earthworm populations. The analysis revealed that the risk assessment is conservative if an AF of 5 and a regulatory relevant soil layer of 0 to 5 cm is used. Integr Environ Assess Manag 2016;12:643-650. © 2015 SETAC. © 2015 SETAC.

  16. The proposed tier 2 medaka extended one generation reproduction test (MEOGRT)

    EPA Science Inventory

    The Food Quality Protection Act of 1996 requires EPA to develop and implement a program using valid tests for determining the potential endocrine effects from pesticides. The EPA established advisory group, the Endocrine Disruptor Screening and Testing Advisory Committee (EDSTAC)...

  17. Status of forensic odontology in metro and in tier 2 city in urban India.

    PubMed

    Khare, Parul; Chandra, Shaleen; Raj, Vineet; Verma, Poonam; Subha, G; Khare, Abhishek

    2013-07-01

    Dentist can play a significant role in identifying the victims or perpetrators of crime as well as in disasters. Knowledge about the various aspects of forensic science as well as dental and related evidences can help a dental practitioner in assisting the civil agencies in such cases. To evaluate the awareness and knowledge of forensic odontology among dentists in a metropolitan and a tier 2 city. Seven hundred and seventy four dentists were included in this survey. Questionnaire was designed to assess the knowledge, aptitude, and status of practice of forensic odontology. Data was analyzed by comparing overall awareness of forensic odontology among dentists in metro and tier 2 city as well as between the different groups. Apart from the source of knowledge, no significant differences were seen in respondents of metropolitan and tier 2 city. Significantly higher proportion of subjects in metro reported journals as source of knowledge (P < 0.001), whereas it was newspaper in tier 2 city (P = 0.001). On comparing the mean scores of knowledge (k), aptitude (a), and practice (p) among different study groups, it was found that all the three scores were highest for practitioner cum academician (PA) group (k - 2.37, a - 0.69, P - 0.17). Knowledge scores were minimum for pure practitioner (PP) group (1.98), and attitude and practice scores of pure academician (A) group were minimum (a - 0.53, P - 0.06). Respondents had low knowledge about the applications of forensic odontology in routine practice; hence, steps must be taken to educate the dental practitioners about its clinical applications.

  18. 75 FR 57958 - Solicitation of Written Comments on Draft Tier 2 Strategies/Modules for Inclusion in the “HHS...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-09-23

    ... DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES Solicitation of Written Comments on Draft Tier 2...'' AGENCY: Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Assistant Secretary for Health, Office of....'' To further the HHS mission to protect the health and well-being of the nation, the HHS Steering...

  19. 77 FR 44696 - Agency Forms Submitted for OMB Review, Request for Comments

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-07-30

    ... the social security equivalent and non- social security equivalent portions of Tier I, Tier II, vested... OMB control number of the ICR. For proper consideration of your comments, it is best if the RRB and... and Compensation Reports. OMB Control Number: 3220-0014. Form(s) submitted: DC-2 and DC-2a. Type of...

  20. Comparison of one-tier and two-tier newborn screening metrics for congenital adrenal hyperplasia.

    PubMed

    Sarafoglou, Kyriakie; Banks, Kathryn; Gaviglio, Amy; Hietala, Amy; McCann, Mark; Thomas, William

    2012-11-01

    Newborn screening (NBS) for the classic forms of congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH) is mandated in all states in the United States. Compared with other NBS disorders, the false-positive rate (FPR) of CAH screening remains high and has not been significantly improved by adjusting 17α-hydroxyprogesterone cutoff values for birth weight and/or gestational age. Minnesota was the first state to initiate, and only 1 of 4 states currently performing, second-tier steroid profiling for CAH. False-negative rates (FNRs) for CAH are not well known. This is a population-based study of all Minnesota infants (769,834) born 1999-2009, grouped by screening protocol (one-tier with repeat screen, January 1999 to May 2004; two-tier with second-tier steroid profiling, June 2004 to December 2009). FPR, FNR, and positive predictive value (PPV) were calculated per infant, rather than per sample, and compared between protocols. Overall, 15 false-negatives (4 salt-wasting, 11 simple-virilizing) and 45 true-positives were identified from 1999 to 2009. With two-tier screening, FNR was 32%, FPR increased to 0.065%, and PPV decreased to 8%, but these changes were not statistically significant. Second-tier steroid profiling obviated repeat screens of borderline results (355 per year average). In comparing the 2 screening protocols, the FPR of CAH NBS remains high, the PPV remains low, and false-negatives occur more frequently than has been reported. Physicians should be cautioned that a negative NBS does not necessarily rule out classic CAH; therefore, any patient for whom there is clinical concern for CAH should receive immediate diagnostic testing.

  1. A Forecast Skill Comparison between CliPAS One-Tier and Two-Tier Hindcast Experiments

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lee, J.; Wang, B.; Kang, I.

    2006-05-01

    A 24-year (1981-2004) MME hindcast experimental dataset is produced under the "Climate Prediction and Its Application to Society" (CliPAS) project sponsored by Korean Meteorological Administration (KMA). This dataset consists of 5 one-tier model systems from National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP), Frontier Research Center for Global Change (FRCGC), Seoul National University (SNU), and University of Hawaii (UH) and 5 two-tier model systems from Florida State University (FSU), Geophysical Fluid Dynamic Lab (GFDL), SNU, and UH. Multi-model Ensemble (MME) Forecast skills of seasonal precipitation and atmospheric circulation are compared between CliPAS one-tier and two-tier hindcast experiments for seasonal mean precipitation and atmospheric circulation. For winter prediction, two-tier MME has a comparable skill to one-tier MME. However, it is demonstrated that in the Asian-Australian monsoon (A-AM) heavy precipitation regions, one-tier systems are superior to two-tier systems in summer season. The reason is that inclusion of the local warm pool- monsoon interaction in the one-tier system improves the ENSO teleconnection with monsoon regions. Both one-tier and two-tier MME fail to predict Indian monsoon circulation, while they have a significantly good skill for the broad scale monsoon circulation defined by Webster and Yang index. One-tier system has a much better skill to predict the monsoon circulation over the western North pacific where air-sea interaction plays an important role than two-tier system.

  2. 26 CFR 1.1446-0 - Table of contents.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-04-01

    .... (iv) Interest deductions. (v) Limitation on capital losses. (vi) Other deductions. (vii) Limitations... distributions. (4) Coordination with section 1445(e)(1). § 1.1446-5Tiered partnership structures. (a) In general... use of deductions and losses certified to a partnership. (ii) De minimis certificate for nonresident...

  3. "Tactic": Traffic Aware Cloud for Tiered Infrastructure Consolidation

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sangpetch, Akkarit

    2013-01-01

    Large-scale enterprise applications are deployed as distributed applications. These applications consist of many inter-connected components with heterogeneous roles and complex dependencies. Each component typically consumes 5-15% of the server capacity. Deploying each component as a separate virtual machine (VM) allows us to consolidate the…

  4. 7 CFR 1710.114 - TIER, DSC, OTIER and ODSC requirements.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-01-01

    ...) General. Requirements for coverage ratios are set forth in the borrower's mortgage, loan contract, or..., shall reduce the coverage ratio requirements of a borrower that has contractually agreed with RUS to a higher requirement. (b) Coverage ratios. (1) Distribution borrowers. The minimum coverage ratios required...

  5. The Core Components of Reading Instruction in Chinese

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Ho, Connie Suk-Han; Wong, Yau-Kai; Yeung, Pui-Sze; Chan, David Wai-ock; Chung, Kevin Kien-Hoa; Lo, Sau-Ching; Luan, Hui

    2012-01-01

    The present study aimed at identifying core components of reading instruction in Chinese within the framework of the tiered intervention model. A curriculum with four teaching components of cognitive-linguistic skills was implemented in a Program school for 3 years since Grade 1. The findings showed that the Tier 1 intervention was effective in…

  6. 78 FR 17946 - Consolidated Tape Association; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of the Sixteenth...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-03-25

    ... Network A and Network B data feeds. Consistent with current practice, within each of a firm's billable... fee schedules by compressing the current 14-tier Network A device rate schedule into four tiers, by... products, unprecedented levels of trading, internationalization and developments in portfolio analysis and...

  7. The Best Mental Health Programs Start with All Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Desrochers, John E.

    2015-01-01

    The most efficient and effective framework for organizing mental health services in schools is through a multitiered system of support. This framework typically features three increasingly intense tiers intervention providing a continuum of care for all students in the school, not simply those identified as having a disability. Tier 1 universal…

  8. Active Ingredients for an Embedded Intervention within the Early Childhood Classroom

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blackwell, Angela Labrie; Dunn, Winnie

    2016-01-01

    As public education moves toward a tiered model of intervention (Response to Intervention), occupational therapists need to understand how to effectively implement interventions at each tier. The purpose of this article is to report about a process of examining teacher-therapist meeting transcripts from a feasibility study to find the active…

  9. The Effectiveness of a Supplemental Pre-Kindergarten Vocabulary Intervention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kong, Na Young

    2013-01-01

    Oral vocabulary is a strong predictor of young children's later reading development. Many children enter kindergarten with weak vocabulary knowledge and could benefit from an extra level or higher tier of intentional instruction in vocabulary that supplements the Tier 1 core curriculum in language. Recent findings from research developing a…

  10. The Effects of Check-In/Check-Out on Problem Behavior and Academic Engagement in Elementary School Students

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Miller, Leila M.; Dufrene, Brad A.; Sterling, Heather E.; Olmi, D. Joe; Bachmayer, Erica

    2015-01-01

    This study evaluated the effectiveness of Check-in/Check-out (CICO) for improving behavioral performance for three students referred for Tier 2 behavioral supports. An ABAB withdrawal design was used to evaluate CICO and results indicate that intervention was effective for reducing problem behavior as well as increasing academic engagement for all…

  11. Promoting the hydrostatic conceptual change test (HCCT) with four-tier diagnostic test item

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Purwanto, M. G.; Nurliani, R.; Kaniawati, I.; Samsudin, A.

    2018-05-01

    Hydrostatic Conceptual Change Test (HCCT) is a diagnostic test instrument to identify students’ conception on Hydrostatic field. It is very important to support the learning process in the classroom. Based on that point of view, the researcher decided to develop HCCT instrument test into four-tier test diagnostic items. The resolve of this research is planned as the first step of four-tier test-formatted HCCT development as one of investigative test instrument on Hydrostatic. The research method used the 4D model which has four comprehensive steps: 1) defining, 2) designing, 3) developing and 4) disseminating. The instrument developed has been tried to 30 students in one of senior high schools. The data showed that four-tier- test-formatted HCCT is able to identify student’s conception level of Hydrostatic. In conclusion, the development of four-tier test-formatted HCCT is one of potential diagnostic test instrument that able to classify the category of students who misconception, no understanding, understanding, partial understanding and no codeable about concept of Hydrostatic.

  12. Sustainability assessment of electrokinetic bioremediation compared with alternative remediation options for a petroleum release site.

    PubMed

    Gill, R T; Thornton, S F; Harbottle, M J; Smith, J W N

    2016-12-15

    Sustainable management practices can be applied to the remediation of contaminated land to maximise the economic, environmental and social benefits of the process. The Sustainable Remediation Forum UK (SuRF-UK) have developed a framework to support the implementation of sustainable practices within contaminated land management and decision making. This study applies the framework, including qualitative (Tier 1) and semi-quantitative (Tier 2) sustainability assessments, to a complex site where the principal contaminant source is unleaded gasoline, giving rise to a dissolved phase BTEX and MTBE plume. The pathway is groundwater migration through a chalk aquifer and the receptor is a water supply borehole. A hydraulic containment system (HCS) has been installed to manage the MTBE plume migration. The options considered to remediate the MTBE source include monitored natural attenuation (MNA), air sparging/soil vapour extraction (AS/SVE), pump and treat (PT) and electrokinetic-enhanced bioremediation (EK-BIO). A sustainability indictor set from the SuRF-UK framework, including priority indicator categories selected during a stakeholder engagement workshop, was used to frame the assessments. At Tier 1 the options are ranked based on qualitative supporting information, whereas in Tier 2 a multi-criteria analysis is applied. Furthermore, the multi-criteria analysis was refined for scenarios where photovoltaics (PVs) are included and amendments are excluded from the EK-BIO option. Overall, the analysis identified AS/SVE and EK-BIO as more sustainable remediation options at this site than either PT or MNA. The wider implications of this study include: (1) an appraisal of the management decision from each Tier of the assessment with the aim to highlight areas for time and cost savings for similar assessments in the future; (2) the observation that EK-BIO performed well against key indicator categories compared to the other intensive treatments; and (3) introducing methods to improve the sustainability of the EK-BIO treatment design (such as PVs) did not have a significant effect in this instance. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

  13. Tier 3 Certification Fuel Impacts Test Program

    EPA Science Inventory

    The recent Tier 3 regulations for light duty vehicles introduced a new certification fuel designed to be more characteristic of current market fuels. A laboratory test program was conducted to measure differences in CO2 and fuel economy between the current and future certificatio...

  14. The Heterogeneous Effects of Cigarette Prices on Brand Choice in China: Implications for Tobacco Control Policy

    PubMed Central

    Li, Jing; White, Justin S.; Hu, Teh-wei; Fong, Geoffrey T.; Jiang, Yuan

    2015-01-01

    Background China has long kept its tobacco taxes below international standards. The Chinese government has cited as two rationales against raising tobacco tax, namely the unfair burden it places on low-income smokers and the ability of consumers to switch to cheaper brands. Objective This study examines how different socioeconomic subgroups of Chinese smokers switch brands in response to cigarette price changes. Methods We model smokers’ choice of cigarette tier as a function of tier-specific prices. We examine heterogeneous responses to prices by estimating mixed logit models for different income and education subgroups that allow for random variation in smokers’ preferences. We use data from three waves of the longitudinal ITC China Survey, collected in six large Chinese cities between 2006 and 2009. Findings Low-income and less educated smokers are considerably more likely to switch tiers (including both up-trading and down-trading) than are their high-socioeconomic status (SES) counterparts. For those in the second-to-lowest tier, a ¥1 ($0.16, or roughly 25%) rise in prices increases the likelihood of switching tiers by 5.6% points for low-income smokers and 7.2% points for less educated smokers, compared to 1.6% and 3.0% points for the corresponding high-SES groups. Low-income and less educated groups are also more likely to trade down compared to their high-SES counterparts. Conclusion Only a small percentage of low-income and less educated Chinese smokers switched to cheaper brands in response to price increases. Hence, the concern of the Chinese government that a cigarette tax increase will lead to large-scale brand switching is not supported by this study. PMID:25855642

  15. Methane emission estimation from landfills in Korea (1978-2004): quantitative assessment of a new approach.

    PubMed

    Kim, Hyun-Sun; Yi, Seung-Muk

    2009-01-01

    Quantifying methane emission from landfills is important to evaluating measures for reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. To quantify GHG emissions and identify sensitive parameters for their measurement, a new assessment approach consisting of six different scenarios was developed using Tier 1 (mass balance method) and Tier 2 (the first-order decay method) methodologies for GHG estimation from landfills, suggested by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC). Methane emissions using Tier 1 correspond to trends in disposed waste amount, whereas emissions from Tier 2 gradually increase as disposed waste decomposes over time. The results indicate that the amount of disposed waste and the decay rate for anaerobic decomposition were decisive parameters for emission estimation using Tier 1 and Tier 2. As for the different scenarios, methane emissions were highest under Scope 1 (scenarios I and II), in which all landfills in Korea were regarded as one landfill. Methane emissions under scenarios III, IV, and V, which separated the dissimilated fraction of degradable organic carbon (DOC(F)) by waste type and/or revised the methane correction factor (MCF) by waste layer, were underestimated compared with scenarios II and III. This indicates that the methodology of scenario I, which has been used in most previous studies, may lead to an overestimation of methane emissions. Additionally, separate DOC(F) and revised MCF were shown to be important parameters for methane emission estimation from landfills, and revised MCF by waste layer played an important role in emission variations. Therefore, more precise information on each landfill and careful determination of parameter values and characteristics of disposed waste in Korea should be used to accurately estimate methane emissions from landfills.

  16. Comparison of emission estimates for non-CO2 greenhouse gases from livestock and poultry in Korea from 1990 to 2010.

    PubMed

    Paik, Chunhyun; Chung, Yongjoo; Kim, Hugon; Kim, Young Jin

    2016-04-01

    It has often been claimed that non-carbon dioxide greenhouse gases (NCGGs), such as methane, nitrous oxide and fluorinated greenhouse gases, are significant contributors to climate change. Here we nvestigate emission estimates of methane and nitrous oxide from livestock and poultry production, which is recognized as a major source of those NCGGs, in Korea over the period of 1990 through 2010. Based on the data on livestock and poultry populations, emission estimates of methane and nitrous oxide are first derived based on the Tier 1 approach. Then, the Tier 2 approach is adopted to obtain emission estimates of methane and nitrous oxide from cattle, which are known to be the largest sources of these NCGGs and account for about 70% of emissions from livestock and poultry in Korea. The result indicates that the Tier 2 estimates of methane and nitrous oxide emissions from enteric fermentation and manure management are significantly different from the Tier 1 estimates over the analysis period. © 2015 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

  17. 50 CFR 86.53 - What are funding tiers?

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... 50 Wildlife and Fisheries 9 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false What are funding tiers? 86.53 Section 86... (BIG) PROGRAM How States Apply for Grants § 86.53 What are funding tiers? (a) This grant program will consist of two tiers of funding. (i) You may apply for one or both tiers. (ii) The two tiers will allow...

  18. Effects of a Supplemental Intervention Focused in Equivalency Concepts for Students with Varying Abilities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hunt, Jessica H.

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of this study was to examine the effects of a Tier 2 supplemental intervention focused on rational number equivalency concepts and applications on the mathematics performance of third-grade students with and without mathematics difficulties. The researcher used a pretest-posttest control group design and random assignment of 19…

  19. Response to Intervention for Middle School Students with Reading Difficulties: Effects of a Primary and Secondary Intervention

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vaughn, Sharon; Cirino, Paul T.; Wanzek, Jeanne; Wexler, Jade; Fletcher, Jack M.; Denton, Carolyn D.; Barth, Amy; Romain, Melissa; Francis, David J.

    2010-01-01

    This study examined the effectiveness of a yearlong, researcher-provided, Tier 2 (secondary) intervention with a group of sixth-graders. The intervention emphasized word recognition, vocabulary, fluency, and comprehension. Participants scored below a proficiency level on their state accountability test and were compared to a similar group of…

  20. The Use and Effectiveness of a Targeted Math Intervention for Third Graders

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pool, Juli L.; Carter, Gabriel M.; Johnson, Evelyn S.; Carter, Deborah R.

    2013-01-01

    Students who fail to develop proficiency in math skills in the primary grades are more likely to experience difficulties in the math curriculum later on. These students may be in need of a more targeted intervention, or Tier 2 supports, in mathematic instruction. Although the instructional principles of an effective math intervention are becoming…

  1. A Network Design Architecture for Distribution of Generic Scene Graphs

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1999-09-01

    with UML. Addison Wesley. Deitel, H. and Deitel, P. 1994. C++ How to Program . Prentice Hall. Deitel, H. and Deitel, P. 1998. JAVA How ... to . Program . Prentice.Hall. Eckel, B. 1998. Thinking in JAVA. Prentice Hall. 141 Edwards, J. 1997. 3-Tier Client/Server At Work. John

  2. Stuttering, induced fluency, and natural fluency: a hierarchical series of activation likelihood estimation meta-analyses.

    PubMed

    Budde, Kristin S; Barron, Daniel S; Fox, Peter T

    2014-12-01

    Developmental stuttering is a speech disorder most likely due to a heritable form of developmental dysmyelination impairing the function of the speech-motor system. Speech-induced brain-activation patterns in persons who stutter (PWS) are anomalous in various ways; the consistency of these aberrant patterns is a matter of ongoing debate. Here, we present a hierarchical series of coordinate-based meta-analyses addressing this issue. Two tiers of meta-analyses were performed on a 17-paper dataset (202 PWS; 167 fluent controls). Four large-scale (top-tier) meta-analyses were performed, two for each subject group (PWS and controls). These analyses robustly confirmed the regional effects previously postulated as "neural signatures of stuttering" (Brown, Ingham, Ingham, Laird, & Fox, 2005) and extended this designation to additional regions. Two smaller-scale (lower-tier) meta-analyses refined the interpretation of the large-scale analyses: (1) a between-group contrast targeting differences between PWS and controls (stuttering trait); and (2) a within-group contrast (PWS only) of stuttering with induced fluency (stuttering state). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  3. 75 FR 7426 - Tier 2 Light-Duty Vehicle and Light-Duty Truck Emission Standards and Gasoline Sulfur Control...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-02-19

    ... 2060-AI23; 2060-AQ12 Tier 2 Light-Duty Vehicle and Light-Duty Truck Emission Standards and Gasoline... February 10, 2000 (65 FR 6698), EPA published emission standards for light-duty vehicles and light-duty... new passenger cars and light trucks, including pickup trucks, vans, minivans, and sport-utility...

  4. RTI in a Middle School: Findings and Practical Implications of a Tier 2 Reading Comprehension Study

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Faggella-Luby, Michael; Wardwell, Michelle

    2011-01-01

    Response to intervention (RTI) has received considerable attention from both researchers and practitioners as a schoolwide model for service delivery. However, research is limited on RTI applications in middle and high schools. The purpose of this article is to describe the outcomes of an experimental examination of a secondary (Tier 2) literacy…

  5. Intensity of Focus, Richness of Content: Crafting Tier 2 Response to Intervention in an Era of the Common Core

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jaeger, Elizabeth L.

    2016-01-01

    This article describes a Tier 2 intervention program for fourth graders that is well suited to supporting implementation of the Common Core State Standards. Screening assessments and miscue analyses were used to clarify students' strengths and challenges. Students then attended only classes that were suited to their particular literacy needs,…

  6. Understanding Unresponsiveness to Tier 2 Reading Intervention: Exploring the Classification and Profiles of Adequate and Inadequate Responders in First Grade

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Toste, Jessica R.; Compton, Donald L.; Fuchs, Douglas; Fuchs, Lynn S.; Gilbert, Jennifer K.; Cho, Eunsoo; Barquero, Laura A.; Bouton, Bobette D.

    2014-01-01

    The purpose of the current study was to examine academic and cognitive profiles of first graders who responded adequately and inadequately to intensive small-group reading intervention (Tier 2), as well as assess how these profiles differ based on the criteria used for classification of unresponsiveness. Nonresponders were identified using two…

  7. Preliminary Evaluation of a Tier 2 Mathematics Intervention for First-Grade Students: Using a Theory of Change to Guide Formative Evaluation Activities

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clarke, Ben; Doabler, Christian T.; Strand Cary, Mari; Kosty, Derek; Baker, Scott; Fien, Hank; Smolkowski, Keith

    2014-01-01

    This pilot study examined the efficacy of a Tier 2 first-grade mathematics intervention program targeting whole-number understanding for students at risk in mathematics. The study used a randomized block design. Students (N = 89) were randomly assigned to treatment (Fusion) or control (standard district practice) conditions. Measures of…

  8. Small Groups, Big Gains: Efficacy of a Tier 2 Phonological Awareness Intervention with Preschoolers with Early Literacy Deficits

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kruse, Lydia G.; Spencer, Trina D.; Olszewski, Arnold; Goldstein, Howard

    2015-01-01

    Purpose: The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of a phonological awareness (PA) intervention, designed for Tier 2 instruction in a Response to Intervention (RTI) model, delivered to small groups of preschoolers. Method: A multiple-baseline design across participants was used to evaluate the efficacy of the intervention on…

  9. Tier One: Draft Environmental Impact Statement. Volume 1. Realignment of Mountain Home Air Force Base and Proposed Expanded Range Capability

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1990-02-01

    one of the most valuable assets in the Air Force inventory . This Tier 1 EIS is one tool designed to contribute to the decisionmaking process. The...M3.2-7 M3.2.5 Emission Inventories ...M3.5.3.2 Prehistoric Archaeological Resource Inventory ........................................................... M3.5-4 M3.5.4 Historic and Architectural

  10. The combined approach to lysis utilizing eptifibatide and rt-PA in acute ischemic stroke: the CLEAR stroke trial.

    PubMed

    Pancioli, Arthur M; Broderick, Joseph; Brott, Thomas; Tomsick, Thomas; Khoury, Jane; Bean, Judy; del Zoppo, Gregory; Kleindorfer, Dawn; Woo, Daniel; Khatri, Pooja; Castaldo, John; Frey, James; Gebel, James; Kasner, Scott; Kidwell, Chelsea; Kwiatkowski, Thomas; Libman, Richard; Mackenzie, Richard; Scott, Phillip; Starkman, Sidney; Thurman, R Jason

    2008-12-01

    Multiple approaches are being studied to enhance the rate of thrombolysis for acute ischemic stroke. Treatment of myocardial infarction with a combination of a reduced-dose fibrinolytic agent and a glycoprotein (GP) IIb/IIIa receptor antagonist has been shown to improve the rate of recanalization versus fibrinolysis alone. The combined approach to lysis utilizing eptifibatide and recombinant tissue-type plasminogen activator (rt-PA) (CLEAR) stroke trial assessed the safety of treating acute ischemic stroke patients within 3 hours of symptom onset with this combination. The CLEAR trial was a National Institutes of Health/National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke-funded multicenter, double-blind, randomized, dose-escalation and safety study. Patients were randomized 3:1 to either low-dose rt-PA (tier 1=0.3 mg/kg, tier 2=0.45 mg/kg) plus eptifibatide (75 microg/kg bolus followed by 0.75 microg/kg per min infusion for 2 hours) or standard-dose rt-PA (0.9 mg/kg). The primary safety end point was the incidence of symptomatic intracerebral hemorrhage within 36 hours. Secondary analyses were performed regarding clinical efficacy. Ninety-four patients (40 in tier 1 and 54 in tier 2) were enrolled. The combination group of the 2 dose tiers (n=69) had a median age of 71 years and a median baseline National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS) score of 14, and the standard-dose rt-PA group (n=25) had a median age of 61 years and a median baseline NIHSS score of 10 (P=0.01 for NIHSS score). Fifty-two (75%) of the combination treatment group and 24 (96%) of the standard treatment group had a baseline modified Rankin scale score of 0 (P=0.04). There was 1 (1.4%; 95% CI, 0% to 4.3%) symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage in the combination group and 2 (8.0%; 95% CI, 0% to 19.2%) in the rt-PA-only arm (P=0.17). During randomization in tier 2, a review by the independent data safety monitoring board demonstrated that the safety profile of combination therapy at the tier 2 doses was such that further enrollment was statistically unlikely to indicate inadequate safety for the combination treatment group, the ultimate outcome of the study. Thus, the study was halted. There was a trend toward increased clinical efficacy of standard-dose rt-PA compared with the combination treatment group. The safety of the combination of reduced-dose rt-PA plus eptifibatide justifies further dose-ranging trials in acute ischemic stroke.

  11. Aftertreatment Technologies for Off-Highway Heavy-Duty Diesel Engines

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

    Kass, M.D.

    2008-07-15

    The objective of this program was to explore a combination of advanced injection control and urea-selective catalytic reduction (SCR) to reduce the emissions of oxides of nitrogen (NOx) and particulate matter (PM) from a Tier 2 off-highway diesel engine to Tier 3 emission targets while maintaining fuel efficiency. The engine used in this investigation was a 2004 4.5L John Deere PowerTechTM; this engine was not equipped with exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). Under the original CRADA, the principal objective was to assess whether Tier 3 PM emission targets could be met solely by increasing the rail pressure. Although high rail pressuremore » will lower the total PM emissions, it has a contrary effect to raise NOx emissions. To address this effect, a urea-SCR system was used to determine whether the enhanced NOx levels, associated with high rail pressure, could be reduced to Tier 3 levels. A key attraction for this approach is that it eliminates the need for a Diesel particulate filter (DPF) to remove PM emissions. The original CRADA effort was also performed using No.2 Diesel fuel having a maximum sulfur level of 500 ppm. After a few years, the CRADA scope was expanded to include exploration of advanced injection strategies to improve catalyst regeneration and to explore the influence of urea-SCR on PM formation. During this period the emission targets also shifted to meeting more stringent Tier 4 emissions for NOx and PM, and the fuel type was changed to ultra-low sulfur Diesel (ULSD) having a maximum sulfur concentration of 15 ppm. New discoveries were made regarding PM formation at high rail pressures and the influences of oxidation catalysts and urea-SCR catalysts. These results are expected to provide a pathway for lower PM and NOx emissions for both off- and on-highway applications. Industrial in-kind support was available throughout the project period. Review of the research results were carried out on a regular basis (annual reports and meetings) followed by suggestions for improvement in ongoing work and direction for future work. A significant portion of the industrial support was in the form of experimentation, data analysis, data exchange, and technical consultation.« less

  12. SLA-based optimisation of virtualised resource for multi-tier web applications in cloud data centres

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bi, Jing; Yuan, Haitao; Tie, Ming; Tan, Wei

    2015-10-01

    Dynamic virtualised resource allocation is the key to quality of service assurance for multi-tier web application services in cloud data centre. In this paper, we develop a self-management architecture of cloud data centres with virtualisation mechanism for multi-tier web application services. Based on this architecture, we establish a flexible hybrid queueing model to determine the amount of virtual machines for each tier of virtualised application service environments. Besides, we propose a non-linear constrained optimisation problem with restrictions defined in service level agreement. Furthermore, we develop a heuristic mixed optimisation algorithm to maximise the profit of cloud infrastructure providers, and to meet performance requirements from different clients as well. Finally, we compare the effectiveness of our dynamic allocation strategy with two other allocation strategies. The simulation results show that the proposed resource allocation method is efficient in improving the overall performance and reducing the resource energy cost.

  13. Incentive formularies and changes in prescription drug spending.

    PubMed

    Landon, Bruce E; Rosenthal, Meredith B; Normand, Sharon-Lise T; Spettell, Claire; Lessler, Adam; Underwood, Howard R; Newhouse, Joseph P

    2007-06-01

    To examine the impact of incentive formularies on prescription drug spending shifts in formulary compliance, use of generic medications, and mail-order fulfillment in the year after introduction of a new pharmacy benefit strategy. Pre-post comparison study with matched concurrent control group (difference-indifferences analysis). Study subjects were continuously enrolled patients from a single large health plan in the northeastern United States. Health plan administrative data were used to determine the total, health plan, and out-of-pocket spending in the year before and the year after the introduction of 12 different benefit changes, including 1 in which copayments decreased. Overall, changing from a single-tier or 2-tier formulary to a 3-tier formulary was associated with a decrease in total drug spending of about 5% to 15%. Plan spending decreased more dramatically, about 20%, whereas out-of-pocket spending that resulted from higher copayments increased between 20% and >100%. Changing to an incentive formulary with higher copayments was accompanied by a small but inconsistent decrease in use of nonformulary selections and a concomitant increase in both generic and formulary preferred utilization. Mail-order fulfillment doubled, albeit from a low baseline level. Switching to incentive formulary arrangements with higher levels of copayments generally led to overall lower drug costs and vice versa. These effects varied with the degree of change, level of baseline spending, and magnitude of the copayments. Whether these effects are beneficial overall depends on potential health effects and spillover effects on medical spending.

  14. Web mapping system for complex processing and visualization of environmental geospatial datasets

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Titov, Alexander; Gordov, Evgeny; Okladnikov, Igor

    2016-04-01

    Environmental geospatial datasets (meteorological observations, modeling and reanalysis results, etc.) are used in numerous research applications. Due to a number of objective reasons such as inherent heterogeneity of environmental datasets, big dataset volume, complexity of data models used, syntactic and semantic differences that complicate creation and use of unified terminology, the development of environmental geodata access, processing and visualization services as well as client applications turns out to be quite a sophisticated task. According to general INSPIRE requirements to data visualization geoportal web applications have to provide such standard functionality as data overview, image navigation, scrolling, scaling and graphical overlay, displaying map legends and corresponding metadata information. It should be noted that modern web mapping systems as integrated geoportal applications are developed based on the SOA and might be considered as complexes of interconnected software tools for working with geospatial data. In the report a complex web mapping system including GIS web client and corresponding OGC services for working with geospatial (NetCDF, PostGIS) dataset archive is presented. There are three basic tiers of the GIS web client in it: 1. Tier of geospatial metadata retrieved from central MySQL repository and represented in JSON format 2. Tier of JavaScript objects implementing methods handling: --- NetCDF metadata --- Task XML object for configuring user calculations, input and output formats --- OGC WMS/WFS cartographical services 3. Graphical user interface (GUI) tier representing JavaScript objects realizing web application business logic Metadata tier consists of a number of JSON objects containing technical information describing geospatial datasets (such as spatio-temporal resolution, meteorological parameters, valid processing methods, etc). The middleware tier of JavaScript objects implementing methods for handling geospatial metadata, task XML object, and WMS/WFS cartographical services interconnects metadata and GUI tiers. The methods include such procedures as JSON metadata downloading and update, launching and tracking of the calculation task running on the remote servers as well as working with WMS/WFS cartographical services including: obtaining the list of available layers, visualizing layers on the map, exporting layers in graphical (PNG, JPG, GeoTIFF), vector (KML, GML, Shape) and digital (NetCDF) formats. Graphical user interface tier is based on the bundle of JavaScript libraries (OpenLayers, GeoExt and ExtJS) and represents a set of software components implementing web mapping application business logic (complex menus, toolbars, wizards, event handlers, etc.). GUI provides two basic capabilities for the end user: configuring the task XML object functionality and cartographical information visualizing. The web interface developed is similar to the interface of such popular desktop GIS applications, as uDIG, QuantumGIS etc. Web mapping system developed has shown its effectiveness in the process of solving real climate change research problems and disseminating investigation results in cartographical form. The work is supported by SB RAS Basic Program Projects VIII.80.2.1 and IV.38.1.7.

  15. Vaccine-Elicited Tier 2 HIV-1 Neutralizing Antibodies Bind to Quaternary Epitopes Involving Glycan-Deficient Patches Proximal to the CD4 Binding Site

    PubMed Central

    Crooks, Ema T.; Tong, Tommy; Chakrabarti, Bimal; Narayan, Kristin; Georgiev, Ivelin S.; Menis, Sergey; Huang, Xiaoxing; Kulp, Daniel; Osawa, Keiko; Muranaka, Janelle; Stewart-Jones, Guillaume; Destefano, Joanne; O’Dell, Sijy; LaBranche, Celia; Robinson, James E.; Montefiori, David C.; McKee, Krisha; Du, Sean X.; Doria-Rose, Nicole; Kwong, Peter D.; Mascola, John R.; Zhu, Ping; Schief, William R.; Wyatt, Richard T.; Whalen, Robert G.; Binley, James M.

    2015-01-01

    Eliciting broad tier 2 neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) is a major goal of HIV-1 vaccine research. Here we investigated the ability of native, membrane-expressed JR-FL Env trimers to elicit nAbs. Unusually potent nAb titers developed in 2 of 8 rabbits immunized with virus-like particles (VLPs) expressing trimers (trimer VLP sera) and in 1 of 20 rabbits immunized with DNA expressing native Env trimer, followed by a protein boost (DNA trimer sera). All 3 sera neutralized via quaternary epitopes and exploited natural gaps in the glycan defenses of the second conserved region of JR-FL gp120. Specifically, trimer VLP sera took advantage of the unusual absence of a glycan at residue 197 (present in 98.7% of Envs). Intriguingly, removing the N197 glycan (with no loss of tier 2 phenotype) rendered 50% or 16.7% (n = 18) of clade B tier 2 isolates sensitive to the two trimer VLP sera, showing broad neutralization via the surface masked by the N197 glycan. Neutralizing sera targeted epitopes that overlap with the CD4 binding site, consistent with the role of the N197 glycan in a putative “glycan fence” that limits access to this region. A bioinformatics analysis suggested shared features of one of the trimer VLP sera and monoclonal antibody PG9, consistent with its trimer-dependency. The neutralizing DNA trimer serum took advantage of the absence of a glycan at residue 230, also proximal to the CD4 binding site and suggesting an epitope similar to that of monoclonal antibody 8ANC195, albeit lacking tier 2 breadth. Taken together, our data show for the first time that strain-specific holes in the glycan fence can allow the development of tier 2 neutralizing antibodies to native spikes. Moreover, cross-neutralization can occur in the absence of protecting glycan. Overall, our observations provide new insights that may inform the future development of a neutralizing antibody vaccine. PMID:26023780

  16. Vaccine-Elicited Tier 2 HIV-1 Neutralizing Antibodies Bind to Quaternary Epitopes Involving Glycan-Deficient Patches Proximal to the CD4 Binding Site.

    PubMed

    Crooks, Ema T; Tong, Tommy; Chakrabarti, Bimal; Narayan, Kristin; Georgiev, Ivelin S; Menis, Sergey; Huang, Xiaoxing; Kulp, Daniel; Osawa, Keiko; Muranaka, Janelle; Stewart-Jones, Guillaume; Destefano, Joanne; O'Dell, Sijy; LaBranche, Celia; Robinson, James E; Montefiori, David C; McKee, Krisha; Du, Sean X; Doria-Rose, Nicole; Kwong, Peter D; Mascola, John R; Zhu, Ping; Schief, William R; Wyatt, Richard T; Whalen, Robert G; Binley, James M

    2015-05-01

    Eliciting broad tier 2 neutralizing antibodies (nAbs) is a major goal of HIV-1 vaccine research. Here we investigated the ability of native, membrane-expressed JR-FL Env trimers to elicit nAbs. Unusually potent nAb titers developed in 2 of 8 rabbits immunized with virus-like particles (VLPs) expressing trimers (trimer VLP sera) and in 1 of 20 rabbits immunized with DNA expressing native Env trimer, followed by a protein boost (DNA trimer sera). All 3 sera neutralized via quaternary epitopes and exploited natural gaps in the glycan defenses of the second conserved region of JR-FL gp120. Specifically, trimer VLP sera took advantage of the unusual absence of a glycan at residue 197 (present in 98.7% of Envs). Intriguingly, removing the N197 glycan (with no loss of tier 2 phenotype) rendered 50% or 16.7% (n = 18) of clade B tier 2 isolates sensitive to the two trimer VLP sera, showing broad neutralization via the surface masked by the N197 glycan. Neutralizing sera targeted epitopes that overlap with the CD4 binding site, consistent with the role of the N197 glycan in a putative "glycan fence" that limits access to this region. A bioinformatics analysis suggested shared features of one of the trimer VLP sera and monoclonal antibody PG9, consistent with its trimer-dependency. The neutralizing DNA trimer serum took advantage of the absence of a glycan at residue 230, also proximal to the CD4 binding site and suggesting an epitope similar to that of monoclonal antibody 8ANC195, albeit lacking tier 2 breadth. Taken together, our data show for the first time that strain-specific holes in the glycan fence can allow the development of tier 2 neutralizing antibodies to native spikes. Moreover, cross-neutralization can occur in the absence of protecting glycan. Overall, our observations provide new insights that may inform the future development of a neutralizing antibody vaccine.

  17. 78 FR 41166 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; New York Stock Exchange LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-07-09

    ... greater specificity related to (i) the applicable ``tier 3'' Supplemental Liquidity Provider (``SLP... amend its Price List to add greater specificity related to (i) the applicable ``tier 3'' SLP rate and... the fee change effective July 1, 2013. SLP Credits \\3\\ \\3\\ The SLP program provides incentives for...

  18. Shaping Strategy: An Institutional Analysis of Decision Making in the Middle Tier

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vasquez, Alejandro

    2017-01-01

    The intent of this single-case study was to explore the effects of a competitive environment on organizational decision making. The study examines the decision making processes that resulted in the adoption of an undergraduate business major at a traditional, middle-tier Liberal Arts College and offers an analysis of academic leaders' perspectives…

  19. Tiers of Intervention in Kindergarten Through Third Grade

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    O'Connor, Rollanda E.; Harty, Kristin R.; Fulmer, Deborah

    2005-01-01

    This study measured the effects of increasing levels of intervention in reading for a cohort of children in Grades K through 3 to determine whether the severity of reading disability (RD) could be significantly reduced in the catchment schools. Tier 1 consisted of professional development for teachers of reading. The focus of this study is on…

  20. Modifications to the Current EPA Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program's Tier 1 Female Pubertal Protocol: A Study on the Effects of the Chlorotriazine Simazine

    EPA Science Inventory

    Currently the US EPA is implementing a screening program for environmental endocrine disruptors. One of the in vivo assays in the Tier 1 Screen of the Endocrine Disruptors Screening Program (EDSP) is a female pubertal assay. In this study we examined the chlorotriazine simazine, ...

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