Emergency drinking water treatment during source water pollution accidents in China: origin analysis, framework and technologies.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiao-Jian; Chen, Chao; Lin, Peng-Fei; Hou, Ai-Xin; Niu, Zhang-Bin; Wang, Jun

2011-01-01

China has suffered frequent source water contamination accidents in the past decade, which has resulted in severe consequences to the water supply of millions of residents. The origins of typical cases of contamination are discussed in this paper as well as the emergency response to these accidents. In general, excessive pursuit of rapid industrialization and the unreasonable location of factories are responsible for the increasing frequency of accidental pollution events. Moreover, insufficient attention to environmental protection and rudimentary emergency response capability has exacerbated the consequences of such accidents. These environmental accidents triggered or accelerated the promulgation of stricter environmental protection policy and the shift from economic development mode to a more sustainable direction, which should be regarded as the turning point of environmental protection in China. To guarantee water security, China is trying to establish a rapid and effective emergency response framework, build up the capability of early accident detection, and develop efficient technologies to remove contaminants from water.

Global Emerging Infection Surveillance and Response (GEIS)- Avian Influenza Pandemic Influenza (AI/PI) Program

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-10-01

the fact that acute respiratory infections are one of the leading causes of morbidity. This capability now exists in Kenya with the first site brought...AD_________________ Award Number: W81XWH-07-2-0082 TITLE: Global Emerging Infection Surveillance and Response (GEIS)- Avian...TYPE Annual 3. DATES COVERED 13 Sep 07 – 12 Sep 08 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Global Emerging Infection Surveillance and Response (GEIS)- Avian

Response capability during civil air carrier inflight medical emergencies.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1991-03-01

Expanded civil aircraft medical emergency kits have been mandated on U.S. carriers since August 1986. Airlines provided the Federal Aviation Agency reports on medical kit usage and outcomes of the associated medical emergencies; 1,016 inflight medica...

Capabilities of the RENEB network for research and large scale radiological and nuclear emergency situations.

PubMed

Monteiro Gil, Octávia; Vaz, Pedro; Romm, Horst; De Angelis, Cinzia; Antunes, Ana Catarina; Barquinero, Joan-Francesc; Beinke, Christina; Bortolin, Emanuela; Burbidge, Christopher Ian; Cucu, Alexandra; Della Monaca, Sara; Domene, Mercedes Moreno; Fattibene, Paola; Gregoire, Eric; Hadjidekova, Valeria; Kulka, Ulrike; Lindholm, Carita; Meschini, Roberta; M'Kacher, Radhia; Moquet, Jayne; Oestreicher, Ursula; Palitti, Fabrizio; Pantelias, Gabriel; Montoro Pastor, Alegria; Popescu, Irina-Anca; Quattrini, Maria Cristina; Ricoul, Michelle; Rothkamm, Kai; Sabatier, Laure; Sebastià, Natividad; Sommer, Sylwester; Terzoudi, Georgia; Testa, Antonella; Trompier, François; Vral, Anne

2017-01-01

To identify and assess, among the participants in the RENEB (Realizing the European Network of Biodosimetry) project, the emergency preparedness, response capabilities and resources that can be deployed in the event of a radiological or nuclear accident/incident affecting a large number of individuals. These capabilities include available biodosimetry techniques, infrastructure, human resources (existing trained staff), financial and organizational resources (including the role of national contact points and their articulation with other stakeholders in emergency response) as well as robust quality control/assurance systems. A survey was prepared and sent to the RENEB partners in order to acquire information about the existing, operational techniques and infrastructure in the laboratories of the different RENEB countries and to assess the capacity of response in the event of radiological or nuclear accident involving mass casualties. The survey focused on several main areas: laboratory's general information, country and staff involved in biological and physical dosimetry; retrospective assays used, the number of assays available per laboratory and other information related to biodosimetry and emergency preparedness. Following technical intercomparisons amongst RENEB members, an update of the survey was performed one year later concerning the staff and the available assays. The analysis of RENEB questionnaires allowed a detailed assessment of existing capacity of the RENEB network to respond to nuclear and radiological emergencies. This highlighted the key importance of international cooperation in order to guarantee an effective and timely response in the event of radiological or nuclear accidents involving a considerable number of casualties. The deployment of the scientific and technical capabilities existing within the RENEB network members seems mandatory, to help other countries with less or no capacity for biological or physical dosimetry, or countries overwhelmed in case of a radiological or nuclear accident involving a large number of individuals.

Creating a Campus Based Community Emergency Response Team (CERT)

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Connolly, Maureen

2012-01-01

This article provides the reader with information regarding forming a community emergency response team (CERT) at a community college. College public safety departments are efficient entities in ordinary times. However, recent events at community colleges across the country have shown that there have been situations where their capabilities have…

44 CFR 334.2 - Policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 44 Emergency Management and Assistance 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Policy. 334.2 Section 334.2... PREPAREDNESS GRADUATED MOBILIZATION RESPONSE § 334.2 Policy. (a) As established in Executive Order 12656, the policy of the United States is to have sufficient emergency response capabilities at all levels of...

77 FR 23161 - Onsite Emergency Response Capabilities

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-04-18

... entire facility. The emergency diesel generators started at all six units, providing alternating current... known as station blackout (SBO). One diesel generator remained functional on Unit 6. Despite the actions...

Emergency Response Capability Baseline Needs Assessment - Compliance Assessment

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

Sharry, John A.

This document was prepared by John A. Sharry, LLNL Fire Marshal and Division Leader for Fire Protection and was reviewed by LLNL Emergency Management Department Head, James Colson. This document is the second of a two-part analysis on Emergency Response Capabilities of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory. The first part, 2016 Baseline Needs Assessment Requirements Document established the minimum performance criteria necessary to meet mandatory requirements. This second part analyses the performance of Lawrence Livermore Laboratory Emergency Management Department to the contents of the Requirements Document. The document was prepared based on an extensive review of information contained in the 2016more » BNA, a review of Emergency Planning Hazards Assessments, a review of building construction, occupancy, fire protection features, dispatch records, LLNL alarm system records, fire department training records, and fire department policies and procedures. The 2013 BNA was approved by NNSA’s Livermore Field Office on January 22, 2014.« less

44 CFR 351.3 - Limitation of scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... plans and preparedness capabilities. Furthermore, this part does not set forth Federal agency... Emergency Response Plan” (50 FR 46542, November 8, 1985). (b) Nothing in this part authorizes access to or... Section 351.3 Emergency Management and Assistance FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF...

44 CFR 351.3 - Limitation of scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... plans and preparedness capabilities. Furthermore, this part does not set forth Federal agency... Emergency Response Plan” (50 FR 46542, November 8, 1985). (b) Nothing in this part authorizes access to or... Section 351.3 Emergency Management and Assistance FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF...

44 CFR 351.3 - Limitation of scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... plans and preparedness capabilities. Furthermore, this part does not set forth Federal agency... Emergency Response Plan” (50 FR 46542, November 8, 1985). (b) Nothing in this part authorizes access to or... Section 351.3 Emergency Management and Assistance FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF...

44 CFR 351.3 - Limitation of scope.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... plans and preparedness capabilities. Furthermore, this part does not set forth Federal agency... Emergency Response Plan” (50 FR 46542, November 8, 1985). (b) Nothing in this part authorizes access to or... Section 351.3 Emergency Management and Assistance FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF...

76 FR 4708 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request, OMB No...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-26

... assess disaster logistics planning and response capabilities and identify areas of relative strength and...; Logistics Capability Assessment Tool (LCAT) AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Notice...: Collection of Information Title: Logistics Capability Assessment Tool (LCAT). Type of Information Collection...

Speeding response, saving lives : automatic vehicle location capabilities for emergency services.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-01-01

Information from automatic vehicle location systems, when combined with computeraided dispatch software, can provide a rich source of data for analyzing emergency vehicle operations and evaluating agency performance.

Environmental Assessment for the NASA First Response Facility

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kennedy, Carolyn

2003-01-01

NASA intends to construct a First Response Facility for integrated emergency response and health management. This facility will consolidate the Stennis Space Center fire department, medical clinic, security operations, emergency operations and the energy management and control center. The alternative considered is the "No Action Alternative". The proposed action will correct existing operational weaknesses and enhance capabilities to respond to medical emergencies and mitigate any other possible threats. Environmental impacts include are emissions, wetlands disturbance, solid waste generation, and storm water control.

An innovative approach to capability-based emergency operations planning

PubMed Central

Keim, Mark E

2013-01-01

This paper describes the innovative use information technology for assisting disaster planners with an easily-accessible method for writing and improving evidence-based emergency operations plans. This process is used to identify all key objectives of the emergency response according to capabilities of the institution, community or society. The approach then uses a standardized, objective-based format, along with a consensus-based method for drafting capability-based operational-level plans. This information is then integrated within a relational database to allow for ease of access and enhanced functionality to search, sort and filter and emergency operations plan according to user need and technological capacity. This integrated approach is offered as an effective option for integrating best practices of planning with the efficiency, scalability and flexibility of modern information and communication technology. PMID:28228987

An innovative approach to capability-based emergency operations planning.

PubMed

Keim, Mark E

2013-01-01

This paper describes the innovative use information technology for assisting disaster planners with an easily-accessible method for writing and improving evidence-based emergency operations plans. This process is used to identify all key objectives of the emergency response according to capabilities of the institution, community or society. The approach then uses a standardized, objective-based format, along with a consensus-based method for drafting capability-based operational-level plans. This information is then integrated within a relational database to allow for ease of access and enhanced functionality to search, sort and filter and emergency operations plan according to user need and technological capacity. This integrated approach is offered as an effective option for integrating best practices of planning with the efficiency, scalability and flexibility of modern information and communication technology.

Modeling a Civil Event Case Study for Consequence Management Using the IMPRINT Forces Module

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gacy, Marc; Gosakan, Mala; Eckdahl, Angela; Miller, Jeffrey R.

2012-01-01

A critical challenge in the Consequence Management (CM) domain is the appropriate allocation of necessary and skilled military and civilian personnel and materiel resources in unexpected emergencies. To aid this process we used the Forces module in the Improved Performance Research Integration Tool (IMPRINT). This module enables analysts to enter personnel and equipment capabilities, prioritized schedules and numbers available, along with unexpected emergency requirements in order to assess force response requirements. Using a suspected terrorist threat on a college campus, we developed a test case model which exercised the capabilities of the module, including the scope and scale of operations. The model incorporates data from multiple sources, including daily schedules and frequency of events such as fire calls. Our preliminary results indicate that the model can predict potential decreases in civilian emergency response coverage due to an involved unplanned incident requiring significant portions of police, fire and civil responses teams.

Review of Considerations, Management, and Treatment of Medical Emergencies During Commercial Flight

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-04-01

OMB No. 0704-0188 Public reporting burden for this collection of information is estimated to average 1 hour per response, including the time for...assistance during an in-flight medical emergency. 15. SUBJECT TERMS In-flight medical emergency, commercial air travel , in-flight medical care...England [7-10]. These ground-based medical consultation services establish a 24- hour, 7-day, 365-days-per-year response capability for real- time

National Labs and Nuclear Emergency Response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Budil, Kimberly

2015-04-01

The DOE national laboratories, and in particular the three NNSA national security laboratories, have long supported a broad suite of national nuclear security missions for the U.S. government. The capabilities, infrastructure and base of expertise developed to support the U.S. nuclear weapons stockpile have been applied to such challenges as stemming nuclear proliferation, understanding the nuclear capabilities of adversaries, and assessing and countering nuclear threats including essential support to nuclear emergency response. This talk will discuss the programs that are underway at the laboratories and the essential role that science and technology plays therein. Nuclear scientists provide expertise, fundamental understanding of nuclear materials, processes and signatures, and tools and technologies to aid in the identification and mitigation of nuclear threats as well as consequence management. This talk will also discuss the importance of direct engagement with the response community, which helps to shape research priorities and to enable development of useful tools and techniques for responders working in the field. National Labs and Nuclear Emergency Response.

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

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

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

Cambio : a file format translation and analysis application for the nuclear response emergency community.

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

Lasche, George P.

2009-10-01

Cambio is an application intended to automatically read and display any spectrum file of any format in the world that the nuclear emergency response community might encounter. Cambio also provides an analysis capability suitable for HPGe spectra when detector response and scattering environment are not well known. Why is Cambio needed: (1) Cambio solves the following problem - With over 50 types of formats from instruments used in the field and new format variations appearing frequently, it is impractical for every responder to have current versions of the manufacturer's software from every instrument used in the field; (2) Cambio convertsmore » field spectra to any one of several common formats that are used for analysis, saving valuable time in an emergency situation; (3) Cambio provides basic tools for comparing spectra, calibrating spectra, and isotope identification with analysis suited especially for HPGe spectra; and (4) Cambio has a batch processing capability to automatically translate a large number of archival spectral files of any format to one of several common formats, such as the IAEA SPE or the DHS N42. Currently over 540 analysts and members of the nuclear emergency response community worldwide are on the distribution list for updates to Cambio. Cambio users come from all levels of government, university, and commercial partners around the world that support efforts to counter terrorist nuclear activities. Cambio is Unclassified Unlimited Release (UUR) and distributed by internet downloads with email notifications whenever a new build of Cambio provides for new formats, bug fixes, or new or improved capabilities. Cambio is also provided as a DLL to the Karlsruhe Institute for Transuranium Elements so that Cambio's automatic file-reading capability can be included at the Nucleonica web site.« less

Emergency Preparedness and Response Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-09-01

over time. Preparedness plans include program initiatives for planning, training, equipping, exercising, and evaluating capability to ensure sustainable ... performance in order to prevent, prepare for and respond to incidents. 4. Response Response refers to the activities necessary to address the

44 CFR 334.7 - Reporting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

....7 Emergency Management and Assistance FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY PREPAREDNESS GRADUATED MOBILIZATION RESPONSE § 334.7 Reporting. The Administrator of FEMA shall provide the President with periodic assessments of the Federal departments and agencies capabilities to...

44 CFR 334.7 - Reporting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

....7 Emergency Management and Assistance FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY PREPAREDNESS GRADUATED MOBILIZATION RESPONSE § 334.7 Reporting. The Administrator of FEMA shall provide the President with periodic assessments of the Federal departments and agencies capabilities to...

44 CFR 334.7 - Reporting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

....7 Emergency Management and Assistance FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY PREPAREDNESS GRADUATED MOBILIZATION RESPONSE § 334.7 Reporting. The Administrator of FEMA shall provide the President with periodic assessments of the Federal departments and agencies capabilities to...

Project Responder: technology needs for local emergency response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Beakley, Guy; Garwin, Thomas; Pollard, Neal A.; Singley, George T., III; Tuohy, Robert V.; Lupo, Jasper

2003-09-01

Since April 2001, the Oklahoma City National Memorial Institute for the Prevention of Terrorism has funded an effort by Hicks &Associates, Inc. and the Terrorism Research Center, Inc., aimed ultimately at improving local, state, and federal emergency responders" capabilities for mitigating the effects of chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear or explosive/ incendiary (CBRNE) terrorism. This effort, titled "Project Responder," began by developing an understanding of how state and local responders view their current capabilities, shortfalls, and needs. This paper discusses some of the results of this first phase of the effort that has resulted in a comprehensive report titled "Emergency Responders" Needs, Goals, and Priorities." This paper addresses two of the capabilities from that report which we believe are of most interest to this conference. There are ten other capabilities discussed in the report, which may also be of interest.

A collaborative user-producer assessment of earthquake-response products

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gomberg, Joan; Jakobitz, Allen

2013-01-01

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Washington State Emergency Management Division assessed how well USGS earthquake-response products met the needs of emergency managers at county and local levels. Focus-group responses guided development of new products for testing in a regional-scale earthquake exercise. The assessment showed that (1) emergency responders consider most USGS products unnecessary after the first few postearthquake hours because the products are predictors, and responders are quickly immersed in reality; (2) during crises a significant fraction of personnel engaged in emergency response are drawn from many sectors, increasing the breadth of education well beyond emergency management agencies; (3) many emergency personnel do not use maps; and (4) information exchange, archiving, and analyses involve mechanisms and technical capabilities that vary among agencies, so widely used products must be technically versatile and easy to use.

A case of timely satellite image acquisitions in support of coastal emergency environmental response management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ramsey, Elijah W.; Werle, Dirk; Lu, Zhong; Rangoonwala, Amina; Suzuoki, Yukihiro

2009-01-01

The synergistic application of optical and radar satellite imagery improves emergency response and advance coastal monitoring from the realm of “opportunistic” to that of “strategic.” As illustrated by the Hurricane Ike example, synthetic aperture radar imaging capabilities are clearly applicable for emergency response operations, but they are also relevant to emergency environmental management. Integrated with optical monitoring, the nearly real-time availability of synthetic aperture radar provides superior consistency in status and trends monitoring and enhanced information concerning causal forces of change that are critical to coastal resource sustainability, including flooding extent, depth, and frequency.

77 FR 74030 - Pacific Gas and Electric Company, Humboldt Bay Power Plant, Unit 3; Schedular Exemption From...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-12

...) Emergency Response Organization Augmentation at Alternate Facility--capability for staging emergency... significant effect on the quality of the human environment (77 FR 71198; November 29, 2012). This exemption is...

44 CFR 334.7 - Reporting.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... Emergency Management and Assistance FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY PREPAREDNESS GRADUATED MOBILIZATION RESPONSE § 334.7 Reporting. The Administrator of FEMA shall provide the President with periodic assessments of the Federal departments and agencies capabilities to respond to...

The Things We Care to See: The Effects of Rotated Protocol Immersion on the Emergence of Early Observing Responses

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Keohane, Dolleen-Day; Luke, Nicole; Greer, R. Douglas

2008-01-01

We tested the effect of a Rotated Protocol Immersion package on the emergence of observing responses as prerequisites for more complex verbal developmental capabilities. Three elementary aged students between the ages of 6 and 7 participated. They were diagnosed with autism spectrum disabilities. The treatment condition consisted of total…

GHSI EMERGENCY RADIONUCLIDE BIOASSAY LABORATORY NETWORK - SUMMARY OF THE SECOND EXERCISE.

PubMed

Li, Chunsheng; Bartizel, Christine; Battisti, Paolo; Böttger, Axel; Bouvier, Céline; Capote-Cuellar, Antonio; Carr, Zhanat; Hammond, Derek; Hartmann, Martina; Heikkinen, Tarja; Jones, Robert L; Kim, Eunjoo; Ko, Raymond; Koga, Roberto; Kukhta, Boris; Mitchell, Lorna; Morhard, Ryan; Paquet, Francois; Quayle, Debora; Rulik, Petr; Sadi, Baki; Sergei, Aleksanin; Sierra, Inmaculada; de Oliveira Sousa, Wanderson; Szab, Gyula

2017-05-01

The Global Health Security Initiative (GHSI) established a laboratory network within the GHSI community to develop collective surge capacity for radionuclide bioassay in response to a radiological or nuclear emergency as a means of enhancing response capability, health outcomes and community resilience. GHSI partners conducted an exercise in collaboration with the WHO Radiation Emergency Medical Preparedness and Assistance Network and the IAEA Response and Assistance Network, to test the participating laboratories (18) for their capabilities in in vitro assay of biological samples, using a urine sample spiked with multiple high-risk radionuclides (90Sr, 106Ru, 137Cs, and 239Pu). Laboratories were required to submit their reports within 72 h following receipt of the sample, using a pre-formatted template, on the procedures, methods and techniques used to identify and quantify the radionuclides in the sample, as well as the bioassay results with a 95% confidence interval. All of the participating laboratories identified and measured all or some of the radionuclides in the sample. However, gaps were identified in both the procedures used to assay multiple radionuclides in one sample, as well as in the methods or techniques used to assay specific radionuclides in urine. Two-third of the participating laboratories had difficulties in determining all the radionuclides in the sample. Results from this exercise indicate that challenges remain with respect to ensuring that results are delivered in a timely, consistent and reliable manner to support medical interventions. Laboratories within the networks are encouraged to work together to develop and maintain collective capabilities and capacity for emergency bioassay, which is an important component of radiation emergency response. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

GHSI Emergency Radionuclide Bioassay Laboratory Network - Summary of the Second Exercise

PubMed Central

Li, Chunsheng; Bartizel, Christine; Battisti, Paolo; Böttger, Axel; Bouvier, Céline; Capote-Cuellar, Antonio; Carr, Zhanat; Hammond, Derek; Hartmann, Martina; Heikkinen, Tarja; Jones, Robert L.; Kim, Eunjoo; Ko, Raymond; Koga, Roberto; Kukhta, Boris; Mitchell, Lorna; Morhard, Ryan; Paquet, Francois; Quayle, Debora; Rulik, Petr; Sadi, Baki; Sergei, Aleksanin; Sierra, Inmaculada; de Oliveira Sousa, Wanderson; Szabó, Gyula

2017-01-01

The Global Health Security Initiative (GHSI) established a laboratory network within the GHSI community to develop collective surge capacity for radionuclide bioassay in response to a radiological or nuclear emergency as a means of enhancing response capability, health outcomes and community resilience. GHSI partners conducted an exercise in collaboration with the WHO REMPAN (Radiation Emergency Medical Preparedness and Assistance Network) and the IAEA RANET (Response and Assistance Network), to test the participating laboratories (18) for their capabilities in in vitro assay of biological samples, using a urine sample spiked with multiple high-risk radionuclides (90Sr, 106Ru, 137Cs, and 239Pu). Laboratories were required to submit their reports within 72 hours following receipt of the sample, using a pre-formatted template, on the procedures, methods and techniques used to identify and quantify the radionuclides in the sample, as well as the bioassay results with a 95% confidence interval. All of the participating laboratories identified and measured all or some of the radionuclides in the sample. However, gaps were identified in both the procedures used to assay multiple radionuclides in one sample, as well as in the methods or techniques used to assay specific radionuclides in urine. Two third of the participating laboratories had difficulties in determining all the radionuclides in the sample. Results from this exercise indicate that challenges remain with respect to ensuring that results are delivered in a timely, consistent and reliable manner to support medical interventions. Laboratories within the networks are encouraged to work together to develop and maintain collective capabilities and capacity for emergency bioassay, which is an important component of radiation emergency response. PMID:27574317

Multispectral, hyperspectral, and LiDAR remote sensing and geographic information fusion for improved earthquake response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kruse, F. A.; Kim, A. M.; Runyon, S. C.; Carlisle, Sarah C.; Clasen, C. C.; Esterline, C. H.; Jalobeanu, A.; Metcalf, J. P.; Basgall, P. L.; Trask, D. M.; Olsen, R. C.

2014-06-01

The Naval Postgraduate School (NPS) Remote Sensing Center (RSC) and research partners have completed a remote sensing pilot project in support of California post-earthquake-event emergency response. The project goals were to dovetail emergency management requirements with remote sensing capabilities to develop prototype map products for improved earthquake response. NPS coordinated with emergency management services and first responders to compile information about essential elements of information (EEI) requirements. A wide variety of remote sensing datasets including multispectral imagery (MSI), hyperspectral imagery (HSI), and LiDAR were assembled by NPS for the purpose of building imagery baseline data; and to demonstrate the use of remote sensing to derive ground surface information for use in planning, conducting, and monitoring post-earthquake emergency response. Worldview-2 data were converted to reflectance, orthorectified, and mosaicked for most of Monterey County; CA. Airborne Visible/Infrared Imaging Spectrometer (AVIRIS) data acquired at two spatial resolutions were atmospherically corrected and analyzed in conjunction with the MSI data. LiDAR data at point densities from 1.4 pts/m2 to over 40 points/ m2 were analyzed to determine digital surface models. The multimodal data were then used to develop change detection approaches and products and other supporting information. Analysis results from these data along with other geographic information were used to identify and generate multi-tiered products tied to the level of post-event communications infrastructure (internet access + cell, cell only, no internet/cell). Technology transfer of these capabilities to local and state emergency response organizations gives emergency responders new tools in support of post-disaster operational scenarios.

A Comprehensive Evaluation System for Military Hospitals' Response Capability to Bio-terrorism.

PubMed

Wang, Hui; Jiang, Nan; Shao, Sicong; Zheng, Tao; Sun, Jianzhong

2015-05-01

The objective of this study is to establish a comprehensive evaluation system for military hospitals' response capacity to bio-terrorism. Literature research and Delphi method were utilized to establish the comprehensive evaluation system for military hospitals' response capacity to bio-terrorism. Questionnaires were designed and used to survey the status quo of 134 military hospitals' response capability to bio-terrorism. Survey indicated that factor analysis method was suitable to for analyzing the comprehensive evaluation system for military hospitals' response capacity to bio-terrorism. The constructed evaluation system was consisted of five first-class and 16 second-class indexes. Among them, medical response factor was considered as the most important factor with weight coefficient of 0.660, followed in turn by the emergency management factor with weight coefficient of 0.109, emergency management consciousness factor with weight coefficient of 0.093, hardware support factor with weight coefficient of 0.078, and improvement factor with weight coefficient of 0.059. The constructed comprehensive assessment model and system are scientific and practical.

Development and evaluation of a leadership training program for public health emergency response: results from a Chinese study.

PubMed

Wang, Chongjian; Wei, Sheng; Xiang, Hao; Wu, Jing; Xu, Yihua; Liu, Li; Nie, Shaofa

2008-10-30

Since the 9/11 attack and severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS), the development of qualified and able public health leaders has become a new urgency in building the infrastructure needed to address public health emergencies. Although previous studies have reported that the training of individual leaders is an important approach, the systemic and scientific training model need further improvement and development. The purpose of this study was to develop, deliver, and evaluate a participatory leadership training program for emergency response. Forty-one public health leaders (N = 41) from five provinces completed the entire emergency preparedness training program in China. The program was evaluated by anonymous questionnaires and semi-structured interviews held prior to training, immediately post-training and 12-month after training (Follow-up). The emergency preparedness training resulted in positive shifts in knowledge, self-assessment of skills for public health leaders. More than ninety-five percent of participants reported that the training model was scientific and feasible. Moreover, the response of participants in the program to the avian influenza outbreak, as well as the planned evaluations for this leadership training program, further demonstrated both the successful approaches and methods and the positive impact of this integrated leadership training initiative. The emergency preparedness training program met its aims and objectives satisfactorily, and improved the emergency capability of public health leaders. This suggests that the leadership training model was effective and feasible in improving the emergency preparedness capability.

Idaho National Laboratory Emergency Readiness Assurance Plan — Fiscal Year 2016

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

None, None

Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC, the prime contractor for Idaho National Laboratory (INL), provides this Emergency Readiness Assurance Plan (ERAP) for Fiscal Year 2016 in accordance with DOE O 151.1C, “Comprehensive Emergency Management System.” The ERAP documents the readiness of the INL Emergency Management Program using emergency response planning and preparedness activities as the basis. It describes emergency response planning and preparedness activities, and where applicable, summarizes and/or provides supporting information in tabular form for easy access to data. The ERAP also provides budget, personnel, and planning forecasts for Fiscal Year 2017. Specifically, the ERAP assures the Department of Energy Idahomore » Operations Office that stated emergency capabilities at INL are sufficient to implement PLN 114, “INL Emergency Plan/RCRA Contingency Plan.”« less

Idaho National Laboratory Emergency Readiness Assurance Plan — Fiscal Year 2014

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

Bush, Shane

Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC, the prime contractor for Idaho National Laboratory (INL), provides this Emergency Readiness Assurance Plan (ERAP) for Fiscal Year 2014 in accordance with DOE O 151.1C, “Comprehensive Emergency Management System.” The ERAP documents the readiness of the INL Emergency Management Program using emergency response planning and preparedness activities as the basis. It describes emergency response planning and preparedness activities, and where applicable, summarizes and/or provides supporting information in tabular form for easy access to data. The ERAP also provides budget, personnel, and planning forecasts for Fiscal Year 2015. Specifically, the ERAP assures the Department of Energy Idahomore » Operations Office that stated emergency capabilities at INL are sufficient to implement PLN-114, “INL Emergency Plan/RCRA Contingency Plan.”« less

Incident Management Systems and Building Emergency Management Capacity during the 2014-2016 Ebola Epidemic - Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Guinea.

PubMed

Brooks, Jennifer C; Pinto, Meredith; Gill, Adrienne; Hills, Katherine E; Murthy, Shivani; Podgornik, Michelle N; Hernandez, Luis F; Rose, Dale A; Angulo, Frederick J; Rzeszotarski, Peter

2016-07-08

Establishing a functional incident management system (IMS) is important in the management of public health emergencies. In response to the 2014-2016 Ebola virus disease (Ebola) epidemic in West Africa, CDC established the Emergency Management Development Team (EMDT) to coordinate technical assistance for developing emergency management capacity in Guinea, Liberia, and Sierra Leone. EMDT staff, deployed staff, and partners supported each country to develop response goals and objectives, identify gaps in response capabilities, and determine strategies for coordinating response activities. To monitor key programmatic milestones and assess changes in emergency management and response capacities over time, EMDT implemented three data collection methods in country: coordination calls, weekly written situation reports, and an emergency management dashboard tool. On the basis of the information collected, EMDT observed improvements in emergency management capacity over time in all three countries. The collaborations in each country yielded IMS structures that streamlined response and laid the foundation for long-term emergency management programs.The activities summarized in this report would not have been possible without collaboration with many U.S and international partners (http://www.cdc.gov/vhf/ebola/outbreaks/2014-west-africa/partners.html).

Developing an operational capabilities index of the emergency services sector.

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

Collins, M.J.; Eaton, L.K.; Shoemaker, Z.M.

2012-02-20

In order to enhance the resilience of the Nation and its ability to protect itself in the face of natural and human-caused hazards, the ability of the critical infrastructure (CI) system to withstand specific threats and return to normal operations after degradation must be determined. To fully analyze the resilience of a region and the CI that resides within it, both the actual resilience of the individual CI and the capability of the Emergency Services Sector (ESS) to protect against and respond to potential hazards need to be considered. Thus, a regional resilience approach requires the comprehensive consideration of allmore » parts of the CI system as well as the characterization of emergency services. This characterization must generate reproducible results that can support decision making with regard to risk management, disaster response, business continuity, and community planning and management. To address these issues, Argonne National Laboratory, in collaboration with the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Sector Specific Agency - Executive Management Office, developed a comprehensive methodology to create an Emergency Services Sector Capabilities Index (ESSCI). The ESSCI is a performance metric that ranges from 0 (low level of capabilities) to 100 (high). Because an emergency services program has a high ESSCI, however, does not mean that a specific event would not be able to affect a region or cause severe consequences. And because a program has a low ESSCI does not mean that a disruptive event would automatically lead to serious consequences in a region. Moreover, a score of 100 on the ESSCI is not the level of capability expected of emergency services programs; rather, it represents an optimal program that would rarely be observed. The ESSCI characterizes the state of preparedness of a jurisdiction in terms of emergency and risk management. Perhaps the index's primary benefit is that it can systematically capture, at a given point in time, the capabilities of a jurisdiction to protect itself from, mitigate, respond to, and recover from a potential incident. On the basis of this metric, an interactive tool - the ESSCI Dashboard - can identify scenarios for enhancement that can be implemented, and it can identify the repercussions of these scenarios on the jurisdiction. It can assess the capabilities of law enforcement, fire fighting, search and rescue, emergency medical services, hazardous materials response, dispatch/911, and emergency management services in a given jurisdiction and it can help guide those who need to prioritize what limited resources should be used to improve these capabilities. Furthermore, this tool can be used to compare the level of capabilities of various jurisdictions that have similar socioeconomic characteristics. It can thus help DHS define how it can support risk reduction and community preparedness at a national level. This tool aligns directly with Presidential Policy Directive 8 by giving a jurisdiction a metric of its ESS's capabilities and by promoting an interactive approach for defining options to improve preparedness and to effectively respond to a disruptive event. It can be used in combination with other CI performance metrics developed at Argonne National Laboratory, such as the vulnerability index and the resilience index for assessing regional resilience.« less

Countering a bioterrorist introduction of pathogen-infected mosquitoes through mosquito control.

PubMed

Tabachnick, Walter J; Harvey, William R; Becnel, James J; Clark, Gary G; Connelly, C Roxanne; Day, Jonathan F; Linser, Paul J; Linthicum, Kenneth J

2011-06-01

The release of infected mosquitoes or other arthropods by bioterrorists, i.e., arboterrorism, to cause disease and terror is a threat to the USA. A workshop to assess mosquito control response capabilities to mount rapid and effective responses to eliminate an arboterrorism attack provided recommendations to improve capabilities in the USA. It is essential that mosquito control professionals receive training in possible responses, and it is recommended that a Council for Emergency Mosquito Control be established in each state to coordinate training, state resources, and actions for use throughout the state.

Strengthening global health security capacity--Vietnam demonstration project, 2013.

PubMed

Tran, Phu Dac; Vu, Long Ngoc; Nguyen, Hien Tran; Phan, Lan Trong; Lowe, Wayne; McConnell, Michelle S; Iademarco, Michael F; Partridge, Jeffrey M; Kile, James C; Do, Trang; Nadol, Patrick J; Bui, Hien; Vu, Diep; Bond, Kyle; Nelson, David B; Anderson, Lauren; Hunt, Kenneth V; Smith, Nicole; Giannone, Paul; Klena, John; Beauvais, Denise; Becknell, Kristi; Tappero, Jordan W; Dowell, Scott F; Rzeszotarski, Peter; Chu, May; Kinkade, Carl

2014-01-31

Over the past decade, Vietnam has successfully responded to global health security (GHS) challenges, including domestic elimination of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and rapid public health responses to human infections with influenza A(H5N1) virus. However, new threats such as Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) and influenza A(H7N9) present continued challenges, reinforcing the need to improve the global capacity to prevent, detect, and respond to public health threats. In June 2012, Vietnam, along with many other nations, obtained a 2-year extension for meeting core surveillance and response requirements of the 2005 International Health Regulations (IHR). During March-September 2013, CDC and the Vietnamese Ministry of Health (MoH) collaborated on a GHS demonstration project to improve public health emergency detection and response capacity. The project aimed to demonstrate, in a short period, that enhancements to Vietnam's health system in surveillance and early detection of and response to diseases and outbreaks could contribute to meeting the IHR core capacities, consistent with the Asia Pacific Strategy for Emerging Diseases. Work focused on enhancements to three interrelated priority areas and included achievements in 1) establishing an emergency operations center (EOC) at the General Department of Preventive Medicine with training of personnel for public health emergency management; 2) improving the nationwide laboratory system, including enhanced testing capability for several priority pathogens (i.e., those in Vietnam most likely to contribute to public health emergencies of international concern); and 3) creating an emergency response information systems platform, including a demonstration of real-time reporting capability. Lessons learned included awareness that integrated functions within the health system for GHS require careful planning, stakeholder buy-in, and intradepartmental and interdepartmental coordination and communication.

How Health Department Contextual Factors Affect Public Health Preparedness (PHP) and Perceptions of the 15 PHP Capabilities

PubMed Central

Carbone, Eric G.; Lynch, Molly; Wang, Z. Joan; Jones, Terrance; Rose, Dale A.

2017-01-01

Objectives. To assess how health department contextual factors influence perceptions of the 15 Public Health Preparedness Capabilities, developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to provide guidance on organizing preparedness activities. Methods. We conducted an online survey and focus group between September 2015 and May 2016 with directors of preparedness programs in state, metropolitan, and territorial jurisdictions funded by CDC’s Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) cooperative agreement. The survey collected demographic information and data on contextual factors including leadership, partnerships, organizational structure, resources and structural capacity, and data and evaluation. Results. Seventy-seven percent (48 of 62) of PHEP directors completed the survey and 8 participated in the focus group. Respondents were experienced directors (mean = 10.6 years), and 58% led 7 or more emergency responses. Leadership, partnerships, and access to fiscal and human resources were associated with perception and use of the capabilities. Conclusions. Despite some deficiencies, PHEP awardees believe the capabilities provide useful guidance and a flexible framework for organizing their work. Contextual factors affect perceptions of the capabilities and possibly the effectiveness of their use. Public Health Implications. The capabilities can be used to address challenges in preparedness, including identifying evidence-based practices, developing performance measures, and improving responses. PMID:28892447

How Health Department Contextual Factors Affect Public Health Preparedness (PHP) and Perceptions of the 15 PHP Capabilities.

PubMed

Horney, Jennifer A; Carbone, Eric G; Lynch, Molly; Wang, Z Joan; Jones, Terrance; Rose, Dale A

2017-09-01

To assess how health department contextual factors influence perceptions of the 15 Public Health Preparedness Capabilities, developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to provide guidance on organizing preparedness activities. We conducted an online survey and focus group between September 2015 and May 2016 with directors of preparedness programs in state, metropolitan, and territorial jurisdictions funded by CDC's Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) cooperative agreement. The survey collected demographic information and data on contextual factors including leadership, partnerships, organizational structure, resources and structural capacity, and data and evaluation. Seventy-seven percent (48 of 62) of PHEP directors completed the survey and 8 participated in the focus group. Respondents were experienced directors (mean = 10.6 years), and 58% led 7 or more emergency responses. Leadership, partnerships, and access to fiscal and human resources were associated with perception and use of the capabilities. Despite some deficiencies, PHEP awardees believe the capabilities provide useful guidance and a flexible framework for organizing their work. Contextual factors affect perceptions of the capabilities and possibly the effectiveness of their use. Public Health Implications. The capabilities can be used to address challenges in preparedness, including identifying evidence-based practices, developing performance measures, and improving responses.

Computer Simulation in Mass Emergency and Disaster Response: An Evaluation of Its Effectiveness as a Tool for Demonstrating Strategic Competency in Emergency Department Medical Responders

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Reilly, Daniel J.

2011-01-01

This study examined the capability of computer simulation as a tool for assessing the strategic competency of emergency department nurses as they responded to authentically computer simulated biohazard-exposed patient case studies. Thirty registered nurses from a large, urban hospital completed a series of computer-simulated case studies of…

Integrating Social Media Monitoring Into Public Health Emergency Response Operations.

PubMed

Hadi, Tamer A; Fleshler, Keren

2016-10-01

Social media monitoring for public health emergency response and recovery is an essential response capability for any health department. The value of social media for emergency response lies not only in the capacity to rapidly communicate official and critical incident information, but as a rich source of incoming data that can be gathered to inform leadership decision-making. Social media monitoring is a function that can be formally integrated into the Incident Command System of any response agency. The approach to planning and required resources, such as staffing, logistics, and technology, is flexible and adaptable based on the needs of the agency and size and scope of the emergency. The New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene has successfully used its Social Media Monitoring Team during public health emergency responses and planned events including major Ebola and Legionnaires' disease responses. The concepts and implementations described can be applied by any agency, large or small, interested in building a social media monitoring capacity. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;page 1 of 6).

New York State Public Health System Response to Hurricane Sandy: Lessons From the Field.

PubMed

Shipp Hilts, Asante; Mack, Stephanie; Eidson, Millicent; Nguyen, Trang; Birkhead, Guthrie S

2016-06-01

The aim of this study was to conduct interviews with public health staff who responded to Hurricane Sandy and to analyze their feedback to assess response strengths and challenges and recommend improvements for future disaster preparedness and response. Qualitative analysis was conducted of information from individual confidential interviews with 35 staff from 3 local health departments in New York State (NYS) impacted by Hurricane Sandy and the NYS Department of Health. Staff were asked about their experiences during Hurricane Sandy and their recommendations for improvements. Open coding was used to analyze interview transcripts for reoccurring themes, which were labeled as strengths, challenges, or recommendations and then categorized into public health preparedness capabilities. The most commonly cited strengths, challenges, and recommendations related to the Hurricane Sandy public health response in NYS were within the emergency operations coordination preparedness capability, which includes the abilities of health department staff to partner among government agencies, coordinate with emergency operation centers, conduct routine conference calls with partners, and manage resources. Health departments should ensure that emergency planning includes protocols to coordinate backup staffing, delineation of services that can be halted during disasters, clear guidelines to coordinate resources across agencies, and training for transitioning into unfamiliar disaster response roles. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2016;10:443-453).

Study on Mine Emergency Mechanism based on TARP and ICS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xi, Jian; Wu, Zongzhi

2018-01-01

By analyzing the experiences and practices of mine emergency in China and abroad, especially the United States and Australia, normative principle, risk management principle and adaptability principle of constructing mine emergency mechanism based on Trigger Action Response Plans (TARP) and Incident Command System (ICS) are summarized. Classification method, framework, flow and subject of TARP and ICS which are suitable for the actual situation of domestic mine emergency are proposed. The system dynamics model of TARP and ICS is established. The parameters such as evacuation ratio, response rate, per capita emergency capability and entry rate of rescuers are set up. By simulating the operation process of TARP and ICS, the impact of these parameters on the emergency process are analyzed, which could provide a reference and basis for building emergency capacity, formulating emergency plans and setting up action plans in the emergency process.

Electroactive Polymer (EAP) Actuation of Mechanisms and Robotic Devices

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bar-Cohen, Y.; Leary, S.; Harrison, J.; Smith, J.

1999-01-01

Actuators are responsible to the operative capability of manipulation systems and robots. In recent years, electroactive polymers (EAP) have emerged as potential alternative to conventional actuators.

Aircraft Emergencies: Challenge and Response

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burian, Barbara K.

2010-01-01

Emergency and abnormal situations in aviation present flight crews with a number of challenges. Checklists are essential tools that have been developed to assist them to meet these challenges. However, in order for checklists to be most effective in these situations they must be designed with the operational and situational demands of emergencies and abnormal conditions in mind as well as human performance capabilities and limitations under high stress and workload.

Development of a rapidly deployed Department of Energy emergency response element.

PubMed

Tighe, R J; Riland, C A; Hopkins, R C

2000-02-01

The Federal Radiological Emergency Response Plan (FRERP) directs the Department of Energy (DOE) to maintain a viable, timely, and fully documented response option capable of supporting the responsible Lead Federal Agency in the event of a radiological emergency impacting any state or United States territory (e.g., CONUS). In addition, the DOE maintains a response option to support radiological emergencies outside the continental United States (OCONUS). While the OCONUS mission is not governed by the FRERP, this response is operationally similar to that assigned to the DOE by the FRERP The DOE is prepared to alert, activate, and deploy radiological response teams to augment the Radiological Assistance Program and/or local responders. The Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center (RMAC) is a phased response that integrates with the Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center (FRMAC) in CONUS environments and represents a stand-alone DOE response for OCONUS environments. The FRMAC/RMAC Phase I was formally "stood up" as an operational element in April 1999. The FRMAC/RMAC Phase II proposed "stand-up" date is midyear 2000.

Recommended emergency preparedness guidelines for elderly and disabled rail-transit passengers. Final report, November 1987-March 1989

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

Hathaway, W.T.; Markos, S.H.; Balog, J.N.

1989-08-01

Rail transit has become an important source of transportation for many elderly and disabled persons. The principal reasons for the increased use are improved accessibility, low cost, and expanded areas of service. For the purposes of the report, 'elderly' is defined as any member of the population who is 60 years of age or older, and 'disabled' is defined as any person who has some type of disability. The Urban Mass Transportation Administration (UMTA) has recognized the need to consider the unique characteristics of elderly and disabled passengers in rail-transit emergency response planning. The needs of these passengers can bemore » addressed through carefully planned emergency response procedures, proper training of transit and emergency-response personnel, and effective use of equipment. The recommendations contained herein are therefore intended to assist rail-transit and emergency response organization personnel in evaluating their emergency response plans in terms of the needs of elderly and disabled passengers and, if necessary, to modify or supplement those plans accordingly. The report is intended to supplement the UMTA publication Recommended Emergency Preparedness Guidelines for Rail Transit Systems. That report contains general guidelines designed to assist rail-transit systems in assessing, developing, documenting, and improving their capabilities for responding to emergencies and in coordinating those efforts with emergency response organizations.« less

International-Aerial Measuring System (I-AMS) Training Program

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

Wasiolek, Piotre T.; Malchor, Russell L.; Maurer, Richard J.

2015-10-01

Since the Fukushima reactor accident in 2011, there has been an increased interest worldwide in developing national capabilities to rapidly map and assess ground contamination resulting from nuclear reactor accidents. The capability to rapidly measure the size of the contaminated area, determine the activity level, and identify the radionuclides can aid emergency managers and decision makers in providing timely protective action recommendations to the public and first responders. The development of an aerial detection capability requires interagency coordination to assemble the radiation experts, detection system operators, and aviation aircrews to conduct the aerial measurements, analyze and interpret the data, andmore » provide technical assessments. The Office of International Emergency Management and Cooperation (IEMC) at the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) sponsors an International - Aerial Measuring System (I-AMS) training program for partner nations to develop and enhance their response to radiological emergencies. An initial series of courses can be conducted in the host country to assist in developing an aerial detection capability. As the capability develops and expands, additional experience can be gained through advanced courses with the opportunity to conduct aerial missions over a broad range of radiation environments.« less

National health and medical services response to incidents of chemical and biological terrorism.

PubMed

Tucker, J B

1997-08-06

In response to the growing threat of terrorism with chemical and biological weapons, the US government has developed a national concept of operations for emergency health and medical services response. This capability was developed and tested for the first time during the Atlanta Olympic Games in the summer of 1996. In the event of a chemical or biological terrorist incident that exceeded local and state-level response capabilities, federal agencies would provide specialized teams and equipment to help manage the consequences of the attack and treat, decontaminate, and evacuate casualties. The US Congress has also established a Domestic Preparedness Program that provides for enhanced training of local first-responders and the formation of metropolitan medical strike teams in major cities around the country. While these national response capabilities are promising, their implementation to date has been problematic and their ultimate effectiveness is uncertain.

Addressing the gap between public health emergency planning and incident response

PubMed Central

Freedman, Ariela M; Mindlin, Michele; Morley, Christopher; Griffin, Meghan; Wooten, Wilma; Miner, Kathleen

2013-01-01

Objectives: Since 9/11, Incident Command System (ICS) and Emergency Operations Center (EOC) are relatively new concepts to public health, which typically operates using less hierarchical and more collaborative approaches to organizing staff. This paper describes the 2009 H1N1 influenza outbreak in San Diego County to explore the use of ICS and EOC in public health emergency response. Methods: This study was conducted using critical case study methodology consisting of document review and 18 key-informant interviews with individuals who played key roles in planning and response. Thematic analysis was used to analyze data. Results: Several broad elements emerged as key to ensuring effective and efficient public health response: 1) developing a plan for emergency response; 2) establishing the framework for an ICS; 3) creating the infrastructure to support response; 4) supporting a workforce trained on emergency response roles, responsibilities, and equipment; and 5) conducting regular preparedness exercises. Conclusions: This research demonstrates the value of investments made and that effective emergency preparedness requires sustained efforts to maintain personnel and material resources. By having the infrastructure and experience based on ICS and EOC, the public health system had the capability to surge-up: to expand its day-to-day operation in a systematic and prolonged manner. None of these critical actions are possible without sustained funding for the public health infrastructure. Ultimately, this case study illustrates the importance of public health as a key leader in emergency response. PMID:28228983

78 FR 1154 - Onsite Emergency Response Capabilities

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-01-08

... the actions stemming from the NRC's lessons-learned efforts associated with the March 2011 Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident in Japan. DATES: Submit comments by February 22, 2013. Comments...

Making vaccines "on demand": a potential solution for emerging pathogens and biodefense?

PubMed

De Groot, Anne S; Einck, Leo; Moise, Leonard; Chambers, Michael; Ballantyne, John; Malone, Robert W; Ardito, Matthew; Martin, William

2013-09-01

The integrated US Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures Enterprise (PHEMCE) has made great strides in strategic preparedness and response capabilities. There have been numerous advances in planning, biothreat countermeasure development, licensure, manufacturing, stockpiling and deployment. Increased biodefense surveillance capability has dramatically improved, while new tools and increased awareness have fostered rapid identification of new potential public health pathogens. Unfortunately, structural delays in vaccine design, development, manufacture, clinical testing and licensure processes remain significant obstacles to an effective national biodefense rapid response capability. This is particularly true for the very real threat of "novel pathogens" such as the avian-origin influenzas H7N9 and H5N1, and new coronaviruses such as hCoV-EMC. Conventional approaches to vaccine development, production, clinical testing and licensure are incompatible with the prompt deployment needed for an effective public health response. An alternative approach, proposed here, is to apply computational vaccine design tools and rapid production technologies that now make it possible to engineer vaccines for novel emerging pathogen and WMD biowarfare agent countermeasures in record time. These new tools have the potential to significantly reduce the time needed to design string-of-epitope vaccines for previously unknown pathogens. The design process-from genome to gene sequence, ready to insert in a DNA plasmid-can now be accomplished in less than 24 h. While these vaccines are by no means "standard," the need for innovation in the vaccine design and production process is great. Should such vaccines be developed, their 60-d start-to-finish timeline would represent a 2-fold faster response than the current standard.

Idaho National Laboratory Emergency Readiness Assurance Plan - Fiscal Year 2015

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

Farmer, Carl J.

Department of Energy Order 151.1C, Comprehensive Emergency Management System requires that each Department of Energy field element documents readiness assurance activities, addressing emergency response planning and preparedness. Battelle Energy Alliance, LLC, as prime contractor at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL), has compiled this Emergency Readiness Assurance Plan to provide this assurance to the Department of Energy Idaho Operations Office. Stated emergency capabilities at the INL are sufficient to implement emergency plans. Summary tables augment descriptive paragraphs to provide easy access to data. Additionally, the plan furnishes budgeting, personnel, and planning forecasts for the next 5 years.

U.S. national response assets for radiological incidents.

PubMed

Remick, Alan L; Crapo, John L; Woodruff, Charles R

2005-11-01

The federal government has had the ability to respond to incidents of national significance for decades. Since 11 September 2001, there have been enhancements to existing federal assets and the creation of new federal assets. This presentation will provide an overview of the more significant federal assets. Pivotal to a response of national significance is the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center, which organizes and coordinates federal agency monitoring activities during an emergency. DOE manages the Federal Radiological Monitoring and Assessment Center during the emergency phase, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) manages the response during the recovery phase once the emergency is terminated. EPA monitoring teams provide support during both the emergency and recovery phases of an emergency. Other DOE teams are available to respond to major nuclear power plant events, transportation accidents, or terrorism events involving the use of radiological materials, including the Radiological Assistance Program, the Aerial Measuring System, the National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center, and the Radiation Emergency Assistance Center/Training Site. For incidents involving a nuclear weapon, an improvised nuclear device, or a radiological dispersal device, DOE assets such as the Nuclear Emergency Support Team and the Accident Response Group could provide capabilities for weapon or device search, recovery, and removal. The Radiological Triage System harnesses the weapons scientists and engineers at the DOE national laboratories to provide gamma spectroscopy interpretation for agencies responding to an incident. In recent years, National Guard Weapons of Mass Destruction-Civil Support Teams have been created to support state and local response to terrorism events. The Civil Support Teams normally come under direct control of the state and can respond without requiring authorization from the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). Changes brought about by the events of September 11 also extend to changing federal response policy and planning. Therefore, the Catastrophic Incident Response Annex to the National Response Plan is discussed. DoD also provides specifically designated radiological response capabilities that can be utilized within the guidelines of the National Response Plan. While optimally designed to support military missions, these resources also help provide for a well-equipped set of national assets to temporarily support and augment the local, state, and federal civil agencies that have primary authority and responsibility for domestic disaster assistance. The military's role in domestic emergencies is well defined in military regulations, as well as the national plan.

78 FR 68774 - Onsite Emergency Response Capabilities

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-15

[email protected] . SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: I. Background As a result of the events at the Fukushima Dai-ichi... Force Review of Insights from the Fukushima Dai-ichi Accident'' (ADAMS Accession No. ML111861807), the... in Response to Fukushima Lessons Learned'' (ADAMS Accession No. ML11269A204). The NRC staff...

Computerized Adaptive Testing: Some Issues in Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orcutt, Venetia L.

The emergence of enhanced capabilities in computer technology coupled with the growing body of knowledge regarding item response theory has resulted in the expansion of computerized adaptive test (CAT) utilization in a variety of venues. Newcomers to the field need a more thorough understanding of item response theory (IRT) principles, their…

Evaluation of the Emergency Response Dose Assessment System(ERDAS)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Evans, Randolph J.; Lambert, Winifred C.; Manobianco, John T.; Taylor, Gregory E.; Wheeler, Mark M.; Yersavich, Ann M.

1996-01-01

The emergency response dose assessment system (ERDAS) is a protype software and hardware system configured to produce routine mesoscale meteorological forecasts and enhanced dispersion estimates on an operational basis for the Kennedy Space Center (KSC)/Cape Canaveral Air Station (CCAS) region. ERDAS provides emergency response guidance to operations at KSC/CCAS in the case of an accidental hazardous material release or an aborted vehicle launch. This report describes the evaluation of ERDAS including: evaluation of sea breeze predictions, comparison of launch plume location and concentration predictions, case study of a toxic release, evaluation of model sensitivity to varying input parameters, evaluation of the user interface, assessment of ERDA's operational capabilities, and a comparison of ERDAS models to the ocean breeze dry gultch diffusion model.

An affordable wearable video system for emergency response training

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King-Smith, Deen; Mikkilineni, Aravind; Ebert, David; Collins, Timothy; Delp, Edward J.

2009-02-01

Many emergency response units are currently faced with restrictive budgets that prohibit their use of advanced technology-based training solutions. Our work focuses on creating an affordable, mobile, state-of-the-art emergency response training solution through the integration of low-cost, commercially available products. The system we have developed consists of tracking, audio, and video capability, coupled with other sensors that can all be viewed through a unified visualization system. In this paper we focus on the video sub-system which helps provide real time tracking and video feeds from the training environment through a system of wearable and stationary cameras. These two camera systems interface with a management system that handles storage and indexing of the video during and after training exercises. The wearable systems enable the command center to have live video and tracking information for each trainee in the exercise. The stationary camera systems provide a fixed point of reference for viewing action during the exercise and consist of a small Linux based portable computer and mountable camera. The video management system consists of a server and database which work in tandem with a visualization application to provide real-time and after action review capability to the training system.

The public health emergency management system in China: trends from 2002 to 2012.

PubMed

Sun, Mei; Xu, Ningze; Li, Chengyue; Wu, Dan; Zou, Jiatong; Wang, Ying; Luo, Li; Yu, Mingzhu; Zhang, Yu; Wang, Hua; Shi, Peiwu; Chen, Zheng; Wang, Jian; Lu, Yueliang; Li, Qi; Wang, Xinhua; Bi, Zhenqiang; Fan, Ming; Fu, Liping; Yu, Jingjin; Hao, Mo

2018-04-11

Public health emergencies have challenged the public health emergency management systems (PHEMSs) of many countries critically and frequently since this century. As the world's most populated country and the second biggest economy in the world, China used to have a fragile PHEMS; however, the government took forceful actions to build PHEMS after the 2003 SARS outbreak. After more than one decade's efforts, we tried to assess the improvements and problems of China's PHEMS between 2002 and 2012. We conducted two rounds of national surveys and collected the data of the year 2002 and 2012, including all 32 provincial, 139 municipal, and 489 county CDCs. The municipal and county CDCs were selected by systematic random sampling. Twenty-one indicators of four stages (preparation, readiness, response and recovery) from the National Assessment Criteria for CDC Performance were chosen to assess the ten-year trends. At the preparation stage, organization, mechanisms, workforce, and stockpile across all levels and regions were significantly improved after one decade's efforts. At the readiness stage, the capability for formulating an emergency plan was also significantly improved during the same period. At the response stage, internet-based direct reporting was 98.8%, and coping scores were nearly full points of ten in 2012. At the recovery stage, the capabilities were generally lower than expected. Due to forceful leadership, sounder regulations, and intensive resources, China's PHEMS has been improved at the preparation, readiness, and response stages; however, the recovery stage was still weak and could not meet the requirements of crisis management and preventive governance. In addition, CDCs in the Western region and counties lagged behind in performance on most indicators. Future priorities should include developing the recovery stage, establishing a closed feedback loop, and strengthening the capabilities of CDCs in Western region and counties.

Self-reported Preparedness to Respond to Mass Fatality Incidents in 38 State Health Departments.

PubMed

Merrill, Jacqueline; Zhi, Qi; Gershon, Robyn R

Public health departments play an important role in the preparation and response to mass fatality incidents (MFIs). To describe MFI response capabilities of US state health departments. The data are part of a multisector cross-sectional study aimed at 5 sectors that comprise the US mass fatality infrastructure. Data were collected over a 6-week period via a self-administered, anonymous Web-based survey. In 2014, a link to the survey was distributed via e-mail to health departments in 50 states and the District of Columbia. State health department representatives responsible for their state's MFI plans. Preparedness was assessed using 3 newly developed metrics: organizational capabilities (n = 19 items); operational capabilities (n = 19 items); and resource-sharing capabilities (n = 13 items). Response rate was 75% (n = 38). Among 38 responses, 37 rated their workplace moderately or well prepared; 45% reported MFI training, but only 30% reported training on MFI with hazardous contaminants; 58% estimated high levels of staff willingness to respond, but that dropped to 40% if MFIs involved hazardous contaminants; and 84% reported a need for more training. On average, 76% of operational capabilities were present. Resource sharing was most prevalent with state Office of Emergency Management but less evident with faith-based organizations and agencies within the medical examiner sector. Overall response capability was adequate, with gaps found in capabilities where public health shares responsibility with other sectors. Collaborative training with other sectors is critical to ensure optimal response to future MFIs, but recent funding cuts in public health preparedness may adversely impact this critical preparedness element. In order for the sector to effectively meet its public health MFI responsibilities as delineated in the National Response Framework, resources to support training and other elements of preparedness must be maintained.

Disaster Monitoring and Emergency Response Services in China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, J.; Han, X.; Zhou, Y.; Yue, P.; Wang, X.; Lu, J.; Jiang, W.; Li, J.; Tang, H.; Wang, F.; Li, X.; Fan, J.

2018-04-01

The Disaster Monitoring and Emergency Response Service(DIMERS) project was kicked off in 2017 in China, with the purpose to improve timely responsive service of the institutions involved in the management of natural disasters and man-made emergency situations with the timely and high-quality products derived from Space-based, Air-based and the in-situ Earth observation. The project team brought together a group of top universities and research institutions in the field of Earth observations as well as the operational institute in typical disaster services at national level. The project will bridge the scientific research and the response services of massive catastrophe in order to improve the emergency response capability of China and provide scientific and technological support for the implementation of the national emergency response strategy. In response to the call for proposal of "Earth Observation and Navigation" of 2017 National Key R&D Program of China, Professor Wu Jianjun, the deputy chairman of Faculty of Geographical Science of Beijing Normal University, submitted the Disaster Monitoring and Emergency Response Service (DIMERS) project, jointly with the experts and scholars from Institute of Remote Sensing and Digital Earth, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Wuhan University, China Institute of Earthquake Forecasting of China Earthquake Administration and China Institute of Water Resources and Hydropower Science. After two round evaluations, the proposal was funded by Ministry of Science and Technology of China.

The application of mobile satellite services to emergency response communications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Freibaum, J.

1980-01-01

The application of an integrated satellite/terrestrial emergency response communications system in disaster relief operations is discussed. Large area coverage communications capability, full-time availability, a high degree of mobility, plus reliability, are pointed out as criteria for an effective emergency communications system. Response time is seen as a major factor determining the possible survival and/or protection of property. These criteria, can not be met by existing communications systems and complete blackouts were experienced during the past decades caused by either interruption or destruction of existing power lines, and overload or inadequacy of remaining lines. Several emergency cases, caused by either hurricanes, tornados, or floods, during which communication via satellite was instrumental to inform rescue and relief teams, are described in detail. Seismic Risk Maps and charts of Major Tectonic Plates Earthquake Epicenters are given, and it is noted that, 35 percent of the U.S. population is living in critical areas. National and international agreements for the implementation of a satellite-aided global Search and Rescue Program is mentioned. Technological and economic breakthroughs are still needed in large multibeam antennas, switching circuits, and low cost mobile ground terminals. A pending plan of NASA to initiate a multiservice program in 1982/83, with a Land Mobile Satellite capability operating in the 806 - 890 MHz band as a major element, may help to accelerate the needed breakthroughs.

More About Hazard-Response Robot For Combustible Atmospheres

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stone, Henry W.; Ohm, Timothy R.

1995-01-01

Report presents additional information about design and capabilities of mobile hazard-response robot called "Hazbot III." Designed to operate safely in combustible and/or toxic atmosphere. Includes cameras and chemical sensors helping human technicians determine location and nature of hazard so human emergency team can decide how to eliminate hazard without approaching themselves.

Combating terrorism : observations on options to improve the federal response

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-04-24

This is the statement of Raymond J. Decker, Director, Defense Capabilities and Management before the Subcommittee on Economic Development, Public Buildings, and Emergency Management, Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure, and the Subcommitte...

40 CFR 265.32 - Required equipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... equipment, or automatic sprinklers, or water spray systems. ... of equipment specified below: (a) An internal communications or alarm system capable of providing... assistance from local police departments, fire departments, or State or local emergency response teams; (c...

40 CFR 265.32 - Required equipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... equipment, or automatic sprinklers, or water spray systems. ... of equipment specified below: (a) An internal communications or alarm system capable of providing... assistance from local police departments, fire departments, or State or local emergency response teams; (c...

40 CFR 265.32 - Required equipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... equipment, or automatic sprinklers, or water spray systems. ... of equipment specified below: (a) An internal communications or alarm system capable of providing... assistance from local police departments, fire departments, or State or local emergency response teams; (c...

40 CFR 265.32 - Required equipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... equipment, or automatic sprinklers, or water spray systems. ... of equipment specified below: (a) An internal communications or alarm system capable of providing... assistance from local police departments, fire departments, or State or local emergency response teams; (c...

40 CFR 265.32 - Required equipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... equipment, or automatic sprinklers, or water spray systems. ... of equipment specified below: (a) An internal communications or alarm system capable of providing... assistance from local police departments, fire departments, or State or local emergency response teams; (c...

Enhanced Rescue Lift Capability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Young, Larry A.

2007-01-01

The evolving and ever-increasing demands of emergency response and disaster relief support provided by rotorcraft dictate, among other things, the development of enhanced rescue lift capability for these platforms. This preliminary analysis is first-order in nature but provides considerable insight into some of the challenges inherent in trying to effect rescue using a unique form of robotic rescue device deployed and operated from rotary-wing aerial platforms.

New Tools for New Missions - Unmanned Aircraft Systems Offer Exciting Capabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bland, G.; Miles, T.; Pieri, D. C.; Coronado, P. L.; Fladeland, M. M.; Diaz, J. A.; Cione, J.; Maslanik, J. A.; Roman, M. O.; de Boer, G.; Argrow, B. M.; Novara, J.; Stachura, M.; Neal, D.; Moisan, J. R.

2015-12-01

There are numerous emerging possibilities for utilizing unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to investigate a variety of natural hazards, both for prediction and analysis of specific events. Additionally, quick response capabilities will provide affordable, low risk support for emergency management teams. NASA's partnerships with commercial, university and other government agency teams are bringing new capabilities to research and emergency management communities. New technology platforms and instrument systems are gaining momentum for stand-off remote sensing observations, as well as penetration and detailed in-situ examination of natural and anthropogenic phenomena. Several pioneering investigations have provided the foundation for this development, including NASA projects with Aerosonde, Dragon Eye, and SIERRA platforms. With miniaturized instrument and platform technologies, these experiments demonstrated that previously unobtainable observations may significantly aid in the understanding, prediction, and assessment of natural hazards such as storms, volcanic eruptions, floods, and the potential impact of environmental changes. Remote sensing observations of storms and fires have also been successfully demonstrated through NASA's efforts with larger UAS such as the Global Hawk and Ikhana platforms. The future may unfold with new high altitude and/or long endurance capabilities, in some cases with less size and costs as payload capacity requirements are reduced through further miniaturization, and alternatively with expanded instrumentation and mission profiles. Several new platforms and instrument development projects are underway that will enable affordable, quick response observations. Additionally, distributed measurements that will provide near-simultaneous coverage at multiple locations will be possible - an exciting new mission concept that will greatly aid many observation scenarios. Partnerships with industry, academia, and other government agencies are all making significant contributions to these new capabilities.

When the bells toll: engaging healthcare providers in catastrophic disaster response planning.

PubMed

Hanfling, Dan

2013-01-01

Catastrophic disaster planning and response have been impeded by the inability to better coordinate the many components of the emergency response system. Healthcare providers in particular have remained on the periphery of such planning because of a variety of real or perceived barriers. Although hospitals and healthcare systems have worked successfully to develop surge capacity and capability, less successful have been the attempts to inculcate such planning in the private practice medical community. Implementation of a systems approach to catastrophic disaster planning that incorporates healthcare provider participation and engagement as one of the first steps toward such efforts will be of significant importance in ensuring that a comprehensive and successful emergency response will ensue.

The social media manifesto: a comprehensive review of the impact of social media on emergency management.

PubMed

Crowe, Adam

2011-02-01

Over the past five years, social media have impacted emergency management and disaster response in numerous ways. The emergency management professional must begin to accept this impact not as an arbitrary consequence of an uncontrolled disaster, but rather as a tool to help coordinate, manage and facilitate a safe and expected response during emergencies and disasters. This paper will explain the power and purpose of social media as well as how social media systems have equalised capabilities for all levels and sizes of government. Moreover, this paper will also highlight the social media systems that are being used as operational tools as well as what the future holds. Lastly, common implementation challenges will be discussed through a look at systematic approaches to applying social media in emergency management as a positive and valuable tool.

Public Health Crisis Preparedness and Response in Korea

PubMed Central

Lee, Hye-Young; Oh, Mi-Na; Park, Yong-Shik; Chu, Chaeshin; Son, Tae-Jong

2013-01-01

Since the 2006 Pandemic Influenza Preparedness and Response Plan according to the World Health Organization’s recommendation, the Republic of Korea has prepared and periodically evaluated the plan to respond to various public health crises including pandemic influenza. Korea has stockpiled 13,000,000 doses of antiviral drugs covering 26% of the Korean population and runs 519 isolated beds in 16 medical institutions. The division of public health crisis response in Korea Centers for Disease Control and Prevention are in charge of responding to public health crises caused by emerging infectious diseases including severe acute respiratory syndrome, avian influenza human infection, and pandemic influenza. Its job description includes preparing for emerging infectious diseases, securing medical resources during a crisis, activating the emergency response during the crisis, and fortification of capabilities of public health personnel. It could evolve into a comprehensive national agency to deal with public health crisis based on the experience of previous national emerging infectious diseases. PMID:24298444

Assessing and improving cross-border chemical incident preparedness and response across Europe.

PubMed

Stewart-Evans, James; Hall, Lisbeth; Czerczak, Slawomir; Manley, Kevin; Dobney, Alec; Hoffer, Sally; Pałaszewska-Tkacz, Anna; Jankowska, Agnieszka

2014-11-01

Good practices in emergency preparedness and response for chemical incidents include practices specific to the different functions of exposure assessment (e.g., within the monitoring function, the use of mobile monitoring equipment; within the modelling function, the use of rapid dispersion models with integrated mapping software) and generic practices to engage incident response stakeholders to maximise exposure assessment capabilities (e.g., sharing protocols and pre-prepared information and multi-agency training and exercising). Such practices can optimise cross-border collaboration. A wide range of practices have been implemented across MSs during chemical incident response, particularly during incidents that have cross-border and trans-boundary impacts. This paper proposes a self-assessment methodology to enable MSs, or organisations within MSs, to examine exposure assessment capabilities and communication pathways between exposure assessors and public health risk assessors. Where gaps exist, this methodology provides links to good practices that could improve response, communication and collaboration across local, regional and national borders. A fragmented approach to emergency preparedness for chemical incidents is a major obstacle to improving cross-border exposure assessment. There is no one existing body or structure responsible for all aspects of chemical incident preparedness and response in the European Union. Due to the range of different organisations and networks involved in chemical incident response, emergency preparedness needs to be drawn together. A number of recommendations are proposed, including the use of networks of experts which link public health risk assessors with experts in exposure assessment, in order to coordinate and improve chemical incident emergency preparedness. The EU's recent Decision on serious cross-border threats to health aims to facilitate MSs' compliance with the International Health Regulations, which require reporting and communication regarding significant chemical incidents. This provides a potential route to build on in order to improve chemical incident preparedness and response across Europe. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Advanced Atmospheric Modeling for Emergency Response.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fast, Jerome D.; O'Steen, B. Lance; Addis, Robert P.

1995-03-01

Atmospheric transport and diffusion models are an important part of emergency response systems for industrial facilities that have the potential to release significant quantities of toxic or radioactive material into the atmosphere. An advanced atmospheric transport and diffusion modeling system for emergency response and environmental applications, based upon a three-dimensional mesoscale model, has been developed for the U.S. Department of Energy's Savannah River Site so that complex, time-dependent flow fields not explicitly measured can be routinely simulated. To overcome some of the current computational demands of mesoscale models, two operational procedures for the advanced atmospheric transport and diffusion modeling system are described including 1) a semiprognostic calculation to produce high-resolution wind fields for local pollutant transport in the vicinity of the Savannah River Site and 2) a fully prognostic calculation to produce a regional wind field encompassing the southeastern United States for larger-scale pollutant problems. Local and regional observations and large-scale model output are used by the mesoscale model for the initial conditions, lateral boundary conditions, and four-dimensional data assimilation procedure. This paper describes the current status of the modeling system and presents two case studies demonstrating the capabilities of both modes of operation. While the results from the case studies shown in this paper are preliminary and certainly not definitive, they do suggest that the mesoscale model has the potential for improving the prognostic capabilities of atmospheric modeling for emergency response at the Savannah River Site. Long-term model evaluation will be required to determine under what conditions significant forecast errors exist.

Collective response to public health emergencies and large-scale disasters: putting hospitals at the core of community resilience.

PubMed

Paturas, James L; Smith, Deborah; Smith, Stewart; Albanese, Joseph

2010-07-01

Healthcare organisations are a critical part of a community's resilience and play a prominent role as the backbone of medical response to natural and manmade disasters. The importance of healthcare organisations, in particular hospitals, to remain operational extends beyond the necessity to sustain uninterrupted medical services for the community, in the aftermath of a large-scale disaster. Hospitals are viewed as safe havens where affected individuals go for shelter, food, water and psychosocial assistance, as well as to obtain information about missing family members or learn of impending dangers related to the incident. The ability of hospitals to respond effectively to high-consequence incidents producing a massive arrival of patients that disrupt daily operations requires surge capacity and capability. The activation of hospital emergency support functions provides an approach by which hospitals manage a short-term shortfall of hospital personnel through the reallocation of hospital employees, thereby obviating the reliance on external qualified volunteers for surge capacity and capability. Recent revisions to the Joint Commission's hospital emergency preparedness standard have impelled healthcare facilities to participate actively in community-wide planning, rather than confining planning exclusively to a single healthcare facility, in order to harmonise disaster management strategies and effectively coordinate the allocation of community resources and expertise across all local response agencies.

32 CFR 105.4 - Policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... capable and engaged. (2) Require that medical care and SAPR services are gender-responsive, culturally... actions shall be supported by all commanders. (e) Standardized SAPR requirements, terminology, guidelines... comprehensive medical and psychological treatment, including emergency care treatment and services, as described...

32 CFR 105.4 - Policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... capable and engaged. (2) Require that medical care and SAPR services are gender-responsive, culturally... actions shall be supported by all commanders. (e) Standardized SAPR requirements, terminology, guidelines... comprehensive medical and psychological treatment, including emergency care treatment and services, as described...

A Profile of Indian Health Service Emergency Departments.

PubMed

Bernard, Kenneth; Hasegawa, Kohei; Sullivan, Ashley; Camargo, Carlos

2017-06-01

The Indian Health Service provides health care to eligible American Indians and Alaskan Natives. No published data exist on emergency services offered by this unique health care system. We seek to determine the characteristics and capabilities of Indian Health Service emergency departments (EDs). All Indian Health Service EDs were surveyed about demographics and operational characteristics for 2014 with the National Emergency Department Inventory survey (available at http://www.emnet-nedi.org/). Of the forty eligible sites, there were 34 respondents (85% response rate). Respondents reported a total of 637,523 ED encounters, ranging from 521 to 63,200 visits per site. Overall, 85% (95% confidence interval 70% to 94%) had continuous physician coverage. Of all physicians staffing the ED, a median of 13% (interquartile range 0% to 50%) were board certified or board prepared in emergency medicine. Overall, 50% (95% confidence interval 34% to 66%) of respondents reported that their ED was operating over capacity. Indian Health Service EDs varied widely in visit volume, with many operating over capacity. Most were not staffed by board-certified or -prepared emergency physicians. Most lacked access to specialty consultation and telemedicine capabilities. Copyright © 2016 American College of Emergency Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

An Economic Analysis and Approach for Health Care Preparedness in a Substate Region.

PubMed

Stryckman, Benoit; Grace, Thomas L; Schwarz, Peter; Marcozzi, David

2015-08-01

To demonstrate the application of economics to health care preparedness by estimating the financial return on investment in a substate regional emergency response team and to develop a financial model aimed at sustaining community-level disaster readiness. Economic evaluation methods were applied to the experience of a regional Pennsylvania response capability. A cost-benefit analysis was performed by using information on funding of the response team and 17 real-world events the team responded to between 2008 and 2013. By use of the results of the cost-benefit analysis as well as information on the response team's catchment area, a risk-based insurance-like membership model was built. The cost-benefit analysis showed a positive return after 6 years of investment in the regional emergency response team. Financial modeling allowed for the calculation of premiums for 2 types of providers within the emergency response team's catchment area: hospitals and long-term care facilities. The analysis indicated that preparedness activities have a positive return on their investment in this substate region. By applying economic principles, communities can estimate their return on investment to make better business decisions in an effort to increase the sustainability of emergency preparedness programs at the regional level.

Meeting national response time targets for priority 1 incidents in an urban emergency medical services system in South Africa: More ambulances won't help.

PubMed

Stein, Christopher; Wallis, Lee; Adetunji, Olufemi

2015-09-19

Response time is viewed as a key performance indicator in most emergency medical services (EMS) systems. To determine the effect of increased emergency vehicle numbers on response time performance for priority 1 incidents in an urban EMS system in Cape Town, South Africa, using discrete-event computer simulation. A simulation model was created, based on input data from part of the EMS operations. Two different versions of the model were used, one with primary response vehicles and ambulances and one with only ambulances. In both cases the models were run in seven different scenarios. The first scenario used the actual number of emergency vehicles in the real system, and in each subsequent scenario vehicle numbers were increased by adding the baseline number to the cumulative total. The model using only ambulances had shorter response times and a greater number of responses meeting national response time targets than models using primary response vehicles and ambulances. In both cases an improvement in response times and the number of responses meeting national response time targets was observed with the first incremental addition of vehicles. After this the improvements rapidly diminished and eventually became negligible with each successive increase in vehicle numbers. The national response time target for urban areas was never met, even with a seven-fold increase in vehicle numbers. The addition of emergency vehicles to an urban EMS system improves response times in priority 1 incidents, but alone is not capable of the magnitude of response time improvement needed to meet the national response time targets.

The Umbra Simulation and Integration Framework Applied to Emergency Response Training

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hamilton, Paul Lawrence; Britain, Robert

2010-01-01

The Mine Emergency Response Interactive Training Simulation (MERITS) is intended to prepare personnel to manage an emergency in an underground coal mine. The creation of an effective training environment required realistic emergent behavior in response to simulation events and trainee interventions, exploratory modification of miner behavior rules, realistic physics, and incorporation of legacy code. It also required the ability to add rich media to the simulation without conflicting with normal desktop security settings. Our Umbra Simulation and Integration Framework facilitated agent-based modeling of miners and rescuers and made it possible to work with subject matter experts to quickly adjust behavior through script editing, rather than through lengthy programming and recompilation. Integration of Umbra code with the WebKit browser engine allowed the use of JavaScript-enabled local web pages for media support. This project greatly extended the capabilities of Umbra in support of training simulations and has implications for simulations that combine human behavior, physics, and rich media.

Enhancing private sector engagement: Louisiana's business emergency operations centre.

PubMed

Day, Jamison M; Strother, Shannon; Kolluru, Ramesh; Booth, Joseph; Rawls, Jason; Calderon, Andres

2010-07-01

Public sector emergency management is more effective when it coordinates its efforts with private sector companies that can provide useful capabilities faster, cheaper and better than government agencies. A business emergency operations centre (EOC) provides a space for private sector and non-governmental organisations to gather together in support of government efforts. This paper reviews business-related EOC practices in multiple US states and details the development of a new business EOC by the State of Louisiana, including lessons learned in response to the May 2010 oil spill.

A Location Based Communication Proposal for Disaster Crisis Management

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gülnerman, A. G.; Goksel, C.; Tezer, A.

2014-12-01

The most vital applications within urban applications under the title of Geographical Information system applications are Disaster applications. Especially, In Turkey the most occured disaster type Earthquakes impacts are hard to retain in urban due to greatness of area, data and effected resident or victim. Currently, communications between victims and institutions congested and collapsed, after disaster that results emergency service delay and so secondary death and desperation. To avoid these types of life loss, the communication should be established between public and institutions. Geographical Information System Technology is seen capable of data management techniques and communication tool. In this study, Life Saving Kiosk Modal Proposal designed as a communication tool based on GIS, after disaster, takes locational emegency demands, meets emergency demands over notification maps which is created by those demands,increase public solidarity by visualizing close emergency demanded area surrounded another one and gathers emergency service demanded institutions notifications and aims to increasethe capability of management. This design prosals' leading role is public. Increase in capability depends on public major contribution to disaster management by required communication infrastructure establishment. The aim is to propound public power instead of public despiration. Apart from general view of disaster crisis management approaches, Life Saving Kiosk Modal Proposal indicates preparedness and response phases within the disaster cycle and solve crisis management with the organization of design in preparedness phase, use in response phase. This resolution modal flow diagram is builded between public, communication tool (kiosk) amd response force. The software is included in communication tools whose functions, interface designs and user algorithms are provided considering the public participation. In this study, disaster crisis management with public participation and power use with data flow modal based on location is came up for discussion by comparing with the other available applications in manner of time, detail of data, required staff and expertise degree, data reality and data archive.

The knowledge, attitude and behavior about public health emergencies and the response capacity of primary care medical staffs of Guangdong Province, China.

PubMed

Zhiheng, Zhou; Caixia, Wang; Jiaji, Wang; Huajie, Yang; Chao, Wang; Wannian, Liang

2012-09-25

Primary care medical staffs' knowledge, attitude and behavior about health emergency and the response capacity are directly related to the control and prevention of public health emergencies. Therefore, it is of great significance for improving primary care to gain in-depth knowledge about knowledge, attitude and behavior and the response capacity of primary care medical staffs. The main objective of this study is to explore knowledge, attitude and behavior, and the response capacity of primary care medical staffs of Guangdong Province, China. Stratified clustered sample method was used in the anonymous questionnaire investigation about knowledge, attitude and behavior, and the response capacity of 3410 primary care medical staffs in 15 cities of Guangdong Province, China from July, 2010 to October 2010. The emergency response capacity was evaluated by 33 questions. The highest score of the response capacity was 100 points (full score), score of 70 was a standard. 62.4% primary care medical staffs believed that public health emergencies would happen. Influenza (3.86 ± 0.88), food poisoning (3.35 ± 0.75), and environmental pollution events (3.23 ± 0.80) (the total score was 5) were considered most likely to occur. Among the 7 public health emergency skills, the highest self-assessment score is "public health emergency prevention skills" (2.90 ± 0.68), the lowest is "public health emergency risk management (the total score was 5)" (1.81 ± 0.40). Attitude evaluation showed 66.1% of the medical staffs believed that the community awareness of risk management were ordinary. Evaluation of response capacity of health emergency showed that the score of primary care medical staffs was 67.23 ± 10.61, and the response capacity of senior physicians, public health physicians and physicians with relatively long-term practice were significantly better (P <0.05). Multiple linear stepwise regression analysis showed gender, title, position, type of work, work experience and whether to participate relative training were the main factors affecting the health emergency response capacity. The knowledge, attitude and behavior about public health emergencies and the response capacity of primary care medical staffs of Guangdong Province (China) were poor. Health administrative departments should strengthen the training of health emergency knowledge and skills of the primary care medical staffs to enhance their health emergency response capabilities.

Exploratory analysis of real personal emergency response call conversations: considerations for personal emergency response spoken dialogue systems.

PubMed

Young, Victoria; Rochon, Elizabeth; Mihailidis, Alex

2016-11-14

The purpose of this study was to derive data from real, recorded, personal emergency response call conversations to help improve the artificial intelligence and decision making capability of a spoken dialogue system in a smart personal emergency response system. The main study objectives were to: develop a model of personal emergency response; determine categories for the model's features; identify and calculate measures from call conversations (verbal ability, conversational structure, timing); and examine conversational patterns and relationships between measures and model features applicable for improving the system's ability to automatically identify call model categories and predict a target response. This study was exploratory and used mixed methods. Personal emergency response calls were pre-classified according to call model categories identified qualitatively from response call transcripts. The relationships between six verbal ability measures, three conversational structure measures, two timing measures and three independent factors: caller type, risk level, and speaker type, were examined statistically. Emergency medical response services were the preferred response for the majority of medium and high risk calls for both caller types. Older adult callers mainly requested non-emergency medical service responders during medium risk situations. By measuring the number of spoken words-per-minute and turn-length-in-words for the first spoken utterance of a call, older adult and care provider callers could be identified with moderate accuracy. Average call taker response time was calculated using the number-of-speaker-turns and time-in-seconds measures. Care providers and older adults used different conversational strategies when responding to call takers. The words 'ambulance' and 'paramedic' may hold different latent connotations for different callers. The data derived from the real personal emergency response recordings may help a spoken dialogue system classify incoming calls by caller type with moderate probability shortly after the initial caller utterance. Knowing the caller type, the target response for the call may be predicted with some degree of probability and the output dialogue could be tailored to this caller type. The average call taker response time measured from real calls may be used to limit the conversation length in a spoken dialogue system before defaulting to a live call taker.

Pilot-in-the-Loop Evaluation of a Yaw Rate to Throttle Feedback Control with Enhanced Engine Response

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Litt, Jonathan S.; Guo, Ten-Huei; Sowers, T. Shane; Chicatelli, Amy K.; Fulton, Christopher E.; May, Ryan D.; Owen, A. Karl

2012-01-01

This paper describes the implementation and evaluation of a yaw rate to throttle feedback system designed to replace a damaged rudder. It can act as a Dutch roll damper and as a means to facilitate pilot input for crosswind landings. Enhanced propulsion control modes were implemented to increase responsiveness and thrust level of the engine, which impact flight dynamics and performance. Piloted evaluations were performed to determine the capability of the engines to substitute for the rudder function under emergency conditions. The results showed that this type of implementation is beneficial, but the engines' capability to replace the rudder is limited.

Collaboration in the San Francisco Bay Area Metropolitan Medical Response System

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-01

jurisdictional lines (V. Valdes, personal communication, December 15, 2008). As a local example, Stanford University is located in unincorporated Santa Clara...regional collaboration among local jurisdictions and emergency response organizations to build and sustain the regional preparedness capabilities... jurisdictions and overlap each others’ mission. 3 B. PURPOSE OF THIS STUDY The purpose of this study is to determine local perspectives on

Identifying Emerging Hybrid Adversaries

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

average 1 hour per response , including the time for reviewing instructions, searching existing data sources, gathering and maintaining the data needed...SECURITY CLASSIFICATION OF: 17. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT Same as Report (SAR) 18. NUMBER OF PAGES 12 19a. NAME OF RESPONSIBLE PERSON a. REPORT...an extended engage- ment area to get into the close fight.4 In addition, they will employ a wide range of capabilities including cyber, social media

Preparing for a significant central U.S. earthquake : science needs of the emergency response community.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-02-01

The New Madrid and Wabash Valley seismic zones are capable of producing large magnitude earthquakes that could cause significant damage and interrupt the east to west flow of transportation, communication, electricity, natural gas and oil across the ...

40 CFR 300.175 - Federal agencies: additional responsibilities and assistance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... substances on lands under its jurisdiction. (ii) The Agriculture Research Service (ARS) administers an... nutrition. The ARS has the capabilities to provide regulation of, and evaluation and training for, employees exposed to biological, chemical, radiological, and industrial hazards. In emergency situations, the ARS...

40 CFR 300.175 - Federal agencies: additional responsibilities and assistance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... substances on lands under its jurisdiction. (ii) The Agriculture Research Service (ARS) administers an... nutrition. The ARS has the capabilities to provide regulation of, and evaluation and training for, employees exposed to biological, chemical, radiological, and industrial hazards. In emergency situations, the ARS...

40 CFR 300.175 - Federal agencies: additional responsibilities and assistance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... substances on lands under its jurisdiction. (ii) The Agriculture Research Service (ARS) administers an... nutrition. The ARS has the capabilities to provide regulation of, and evaluation and training for, employees exposed to biological, chemical, radiological, and industrial hazards. In emergency situations, the ARS...

40 CFR 300.175 - Federal agencies: additional responsibilities and assistance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... substances on lands under its jurisdiction. (ii) The Agriculture Research Service (ARS) administers an... nutrition. The ARS has the capabilities to provide regulation of, and evaluation and training for, employees exposed to biological, chemical, radiological, and industrial hazards. In emergency situations, the ARS...

40 CFR 300.175 - Federal agencies: additional responsibilities and assistance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... substances on lands under its jurisdiction. (ii) The Agriculture Research Service (ARS) administers an... nutrition. The ARS has the capabilities to provide regulation of, and evaluation and training for, employees exposed to biological, chemical, radiological, and industrial hazards. In emergency situations, the ARS...

Enablers and Barriers to Community Engagement in Public Health Emergency Preparedness: A Literature Review.

PubMed

Ramsbottom, Anna; O'Brien, Eleanor; Ciotti, Lucrezio; Takacs, Judit

2018-04-01

Public health emergency preparedness (PHEP) all too often focusses only on institutional capabilities, including their technical expertise and political influence, while overlooking community capabilities. However, the success of institutional emergency preparedness plans depends upon communities and institutions working together to ensure successful anticipation, response and recovery. Broader community engagement is therefore recommended worldwide. This literature review was carried out to identify enablers and barriers to community and institutional synergies in emergency preparedness. Searches were undertaken across bibliographic databases and grey literature sources. The literature identified was qualitative in nature. A qualitative, 'best fit' framework approach using a pre-existing framework was used to analyse the literature, whereby themes were added and changed as analysis progressed. A working definition of community was identified, based on a 'whole community' approach, inclusive of the whole multitude of stakeholders including community residents and emergency management staff. Given the diversity in community make-up, the types of emergencies that could be faced, the socio-economic, environmental and political range of communities, there are no set practices that will be effective for all communities. The most effective way of engaging communities in emergency preparedness is context-dependent and the review did draw out some important key messages for institutions to consider.

Are regional hospital pharmacies prepared for public health emergencies?

PubMed

Hsu, Edbert B; Casani, Julie A; Romanosky, Al; Millin, Michael G; Singleton, Christa M; Donohue, John; Feroli, E Robert; Rubin, Melvin; Subbarao, Italo; Whyne, Dianne M; Snodgrass, Thomas D; Kelen, Gabor D

2006-01-01

In the event of a major chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, or explosive (CBRNE) attack or a natural disaster, large quantities of pharmaceuticals and medical supplies may be required with little or no warning. Pharmaceutical surge capacity for immediate response, before Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) supplies become available, remains a significant gap in emergency preparedness. To date, limited attempts have been made to assess collective regional hospital pharmaceutical response capabilities. In this project, we characterized the level of hospital pharmaceutical response preparedness in a major metropolitan region. The Johns Hopkins Office of Critical Event Preparedness and Response (CEPAR) convened a collaborative partnership to assess hospital pharmaceutical response capabilities. A survey was developed to characterize pharmaceutical response preparedness to CBRNE threats. All 22 acute care hospitals in the Maryland region were sent pharmaceutical response surveys, and responses were received from 86% (19/22). Within the past year, 84% (16/19) of hospitals had implemented an exercise with pharmacy participation. More than half of the hospitals expect to receive assistance from the SNS in 48 hours or less. Seventy-four percent (14/19) of the hospitals reported an additional dedicated reserve supply for biological events, 74% (14/19) for chemical events, and 58% (11/19) for radiological events. Many hospitals in this metropolitan region have taken important steps toward enhancing pharmaceutical preparedness. However, hospitals generally remain underprepared for CBRNE threats and collectively have limited supplies of antibiotics to provide prophylaxis or treatment for hospital staff, their families, and patients in the event of a significant biological incident.

Federal Emergency Management Agency: An Organization Prepared

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-12-12

such that discussion of or inclusion of them is outside the scope and capability of this paper . This paper will not argue either for or against the...understanding how FEMA has changed in disaster response since Hurricane Andrew. Furthermore, this paper will explore USNORTHCOM’s preparedness to

Stennis acquires new ladder truck

NASA Image and Video Library

2009-10-20

The Stennis Space Center Fire Department added to its fire-fighting capabilities with acquisition of a new emergency response vehicle, Ladder-1, for use on-site. The E-One HP78 Aerial Truck is a combination aerial ladder and fire suppression unit and is designed with the latest safety technology. Featuring a 78-foot ladder and a pumping capability of 1,500 gallons per minute, the new truck provides firefighters with a tremendous rescue and fire suppression tool, Stennis Fire Chief Clark Smith said.

Data and Geocomputation: Time Critical Mission Support for the 2017 Hurricane Season

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bhaduri, B. L.; Tuttle, M.; Rose, A.; Sanyal, J.; Thakur, G.; White, D.; Yang, H. H.; Laverdiere, M.; Whitehead, M.; Taylor, H.; Jacob, M.

2017-12-01

A strong spatial data infrastructure and geospatial analysis capabilities are nucleus to the decision-making process during emergency preparedness, response, and recovery operations. For over a decade, the U.S. Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory has been developing critical data and analytical capabilities that provide the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the rest of the federal response community assess and evaluate impacts of natural hazards on population and critical infrastructures including the status of the national electricity and oil and natural gas networks. These capabilities range from identifying structures or buildings from very high-resolution satellite imagery, utilizing machine learning and high-performance computing, to daily assessment of electricity restoration highlighting changes in nighttime lights for the impacted region based on the analysis of NOAA JPSS VIIRS Day/Night Band (DNB) imagery. This presentation will highlight our time critical mission support efforts for the 2017 hurricane season that witnessed unprecedented devastation from hurricanes Harvey, Irma, and Maria. ORNL provided 90m resolution LandScan USA population distribution data for identifying vulnerable population as well as structure (buildings) data extracted from 1m imagery for damage assessment. Spatially accurate data for solid waste facilities were developed and delivered to the response community. Human activity signatures were assessed from large scale collection of open source social media data around points of interests (POI) to ascertain level of destruction. The electricity transmission system was monitored in real time from data integration from hundreds of utilities and electricity outage information were provided back to the response community via standardized web-services.

Making vaccines “on demand”

PubMed Central

De Groot, Anne S; Einck, Leo; Moise, Leonard; Chambers, Michael; Ballantyne, John; Malone, Robert W; Ardito, Matthew; Martin, William

2013-01-01

The integrated US Public Health Emergency Medical Countermeasures Enterprise (PHEMCE) has made great strides in strategic preparedness and response capabilities. There have been numerous advances in planning, biothreat countermeasure development, licensure, manufacturing, stockpiling and deployment. Increased biodefense surveillance capability has dramatically improved, while new tools and increased awareness have fostered rapid identification of new potential public health pathogens. Unfortunately, structural delays in vaccine design, development, manufacture, clinical testing and licensure processes remain significant obstacles to an effective national biodefense rapid response capability. This is particularly true for the very real threat of “novel pathogens” such as the avian-origin influenzas H7N9 and H5N1, and new coronaviruses such as hCoV-EMC. Conventional approaches to vaccine development, production, clinical testing and licensure are incompatible with the prompt deployment needed for an effective public health response. An alternative approach, proposed here, is to apply computational vaccine design tools and rapid production technologies that now make it possible to engineer vaccines for novel emerging pathogen and WMD biowarfare agent countermeasures in record time. These new tools have the potential to significantly reduce the time needed to design string-of-epitope vaccines for previously unknown pathogens. The design process—from genome to gene sequence, ready to insert in a DNA plasmid—can now be accomplished in less than 24 h. While these vaccines are by no means “standard,” the need for innovation in the vaccine design and production process is great. Should such vaccines be developed, their 60-d start-to-finish timeline would represent a 2-fold faster response than the current standard. PMID:23877094

American College of Emergency Physicians Ethics Manual.

PubMed

1991-10-01

Ethical concerns are a major part of the clinical practice of emergency medicine. The emergency physician must make hard choices, not only with regard to the scientific/technical aspects but also with regard to the moral aspects of caring for emergency patients. By the nature of the specialty, emergency physicians face ethical dilemmas often requiring prompt decisions with limited information. This manual identifies important moral principles and values in emergency medicine. The underlying assumption is that a knowledge of moral principles and ethical values helps the emergency physician make responsible moral choices. Neither the scientific nor the moral aspects of clinical decision making can be reduced to simple formulas. Nevertheless, decisions must be made. Emergency physicians should, therefore, be cognizant of the ethical principles that are important for emergency medicine, understand the process of ethical reasoning, and be capable of making rational moral decisions based on a stable framework of values.

Healthcare Information Technology (HIT) in an Anti-Access (A2) and Area Denial (AD) Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-03-01

OFFICE OF THE COMMAND SURGEON, AIR COMBAT COMMAND FELLOWSHIP PAPER HEALTHCARE INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY (HIT) IN AN ANTI-ACCESS (A2) AND AREA...expeditionary responses. A light and lean medical response that utilizes emerging technology , specifically HIT, enhances the AFMS’ readiness posture and...expeditionary medical capability. The new USAF reality in an A2/AD environment is impeded access, very little if any technological dominance

Public Health System Response to Extreme Weather Events.

PubMed

Hunter, Mark D; Hunter, Jennifer C; Yang, Jane E; Crawley, Adam W; Aragón, Tomás J

2016-01-01

Extreme weather events, unpredictable and often far-reaching, constitute a persistent challenge for public health preparedness. The goal of this research is to inform public health systems improvement through examination of extreme weather events, comparing across cases to identify recurring patterns in event and response characteristics. Structured telephone-based interviews were conducted with representatives from health departments to assess characteristics of recent extreme weather events and agencies' responses. Response activities were assessed using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Public Health Emergency Preparedness Capabilities framework. Challenges that are typical of this response environment are reported. Forty-five local health departments in 20 US states. Respondents described public health system responses to 45 events involving tornadoes, flooding, wildfires, winter weather, hurricanes, and other storms. Events of similar scale were infrequent for a majority (62%) of the communities involved; disruption to critical infrastructure was universal. Public Health Emergency Preparedness Capabilities considered most essential involved environmental health investigations, mass care and sheltering, surveillance and epidemiology, information sharing, and public information and warning. Unanticipated response activities or operational constraints were common. We characterize extreme weather events as a "quadruple threat" because (1) direct threats to population health are accompanied by damage to public health protective and community infrastructure, (2) event characteristics often impose novel and pervasive burdens on communities, (3) responses rely on critical infrastructures whose failure both creates new burdens and diminishes response capacity, and (4) their infrequency and scale further compromise response capacity. Given the challenges associated with extreme weather events, we suggest opportunities for organizational learning and preparedness improvements.

The knowledge, attitude and behavior about public health emergencies and the response capacity of primary care medical staffs of Guangdong Province, China

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Primary care medical staffs’ knowledge, attitude and behavior about health emergency and the response capacity are directly related to the control and prevention of public health emergencies. Therefore, it is of great significance for improving primary care to gain in-depth knowledge about knowledge, attitude and behavior and the response capacity of primary care medical staffs. The main objective of this study is to explore knowledge, attitude and behavior, and the response capacity of primary care medical staffs of Guangdong Province, China. Methods Stratified clustered sample method was used in the anonymous questionnaire investigation about knowledge, attitude and behavior, and the response capacity of 3410 primary care medical staffs in 15 cities of Guangdong Province, China from July, 2010 to October 2010. The emergency response capacity was evaluated by 33 questions. The highest score of the response capacity was 100 points (full score), score of 70 was a standard. Results 62.4% primary care medical staffs believed that public health emergencies would happen. Influenza (3.86 ± 0.88), food poisoning (3.35 ± 0.75), and environmental pollution events (3.23 ± 0.80) (the total score was 5) were considered most likely to occur. Among the 7 public health emergency skills, the highest self-assessment score is “public health emergency prevention skills” (2.90 ± 0.68), the lowest is “public health emergency risk management (the total score was 5)” (1.81 ± 0.40). Attitude evaluation showed 66.1% of the medical staffs believed that the community awareness of risk management were ordinary. Evaluation of response capacity of health emergency showed that the score of primary care medical staffs was 67.23 ± 10.61, and the response capacity of senior physicians, public health physicians and physicians with relatively long-term practice were significantly better (P <0.05). Multiple linear stepwise regression analysis showed gender, title, position, type of work, work experience and whether to participate relative training were the main factors affecting the health emergency response capacity. Conclusions The knowledge, attitude and behavior about public health emergencies and the response capacity of primary care medical staffs of Guangdong Province (China) were poor. Health administrative departments should strengthen the training of health emergency knowledge and skills of the primary care medical staffs to enhance their health emergency response capabilities. PMID:23009075

The current crisis in emergency care and the impact on disaster preparedness.

PubMed

Cherry, Robert A; Trainer, Marcia

2008-05-01

The Homeland Security Act (HSA) of 2002 provided for the designation of a critical infrastructure protection program. This ultimately led to the designation of emergency services as a targeted critical infrastructure. In the context of an evolving crisis in hospital-based emergency care, the extent to which federal funding has addressed disaster preparedness will be examined. After 9/11, federal plans, procedures and benchmarks were mandated to assure a unified, comprehensive disaster response, ranging from local to federal activation of resources. Nevertheless, insufficient federal funding has contributed to a long-standing counter-trend which has eroded emergency medical care. The causes are complex and multifactorial, but they have converged to present a severely overburdened system that regularly exceeds emergency capacity and capabilities. This constant acute overcrowding, felt in communities all across the country, indicates a nation at risk. Federal funding has not sufficiently prioritized the improvements necessary for an emergency care infrastructure that is critical for an all hazards response to disaster and terrorist emergencies. Currently, the nation is unable to meet presidential preparedness mandates for emergency and disaster care. Federal funding strategies must therefore be re-prioritized and targeted in a way that reasonably and consistently follows need.

A Sensitivity Study of Commercial Aircraft Engine Response for Emergency Situations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Csank, Jeffrey T.; May, Ryan D.; Litt, Jonathan S.; Guo, Ten-Huei

2011-01-01

This paper contains the details of a sensitivity study in which the variation in a commercial aircraft engine's outputs is observed for perturbations in its operating condition inputs or control parameters. This study seeks to determine the extent to which various controller limits can be modified to improve engine performance, while capturing the increased risk that results from the changes. In an emergency, the engine may be required to produce additional thrust, respond faster, or both, to improve the survivability of the aircraft. The objective of this paper is to propose changes to the engine controller and determine the costs and benefits of the additional capabilities produced by the engine. This study indicates that the aircraft engine is capable of producing additional thrust, but at the cost of an increased risk of an engine failure due to higher turbine temperatures and rotor speeds. The engine can also respond more quickly to transient commands, but this action reduces the remaining stall margin to possibly dangerous levels. To improve transient response in landing scenarios, a control mode known as High Speed Idle is proposed that increases the responsiveness of the engine and conserves stall margin

Emergency Medical Response Capability Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

1982-07-01

Analgesics, non-narcotic Anesthesia aooaratus Antibiotics and anti-bacterials Basin, qash, solution Antidiabetic Agents (Oral) Blade, surgical Knife...for replace- Holder, suture needle nent therapy Inhaler, anesthesia , Yankauer (atner fask) Local anesthetics Intravenous injection sets Lubricant...Medium-Spectrum Erythromycin Kanamycin Clindamycin Narrow-Spectrum Penicillins Oxacillin Methicillin Streptomycin Gentamicin Other Amphotericin B Nystatin

78 FR 63901 - Onsite Emergency Response Capabilities

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-25

... #0; #0;Proposed Rules #0; Federal Register #0; #0; #0;This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains notices to the public of #0;the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these #0;notices is to give interested persons an opportunity to participate in #0;the rule making prior to...

3 CFR 8520 - Proclamation 8520 of May 14, 2010. National Defense Transportation Day and National...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... support our military readiness and emergency response capabilities. Our Nation’s transportation arteries... Transportation Week, 2010By the President of the United States of America A Proclamation The transportation networks of early America connected our rapidly growing Nation with natural waterways and dirt roads...

Public health preparedness of health providers: meeting the needs of diverse, rural communities.

PubMed

Hsu, Chiehwen Ed; Mas, Francisco Soto; Jacobson, Holly E; Harris, Ann Marie; Hunt, Victoria I; Nkhoma, Ella T

2006-11-01

Meeting the needs of public health emergency and response presents a unique challenge for health practitioners with primary responsibilities for rural communities that are often very diverse. The present study assessed the language capabilities, confidence and training needs of Texas rural physicians in responding to public health emergencies. In the first half of year 2004, a cross-sectional, semistructured survey questionnaire was administered in northern, rural Texas. The study population consisted of 841 practicing or retired physicians in the targeted area. One-hundred-sixty-six physicians (30%) responded to the survey. The responses were geographically referenced in maps. Respondents reported seeing patients with diverse cultural backgrounds. They communicated in 16 different languages other than English in clinical practice or at home, with 40% speaking Spanish at work. Most were not confident in the diagnosis or treatment of public health emergency cases. Geographic information systems were found useful in identifying those jurisdictions with expressed training and cultural needs. Additional efforts should be extended to involve African-American/Hispanic physicians in preparedness plans for providing culturally and linguistically appropriate care in emergencies.

The Common Ground Preparedness Framework: A Comprehensive Description of Public Health Emergency Preparedness

PubMed Central

Theadore, Fred; Jellison, James B.

2012-01-01

Currently, public health emergency preparedness (PHEP) is not well defined. Discussions about public health preparedness often make little progress, for lack of a shared understanding of the topic. We present a concise yet comprehensive framework describing PHEP activities. The framework, which was refined for 3 years by state and local health departments, uses terms easily recognized by the public health workforce within an information flow consistent with the National Incident Management System. To assess the framework's completeness, strengths, and weaknesses, we compare it to 4 other frameworks: the RAND Corporation's PREPARE Pandemic Influenza Quality Improvement Toolkit, the National Response Framework's Public Health and Medical Services Functional Areas, the National Health Security Strategy Capabilities List, and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's PHEP Capabilities. PMID:22397343

The Spanish Emergency Military Unit: Military Capabilities in a Civilian Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-05-23

of Weapons of Mass Destruction X X X Irregular Immigration X X X Espionage X Disasters and Emergencies X X X Maritime Vulnerability X...needs. The magnitude of the disaster, and the mishandling of the initial response, forced the governor of Florida, Mr. Lawton Chiles , to request for...Cruz Roja en el envío de ayuda a Haití y Chile .” 6 October 2010. Accessed 3 December 2014. http://www.defensa.gob.es/ gabinete/notasPrensa/2010/06

Emergent conditional relations in a Go/No-Go procedure: figure-ground and stimulus-position compound relations.

PubMed

Debert, Paula; Huziwara, Edson M; Faggiani, Robson Brino; De Mathis, Maria Eugênia Simões; McIlvane, William J

2009-09-01

Past research has demonstrated emergent conditional relations using a go/no-go procedure with pairs of figures displayed side-by-side on a computer screen. The present study sought to extend applications of this procedure. In Experiment 1, we evaluated whether emergent conditional relations could be demonstrated when two-component stimuli were displayed in figure-ground relationships-abstract figures displayed on backgrounds of different colors. Five normally capable adults participated. During training, each two-component stimulus was presented successively. Responses emitted in the presence of some stimulus pairs (A1B1, A2B2, A3B3, B1C1, B2C2 and B3C3) were reinforced, whereas responses emitted in the presence of other pairs (A1B2, A1B3, A2B1, A2B3, A3B1, A3B2, B1C2, B1C3, B2C1, B2C3, B3C1 and B3C2) were not. During tests, new configurations (AC and CA) were presented, thus emulating structurally the matching-to-sample tests employed in typical equivalence studies. All participants showed emergent relations consistent with stimulus equivalence during testing. In Experiment 2, we systematically replicated the procedures with stimulus compounds consisting of four figures (A1, A2, C1 and C2) and two locations (left - B1 and right - B2). All 6 normally capable adults exhibited emergent stimulus-stimulus relations. Together, these experiments show that the go/no-go procedure is a potentially useful alternative for studying emergent conditional relations when matching-to-sample is procedurally cumbersome or impossible to use.

Survey of the WHO-REMPAN network's capability for strengthening preparedness for radiological and nuclear emergencies.

PubMed

Kumagai, Atsushi; Carr, Zhanat; Akira, Ohtsuru; Christie, Derek; Yamashita, Shunichi

2012-10-01

This paper investigates the capacity of the World Health Organization (WHO)-REMPAN network in responding to radiological incidents and nuclear emergencies. A survey developed by the WHO Secretariat and Nagasaki University was sent to all 40 WHO-REMPAN collaborating centres and liaison institutes in order to verify the current situation of the network, identify needs and collect suggestions for future improvements. Most of the responding institutions said they were satisfied with the current status of the network. However, several responses to the survey indicate that better internal communication is needed, as well as a position document to specify the roles, rights and responsibilities of the network members.

United We Stand, Divided We Fall: Increasing Response Capability in Kentucky through Regionalization and Leadership

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-01

trust (Yang & Mossholder, 2010). In “Disaster and Emergency Management: Canadian Nurses ’ Perceptions of Preparedness on Hospital Front Lines,” the...authors examined nurses ’ perceptions in terms of their confidence rating of their level of preparedness, awareness of hospital plans, perceptions of...significant role in the ice storm response. Public health nurses worked in shelters; environmentalists were called upon to ensure that restaurants with

Assuring the USAF Core Missions in the Information Age

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-01

cyberspace operators, to include focusing on response capabilities such as emergency and incident- response teams and plans.6 One of the best ways to...accomplish this shift is through aggressive and thorough red teaming . A red team is a group of friendly attackers who attempt to attack systems to find...vulnerabilities but also giving defenders practice in how to rec- ognize and respond to attacks to keep their systems functioning. Red teams are

Chicago Ebola Response Network (CERN): A Citywide Cross-hospital Collaborative for Infectious Disease Preparedness.

PubMed

Lateef, Omar; Hota, Bala; Landon, Emily; Kociolek, Larry K; Morita, Julie; Black, Stephanie; Noskin, Gary; Kelleher, Michael; Curell, Krista; Galat, Amy; Ansell, David; Segreti, John; Weber, Stephen G

2015-11-15

The 2014-2015 Ebola virus disease (EVD) epidemic and international public health emergency has been referred to as a "black swan" event, or an event that is unlikely, hard to predict, and highly impactful once it occurs. The Chicago Ebola Response Network (CERN) was formed in response to EVD and is capable of receiving and managing new cases of EVD, while also laying the foundation for a public health network that can anticipate, manage, and prevent the next black swan public health event. By sharing expertise, risk, and resources among 4 major academic centers, Chicago created a sustainable network to respond to the latest in a series of public health emergencies. In this respect, CERN is a roadmap for how a region can prepare to respond to public health emergencies, thereby preventing negative impacts through planning and implementation. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Infectious Diseases Society of America. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Triage capabilities of medical trainees in Ghana using the South African triage scale: an opportunity to improve emergency care.

PubMed

Gyedu, Adam; Agbedinu, Kwabena; Dalwai, Mohammed; Osei-Ampofo, Maxwell; Nakua, Emmanuel Kweku; Oteng, Rockefeller; Stewart, Barclay

2016-01-01

The incidence of emergency conditions is increasing worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, triage and emergency care training has not been prioritized in LMICs. We aimed to assess the reliability and validity of the South African Triage Scale (SATS) when used by providers not specifically trained in SATS, as well as to compare triage capabilities between senior medical students and senior house officers to examine the effectiveness of our curriculum for house officer training with regards to triage. Sixty each of senior medical students and senior house officers who had not undergone specific triage or SATS training were asked to triage 25 previously validated emergency vignettes using the SATS. Estimates of reliability and validity were calculated. Additionally, over- and under-triage, as well as triage performance between the medical students and house officers was assessed against a reference standard. Fifty-nine senior medical students (98% response rate) and 43 senior house officers (72% response rate) completed the survey (84% response rate overall). A total of 2,550 triage assignments were included in the analysis (59 medical student and 43 house officer triage assignments for 25 vignettes each; 1,475 and 1,075 triage assignments, respectively). Inter-rater reliability was moderate (quadratically weighted κ 0.59 and 0.60 for medical students and house officers, respectively). Triage using SATS performed by these groups had low sensitivity (medical students: 54%, 95% CI 49-59; house officers: 55%, 95% CI 48-60) and moderate specificity (medical students: 84%, 95% CI 82 - 89; house officers: 84%, 95% CI 82 - 97). Both groups under-triaged most 'emergency' level vignette patients (i.e. SATS Red; 80 and 82% for medical students and house officers, respectively). There was no difference between the groups for any metric. Although the SATS has proven utility in a number of different settings in LMICs, its success relies on its use by trained providers. Given the large and growing burden of emergency conditions, training current and future emergency care providers in triage is imperative.

Improving Emergency Response and Human-Robotic Performance

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

David I. Gertman; David J. Bruemmer; R. Scott Hartley

2007-08-01

Preparedness for chemical, biological, and radiological/nuclear incidents at nuclear power plants (NPPs) includes the deployment of well trained emergency response teams. While teams are expected to do well, data from other domains suggests that the timeliness and accuracy associated with incident response can be improved through collaborative human-robotic interaction. Many incident response scenarios call for multiple, complex procedure-based activities performed by personnel wearing cumbersome personal protective equipment (PPE) and operating under high levels of stress and workload. While robotic assistance is postulated to reduce workload and exposure, limitations associated with communications and the robot’s ability to act independently have servedmore » to limit reliability and reduce our potential to exploit human –robotic interaction and efficacy of response. Recent work at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) on expanding robot capability has the potential to improve human-system response during disaster management and recovery. Specifically, increasing the range of higher level robot behaviors such as autonomous navigation and mapping, evolving new abstractions for sensor and control data, and developing metaphors for operator control have the potential to improve state-of-the-art in incident response. This paper discusses these issues and reports on experiments underway intelligence residing on the robot to enhance emergency response.« less

Security, Violent Events, and Anticipated Surge Capabilities of Emergency Departments in Washington State.

PubMed

Weyand, Jonathan S; Junck, Emily; Kang, Christopher S; Heiner, Jason D

2017-04-01

Over the past 15 years, violent threats and acts against hospital patients, staff, and providers have increased and escalated. The leading area for violence is the emergency department (ED) given its 24/7 operations, role in patient care, admissions gateway, and center for influxes during acute surge events. This investigation had three objectives: to assess the current security of Washington State EDs; to estimate the prevalence of and response to threats and violence in Washington State EDs; and to appraise the Washington State ED security capability to respond to acute influxes of patients, bystanders, and media during acute surge events. A voluntary, blinded, 28-question Web-based survey developed by emergency physicians was electronically delivered to all 87 Washington State ED directors in January 2013. We evaluated responses by descriptive statistical analyses. Analyses occurred after 90% (78/87) of ED directors responded. Annual censuses of the EDs ranged from < 20,000 to 100,000 patients and represented the entire spectrum of practice environments, including critical access hospitals and a regional quaternary referral medical center. Thirty-four of 75 (45%) reported the current level of security was inadequate, based on the general consensus of their ED staff. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of EDs had 24-hour security personnel coverage, while 28% reported no assigned security personnel. Security personnel training was provided by 45% of hospitals or healthcare systems. Sixty-nine of 78 (88%) respondents witnessed or heard about violent threats or acts occurring in their ED. Of these, 93% were directed towards nursing staff, 90% towards physicians, 74% towards security personnel, and 51% towards administrative personnel. Nearly half (48%) noted incidents directed towards another patient, and 50% towards a patient's family or friend. These events were variably reported to the hospital administration. After an acute surge event, 35% believed the initial additional security response would not be adequate, with 26% reporting no additional security would be available within 15 minutes. Our study reveals the variability of ED security staffing and a heterogeneity of capabilities throughout Washington State. These deficiencies and vulnerabilities highlight the need for other EDs and regional emergency preparedness planners to conduct their own readiness assessments.

Remote Sensing Laboratory - RSL

ScienceCinema

None

2018-01-16

One of the primary resources supporting homeland security is the Remote Sensing Laboratory, or RSL. The Laboratory creates advanced technologies for emergency response operations, radiological incident response, and other remote sensing activities. RSL emergency response teams are on call 24-hours a day, and maintain the capability to deploy domestically and internationally in response to threats involving the loss, theft, or release of nuclear or radioactive material. Such incidents might include Nuclear Power Plant accidents, terrorist incidents involving nuclear or radiological materials, NASA launches, and transportation accidents involving nuclear materials. Working with the US Department of Homeland Security, RSL personnel equip, maintain, and conduct training on the mobile detection deployment unit, to provide nuclear radiological security at major national events such as the super bowl, the Indianapolis 500, New Year's Eve celebrations, presidential inaugurations, international meetings and conferences, just about any event where large numbers of people will gather.

Remote Sensing Laboratory - RSL

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

None

2014-11-06

One of the primary resources supporting homeland security is the Remote Sensing Laboratory, or RSL. The Laboratory creates advanced technologies for emergency response operations, radiological incident response, and other remote sensing activities. RSL emergency response teams are on call 24-hours a day, and maintain the capability to deploy domestically and internationally in response to threats involving the loss, theft, or release of nuclear or radioactive material. Such incidents might include Nuclear Power Plant accidents, terrorist incidents involving nuclear or radiological materials, NASA launches, and transportation accidents involving nuclear materials. Working with the US Department of Homeland Security, RSL personnel equip,more » maintain, and conduct training on the mobile detection deployment unit, to provide nuclear radiological security at major national events such as the super bowl, the Indianapolis 500, New Year's Eve celebrations, presidential inaugurations, international meetings and conferences, just about any event where large numbers of people will gather.« less

75 FR 52957 - Supplemental Funding Under the Food and Drug Administration's Food Emergency Response Laboratory...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-30

... enhance the lab capabilities to handle human pathogenic bacteria in animal feed. DATES: Important dates... supplemental grant funds will enable analyses of human pathogenic bacteria found in animal feed, for samples... bacteria in animal feed. This additional program will be compatible with other FERN Cooperative Agreement...

Ontology-Based e-Assessment for Accounting Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Litherland, Kate; Carmichael, Patrick; Martínez-García, Agustina

2013-01-01

This summary reports on a pilot of a novel, ontology-based e-assessment system in accounting. The system, OeLe, uses emerging semantic technologies to offer an online assessment environment capable of marking students' free text answers to questions of a conceptual nature. It does this by matching their response with a "concept map" or…

Redox modulation of cellular stress response and lipoxin A4 expression by Hericium Erinaceus in rat brain: relevance to Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis.

PubMed

Trovato, A; Siracusa, R; Di Paola, R; Scuto, M; Ontario, M L; Bua, Ornella; Di Mauro, Paola; Toscano, M A; Petralia, C C T; Maiolino, L; Serra, A; Cuzzocrea, S; Calabrese, Vittorio

2016-01-01

There has been a recent upsurge of interest in complementary medicine, especially dietary supplements and foods functional in delaying the onset of age-associated neurodegenerative diseases. Mushrooms have long been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years, being now increasingly recognized as antitumor, antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial and hepatoprotective agent also capable to stimulate host immune responses. Here we provide evidence of neuroprotective action of Hericium Herinaceus when administered orally to rat. Expression of Lipoxin A4 (LXA4) was measured in different brain regions after oral administration of a biomass Hericium preparation, given for 3 month. LXA4 up-regulation was associated with an increased content of redox sensitive proteins involved in cellular stress response, such as Hsp72, Heme oxygenase -1 and Thioredoxin. In the brain of rats receiving Hericium, maximum induction of LXA4 was observed in cortex, and hippocampus followed by substantia Nigra, striatum and cerebellum. Increasing evidence supports the notion that oxidative stress-driven neuroinflammation is a fundamental cause in neurodegenerative diseases. As prominent intracellular redox system involved in neuroprotection, the vitagene system is emerging as a neurohormetic potential target for novel cytoprotective interventions. Vitagenes encode for cytoprotective heat shock proteins 70, heme oxygenase-1, thioredoxin and Lipoxin A4. Emerging interest is now focussing on molecules capable of activating the vitagene system as novel therapeutic target to minimize deleterious consequences associated with free radical-induced cell damage, such as in neurodegeneration. LXA4 is an emerging endogenous eicosanoid able to promote resolution of inflammation, acting as an endogenous "braking signal" in the inflammatory process. In addition, Hsp system is emerging as key pathway for modulation to prevent neuronal dysfunction, caused by protein misfolding. Conceivably, activation of LXA4 signaling and modulation of stress responsive vitagene proteins could serve as a potential therapeutic target for AD-related inflammation and neurodegenerative damage.

Integrating international responses to complex emergencies, unconventional war, and terrorism.

PubMed

Burkle, Frederick M

2005-01-01

The world is experiencing unprecedented violence and threats of violence, taking the form of complex internal nation-state conflicts, unconventional or guerrilla warfare against established governments, and stateless threats of terrorism by potential biologic, chemical, and nuclear weapons. What happens locally has immediate ramifications internationally. Real and potential health consequences of these events have evoked global concerns and realization that capacities and capabilities to respond to such events require unparalleled integration, coordination, and cooperation of the international community. However, politics and the institutions singular governments form are inherently limited in their objectives and capability to effectively respond. Public health, broadly defined, must be recognized as a security and strategic requirement, one that serves to build a foundation for an international integrated response capacity.

Emergency radiobioassay preparedness exercises through the NIST radiochemistry intercomparison program.

PubMed

Nour, Svetlana; LaRosa, Jerry; Inn, Kenneth G W

2011-08-01

The present challenge for the international emergency radiobioassay community is to analyze contaminated samples rapidly while maintaining high quality results. The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) runs a radiobioassay measurement traceability testing program to evaluate the radioanalytical capabilities of participating laboratories. The NIST Radiochemistry Intercomparison Program (NRIP) started more than 10 years ago, and emergency performance testing was added to the program seven years ago. Radiobioassay turnaround times under the NRIP program for routine production and under emergency response scenarios are 60 d and 8 h, respectively. Because measurement accuracy and sample turnaround time are very critical in a radiological emergency, response laboratories' analytical systems are best evaluated and improved through traceable Performance Testing (PT) programs. The NRIP provides participant laboratories with metrology tools to evaluate their performance and to improve it. The program motivates the laboratories to optimize their methodologies and minimize the turnaround time of their results. Likewise, NIST has to make adjustments and periodical changes in the bioassay test samples in order to challenge the participating laboratories continually. With practice, radioanalytical measurements turnaround time can be reduced to 3-4 h.

Medical and radiological aspects of emergency preparedness and response at SevRAO facilities.

PubMed

Savkin, M N; Sneve, M K; Grachev, M I; Frolov, G P; Shinkarev, S M; Jaworska, A

2008-12-01

Regulatory cooperation between the Norwegian Radiation Protection Authority and the Federal Medical Biological Agency (FMBA) of the Russian Federation has the overall goal of promoting improvements in radiation protection in Northwest Russia. One of the projects in this programme has the objectives to review and improve the existing medical emergency preparedness capabilities at the sites for temporary storage of spent nuclear fuel and radioactive waste. These are operated by SevRAO at Andreeva Bay and in Gremikha village on the Kola Peninsula. The work is also intended to provide a better basis for regulation of emergency response and medical emergency preparedness at similar facilities elsewhere in Russia. The purpose of this paper is to present the main results of that project, implemented by the Burnasyan Federal Medical Biophysical Centre. The first task was an analysis of the regulatory requirements and the current state of preparedness for medical emergency response at the SevRAO facilities. Although Russian regulatory documents are mostly consistent with international recommendations, some distinctions lead to numerical differences in operational intervention criteria under otherwise similar conditions. Radiological threats relating to possible accidents, and related gaps in the regulation of SevRAO facilities, were also identified. As part of the project, a special exercise on emergency medical response on-site at Andreeva Bay was prepared and carried out, and recommendations were proposed after the exercise. Following fruitful dialogue among regulators, designers and operators, special regulatory guidance has been issued by FMBA to account for the specific and unusual features of the SevRAO facilities. Detailed sections relate to the prevention of accidents, and emergency preparedness and response, supplementing the basic Russian regulatory requirements. Overall it is concluded that (a) the provision of medical and sanitary components of emergency response at SevRAO facilities is a priority task within the general system of emergency preparedness; (b) there is an effective and improving interaction between SevRAO and the local medical institutions of FMBA and other territorial medical units; (c) the infrastructure of emergency response at SevRAO facilities has been created and operates within the framework of Russian legal and normative requirements. Further proposals have been made aimed at increasing the effectiveness of the available system of emergency preparedness and response, and to promote interagency cooperation.

Privacy, technology, and norms: the case of Smart Meters.

PubMed

Horne, Christine; Darras, Brice; Bean, Elyse; Srivastava, Anurag; Frickel, Scott

2015-05-01

Norms shift and emerge in response to technological innovation. One such innovation is Smart Meters - components of Smart Grid energy systems capable of minute-to-minute transmission of consumer electricity use information. We integrate theory from sociological research on social norms and privacy to examine how privacy threats affect the demand for and expectations of norms that emerge in response to new technologies, using Smart Meters as a test case. Results from three vignette experiments suggest that increased threats to privacy created by Smart Meters are likely to provoke strong demand for and expectations of norms opposing the technology and that the strength of these normative rules is at least partly conditional on the context. Privacy concerns vary little with actors' demographic characteristics. These findings contribute to theoretical understanding of norm emergence and have practical implications for implementing privacy protections that effectively address concerns of electricity users. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The Latin American Biological Dosimetry Network (LBDNet).

PubMed

García, O; Di Giorgio, M; Radl, A; Taja, M R; Sapienza, C E; Deminge, M M; Fernández Rearte, J; Stuck Oliveira, M; Valdivia, P; Lamadrid, A I; González, J E; Romero, I; Mandina, T; Guerrero-Carbajal, C; ArceoMaldonado, C; Cortina Ramírez, G E; Espinoza, M; Martínez-López, W; Di Tomasso, M

2016-09-01

Biological Dosimetry is a necessary support for national radiation protection programmes and emergency response schemes. The Latin American Biological Dosimetry Network (LBDNet) was formally founded in 2007 to provide early biological dosimetry assistance in case of radiation emergencies in the Latin American Region. Here are presented the main topics considered in the foundational document of the network, which comprise: mission, partners, concept of operation, including the mechanism to request support for biological dosimetry assistance in the region, and the network capabilities. The process for network activation and the role of the coordinating laboratory during biological dosimetry emergency response is also presented. This information is preceded by historical remarks on biological dosimetry cooperation in Latin America. A summary of the main experimental and practical results already obtained by the LBDNet is also included. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Assistive Technologies and Issues Relating to Privacy, Ethics and Security

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Martin, Suzanne; Bengtsson, Johan E.; Dröes, Rose-Marie

Emerging technologies provide the opportunity to develop innovative sustainable service models, capable of supporting adults with dementia at home. Devices range from simple stand-alone components that can generate a responsive alarm call to complex interoperable systems that even can be remotely controlled. From these complex systems the paradigm of the ubiquitous or ambient smart home has emerged, integrating technology, environmental design and traditional care provision. The service context is often complex, involving a variety of stakeholders and a range of interested agencies. Against this backdrop, as anecdotal evidence and government policies spawn further innovation it is critical that due consideration is given to the potential ethical ramifications at an individual, organisational and societal level. Well-grounded ethical thinking and proactive ethical responses to this innovation are required. Explicit policy and practice should therefore emerge which engenders confidence in existing supported living option schemes for adults with dementia and informs further innovation.

The Current Crisis in Emergency Care and the Impact on Disaster Preparedness

PubMed Central

Cherry, Robert A; Trainer, Marcia

2008-01-01

Background The Homeland Security Act (HSA) of 2002 provided for the designation of a critical infrastructure protection program. This ultimately led to the designation of emergency services as a targeted critical infrastructure. In the context of an evolving crisis in hospital-based emergency care, the extent to which federal funding has addressed disaster preparedness will be examined. Discussion After 9/11, federal plans, procedures and benchmarks were mandated to assure a unified, comprehensive disaster response, ranging from local to federal activation of resources. Nevertheless, insufficient federal funding has contributed to a long-standing counter-trend which has eroded emergency medical care. The causes are complex and multifactorial, but they have converged to present a severely overburdened system that regularly exceeds emergency capacity and capabilities. This constant acute overcrowding, felt in communities all across the country, indicates a nation at risk. Federal funding has not sufficiently prioritized the improvements necessary for an emergency care infrastructure that is critical for an all hazards response to disaster and terrorist emergencies. Summary Currently, the nation is unable to meet presidential preparedness mandates for emergency and disaster care. Federal funding strategies must therefore be re-prioritized and targeted in a way that reasonably and consistently follows need. PMID:18452615

Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) Command and Control (C2) Capability to Improve Disaster Response and Recovery

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-09-01

on the possible threat of an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) and its potential consequences following the destructive “ derecho ” that hit Washington, DC...in 2012.19 Spanish for the word “straight,” a derecho is a term used to describe a widespread, long- lived, straight-line windstorm that is...emergency communications system and raised concern for future response. Both Hurricane Katrina and the Washington, DC, area derecho have subsequently

The perspective of USDA APHIS Veterinary Services Emergency Management and Diagnostics in preparing and responding to Foreign Animal Diseases - plans, strategies, and countermeasures.

PubMed

Díez, J R; Styles, D K

2013-01-01

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) Veterinary Services (VS) is charged with monitoring, controlling, and responding to select reportable diseases and all foreign animal diseases. Emergency Management and Diagnostics (EM&D) oversees Foreign Animal Disease (FAD) preparedness and response. In order to effectively prepare for and respond to FADs, such as highly pathogenic avian influenza and foot-and-mouth disease, VS develops plans, strategies, and policies to effectively combat an intrusion. USDA APHIS VS has made significant gains in preparedness and response planning. However, much remains to be done especially in surveillance, diagnostic tools, and vaccines. There are significant needs for novel medical technologies to improve diagnostic capabilities and offer additional approaches for FAD response.

A grounded exploration of the dimensions of managerial capability: A preliminary study of top Australian pharmacist owner-managers.

PubMed

Woods, Phillip; Gapp, Rod; King, Michelle A

2015-01-01

Australian community pharmacies are experiencing challenges, including government prescription pricing reform and a dramatically increasing competitive environment. Enacting appropriate responsive actions requires capable pharmacy managers. 'Capability' implies managing effectively in the present, but with unknown or emerging contexts and with new problems. A conceptual understanding of managerial capability as practiced by pharmacist owner-managers is unavailable in the literature. This research aimed to address the question: How can we understand managerial capability in relation to effective community pharmacy management? The study's objective was to develop preliminary theoretical departure points for continuing research responding to the research question. The objective was approached by exploring how 5 top Australian pharmacy owner-managers accomplish the management of their businesses in a changing business environment. Qualitative research methods were employed to develop a social process perspective of how the managers enact their management practices. In-depth semi-structured life-world interviews were undertaken as the major method of data collection. Interview text thematic analysis was carried out identifying rich conceptual properties and dimensions, which 'dimensionalized' 3 key integrated categories. The findings show how the managers are immersed in their business, managerial and personal practices in a holistic and relational manner. Managerial processes, reported through three conceptual categories, their properties and dimensions, reveal the highly situational nature of the reality the managers were experiencing, including their need to express their personal/professional identity. The properties and dimensions of the category 'learning generatively' in particular, reveal how the pharmacy owner-managers shape their business activities and their emerging context as time passes. The preliminary interpretive view of managerial capability describes the phenomenon as an emergent human accomplishment rather than a possessed ability. This social process perspective enables the inclusion of context with time. The study acts as a formative departure point for continuing research of pharmacist managerial capability which seeks to better understand the linkage between 'knowing' and 'doing'. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Technology Assessment and Roadmap for the Emergency Radiation Dose Assessment Program

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

Turteltaub, K W; Hartman-Siantar, C; Easterly, C

2005-10-03

A Joint Interagency Working Group (JIWG) under the auspices of the Department of Homeland Security Office of Research and Development conducted a technology assessment of emergency radiological dose assessment capabilities as part of the overall need for rapid emergency medical response in the event of a radiological terrorist event in the United States. The goal of the evaluation is to identify gaps and recommend general research and development needs to better prepare the Country for mitigating the effects of such an event. Given the capabilities and roles for responding to a radiological event extend across many agencies, a consensus ofmore » gaps and suggested development plans was a major goal of this evaluation and road-mapping effort. The working group consisted of experts representing the Departments of Homeland Security, Health and Human Services (Centers for Disease Control and the National Institutes of Health), Food and Drug Administration, Department of Defense and the Department of Energy's National Laboratories (see appendix A for participants). The specific goals of this Technology Assessment and Roadmap were to: (1) Describe the general context for deployment of emergency radiation dose assessment tools following terrorist use of a radiological or nuclear device; (2) Assess current and emerging dose assessment technologies; and (3) Put forward a consensus high-level technology roadmap for interagency research and development in this area. This report provides a summary of the consensus of needs, gaps and recommendations for a research program in the area of radiation dosimetry for early response, followed by a summary of the technologies available and on the near-term horizon. We then present a roadmap for a research program to bring present and emerging near-term technologies to bear on the gaps in radiation dose assessment and triage. Finally we present detailed supporting discussion on the nature of the threats we considered, the status of technology today, promising emerging technologies and references for further reading.« less

E-learning for grass-roots emergency public health personnel: Preliminary lessons from a national program in China.

PubMed

Xu, Wangquan; Jiang, Qicheng; Qin, Xia; Fang, Guixia; Hu, Zhi

2016-07-19

In China, grass-roots emergency public health personnel have relatively limited emergency response capabilities and they are constantly required to update their professional knowledge and skills due to recurring and new public health emergencies. However, professional training, a principal solution to this problem, is inadequate because of limitations in manpower and financial resources at grass-roots public health agencies. In order to provide a cost-effective and easily expandable way for grass-roots personnel to acquire knowledge and skills, the National Health Planning Commission of China developed an emergency response information platform and provided trial access to this platform in Anhui and Heilongjiang provinces in China. E-learning was one of the modules of the platform and this paper has focused on an e-learning pilot program. Results indicated that e-learning had satisfactorily improved the knowledge and ability of grass-roots emergency public health personnel, and the program provided an opportunity to gain experience in e-course design and implementing e-learning. Issues such as the lack of personalized e-courses and the difficulty of evaluating the effectiveness of e-learning are topics for further study.

Identification and assessment of site treatment plan implementation opportunities for emerging technologies

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

Bernard, E.A.

1995-12-31

The Department of Energy (DOE), in response to the 1992 Federal Facility Compliance Act, has prepared Site Treatment Plans (STP) for the approximately 2,000 waste streams identified within its mixed waste inventory Concurrently, emerging mixed waste treatment technologies are in final development. This paper defines a three-phase process to identify and assess implementation opportunities for these emerging technologies within the STP. It highlights the first phase, functional matching of expected treatment capabilities with proposed treatment requirements. Matches are based on treatment type, regulated contaminant and waste matrix type, for both capabilities and requirements. Results identify specific waste streams and volumesmore » that could be treated by each emerging technology. A study for Plasma Hearth Process, Delphi DETOX{sup sm}, Supercritical Water Oxidation and Vitrification shows that about 200,000 ml of DOE`s mixed waste inventory can potentially be treated by one or more of these emerging technologies. Actual implementations are small fractions of the treatable inventory. Differences between potential and actual implementations must be minimized to accrue optimum benefit from implementation of emerging or alternative treatment technologies. Functional matching is the first phase in identifying and quantifying benefits, addressing technology system and treatment issues, and providing, in part, the basis for STP implementation decisions. DOE, through EM`s Office of Technology Development, has funded this work.« less

Evaluation of the annual Canadian biodosimetry network intercomparisons

PubMed Central

Wilkins, Ruth C.; Beaton-Green, Lindsay A.; Lachapelle, Sylvie; Kutzner, Barbara C.; Ferrarotto, Catherine; Chauhan, Vinita; Marro, Leonora; Livingston, Gordon K.; Boulay Greene, Hillary; Flegal, Farrah N.

2015-01-01

Abstract Purpose: To evaluate the importance of annual intercomparisons for maintaining the capacity and capabilities of a well-established biodosimetry network in conjunction with assessing efficient and effective analysis methods for emergency response. Materials and methods: Annual intercomparisons were conducted between laboratories in the Canadian National Biological Dosimetry Response Plan. Intercomparisons were performed over a six-year period and comprised of the shipment of 10–12 irradiated, blinded blood samples for analysis by each of the participating laboratories. Dose estimates were determined by each laboratory using the dicentric chromosome assay (conventional and QuickScan scoring) and where possible the cytokinesis block micronucleus (CBMN) assay. Dose estimates were returned to the lead laboratory for evaluation and comparison. Results: Individual laboratories performed comparably from year to year with only slight fluctuations in performance. Dose estimates using the dicentric chromosome assay were accurate about 80% of the time and the QuickScan method for scoring the dicentric chromosome assay was proven to reduce the time of analysis without having a significant effect on the dose estimates. Although analysis with the CBMN assay was comparable to QuickScan scoring with respect to speed, the accuracy of the dose estimates was greatly reduced. Conclusions: Annual intercomparisons are necessary to maintain a network of laboratories for emergency response biodosimetry as they evoke confidence in their capabilities. PMID:25670072

Emergency department characteristics and capabilities in Beijing, China.

PubMed

Wen, Leana S; Xu, Jun; Steptoe, Anne P; Sullivan, Ashley F; Walline, Joseph H; Yu, Xuezhong; Camargo, Carlos A

2013-06-01

Emergency Departments (EDs) are a critical, yet heterogeneous, part of international emergency care. We sought to describe the characteristics, resources, capabilities, and capacity of EDs in Beijing, China. Beijing EDs accessible to the general public 24 h per day/7 days per week were surveyed using the National ED Inventories survey instrument (www.emnet-nedi.org). ED staff were asked about ED characteristics during the calendar year 2008. Thirty-six EDs participated (88% response rate). All were located in hospitals and were independent hospital departments. Participating EDs saw a median of 80,000 patients (interquartile range 40,000-118,508). The vast majority (91%; 95% confidence interval [CI] 78-98%) had a contiguous layout, with medical and surgical care provided in one area. Most EDs (55%) saw only adults; 39% saw both adults and children, and 6% saw only children. Availability of technological and consultant resource in EDs was high. The typical ED length of stay was between 1 and 6 h in 49% of EDs (95% CI 32-67%), whereas in the other half, patients reportedly remained for over 6 h; 36% (95% CI 21-54%) of respondents considered their ED over capacity. Beijing EDs have high volume, long length of stay, and frequent reports of EDs being over capacity. To meet its rapidly growing health needs in urban areas, China should consider improving urban ED capacity and training more Emergency Medicine specialists capable of efficiently staffing its crowded EDs. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Growing Up of Autonomous Agents: an Emergent Phenomenon

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morgavi, Giovanna; Marconi, Lucia

2008-10-01

A fundamental research challenge is the design of robust artifacts that are capable of operating under changing environments and noisy input, and yet exhibit the desired behavior and response time. These systems should be able to adapt and learn how to react to unforeseen scenarios as well as to display properties comparable to biological entities. The turn to nature has brought us many unforeseen great concepts. Biological systems are able to handle many of these challenges with an elegance and efficiency still far beyond current human artifacts. A living artifact grows up when its capabilities, abilities/knowledge, shift to a further level of complexity, i.e. the complexity rank of its internal capabilities performs a step forward. In the attempt to define an architecture for autonomous growing up agents [1]. We conducted an experiment on the abstraction process in children as natural parts of a cognitive system. We found that linguistic growing up involve a number of different trial processes. We identified a fixed number of distinct paths that were crossed by children. Once a given interpretation paths was discovered useless, they tried to follow another path, until the new meaning was emerging. This study generates suggestion about the evolutionary conditions conducive to the emergence of growing up in robots and provides guidelines for designing artificial evolutionary systems displaying spontaneous adaptation abilities. The importance of multi-sensor perception, motivation and emotional drives are underlined and, above all, the growing up insights shows similarities to emergent self-organized behaviors.

Developing open source, self-contained disease surveillance software applications for use in resource-limited settings

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Emerging public health threats often originate in resource-limited countries. In recognition of this fact, the World Health Organization issued revised International Health Regulations in 2005, which call for significantly increased reporting and response capabilities for all signatory nations. Electronic biosurveillance systems can improve the timeliness of public health data collection, aid in the early detection of and response to disease outbreaks, and enhance situational awareness. Methods As components of its Suite for Automated Global bioSurveillance (SAGES) program, The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory developed two open-source, electronic biosurveillance systems for use in resource-limited settings. OpenESSENCE provides web-based data entry, analysis, and reporting. ESSENCE Desktop Edition provides similar capabilities for settings without internet access. Both systems may be configured to collect data using locally available cell phone technologies. Results ESSENCE Desktop Edition has been deployed for two years in the Republic of the Philippines. Local health clinics have rapidly adopted the new technology to provide daily reporting, thus eliminating the two-to-three week data lag of the previous paper-based system. Conclusions OpenESSENCE and ESSENCE Desktop Edition are two open-source software products with the capability of significantly improving disease surveillance in a wide range of resource-limited settings. These products, and other emerging surveillance technologies, can assist resource-limited countries compliance with the revised International Health Regulations. PMID:22950686

National Alliance for Radiation Readiness: Leveraging Partnerships to Increase Preparedness.

PubMed

Blumenstock, James S; Allen, Meredith

2016-02-01

The National Alliance for Radiation Readiness (NARR) is an alliance of 16 national member organizations that have banded together to serve as the collective "voice of health" in radiological preparedness through: • participation in national dialogues on radiological emergency issues; • provision of thoughtful feedback on documents, policies, and guidelines; and • convening of partners to raise awareness of and resolve radiological emergency issues. NARR benefits from the intersection and interaction of public health, radiation control, healthcare, and emergency management professionals--all with an interest in bolstering the nation's preparedness for a radiological or nuclear incident. NARR is able to provide a unique perspective on radiological and nuclear preparedness by creating multi-disciplinary workgroups to develop guidance, recommendations, and provide subject matter feedback. NARR aims to build response and recovery capacity and capabilities by supporting the sharing of resources and tools, including technical methods and information through the development of an online clearinghouse. NARR also aims to identify and disseminate best practices, as well as define and educate on the roles and responsibilities of local, state, and federal government and the numerous agencies involved with the response to a radiological emergency.

Community Assessment Tool for Public Health Emergencies Including Pandemic Influenza

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

HCTT-CHE

The Community Assessment Tool (CAT) for Public Health Emergencies Including Pandemic Influenza (hereafter referred to as the CAT) was developed as a result of feedback received from several communities. These communities participated in workshops focused on influenza pandemic planning and response. The 2008 through 2011 workshops were sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Feedback during those workshops indicated the need for a tool that a community can use to assess its readiness for a disaster—readiness from a total healthcare perspective, not just hospitals, but the whole healthcare system. The CAT intends to do just that—help strengthenmore » existing preparedness plans by allowing the healthcare system and other agencies to work together during an influenza pandemic. It helps reveal each core agency partners' (sectors) capabilities and resources, and highlights cases of the same vendors being used for resource supplies (e.g., personal protective equipment [PPE] and oxygen) by the partners (e.g., public health departments, clinics, or hospitals). The CAT also addresses gaps in the community's capabilities or potential shortages in resources. While the purpose of the CAT is to further prepare the community for an influenza pandemic, its framework is an extension of the traditional all-hazards approach to planning and preparedness. As such, the information gathered by the tool is useful in preparation for most widespread public health emergencies. This tool is primarily intended for use by those involved in healthcare emergency preparedness (e.g., community planners, community disaster preparedness coordinators, 9-1-1 directors, hospital emergency preparedness coordinators). It is divided into sections based on the core agency partners, which may be involved in the community's influenza pandemic influenza response.« less

Emergency medicine in the Veterans Health Administration-results from a nationwide survey.

PubMed

Ward, Michael J; Collins, Sean P; Pines, Jesse M; Dill, Curt; Tyndall, Gary; Kessler, Chad S

2015-07-01

We describe emergency physician staffing, capabilities, and academic practices in US Veterans Health Administration (VHA) emergency departments (EDs). As part of an ongoing process improvement effort for the VHA emergency care system, VHA-wide surveys are conducted among ED medical directors every 3 years. Web-based surveys of VHA ED directors were conducted in 2013 on clinical operations and academic program development. We describe the results from the 2013 survey. When available, we compare responses with the previously administered survey from 2010. A total of 118 of 118 ED directors filled out the survey in 2013 (100% response rate). Respondents reported that 45.5% of VHA emergency physicians are board certified in emergency medicine, and 95% spend most their time in direct patient care. Clinical care is also provided by part-time (<0.5 full-time employee equivalent) emergency physicians in 59.3% of EDs. More than half of EDs (57%) provide on-site tissue plasminogen activator for acute ischemic stroke patients, and only 39% can administer tissue plasminogen activator 24 hours per day, 7 days per week. Less than half (48.3%) of EDs have emergency Obstetrics and Gynecology consultation availability. Most VHA EDs (78.8%) have a university affiliation, but only 21.5% participated in the respective academic emergency medicine program. Veterans Health Administration emergency physicians have primarily clinical responsibilities, and less than half have formal emergency medicine board certification. Despite most VHA EDs having university affiliations, traditional academic activities (eg, teaching and research) are performed in only 1 in 3 VHA EDs. Less than half of VHA EDs have availability of consulting services, including advanced stroke care and women's health. Published by Elsevier Inc.

Challenge theme 6: Natural hazard risks in the Borderlands: Chapter 8 in United States-Mexican Borderlands: Facing tomorrow's challenges through USGS science

USGS Publications Warehouse

Page, William R.; Parcher, Jean W.; Stefanov, Jim

2013-01-01

Natural hazards such as earthquakes, landslides and debris flows, wildfires, hurricanes, and intense storm-induced flash floods threaten communities to varying degrees all along the United States–Mexican border. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) collaborates with Federal, State, and local agencies to minimize the effects of natural hazards by providing timely, unbiased science information to emergency response officials, resource managers, and the public to help reduce property damage, injury, and loss of life. The USGS often mobilizes response efforts during and after a natural hazard event to provide technical and scientific counsel on recovery and response, and it has a long history of deploying emergency response teams to major disasters in both domestic and international locations. This chapter describes the challenges of natural hazards in the United States–Mexican border region and the capabilities of the USGS in the fields of hazard research, monitoring, and assessment, as well as preventative mitigation and post-disaster response.

Measuring facility capability to provide routine and emergency childbirth care to mothers and newborns: An appeal to adjust for delivery caseload of facilities

PubMed Central

Allen, Stephanie M.; Opondo, Charles; Campbell, Oona M. R.

2017-01-01

Background Measurement of Emergency Obstetric Care capability is common, and measurement of newborn and overall routine childbirth care has begun in recent years. These assessments of facility capabilities can be used to identify geographic inequalities in access to functional health services and to monitor improvements over time. This paper develops an approach for monitoring the childbirth environment that accounts for the delivery caseload of the facility. Methods We used data from the Kenya Service Provision Assessment to examine facility capability to provide quality childbirth care, including infrastructure, routine maternal and newborn care, and emergency obstetric and newborn care. A facility was considered capable of providing a function if necessary tracer items were present and, for emergency functions, if the function had been performed in the previous three months. We weighted facility capability by delivery caseload, and compared results with those generated using traditional “survey weights”. Results Of the 403 facilities providing childbirth care, the proportion meeting criteria for capability were: 13% for general infrastructure, 6% for basic emergency obstetric care, 3% for basic emergency newborn care, 13% and 11% for routine maternal and newborn care, respectively. When the new caseload weights accounting for delivery volume were applied, capability improved and the proportions of deliveries occurring in a facility meeting capability criteria were: 51% for general infrastructure, 46% for basic emergency obstetric care, 12% for basic emergency newborn care, 36% and 18% for routine maternal and newborn care, respectively. This is because most of the caseload was in hospitals, which generally had better capability. Despite these findings, fewer than 2% of deliveries occurred in a facility capable of providing all functions. Conclusion Reporting on the percentage of facilities capable of providing certain functions misrepresents the capacity to provide care at the national level. Delivery caseload weights allow adjustment for patient volume, and shift the denominator of measurement from facilities to individual deliveries, leading to a better representation of the context in which facility births take place. These methods could lead to more standardized national datasets, enhancing their ability to inform policy at a national and international level. PMID:29049412

Triage capabilities of medical trainees in Ghana using the South African triage scale: an opportunity to improve emergency care

PubMed Central

Gyedu, Adam; Agbedinu, Kwabena; Dalwai, Mohammed; Osei-Ampofo, Maxwell; Nakua, Emmanuel Kweku; Oteng, Rockefeller; Stewart, Barclay

2016-01-01

Introduction The incidence of emergency conditions is increasing worldwide, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). However, triage and emergency care training has not been prioritized in LMICs. We aimed to assess the reliability and validity of the South African Triage Scale (SATS) when used by providers not specifically trained in SATS, as well as to compare triage capabilities between senior medical students and senior house officers to examine the effectiveness of our curriculum for house officer training with regards to triage. Methods Sixty each of senior medical students and senior house officers who had not undergone specific triage or SATS training were asked to triage 25 previously validated emergency vignettes using the SATS. Estimates of reliability and validity were calculated. Additionally, over- and under-triage, as well as triage performance between the medical students and house officers was assessed against a reference standard. Results Fifty-nine senior medical students (98% response rate) and 43 senior house officers (72% response rate) completed the survey (84% response rate overall). A total of 2,550 triage assignments were included in the analysis (59 medical student and 43 house officer triage assignments for 25 vignettes each; 1,475 and 1,075 triage assignments, respectively). Inter-rater reliability was moderate (quadratically weighted κ 0.59 and 0.60 for medical students and house officers, respectively). Triage using SATS performed by these groups had low sensitivity (medical students: 54%, 95% CI 49–59; house officers: 55%, 95% CI 48–60) and moderate specificity (medical students: 84%, 95% CI 82 - 89; house officers: 84%, 95% CI 82 - 97). Both groups under-triaged most ‘emergency’ level vignette patients (i.e. SATS Red; 80 and 82% for medical students and house officers, respectively). There was no difference between the groups for any metric. Conclusion Although the SATS has proven utility in a number of different settings in LMICs, its success relies on its use by trained providers. Given the large and growing burden of emergency conditions, training current and future emergency care providers in triage is imperative. PMID:28154649

Nuclear energy center site survey reactor plant considerations

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

Harty, H.

The Energy Reorganization Act of 1974 required the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to make a nuclear energy center site survey (NECSS). Background information for the NECSS report was developed in a series of tasks which include: socioeconomic inpacts; environmental impact (reactor facilities); emergency response capability (reactor facilities); aging of nuclear energy centers; and dry cooled nuclear energy centers.

Eliminate the Army and Air Force Reserves: Building a Robust National Guard to Meet 21st Century Operational Challenges

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-04-04

structure. Weather Reconnaissance capability would aid the Guard in gathering meteorological intelligence in preparation for hurricane or tornado domestic...Reserve units by relating it to an emergency response in Missouri. On May 22, 2011, a tornado struck Joplin, killing 158 people and injuring 1,000

Cybersecurity Lanes in the Road for the Department of Homeland Security

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-06-01

20of%20Responsibility%20in%20the%20US%20Government- Joeli%20Field.pdf. 54 Ibid., 120. 55 “Preventing 9/11 in the Cyber World,” Information Management ...their emergency communications capabilities.”113 NCCIC is a “24x7 cyber situational awareness, incident response, and management center.”114 They share... Cyber World.” Information Management 47, no. 3 (May, 2013): 18. http://libproxy.nps.edu/login?url=http://search.proquest.com/docview/ 1430501590

[Resources and capacity of emergency trauma care services in Peru].

PubMed

Rosales-Mayor, Edmundo; Miranda, J Jaime; Lema, Claudia; López, Luis; Paca-Palao, Ada; Luna, Diego; Huicho, Luis

2011-09-01

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the resources and capacity of emergency trauma care services in three Peruvian cities using the WHO report Guidelines for Essential Trauma Care. This was a cross-sectional study in eight public and private healthcare facilities in Lima, Ayacucho, and Pucallpa. Semi-structured questionnaires were applied to the heads of emergency departments with managerial responsibility for resources and capabilities. Considering the profiles and volume of care in each emergency service, most respondents in all three cities classified their currently available resources as inadequate. Comparison of the health facilities showed a shortage in public services and in the provinces (Ayacucho and Pucallpa). There was a widespread perception that both human and physical resources were insufficient, especially in public healthcare facilities and in the provinces.

Are We Ready for Mass Fatality Incidents? Preparedness of the US Mass Fatality Infrastructure.

PubMed

Merrill, Jacqueline A; Orr, Mark; Chen, Daniel Y; Zhi, Qi; Gershon, Robyn R

2016-02-01

To assess the preparedness of the US mass fatality infrastructure, we developed and tested metrics for 3 components of preparedness: organizational, operational, and resource sharing networks. In 2014, data were collected from 5 response sectors: medical examiners and coroners, the death care industry, health departments, faith-based organizations, and offices of emergency management. Scores were calculated within and across sectors and a weighted score was developed for the infrastructure. A total of 879 respondents reported highly variable organizational capabilities: 15% had responded to a mass fatality incident (MFI); 42% reported staff trained for an MFI, but only 27% for an MFI involving hazardous contaminants. Respondents estimated that 75% of their staff would be willing and able to respond, but only 53% if contaminants were involved. Most perceived their organization as somewhat prepared, but 13% indicated "not at all." Operational capability scores ranged from 33% (death care industry) to 77% (offices of emergency management). Network capability analysis found that only 42% of possible reciprocal relationships between resource-sharing partners were present. The cross-sector composite score was 51%; that is, half the key capabilities for preparedness were in place. The sectors in the US mass fatality infrastructure report suboptimal capability to respond. National leadership is needed to ensure sector-specific and infrastructure-wide preparedness for a large-scale MFI.

Emergency Flight Control Using Only Engine Thrust and Lateral Center-of-Gravity Offset: A First Look

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Burcham, Frank W., Jr.; Burken, John; Maine, Trindel A.; Bull, John

1997-01-01

Normally, the damage that results in a total loss of the primary flight controls of a jet transport airplane, including all engines on one side, would be catastrophic. In response, NASA Dryden has conceived an emergency flight control system that uses only the thrust of a wing-mounted engine along with a lateral center-of-gravity (CGY) offset from fuel transfer. Initial analysis and simulation studies indicate that such a system works, and recent high-fidelity simulation tests on the MD-11 and B-747 suggest that the system provides enough control for a survivable landing. This paper discusses principles of flight control using only a wing engine thrust and CGY offset, along with the amount of CGY offset capability of some transport airplanes. The paper also presents simulation results of the throttle-only control capability and closed-loop control of ground track using computer-controlled thrust.

King has no clothes: The role of the military in responding to a terrorist chemical/biological attack. Final report

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

Osterman, J.L.

1996-06-14

The United States has begun a program of counterproliferation in order to preempt the use of WMD by such elements, however, the ability to respond to the terrorist employment of biological/chemical weapons is absent. Given the structure, capability and technical expertise in the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the Department of Defense (DoD) will be tasked to conduct the response to such an incident. The geographical Commander in Chief (CINC) and the appointed Joint Task Force (JTF) commander will ultimately be assigned the response mission. Planning, training and coordination is required to developmore » a force capable of responding in a timely and coordinated manner.« less

Emergency medical rescue efforts after a major earthquake: lessons from the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake.

PubMed

Zhang, Lulu; Liu, Xu; Li, Youping; Liu, Yuan; Liu, Zhipeng; Lin, Juncong; Shen, Ji; Tang, Xuefeng; Zhang, Yi; Liang, Wannian

2012-03-03

Major earthquakes often result in incalculable environmental damage, loss of life, and threats to health. Tremendous progress has been made in response to many medical challenges resulting from earthquakes. However, emergency medical rescue is complicated, and great emphasis should be placed on its organisation to achieve the best results. The 2008 Wenchuan earthquake was one of the most devastating disasters in the past 10 years and caused more than 370,000 casualties. The lessons learnt from the medical disaster relief effort and the subsequent knowledge gained about the regulation and capabilities of medical and military back-up teams should be widely disseminated. In this Review we summarise and analyse the emergency medical rescue efforts after the Wenchuan earthquake. Establishment of a national disaster medical response system, an active and effective commanding system, successful coordination between rescue forces and government agencies, effective treatment, a moderate, timely and correct public health response, and long-term psychological support are all crucial to reduce mortality and morbidity and promote overall effectiveness of rescue efforts after a major earthquake. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Infrared point sensors for homeland defense applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thomas, Ross C.; Carter, Michael T.; Homrighausen, Craig L.

2004-03-01

We report recent progress toward the development of infrared point sensors for the detection of chemical warfare agents and explosive related chemicals, which pose a significant threat to both health and environment. Technical objectives have focused on the development of polymer sorbents to enhance the infrared response of these hazardous organic compounds. For example, infrared point sensors which part-per-billion detection limits have been developed that rapidlypartition chemical warfare agents and explosive related chemicals into polymer thin films with desirable chemical and physical properties. These chemical sensors demonstrate novel routes to reversible sensing of hazardous organic compounds. The development of small, low-power, sensitive, and selective instruments employing these chemical sensors would enhance the capabilities of federal, state, and local emergency response to incidents involving chemical terrorism. Specific applications include chemical defense systems for military personnel and homeland defense, environmental monitors for remediation and demilitarization, and point source detectors for emergency and maintenance response teams.

Contingent Capability of a Conceived Child: Civil Law Aspect

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kirillova, Elena A.; Suslikov, Vladimir N.; Blinkova, Elena V.; Blinkov, Oleg E.; Staroseltseva, Marina M.

2016-01-01

This paper covers on contingent legal capability of a conceived child. To protect the capability of conceived children and legal rights, including property, emerging on that basis, it is imperative to strictly identify the moment of emergence and termination of legal capability. The objective of this research is to analyze the provisions on civil…

Limiting the immediate and subsequent hazards associated with wildfires

USGS Publications Warehouse

DeGraff, Jerome V.; Cannon, Susan H.; Parise, Mario

2013-01-01

Similarly, our capability to limit impacts from post-fire debris flows is improving. Empirical models for estimating the probability of debris-flow occurrence, the volume of such an event, and mapping the inundated area, linked with improved definitions of the rainfall conditions that trigger debris flows, can be used to provide critical information for post-fire hazard mitigation and emergency-response planning.

Modeling and evaluation of the oil-spill emergency response capability based on linguistic variables.

PubMed

Kang, Jian; Zhang, Jixin; Bai, Yongqiang

2016-12-15

An evaluation of the oil-spill emergency response capability (OS-ERC) currently in place in modern marine management is required to prevent pollution and loss accidents. The objective of this paper is to develop a novel OS-ERC evaluation model, the importance of which stems from the current lack of integrated approaches for interpreting, ranking and assessing OS-ERC performance factors. In the first part of this paper, the factors influencing OS-ERC are analyzed and classified to generate a global evaluation index system. Then, a semantic tree is adopted to illustrate linguistic variables in the evaluation process, followed by the application of a combination of Fuzzy Cognitive Maps (FCM) and the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) to construct and calculate the weight distribution. Finally, considering that the OS-ERC evaluation process is a complex system, a fuzzy comprehensive evaluation (FCE) is employed to calculate the OS-ERC level. The entire evaluation framework obtains the overall level of OS-ERC, and also highlights the potential major issues concerning OS-ERC, as well as expert opinions for improving the feasibility of oil-spill accident prevention and protection. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A Strategy to Enhance Student Experiences in Public Health Emergency Preparedness and Response: Medical Reserve Corps Nursing Student Summer Externship.

PubMed

Stein, Loren Nell Melton

Development of the public health nursing workforce is crucial to advancing our nation's health. Many organizations, including the American Association of Colleges of Nursing, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the US Department of Health and Human Services, have identified the need for strengthening academia's connection to public health and tailoring experiences to enhance workforce competency. The Oklahoma Medical Reserve Corps (OKMRC) Nursing Student Summer Externship was developed as a strategy to provide nursing students with strengthened knowledge and skills in disaster response through a structured summer volunteer experience with nurse educators within the OKMRC. The Medical Reserve Corps is a national organization with more than 200 000 volunteers dedicated to strengthening public health, improving emergency response capabilities, and building community resiliency. In the summer of 2015, the OKMRC offered a 10-week public health emergency preparedness and response externship pilot program to 8 nursing students. In the summer of 2016, the program expanded to include 3 Oklahoma baccalaureate nursing programs. Students completed trainings and participated in activities designed to provide a broad base of knowledge, an awareness of the local disaster plans, and leadership skills to assist their communities with preparedness and disaster response.

Emergency Preparedness Education for Nurses: Core Competency Familiarity Measured Utilizing an Adapted Emergency Preparedness Information Questionnaire.

PubMed

Georgino, Madeline M; Kress, Terri; Alexander, Sheila; Beach, Michael

2015-01-01

The purpose of this project was to measure trauma nurse improvement in familiarity with emergency preparedness and disaster response core competencies as originally defined by the Emergency Preparedness Information Questionnaire after a focused educational program. An adapted version of the Emergency Preparedness Information Questionnaire was utilized to measure familiarity of nurses with core competencies pertinent to first responder capabilities. This project utilized a pre- and postsurvey descriptive design and integrated education sessions into the preexisting, mandatory "Trauma Nurse Course" at large, level I trauma center. A total of 63 nurses completed the intervention during May and September 2014 sessions. Overall, all 8 competencies demonstrated significant (P < .001; 98% confidence interval) improvements in familiarity. In conclusion, this pilot quality improvement project demonstrated a unique approach to educating nurses to be more ready and comfortable when treating victims of a disaster.

The management in response to marine oil spill from ships in China: A systematic review.

PubMed

Xiong, Shangao; Long, Hualou; Tang, Guoping; Wan, Jun; Li, Hongyuan

2015-07-15

Historical trends about marine ship-source oil spill incidents from 1990 to 2010 in China were analyzed, and it provided an overview of the status quo of China's management in response to marine oil spill from ships. The Chinese government has issued a series of laws on marine environmental protection since 1982, and promulgated many regulations to prevent and tackle ship-source oil spill. At present, the oil spill emergency response system established in China has five levels: the national level, sea level, provincial level, port level, and ship level. China has demonstrated its ability to control and remove small-scale oil spill from ships in port area and near-shore coastal waters, and also paid attention to related research and development projects. Although China has made significant progress in managing shipping oil spill, challenges still exist, including strengthening oil spill emergency cooperation, enhancing China's response capability, and improving relevant research and development projects. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Security, Violent Events, and Anticipated Surge Capabilities of Emergency Departments in Washington State

PubMed Central

Weyand, Jonathan S.; Junck, Emily; Kang, Christopher S.; Heiner, Jason D.

2017-01-01

Introduction Over the past 15 years, violent threats and acts against hospital patients, staff, and providers have increased and escalated. The leading area for violence is the emergency department (ED) given its 24/7 operations, role in patient care, admissions gateway, and center for influxes during acute surge events. This investigation had three objectives: to assess the current security of Washington State EDs; to estimate the prevalence of and response to threats and violence in Washington State EDs; and to appraise the Washington State ED security capability to respond to acute influxes of patients, bystanders, and media during acute surge events. Methods A voluntary, blinded, 28-question Web-based survey developed by emergency physicians was electronically delivered to all 87 Washington State ED directors in January 2013. We evaluated responses by descriptive statistical analyses. Results Analyses occurred after 90% (78/87) of ED directors responded. Annual censuses of the EDs ranged from < 20,000 to 100,000 patients and represented the entire spectrum of practice environments, including critical access hospitals and a regional quaternary referral medical center. Thirty-four of 75 (45%) reported the current level of security was inadequate, based on the general consensus of their ED staff. Nearly two-thirds (63%) of EDs had 24-hour security personnel coverage, while 28% reported no assigned security personnel. Security personnel training was provided by 45% of hospitals or healthcare systems. Sixty-nine of 78 (88%) respondents witnessed or heard about violent threats or acts occurring in their ED. Of these, 93% were directed towards nursing staff, 90% towards physicians, 74% towards security personnel, and 51% towards administrative personnel. Nearly half (48%) noted incidents directed towards another patient, and 50% towards a patient’s family or friend. These events were variably reported to the hospital administration. After an acute surge event, 35% believed the initial additional security response would not be adequate, with 26% reporting no additional security would be available within 15 minutes. Conclusion Our study reveals the variability of ED security staffing and a heterogeneity of capabilities throughout Washington State. These deficiencies and vulnerabilities highlight the need for other EDs and regional emergency preparedness planners to conduct their own readiness assessments. PMID:28435498

Summary and results of the joint WMD-DAC/Alameda County bioterrorism response plan exercise.

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

Manley, Dawn Kataoka; Lipkin, Joel; West, Todd H.

2003-11-01

On June 12,2003, the Alameda County Public Health Department and Sandia National Laboratories/CA jointly conducted an exercise that used a Weapons of Mass Destruction-Decision Analysis Center (WMD-DAC) bioterrorism attack simulation to test the effectiveness of the county's emergency response plan. The exercise was driven by an assumed release (in the vicinity of the Berkeley Marina), and subsequent spread, of a small quantity of aerosolized, weapons-grade anthrax spores. The simulation used several key WMD-DAC capabilities, namely: (1) integration with an atmospheric dispersion model to calculate expected dose levels in the affected areas, (2) a individual-tracking capability for both infected and non-infectedmore » persons as they made decisions, sought treatment, and received prophylaxis drugs, and (3) a user interface that allows exercise participants to affect the scenario evolution and outcome. The analysis of the county's response plan included documenting and reviewing the decisions made by participants during the exercise. Twenty-six local and regional officials representing the health care system, emergency medical services and law enforcement were involved in responding to the simulated attack. The results of this joint effort include lessons learned both by the Alameda County officials regarding implementation of their bioterrorism response plan and by the Sandia representatives about conducting exercises of this type. These observations are reviewed in this report, and they form a basis for providing a better understanding of group/individual decision processes and for identifying effective communication options among decision makers.« less

Integrated Modeling, Mapping, and Simulation (IMMS) framework for planning exercises.

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

Friedman-Hill, Ernest J.; Plantenga, Todd D.

2010-06-01

The Integrated Modeling, Mapping, and Simulation (IMMS) program is designing and prototyping a simulation and collaboration environment for linking together existing and future modeling and simulation tools to enable analysts, emergency planners, and incident managers to more effectively, economically, and rapidly prepare, analyze, train, and respond to real or potential incidents. When complete, the IMMS program will demonstrate an integrated modeling and simulation capability that supports emergency managers and responders with (1) conducting 'what-if' analyses and exercises to address preparedness, analysis, training, operations, and lessons learned, and (2) effectively, economically, and rapidly verifying response tactics, plans and procedures.

Defining Requirements and Applying Information Modeling for Protecting Enterprise Assets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fortier, Stephen C.; Volk, Jennifer H.

The advent of terrorist threats has heightened local, regional, and national governments' interest in emergency response and disaster preparedness. The threat of natural disasters also challenges emergency responders to act swiftly and in a coordinated fashion. When a disaster occurs, an ad hoc coalition of pre-planned groups usually forms to respond to the incident. History has shown that these “system of systems” do not interoperate very well. Communications between fire, police and rescue components either do not work or are inefficient. Government agencies, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), and private industry use a wide array of software platforms for managing data about emergency conditions, resources and response activities. Most of these are stand-alone systems with very limited capability for data sharing with other agencies or other levels of government. Information technology advances have facilitated the movement towards an integrated and coordinated approach to emergency management. Other communication mechanisms, such as video teleconferencing, digital television and radio broadcasting, are being utilized to combat the challenges of emergency information exchange. Recent disasters, such as Hurricane Katrina and the tsunami in Indonesia, have illuminated the weaknesses in emergency response. This paper will discuss the need for defining requirements for components of ad hoc coalitions which are formed to respond to disasters. A goal of our effort was to develop a proof of concept that applying information modeling to the business processes used to protect and mitigate potential loss of an enterprise was feasible. These activities would be modeled both pre- and post-incident.

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

Vogt, B.M.; Sorensen, J.H.

The CSEPP (Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program) was created to improve emergency planning and response capabilities at the eight sites around the country that store chemical weapons. These weapons are scheduled to be destroyed in the near future. In preparation of the Draft Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (DPEIS) for the Chemical Stockpile Disposal Program (CSDP), it was proposed that the Army mitigate accidents through an enhanced community emergency preparedness program at the eight storage sites. In 1986, the Army initiated the development of an Emergency Response Concept Plan (ERCP) for the CSDP, one of 12 technical support studies conducted duringmore » preparation of the Final Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (FPEIS). The purpose of this document is to provide a fairly comprehensive source book on risk, risk management, risk communication research and recommended risk communication practices. It does not merely summarize each publication in the risk communication literature, but attempts to synthesize them along the lines of a set of organizing principles. Furthermore, it is not intended to duplicate other guidance manuals (such as Covello et al.`s manual on risk comparison). The source book was developed for the CSEPP in support of the training module on risk communications. Although the examples provided are specific to CSEPP, its use goes beyond that of CSEPP as the findings apply to a broad spectrum of risk communication topics. While the emphasis is on communication in emergency preparedness and response specific to the CSEPP, the materials cover other non-emergency communication settings. 329 refs.« less

Development of a Core Clinical Dataset to Characterize Serious Illness, Injuries, and Resource Requirements for Acute Medical Responses to Public Health Emergencies.

PubMed

Murphy, David J; Rubinson, Lewis; Blum, James; Isakov, Alexander; Bhagwanjee, Statish; Cairns, Charles B; Cobb, J Perren; Sevransky, Jonathan E

2015-11-01

In developed countries, public health systems have become adept at rapidly identifying the etiology and impact of public health emergencies. However, within the time course of clinical responses, shortfalls in readily analyzable patient-level data limit capabilities to understand clinical course, predict outcomes, ensure resource availability, and evaluate the effectiveness of diagnostic and therapeutic strategies for seriously ill and injured patients. To be useful in the timeline of a public health emergency, multi-institutional clinical investigation systems must be in place to rapidly collect, analyze, and disseminate detailed clinical information regarding patients across prehospital, emergency department, and acute care hospital settings, including ICUs. As an initial step to near real-time clinical learning during public health emergencies, we sought to develop an "all-hazards" core dataset to characterize serious illness and injuries and the resource requirements for acute medical response across the care continuum. A multidisciplinary panel of clinicians, public health professionals, and researchers with expertise in public health emergencies. Group consensus process. The consensus process included regularly scheduled conference calls, electronic communications, and an in-person meeting to generate candidate variables. Candidate variables were then reviewed by the group to meet the competing criteria of utility and feasibility resulting in the core dataset. The 40-member panel generated 215 candidate variables for potential dataset inclusion. The final dataset includes 140 patient-level variables in the domains of demographics and anthropometrics (7), prehospital (11), emergency department (13), diagnosis (8), severity of illness (54), medications and interventions (38), and outcomes (9). The resulting all-hazard core dataset for seriously ill and injured persons provides a foundation to facilitate rapid collection, analyses, and dissemination of information necessary for clinicians, public health officials, and policymakers to optimize public health emergency response. Further work is needed to validate the effectiveness of the dataset in a variety of emergency settings.

After-action review of the 2009-10 H1N1 Influenza Outbreak Response: Ohio's Public Health System's performance.

PubMed

Mase, William A; Bickford, Beth; Thomas, Casey L; Jones, Shamika D; Bisesi, Michael

In early 2009, H1N1 influenza was identified within the human population. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) officials responded with focused assessment, policy development, and assurances. The response was mobilized through efforts including procurement of adequate vaccine supply, local area span of control, materials acquisition, and facilities and resource identification. Qualitative evaluation of the assurance functions specific to the system's ability to assure safe and healthy conditions are reported. The methodology mirrors the Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program used to assess system capability. Findings demonstrate the effectiveness of community responsive disease prevention efforts in partnership with the public health systems mission to unify traditional public sector systems, for-profit systems, and local area systems was accomplished. As a result of this response pharmaceutical industries, healthcare providers, healthcare agencies, police/safety, colleges, and health and human service agencies were united. Findings demonstrate the effectiveness of community response strategies utilizing feedback from system stakeholders. After-action review processes are critical in all-hazards preparedness. This analysis of local health district response to the H1N1 influenza outbreak informs future public health service delivery. Results provide a synthesis of local health department's emergency response strategies, challenges encountered, and future-focused emergency response strategy implementation. A synthesis is provided as to policy and practice developments which have emerged over the past seven years with regard to lessons learned from the 2009-10 H1N1 influenza outbreak and response.

A Public Health Preparedness Logic Model: Assessing Preparedness for Cross-border Threats in the European Region

PubMed Central

Nelson, Christopher; Savoia, Elena; Ljungqvist, Irina; Ciotti, Massimo

2017-01-01

Improving preparedness in the European region requires a clear understanding of what European Union (EU) member states should be able to do, whether acting internally or in cooperation with each other or the EU and other multilateral organizations. We have developed a preparedness logic model that specifies the aims and objectives of public health preparedness, as well as the response capabilities and preparedness capacities needed to achieve them. The capabilities, which describe the ability to effectively use capacities to identify, characterize, and respond to emergencies, are organized into 5 categories. The first 3 categories—(1) assessment; (2) policy development, adaptation, and implementation; and (3) prevention and treatment services in the health sector—represent what the public health system must accomplish to respond effectively. The fourth and fifth categories represent a series of interrelated functions needed to ensure that the system fulfills its assessment, policy development, and prevention and treatment roles: (4) coordination and communication regards information sharing within the public health system, incident management, and leadership, and (5) emergency risk communication focuses on communication with the public. This model provides a framework for identifying what to measure in capacity inventories, exercises, critical incident analyses, and other approaches to assessing public health emergency preparedness, not how to measure them. Focusing on a common set of capacities and capabilities to measure allows for comparisons both over time and between member states, which can enhance learning and sharing results and help identify both strengths and areas for improvement of public health emergency preparedness in the EU. PMID:29058967

A Public Health Preparedness Logic Model: Assessing Preparedness for Cross-border Threats in the European Region.

PubMed

Stoto, Michael A; Nelson, Christopher; Savoia, Elena; Ljungqvist, Irina; Ciotti, Massimo

Improving preparedness in the European region requires a clear understanding of what European Union (EU) member states should be able to do, whether acting internally or in cooperation with each other or the EU and other multilateral organizations. We have developed a preparedness logic model that specifies the aims and objectives of public health preparedness, as well as the response capabilities and preparedness capacities needed to achieve them. The capabilities, which describe the ability to effectively use capacities to identify, characterize, and respond to emergencies, are organized into 5 categories. The first 3 categories-(1) assessment; (2) policy development, adaptation, and implementation; and (3) prevention and treatment services in the health sector-represent what the public health system must accomplish to respond effectively. The fourth and fifth categories represent a series of interrelated functions needed to ensure that the system fulfills its assessment, policy development, and prevention and treatment roles: (4) coordination and communication regards information sharing within the public health system, incident management, and leadership, and (5) emergency risk communication focuses on communication with the public. This model provides a framework for identifying what to measure in capacity inventories, exercises, critical incident analyses, and other approaches to assessing public health emergency preparedness, not how to measure them. Focusing on a common set of capacities and capabilities to measure allows for comparisons both over time and between member states, which can enhance learning and sharing results and help identify both strengths and areas for improvement of public health emergency preparedness in the EU.

ALGE3D: A Three-Dimensional Transport Model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maze, G. M.

2017-12-01

Of the top 10 most populated US cities from a 2015 US Census Bureau estimate, 7 of the cities are situated near the ocean, a bay, or on one of the Great Lakes. A contamination of the water ways in the United States could be devastating to the economy (through tourism and industries such as fishing), public health (from direct contact, or contaminated drinking water), and in some cases even infrastructure (water treatment plants). Current national response models employed by emergency response agencies have well developed models to simulate the effects of hazardous contaminants in riverine systems that are primarily driven by one-dimensional flows; however in more complex systems, such as tidal estuaries, bays, or lakes, a more complex model is needed. While many models exist, none are capable of quick deployment in emergency situations that could contain a variety of release situations including a mixture of both particulate and dissolved chemicals in a complex flow area. ALGE3D, developed at the Department of Energy's (DOE) Savannah River National Laboratory (SRNL), is a three-dimensional hydrodynamic code which solves the momentum, mass, and energy conservation equations to predict the movement and dissipation of thermal or dissolved chemical plumes discharged into cooling lakes, rivers, and estuaries. ALGE3D is capable of modeling very complex flows, including areas with tidal flows which include wetting and drying of land. Recent upgrades have increased the capabilities including the transport of particulate tracers, allowing for more complete modeling of the transport of pollutants. In addition the model is capable of coupling with a one-dimension riverine transport model or a two-dimension atmospheric deposition model in the event that a contamination event occurs upstream or upwind of the water body.

High Altitude Platforms for Disaster Recovery: Capabilities, Strategies, and Techniques for Providing Emergency Telecommunications

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

Juan D. Deaton

2008-05-01

Natural disasters and terrorist acts have significant potential to disrupt emergency communication systems. These emergency communication networks include first-responder, cellular, landline, and emergency answering services such as 911, 112, or 999. Without these essential emergency communications capabilities, search, rescue, and recovery operations during a catastrophic event will be severely debilitated. High altitude platforms could be fitted with telecommunications equipment and used to support these critical communications missions once the catastrophic event occurs. With the ability to be continuously on station, HAPs provide excellent options for providing emergency coverage over high-risk areas before catastrophic incidents occur. HAPs could also provide enhancedmore » 911 capabilities using either GPS or reference stations. This paper proposes potential emergency communications architecture and presents a method for estimating emergency communications systems traffic patterns for a catastrophic event.« less

Safeguarding production agriculture and natural ecosystems against biological terrorism. A U.S. Department of Agriculture emergency response framework.

PubMed

Sequeira, R

1999-01-01

Foreign pest introductions and outbreaks represent threats to agricultural productivity and ecosystems, and, thus, to the health and national security of the United States. It is advisable to identify relevant techniques and bring all appropriate strategies to bear on the problem of controlling accidentally and intentionally introduced pest outbreaks. Recent political shifts indicate that the U.S. may be at increased risk for biological terrorism. The existing emergency-response strategies of the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Services (APHIS) will evolve to expand activities in coordination with other emergency management agencies. APHIS will evolve its information superstructure to include extensive application of simulation models for forecasting, meteorological databases and analysis, systems analysis, geographic information systems, satellite image analysis, remote sensing, and the training of specialized cadres within the emergency-response framework capable of managing the necessary information processing and analysis. Finally, the threat of key pests ranked according to perceived risk will be assessed with mathematical models and "what-if" scenarios analyzed to determine impact and mitigation practices. An infrastructure will be maintained that periodically surveys ports and inland regions for the presence of exotic pest threats and will identify trend abnormalities. This survey and monitoring effort will include cooperation from industry groups, federal and state organizations, and academic institutions.

Emergency department characteristics and capabilities in Bogotá, Colombia.

PubMed

Bustos, Yury; Castro, Jenny; Wen, Leana S; Sullivan, Ashley F; Chen, Dinah K; Camargo, Carlos A

2015-12-01

Emergency departments (EDs) are a critical, yet heterogeneous, part of international emergency care. The National ED Inventories (NEDI) survey has been used in multiple countries as a standardized method to benchmark ED characteristics. We sought to describe the characteristics, resources, capabilities, and capacity of EDs in the densely populated capital city of Bogotá, Colombia. Bogotá EDs accessible to the general public 24/7 were surveyed using the 23-item NEDI survey used in several other countries ( www.emnet-nedi.org ). ED staff were asked about ED characteristics with reference to calendar year 2011. Seventy EDs participated (82 % response). Most EDs (87 %) were located in hospitals, and 83 % were independent hospital departments. The median annual ED visit volume was approximately 50,000 visits. Approximately 90 % (95 % confidence interval (CI) 80-96 %) had a contiguous layout, with medical and surgical care provided in one area. Almost all EDs saw both adults and children (91 %), while 6 % saw only adults and 3 % saw only children. Availability of technological and consultant resources in EDs was variable. Nearly every ED had cardiac monitoring (99 %, 95 % CI 92-100 %), but less than half had a dedicated CT scanner (39 %, 95 % CI 28-52 %). While most EDs were able to treat trauma 24/7 (81 %, 95 % CI 69-89 %), few could manage oncological (22 %, 95 % CI 13-34 %) or dental (3 %, 95 % CI 0-11 %) emergencies 24/7. The typical ED length-of-stay was between 1 and 6 h in 59 % of EDs (95 % CI, 46-70 %), while most others reported that patients remained for >6 h (39 %). Almost half of respondents (46 %, 95 % CI 34-59 %) reported their ED was over capacity. Bogotá EDs have high annual visit volumes and long length-of-stay, and half are over capacity. To meet the emergency care needs of people in Bogotá and other large cities, Colombia should consider improving urban ED capacity and training more emergency medicine specialists capable of efficiently staffing its large and crowded EDs.

Emerging phleboviruses.

PubMed

Elliott, Richard M; Brennan, Benjamin

2014-04-01

The Bunyavidae family is the largest grouping of RNA viruses and arguably the most diverse. Bunyaviruses have a truly global distribution and can infect vertebrates, invertebrates and plants. The majority of bunyaviruses are vectored by arthropods and thus have the remarkable capability to replicate in hosts of disparate phylogeny. The family has provided many examples of emerging viruses including Sin Nombre and related viruses responsible for hantavirus cardiopulmonary syndrome in the Americas, first identified in 1993, and Schmallenberg virus which emerged in Europe in 2011, causing foetal malformations in ruminants. In addition, some well-known bunyaviruses like Rift Valley fever and Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever viruses continue to emerge in new geographical locations. In this short review we focus on newly identified viruses associated with severe haemorrhagic disease in humans in China and the US. Copyright © 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Chemical and Biological National Security Program (CBNP) Annual Report FY2002 Overview Local Integration of NARAC With Cities (LINC)

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

Ermak, D L; Nasstrom, J S; Tull, J E

The objective of the Local Integration of NARAC With Cities (LINC) project is to demonstrate the capability for providing local government agencies with advanced, CBNP-developed operational atmospheric plume prediction capabilities that can be seamlessly integrated with appropriate federal agency support for homeland security. LINC's approach is to integrate Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory's (LLNL) National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center (NARAC) tools and services with local emergency management and response centers. In the event of an airborne chemical or biological agent release in an urban area, large portions of the city and even the surrounding suburbs may be affected by the airbornemore » plume, depending on the type of agent, size of release, dissemination mechanism and ambient meteorological conditions. The goal of LINC is to provide real-time predictions that would be used by emergency managers and responders (fire, police, hazmat, etc.) to map the extent and effects of hazardous airborne material. Prompt predictions are provided to guide first responders in determining protective actions to be taken (use of personal protective equipment, evacuation, sheltering in place, etc.), safe locations for incident command posts, and critical facilities that may be at risk (hospitals, schools, etc.). LINC also provides response teams from multiple jurisdictions (local, state, and federal) with tools to effectively share information regarding the areas and populations at risk. The ultimate goal of LINC is a seamless and coordinated nationwide system that integrates NARAC prediction and situation awareness resources with the appropriate local, state and federal agencies for homeland security applications ranging from planning to emergency response to consequence assessment and attribution.« less

Novel and emerging strategies for longitudinal data collection.

PubMed

Udtha, Malini; Nomie, Krystle; Yu, Erica; Sanner, Jennifer

2015-03-01

To describe novel and emerging strategies practiced globally in research to improve longitudinal data collection. In research studies, numerous strategies such as telephone interviews, postal mailing, online questionnaires, and electronic mail are traditionally utilized in longitudinal data collection. However, due to technological advances, novel and emerging strategies have been applied to longitudinal data collection, such as two-way short message service, smartphone applications (or "apps"), retrieval capabilities applied to the electronic medical record, and an adapted cloud interface. In this review, traditional longitudinal data collection strategies are briefly described, emerging and novel strategies are detailed and explored, and information regarding the impact of novel methods on participant response rates, the timeliness of participant responses, and cost is provided. We further discuss how these novel and emerging strategies affect longitudinal data collection and advance research, specifically nursing research. Evidence suggests that the novel and emerging longitudinal data collection strategies discussed in this review are valuable approaches to consider. These strategies facilitate collecting longitudinal research data to better understand a variety of health-related conditions. Future studies, including nursing research, should consider using novel and emerging strategies to advance longitudinal data collection. A better understanding of novel and emerging longitudinal data collection strategies will ultimately improve longitudinal data collection as well as foster research efforts. Nurse researchers, along with all researchers, must be aware of and consider implementing novel and emerging strategies to ensure future healthcare research success. © 2014 Sigma Theta Tau International.

Sleeper Effects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Maurer, Daphne; Mondloch, Catherine J.; Lewis, Terri L.

2007-01-01

Early experience preserves and refines many capabilities that emerge prenatally. Here we describe another role that it plays--establishing the neural substrate for capabilities that emerge at a much later point in development. The evidence comes from sleeper effects: permanent deficits when early experience was absent in capabilities that normally…

Converting Advances in Seismology into Earthquake Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hauksson, Egill; Shearer, Peter; Vidale, John

2004-01-01

Federal and state agencies and university groups all operate seismic networks in California. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) operates seismic networks in California in cooperation with the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in southern California, and the University of California (UC) at Berkeley in northern California. The California Geological Survey (CGS) and the USGS National Strong Motion Program (NSMP) operate dial-out strong motion instruments in the state, primarily to capture data from large earthquakes for earthquake engineering and, more recently, emergency response. The California Governor's Office of Emergency Services (OES) provides leadership for the most recent project, the California Integrated Seismic Network (CISN), to integrate all of the California efforts, and to take advantage of the emergency response capabilities of the seismic networks. The core members of the CISN are Caltech, UC Berkeley, CGS, USGS Menlo Park, and USGS Pasadena (http://www.cisn.org). New seismic instrumentation is in place across southern California, and significant progress has been made in improving instrumentation in northern California. Since 2001, these new field instrumentation efforts, data sharing, and software development for real-time reporting and archiving have been coordinated through the California Integrated Seismic Network (CISN). The CISN is also the California region of the Advanced National Seismic Network (ANSS). In addition, EarthScope deployments of USArray that will begin in early 2004 in California are coordinated with the CISN. The southern and northern California earthquake data centers (SCEDC and NCEDC) have new capabilities that enable seismologists to obtain large volumes of data with only modest effort.

Partners in immunization: 2010 survey examining differences among H1N1 vaccine providers in Washington state.

PubMed

Seib, Katherine; Gleason, Cindy; Richards, Jennifer L; Chamberlain, Allison; Andrews, Tracey; Watson, Lin; Whitney, Ellen; Hinman, Alan R; Omer, Saad B

2013-01-01

Emergency response involving mass vaccination requires the involvement of traditional vaccine providers as well as other health-care providers, including pharmacists, obstetricians, and health-care providers at correctional facilities. We explored differences in provider experiences administering pandemic vaccine during a public health emergency. We conducted a cross-sectional survey of H1N1 vaccine providers in Washington State, examining topics regarding pandemic vaccine administration, participation in preparedness activities, and communication with public health agencies. We also examined differences among provider types in responses received (n=619, 80.9% response rate). Compared with other types of vaccine providers (e.g., family practitioners, obstetricians, and specialists), pharmacists reported higher patient volumes as well as higher patient-to-practitioner ratios, indicating a broad capacity for community reach. Pharmacists and correctional health-care providers reported lower staff coverage with seasonal and H1N1 vaccines. Compared with other vaccine providers, pharmacists were also more likely to report relying on public health information from federal sources. They were less likely to report relying on local health departments (LHDs) for pandemic-related information, but indicated a desire to be included in LHD communications and plans. While all provider types indicated a high willingness to respond to a public health emergency, pharmacists were less likely to have participated in training, actual emergency response, or surge capacity initiatives. No obstetricians reported participating in surge capacity initiatives. Results from this survey suggest that efforts to increase communication and interaction between public health agencies and pharmacy, obstetric, and correctional health-care vaccine providers may improve future preparedness and emergency response capability and reach.

Partners in Immunization: 2010 Survey Examining Differences Among H1N1 Vaccine Providers in Washington State

PubMed Central

Gleason, Cindy; Richards, Jennifer L.; Chamberlain, Allison; Andrews, Tracey; Watson, Lin; Whitney, Ellen; Hinman, Alan R.; Omer, Saad B.

2013-01-01

Objectives Emergency response involving mass vaccination requires the involvement of traditional vaccine providers as well as other health-care providers, including pharmacists, obstetricians, and health-care providers at correctional facilities. We explored differences in provider experiences administering pandemic vaccine during a public health emergency. Methods We conducted a cross-sectional survey of H1N1 vaccine providers in Washington State, examining topics regarding pandemic vaccine administration, participation in preparedness activities, and communication with public health agencies. We also examined differences among provider types in responses received (n=619, 80.9% response rate). Results Compared with other types of vaccine providers (e.g., family practitioners, obstetricians, and specialists), pharmacists reported higher patient volumes as well as higher patient-to-practitioner ratios, indicating a broad capacity for community reach. Pharmacists and correctional health-care providers reported lower staff coverage with seasonal and H1N1 vaccines. Compared with other vaccine providers, pharmacists were also more likely to report relying on public health information from federal sources. They were less likely to report relying on local health departments (LHDs) for pandemic-related information, but indicated a desire to be included in LHD communications and plans. While all provider types indicated a high willingness to respond to a public health emergency, pharmacists were less likely to have participated in training, actual emergency response, or surge capacity initiatives. No obstetricians reported participating in surge capacity initiatives. Conclusions Results from this survey suggest that efforts to increase communication and interaction between public health agencies and pharmacy, obstetric, and correctional health-care vaccine providers may improve future preparedness and emergency response capability and reach. PMID:23633735

Leading Preparedness for Local Fire Agencies

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-01

tsunami that raced across coastal cities including Fukushima where the Fukushima - Daiichi nuclear power station was flooded. The disaster killed more than...emergency preparedness related governmental agencies and increased support at the federal level with a focus on natural disasters .13 The FEMA was...participation has led to increased safety and situational awareness through directed information sharing for all fire response personnel. The core capability of

Modeling of electromagnetic brakes for enhanced braking capabilities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kachroo, Pushkin; Ming, Qian

1998-01-01

In automatic highway systems, automatic brake actuation is a very important part of the overall control of the vehicle. Hence, a faster response and a robust braking system are crucial. This paper describes electromagnetic brakes as a supplementary system for regular friction brakes. This system provides better response time for emergency situations, and in general keeps the friction brake working longer and safer. A new mathematical model for electromagnetic brakes is proposed to describe their static characteristics. The performance of the new mathematical model is better than the other three models available in the literature.

A multi-method approach to curriculum development for in-service training in China's newly established health emergency response offices.

PubMed

Wang, Yadong; Li, Xiangrui; Yuan, Yiwen; Patel, Mahomed S

2014-01-01

To describe an innovative approach for developing and implementing an in-service curriculum in China for staff of the newly established health emergency response offices (HEROs), and that is generalisable to other settings. The multi-method training needs assessment included reviews of the competency domains needed to implement the International Health Regulations (2005) as well as China's policies and emergency regulations. The review, iterative interviews and workshops with experts in government, academia, the military, and with HERO staff were reviewed critically by an expert technical advisory panel. Over 1600 participants contributed to curriculum development. Of the 18 competency domains identified as essential for HERO staff, nine were developed into priority in-service training modules to be conducted over 2.5 weeks. Experts from academia and experienced practitioners prepared and delivered each module through lectures followed by interactive problem-solving exercises and desktop simulations to help trainees apply, experiment with, and consolidate newly acquired knowledge and skills. This study adds to the emerging literature on China's enduring efforts to strengthen its emergency response capabilities since the outbreak of SARS in 2003. The multi-method approach to curriculum development in partnership with senior policy-makers, researchers, and experienced practitioners can be applied in other settings to ensure training is responsive and customized to local needs, resources and priorities. Ongoing curriculum development should reflect international standards and be coupled with the development of appropriate performance support systems at the workplace for motivating staff to apply their newly acquired knowledge and skills effectively and creatively.

Redox modulation of cellular stress response and lipoxin A4 expression by Coriolus versicolor in rat brain: Relevance to Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis.

PubMed

Trovato, A; Siracusa, R; Di Paola, R; Scuto, M; Fronte, V; Koverech, G; Luca, M; Serra, A; Toscano, M A; Petralia, A; Cuzzocrea, S; Calabrese, V

2016-03-01

Increasing evidence supports the notion that oxidative stress-driven neuroinflammation is an early pathological feature in neurodegenerative diseases. As a prominent intracellular redox system involved in neuroprotection, the vitagene system is emerging as a potential neurohormetic target for novel cytoprotective interventions. Vitagenes encode for cytoprotective heat shock proteins 70, heme oxygenase-1, thioredoxin and lipoxin A4. Emerging interest is now focusing on molecules capable of activating the vitagene system as novel therapeutic targets to minimize deleterious consequences associated with free radical-induced cell damage, such as in neurodegeneration. Mushroom-derived lipoxin A4 (LXA4) is an emerging endogenous eicosanoid able to promote resolution of inflammation, acting as an endogenous "braking signal" in the inflammatory process. Mushrooms have long been used in traditional medicine for thousands of years, being now increasingly recognized as rich source of polysaccharopeptides endowed with significant antitumor, antioxidant, antiviral, antibacterial and cytoprotective effects, thereby capable of stimulating host immune responses. Here we provide evidence of a neuroprotective action of the Coriolus mushroom when administered orally to rat. Expression of LXA4 was measured in different brain regions after oral administration of a Coriolus biomass preparation, given for 30 days. LXA4 up-regulation was associated with an increased content of redox sensitive proteins involved in cellular stress response, such as Hsp72, heme oxygenase-1 and thioredoxin. In the brain of rats receiving Coriolus, maximum induction of LXA4 was observed in cortex and hippocampus. Hsps induction was associated with no significant changes in IkBα, NFkB and COX-2 brain levels. Conceivably, activation of LXA4 signaling and modulation of stress-responsive vitagene proteins could serve as a potential therapeutic target for AD-related inflammation and neurodegenerative damage. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Implementation of Enhanced Propulsion Control Modes for Emergency Flight Operation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Csank, Jeffrey T.; Chin, Jeffrey C.; May, Ryan D.; Litt, Jonathan S.; Guo, Ten-Huei

2011-01-01

Aircraft engines can be effective actuators to help pilots avert or recover from emergency situations. Emergency control modes are being developed to enhance the engines performance to increase the probability of recovery under these circumstances. This paper discusses a proposed implementation of an architecture that requests emergency propulsion control modes, allowing the engines to deliver additional performance in emergency situations while still ensuring a specified safety level. In order to determine the appropriate level of engine performance enhancement, information regarding the current emergency scenario (including severity) and current engine health must be known. This enables the engine to operate beyond its nominal range while minimizing overall risk to the aircraft. In this architecture, the flight controller is responsible for determining the severity of the event and the level of engine risk that is acceptable, while the engine controller is responsible for delivering the desired performance within the specified risk range. A control mode selector specifies an appropriate situation-specific enhanced mode, which the engine controller then implements. The enhanced control modes described in this paper provide additional engine thrust or response capabilities through the modification of gains, limits, and the control algorithm, but increase the risk of engine failure. The modifications made to the engine controller to enable the use of the enhanced control modes are described, as are the interaction between the various subsystems and importantly, the interaction between the flight controller/pilot and the propulsion control system. Simulation results demonstrate how the system responds to requests for enhanced operation and the corresponding increase in performance.

Integrating business continuity, emergency preparedness and emergency response: How these seemingly different disciplines can come together to make a comprehensive integrated programme.

PubMed

Halsne, Julia

2015-01-01

The East Bay Municipal Utility District provides potable water to approximately 1.3 million customers and treats wastewater for approximately 680,000 customers on the eastern side of San Francisco Bay in Northern California. Corporate policy requires the District to create and maintain an active emergency preparedness programme to manage its critical functions during an emergency and protect people, property and the environment. The policy also requires the District to create and maintain a business continuity programme to minimise disruptions of critical business functions and enhance its capability to recover operations. For these programmes to work effectively they must be coordinated. As the programmes at the District have evolved, the natural interrelationship, overlaps and integration have become inherent in their success. To ensure integration and coordination of these programmes, the District has developed management systems to effectively drive towards a seamless overarching programme.

Self-organized huddles of rat pups modeled by simple rules of individual behavior.

PubMed

Schank, J C; Alberts, J R

1997-11-07

Starting at infancy and continuing throughout adult life, huddling is a major component of the behavioral repertoire of Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus). Huddling behavior maintains the cohesion of litters throughout early life, and in adulthood, it remains a consistent feature of social behavior of R. norvegicus. During infancy, rats have severely limited sensorimotor capabilities, and yet they are capable of aggregating and display a form of group regulatory behavior that conserves metabolic effort and augments body temperature regulation. The functions of huddling are generally understood as group adaptations, which are beyond the capabilities of the individual infant rat. We show, however, that huddling as aggregative or cohesive behavior can emerge as a self-organizing process from autonomous individuals following simple sensorimotor rules. In our model, two sets of sensorimotor parameters characterize the topotaxic responses and the dynamics of contact in 7-day-old rats. The first set of parameters are conditional probabilities of activity and inactivity given prior activity or inactivity and the second set are preferences for objects in the infant rat's environment. We found that the behavior of the model and of actual rat pups compare very favorably, demonstrating that the aggregative feature of huddling can emerge from the local sensorimotor interactions of individuals, and that complex group regulatory behaviors in infant rats may also emerge from self-organizing processes. We discuss the model and the underlying approach as a paradigm for investigating the dynamics of social interactions, group behavior, and developmental change.

IEMIS (Integrated Emergency Management Information System) Floodplain Mapping Based on a Lidar Derived Data Set.

DTIC Science & Technology

1988-02-05

0-A193 971 IEMIS (INTEGRATED EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT INFORMATION SYSTEM ) FLOODPLRIN MAP.. (U) ARMY ENGINEER WATERWAYS EXPERIMENT STATION VICKSBURG HS J...illustrate the application of the automated mapping capabilities of the Integrated Emergency Management Information System (IEMIS) to FISs. Unclassified...mapping capabilities of the Integrated Emergency Management Information System (IEMIS) to FISs. II. BACKGROUND The concept of mounting laser ranging

Emerging Technologies: Biosecurity and Consequence Management Implications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Perkins, Dana; Nordmann, Brian

The natural outbreaks of disease and pandemics are transnational threats that create international challenges when detection and containment are not timely due to scarce human and material resources. Whether the cause of those outbreaks is natural or intentional in origin, the main goal of consequence management operations is to save lives. The consequence management process is a continuum of inter-connected phases such as planning, preparation, response, and recovery. The rapid advances of life sciences and the emergence of dual-use technologies such as synthetic biology and nanotechnology pose additional challenges in terms of planning for the unknown potential threats whether they may be synthetic microorganisms with unpredictable dissemination patterns or nanoscale-manipulated biological agents evading current detection capabilities. The US National Strategy for Countering Biological Threats is emphasizing prevention while continuing to support the national preparedness goals and response/recovery capabilities. The recent policies, guidelines, and recommendations on overhauling the biological risk management in the United States are a proactive stance to a rapidly changing global environment. They include optimization of the current oversight frameworks and active engagement of the industry and academia in order to reduce the risk that individuals with ill intent may exploit the commercial application of nucleic acid synthesis technology to access genetic material derived from or by encoding Biological Select Agents or Toxins. We are also actively seeking to increase our knowledge of health effects of various types of nanomaterials, and how to assess, control, and prevent harmful exposure, taking into consideration the numerous gaps that currently exist with regard to the distinct behavior of nanoparticles compared to the same chemical or material at "macro-scale". Fundamentally, a biological incident, whether it is of natural, accidental, or deliberate origin, constitutes a public health problem and the United States is engaged with the international community to enhance our collective capability to address emerging health security threats.

The evolution of plant secretory structures and emergence of terpenoid chemical diversity.

PubMed

Lange, Bernd Markus

2015-01-01

Secretory structures in terrestrial plants appear to have first emerged as intracellular oil bodies in liverworts. In vascular plants, internal secretory structures, such as resin ducts and laticifers, are usually found in conjunction with vascular bundles, whereas subepidermal secretory cavities and epidermal glandular trichomes generally have more complex tissue distribution patterns. The primary function of plant secretory structures is related to defense responses, both constitutive and induced, against herbivores and pathogens. The ability to sequester secondary (or specialized) metabolites and defense proteins in secretory structures was a critical adaptation that shaped plant-herbivore and plant-pathogen interactions. Although this review places particular emphasis on describing the evolution of pathways leading to terpenoids, it also assesses the emergence of other metabolite classes to outline the metabolic capabilities of different plant lineages.

BEARS: a multi-mission anomaly response system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roberts, Bryce A.

2009-05-01

The Mission Operations Group at UC Berkeley's Space Sciences Laboratory operates a highly automated ground station and presently a fleet of seven satellites, each with its own associated command and control console. However, the requirement for prompt anomaly detection and resolution is shared commonly between the ground segment and all spacecraft. The efficient, low-cost operation and "lights-out" staffing of the Mission Operations Group requires that controllers and engineers be notified of spacecraft and ground system problems around the clock. The Berkeley Emergency Anomaly and Response System (BEARS) is an in-house developed web- and paging-based software system that meets this need. BEARS was developed as a replacement for an existing emergency reporting software system that was too closedsource, platform-specific, expensive, and antiquated to expand or maintain. To avoid these limitations, the new system design leverages cross-platform, open-source software products such as MySQL, PHP, and Qt. Anomaly notifications and responses make use of the two-way paging capabilities of modern smart phones.

Creating a process for incorporating epidemiological modelling into outbreak management decisions.

PubMed

Akselrod, Hana; Mercon, Monica; Kirkeby Risoe, Petter; Schlegelmilch, Jeffrey; McGovern, Joanne; Bogucki, Sandy

2012-01-01

Modern computational models of infectious diseases greatly enhance our ability to understand new infectious threats and assess the effects of different interventions. The recently-released CDC Framework for Preventing Infectious Diseases calls for increased use of predictive modelling of epidemic emergence for public health preparedness. Currently, the utility of these technologies in preparedness and response to outbreaks is limited by gaps between modelling output and information requirements for incident management. The authors propose an operational structure that will facilitate integration of modelling capabilities into action planning for outbreak management, using the Incident Command System (ICS) and Synchronization Matrix framework. It is designed to be adaptable and scalable for use by state and local planners under the National Response Framework (NRF) and Emergency Support Function #8 (ESF-8). Specific epidemiological modelling requirements are described, and integrated with the core processes for public health emergency decision support. These methods can be used in checklist format to align prospective or real-time modelling output with anticipated decision points, and guide strategic situational assessments at the community level. It is anticipated that formalising these processes will facilitate translation of the CDC's policy guidance from theory to practice during public health emergencies involving infectious outbreaks.

Overview and Results of ISS Space Medicine Operations Team (SMOT) Activities

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, H. Magee; Sargsyan, Ashot E.; Armstrong, Cheryl; McDonald, P. Vernon; Duncan, James M.; Bogomolov, V. V.

2007-01-01

The Space Medicine Operations Team (SMOT) was created to integrate International Space Station (ISS) Medical Operations, promote awareness of all Partners, provide emergency response capability and management, provide operational input from all Partners for medically relevant concerns, and provide a source of medical input to ISS Mission Management. The viewgraph presentation provides an overview of educational objectives, purpose, operations, products, statistics, and its use in off-nominal situations.

Laser Imaging Video Camera Sees Through Fire, Fog, Smoke

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

2015-01-01

Under a series of SBIR contracts with Langley Research Center, inventor Richard Billmers refined a prototype for a laser imaging camera capable of seeing through fire, fog, smoke, and other obscurants. Now, Canton, Ohio-based Laser Imaging through Obscurants (LITO) Technologies Inc. is demonstrating the technology as a perimeter security system at Glenn Research Center and planning its future use in aviation, shipping, emergency response, and other fields.

Iranian threat: Key concerns for the combatant commander in response. Final report

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

Jasper, S.

1996-03-05

In the aftermath of the Gulf War with Iraq, the Islamic Republic of Iran has emerged as the greatest long-term threat to peace and stability in the Central Region. Through purchase of a wide range of high-tech weapons, Iran now has a formidable military force capable of influencing Gulf economic policy. However, in the event of Iranian aggression, the United States Central Command stands ready to defend vital U.S. interests in the Middle East. The national strategy of Iran is bound by the religious tenets of Islam and an oil based economy struggling to support a population which has explodedmore » over the past sixteen years. Iran seeks to build global alliances for export of oil and liquid petroleum gas while continuing support for Islamic communities under attack. Iran perceives the U.S. and the emerging regional order to be the greatest threat to the republic`s existence and, in response, has bought fast attack missile patrol boats, diesel electric submarines, ballistic missiles and long range strike aircraft. Iran is now capable of conducting terrorist activities, denying international access to the Gulf and threatening the region with chemical/biological weapons. The Combatant Commander`s theater strategy must be tailored to respond rapidly and decisively to the growing Iranian threat.« less

Emergency Response Fire-Imaging UAS Missions over the Southern California Wildfire Disaster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

DelFrate, John H.

2008-01-01

Objectives include: Demonstrate capabilities of UAS to overfly and collect sensor data on widespread fires throughout Western US. Demonstrate long-endurance mission capabilities (20-hours+). Image multiple fires (greater than 4 fires per mission), to showcase extendable mission configuration and ability to either linger over key fires or station over disparate regional fires. Demonstrate new UAV-compatible, autonomous sensor for improved thermal characterization of fires. Provide automated, on-board, terrain and geo-rectified sensor imagery over OTH satcom links to national fire personnel and Incident commanders. Deliver real-time imagery (within 10-minutes of acquisition). Demonstrate capabilities of OTS technologies (GoogleEarth) to serve and display mission-critical sensor data, coincident with other pertinent data elements to facilitate information processing (WX data, ground asset data, other satellite data, R/T video, flight track info, etc).

Emergency Response Fire-Imaging UAS Missions over the Southern California Wildfire Disaster

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Cobleigh, Brent R.

2007-01-01

Objectives include: Demonstrate capabilities of UAS to overfly and collect sensor data on widespread fires throughout Western US. Demonstrate long-endurance mission capabilities (20-hours+). Image multiple fires (greater than 4 fires per mission), to showcase extendable mission configuration and ability to either linger over key fires or station over disparate regional fires. Demonstrate new UAV-compatible, autonomous sensor for improved thermal characterization of fires. Provide automated, on-board, terrain and geo-rectified sensor imagery over OTH satcom links to national fire personnel and Incident commanders. Deliver real-time imagery (within 10-minutes of acquisition). Demonstrate capabilities of OTS technologies (GoogleEarth) to serve and display mission-critical sensor data, coincident with other pertinent data elements to facilitate information processing (WX data, ground asset data, other satellite data, R/T video, flight track info, etc).

Regional Collaboration Among Urban Area Security Initiative Regions: Results of the Johns Hopkins Urban Area Survey

PubMed Central

Bowman, Calvin; Barnett, Daniel J.; Resnick, Beth A.; Frattaroli, Shannon; Rutkow, Lainie

2014-01-01

Regional collaboration has been identified as a potential facilitator of public health preparedness efforts. The Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) grant program, administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) since 2003, has provided 64 high-risk metropolitan areas funding to enhance their regional preparedness capabilities. This study describes informal and formal regional collaboration infrastructure, as well as regional collaboration–related activities and assessment methods, in FFY2010 UASI regions. A cross-sectional online survey was administered via Survey Monkey from September through December 2013. Points of contact from FFY2010 funded UASI metropolitan areas completed the survey, with a response rate of 77.8% (n=49). Summary statistics were calculated to describe the current informal and formal regional collaboration infrastructure. Additionally, the cross-sectional survey collected rates of agreement with 8 collaborative preparedness statements at 3 time points. The survey found that UASI regions are engaging in collaborative activities and investments to build capabilities, with most collaboration occurring in the prevention, protection, and response mission areas. Collaborative relationships in preparedness among emergency managers and municipal chief executive officers improved during the FFY2010 UASI performance period compared to the pre-UASI award period, with lasting effects. The majority of UASI regions reported conducting independent assessments of capabilities and their measurement at the UASI region level. Urban areas that received a FFY2010 UASI grant award are engaging in collaborative activities and have established interjurisdictional relationships in preparedness. The use of grant funds to encourage collaboration in preparedness has the potential to leverage limited resources and promote informed investments. PMID:25398073

Regional collaboration among Urban Area Security Initiative regions: results of the Johns Hopkins urban area survey.

PubMed

Errett, Nicole A; Bowman, Calvin; Barnett, Daniel J; Resnick, Beth A; Frattaroli, Shannon; Rutkow, Lainie

2014-01-01

Regional collaboration has been identified as a potential facilitator of public health preparedness efforts. The Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) grant program, administered by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) since 2003, has provided 64 high-risk metropolitan areas funding to enhance their regional preparedness capabilities. This study describes informal and formal regional collaboration infrastructure, as well as regional collaboration-related activities and assessment methods, in FFY2010 UASI regions. A cross-sectional online survey was administered via Survey Monkey from September through December 2013. Points of contact from FFY2010 funded UASI metropolitan areas completed the survey, with a response rate of 77.8% (n=49). Summary statistics were calculated to describe the current informal and formal regional collaboration infrastructure. Additionally, the cross-sectional survey collected rates of agreement with 8 collaborative preparedness statements at 3 time points. The survey found that UASI regions are engaging in collaborative activities and investments to build capabilities, with most collaboration occurring in the prevention, protection, and response mission areas. Collaborative relationships in preparedness among emergency managers and municipal chief executive officers improved during the FFY2010 UASI performance period compared to the pre-UASI award period, with lasting effects. The majority of UASI regions reported conducting independent assessments of capabilities and their measurement at the UASI region level. Urban areas that received a FFY2010 UASI grant award are engaging in collaborative activities and have established interjurisdictional relationships in preparedness. The use of grant funds to encourage collaboration in preparedness has the potential to leverage limited resources and promote informed investments.

Computer Simulation for Emergency Incident Management

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

Brown, D L

2004-12-03

This report describes the findings and recommendations resulting from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Incident Management Simulation Workshop held by the DHS Advanced Scientific Computing Program in May 2004. This workshop brought senior representatives of the emergency response and incident-management communities together with modeling and simulation technologists from Department of Energy laboratories. The workshop provided an opportunity for incident responders to describe the nature and substance of the primary personnel roles in an incident response, to identify current and anticipated roles of modeling and simulation in support of incident response, and to begin a dialog between the incident responsemore » and simulation technology communities that will guide and inform planned modeling and simulation development for incident response. This report provides a summary of the discussions at the workshop as well as a summary of simulation capabilities that are relevant to incident-management training, and recommendations for the use of simulation in both incident management and in incident management training, based on the discussions at the workshop. In addition, the report discusses areas where further research and development will be required to support future needs in this area.« less

Performance of district disaster management teams after undergoing an operational level planners' training in Uganda.

PubMed

Orach, Christopher Garimol; Mayega, Roy William; Woboya, Vincent; William, Bazeyo

2013-06-01

Uganda is vulnerable to several natural, man-made and a hybrid of disasters including drought, famine, floods, warfare, and disease outbreaks. We assessed the district disaster team's performance, roles and experiences following the training. The disasters most commonly experienced by the district teams were epidemics of diseases in humans (7 of 12), animals (epizoonotics) (3 of 12) and crops (3 of 12); hailstorms and floods (3 of 12). The capabilities viewed most useful for management of disasters were provision of health care services (9/12) and response management (8 of 12). The capability domains most often consulted during the disasters were general response management (31%), health services (29%) and water and sanitation (17%). The skills areas perceived to be vital following the training were response to epidemics 10/12, disaster management planning 8/12, hazards and vulnerability analysis 7/12 and principles of disaster planning 7/12 respectively. Main challenges mentioned by district teams were inadequacy of finance and logistics, lack of commitment by key partners towards disaster preparedness and response. The most common disaster experienced disasters related to outbreaks of diseases in man, animals and crops. The most frequently applied capabilities were response management and provision of emergency health services. The activities most frequently implemented following disaster management teams training were conducting planning meetings, refinement of plans and dissemination of skills gained. The main challenges were related to limited budget allocations and legal frameworks for disaster management that should be addressed by both central and local governments.

DNA-assisted swarm control in a biomolecular motor system.

PubMed

Keya, Jakia Jannat; Suzuki, Ryuhei; Kabir, Arif Md Rashedul; Inoue, Daisuke; Asanuma, Hiroyuki; Sada, Kazuki; Hess, Henry; Kuzuya, Akinori; Kakugo, Akira

2018-01-31

In nature, swarming behavior has evolved repeatedly among motile organisms because it confers a variety of beneficial emergent properties. These include improved information gathering, protection from predators, and resource utilization. Some organisms, e.g., locusts, switch between solitary and swarm behavior in response to external stimuli. Aspects of swarming behavior have been demonstrated for motile supramolecular systems composed of biomolecular motors and cytoskeletal filaments, where cross-linkers induce large scale organization. The capabilities of such supramolecular systems may be further extended if the swarming behavior can be programmed and controlled. Here, we demonstrate that the swarming of DNA-functionalized microtubules (MTs) propelled by surface-adhered kinesin motors can be programmed and reversibly regulated by DNA signals. Emergent swarm behavior, such as translational and circular motion, can be selected by tuning the MT stiffness. Photoresponsive DNA containing azobenzene groups enables switching between solitary and swarm behavior in response to stimulation with visible or ultraviolet light.

Rational Design of Pathogen-Mimicking Amphiphilic Materials as Nanoadjuvants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ulery, Bret D.; Petersen, Latrisha K.; Phanse, Yashdeep; Kong, Chang Sun; Broderick, Scott R.; Kumar, Devender; Ramer-Tait, Amanda E.; Carrillo-Conde, Brenda; Rajan, Krishna; Wannemuehler, Michael J.; Bellaire, Bryan H.; Metzger, Dennis W.; Narasimhan, Balaji

2011-12-01

An opportunity exists today for cross-cutting research utilizing advances in materials science, immunology, microbial pathogenesis, and computational analysis to effectively design the next generation of adjuvants and vaccines. This study integrates these advances into a bottom-up approach for the molecular design of nanoadjuvants capable of mimicking the immune response induced by a natural infection but without the toxic side effects. Biodegradable amphiphilic polyanhydrides possess the unique ability to mimic pathogens and pathogen associated molecular patterns with respect to persisting within and activating immune cells, respectively. The molecular properties responsible for the pathogen-mimicking abilities of these materials have been identified. The value of using polyanhydride nanovaccines was demonstrated by the induction of long-lived protection against a lethal challenge of Yersinia pestis following a single administration ten months earlier. This approach has the tantalizing potential to catalyze the development of next generation vaccines against diseases caused by emerging and re-emerging pathogens.

In Preparation or Response: Examining Health Care Coalitions Amid a Changing Economic and Political Landscape.

PubMed

Dornauer, Mark E

2015-12-01

The Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response within the US Department of Health and Human Services leads the nation in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from the adverse health effects of public health emergencies, in part through formal collaborations between hospitals, health systems, community health centers, public health departments, and community organizations via health care coalitions (HCCs). HCCs endeavor to meet the medical surge demands inherent to disasters and to improve health outcomes before, during, and after public health emergencies. Nevertheless, significant changes in health economics and policy can impact the operations, capabilities, and scope of HCCs. Specifically, hospital consolidation and the Affordable Care Act (ACA) are altering the national health care landscape, as well as the emergency preparedness sector, and are challenging HCCs to adapt to large-scale, industry-wide transformations. This article examines HCCs in the context of the developments of hospital consolidation and the ACA in order to facilitate future discourse regarding the strategy and policy of HCCs amid a changing economic and political landscape.

Atmospheric Release Advisory Capability Pilot Project at Two Nuclear Power Plants and Associated State Offices of Emergency Preparedness.

DTIC Science & Technology

1983-01-01

assumes any legal liability or responsibility for the accuracy, comn- pleteness. or usefulness of any information, apparatus, product. or process ...disclosed, or represents that its use would not infringe privately owned rights. Reference herein to any specific commercial products, process , or service...by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise, does not necessarily constitute or imply. its endorsement. recommendation, or favoring by the U

Improving National Capacity to Respond to Complex Emergencies, The U.S. Experience

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-04-01

effort. As one who was responsible for operations in Africa , Europe, and the Middle East, I can attest to the lack of a systematic process for de...social, and economic. 7 Humanitarian assistance aims to meet the basic subsistence needs of the population: food, water , shelter, and health care...organization could specialize in reforming civilian police, while another develops a capability for water purification. Specifying roles can lead to

MAGTF C2 the Vision for Marine Corps Command and Control

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-01-01

people with low cost high bandwidth capability that was a byproduct of the technological boom over the last decade. As an organization the military needs... military needs to understand that early transformation requires exploiting information technology to reform defense business practices and to create new...tactical, operational, and strategic levels of war. 14 In brief, NCW is not narrowly about technology , but broadly about an emerging military response to

Real-time Medical Emergency Response System: Exploiting IoT and Big Data for Public Health.

PubMed

Rathore, M Mazhar; Ahmad, Awais; Paul, Anand; Wan, Jiafu; Zhang, Daqiang

2016-12-01

Healthy people are important for any nation's development. Use of the Internet of Things (IoT)-based body area networks (BANs) is increasing for continuous monitoring and medical healthcare in order to perform real-time actions in case of emergencies. However, in the case of monitoring the health of all citizens or people in a country, the millions of sensors attached to human bodies generate massive volume of heterogeneous data, called "Big Data." Processing Big Data and performing real-time actions in critical situations is a challenging task. Therefore, in order to address such issues, we propose a Real-time Medical Emergency Response System that involves IoT-based medical sensors deployed on the human body. Moreover, the proposed system consists of the data analysis building, called "Intelligent Building," depicted by the proposed layered architecture and implementation model, and it is responsible for analysis and decision-making. The data collected from millions of body-attached sensors is forwarded to Intelligent Building for processing and for performing necessary actions using various units such as collection, Hadoop Processing (HPU), and analysis and decision. The feasibility and efficiency of the proposed system are evaluated by implementing the system on Hadoop using an UBUNTU 14.04 LTS coreTMi5 machine. Various medical sensory datasets and real-time network traffic are considered for evaluating the efficiency of the system. The results show that the proposed system has the capability of efficiently processing WBAN sensory data from millions of users in order to perform real-time responses in case of emergencies.

Satellite SAR interferometric techniques applied to emergency mapping

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stefanova Vassileva, Magdalena; Riccardi, Paolo; Lecci, Daniele; Giulio Tonolo, Fabio; Boccardo Boccardo, Piero; Chiesa, Giuliana; Angeluccetti, Irene

2017-04-01

This paper aim to investigate the capabilities of the currently available SAR interferometric algorithms in the field of emergency mapping. Several tests have been performed exploiting the Copernicus Sentinel-1 data using the COTS software ENVI/SARscape 5.3. Emergency Mapping can be defined as "creation of maps, geo-information products and spatial analyses dedicated to providing situational awareness emergency management and immediate crisis information for response by means of extraction of reference (pre-event) and crisis (post-event) geographic information/data from satellite or aerial imagery". The conventional differential SAR interferometric technique (DInSAR) and the two currently available multi-temporal SAR interferometric approaches, i.e. Permanent Scatterer Interferometry (PSI) and Small BAseline Subset (SBAS), have been applied to provide crisis information useful for the emergency management activities. Depending on the considered Emergency Management phase, it may be distinguished between rapid mapping, i.e. fast provision of geospatial data regarding the area affected for the immediate emergency response, and monitoring mapping, i.e. detection of phenomena for risk prevention and mitigation activities. In order to evaluate the potential and limitations of the aforementioned SAR interferometric approaches for the specific rapid and monitoring mapping application, five main factors have been taken into account: crisis information extracted, input data required, processing time and expected accuracy. The results highlight that DInSAR has the capacity to delineate areas affected by large and sudden deformations and fulfills most of the immediate response requirements. The main limiting factor of interferometry is the availability of suitable SAR acquisition immediately after the event (e.g. Sentinel-1 mission characterized by 6-day revisiting time may not always satisfy the immediate emergency request). PSI and SBAS techniques are suitable to produce monitoring maps for risk prevention and mitigation purposes. Nevertheless, multi-temporal techniques require large SAR temporal datasets, i.e. 20 and more images. Being the Sentinel-1 missions operational only since April 2014, multi-mission SAR datasets should be therefore exploited to carry out historical analysis.

Mass casualty events: blood transfusion emergency preparedness across the continuum of care.

PubMed

Doughty, Heidi; Glasgow, Simon; Kristoffersen, Einar

2016-04-01

Transfusion support is a key enabler to the response to mass casualty events (MCEs). Transfusion demand and capability planning should be an integrated part of the medical planning process for emergency system preparedness. Historical reviews have recently supported demand planning for MCEs and mass gatherings; however, computer modeling offers greater insights for resource management. The challenge remains balancing demand and supply especially the demand for universal components such as group O red blood cells. The current prehospital and hospital capability has benefited from investment in the management of massive hemorrhage. The management of massive hemorrhage should address both hemorrhage control and hemostatic support. Labile blood components cannot be stockpiled and a large surge in demand is a challenge for transfusion providers. The use of blood components may need to be triaged and demand managed. Two contrasting models of transfusion planning for MCEs are described. Both illustrate an integrated approach to preparedness where blood transfusion services work closely with health care providers and the donor community. Preparedness includes appropriate stock management and resupply from other centers. However, the introduction of alternative transfusion products, transfusion triage, and the greater use of an emergency donor panel to provide whole blood may permit greater resilience. © 2016 AABB.

Accidental release of chlorine in Chicago: Coupling of an exposure model with a Computational Fluid Dynamics model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanchez, E. Y.; Colman Lerner, J. E.; Porta, A.; Jacovkis, P. M.

2013-01-01

The adverse health effects of the release of hazardous substances into the atmosphere continue being a matter of concern, especially in densely populated urban regions. Emergency responders need to have estimates of these adverse health effects in the local population to aid planning, emergency response, and recovery efforts. For this purpose, models that predict the transport and dispersion of hazardous materials are as necessary as those that estimate the adverse health effects in the population. In this paper, we present the results obtained by coupling a Computational Fluid Dynamics model, FLACS (FLame ACceleration Simulator), with an exposure model, DDC (Damage Differential Coupling). This coupled model system is applied to a scenario of hypothetical release of chlorine with obstacles, such as buildings, and the results show how it is capable of predicting the atmospheric dispersion of hazardous chemicals, and the adverse health effects in the exposed population, to support decision makers both in charge of emergency planning and in charge of real-time response. The results obtained show how knowing the influence of obstacles in the trajectory of the toxic cloud and in the diffusion of the pollutants transported, and obtaining dynamic information of the potentially affected population and of associated symptoms, contribute to improve the planning of the protection and response measures.

The Emergent Capabilities of Distributed Satellites and Methods for Selecting Distributed Satellite Science Missions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Corbin, B. A.; Seager, S.; Ross, A.; Hoffman, J.

2017-12-01

Distributed satellite systems (DSS) have emerged as an effective and cheap way to conduct space science, thanks to advances in the small satellite industry. However, relatively few space science missions have utilized multiple assets to achieve their primary scientific goals. Previous research on methods for evaluating mission concepts designs have shown that distributed systems are rarely competitive with monolithic systems, partially because it is difficult to quantify the added value of DSSs over monolithic systems. Comparatively little research has focused on how DSSs can be used to achieve new, fundamental space science goals that cannot be achieved with monolithic systems or how to choose a design from a larger possible tradespace of options. There are seven emergent capabilities of distributed satellites: shared sampling, simultaneous sampling, self-sampling, census sampling, stacked sampling, staged sampling, and sacrifice sampling. These capabilities are either fundamentally, analytically, or operationally unique in their application to distributed science missions, and they can be leveraged to achieve science goals that are either impossible or difficult and costly to achieve with monolithic systems. The Responsive Systems Comparison (RSC) method combines Multi-Attribute Tradespace Exploration with Epoch-Era Analysis to examine benefits, costs, and flexible options in complex systems over the mission lifecycle. Modifications to the RSC method as it exists in previously published literature were made in order to more accurately characterize how value is derived from space science missions. New metrics help rank designs by the value derived over their entire mission lifecycle and show more accurate cumulative value distributions. The RSC method was applied to four case study science missions that leveraged the emergent capabilities of distributed satellites to achieve their primary science goals. In all four case studies, RSC showed how scientific value was gained that would be impossible or unsatisfactory with monolithic systems and how changes in design and context variables affected the overall mission value. Each study serves as a blueprint for how to conduct a Pre-Phase A study using these methods to learn more about the tradespace of a particular mission.

Ensuring Adequate Health and Safety Information for Decision Makers during Large-Scale Chemical Releases

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petropoulos, Z.; Clavin, C.; Zuckerman, B.

2015-12-01

The 2014 4-Methylcyclohexanemethanol (MCHM) spill in the Elk River of West Virginia highlighted existing gaps in emergency planning for, and response to, large-scale chemical releases in the United States. The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act requires that facilities with hazardous substances provide Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs), which contain health and safety information on the hazardous substances. The MSDS produced by Eastman Chemical Company, the manufacturer of MCHM, listed "no data available" for various human toxicity subcategories, such as reproductive toxicity and carcinogenicity. As a result of incomplete toxicity data, the public and media received conflicting messages on the safety of the contaminated water from government officials, industry, and the public health community. Two days after the governor lifted the ban on water use, the health department partially retracted the ban by warning pregnant women to continue avoiding the contaminated water, which the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention deemed safe three weeks later. The response in West Virginia represents a failure in risk communication and calls to question if government officials have sufficient information to support evidence-based decisions during future incidents. Research capabilities, like the National Science Foundation RAPID funding, can provide a solution to some of the data gaps, such as information on environmental fate in the case of the MCHM spill. In order to inform policy discussions on this issue, a methodology for assessing the outcomes of RAPID and similar National Institutes of Health grants in the context of emergency response is employed to examine the efficacy of research-based capabilities in enhancing public health decision making capacity. The results of this assessment highlight potential roles rapid scientific research can fill in ensuring adequate health and safety data is readily available for decision makers during large-scale chemical releases.

The impact of geographic information systems on emergency management decision making at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

King, Steven Gray

Geographic information systems (GIS) reveal relationships and patterns from large quantities of diverse data in the form of maps and reports. The United States spends billions of dollars to use GIS to improve decisions made during responses to natural disasters and terrorist attacks, but precisely how GIS improves or impairs decision making is not known. This research examined how GIS affect decision making during natural disasters, and how GIS can be more effectively used to improve decision making for emergency management. Using a qualitative case study methodology, this research examined decision making at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) during a large full-scale disaster exercise. This study indicates that GIS provided decision makers at DHS with an outstanding context for information that would otherwise be challenging to understand, especially through the integration of multiple data sources and dynamic three-dimensional interactive maps. Decision making was hampered by outdated information, a reliance on predictive models based on hypothetical data rather than actual event data, and a lack of understanding of the capabilities of GIS beyond cartography. Geospatial analysts, emergency managers, and other decision makers who use GIS should take specific steps to improve decision making based on GIS for disaster response and emergency management.

Training Programs to Strengthen Pennsylvania's Public Health Response

PubMed Central

Churchill, R. Elliott; Lautenbach, Ebbing; Mactavish, Lindsay E.; Pollock, Timothy R.; Weand, Crystal L.; Polachek, Catherine; Reynolds, Stanley M.; Ostroff, Stephen M.

2009-01-01

This report describes Pennsylvania's 9-year experience in implementing training programs to strengthen public health response to emerging infectious diseases. During the biannual 3-5-day-long Pennsylvania Public Health Institute (PHI) events, which have been held since 2000, courses have covered topics such as emerging infectious disease outbreaks, monitoring of antimicrobial-resistant pathogens in retail food, and zoonotic diseases commonly associated with companion animals. Core competency courses include the legal basis for public health and epidemiology for nonepidemiologists. Emerging infectious disease seminars offered to clinicians since 2005 have focused on the emergence of community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus and Clostridium difficile antibiotic-associated diarrhea. Complementing the PHI, the Pennsylvania Department of Health's monthly Epidemiology Journal Club offers additional interactions with presenters from academic institutions and federal agencies. Lunch-time forums also provide a venue for health department staff to share their work with colleagues. Innovative use of modern communication technology increases participation of frontline health workers in Journal Club events, and video conference capability offers flexibility in the selection of presenters. Pennsylvania's experience over the past 9 years demonstrates that with political will, commitment from content experts, and adequate administrative support, modest state and federal resources can be used to sustain public health training programs tailored to local needs. PMID:19635002

40 CFR 264.32 - Required equipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... supply water hose streams, or foam producing equipment, or automatic sprinklers, or water spray systems... communications or alarm system capable of providing immediate emergency instruction (voice or signal) to facility...-held two-way radio, capable of summoning emergency assistance from local police departments, fire...

40 CFR 264.32 - Required equipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... supply water hose streams, or foam producing equipment, or automatic sprinklers, or water spray systems... communications or alarm system capable of providing immediate emergency instruction (voice or signal) to facility...-held two-way radio, capable of summoning emergency assistance from local police departments, fire...

40 CFR 264.32 - Required equipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... supply water hose streams, or foam producing equipment, or automatic sprinklers, or water spray systems... communications or alarm system capable of providing immediate emergency instruction (voice or signal) to facility...-held two-way radio, capable of summoning emergency assistance from local police departments, fire...

40 CFR 264.32 - Required equipment.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... supply water hose streams, or foam producing equipment, or automatic sprinklers, or water spray systems... communications or alarm system capable of providing immediate emergency instruction (voice or signal) to facility...-held two-way radio, capable of summoning emergency assistance from local police departments, fire...

Modeling, Simulation, and Analysis for State and Local Emergency Planning and Response: Concept of Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-01

must be considered for each threat. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has defined 15 National Planning Scenarios ( NPSs ), along with a...considered how to incorporate the 15 NPSs and the Target Capabilities List developed by DHS. Finally, we considered the work being done by Dr. Charles...suite of models and other tools hampers effective planning and re- sponse for all hazards, including the NPSs . The ES community has many meth- ods

Modeling, Simulation, and Analysis for State and Local Emergency Planning and Response. Mission Needs Statement

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-01-01

Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has defined 15 National Planning Scenarios ( NPSs ), along with a Target Capabilities List, which describes...including those in the NPSs , is limited. Considering the range of analytical expertise and resources available in different communities, the suite of...rolled out in phases. From the start, it will include mod- els to support some of the NPSs , as well as models that were most com- monly requested in the

Building an Amphibious Capability for New Zealand in the 21st Century: Essential in an Uncertain Security Environment

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-04-04

Solomon Islands. Fiji has had five military coups in the past twenty-seven years21. In addition, natural disasters (predominantly cyclones) necessitate...to assist with development and relief packages within the Pacific Islands, particularly emergency response to natural disasters . This is where the...secured Apia4. From this genesis, New Zealand and the NZDF have continued to conduct military operations in the South Pacific; from disaster relief

Elucidation of proliferative capability of mononuclear tetraploid cells, emerging spontaneously from diploid cells, using image cytometry and fluorescence in situ hybridization.

PubMed

Ito, Hideaki; Oga, Atsunori; Furuya, Tomoko; Ikemoto, Kenzo; Amakawa, Genta; Chochi, Yasuyo; Kawauchi, Shigeto; Sasaki, Kohsuke

2013-06-01

Proliferation of tetraploid cells (TCs) emerging from diploid cells is considered to be a critical event toward tumourigenesis, or cancer progression. Recently, several studies have reported that binuclear TCs emerging from normal cells are capable of mitosis, however, it has not been confirmed directly whether mononuclear TCs emerging from normal cells could proliferate, even cancer cells. The aim of this study is to detect mononuclear TCs in vitro, spontaneously emerging from diploid cells and to elucidate their proliferative capability directly. For this purpose, we have developed a novel method. In this study, two completely disomic cell lines were used, TIG-7, a fibroblast cell line and CAL-51, a breast cancer cell line. Cells were cultured on microscope slides and their DNA content was determined using an image cytometer. On the same slides, chromosome numbers were scored using centromere fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). For evaluating proliferative capability of TCs, bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd) incorporation and colony-forming ability were examined. Using our method, spontaneous emergence of mononuclear TCs was detected in both TIG-7 and CAL-51. Colonies of TIG-7 TCs were not observed, but were observed of CAL-51 TCs. Our method enables detection of mononuclear TCs and elucidation of their proliferative capability, directly; this evidence reveals that mononuclear TIG-7 TCs do not proliferate but that mononuclear CAL-51 TCs are able to. © 2013 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Immunobiography and the Heterogeneity of Immune Responses in the Elderly: A Focus on Inflammaging and Trained Immunity

PubMed Central

Franceschi, Claudio; Salvioli, Stefano; Garagnani, Paolo; de Eguileor, Magda; Monti, Daniela; Capri, Miriam

2017-01-01

Owing to its memory and plasticity, the immune system (IS) is capable of recording all the immunological experiences and stimuli it was exposed to. The combination of type, dose, intensity, and temporal sequence of antigenic stimuli that each individual is exposed to has been named “immunobiography.” This immunological history induces a lifelong continuous adaptation of the IS, which is responsible for the capability to mount strong, weak or no response to specific antigens, thus determining the large heterogeneity of immunological responses. In the last years, it is becoming clear that memory is not solely a feature of adaptive immunity, as it has been observed that also innate immune cells are provided with a sort of memory, dubbed “trained immunity.” In this review, we discuss the main characteristics of trained immunity as a possible contributor to inflammaging within the perspective of immunobiography, with particular attention to the phenotypic changes of the cell populations known to be involved in trained immunity. In conclusion, immunobiography emerges as a pervasive and comprehensive concept that could help in understanding and interpret the individual heterogeneity of immune responses (to infections and vaccinations) that becomes particularly evident at old age and could affect immunosenescence and inflammaging. PMID:28861086

DOE Partnerships with States, Tribes and Other Federal Programs Help Responders Prepare for Challenges Involving Transport of Radioactive Materials

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

Marsha Keister

2001-02-01

DOE Partnerships with States, Tribes and Other Federal Programs Help Responders Prepare for Challenges Involving Transport of Radioactive Materials Implementing adequate institutional programs and validating preparedness for emergency response to radiological transportation incidents along or near U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) shipping corridors poses unique challenges to transportation operations management. Delayed or insufficient attention to State and Tribal preparedness needs may significantly impact the transportation operations schedule and budget. The DOE Transportation Emergency Preparedness Program (TEPP) has successfully used a cooperative planning process to develop strong partnerships with States, Tribes, Federal agencies and other national programs to support responder preparednessmore » across the United States. DOE TEPP has found that building solid partnerships with key emergency response agencies ensures responders have access to the planning, training, technical expertise and assistance necessary to safely, efficiently and effectively respond to a radiological transportation accident. Through the efforts of TEPP over the past fifteen years, partnerships have resulted in States and Tribal Nations either using significant portions of the TEPP planning resources in their programs and/or adopting the Modular Emergency Response Radiological Transportation Training (MERRTT) program into their hazardous material training curriculums to prepare their fire departments, law enforcement, hazardous materials response teams, emergency management officials, public information officers and emergency medical technicians for responding to transportation incidents involving radioactive materials. In addition, through strong partnerships with Federal Agencies and other national programs TEPP provided technical expertise to support a variety of radiological response initiatives and assisted several programs with integration of the nationally recognized MERRTT program into other training venues, thus ensuring consistency of radiological response curriculums delivered to responders. This presentation will provide an overview of the steps to achieve coordination, to avoid redundancy, and to highlight several of the successful partnerships TEPP has formed with States, Tribes, Federal agencies and other national programs. Events, accident scenarios, and training where TEPP was proven to be integral in building the radiological response capabilities for first responders to actual radiological incidents are also highlighted. Participants will gain an appreciation for the collaborative efforts States and Tribes are engaging in with the DOE to ensure that responders all along the DOE transportation corridors are adequately prepared to respond to shipments of radioactive materials through their communities.« less

Planning and preparing for public health threats at airports.

PubMed

Martin, Greg; Boland, Mairin

2018-03-07

The ever-increasing speed and scope of human mobility by international air travel has led to a global transport network for infectious diseases with the potential to introduce pathogens into non-endemic areas, and to facilitate rapid spread of novel or mutated zoonotic agents.Robust national emergency preparedness is vital to mitigate the transmission of infectious diseases agents domestically and to prevent onward spread to other countries. Given the complex range of stakeholders who respond to an infectious disease threat being transmitted through air travel, it is important that protocols be tested and practised extensively in advance of a real emergency. Simulation exercises include the identification of possible scenarios based on the probability of hazards and the vulnerability of populations as a basis for planning, and provide a useful measure of preparedness efforts and capabilities.In October 2016, a live simulation exercise was conducted at a major airport in Ireland incorporating a public health threat for the first time, with the notification of a possible case of MERS-CoV aboard an aircraft plus an undercarriage fire. Strengths of the response to the communicable disease threat included appropriate public health risk assessment, case management, passenger information gathering, notification to relevant parties, and communication to passengers and multiple agencies.Lessons learned include:o Exercise planning should not be overly ambitious. In testing too many facets of emergency response, the public health response could be deprioritised.o The practical implementation of communication protocols in a real-time exercise of this scope proved challenging. These protocols should continue to be checked and tested by desk-top exercises to ensure that all staff concerned are familiar with them, especially in the context of staff turn-over.o The roles and responsibilities of the various agencies must be clear to avoid role confusion.o Equipment and infrastructure capacities must be considered and in place in advance of an actual incident or test, for example whether or not cell phone signals require boosting during a major event.Importantly, exercises bring together individuals representing organisations with different roles and perspectives allowing identification of capabilities and limitations, and problem solving about how to address the gaps and overlaps in a low-threat collaborative setting.

40 CFR 267.32 - What equipment am I required to have?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... supply water hose streams, or foam-producing equipment, or automatic sprinklers, or water spray systems. ... alarm system capable of providing immediate emergency instruction (voice or signal) to facility...-held two-way radio, capable of summoning emergency assistance from local police departments, fire...

40 CFR 267.32 - What equipment am I required to have?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... supply water hose streams, or foam-producing equipment, or automatic sprinklers, or water spray systems. ... alarm system capable of providing immediate emergency instruction (voice or signal) to facility...-held two-way radio, capable of summoning emergency assistance from local police departments, fire...

40 CFR 267.32 - What equipment am I required to have?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... supply water hose streams, or foam-producing equipment, or automatic sprinklers, or water spray systems. ... alarm system capable of providing immediate emergency instruction (voice or signal) to facility...-held two-way radio, capable of summoning emergency assistance from local police departments, fire...

40 CFR 267.32 - What equipment am I required to have?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... supply water hose streams, or foam-producing equipment, or automatic sprinklers, or water spray systems. ... alarm system capable of providing immediate emergency instruction (voice or signal) to facility...-held two-way radio, capable of summoning emergency assistance from local police departments, fire...

40 CFR 267.32 - What equipment am I required to have?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... supply water hose streams, or foam-producing equipment, or automatic sprinklers, or water spray systems. ... alarm system capable of providing immediate emergency instruction (voice or signal) to facility...-held two-way radio, capable of summoning emergency assistance from local police departments, fire...

COMPUTATIONAL TOXICOLOGY ADVANCES: EMERGING CAPABILITIES FOR DATA EXPLORATION AND SAR MODEL DEVELOPMENT

EPA Science Inventory

Computational Toxicology Advances: Emerging capabilities for data exploration and SAR model development
Ann M. Richard and ClarLynda R. Williams, National Health & Environmental Effects Research Laboratory, US EPA, Research Triangle Park, NC, USA; email: richard.ann@epa.gov

Solutions Network Formulation Report. The Potential Contribution of the Ocean Surface Topography Mission to the General NOAA Oil Monitoring Environment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hilbert, Kent; Anderson, Daniel; Lewis, David

2007-01-01

Data collected by the OSTM could be used to provide a solution for the GNOME DST. GNOME, developed by NOAA?s Office of Response and Restoration Hazardous Materials Response Division, geospatially models oil spill trajectories using wind, current, river flow, and tidal data. Data collected by the OSTM would supply information about ocean currents and wind speeds. This Candidate Solution is in alignment with the Coastal Management, Water Management, Disaster Management, Public Health, Ecological Forecasting, and Homeland Security National Applications and will benefit society by improving the capabilities of emergency responders who evaluate an oil spill?s probable threat.

A BODIPY-Based Fluorescent Probe to Visually Detect Phosgene: Toward the Development of a Handheld Phosgene Detector.

PubMed

Sayar, Melike; Karakuş, Erman; Güner, Tuğrul; Yildiz, Busra; Yildiz, Umit Hakan; Emrullahoğlu, Mustafa

2018-03-02

A boron-dipyrromethene (BODIPY)-based fluorescent probe with a phosgene-specific reactive motif shows remarkable selectivity toward phosgene, in the presence of which the nonfluorescent dye rapidly transforms into a new structure and induces a fluorescent response clearly observable to the naked eye under ultraviolet light. Given that dynamic, a prototypical handheld phosgene detector with a promising sensing capability that expedites the detection of gaseous phosgene without sophisticated instrumentation was developed. The proposed method using the handheld detector involves a rapid response period suitable for issuing early warnings during emergency situations. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

No need to grow my resumé? Mentorship and the intersection of learning between emerging and established leaders.

PubMed

Stevenson, Lynn; Vaulkhard, Kimberley

2017-09-01

Active ongoing learning is a foundational expectation of every healthcare leader whether at the beginning or end of their career. In order for leaders to be nimble and responsive to the ongoing changes in the healthcare environment, they must actively engage in a multiplicity of learning activities. One way of ensuring diversity of learning is for emerging and established leaders to learn together through formal or informal mentoring. This article will explore that intersection and the value add of a reciprocal mentoring relationship where mentor and mentee roles become blurred and joint learning becomes the goal. Capabilities from the LEADS in a Caring Environment framework will be drawn upon, and a challenge is suggested for experienced leaders to go beyond resumé building and invest in emerging leaders, as ultimately it is an investment in their own learning and the future.

Handheld Multi-Gas Meters Assessment Report

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

Williams, Gustavious; Wald-Hopkins, Mark David; Obrey, Stephen J.

2016-06-27

Handheld multi-gas meters (MGMs) are equipped with sensors to monitor oxygen (O2) levels and additional sensors to detect the presence of combustible or toxic gases in the environment. This report is limited to operational response-type MGMs that include at least four different sensors. These sensors can vary by type and by the monitored chemical. In real time, the sensors report the concentration of monitored gases in the atmosphere near the MGM. In April 2016 the System Assessment and Validation for Emergency Responders (SAVER) Program conducted an operationally-oriented assessment of MGMs. Five MGMs were assessed by emergency responders. The criteria andmore » scenarios used in this assessment were derived from the results of a focus group of emergency responders with experience in using MGMs. The assessment addressed 16 evaluation criteria in four SAVER categories: Usability, Capability, Maintainability, and Deployability.« less

Illustrating anticipatory life cycle assessment for emerging photovoltaic technologies.

PubMed

Wender, Ben A; Foley, Rider W; Prado-Lopez, Valentina; Ravikumar, Dwarakanath; Eisenberg, Daniel A; Hottle, Troy A; Sadowski, Jathan; Flanagan, William P; Fisher, Angela; Laurin, Lise; Bates, Matthew E; Linkov, Igor; Seager, Thomas P; Fraser, Matthew P; Guston, David H

2014-09-16

Current research policy and strategy documents recommend applying life cycle assessment (LCA) early in research and development (R&D) to guide emerging technologies toward decreased environmental burden. However, existing LCA practices are ill-suited to support these recommendations. Barriers related to data availability, rapid technology change, and isolation of environmental from technical research inhibit application of LCA to developing technologies. Overcoming these challenges requires methodological advances that help identify environmental opportunities prior to large R&D investments. Such an anticipatory approach to LCA requires synthesis of social, environmental, and technical knowledge beyond the capabilities of current practices. This paper introduces a novel framework for anticipatory LCA that incorporates technology forecasting, risk research, social engagement, and comparative impact assessment, then applies this framework to photovoltaic (PV) technologies. These examples illustrate the potential for anticipatory LCA to prioritize research questions and help guide environmentally responsible innovation of emerging technologies.

33 CFR 155.235 - Emergency towing capability for oil tankers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Emergency towing capability for oil tankers. 155.235 Section 155.235 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) POLLUTION OIL OR HAZARDOUS MATERIAL POLLUTION PREVENTION REGULATIONS FOR...

33 CFR 155.235 - Emergency towing capability for oil tankers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Emergency towing capability for oil tankers. 155.235 Section 155.235 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) POLLUTION OIL OR HAZARDOUS MATERIAL POLLUTION PREVENTION REGULATIONS FOR...

33 CFR 155.235 - Emergency towing capability for oil tankers.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 33 Navigation and Navigable Waters 2 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Emergency towing capability for oil tankers. 155.235 Section 155.235 Navigation and Navigable Waters COAST GUARD, DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (CONTINUED) POLLUTION OIL OR HAZARDOUS MATERIAL POLLUTION PREVENTION REGULATIONS FOR...

Emergency Operation Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chinea, Anoushka Z.

1995-01-01

The Emergency Operation Center (EOC) is a site from which NASA LaRC Emergency Preparedness Officials exercise control and direction in an emergency. Research was conducted in order to determine what makes an effective EOC. Specifically information concerning the various types of equipment and communication capability that an efficient EOC should contain (i.e., computers, software, telephone systems, radio systems, etc.) was documented. With this information a requirements document was written stating a brief description of the equipment and required quantity to be used in an EOC and then compared to current capabilities at the NASA Langley Research Center.

A microcomputer-based emergency response system*.

PubMed

Belardo, S; Howell, A; Ryan, R; Wallace, W A

1983-09-01

A microcomputer-based system was developed to provide local officials responsible for disaster management with assistance during the crucial period immediately following a disaster, a period when incorrect decisions could have an adverse impact on the surrounding community. While the paper focuses on a potential disaster resulting from an accident at a commercial nuclear power generating facility, the system can be applied to other disastrous situations. Decisions involving evacuation, shelter and the deployment of resources must be made in response to floods, earthquakes, accidents in the transportation of hazardous materials, and hurricanes to name a few examples. As a decision aid, the system was designed to enhance data display by presenting the data in the form of representations (i.e. road maps, evacuation routes, etc.) as well as in list or tabular form. The potential impact of the event (i.e. the release of radioactive material) was displayed in the form of a cloud, representing the dispersion of the radioactive material. In addition, an algorithm was developed to assist the manager in assigning response resources to demands. The capability for modelling the impact of a disaster is discussed briefly, with reference to a system installed in the communities surrounding the Indian Point nuclear power plant in New York State. Results demonstrate both the technical feasibility of incorporating microcomputers indecision support systems for radiological emergency response, and the acceptance of such systems by those public officials responsible for implementing the response plans.

Shuttle abort landing site emergency medical services

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mckenas, David K.; Jennings, Richard T.

1991-01-01

NASA and DOD studies of medical-planning and logistical problems are reviewed as applicable to providing emergency medical care at remote transoceanic abort landing (TAL) sites. Two options are analyzed including a modified surgical response team and a combination physician/medical technician team. The two concepts are examined in terms of cost-effectiveness, specific types of medical support such as blood procurement, and search-and-rescue requirements. It is found that the physician/technician team is more economically efficient, and the description of the concept permits the development of an effective TAL-site astronaut medical-support system. A balance is struck between the competing problems of cost and medical capability by planning for on-scene medical stabilization and air evacuation to DOD tertiary medical centers.

Virus-Like-Vaccines against HIV

PubMed Central

Andersson, Anne-Marie C.; Schwerdtfeger, Melanie; Holst, Peter J.

2018-01-01

Protection against chronic infections has necessitated the development of ever-more potent vaccination tools. HIV seems to be the most challenging foe, with a remarkable, poorly immunogenic and fragile surface glycoprotein and the ability to overpower the cell immune system. Virus-like-particle (VLP) vaccines have emerged as potent inducers of antibody and helper T cell responses, while replication-deficient viral vectors have yielded potent cytotoxic T cell responses. Here, we review the emerging concept of merging these two technologies into virus-like-vaccines (VLVs) for the targeting of HIV. Such vaccines are immunologically perceived as viruses, as they infect cells and produce VLPs in situ, but they only resemble viruses, as the replication defective vectors and VLPs cannot propagate an infection. The inherent safety of such a platform, despite robust particle production, is a distinct advantage over live-attenuated vaccines that must balance safety and immunogenicity. Previous studies have delivered VLVs encoded in modified Vaccinia Ankara vectors and we have developed the concept into a single-reading adenovirus-based technology capable of eliciting robust CD8+ and CD4+ T cells responses and trimer binding antibody responses. Such vaccines offer the potential to display the naturally produced immunogen directly and induce an integrated humoral and cellular immune response. PMID:29439476

Virus-Like-Vaccines against HIV.

PubMed

Andersson, Anne-Marie C; Schwerdtfeger, Melanie; Holst, Peter J

2018-02-11

Protection against chronic infections has necessitated the development of ever-more potent vaccination tools. HIV seems to be the most challenging foe, with a remarkable, poorly immunogenic and fragile surface glycoprotein and the ability to overpower the cell immune system. Virus-like-particle (VLP) vaccines have emerged as potent inducers of antibody and helper T cell responses, while replication-deficient viral vectors have yielded potent cytotoxic T cell responses. Here, we review the emerging concept of merging these two technologies into virus-like-vaccines (VLVs) for the targeting of HIV. Such vaccines are immunologically perceived as viruses, as they infect cells and produce VLPs in situ, but they only resemble viruses, as the replication defective vectors and VLPs cannot propagate an infection. The inherent safety of such a platform, despite robust particle production, is a distinct advantage over live-attenuated vaccines that must balance safety and immunogenicity. Previous studies have delivered VLVs encoded in modified Vaccinia Ankara vectors and we have developed the concept into a single-reading adenovirus-based technology capable of eliciting robust CD8⁺ and CD4⁺ T cells responses and trimer binding antibody responses. Such vaccines offer the potential to display the naturally produced immunogen directly and induce an integrated humoral and cellular immune response.

Civilian exposure to toxic agents: emergency medical response.

PubMed

Baker, David

2004-01-01

Civilian populations are at risk from exposure to toxic materials as a result of accidental or deliberate exposure. In addition to industrial hazards, toxic agents designed for use in warfare now are a potential hazard in everyday life through terrorist action. Civil emergency medical responders should be able to adapt their plans for dealing with casualties from hazardous materials (HazMat) to deal with the new threat. Chemical and biological warfare (CBW) and HazMat agents can be viewed as a continuous spectrum. Each of these hazards is characterized by qualities of toxicity, latency of action, persistency, and transmissibility. The incident and medical responses to release of any agent is determined by these characteristics. Chemical and biological wardare agents usually are classified as weapons of mass destruction, but strictly, they are agents of mass injury. The relationship between mass injury and major loss of life depends very much on the protection, organization, and emergency care provided. Detection of a civil toxic agent release where signs and symptoms in casualties may be the first indicator of exposure is different from the military situation where intelligence information and tuned detection systems generally will be available. It is important that emergency medical care should be given in the context of a specific action plan. Within an organized and protected perimeter, triage and decontamination (if the agent is persistent) can proceed while emergency medical care is provided at the same time. The provision of advanced life support (TOXALS) in this zone by protected and trained medical responders now is technically feasible using specially designed ventilation equipment. Leaving life support until after decontamination may have fatal consequences. Casualties from terrorist attacks also may suffer physical as well as toxic trauma and the medical response also should be capable of dealing with mixed injuries.

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

Ritchie, L.T.; Johnson, J.D.; Blond, R.M.

The CRAC2 computer code is a revision of the Calculation of Reactor Accident Consequences computer code, CRAC, developed for the Reactor Safety Study. The CRAC2 computer code incorporates significant modeling improvements in the areas of weather sequence sampling and emergency response, and refinements to the plume rise, atmospheric dispersion, and wet deposition models. New output capabilities have also been added. This guide is to facilitate the informed and intelligent use of CRAC2. It includes descriptions of the input data, the output results, the file structures, control information, and five sample problems.

Damage extraction of buildings in the 2015 Gorkha, Nepal earthquake from high-resolution SAR data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yamazaki, Fumio; Bahri, Rendy; Liu, Wen; Sasagawa, Tadashi

2016-05-01

Satellite remote sensing is recognized as one of the effective tools for detecting and monitoring affected areas due to natural disasters. Since SAR sensors can capture images not only at daytime but also at nighttime and under cloud-cover conditions, they are especially useful at an emergency response period. In this study, multi-temporal high-resolution TerraSAR-X images were used for damage inspection of the Kathmandu area, which was severely affected by the April 25, 2015 Gorkha Earthquake. The SAR images obtained before and after the earthquake were utilized for calculating the difference and correlation coefficient of backscatter. The affected areas were identified by high values of the absolute difference and low values of the correlation coefficient. The post-event high-resolution optical satellite images were employed as ground truth data to verify our results. Although it was difficult to estimate the damage levels for individual buildings, the high resolution SAR images could illustrate their capability in detecting collapsed buildings at emergency response times.

Comparative study of Waste Isolation Pilot Plant (WIPP) transportation alternatives

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

Not Available

WIPP transportation studies in the Final Supplement Environmental Impact Statement for WIPP are the baseline for this report. In an attempt to present the most current analysis, this study incorporates the most relevant data available. The following three transportation options are evaluated for the Disposal Phase, which is assumed to be 20 years: Truck shipments, consisting of a tractor and trailer, with three TRUPACT-IIs or one RH-72B; Regular commercial train shipments consisting of up to three railcars carrying up to 18 TRUPACT-IIs or up to six RH-72Bs; Dedicated train shipments consisting of a locomotive, an idle car, railcars carrying 18more » TRUPACT-IIs or six RH-72Bs, another idle car, and a caboose or passenger car with an emergency response specialist. No other cargo is carried. This report includes: A consideration of occupational and public risks and exposures, and other environmental impacts; A consideration of emergency response capabilities; and An extimation of comparative costs.« less

Research requirements for emergency power to permit hover-one-engine-inoperative helicopter operation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yost, J. H.

1976-01-01

The research and technology demonstration requirements to achieve emergency-power capability for a civil helicopter are documented. The goal for emergency power is the ability to hover with one engine inoperative, transition to minimum-power forward flight, and continue to a safe landing where emergency power may or may not be required. The best method to obtain emergency power is to augment the basic engine power by increasing the engine's speed and turbine-inlet temperature, combined with water-alcohol injection at the engine inlet. Other methods, including turbine boost power and flywheel energy, offer potential for obtaining emergency power for minimum time durations. Costs and schedules are estimated for a research and development program to bring emergency power through a hardware-demonstration test. Interaction of engine emergency-power capability with other helicopter systems is examined.

Redox biology and the interface between bioenergetics, autophagy and circadian control of metabolism.

PubMed

Wende, Adam R; Young, Martin E; Chatham, John; Zhang, Jianhua; Rajasekaran, Namakkal S; Darley-Usmar, Victor M

2016-11-01

Understanding molecular mechanisms that underlie the recent emergence of metabolic diseases such as diabetes and heart failure has revealed the need for a multi-disciplinary research integrating the key metabolic pathways which change the susceptibility to environmental or pathologic stress. At the physiological level these include the circadian control of metabolism which aligns metabolism with temporal demand. The mitochondria play an important role in integrating the redox signals and metabolic flux in response to the changing activities associated with chronobiology, exercise and diet. At the molecular level this involves dynamic post-translational modifications regulating transcription, metabolism and autophagy. In this review we will discuss different examples of mechanisms which link these processes together. An important pathway capable of linking signaling to metabolism is the post-translational modification of proteins by O-linked N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc). This is a nutrient regulated protein modification that plays an important role in impaired cellular stress responses. Circadian clocks have also emerged as critical regulators of numerous cardiometabolic processes, including glucose/lipid homeostasis, hormone secretion, redox status and cardiovascular function. Central to these pathways are the response of autophagy, bioenergetics to oxidative stress, regulated by Keap1/Nrf2 and mechanisms of metabolic control. The extension of these ideas to the emerging concept of bioenergetic health will be discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Capabilities, methodologies, and use of the cambio file-translation application.

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

Lasche, George P.

2007-03-01

This report describes the capabilities, methodologies, and uses of the Cambio computer application, designed to automatically read and display nuclear spectral data files of any known format in the world and to convert spectral data to one of several commonly used analysis formats. To further assist responders, Cambio incorporates an analysis method based on non-linear fitting techniques found in open literature and implemented in openly published source code in the late 1980s. A brief description is provided of how Cambio works, of what basic formats it can currently read, and how it can be used. Cambio was developed at Sandiamore » National Laboratories and is provided as a free service to assist nuclear emergency response analysts anywhere in the world in the fight against nuclear terrorism.« less

Application of the ABC helicopter to the emergency medical service role

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Levine, L. S.

1981-01-01

Attention is called to the use of helicopters in transporting the sick and injured to medical facilities. It is noted that the helicopter's speed of response and delivery increases patient survival rates and may reduce the cost of medical care and its burden on society. Among the vehicle characteristics desired for this use are a cruising speed of 200 knots, a single engine hover capability at 10,000 ft, and an absence of a tail rotor. Three designs for helicopters incorporating such new technologies as digital/optical control systems, all composite air-frames, and third-generation airfoils are presented. A sensitivity analysis is conducted to show the effect of design speed, mission radius, and single engine hover capability on vehicle weight, fuel consumption, operating costs, and productivity.

Evaluation of NDI compressed air foam system (cafs) applied as a retrofit. Final report

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

Duncan, S.

1994-08-01

Army Engineer Firefighting Detachments require increased firefighting capability to compensate for deficiencies in structural, brush, or wildland and large petroleum storage site fires. Additionally, Army fire departments responsible for protection and prevention on posts, camps and stations have difficulty accessing new or emerging technology do not possess state-of-the-art equipment. The results of this evaluation and subsequent projects, will be reported throughout the Army in an attempt to mitigate operational deficiencies and widen the scope of knowledge in the Army fire service. The evaluation of non-developmental retrofitted compressed air foam systems show an efficiency of suppressive capabilities of water superseded bymore » water alone. Retrofitting the equipment was not easy or inexpensive but it was very successful.« less

EOSINOPHILS: MULTIFACETED BIOLOGIC PROPERTIES AND ROLES IN HEALTH AND DISEASE

PubMed Central

Kita, Hirohito

2011-01-01

Summary Eosinophils are leukocytes resident in mucosal tissues. During Th2-type inflammation, eosinophils are recruited from bone marrow and blood to the sites of immune response. While eosinophils have been considered end-stage cells involved in host protection against parasite infection and immunopathology in hypersensitivity disease, recent studies changed this perspective. Eosinophils are now considered multifunctional leukocytes involved in tissue homeostasis, modulation of adaptive immune responses, and innate immunity to certain microbes. Eosinophils are capable of producing immunoregulatory cytokines and are actively involved in regulation of Th2-type immune responses. However, such new information does not preclude earlier observations showing that eosinophils, in particular human eosinophils, are also effector cells with pro-inflammatory and destructive capabilities. Eosinophils with activation phenotypes are observed in biological specimens from patients with disease, and deposition of eosinophil products is readily seen in the affected tissues from these patients. Therefore, it would be reasonable to consider the eosinophil a multifaceted leukocyte that contributes to various physiological and pathological processes depending on their location and activation status. This review summarizes the emerging concept of the multifaceted immunobiology of eosinophils and discusses the roles of eosinophils in health and disease and the challenges and perspectives in the field. PMID:21682744

Feasibility of blind aortic catheter placement in the prehospital environment to guide resuscitation in cardiac arrest.

PubMed

Manning, James E

2013-08-01

Aortic catheter-based resuscitation therapies are emerging with laboratory investigations showing benefit in models of trauma-related noncompressible torso hemorrhage and nontraumatic cardiac arrest. For these investigational aortic catheter-based therapies to reach their greatest potential clinical benefit, the ability to initiate them in the prehospital setting will be important. Feasibility of prehospital aortic catheterization without imaging capability supports this potential and is described in this report. A physician prehospital response system was created in cooperation with the local emergency medical services system to provide invasive hemodynamic monitoring during cardiac arrest. Physicians were dispatched to all known or suspected prehospital cardiac arrests covered by the emergency medical services system. Physicians responded with a specialized vascular catheterization pack and a monitor with invasive pressure monitoring capability. The physicians performed blind thoracic aortic and central venous catheterizations in cardiac arrest patients in the prehospital setting to measure coronary perfusion pressure, to optimize closed-chest cardiopulmonary resuscitation technique, and to administer intra-aortic epinephrine. During a 2-year period, 22 medical cardiac arrest patients underwent prehospital invasive hemodynamic monitoring to guide resuscitation. Most patients had both aortic and central venous catheters inserted. The combination of intra-aortic epinephrine and adjustments in closed-chest cardiopulmonary resuscitation technique resulted in improved coronary perfusion pressure. Return of spontaneous circulation with survival to hospital admission was achieved in 50% (11 of 22) of these patients. This report demonstrates the feasibility of successful blind aortic and central venous catheterizations in the prehospital environment and supports the potential feasibility of other emerging aortic catheter-based resuscitation therapies.

A 'mixed reality' simulator concept for future Medical Emergency Response Team training.

PubMed

Stone, Robert J; Guest, R; Mahoney, P; Lamb, D; Gibson, C

2017-08-01

The UK Defence Medical Service's Pre-Hospital Emergency Care (PHEC) capability includes rapid-deployment Medical Emergency Response Teams (MERTs) comprising tri-service trauma consultants, paramedics and specialised nurses, all of whom are qualified to administer emergency care under extreme conditions to improve the survival prospects of combat casualties. The pre-deployment training of MERT personnel is designed to foster individual knowledge, skills and abilities in PHEC and in small team performance and cohesion in 'mission-specific' contexts. Until now, the provision of airborne pre-deployment MERT training had been dependent on either the availability of an operational aircraft (eg, the CH-47 Chinook helicopter) or access to one of only two ground-based facsimiles of the Chinook 's rear cargo/passenger cabin. Although MERT training has high priority, there will always be competition with other military taskings for access to helicopter assets (and for other platforms in other branches of the Armed Forces). This paper describes the development of an inexpensive, reconfigurable and transportable MERT training concept based on 'mixed reality' technologies-in effect the 'blending' of real-world objects of training relevance with virtual reality reconstructions of operational contexts. 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/.

Unmanned aerial vehicles for the assessment and monitoring of environmental contamination: An example from coal ash spills.

PubMed

Messinger, Max; Silman, Miles

2016-11-01

Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) offer new opportunities to monitor pollution and provide valuable information to support remediation. Their low-cost, ease of use, and rapid deployment capability make them ideal for environmental emergency response. Here we present a UAV-based study of the third largest coal ash spill in the United States. Coal ash from coal combustion is a toxic industrial waste material present worldwide. Typically stored in settling ponds in close proximity to waterways, coal ash poses significant risk to the environment and drinking water supplies from both chronic contamination of surface and ground water and catastrophic pond failure. We sought to provide an independent estimate of the volume of coal ash and contaminated water lost during the rupture of the primary coal ash pond at the Dan River Steam Station in Eden, NC, USA and to demonstrate the feasibility of using UAVs to rapidly respond to and measure the volume of spills from ponds or containers that are open to the air. Using structure-from-motion (SfM) imagery analysis techniques, we reconstructed the 3D structure of the pond bottom after the spill, used historical imagery to estimate the pre-spill waterline, and calculated the volume of material lost. We estimated a loss of 66,245 ± 5678 m 3 of ash and contaminated water. The technique used here allows rapid response to environmental emergencies and quantification of their impacts at low cost, and these capabilities will make UAVs a central tool in environmental planning, monitoring, and disaster response. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Tackling the Global Challenge: Humanitarian Catastrophes

PubMed Central

Iserson, Kenneth V.

2014-01-01

“Humanitarian catastrophes,” conflicts and calamities generating both widespread human suffering and destructive events, require a wide range of emergency resources. This paper answers a number of questions that humanitarian catastrophes generate: Why and how do the most-developed countries—those with the resources, capabilities, and willingness to help—intervene in specific types of disasters? What ethical and legal guidelines shape our interventions? How well do we achieve our goals? It then suggests a number of changes to improve humanitarian responses, including better NGO-government cooperation, increased research on the best disaster response methods, clarification of the criteria and roles for humanitarian (military) interventions, and development of post-2015 Millennium Development Goals with more accurate progress measures. PMID:24672618

The State Laboratory of Hygiene's role in terrorism preparedness and response.

PubMed

Hintzman, Peggy L

2003-01-01

In the fall of 2001, the national public health system found itself responding to acts of terrorism. The intentional release of Bacillus anthracis spores on the East Coast tested the capacity of all state public health laboratories to respond. The impact on the public health system extended to the Wisconsin State Laboratory of Hygiene (WSLH). Fortunately, participation in the National Laboratory Response Network helped the WSLH meet the challenge of 24 hour/7 days a week coverage, and subsequent federal funding increases have enabled the WSLH to expand its technical capabilities and provide training and outreach to other Wisconsin laboratories to prepare them for their roles in man-made or naturally-occurring public health emergencies.

Organizational culture during the accident response process

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

Shurberg, D.A.; Haber, S.B.

1992-01-01

The ability of an organization to effectively move from an anticipatory to an ad hoc strategy may well depend on the organization having the ability to balance these two apparently dichotomous cultural styles. The organization which is most capable of making the necessary transition in an optimal manner may well exhibit some aspects of both cultural styles during normal operations. Data collected at one NPP does exhibit this pattern of results, with the organization exhibiting a clear hierarchical chain of command and perceived conventional behavioral expectations as well as exhibiting a more decentralized and collegial approach to decisionmaking, a teammore » work orientation, and informal communications. Thus, it is expected that this organization possesses the capabilities to make a successful transition from an anticipatory to an ad hoc strategy. Data collected at a second NPP more strongly exhibits the traditional style suggested as being important during the anticipatory strategy, with more formal communications and bureaucratically controlled decision-making. This organization may experience difficulty if faced with the need to make a transition from an anticipatory to an ad hoc strategy. These conclusions are further validated based on observation of Emergency Preparedness Exercise Inspections, which suggest that the more anticipatory types of behaviors actually inhibit successful performance during an ad hoc response. The final validation of these hypotheses needs to be demonstrated with cultural data collected during emergency simulations. The mechanism to obtain such data during these types of situations is an area for future research.« less

Organizational culture during the accident response process

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

Shurberg, D.A.; Haber, S.B.

1992-08-01

The ability of an organization to effectively move from an anticipatory to an ad hoc strategy may well depend on the organization having the ability to balance these two apparently dichotomous cultural styles. The organization which is most capable of making the necessary transition in an optimal manner may well exhibit some aspects of both cultural styles during normal operations. Data collected at one NPP does exhibit this pattern of results, with the organization exhibiting a clear hierarchical chain of command and perceived conventional behavioral expectations as well as exhibiting a more decentralized and collegial approach to decisionmaking, a teammore » work orientation, and informal communications. Thus, it is expected that this organization possesses the capabilities to make a successful transition from an anticipatory to an ad hoc strategy. Data collected at a second NPP more strongly exhibits the traditional style suggested as being important during the anticipatory strategy, with more formal communications and bureaucratically controlled decision-making. This organization may experience difficulty if faced with the need to make a transition from an anticipatory to an ad hoc strategy. These conclusions are further validated based on observation of Emergency Preparedness Exercise Inspections, which suggest that the more anticipatory types of behaviors actually inhibit successful performance during an ad hoc response. The final validation of these hypotheses needs to be demonstrated with cultural data collected during emergency simulations. The mechanism to obtain such data during these types of situations is an area for future research.« less

Local Public Health System Response to the Tsunami Threat in Coastal California following the Tōhoku Earthquake

PubMed Central

Hunter, Jennifer C.; Crawley, Adam W.; Petrie, Michael; Yang, Jane E.; Aragón, Tomás J.

2012-01-01

Background On Friday March 11, 2011 a 9.0 magnitude earthquake triggered a tsunami off the eastern coast of Japan, resulting in thousands of lives lost and billions of dollars in damage around the Pacific Rim. The tsunami first reached the California coast on Friday, March 11th, causing more than $70 million in damage and at least one death. While the tsunami’s impact on California pales in comparison to the destruction caused in Japan and other areas of the Pacific, the event tested emergency responders’ ability to rapidly communicate and coordinate a response to a potential threat. Methods To evaluate the local public health system emergency response to the tsunami threat in California, we surveyed all local public health, emergency medical services (EMS), and emergency management agencies in coastal or floodplain counties about several domains related to the tsunami threat in California, including: (1) the extent to which their community was affected by the tsunami, (2) when and how they received notification of the event, (3) which public health response activities were carried out to address the tsunami threat in their community, and (4) which organizations contributed to the response. Public health activities were characterized using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Public Health Preparedness Capabilities (PHEP) framework. Findings The tsunami's impact on coastal communities in California ranged widely, both in terms of the economic consequences and the response activities. Based on estimates from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), ten jurisdictions in California reported tsunami-related damage, which ranged from $15,000 to $35 million. Respondents first became aware of the tsunami threat in California between the hours of 10:00pm Pacific Standard Time (PST) on Thursday March 10th and 2:00pm PST on Friday March 11th, a range of 16 hours, with notification occurring through both formal and informal channels. In response to this threat, the activities most commonly reported by the local government agencies included in this study were: emergency public information and warning, emergency operations coordination, and inter-organizational information sharing, which were reported by 86%, 75%, and 65% of all respondents, respectively. When looking at the distribution of responsibility, emergency management agencies were the most likely to report assuming a lead role in these common activities as well as those related to evacuation and community recovery. While activated less frequently, public health agencies carried out emergency response functions related to surveillance and epidemiology, environmental health, and mental health/psychological support. Both local public health and EMS agencies took part in mass care and medical material management activities. A large network of organizations contributed to response activities, with emergency management, law enforcement, fire, public health, public works, EMS, and media cited by more than half of respondents. Conclusions In response to the tsunami threat in California, we found that emergency management agencies assumed a lead role in the local response efforts. While public health and medical agencies played a supporting role in the response, they uniquely contributed to a number of specific activities. If the response to the recent tsunami is any indication, these support activities can be anticipated in planning for future events with similar characteristics to the tsunami threat. Additionally, we found that many respondents first learned of the tsunami through the media, rather than through rapid notification systems, which suggests that government agencies must continue to develop and maintain the ability to rapidly aggregate and analyze information in order to provide accurate assessments and guidance to a potentially well-informed public. Citation: Hunter JC, Crawley AW, Petrie M, Yang JE, Aragón TJ. Local Public Health System Response to the Tsunami Threat in Coastal California following the Tōhoku Earthquake. PLoS Currents Disasters. 2012 Jul 16 PMID:22953236

Local Public Health System Response to the Tsunami Threat in Coastal California following the Tōhoku Earthquake.

PubMed

Hunter, Jennifer C; Crawley, Adam W; Petrie, Michael; Yang, Jane E; Aragón, Tomás J

2012-07-16

Background On Friday March 11, 2011 a 9.0 magnitude earthquake triggered a tsunami off the eastern coast of Japan, resulting in thousands of lives lost and billions of dollars in damage around the Pacific Rim. The tsunami first reached the California coast on Friday, March 11th, causing more than $70 million in damage and at least one death. While the tsunami's impact on California pales in comparison to the destruction caused in Japan and other areas of the Pacific, the event tested emergency responders' ability to rapidly communicate and coordinate a response to a potential threat. Methods To evaluate the local public health system emergency response to the tsunami threat in California, we surveyed all local public health, emergency medical services (EMS), and emergency management agencies in coastal or floodplain counties about several domains related to the tsunami threat in California, including: (1) the extent to which their community was affected by the tsunami, (2) when and how they received notification of the event, (3) which public health response activities were carried out to address the tsunami threat in their community, and (4) which organizations contributed to the response. Public health activities were characterized using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Public Health Preparedness Capabilities (PHEP) framework. Findings The tsunami's impact on coastal communities in California ranged widely, both in terms of the economic consequences and the response activities. Based on estimates from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), ten jurisdictions in California reported tsunami-related damage, which ranged from $15,000 to $35 million. Respondents first became aware of the tsunami threat in California between the hours of 10:00pm Pacific Standard Time (PST) on Thursday March 10th and 2:00pm PST on Friday March 11th, a range of 16 hours, with notification occurring through both formal and informal channels. In response to this threat, the activities most commonly reported by the local government agencies included in this study were: emergency public information and warning, emergency operations coordination, and inter-organizational information sharing, which were reported by 86%, 75%, and 65% of all respondents, respectively. When looking at the distribution of responsibility, emergency management agencies were the most likely to report assuming a lead role in these common activities as well as those related to evacuation and community recovery. While activated less frequently, public health agencies carried out emergency response functions related to surveillance and epidemiology, environmental health, and mental health/psychological support. Both local public health and EMS agencies took part in mass care and medical material management activities. A large network of organizations contributed to response activities, with emergency management, law enforcement, fire, public health, public works, EMS, and media cited by more than half of respondents. Conclusions In response to the tsunami threat in California, we found that emergency management agencies assumed a lead role in the local response efforts. While public health and medical agencies played a supporting role in the response, they uniquely contributed to a number of specific activities. If the response to the recent tsunami is any indication, these support activities can be anticipated in planning for future events with similar characteristics to the tsunami threat. Additionally, we found that many respondents first learned of the tsunami through the media, rather than through rapid notification systems, which suggests that government agencies must continue to develop and maintain the ability to rapidly aggregate and analyze information in order to provide accurate assessments and guidance to a potentially well-informed public. Hunter JC, Crawley AW, Petrie M, Yang JE, Aragón TJ. Local Public Health System Response to the Tsunami Threat in Coastal California following the Tōhoku Earthquake. PLoS Currents Disasters. 2012 Jul 16.

Emerging infectious diseases: A proactive approach

PubMed Central

Bloom, David E.; Black, Steven; Rappuoli, Rino

2017-01-01

Infectious diseases are now emerging or reemerging almost every year. This trend will continue because a number of factors, including the increased global population, aging, travel, urbanization, and climate change, favor the emergence, evolution, and spread of new pathogens. The approach used so far for emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) does not work from the technical point of view, and it is not sustainable. However, the advent of platform technologies offers vaccine manufacturers an opportunity to develop new vaccines faster and to reduce the investment to build manufacturing facilities, in addition to allowing for the possible streamlining of regulatory processes. The new technologies also make possible the rapid development of human monoclonal antibodies that could become a potent immediate response to an emergency. So far, several proposals to approach EIDs have been made independently by scientists, the private sector, national governments, and international organizations such as the World Health Organization (WHO). While each of them has merit, there is a need for a global governance that is capable of taking a strong leadership role and making it attractive to all partners to come to the same table and to coordinate the global approach. PMID:28396438

Understanding the Value of a Computer Emergency Response Capability for Nuclear Security

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

Gasper, Peter Donald; Rodriguez, Julio Gallardo

The international nuclear community has a great understanding of the physical security needs relating to the prevention, detection, and response of malicious acts associated with nuclear facilities and radioactive material. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Nuclear Security Recommendations (INFCIRC_225_Rev 5) outlines specific guidelines and recommendations for implementing and maintaining an organization’s nuclear security posture. An important element for inclusion into supporting revision 5 is the establishment of a “Cyber Emergency Response Team (CERT)” focused on the international communities cybersecurity needs to maintain a comprehensive nuclear security posture. Cybersecurity and the importance of nuclear cybersecurity require that there be a specificmore » focus on developing an International Nuclear CERT (NS-CERT). States establishing contingency plans should have an understanding of the cyber threat landscape and the potential impacts to systems in place to protect and mitigate malicious activities. This paper will outline the necessary components, discuss the relationships needed within the international community, and outline a process by which the NS-CERT identifies, collects, processes, and reports critical information in order to establish situational awareness (SA) and support decision-making« less

The Department of Defense at the Forefront of a Global Health Emergency Response: Lessons Learned from the Ebola Outbreak.

PubMed

Diehl, Glendon; Bradstreet, Nicole; Monahan, Felicia

2016-01-01

Tasked with analyzing the effectiveness of the Department of Defense's (DoD's) global health engagements, the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences (USU) used the Measures Of Effectiveness in Defense Engagement and Learning (MODEL) study to conduct a qualitative analysis of the DoD's response efforts to the Ebola pandemic in West Africa. The research aims to summarize the findings of studies that monitor and evaluate the DoD's response to the Ebola pandemic or compare the effectiveness of different DoD response activities; it further aims to identify common themes around positive and negative lessons learned and recommendations that can be applied to future DoD humanitarian assistance and disaster response efforts. The search included documents and observations from PubMed, Disaster Lit: Resource Guide for Disaster Medicine and Public Health, the Joint Lessons Learned Information System, the DoD and US Africa Command websites, and Google Scholar. The records selected from the search were analyzed to provide insights on the DoD's humanitarian assistance and disaster response engagements that could be employed to inform future operations and policy. Furthermore, the research identifies strengths and gaps in military capabilities to respond to disasters, which can be used to inform future training and education courses. Overall, the findings demonstrate the importance of monitoring, evaluating, and assessing disaster response activities and provide new evidence to support the implementation of activities, in accordance with the Global Health Security Agenda, to strengthen all-threat prevention, detection, and response capabilities worldwide.

From Forecasters to the General Public: A Communication Tool to Understand Decision-making Challenges in Weather-related Early Warning Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Terti, G.; Ruin, I.; Kalas, M.; Lorini, V.; Sabbatini, T.; i Alonso, A. C.

2017-12-01

New technologies are currently adopted worldwide to improve weather forecasts and communication of the corresponding warnings to the end-users. "EnhANcing emergency management and response to extreme WeatHER and climate Events" (ANYWHERE) project is an innovating action that aims at developing and implementing a European decision-support platform for weather-related risks integrating cutting-edge forecasting technology. The initiative is built in a collaborative manner where researchers, developers, potential users and other stakeholders meet frequently to define needs, capabilities and challenges. In this study, we propose a role-playing game to test the added value of the ANYWHERE platform on i) the decision-making process and the choice of warning levels under uncertainty, ii) the management of the official emergency response and iii) the crisis communication and triggering of protective actions at different levels of the warning system (from hazard detection to citizen response). The designed game serves as an interactive communication tool. Here, flood and flash flood focused simulations seek to enhance participant's understanding of the complexities and challenges embedded in various levels of the decision-making process under the threat of weather disasters (e.g., forecasting/warnings, official emergency actions, self-protection). Also, we facilitate collaboration and coordination between the participants who belong to different national or local agencies/authorities across Europe. The game is first applied and tested in ANYWHERE's workshop in Helsinki (September, 2017) where about 30-50 people, including researchers, forecasters, civil protection and representatives of related companies, are anticipated to play the simulation. The main idea is to provide to the players a virtual case study that well represents realistic uncertainties and dilemmas embedded in the real-time forecasting-warning processes. At the final debriefing step the participants are encouraged to exchange knowledge, thoughts and insights on their capability or difficulty to decide and communicate their action based on the available information and given constrains. Such feedback will be analyzed and presented and future potentialities for the application of the game will be discussed.

New Directions: Emerging Satellite Observations of Above-cloud Aerosols and Direct Radiative Forcing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yu, Hongbin; Zhang, Zhibo

2013-01-01

Spaceborne lidar and passive sensors with multi-wavelength and polarization capabilities onboard the A-Train provide unprecedented opportunities of observing above-cloud aerosols and direct radiative forcing. Significant progress has been made in recent years in exploring these new aerosol remote sensing capabilities and generating unique datasets. The emerging observations will advance the understanding of aerosol climate forcing.

Iterative User-Centered Design of a Next Generation Patient Monitoring System for Emergency Medical Response

PubMed Central

Gao, Tia; Kim, Matthew I.; White, David; Alm, Alexander M.

2006-01-01

We have developed a system for real-time patient monitoring during large-scale disasters. Our system is designed with scalable algorithms to monitor large numbers of patients, an intuitive interface to support the overwhelmed responders, and ad-hoc mesh networking capabilities to maintain connectivity to patients in the chaotic settings. This paper describes an iterative approach to user-centered design adopted to guide development of our system. This system is a part of the Advanced Health and Disaster Aid Network (AID-N) architecture. PMID:17238348

A health care system for the Space Station

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1992-01-01

Life science will be one of the pacing technologies for long duration manned spaceflight. The ability to effectively deliver state-of-the-art inflight medical care will have a major impact on crew health and mission success. The future Space Station crews will participate in missions of extended duration with limited capability for emergency return. This factor alone places great responsibility on program designers to ensure the health, safety, and well-being of the crews. The Health Maintenance Facility (HMF) under development at the Johnson Space Center is described.

Validation of a Framework for Measuring Hospital Disaster Resilience Using Factor Analysis

PubMed Central

Zhong, Shuang; Clark, Michele; Hou, Xiang-Yu; Zang, Yuli; FitzGerald, Gerard

2014-01-01

Hospital disaster resilience can be defined as “the ability of hospitals to resist, absorb, and respond to the shock of disasters while maintaining and surging essential health services, and then to recover to its original state or adapt to a new one.” This article aims to provide a framework which can be used to comprehensively measure hospital disaster resilience. An evaluation framework for assessing hospital resilience was initially proposed through a systematic literature review and Modified-Delphi consultation. Eight key domains were identified: hospital safety, command, communication and cooperation system, disaster plan, resource stockpile, staff capability, disaster training and drills, emergency services and surge capability, and recovery and adaptation. The data for this study were collected from 41 tertiary hospitals in Shandong Province in China, using a specially designed questionnaire. Factor analysis was conducted to determine the underpinning structure of the framework. It identified a four-factor structure of hospital resilience, namely, emergency medical response capability (F1), disaster management mechanisms (F2), hospital infrastructural safety (F3), and disaster resources (F4). These factors displayed good internal consistency. The overall level of hospital disaster resilience (F) was calculated using the scoring model: F = 0.615F1 + 0.202F2 + 0.103F3 + 0.080F4. This validated framework provides a new way to operationalise the concept of hospital resilience, and it is also a foundation for the further development of the measurement instrument in future studies. PMID:24945190

49 CFR 239.103 - Passenger train emergency simulations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Passenger train emergency simulations. 239.103....103 Passenger train emergency simulations. (a) General. Each railroad operating passenger train service shall conduct full-scale emergency simulations, in order to determine its capability to execute...

49 CFR 239.103 - Passenger train emergency simulations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Passenger train emergency simulations. 239.103....103 Passenger train emergency simulations. (a) General. Each railroad operating passenger train service shall conduct full-scale emergency simulations, in order to determine its capability to execute...

49 CFR 239.103 - Passenger train emergency simulations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2012-10-01 2012-10-01 false Passenger train emergency simulations. 239.103....103 Passenger train emergency simulations. (a) General. Each railroad operating passenger train service shall conduct full-scale emergency simulations, in order to determine its capability to execute...

49 CFR 239.103 - Passenger train emergency simulations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 49 Transportation 4 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Passenger train emergency simulations. 239.103....103 Passenger train emergency simulations. (a) General. Each railroad operating passenger train service shall conduct full-scale emergency simulations, in order to determine its capability to execute...

Automated geo/ortho registered aerial imagery product generation using the mapping system interface card (MSIC)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bratcher, Tim; Kroutil, Robert; Lanouette, André; Lewis, Paul E.; Miller, David; Shen, Sylvia; Thomas, Mark

2013-05-01

The development concept paper for the MSIC system was first introduced in August 2012 by these authors. This paper describes the final assembly, testing, and commercial availability of the Mapping System Interface Card (MSIC). The 2.3kg MSIC is a self-contained, compact variable configuration, low cost real-time precision metadata annotator with embedded INS/GPS designed specifically for use in small aircraft. The MSIC was specifically designed to convert commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) digital cameras and imaging/non-imaging spectrometers with Camera Link standard data streams into mapping systems for airborne emergency response and scientific remote sensing applications. COTS digital cameras and imaging/non-imaging spectrometers covering the ultraviolet through long-wave infrared wavelengths are important tools now readily available and affordable for use by emergency responders and scientists. The MSIC will significantly enhance the capability of emergency responders and scientists by providing a direct transformation of these important COTS sensor tools into low-cost real-time aerial mapping systems.

Special population planner, version 4.0.

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

Kuiper, J.; Tanzman, E.; Metz, W.

2007-03-26

Emergencies happen every day. Many are caused by storms or auto accidents and can be planned for, if not predicted. Emergencies resulting from natural hazards often affect a large number of people, and planning for them can be difficult, since knowledge of the needs of the people involved is generally unavailable. Emergencies resulting from accidents at industrial and military facilities can also be large scale in nature if people must be evacuated or sheltered in place. Federal planning for large scale emergencies is the responsibility of the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), which provides assistance to various emergency management agenciesmore » at the national, state and local level. More information about FEMA is available at http://www.fema.gov/. The purpose of the Special Population Planner (SPP) is to help emergency planners address the needs of persons with special needs. The exact definition of 'special population' is a policy decision. Policymakers have included a variety of groups in this term, such as persons with disabilities, those who do not have vehicles with which to evacuate, children who are unattended at times (latchkey children), and many others. The SPP was developed initially for the Alabama Emergency Management Agency as part of its Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP), which aids emergency planning and preparedness in communities surrounding military installations across the United States where chemical weapons are stored pending their destruction under federal law. Like that specialized application, this open-source version contains a set of specialized Geographic Information System (GIS) tools to facilitate emergency planning on behalf of persons with special needs, regardless of how the term is defined. While the original SPP system was developed for emergency planning relating to chemical hazards, it can be applied to other threats as well. It is apparent from Hurricane Katrina and other natural and man-made disasters that many of the problems posed by emergency planning for a chemical weapons agent release are shared by other hazards as well. The notion that emergency planning shares common functions underlies the decision by FEMA to include the Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program (CSEPP) in its 'all-hazards' planning approach. The CSEPP's official planning guidance operationalizes this approach by suggesting that state and local CSEPP emergency plans 'should be appended to the existing all-hazards emergency plan.' The SPP is programmed as a set of tools within an ESRI ArcMap 9.1 project. ArcMap is a component of both ESRI ArcGIS 9.1 and ESRI ArcView 9.1, and it provides a rich GIS user interface for viewing spatial and tabular data, analyzing it, and producing output reports and maps. This GIS interface has been augmented with the SPP tools for a user interface that provides custom functionality for emergency planning. The system as released also includes some hypothetical example records for special needs populations, facilities, resources, control points and sirens sufficient for showing how the system would work with real information. A GIS database is included with some publicly available example layers. The SPP is designed to support emergency planners as they address emergency management issues, and includes capabilities that support the collection and importing of data, the review of data in a spatial context, and GIS tools for emergency planning. The SPP system allows for the identification and categorization of response zones to allow for multiple levels of preparedness. An Immediate Response Zone (IRZ) might be designated as the area 0 to 10 miles from a facility where the response would be the most urgent. SPP can support more than one set of planning zones to accommodate different types of emergencies or the different jurisdictions of emergency response organizations. These areas can be delineated by any number of criteria that make sense for the area. An area like New Orleans might designate response zones based on the depth above/below sea level, or an urban area may categorize an IRZ as the 'central business district' with the PAZ encompassing the larger outlying area. Many of the sites involved in the CSEPP currently use an integrated emergency response information system to support their emergency management planning. The D2-Puff system (including or WebPuff 2.1) by Innovative Emergency Management, Inc. is the main software serving this purpose. More information on D2-Puff can be found at www.ieminc.com. SPP differs from D2-Puff in that it is designed for planning, not response to assist those with special needs, is programmed within a popular commercial GIS software system, and can be loaded with large amounts of data to support all hazards emergency planning.« less

User-managed inventory: an approach to forward-deployment of urgently needed medical countermeasures for mass-casualty and terrorism incidents.

PubMed

Coleman, C Norman; Hrdina, Chad; Casagrande, Rocco; Cliffer, Kenneth D; Mansoura, Monique K; Nystrom, Scott; Hatchett, Richard; Caro, J Jaime; Knebel, Ann R; Wallace, Katherine S; Adams, Steven A

2012-12-01

The user-managed inventory (UMI) is an emerging idea for enhancing the current distribution and maintenance system for emergency medical countermeasures (MCMs). It increases current capabilities for the dispensing and distribution of MCMs and enhances local/regional preparedness and resilience. In the UMI, critical MCMs, especially those in routine medical use ("dual utility") and those that must be administered soon after an incident before outside supplies can arrive, are stored at multiple medical facilities (including medical supply or distribution networks) across the United States. The medical facilities store a sufficient cache to meet part of the surge needs but not so much that the resources expire before they would be used in the normal course of business. In an emergency, these extra supplies can be used locally to treat casualties, including evacuees from incidents in other localities. This system, which is at the interface of local/regional and federal response, provides response capacity before the arrival of supplies from the Strategic National Stockpile (SNS) and thus enhances the local/regional medical responders' ability to provide life-saving MCMs that otherwise would be delayed. The UMI can be more cost-effective than stockpiling by avoiding costs due to drug expiration, disposal of expired stockpiled supplies, and repurchase for replacement.

Public Health Response Systems In-Action: Learning from Local Health Departments’ Experiences with Acute and Emergency Incidents

PubMed Central

Hunter, Jennifer C.; Yang, Jane E.; Crawley, Adam W.; Biesiadecki, Laura; Aragón, Tomás J.

2013-01-01

As part of their core mission, public health agencies attend to a wide range of disease and health threats, including those that require routine, acute, and emergency responses. While each incident is unique, the number and type of response activities are finite; therefore, through comparative analysis, we can learn about commonalities in the response patterns that could improve predictions and expectations regarding the resources and capabilities required to respond to future acute events. In this study, we interviewed representatives from more than 120 local health departments regarding their recent experiences with real-world acute public health incidents, such as infectious disease outbreaks, severe weather events, chemical spills, and bioterrorism threats. We collected highly structured data on key aspects of the incident and the public health response, particularly focusing on the public health activities initiated and community partners engaged in the response efforts. As a result, we are able to make comparisons across event types, create response profiles, and identify functional and structural response patterns that have import for future public health preparedness and response. Our study contributes to clarifying the complexity of public health response systems and our analysis reveals the ways in which these systems are adaptive to the character of the threat, resulting in differential activation of functions and partners based on the type of incident. Continued and rigorous examination of the experiences of health departments throughout the nation will refine our very understanding of what the public health response system is, will enable the identification of organizational and event inputs to performance, and will allow for the construction of rich, relevant, and practical models of response operations that can be employed to strengthen public health systems. PMID:24236137

Preventive Rad/Nuc Detection Equipment Categorization for Consequence Management

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

Buddemeier, B. R.; Musolino, S. V.; Klemic, G.

The overall objective of this project is to research, evaluate, and test first responder preventive radiological/nuclear detection equipment (PRND) to provide state and local agencies with guidance on how to best use this equipment for response after a radiological/nuclear release or detonation. While the equipment being tested in this effort has been specifically designed for detection and interdiction operations, the fleet of PRND equipment can help fill critical needs for radiological instrumentation should a consequence management response take place. This effort will provide scientific guidance on the best way to deploy and operate this class of equipment for consequence managementmore » missions. With the support of the US Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO), PRND equipment has been placed into service at federal, state, and local agencies throughout the nation. If the equipment capability and limitations are taken into account, this large inventory can be repurposed to support the emergency response in the aftermath of a radiological of nuclear event. This report evaluates PRND equipment to define key categories of equipment and the types of missions they can be used for. This is important because there are over 100 different types of PRND equipment, often with significantly different capabilities with respect to the consequence management mission. The current DNDO draft NIMS PRND equipment types were used as a foundation and expanded, when necessary, to address key characteristics important for the consequence mission. Table 1 provides a summary of the PRND instrument categories developed for this effort. Also included on the table are some common response mission detection equipment categories that will be used for capability comparisons.« less

Medical isotope identification with large mobile detection systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mukhopadhyay, Sanjoy; Maurer, Richard

2012-10-01

The Remote Sensing laboratory (RSL) of National Security Technologies Inc. has built an array of large (5.08 - cm x 10.16 - cm x 40.6 - cm) thallium doped sodium iodide (NaI: Tl) scintillators to locate and screen gamma-ray emitting radioisotopes that are of interests to radiological emergency responders [1]. These vehicle mounted detectors provide the operators with rapid, simple, specific information for radiological threat assessment. Applications include large area inspection, customs inspection, border protection, emergency response, and monitoring of radiological facilities. These RSL mobile units are currently being upgraded to meet the Defense Threat Reduction Agency mission requirements for a next-generation system capable of detecting and identifying nuclear threat materials. One of the challenging problems faced by these gamma-ray detectors is the unambiguous identification of medical isotopes like 131I (364.49 keV [81.7%], 636.99 keV [7.17%]), 99Tcm (140.51 keV [89.1%]) and 67Ga (184.6 keV [19.7%], 300.2 [16.0%], 393.5 [4.5%] that are used in radionuclide therapy and often have overlapping gamma-ray energy regions of interest (ROI). The problem is made worse by short (about 5 seconds) acquisition time of the spectral data necessary for dynamic mobile detectors. This article describes attempts to identify medical isotopes from data collected from this mobile detection system in a short period of time (not exceeding 5 secs) and a large standoff distance (typically 10 meters) The mobile units offer identification capabilities that are based on hardware auto stabilization of the amplifier gain. The 1461 keV gamma-energy line from 40K is tracked. It uses gamma-ray energy windowing along with embedded mobile Gamma Detector Response and Analysis Software (GADRAS) [2] simultaneously to deconvolve any overlapping gamma-energy ROIs. These high sensitivity detectors are capable of resolving complex masking scenarios and exceed all ANSI N42.34 (2006) requirements for the identification of bare, shielded and multiple isotopes.

The capability of accident and emergency departments to safely decontaminate victims of chemical incidents

PubMed Central

Horby, P.; Murray, V.; Cummins, A.; Mackway-Jones, K.; Euripidou, R.

2000-01-01

Objectives—To evaluate the capability of accident and emergency (A&E) departments in six health regions of England to safely decontaminate casualties exposed to hazardous chemicals. Methods—In January 1999 a postal questionnaire was sent to the clinical director of all A&E departments in Trent, North and South Thames, South and West, North West and, Anglia and Oxford Health Regions. The questionnaire inquired about characteristics of the department, decontamination facilities and equipment, and staff training. Non-responders were sent a second questionnaire and contacted by telephone if they failed to respond to the second mailing. Results—308 of 326 departments identified (94%) returned a questionnaire. There was no significant difference in response rate by region (p = 0.99). Analysis was restricted to 154 major departments seeing more than 20 000 new attendances per year. Of these 154 departments, 109 (71%) had a written chemical incident plan but only 55 (36%) maintained a list of nearby industrial chemical sites. Fifty nine departments (38%) stated that members of staff had received training in the management of chemically contaminated casualties in the preceding year. Eighteen departments (12%) possessed the level of personal protective equipment (PPE) recommended for decontamination by the Ambulance Services Association. Ninety six departments (62%) had a designated decontamination room but only seven (7%) of them incorporated all the features generally considered necessary for safe decontamination. Forty one units (27%) had the capability to decontaminate casualties outside of the department either with warm water from a shower attachment or with a mobile decontamination unit. Thirty six departments (23%) had neither a decontamination room nor the ability to decontaminate casualties outside the department. Only 16 units (10%) had both adequate PPE and either a decontamination room or the capability to decontaminate outside the department. Conclusions—This study has identified deficiencies in the current NHS capability to respond to chemical incidents. To resolve this, nationally recognised standards for decontamination facilities, equipment and training should be formulated, agreed and implemented. PMID:11005405

E-DECIDER: Using Earth Science Data and Modeling Tools to Develop Decision Support for Earthquake Disaster Response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glasscoe, Margaret T.; Wang, Jun; Pierce, Marlon E.; Yoder, Mark R.; Parker, Jay W.; Burl, Michael C.; Stough, Timothy M.; Granat, Robert A.; Donnellan, Andrea; Rundle, John B.; Ma, Yu; Bawden, Gerald W.; Yuen, Karen

2015-08-01

Earthquake Data Enhanced Cyber-Infrastructure for Disaster Evaluation and Response (E-DECIDER) is a NASA-funded project developing new capabilities for decision making utilizing remote sensing data and modeling software to provide decision support for earthquake disaster management and response. E-DECIDER incorporates the earthquake forecasting methodology and geophysical modeling tools developed through NASA's QuakeSim project. Remote sensing and geodetic data, in conjunction with modeling and forecasting tools allows us to provide both long-term planning information for disaster management decision makers as well as short-term information following earthquake events (i.e. identifying areas where the greatest deformation and damage has occurred and emergency services may need to be focused). This in turn is delivered through standards-compliant web services for desktop and hand-held devices.

Modular telerobot control system for accident response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Anderson, Richard J. M.; Shirey, David L.

1999-08-01

The Accident Response Mobile Manipulator System (ARMMS) is a teleoperated emergency response vehicle that deploys two hydraulic manipulators, five cameras, and an array of sensors to the scene of an incident. It is operated from a remote base station that can be situated up to four kilometers away from the site. Recently, a modular telerobot control architecture called SMART was applied to ARMMS to improve the precision, safety, and operability of the manipulators on board. Using SMART, a prototype manipulator control system was developed in a couple of days, and an integrated working system was demonstrated within a couple of months. New capabilities such as camera-frame teleoperation, autonomous tool changeout and dual manipulator control have been incorporated. The final system incorporates twenty-two separate modules and implements seven different behavior modes. This paper describes the integration of SMART into the ARMMS system.

The AFHSC-Division of GEIS Operations Predictive Surveillance Program: a multidisciplinary approach for the early detection and response to disease outbreaks

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

The Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center, Division of Global Emerging Infections Surveillance and Response System Operations (AFHSC-GEIS) initiated a coordinated, multidisciplinary program to link data sets and information derived from eco-climatic remote sensing activities, ecologic niche modeling, arthropod vector, animal disease-host/reservoir, and human disease surveillance for febrile illnesses, into a predictive surveillance program that generates advisories and alerts on emerging infectious disease outbreaks. The program’s ultimate goal is pro-active public health practice through pre-event preparedness, prevention and control, and response decision-making and prioritization. This multidisciplinary program is rooted in over 10 years experience in predictive surveillance for Rift Valley fever outbreaks in Eastern Africa. The AFHSC-GEIS Rift Valley fever project is based on the identification and use of disease-emergence critical detection points as reliable signals for increased outbreak risk. The AFHSC-GEIS predictive surveillance program has formalized the Rift Valley fever project into a structured template for extending predictive surveillance capability to other Department of Defense (DoD)-priority vector- and water-borne, and zoonotic diseases and geographic areas. These include leishmaniasis, malaria, and Crimea-Congo and other viral hemorrhagic fevers in Central Asia and Africa, dengue fever in Asia and the Americas, Japanese encephalitis (JE) and chikungunya fever in Asia, and rickettsial and other tick-borne infections in the U.S., Africa and Asia. PMID:21388561

Estimation of Critical Population Support Requirements.

DTIC Science & Technology

1984-05-30

VA 22160 W.U. 4921H 11. CONTROLLING OFFICE NAME AND ADDRESS 12. REPORT DATE Federal Emergency Management Agency May 30, 1984 Industrial Protection...ensure the availability of industrial production required to support the population, maintain defense capabilities and perform command and control ...the population, maintain national defense capabilities and perform command and control activi- ties during a national emergency such as a threat of a

A Model of Biological Attacks on a Realistic Population

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carley, Kathleen M.; Fridsma, Douglas; Casman, Elizabeth; Altman, Neal; Chen, Li-Chiou; Kaminsky, Boris; Nave, Demian; Yahja, Alex

The capability to assess the impacts of large-scale biological attacks and the efficacy of containment policies is critical and requires knowledge-intensive reasoning about social response and disease transmission within a complex social system. There is a close linkage among social networks, transportation networks, disease spread, and early detection. Spatial dimensions related to public gathering places such as hospitals, nursing homes, and restaurants, can play a major role in epidemics [Klovdahl et. al. 2001]. Like natural epidemics, bioterrorist attacks unfold within spatially defined, complex social systems, and the societal and networked response can have profound effects on their outcome. This paper focuses on bioterrorist attacks, but the model has been applied to emergent and familiar diseases as well.

Emergency medical services

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Billica, Roger; Chandler, Michael

1994-01-01

When NASA was established in 1958, it was known that space flight would require efforts beyond those of NASA to ensure the health and safety of our astronauts. On 10 Aug. 1958, a Secretary of Defense memorandum was signed that assigned the first Department of Defense (DOD) Manager to provide support to NASA for Project Mercury. This established a chain of command through the Joint Chiefs of Staff to the Secretary of Defense. The current charter is dated 19 Mar. 1986 and assigns the DOD Manager responsibilities to the Commander and Chief, US Space Command. The DOD Managers charter has many support areas and among them are recovery of astronauts and medical support. Today these efforts support the Space Shuttle and Space Station Programs. Briefly, the program works with each organization tasking the other through a requirements document. Level of care, communications, and recovery requirements are established; NASA and the DOD provide the capability to meet them. NASA is also responsible for the specialized training and equipment needed to meet these requirements. A Shuttle launch a KSC requires an Emergency Medical Services (EMS) coordinator on console to facilitate communications, ensure proper coverage, and coordinate with area hospitals. A contingent of NASA medical personnel are assembled to provide triage and medical support capabilities. The DOD provides medical evacuation (MEDEVAC) helicopters with surgeons and pararescue specialists (PJ's) or emergency medical technicians (EMT's). Each helicopter is equipped with at least one doctor and one PJ/EMT per astronaut crew member. Transoceanic abort landing (TAL) sites and end of mission (EOM) sites have similar structures, with TAL sites utilizing fixed wingg aircraft for MEDEVAC. The DOD also supports contingency planning for the support and return of crew members from the Space Station Freedom. Much of this support has been directed at the recovery of crew members following the landing of an Assured Crew Return Vehicle.

Effectiveness of a worker-worn electric-field sensor to detect power-line proximity and electrical-contact.

PubMed

Zeng, Shengke; Powers, John R; Newbraugh, Bradley H

2010-06-01

Construction workers suffer the most electrocutions among all industries. Currently, there are no electrical contact warning devices on the market to protect workers. This paper proposes a worker-worn electric-field sensor. As the worker is in proximity to, or in contact with, a live power-circuit, the sensor sets off an audible/visual warning alarm. The sensor also has the potential to wirelessly trip a wireless-capable circuit breaker, and to trigger a wireless transmitter to notify emergency response of an electrical contact. An experiment was conducted to measure electric-field variation on simulated human-wrists (10 defrosted hog-legs) in various proximities and in electrical-contact to a simulated power-circuit. The purpose of these tests was to determine the feasibility of developing a worker-worn electric-field detection sensor for use in protecting workers from contact with energized electrical conductors. This study observed a significant electric-field-magnitude increase as a hog-leg approaches the live-circuit, and the distinct electric-field-magnitude jump as the leg contacts with the live-circuit. The observation indicates that this sensor can be an effective device to warn the workers of electrical hazards. Additionally, the sensor has the potential to wirelessly trip a wireless-capable circuit-breaker and trigger a wireless transmitter (such as a cell phone) to notify an emergency response. The prompt notification prevents the worker from further injury caused by postponed medical-care. Widespread use of this sensor could lower electrocution and electrically related injury rates in the construction industry. (c) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Integrating an incident management system within a continuity of operations programme: case study of the Bank of Canada.

PubMed

Loop, Carole

2013-01-01

Carrying out critical business functions without interruption requires a resilient and robust business continuity framework. By embedding an industry-standard incident management system within its business continuity structure, the Bank of Canada strengthened its response plan by enabling timely response to incidents while maintaining a strong focus on business continuity. A total programme approach, integrating the two disciplines, provided for enhanced recovery capabilities. While the value of an effective and efficient response organisation is clear, as demonstrated by emergency events around the world, incident response structures based on normal operating hierarchy can experience unique challenges. The internationally-recognised Incident Command System (ICS) model addresses these issues and reflects the five primary incident management functions, each contributing to the overall strength and effectiveness of the response organisation. The paper focuses on the Bank of Canada's successful implementation of the ICS model as its incident management and continuity of operations programmes evolved to reflect current best practices.

Multifunctional reduction-responsive SPIO&DOX-loaded PEGylated polymeric lipid vesicles for magnetic resonance imaging-guided drug delivery

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Sheng; Yang, Weitao; Du, Hongli; Guo, Fangfang; Wang, Hanjie; Chang, Jin; Gong, Xiaoqun; Zhang, Bingbo

2016-04-01

Multifunctional superparamagnetic iron-oxide (SPIO)-based nanoparticles have been emerging as candidate nanosystems for cancer diagnosis and therapy. Here, we report the use of reduction- responsive SPIO/doxorubicin (DOX)-loaded poly(ethylene glycol) monomethyl ether (PEG)ylated polymeric lipid vesicles (SPIO&DOX-PPLVs) as a novel theranostic system for tumor magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) diagnosis and controlled drug delivery. These SPIO&DOX-PPLVs are composed of SPIOs that function as MR contrast agents for tumor enhancement and PPLVs as polymer matrices for encapsulating SPIO and antitumor drugs. The in vitro characterizations show that the SPIO&DOX-PPLVs have nanosized structures (˜80 nm), excellent colloidal stability, good biocompatibility, as well as T 2-weighted MRI capability with a relatively high T 2 relaxivity (r 2 = 213.82 mM-1 s-1). In vitro drug release studies reveal that the release rate of DOX from the SPIO&DOX-PPLVs is accelerated in the reduction environment. An in vitro cellular uptake study and an antitumor study show that the SPIO&DOX-PPLVs have magnetic targeting properties and effective antitumor activity. In vivo studies show the SPIO&DOX-PPLVs have excellent T 2-weighted tumor targeted MRI capability, image-guided drug delivery capability, and high antitumor effects. These results suggest that the SPIO&DOX-PPLVs are promising nanocarriers for MRI diagnosis and cancer therapy applications.

Cognitive LF-Ant: a novel protocol for healthcare wireless sensor networks.

PubMed

Sousa, Marcelo; Lopes, Waslon; Madeiro, Francisco; Alencar, Marcelo

2012-01-01

In this paper, the authors present the Cognitive LF-Ant protocol for emergency reporting in healthcare wireless sensor networks. The protocol is inspired by the natural behaviour of ants and a cognitive component provides the capabilities to dynamically allocate resources, in accordance with the emergency degree of each patient. The intra-cluster emergency reporting is inspired by the different capabilities of leg-manipulated ants. The inter-cluster reporting is aided by the cooperative modulation diversity with spectrum sensing, which can detect new emergency reporting requests and forward them. Simulations results show the decrease of average delay time as the probability of opportunistic access increases, which privileges the emergency reporting related to the patients with higher priority of resources' usage. Furthermore, the packet loss rate is decreased by the use of cooperative modulation diversity with spectrum sensing.

Cognitive LF-Ant: A Novel Protocol for Healthcare Wireless Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Sousa, Marcelo; Lopes, Waslon; Madeiro, Francisco; Alencar, Marcelo

2012-01-01

In this paper, the authors present the Cognitive LF-Ant protocol for emergency reporting in healthcare wireless sensor networks. The protocol is inspired by the natural behaviour of ants and a cognitive component provides the capabilities to dynamically allocate resources, in accordance with the emergency degree of each patient. The intra-cluster emergency reporting is inspired by the different capabilities of leg-manipulated ants. The inter-cluster reporting is aided by the cooperative modulation diversity with spectrum sensing, which can detect new emergency reporting requests and forward them. Simulations results show the decrease of average delay time as the probability of opportunistic access increases, which privileges the emergency reporting related to the patients with higher priority of resources' usage. Furthermore, the packet loss rate is decreased by the use of cooperative modulation diversity with spectrum sensing. PMID:23112610

The crisis in United States hospital emergency services.

PubMed

Harrison, Jeffrey P; Ferguson, Emily D

2011-01-01

Emergency services are critical for high-quality healthcare service provision to support acute illness, trauma and disaster response. The greater availability of emergency services decreases waiting time, improves clinical outcomes and enhances local community well being. This study aims to assess United States (U.S.) acute care hospital staffs ability to provide emergency medical services by evaluating the number of emergency departments and trauma centers. Data were obtained from the 2003 and 2007 American Hospital Association (AHA) annual surveys, which included over 5000 US hospitals and provided extensive information on their infrastructure and healthcare capabilities. U.S. acute care hospital numbers decreased by 59 or 1.1 percent from 2003 to 2007. Similarly, U.S. emergency rooms and trauma centers declined by 125, or 3 percent. The results indicate that US hospital staffs ability to respond to traumatic injury and disasters has declined. Therefore, US hospital managers need to increase their investment in emergency department beds as well as provide state-of-the-art clinical technology to improve emergency service quality. These investments, when linked to other clinical information systems and the electronic medical record, support further healthcare quality improvement. This research uses the AHA annual surveys,which represent self-reported data by individual hospital staff. However, the AHA expendssignificant resources to validate reported information and the annual survey data are widely used for hospital research. The declining US emergency rooms and trauma centers have negative implications for patients needing emergency services. More importantly, this research has significant policy implications because it documents a decline in the US emergency healthcare service infrastructure. This article has important information on US emergency service availability in the hospital industry.

Antibody-Dependent Cell-Mediated Viral Inhibition Emerges after Simian Immunodeficiency Virus SIVmac251 Infection of Rhesus Monkeys Coincident with gp140-Binding Antibodies and Is Effective against Neutralization-Resistant Viruses▿

PubMed Central

Asmal, Mohammed; Sun, Yue; Lane, Sophie; Yeh, Wendy; Schmidt, Stephen D.; Mascola, John R.; Letvin, Norman L.

2011-01-01

Antibody-dependent cell-mediated viral inhibition (ADCVI) is an attractive target for vaccination because it takes advantage of both the anamnestic properties of an adaptive immune response and the rapid early response characteristics of an innate immune response. Effective utilization of ADCVI in vaccine strategies will depend on an understanding of the natural history of ADCVI during acute and chronic human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection. We used the simian immunodeficiency virus (SIV)-infected rhesus monkey as a model to study the kinetics of ADCVI in early infection, the durability of ADCVI through the course of infection, and the effectiveness of ADCVI against viruses with envelope mutations that are known to confer escape from antibody neutralization. We demonstrate the development of ADCVI, capable of inhibiting viral replication 100-fold, within 3 weeks of infection, preceding the development of a comparable-titer neutralizing antibody response by weeks to months. The emergence of ADCVI was temporally associated with the emergence of gp140-binding antibodies, and in most animals, ADCVI persisted through the course of infection. Highly evolved viral envelopes from viruses isolated at late time points following infection that were resistant to plasma neutralization remained susceptible to ADCVI, suggesting that the epitope determinants of neutralization escape are not shared by antibodies that mediate ADCVI. These findings suggest that despite the ability of SIV to mutate and adapt to multiple immunologic pressures during the course of infection, SIV envelope may not escape the binding of autologous antibodies that mediate ADCVI. PMID:21450829

Population density and racial differences in the performance of emergency medical services.

PubMed

David, Guy; Harrington, Scott E

2010-07-01

This paper analyzes the existence and scope of possible racial differences/disparities in the provision of emergency medical services (EMS) response capability (time from dispatch to arrival at the scene and level of training of the responding team) using data on approximately 120,000 cardiac incidents in the state of Mississippi during 1995-2004. The conceptual framework and empirical analysis focus on the likely effects of population density on the efficient production of EMS as a local public good subject to congestion, and on the need to control adequately for population density to avoid bias in testing for racial differences. Models that control for aggregate population density at the county-level indicate "reverse" disparities: faster estimated response times for African-Americans than for whites. When a refined county-level measure of population density is used that incorporates differences in African-American and white population density by Census tract, the reverse disparity in response times disappears. There also is little or no evidence of race-related differences in the certification level of EMS responders. However, there is evidence that, controlling for response time, African-Americans on average were significantly more likely to be deceased than whites upon EMS arrival at the scene. The overall results are germane to the debate over the scope of conditioning variables that should be included when testing for racial disparities in health care.

Emergency response networks for disaster monitoring and detection from space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vladimirova, Tanya; Sweeting, Martin N.; Vitanov, Ivan; Vitanov, Valentin I.

2009-05-01

Numerous man-made and natural disasters have stricken mankind since the beginning of the new millennium. The scale and impact of such disasters often prevent the collection of sufficient data for an objective assessment and coordination of timely rescue and relief missions on the ground. As a potential solution to this problem, in recent years constellations of Earth observation small satellites and in particular micro-satellites (<100 kg) in low Earth orbit have emerged as an efficient platform for reliable disaster monitoring. The main task of the Earth observation satellites is to capture images of the Earth surface using various techniques. For a large number of applications the resulting delay between image capture and delivery is not acceptable, in particular for rapid response remote sensing aiming at disaster monitoring and detection. In such cases almost instantaneous data availability is a strict requirement to enable an assessment of the situation and instigate an adequate response. Examples include earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, flooding, forest fires and oil spills. The proposed solution to this issue are low-cost networked distributed satellite systems in low Earth orbit capable of connecting to terrestrial networks and geostationary Earth orbit spacecraft in real time. This paper discusses enabling technologies for rapid response disaster monitoring and detection from space such as very small satellite design, intersatellite communication, intelligent on-board processing, distributed computing and bio-inspired routing techniques.

Mesenchymal stem cells: Emerging mechanisms of immunomodulation and therapy

PubMed Central

Glenn, Justin D; Whartenby, Katharine A

2014-01-01

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are a pleiotropic population of cells that are self-renewing and capable of differentiating into canonical cells of the mesenchyme, including adipocytes, chondrocytes, and osteocytes. They employ multi-faceted approaches to maintain bone marrow niche homeostasis and promote wound healing during injury. Biomedical research has long sought to exploit their pleiotropic properties as a basis for cell therapy for a variety of diseases and to facilitate hematopoietic stem cell establishment and stromal reconstruction in bone marrow transplantation. Early results demonstrated their usage as safe, and there was little host response to these cells. The discovery of their immunosuppressive functions ushered in a new interest in MSCs as a promising therapeutic tool to suppress inflammation and down-regulate pathogenic immune responses in graft-versus-host and autoimmune diseases such as multiple sclerosis, autoimmune diabetes, and rheumatoid arthritis. MSCs produce a large number of soluble and membrane-bound factors, some of which inhibit immune responses. However, the full range of MSC-mediated immune-modulation remains incompletely understood, as emerging reports also reveal that MSCs can adopt an immunogenic phenotype, stimulate immune cells, and yield seemingly contradictory results in experimental animal models of inflammatory disease. The present review describes the large body of literature that has been accumulated on the fascinating biology of MSCs and their complex effects on immune responses. PMID:25426250

An assessment of Chemical, Biological, Radiologic, Nuclear, and Explosive preparedness among emergency department healthcare providers in an inner city emergency department.

PubMed

Kotora, Joseph G

2015-01-01

Emergency healthcare providers are required to care for victims of Chemical, Biological, Radiologic, Nuclear, and Explosive (CBRNE) agents. However, US emergency departments are often ill prepared to manage CBRNE casualties. Most providers lack adequate knowledge or experience in the areas of patient decontamination, hospital-specific disaster protocols, interagency familiarization, and available supply of necessary medical equipment and medications. This study evaluated the CBRNE preparedness of physicians, nurses, and midlevel providers in an urban tertiary care emergency department. This retrospective observational survey study used a previously constructed questionnaire instrument. A total of 205 e-mail invitations were sent to 191 eligible providers through an online survey distribution tool (Survey Monkey®). Respondents were enrolled from February 1, 2014 to March 15, 2014. Simple frequencies of correct answers were used to determine the level of preparedness of each group. Cronbach's coefficient α was used to validate the precision of the study instrument. Finally, validity coefficients and analysis of variance ANOVA were used to determine the strength of correlation between demographic variables, as well as the variation between individual responses. Fifty-nine providers responded to the questionnaire (31.14 percent response rate). The overall frequency of correct answers was 66.26 percent, indicating a relatively poor level of CBRNE preparedness. The study instrument lacked precision and reliability (coefficient α 0.4050). Significant correlations were found between the frequency of correct answers and the respondents' gender, practice experience, and previous experience with a CBRNE incident. Significant variance exists between how providers believe casualties should be decontaminated, which drugs should be administered, and the interpretation of facility-specific protocols. Emergency care providers are inadequately prepared to manage CBRNE incidents. Furthermore, a valid and precise instrument capable of measuring preparedness needs to be developed. Standardized educational curriculums that consider healthcare providers' genders, occupations, and experience levels may assist in closing the knowledge gaps between providers and reinforce emergency departments' CBRNE preparedness.

[An influenza pandemic--a chronicle of an epidemic foretold].

PubMed

Bodas, Moran; Balicer, Ran D

2009-08-01

Influenza is a striking example of a viral disease in which pathogens constantly change and adaptation is of major significance in the appearance of seasonal outbreaks. These, in turn, can become widespread, possibly pandemic. Pandemic influenza differs from seasonal influenza outbreaks essentially by the emergence of a novel strain of the virus that, at times, is also characterized by enhanced pathogenicity and virulence. The last three influenza pandemics have risen from avian influenza strains, although other subtypes are equally capable of producing pandemic strains. For example, the Latest influenza outbreak, which was declared by the World Health Organization as a pandemic, is of swine origin. A severe influenza pandemic may have significant consequences on social and economicaL structures. Therefore, proper prior planning is essential for capabilities built-up to better cope with possibly worse future pandemics. Each influenza pandemic poses a different challenge, but, nevertheless the basic means for response are similar.

The globalization of emergency medicine and its importance for public health.

PubMed Central

Anderson, Philip; Petrino, Roberta; Halpern, Pinchas; Tintinalli, Judith

2006-01-01

Emergency medicine (EM) is a global discipline that provides secondary disease prevention and is also a tool for primary prevention. It is a horizontally integrated system of emergency care consisting of access to EM care; provision of EM care in the community and during transportation of patients; and provision of care at the receiving facility or hospital emergency department. EM can offer many tools to improve public health. These tools include primary disease prevention; interventions for addressing substance abuse and interpersonal violence; education about safety practices; epidemiological surveillance; enrolment of patients in clinical research trials focusing on acute interventions; education and clinical training of health-care providers; and participation in local and regional responses to natural and man-made disasters. Public health advocates and health policy-makers can benefit from the opportunities of EM and can help overcome its challenges. Advocating the establishment and recognition of the specialty of EM worldwide can result in benefits for health-care education, help in incorporating the full scope of EM care into the system of public health, and expand the capabilities of EM for primary and secondary prevention for the benefit of the health of the public. PMID:17128364

A Descriptive Analysis of US Prehospital Care Response to Law Enforcement Tactical Incidents.

PubMed

Aberle, Sara J; Lohse, Christine M; Sztajnkrycer, Matthew D

2015-01-01

Law enforcement tactical incidents involve high-risk operations that exceed the capabilities of regular, uniformed police. Despite the existence of tactical teams for 50 years, little is known about the frequency or nature of emergency medical services (EMS) response to tactical events in the United States. The purpose of this study was to perform a descriptive analysis of tactical events reported to a national EMS database. Descriptive analysis of the 2012 National Emergency Medical Services Information System (NEMSIS) Public Release research data set, containing EMS emergency response data from 41 states. A total of 17,479,328 EMS events were reported, of which 3,953 events were coded as "Activation-Tactical or SWAT Specialty Service/Response Team." The most common level of prehospital care present on scene was basic life support (55.2%). The majority (72.3%) of tactical incident activations involved a single patient; mass casualty incidents occurred in 0.5% of events. The most common EMS response locations were homes (48.4%), streets or highways (37.0%), and public buildings (6.3%). The mean age of treated patients was 44.1 years ± 22.0 years; 3.5% of tactical incident activation patients were aged 8 years or less. Injuries were coded as firearm assault in 14.8% and as chemical exposure in 8.9% of events. Cardiac arrest occurred in 5.1% of patients, with the majority (92.2%) occurring prior to EMS arrival. The primary symptoms reported by EMS personnel were pain (37.4%), change in responsiveness (13.1%), and bleeding (8.1%). Advanced airway procedures occurred in 30 patients. No patients were documented as receiving tourniquets or needle thoracostomy. Approximately 11 EMS responses in support of law enforcement tactical operations occur daily in the United States. The majority occur in homes and involve a single patient. Advanced airway procedures are required in a minority of patients. Cardiac arrest is rare and occurs prior to EMS response in the majority of cases. Better understanding of the nature and location of EMS responses to tactical incidents is required to develop consistent EMS policies in support of law enforcement tactical operations. 2015.

GHSI EMERGENCY RADIONUCLIDE BIOASSAY LABORATORY NETWORK: SUMMARY OF A RECENT EXERCISE.

PubMed

Li, Chunsheng; Ansari, Armin; Bartizel, Christine; Battisti, Paolo; Franck, Didier; Gerstmann, Udo; Giardina, Isabella; Guichet, Claude; Hammond, Derek; Hartmann, Martina; Jones, Robert L; Kim, Eunjoo; Ko, Raymond; Morhard, Ryan; Quayle, Deborah; Sadi, Baki; Saunders, David; Paquet, Francois

2016-11-01

The Global Health Security Initiative (GHSI) established a laboratory network within the GHSI community to develop their collective surge capacity for radionuclide bioassay in response to a radiological or nuclear emergency. A recent exercise was conducted to test the participating laboratories for their capabilities in screening and in vitro assay of biological samples, performing internal dose assessment and providing advice on medical intervention, if necessary, using a urine sample spiked with a single radionuclide, 241 Am. The laboratories were required to submit their reports according to the exercise schedule and using pre-formatted templates. Generally, the participating laboratories were found to be capable with respect to rapidly screening samples for radionuclide contamination, measuring the radionuclide in the samples, assessing the intake and radiation dose, and providing advice on medical intervention. However, gaps in bioassay measurement and dose assessment have been identified. The network may take steps to ensure that procedures and practices within this network be harmonised and a follow-up exercise be organised on a larger scale, with potential participation of laboratories from the networks coordinated by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the World Health Organization. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

Using Coupled Models to Study the Effects of River Discharge on Biogeochemical Cycling and Hypoxia in the Northern Gulf of Mexico

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Penta, Bradley; Ko, D.; Gould, Richard W.; Arnone, Robert A.; Greene, R.; Lehrter, J.; Hagy, James; Schaeffer, B.; Murrell, M.; Kurtz, J.;

Uncertainty quantification and reliability assessment in operational oil spill forecast modeling system.

PubMed

Hou, Xianlong; Hodges, Ben R; Feng, Dongyu; Liu, Qixiao

2017-03-15

As oil transport increasing in the Texas bays, greater risks of ship collisions will become a challenge, yielding oil spill accidents as a consequence. To minimize the ecological damage and optimize rapid response, emergency managers need to be informed with how fast and where oil will spread as soon as possible after a spill. The state-of-the-art operational oil spill forecast modeling system improves the oil spill response into a new stage. However uncertainty due to predicted data inputs often elicits compromise on the reliability of the forecast result, leading to misdirection in contingency planning. Thus understanding the forecast uncertainty and reliability become significant. In this paper, Monte Carlo simulation is implemented to provide parameters to generate forecast probability maps. The oil spill forecast uncertainty is thus quantified by comparing the forecast probability map and the associated hindcast simulation. A HyosPy-based simple statistic model is developed to assess the reliability of an oil spill forecast in term of belief degree. The technologies developed in this study create a prototype for uncertainty and reliability analysis in numerical oil spill forecast modeling system, providing emergency managers to improve the capability of real time operational oil spill response and impact assessment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of an automated speech recognition interface for personal emergency response systems

PubMed Central

Hamill, Melinda; Young, Vicky; Boger, Jennifer; Mihailidis, Alex

2009-01-01

Background Demands on long-term-care facilities are predicted to increase at an unprecedented rate as the baby boomer generation reaches retirement age. Aging-in-place (i.e. aging at home) is the desire of most seniors and is also a good option to reduce the burden on an over-stretched long-term-care system. Personal Emergency Response Systems (PERSs) help enable older adults to age-in-place by providing them with immediate access to emergency assistance. Traditionally they operate with push-button activators that connect the occupant via speaker-phone to a live emergency call-centre operator. If occupants do not wear the push button or cannot access the button, then the system is useless in the event of a fall or emergency. Additionally, a false alarm or failure to check-in at a regular interval will trigger a connection to a live operator, which can be unwanted and intrusive to the occupant. This paper describes the development and testing of an automated, hands-free, dialogue-based PERS prototype. Methods The prototype system was built using a ceiling mounted microphone array, an open-source automatic speech recognition engine, and a 'yes' and 'no' response dialog modelled after an existing call-centre protocol. Testing compared a single microphone versus a microphone array with nine adults in both noisy and quiet conditions. Dialogue testing was completed with four adults. Results and discussion The microphone array demonstrated improvement over the single microphone. In all cases, dialog testing resulted in the system reaching the correct decision about the kind of assistance the user was requesting. Further testing is required with elderly voices and under different noise conditions to ensure the appropriateness of the technology. Future developments include integration of the system with an emergency detection method as well as communication enhancement using features such as barge-in capability. Conclusion The use of an automated dialog-based PERS has the potential to provide users with more autonomy in decisions regarding their own health and more privacy in their own home. PMID:19583876

Where is the evidence for emergency planning: a scoping review.

PubMed

Challen, Kirsty; Lee, Andrew C K; Booth, Andrew; Gardois, Paolo; Woods, Helen Buckley; Goodacre, Steve W

2012-07-23

Recent terrorist attacks and natural disasters have led to an increased awareness of the importance of emergency planning. However, the extent to which emergency planners can access or use evidence remains unclear. The aim of this study was to identify, analyse and assess the location, source and quality of emergency planning publications in the academic and UK grey literature. We conducted a scoping review, using as data sources for academic literature Embase, Medline, Medline in Process, Psychinfo, Biosis, Science Citation Index, Cinahl, Cochrane library and Clinicaltrials.gov. For grey literature identification we used databases at the Health Protection Agency, NHS Evidence, British Association of Immediate Care Schemes, Emergency Planning College and the Health and Safety Executive, and the websites of UK Department of Health Emergency Planning Division and UK Resilience.Aggregative synthesis was used to analyse papers and documents against a framework based on a modified FEMA Emergency Planning cycle. Of 2736 titles identified from the academic literature, 1603 were relevant. 45% were from North America, 27% were commentaries or editorials and 22% were event reports.Of 192 documents from the grey literature, 97 were relevant. 76% of these were event reports.The majority of documents addressed emergency planning and response. Very few documents related to hazard analysis, mitigation or capability assessment. Although a large body of literature exists, its validity and generalisability is unclear There is little evidence that this potential evidence base has been exploited through synthesis to inform policy and practice. The type and structure of evidence that would be of most value of emergency planners and policymakers has yet to be identified.

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

Barr, Jonathan L.; Taira, Randal Y.; Orr, Heather M.

The purpose of this document is to describe the operating concepts, capabilities, and benefits of RAMS including descriptions of how the system implementations can improve emergency response, damage assessment, task prioritization, and situation awareness. This CONOPS provides general information on operational processes and procedures required to utilize RAMS, and expected performance benefits of the system. The primary audiences for this document are the end users of RAMS (including flight operators and incident commanders) and the RAMS management team. Other audiences include interested offices within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), and officials from other state and local jurisdictions who wantmore » to implement similar systems.« less

Progress in Public Health Emergency Preparedness—United States, 2001–2016

PubMed Central

Molinari, Noelle-Angelique M.; LeBlanc, Tanya T.; Vagi, Sara J.; Avchen, Rachel N.

2017-01-01

Objectives. To evaluate the Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) program’s progress toward meeting public health preparedness capability standards in state, local, and territorial health departments. Methods. All 62 PHEP awardees completed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s self-administered PHEP Impact Assessment as part of program review measuring public health preparedness capability before September 11, 2001 (9/11), and in 2014. We collected additional self-reported capability self-assessments from 2016. We analyzed trends in congressional funding for public health preparedness from 2001 to 2016. Results. Before 9/11, most PHEP awardees reported limited preparedness capabilities, but considerable progress was reported by 2016. The number of jurisdictions reporting established capability functions within the countermeasures and mitigation domain had the largest increase, almost 200%, by 2014. However, more than 20% of jurisdictions still reported underdeveloped coordination between the health system and public health agencies in 2016. Challenges and barriers to building PHEP capabilities included lack of trained personnel, plans, and sustained resources. Conclusions. Considerable progress in public health preparedness capability was observed from before 9/11 to 2016. Support, sustainment, and advancement of public health preparedness capability is critical to ensure a strong public health infrastructure. PMID:28892440

Progress in Public Health Emergency Preparedness-United States, 2001-2016.

PubMed

Murthy, Bhavini Patel; Molinari, Noelle-Angelique M; LeBlanc, Tanya T; Vagi, Sara J; Avchen, Rachel N

2017-09-01

To evaluate the Public Health Emergency Preparedness (PHEP) program's progress toward meeting public health preparedness capability standards in state, local, and territorial health departments. All 62 PHEP awardees completed the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's self-administered PHEP Impact Assessment as part of program review measuring public health preparedness capability before September 11, 2001 (9/11), and in 2014. We collected additional self-reported capability self-assessments from 2016. We analyzed trends in congressional funding for public health preparedness from 2001 to 2016. Before 9/11, most PHEP awardees reported limited preparedness capabilities, but considerable progress was reported by 2016. The number of jurisdictions reporting established capability functions within the countermeasures and mitigation domain had the largest increase, almost 200%, by 2014. However, more than 20% of jurisdictions still reported underdeveloped coordination between the health system and public health agencies in 2016. Challenges and barriers to building PHEP capabilities included lack of trained personnel, plans, and sustained resources. Considerable progress in public health preparedness capability was observed from before 9/11 to 2016. Support, sustainment, and advancement of public health preparedness capability is critical to ensure a strong public health infrastructure.

76 FR 22114 - National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP) Tribal Report

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-20

... DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY [Docket No. DHS-2011-0025] National Emergency Communications Plan... Communications (CS&C), Office of Emergency Communications (OEC), will submit the following Information Collection... interoperable communications capabilities. The NECP Tribal Report is designed to meet these statutory...

Establishing Esri ArcGIS Enterprise Platform Capabilities to Support Response Activities of the NASA Earth Science Disasters Program

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Molthan, A.; Seepersad, J.; Shute, J.; Carriere, L.; Duffy, D.; Tisdale, B.; Kirschbaum, D.; Green, D. S.; Schwizer, L.

2017-12-01

NASA's Earth Science Disasters Program promotes the use of Earth observations to improve the prediction of, preparation for, response to, and recovery from natural and technological disasters. NASA Earth observations and those of domestic and international partners are combined with in situ observations and models by NASA scientists and partners to develop products supporting disaster mitigation, response, and recovery activities among several end-user partners. These products are accompanied by training to ensure proper integration and use of these materials in their organizations. Many products are integrated along with other observations available from other sources in GIS-capable formats to improve situational awareness and response efforts before, during and after a disaster. Large volumes of NASA observations support the generation of disaster response products by NASA field center scientists, partners in academia, and other institutions. For example, a prediction of high streamflows and inundation from a NASA-supported model may provide spatial detail of flood extent that can be combined with GIS information on population density, infrastructure, and land value to facilitate a prediction of who will be affected, and the economic impact. To facilitate the sharing of these outputs in a common framework that can be easily ingested by downstream partners, the NASA Earth Science Disasters Program partnered with Esri and the NASA Center for Climate Simulation (NCCS) to establish a suite of Esri/ArcGIS services to support the dissemination of routine and event-specific products to end users. This capability has been demonstrated to key partners including the Federal Emergency Management Agency using a case-study example of Hurricane Matthew, and will also help to support future domestic and international disaster events. The Earth Science Disasters Program has also established a longer-term vision to leverage scientists' expertise in the development and delivery of end-user training, increase public awareness of NASA's Disasters Program, and facilitate new partnerships with disaster response organizations. Future research and development will foster generation of products that leverage NASA's Earth observations for disaster prediction, preparation and mitigation, response, and recovery.

National Emergency Centers Establishment Act

THOMAS, 113th Congress

Rep. Hastings, Alcee L. [D-FL-20

2013-01-23

House - 02/21/2013 Referred to the Subcommittee on Intelligence, Emerging Threats & Capabilities. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Successful Development of Generic Capabilities in an Undergraduate Medical Education Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McNeil, H. Patrick; Scicluna, Helen A.; Boyle, Patrick; Grimm, Michael C.; Gibson, Kathryn A.; Jones, Philip D.

2012-01-01

The development of generic capabilities or graduate attributes in communication, teamwork, critical analysis of information, problem solving and ethical practice is widely recognised as a desired outcome of higher education. This emphasis on generic capabilities has emerged despite ongoing debates about the concept and development of such…

Isolation and quarantine during pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza in NSW: the operational experience of public health units.

PubMed

Binns, Philippa L; Sheppeard, Vicky; Staff, Michael P

2010-01-01

During the DELAY and CONTAIN phases of pandemic (H1N1) 2009 influenza in NSW, public health units needed to rapidly surge operations to manage the 3070 potential cases and 1894 contacts notified to them. The Incident Control System, NetEpi (the web-based multi-user access database), training to up-skill surge staff, and electronic communication were all integral to the outbreak response. Ongoing identification and training of surge staff would assist a timely and effective response to future large scale outbreaks. Investing and incorporating information technology tools into routine public health unit business to assist with communication, outbreak management and reporting will improve familiarity and capability within the network to respond to public health emergencies.

Prodrugs as self-assembled hydrogels: a new paradigm for biomaterials.

PubMed

Vemula, Praveen Kumar; Wiradharma, Nikken; Ankrum, James A; Miranda, Oscar R; John, George; Karp, Jeffrey M

2013-12-01

Prodrug-based self-assembled hydrogels represent a new class of active biomaterials that can be harnessed for medical applications, in particular the design of stimuli responsive drug delivery devices. In this approach, a promoiety is chemically conjugated to a known-drug to generate an amphiphilic prodrug that is capable of forming self-assembled hydrogels. Prodrug-based self-assembled hydrogels are advantageous as they alter the solubility of the drug, enhance drug loading, and eliminate the use of harmful excipients. In addition, self-assembled prodrug hydrogels can be designed to undergo controlled drug release or tailored degradation in response to biological cues. Herein we review the development of prodrug-based self-assembled hydrogels as an emerging class of biomaterials that overcome several common limitations encountered in conventional drug delivery. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

The responsible subject in the global age.

PubMed

Pulcini, Elena

2010-09-01

The first thesis of this article is that the concept of responsibility takes on an unprecedented meaning in the twentieth century resulting from the emergence of a new dimension of the other: to be responsible comes to mean not just to account for oneself in relation to the other, but also to take the other into account, to take care of the other-what I call responsibility towards (the other). The main reason for this change consists in the emergence of global risks and the necessity, as underlined by Hans Jonas, to be responsible for the destiny of the world and future generations. The problem, as explored in the article's second thesis, is that this implies the existence of a subject who is capable of responsibility. Jonas's insights on this point are insufficient, since he only recognizes duty as the fundament for his ethics of responsibility and thus neglects the problem of motivation. This is a particularly crucial problem today as we are witnessing the presence of a pathological subject, characterized by a split in his faculties (between doing and imagining, knowing and feeling). To underline this fact, this article makes use of Günther Anders's reflections, which provide a psycho-anthropological analysis of the subject, showing his pathologies and the necessity, from a moral perspective, to overcome his scission. Finally, this author suggests, as the article's third thesis, that this overcoming is the necessary fundament for the perception of risk, which in turn reinstates the subject's perception of his own vulnerability. Responsibility thus finds a motivation, which is neither altruistic nor duty-centred, in the awareness of our own vulnerability and the bond with the destiny of humankind as a whole.

On the practicality of emergency surgery during long-duration space missions.

PubMed

Dawson, David L

2008-07-01

While discussions of the practicality of surgery in space often focus on technical issues, such as adapting instrumentation and procedures for use in microgravity, programmatic issues need to be addressed if meaningful capabilities for emergency surgery are to be considered for human exploration missions beyond low Earth orbit. Advanced technologies that have been evaluated, including simulation-enhanced training, telementoring, or robotic assistance, might help prepare or augment a crew medical officer, but a physician with advanced training and relevant experience will be needed if surgical capabilities beyond basic emergency aid are to be considered. Specific operational roles for physician-astronauts should be established.

The use of UAS in disaster response operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gkotsis, I.; Eftychidis, G.; Kolios, P.

2017-09-01

The use of UAS by the emergency services has been received with great interest since UAS provide both informant and helper support in a flexible, effective and efficient manner. This is due to the fact that, UAS can strengthen the operational capabilities related to: prevention (e.g., patrolling of large and hard to reach areas), early detection (e.g., mapping of vulnerable elements), disaster preparedness (e.g., incident inspection), response (mapping damages, search and rescue, provide an ad hoc communication network, monitor evacuation, etc). Through PREDICATE, a project concerning civilian use of drones, the necessary methodologies to guide the selection and operational use of UAS in emergencies, are developed. To guide UAS selection, the project performed a detailed needs assessment in cooperation with civil protection and law enforcement agencies. As a result of this assessment, currently available technologies and market solutions were reviewed leading to the development of an online user-friendly tool to support selection of UAS based on operational requirements. To guide the use of UAS, PREDICATE developed an intelligent path planning toolkit to automate the operation of UAS and ease their use for the various civil protection operations. By employing the aforementioned tools, emergency services will be able to better understand how to select and make use of UAS for watch-keeping and patrolling of their own disaster-prone Regions of Interest. The research, innovation and applicability behind both these tools is detailed in this work.

Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Centers: supporting the workforce for national health security.

PubMed

Richmond, Alyson L; Sobelson, Robyn K; Cioffi, Joan P

2014-01-01

The importance of a competent and prepared national public health workforce, ready to respond to threats to the public's health, has been acknowledged in numerous publications since the 1980s. The Preparedness and Emergency Response Learning Centers (PERLCs) were funded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in 2010 to continue to build upon a decade of focused activities in public health workforce preparedness development initiated under the Centers for Public Health Preparedness program (http://www.cdc.gov/phpr/cphp/). All 14 PERLCs were located within Council on Education for Public Health (CEPH) accredited schools of public health. These centers aimed to improve workforce readiness and competence through the development, delivery, and evaluation of targeted learning programs designed to meet specific requirements of state, local, and tribal partners. The PERLCs supported organizational and community readiness locally, regionally, or nationally through the provision of technical consultation and dissemination of specific, practical tools aligned with national preparedness competency frameworks and public health preparedness capabilities. Public health agencies strive to address growing public needs and a continuous stream of current and emerging public health threats. The PERLC network represented a flexible, scalable, and experienced national learning system linking academia with practice. This system improved national health security by enhancing individual, organizational, and community performance through the application of public health science and learning technologies to frontline practice.

A Future of Satellite-Aided Search and Rescue

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wallace, Ronald

1998-01-01

Satellite technology has been an integral part of maritime search and rescue since the Cospas-Sarsat system began operation in 1984. This system, credited with more than eighty-six hundred lives saved, has recently been augmented to provide immediate response through geostationary satellites. The other satellite-based distress alerting system, INMARSAT, launched its emergency Standard C service in 1991 and Standard E in 1997. Current plans call for a continuation of service from both of these vital systems at least through the first decade of the next century. We are currently witnessing the construction of a number of new satellite systems that will have the potential for revolutionizing mobile communications. These systems will be capable of emergency communication, and must be given due consideration in any look at the future, This paper reviews existing systems using satellites for distress alerting, describes the plans in place for them, and discusses likely developments.

Application of constraint-based satellite mission planning model in forest fire monitoring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, Bingjun; Wang, Hongfei; Wu, Peng

2017-10-01

In this paper, a constraint-based satellite mission planning model is established based on the thought of constraint satisfaction. It includes target, request, observation, satellite, payload and other elements, with constraints linked up. The optimization goal of the model is to make full use of time and resources, and improve the efficiency of target observation. Greedy algorithm is used in the model solving to make observation plan and data transmission plan. Two simulation experiments are designed and carried out, which are routine monitoring of global forest fire and emergency monitoring of forest fires in Australia. The simulation results proved that the model and algorithm perform well. And the model is of good emergency response capability. Efficient and reasonable plan can be worked out to meet users' needs under complex cases of multiple payloads, multiple targets and variable priorities with this model.

Assessing Hospital Disaster Readiness Over Time at the US Department of Veterans Affairs.

PubMed

Der-Martirosian, Claudia; Radcliff, Tiffany A; Gable, Alicia R; Riopelle, Deborah; Hagigi, Farhad A; Brewster, Pete; Dobalian, Aram

2017-02-01

Introduction There have been numerous initiatives by government and private organizations to help hospitals become better prepared for major disasters and public health emergencies. This study reports on efforts by the US Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), Veterans Health Administration, Office of Emergency Management's (OEM) Comprehensive Emergency Management Program (CEMP) to assess the readiness of VA Medical Centers (VAMCs) across the nation. Hypothesis/Problem This study conducts descriptive analyses of preparedness assessments of VAMCs and examines change in hospital readiness over time. To assess change, quantitative analyses of data from two phases of preparedness assessments (Phase I: 2008-2010; Phase II: 2011-2013) at 137 VAMCs were conducted using 61 unique capabilities assessed during the two phases. The initial five-point Likert-like scale used to rate each capability was collapsed into a dichotomous variable: "not-developed=0" versus "developed=1." To describe changes in preparedness over time, four new categories were created from the Phase I and Phase II dichotomous variables: (1) rated developed in both phases; (2) rated not-developed in Phase I but rated developed in Phase II; (3) rated not-developed in both phases; and (4) rated developed in Phase I but rated not- developed in Phase II. From a total of 61 unique emergency preparedness capabilities, 33 items achieved the desired outcome - they were rated either "developed in both phases" or "became developed" in Phase II for at least 80% of VAMCs. For 14 items, 70%-80% of VAMCs achieved the desired outcome. The remaining 14 items were identified as "low-performing" capabilities, defined as less than 70% of VAMCs achieved the desired outcome. Measuring emergency management capabilities is a necessary first step to improving those capabilities. Furthermore, assessing hospital readiness over time and creating robust hospital readiness assessment tools can help hospitals make informed decisions regarding allocation of resources to ensure patient safety, provide timely access to high-quality patient care, and identify best practices in emergency management during and after disasters. Moreover, with some minor modifications, this comprehensive, all-hazards-based, hospital preparedness assessment tool could be adapted for use beyond the VA. Der-Martirosian C , Radcliff TA , Gable AR , Riopelle D , Hagigi FA , Brewster P , Dobalian A . Assessing hospital disaster readiness over time at the US Department of Veterans Affairs. Prehsop Disaster Med. 2017;32(1):46-57.

Improvement of Emergency Management Mechanism of Public Health Crisis in Rural China: A Review Article.

PubMed

Hu, Jiaxiang; Chen, Chao; Kuai, Tingting

2018-02-01

With the rapid development of social economy in China, various public health emergencies frequently occur. Such emergencies cause a serious threat to human health and public safety, especially in rural China. Owing to flaws in emergency management mechanism and policy, the government is not capable to effectively deal with public health emergencies. Therefore, this study aimed to discuss the path to improve the emergency management mechanism for public health emergency in rural China. This study was conducted in 2017 to detect the emergency management mechanism of public health crisis (EMMPHC) in Rural China. Data were collected using the following keywords: Rural China, public health emergency, emergency management mechanism, organization mechanism, operation mechanism in the databases of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and CNKI. EMMPHC in rural China can be enhanced from the following three aspects. First, a permanent institution for rural emergency management with public health management function is established. Second, the entire process of emergency management mechanism, including the stages of pre-disaster, disaster, and post-disaster, is improved. Finally, investment in rural public health is increased, and an adequate reserve system for emergency resources is formed. The new path of EMMPHC in rural China can effectively help the local government accomplish the dispatch capability in public health emergency, and it has important research significance for the protection of public health and social stability of residents in rural China.

Immunologically active biomaterials for cancer therapy.

PubMed

Ali, Omar A; Mooney, David J

2011-01-01

Our understanding of immunological regulation has progressed tremendously alongside the development of materials science, and at their intersection emerges the possibility to employ immunologically active biomaterials for cancer immunotherapy. Strong and sustained anticancer, immune responses are required to clear large tumor burdens in patients, but current approaches for immunotherapy are formulated as products for delivery in bolus, which may be indiscriminate and/or shortlived. Multifunctional biomaterial particles are now being developed to target and sustain antigen and adjuvant delivery to dendritic cells in vivo, and these have the potential to direct and prolong antigen-specific T cell responses. Three-dimensional immune cell niches are also being developed to regulate the recruitment, activation and deployment of immune cells in situ to promote potent antitumor responses. Recent studies demonstrate that materials with immune targeting and stimulatory capabilities can enhance the magnitude and duration of immune responses to cancer antigens, and preclinical results utilizing material-based immunotherapy in tumor models show a strong therapeutic benefit, justifying translation to and future testing in the clinic.

The West Africa Disaster Preparedness Initiative: Strengthening National Capacities for All-Hazards Disaster Preparedness.

PubMed

Morton Hamer, Melinda J; Reed, Paul L; Greulich, Jane D; Kelen, Gabor D; Bradstreet, Nicole A; Beadling, Charles W

2017-08-01

The Ebola outbreak demonstrated the need for improved disaster response throughout West Africa. The West Africa Disaster Preparedness Initiative was a training and assessment effort led by US Africa Command and partners to strengthen capacities among 12 West African partner nations (PNs). Series of 3-week training sessions with representatives from each PN were held from 13 July through 20 November 2015 at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre in Accra, Ghana. A team conducted Disaster Management Capabilities Assessments (DMCAs) for each PN, including a review of key data, a survey for leaders, and in-person interviews of key informants. All 12 PNs generated a national Ebola Preparedness and Response Plan and Emergency Operations Center standard operating procedures. DMCA metrics were generated for each PN. Top performers included Ghana, with a plan rated good/excellent, and Benin and Burkina Faso, which both achieved a satisfactory rating for their plans. More than 800 people from 12 nations were trained. PNs have improved disaster management capabilities and awareness of their strengths and weaknesses. The Economic Community of West African States has increased its lead role in this and future planned initiatives. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2017;11:431-438).

Surrogate modeling of joint flood risk across coastal watersheds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bass, Benjamin; Bedient, Philip

2018-03-01

This study discusses the development and performance of a rapid prediction system capable of representing the joint rainfall-runoff and storm surge flood response of tropical cyclones (TCs) for probabilistic risk analysis. Due to the computational demand required for accurately representing storm surge with the high-fidelity ADvanced CIRCulation (ADCIRC) hydrodynamic model and its coupling with additional numerical models to represent rainfall-runoff, a surrogate or statistical model was trained to represent the relationship between hurricane wind- and pressure-field characteristics and their peak joint flood response typically determined from physics based numerical models. This builds upon past studies that have only evaluated surrogate models for predicting peak surge, and provides the first system capable of probabilistically representing joint flood levels from TCs. The utility of this joint flood prediction system is then demonstrated by improving upon probabilistic TC flood risk products, which currently account for storm surge but do not take into account TC associated rainfall-runoff. Results demonstrate the source apportionment of rainfall-runoff versus storm surge and highlight that slight increases in flood risk levels may occur due to the interaction between rainfall-runoff and storm surge as compared to the Federal Emergency Management Association's (FEMAs) current practices.

Assessment of the Temperament, Motivation, and Capability of a School System District for Emergency Management/Crisis Performance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoff, Larry A.

2009-01-01

This study was a cross-sectional study of leadership and staff of a public school system in Georgia concerning their temperament type, emergency management motivation and emergency management knowledge in relation to Emergency Management/Crisis performance (ERCM). The study consisted of an inclusive questionnaire that contains questions on four…

Hydrodynamic synchronization of flagella on the surface of the colonial alga Volvox carteri

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brumley, Douglas; Polin, Marco; Goldstein, Raymond; Pedley, Timothy

2012-11-01

Whether on the surface of unicellular ciliates or in the respiratory epithelium, groups of eukaryotic cilia and flagella are capable of coordinating their beating over large scales. The mechanism responsible for the emergence of these metachronal waves is still unclear, mostly because finding an experimental system in which the beating filaments can be followed individually is challenging. We propose the multicellular green alga Volvox carteri as an ideal model system to study metachronal coordination, and report the existence of robust metachronal waves on its surface. Inspired by flagellar tip trajectories of Volvox somatic cells, we model a flagellum using a sphere of radius a elastically bound to a circular orbit of radius r0, perpendicular to a no-slip plane. This elastohydrodynamic model of weakly-coupled self-sustained oscillators can be recast in terms of interacting phase oscillators, offering an intuitive understanding of the mechanism driving the emergence of coordination. Our results confirm that elasticity is fundamental to guarantee fast and robust synchronization, and that sufficiently compliant trajectories lead to the emergence of metachronal waves in a manner essentially independent of boundary conditions.

Surgeons without borders: a brief history of surgery at Médecins Sans Frontières.

PubMed

Chu, Kathryn; Rosseel, Peter; Trelles, Miguel; Gielis, Pierre

2010-03-01

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is a humanitarian organization that performs emergency and elective surgical services in both conflict and non-conflict settings in over 70 countries. In 2006 MSF surgeons departed on approximately 125 missions, and over 64,000 surgical interventions were carried out in some 20 countries worldwide. Historically, the majority of MSF surgical projects began in response to conflicts or natural disasters. During an emergency response, MSF has resources to set up major operating facilities within 48 h in remote areas. One of MSF strengths is its supply chain. Large pre-packaged surgical kits, veritable "operating theatres to go," can be readied in enormous crates and quickly loaded onto planes. In more stable contexts, MSF has also strengthened the delivery of surgical services within a country's public health system. The MSF surgeon is the generalist in the broadest sense and performs vascular, obstetrical, orthopaedic, and other specialized surgical procedures. The organization aims to provide surgical services only temporarily. When there is a decrease in acute needs a program will be closed, or more importantly, turned over to the Ministry of Health or another non-governmental organization. The long-term solution to alleviating the global burden of surgical disease lies in building up a domestic surgical workforce capable of responding to the major causes of surgery-related morbidity and mortality. However, given that even countries with the resources of the United States suffer from an insufficiency of surgeons, the need for international emergency organizations to provide surgical assistance during acute emergencies will remain for the foreseeable future.

44 CFR 352.26 - Arrangements for Federal response in the licensee offsite emergency response plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Federal response in the licensee offsite emergency response plan. Federal agencies may be called upon to assist the licensee in developing a licensee offsite emergency response plan in areas such as: (a... response in the licensee offsite emergency response plan. 352.26 Section 352.26 Emergency Management and...

44 CFR 352.26 - Arrangements for Federal response in the licensee offsite emergency response plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... Federal response in the licensee offsite emergency response plan. Federal agencies may be called upon to assist the licensee in developing a licensee offsite emergency response plan in areas such as: (a... response in the licensee offsite emergency response plan. 352.26 Section 352.26 Emergency Management and...

44 CFR 352.26 - Arrangements for Federal response in the licensee offsite emergency response plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... Federal response in the licensee offsite emergency response plan. Federal agencies may be called upon to assist the licensee in developing a licensee offsite emergency response plan in areas such as: (a... response in the licensee offsite emergency response plan. 352.26 Section 352.26 Emergency Management and...

44 CFR 352.26 - Arrangements for Federal response in the licensee offsite emergency response plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... Federal response in the licensee offsite emergency response plan. Federal agencies may be called upon to assist the licensee in developing a licensee offsite emergency response plan in areas such as: (a... response in the licensee offsite emergency response plan. 352.26 Section 352.26 Emergency Management and...

Performance characterization of a combined material identification and screening algorithm

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Green, Robert L.; Hargreaves, Michael D.; Gardner, Craig M.

2013-05-01

Portable analytical devices based on a gamut of technologies (Infrared, Raman, X-Ray Fluorescence, Mass Spectrometry, etc.) are now widely available. These tools have seen increasing adoption for field-based assessment by diverse users including military, emergency response, and law enforcement. Frequently, end-users of portable devices are non-scientists who rely on embedded software and the associated algorithms to convert collected data into actionable information. Two classes of problems commonly encountered in field applications are identification and screening. Identification algorithms are designed to scour a library of known materials and determine whether the unknown measurement is consistent with a stored response (or combination of stored responses). Such algorithms can be used to identify a material from many thousands of possible candidates. Screening algorithms evaluate whether at least a subset of features in an unknown measurement correspond to one or more specific substances of interest and are typically configured to detect from a small list potential target analytes. Thus, screening algorithms are much less broadly applicable than identification algorithms; however, they typically provide higher detection rates which makes them attractive for specific applications such as chemical warfare agent or narcotics detection. This paper will present an overview and performance characterization of a combined identification/screening algorithm that has recently been developed. It will be shown that the combined algorithm provides enhanced detection capability more typical of screening algorithms while maintaining a broad identification capability. Additionally, we will highlight how this approach can enable users to incorporate situational awareness during a response.

Short-term emergency response planning and risk assessment via an integrated modeling system for nuclear power plants in complex terrain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Ni-Bin; Weng, Yu-Chi

2013-03-01

Short-term predictions of potential impacts from accidental release of various radionuclides at nuclear power plants are acutely needed, especially after the Fukushima accident in Japan. An integrated modeling system that provides expert services to assess the consequences of accidental or intentional releases of radioactive materials to the atmosphere has received wide attention. These scenarios can be initiated either by accident due to human, software, or mechanical failures, or from intentional acts such as sabotage and radiological dispersal devices. Stringent action might be required just minutes after the occurrence of accidental or intentional release. To fulfill the basic functions of emergency preparedness and response systems, previous studies seldom consider the suitability of air pollutant dispersion models or the connectivity between source term, dispersion, and exposure assessment models in a holistic context for decision support. Therefore, the Gaussian plume and puff models, which are only suitable for illustrating neutral air pollutants in flat terrain conditional to limited meteorological situations, are frequently used to predict the impact from accidental release of industrial sources. In situations with complex terrain or special meteorological conditions, the proposing emergency response actions might be questionable and even intractable to decisionmakers responsible for maintaining public health and environmental quality. This study is a preliminary effort to integrate the source term, dispersion, and exposure assessment models into a Spatial Decision Support System (SDSS) to tackle the complex issues for short-term emergency response planning and risk assessment at nuclear power plants. Through a series model screening procedures, we found that the diagnostic (objective) wind field model with the aid of sufficient on-site meteorological monitoring data was the most applicable model to promptly address the trend of local wind field patterns. However, most of the hazardous materials being released into the environment from nuclear power plants are not neutral pollutants, so the particle and multi-segment puff models can be regarded as the most suitable models to incorporate into the output of the diagnostic wind field model in a modern emergency preparedness and response system. The proposed SDSS illustrates the state-of-the-art system design based on the situation of complex terrain in South Taiwan. This system design of SDSS with 3-dimensional animation capability using a tailored source term model in connection with ArcView® Geographical Information System map layers and remote sensing images is useful for meeting the design goal of nuclear power plants located in complex terrain.

Integrating Emerging Data Sources into Operational Practice : Opportunities for Integration of Emerging Data for Traffic Management and TMCs.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-11-01

With the emergence of data generated from connected vehicles, connected travelers, and connected infrastructure, the capabilities of traffic management systems or centers (TMCs) will need to be improved to allow agencies to compile and benefit from u...

Building a national Infection Intelligence Platform to improve antimicrobial stewardship and drive better patient outcomes: the Scottish experience.

PubMed

Bennie, Marion; Malcolm, William; Marwick, Charis A; Kavanagh, Kimberley; Sneddon, Jean; Nathwani, Dilip

2017-10-01

The better use of new and emerging data streams to understand the epidemiology of infectious disease and to inform and evaluate antimicrobial stewardship improvement programmes is paramount in the global fight against antimicrobial resistance. To create a national informatics platform that synergizes the wealth of disjointed, infection-related health data, building an intelligence capability that allows rapid enquiry, generation of new knowledge and feedback to clinicians and policy makers. A multi-stakeholder community, led by the Scottish Antimicrobial Prescribing Group, secured government funding to deliver a national programme of work centred on three key aspects: (i) technical platform development with record linkage capability across multiple datasets; (ii) a proportionate governance approach to enhance responsiveness; and (iii) generation of new evidence to guide clinical practice. The National Health Service Scotland Infection Intelligence Platform (IIP) is now hosted within the national health data repository to assure resilience and sustainability. New technical solutions include simplified 'data views' of complex, linked datasets and embedded statistical programs to enhance capability. These developments have enabled responsiveness, flexibility and robustness in conducting population-based studies including a focus on intended and unintended effects of antimicrobial stewardship interventions and quantification of infection risk factors and clinical outcomes. We have completed the build and test phase of IIP, overcoming the technical and governance challenges, and produced new capability in infection informatics, generating new evidence for improved clinical practice. This provides a foundation for expansion and opportunity for global collaborations. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the British Society for Antimicrobial Chemotherapy. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

[First-aid in France. Current situation and future perspectives].

PubMed

Larcan, Alain; Julien, Henri

2010-06-01

First-aid--treatment aimed at enabling a victim to survive pending the arrival of qualified medical support--is less well developed in France than in many other industrialized countries, especially among the general public. The current status of first-aid in France is paradoxical: schooling is free and obligatory, the ambulance service and emergency services are of the highest quality, but the general public are too often passive and unknowledgeable when faced with an emergency situation. This situation is due to several factors, including the complexity of first-aid training and regulations, the involvement of too many public bodies, the legal liability of the first-aider, and a lack of ongoing training. The French National Academy of Medicine recommends 8 measures to improve this situation: Provide a legal definition of first-aid: "a set of recognized measures aimed, in an emergency setting, at preserving the physical and psychological integrity of the victim of an accident or illness, notably pending the arrival of professional medical assistance". Waive, as in many other countries, civil and legal responsibility for the non professional first-aider, except in case of clear negligence. Reinforce the organization of first-aid in France in order to monitor the number and quality of first-aiders, and to ensure theoretical and pedagogic research; create a communications department capable of supporting and promoting first-aid. Improve access to first-aid training by increasing the number of situations in which it is obligatory (driving tuition, school and university examinations, group responsibility, at-risk practices), by providing financial assistance for certain groups, and by ensuring routine training at school, in the armed forces, and in the workplace. Create a progressive and integrated citizen first-aid training course with individual modules, ensuring that first-aiders update and perfect their knowledge throughout life. Soften pedagogic rules and shorten the training period in order to make volunteer first- aiding more accessible, notably by employing the latest teaching methods. Authorize professional first-aiders to use monitoring equipment, airway clearance techniques, and certain emergency medications. Finally, give first-aid a European dimension, underline the need for prevention, and reinforce and develop the ethical side of first-aiding. First-aid provides access to citizenship and altruism, is the first link in the chain of emergency medical assistance capable of saving lives, and is crucial for civil security As such, it is a national cause and must be strongly supported by the political and administrative authorities.

Transformational Spaceport and Range Capabilities Roadmap Interim Review to National Research Council External Review Panel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Poniatowski, Karen

2005-01-01

Contents include the following: Overview/Introduction. Roadmap Approach/Considerations. Roadmap Timeline/Spirals. Requirements Development. Spaceport/Range Capabilities. Mixed Range Architecture. User Requirements/Customer Considerations. Manifest Considerations. Emerging Launch User Requirements. Capability Breakdown Structure/Assessment. Roadmap Team Observations. Transformational Range Test Concept. Roadmap Team Conclusions. Next Steps.

Emergency Preparedness and Management at the University of L’aquila (Central Italy) and the Role of Students’ Associations in the April 6th 2009 Earthquake

PubMed Central

Magni, Michele; Fraboni, Rita; Marincioni, Fausto

2017-01-01

Introduction: On April 6th 2009 an earthquake of Mw=6.3 hit the historical downtown of L’Aquila and its hinterland causing more than 300 fatalities and severe damage to private and public buildings. At the time, the University of L’Aquila represented a major source of employment and income for the city. The earthquake impacted both the facilities and the administrative, financial and patrimonial activities of the university, bringing into the open the tendency – widespread in Italy – to rely on adaptive tactics rather than on strategic pre-disaster plans. This paper investigates the university’s emergency preparedness and response capability and  the strategies adopted to restore the education activities as well as avoid students migration to other universities. In addition, emphasis is placed on the role played by Student Associations in pre and post-disaster phases, and how students perceived the activities performed by these associations. Methods: To achieve this goal, it was undertaken: i) qualitative evaluation to assess the impact of earthquake on services and facilities of the university, the emergency preparedness and the measures adopted to face the emergency, ii) survey on the role played by Student Associations, both in emergency preparedness and response, according to students’ perception; iii) quantitative analysis to measure changes in the enrollment trend after the earthquake, and how university policies could curb students’ migration. Results: The policies adopted by the University allowed to diminish students’ migration; however, the measures taken by the university were based on an ad hoc plan as no emergency and continuity plans were prepared in advance. Similarly Student Associations got involved more in restoration activities than in emergency preparedness and risk awareness promotion. Discussion: Greater awareness and involvement are essential at each level (administrators, faculties, students) to plan in advance for an adverse scenario and to make important steps forward in understanding and embracing a culture of safety. The present paper is starting point for future research to deepen the emergency preparedness of Universities and the role that Student Associations may play to support and spread such a culture of safety. PMID:28228972

75 FR 9916 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request, OMB No...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-03-04

... sustaining all-hazards emergency management capabilities. The EMPG Work Plan narrative must demonstrate how proposed projects address gaps, deficiencies, and capabilities in current programs and the ability to...

76 FR 70721 - Voltage Coordination on High Voltage Grids; Notice of Staff Workshop

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-15

... and the capability of existing and emerging software to improve coordination and optimization of transfer capability across the Bulk-Power System from a reliability and economic perspective. The agenda...

Utilization of Local Law Enforcement Aerial Resources in Consequence Management (CM) Response

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

Wasiolek, Piotr T.; Malchow, Russell L.

2013-03-12

During the past decade the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was instrumental in enhancing the nation’s ability to detect and prevent a radiological or nuclear attack in the highest risk cities. Under the DHS Securing the Cities initiative, nearly 13,000 personnel in the New York City region have been trained in preventive radiological and nuclear detection operations, and nearly 8,500 pieces of radiological detection equipment have been funded. As part of the preventive radiological/nuclear detection (PRND) mission, several cities have received funding to purchase commercial aerial radiation detection systems. In 2008, the U.S. Department of Energy, National Nuclear Securitymore » Administration Aerial Measuring System (AMS) program started providing Mobile Aerial Radiological Surveillance (MARS) training to such assets, resulting in over 150 HAZMAT teams’ officers and pilots from 10 law enforcement organizations and fire departments being trained in the aerial radiation detection. From the beginning, the MARS training course covered both the PRND and consequence management (CM) missions. Even if the law enforcement main focus is PRND, their aerial assets can be utilized in the collection of initial radiation data for post-event radiological CM response. Based on over 50 years of AMS operational experience and information collected during MARS training, this presentation will focus on the concepts of CM response using aerial assets as well as utilizing law enforcement/fire department aerial assets in CM. Also discussed will be the need for establishing closer relationships between local jurisdictions’ aerial radiation detection capabilities and state and local radiation control program directors, radiological health department managers, etc. During radiological events these individuals may become primary experts/advisers to Incident Commanders for radiological emergency response, especially in the early stages of a response. The knowledge of the existence, specific capabilities, and use of local aerial radiation detection systems would be critical in planning the response, even before federal assets arrive on the scene. The relationship between local and federal aerial assets and the potential role for the further use of the MARS training and expanded AMS Reachback capabilities in facilitating such interactions will be discussed.« less

Rewiring the Brain: Potential Role of the Premotor Cortex in Motor Control, Learning, and Recovery of Function Following Brain Injury

PubMed Central

Kantak, Shailesh S.; Stinear, James W.; Buch, Ethan R.; Cohen, Leonardo G.

2016-01-01

The brain is a plastic organ with a capability to reorganize in response to behavior and/or injury. Following injury to the motor cortex or emergent corticospinal pathways, recovery of function depends on the capacity of surviving anatomical resources to recover and repair in response to task-specific training. One such area implicated in poststroke reorganization to promote recovery of upper extremity recovery is the premotor cortex (PMC). This study reviews the role of distinct subdivisions of PMC: dorsal (PMd) and ventral (PMv) premotor cortices as critical anatomical and physiological nodes within the neural networks for the control and learning of goal-oriented reach and grasp actions in healthy individuals and individuals with stroke. Based on evidence emerging from studies of intrinsic and extrinsic connectivity, transcranial magnetic stimulation, functional neuroimaging, and experimental studies in animals and humans, the authors propose 2 distinct patterns of reorganization that differentially engage ipsilesional and contralesional PMC. Research directions that may offer further insights into the role of PMC in motor control, learning, and poststroke recovery are also proposed. This research may facilitate neuroplasticity for maximal recovery of function following brain injury. PMID:21926382

The Relevance and Future of Joint Logistics Over the Shore (JLOTS) Operations

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-04-01

whether commercial or emerging technology, to ensure viable capability as older platforms and capability reach their economical useful life. 15...ensure viable capability as older platforms and capability reach their economical useful life. ii TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION...and in the Falklands, of course, out of the question.19 Therefore, when the military junta of Argentina invaded the Falklands on 2 April 1982

Improvement of Emergency Management Mechanism of Public Health Crisis in Rural China: A Review Article

PubMed Central

HU, Jiaxiang; CHEN, Chao; KUAI, Tingting

2018-01-01

Background: With the rapid development of social economy in China, various public health emergencies frequently occur. Such emergencies cause a serious threat to human health and public safety, especially in rural China. Owing to flaws in emergency management mechanism and policy, the government is not capable to effectively deal with public health emergencies. Therefore, this study aimed to discuss the path to improve the emergency management mechanism for public health emergency in rural China. Methods: This study was conducted in 2017 to detect the emergency management mechanism of public health crisis (EMMPHC) in Rural China. Data were collected using the following keywords: Rural China, public health emergency, emergency management mechanism, organization mechanism, operation mechanism in the databases of PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and CNKI. Results: EMMPHC in rural China can be enhanced from the following three aspects. First, a permanent institution for rural emergency management with public health management function is established. Second, the entire process of emergency management mechanism, including the stages of pre-disaster, disaster, and post-disaster, is improved. Finally, investment in rural public health is increased, and an adequate reserve system for emergency resources is formed. Conclusion: The new path of EMMPHC in rural China can effectively help the local government accomplish the dispatch capability in public health emergency, and it has important research significance for the protection of public health and social stability of residents in rural China. PMID:29445625

Engineering responsive supramolecular biomaterials: Toward smart therapeutics.

PubMed

Webber, Matthew J

2016-09-01

Engineering materials using supramolecular principles enables generalizable and modular platforms that have tunable chemical, mechanical, and biological properties. Applying this bottom-up, molecular engineering-based approach to therapeutic design affords unmatched control of emergent properties and functionalities. In preparing responsive materials for biomedical applications, the dynamic character of typical supramolecular interactions facilitates systems that can more rapidly sense and respond to specific stimuli through a fundamental change in material properties or characteristics, as compared to cases where covalent bonds must be overcome. Several supramolecular motifs have been evaluated toward the preparation of "smart" materials capable of sensing and responding to stimuli. Triggers of interest in designing materials for therapeutic use include applied external fields, environmental changes, biological actuators, applied mechanical loading, and modulation of relative binding affinities. In addition, multistimuli-responsive routes can be realized that capture combinations of triggers for increased functionality. In sum, supramolecular engineering offers a highly functional strategy to prepare responsive materials. Future development and refinement of these approaches will improve precision in material formation and responsiveness, seek dynamic reciprocity in interactions with living biological systems, and improve spatiotemporal sensing of disease for better therapeutic deployment.

An Audit of Emergency Department Accreditation Based on Joint Commission International Standards (JCI).

PubMed

Hashemi, Behrooz; Motamedi, Maryam; Etemad, Mania; Rahmati, Farhad; Forouzanfar, Mohammad Mehdi; Kaghazchi, Fatemeh

2014-01-01

Despite thousands of years from creation of medical knowledge, it not much passes from founding the health care systems. Accreditation is an effective mechanism for performance evaluation, quality enhancement, and the safety of health care systems. This study was conducted to assess the results of emergency department (ED) accreditation in Shohadaye Tajrish Hospital, Tehran, Iran, 2013 in terms of domesticated standards of joint commission international (JCI) standards. This cohort study with a four-month follow up was conducted in the ED of Shohadaye Tajrish Hospital in 2013. The standard evaluation checklist of Iran hospitals (based on JCI standards) included 24 heading and 337 subheading was used for this purpose. The effective possible causes of weak spots were found and their solutions considered. After correction, assessment of accreditation were repeated again. Finally, the achieved results of two periods were analyzed using SPSS version 20. Quality improvement, admission in department and patient assessment, competency and capability test for staffs, collection and analysis of data, training of patients, and facilities had the score of below 50%. The mean of total score for accreditation in ED in the first period was 60.4±30.15 percent and in the second period 68.9±22.9 (p=0.005). Strategic plans, head of department, head nurse, resident physician, responsible nurse for the shift, and personnel file achieved the score of 100%. Of total headings below 50% in the first period just in two cases, collection and analysis of data with growth of 40% as well as competency and capability test for staffs with growth of 17%, were reached to more than 50%. Based on findings of the present study, the ED of Shohadaye Tajrish hospital reached the score of below 50% in six heading of quality improvement, admission in department and patient assessment, competency and capability test for staffs, collection and analysis of data, training of patients, and facilities. While, the given score in strategic plans, head of department, head nurse, resident physician, responsible nurse for the shifts, and personnel file was 100%.

Benefits and Challenges of Architecture Frameworks

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-06-01

systems and identify emerging and obsolete standards. • The NATO Capability View ( NCV ) serves the analysis and optimization of military ca- pabilities... NCVs show the dependencies between different capabilities and allow detecting gaps and overlaps of capabilities. NCVs deliver indirectly requirements...Email (possibly with vendor-specific extensions/modifications) • Proprietary, and possibly not well-documented, message formats • Web services

Towards a Capability-Based Theory of Social Justice for Education Policy-Making

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Melanie

2006-01-01

Increasingly there is interest in development studies and specifically in the field of education in taking up Amartya Sen's capability approach as a framework for theorizing, implementing and evaluating education policy as a matter of social justice. This paper sets out to contribute to the emerging debate and to show how the capability approach…

Enzyme Sequestration as a Tuning Point in Controlling Response Dynamics of Signalling Networks

PubMed Central

Ollivier, Julien F.; Soyer, Orkun S.

2016-01-01

Signalling networks result from combinatorial interactions among many enzymes and scaffolding proteins. These complex systems generate response dynamics that are often essential for correct decision-making in cells. Uncovering biochemical design principles that underpin such response dynamics is a prerequisite to understand evolved signalling networks and to design synthetic ones. Here, we use in silico evolution to explore the possible biochemical design space for signalling networks displaying ultrasensitive and adaptive response dynamics. By running evolutionary simulations mimicking different biochemical scenarios, we find that enzyme sequestration emerges as a key mechanism for enabling such dynamics. Inspired by these findings, and to test the role of sequestration, we design a generic, minimalist model of a signalling cycle, featuring two enzymes and a single scaffolding protein. We show that this simple system is capable of displaying both ultrasensitive and adaptive response dynamics. Furthermore, we find that tuning the concentration or kinetics of the sequestering protein can shift system dynamics between these two response types. These empirical results suggest that enzyme sequestration through scaffolding proteins is exploited by evolution to generate diverse response dynamics in signalling networks and could provide an engineering point in synthetic biology applications. PMID:27163612

Smart repeater system for communications interoperability during multiagency law enforcement operations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crutcher, Richard I.; Jones, R. W.; Moore, Michael R.; Smith, S. F.; Tolley, Alan L.; Rochelle, Robert W.

1997-02-01

A prototype 'smart' repeater that provides interoperability capabilities for radio communication systems in multi-agency and multi-user scenarios is being developed by the Oak Ridge National Laboratory. The smart repeater functions as a deployable communications platform that can be dynamically reconfigured to cross-link the radios of participating federal, state, and local government agencies. This interconnection capability improves the coordination and execution of multi-agency operations, including coordinated law enforcement activities and general emergency or disaster response scenarios. The repeater provides multiple channels of operation in the 30-50, 118-136, 138-174, and 403-512 MHz land mobile communications and aircraft bands while providing the ability to cross-connect among multiple frequencies, bands, modulation types, and encryption formats. Additionally, two telephone interconnects provide links to the fixed and cellular telephone networks. The 800- and 900-MHz bands are not supported by the prototype, but the modular design of the system accommodates future retrofits to extend frequency capabilities with minimal impact to the system. Configuration of the repeater is through a portable personal computer with a Windows-based graphical interface control screen that provides dynamic reconfiguration of network interconnections and formats.

NASA/FAA general aviation crash dynamics program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thomson, R. G.; Hayduk, R. J.; Carden, H. D.

1981-01-01

The program involves controlled full scale crash testing, nonlinear structural analyses to predict large deflection elastoplastic response, and load attenuating concepts for use in improved seat and subfloor structure. Both analytical and experimental methods are used to develop expertise in these areas. Analyses include simplified procedures for estimating energy dissipating capabilities and comprehensive computerized procedures for predicting airframe response. These analyses are developed to provide designers with methods for predicting accelerations, loads, and displacements on collapsing structure. Tests on typical full scale aircraft and on full and subscale structural components are performed to verify the analyses and to demonstrate load attenuating concepts. A special apparatus was built to test emergency locator transmitters when attached to representative aircraft structure. The apparatus is shown to provide a good simulation of the longitudinal crash pulse observed in full scale aircraft crash tests.

Pathogenic psychrotolerant sporeformers: an emerging challenge for low-temperature storage of minimally processed foods.

PubMed

Markland, Sarah M; Farkas, Daniel F; Kniel, Kalmia E; Hoover, Dallas G

2013-05-01

Sporeforming bacteria are a significant problem in the food industry as they are ubiquitous in nature and capable of resisting inactivation by heat and chemical treatments designed to inactivate them. Beyond spoilage issues, psychrotolerant sporeformers are becoming increasingly recognized as a potential hazard given the ever-expanding demand for refrigerated processed foods with extended shelf-life. In these products, the sporeforming pathogens of concern are Bacillus cereus, Bacillus weihenstephanensis, and Clostridium botulinum type E. This review article examines the foods, conditions, and organisms responsible for the food safety issue caused by the germination and outgrowth of psychrotolerant sporeforming pathogens in minimally processed refrigerated foods.

Photonic hydrogel sensors.

PubMed

Yetisen, Ali K; Butt, Haider; Volpatti, Lisa R; Pavlichenko, Ida; Humar, Matjaž; Kwok, Sheldon J J; Koo, Heebeom; Kim, Ki Su; Naydenova, Izabela; Khademhosseini, Ali; Hahn, Sei Kwang; Yun, Seok Hyun

2016-01-01

Analyte-sensitive hydrogels that incorporate optical structures have emerged as sensing platforms for point-of-care diagnostics. The optical properties of the hydrogel sensors can be rationally designed and fabricated through self-assembly, microfabrication or laser writing. The advantages of photonic hydrogel sensors over conventional assay formats include label-free, quantitative, reusable, and continuous measurement capability that can be integrated with equipment-free text or image display. This Review explains the operation principles of photonic hydrogel sensors, presents syntheses of stimuli-responsive polymers, and provides an overview of qualitative and quantitative readout technologies. Applications in clinical samples are discussed, and potential future directions are identified. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The emergence of the nanobiotechnology industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Maine, Elicia; Thomas, V. J.; Bliemel, Martin; Murira, Armstrong; Utterback, James

2014-01-01

The confluence of nanotechnology and biotechnology provides significant commercial opportunities. By identifying, classifying and tracking firms with capabilities in both biotechnology and nanotechnology over time, we analyse the emergence and evolution of the global nanobiotechnology industry.

A study of satellite emergency locator systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1977-01-01

Satellite emergency locator systems were studied. The objective of the study was to determine the feasibility and hardware requirements for satellite systems capable of identifying and locating the position emergency locator transmitters and emergency position indicating radio beacons. Both geosynchronous and near-polar-orbiting satellites were considered. One of the most important aspects of the study was to minimize the cost of the hardware required.

Simulation for Operational Readiness in a New Freestanding Emergency Department

PubMed Central

Kerner, Robert L.; Gallo, Kathleen; Cassara, Michael; D'Angelo, John; Egan, Anthony; Simmons, John Galbraith

2016-01-01

Summary Statement Simulation in multiple contexts over the course of a 10-week period served as a core learning strategy to orient experienced clinicians before opening a large new urban freestanding emergency department. To ensure technical and procedural skills of all team members, who would provide care without on-site recourse to specialty backup, we designed a comprehensive interprofessional curriculum to verify and regularize a wide range of competencies and best practices for all clinicians. Formulated under the rubric of systems integration, simulation activities aimed to instill a shared culture of patient safety among the entire cohort of 43 experienced emergency physicians, physician assistants, nurses, and patient technicians, most newly hired to the health system, who had never before worked together. Methods throughout the preoperational term included predominantly hands-on skills review, high-fidelity simulation, and simulation with standardized patients. We also used simulation during instruction in disaster preparedness, sexual assault forensics, and community outreach. Our program culminated with 2 days of in-situ simulation deployed in simultaneous and overlapping timeframes to challenge system response capabilities, resilience, and flexibility; this work revealed latent safety threats, lapses in communication, issues of intake procedure and patient flow, and the persistence of inapt or inapplicable mental models in responding to clinical emergencies. PMID:27607095

Reviewing the History of Pandemic Influenza: Understanding Patterns of Emergence and Transmission

PubMed Central

Saunders-Hastings, Patrick R.; Krewski, Daniel

2016-01-01

For centuries, novel strains of influenza have emerged to produce human pandemics, causing widespread illness, death, and disruption. There have been four influenza pandemics in the past hundred years. During this time, globalization processes, alongside advances in medicine and epidemiology, have altered the way these pandemics are experienced. Drawing on international case studies, this paper provides a review of the impact of past influenza pandemics, while examining the evolution of our understanding of, and response to, these viruses. This review argues that pandemic influenza is in part a consequence of human development, and highlights the importance of considering outbreaks within the context of shifting global landscapes. While progress in infectious disease prevention, control, and treatment has improved our ability to respond to such outbreaks, globalization processes relating to human behaviour, demographics, and mobility have increased the threat of pandemic emergence and accelerated global disease transmission. Preparedness planning must continue to evolve to keep pace with this heightened risk. Herein, we look to the past for insights on the pandemic experience, underlining both progress and persisting challenges. However, given the uncertain timing and severity of future pandemics, we emphasize the need for flexible policies capable of responding to change as such emergencies develop. PMID:27929449

The View from the Trenches Part 1: Emergency Medical Response Plans and the Need for EPR Screening

PubMed Central

Gougelet, Robert M.; Rea, Michael E.; Nicolalde, Roberto J.; Geiling, James A.; Swartz, Harold M.

2014-01-01

Few natural disasters or intentional acts of war or terrorism have the potential for such severe impact upon a population and infrastructure as the intentional detonation of a nuclear device within a major U.S. city. In stark contrast to other disasters or even a “dirty bomb,” hundreds of thousands will be affected and potentially exposed to a clinically significant dose of ionizing radiation. This will result in immediate deaths and injuries and subsequently the development of Acute Radiation Syndrome (ARS). Additionally, millions more who are unlikely to develop ARS will seek medical evaluation and treatment, overwhelming the capacity of an already compromised medical system. In this paper, we propose that in vivo electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) dosimetry be utilized to screen large numbers of potentially exposed victims, and that this screening process be incorporated into the medical-surge framework that is currently being implemented across the nation for other catastrophic public health emergencies. The National Incident Management System (NIMS), the National Response Framework (NRF), the Target Capabilities list (TCL), Homeland Security Presidential Directives (HSPD), as well as additional guidance from multiple federal agencies provides a solid framework for this response. The effective screening of potentially exposed victims directly following a nuclear attack could potentially decrease the number of patients seeking immediate medical care by greater than 90%. PMID:20065673

Merging Marine Ecosystem Models and Genomics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coles, V.; Hood, R. R.; Stukel, M. R.; Moran, M. A.; Paul, J. H.; Satinsky, B.; Zielinski, B.; Yager, P. L.

2015-12-01

oceanography. One of the grand challenges of oceanography is to develop model techniques to more effectively incorporate genomic information. As one approach, we developed an ecosystem model whose community is determined by randomly assigning functional genes to build each organism's "DNA". Microbes are assigned a size that sets their baseline environmental responses using allometric response cuves. These responses are modified by the costs and benefits conferred by each gene in an organism's genome. The microbes are embedded in a general circulation model where environmental conditions shape the emergent population. This model is used to explore whether organisms constructed from randomized combinations of metabolic capability alone can self-organize to create realistic oceanic biogeochemical gradients. Realistic community size spectra and chlorophyll-a concentrations emerge in the model. The model is run repeatedly with randomly-generated microbial communities and each time realistic gradients in community size spectra, chlorophyll-a, and forms of nitrogen develop. This supports the hypothesis that the metabolic potential of a community rather than the realized species composition is the primary factor setting vertical and horizontal environmental gradients. Vertical distributions of nitrogen and transcripts for genes involved in nitrification are broadly consistent with observations. Modeled gene and transcript abundance for nitrogen cycling and processing of land-derived organic material match observations along the extreme gradients in the Amazon River plume, and they help to explain the factors controlling observed variability.

Lightweight autonomous chemical identification system (LACIS)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lozos, George; Lin, Hai; Burch, Timothy

2012-06-01

Smiths Detection and Intelligent Optical Systems have developed prototypes for the Lightweight Autonomous Chemical Identification System (LACIS) for the US Department of Homeland Security. LACIS is to be a handheld detection system for Chemical Warfare Agents (CWAs) and Toxic Industrial Chemicals (TICs). LACIS is designed to have a low limit of detection and rapid response time for use by emergency responders and could allow determination of areas having dangerous concentration levels and if protective garments will be required. Procedures for protection of responders from hazardous materials incidents require the use of protective equipment until such time as the hazard can be assessed. Such accurate analysis can accelerate operations and increase effectiveness. LACIS is to be an improved point detector employing novel CBRNE detection modalities that includes a militaryproven ruggedized ion mobility spectrometer (IMS) with an array of electro-resistive sensors to extend the range of chemical threats detected in a single device. It uses a novel sensor data fusion and threat classification architecture to interpret the independent sensor responses and provide robust detection at low levels in complex backgrounds with minimal false alarms. The performance of LACIS prototypes have been characterized in independent third party laboratory tests at the Battelle Memorial Institute (BMI, Columbus, OH) and indoor and outdoor field tests at the Nevada National Security Site (NNSS). LACIS prototypes will be entering operational assessment by key government emergency response groups to determine its capabilities versus requirements.

Community Assessment Tool for Public Health Emergencies Including Pandemic Influenza

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

ORAU's Oak Ridge Institute for Science Education

The Community Assessment Tool (CAT) for Public Health Emergencies Including Pandemic Influenza (hereafter referred to as the CAT) was developed as a result of feedback received from several communities. These communities participated in workshops focused on influenza pandemic planning and response. The 2008 through 2011 workshops were sponsored by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Feedback during those workshops indicated the need for a tool that a community can use to assess its readiness for a disaster - readiness from a total healthcare perspective, not just hospitals, but the whole healthcare system. The CAT intends to do justmore » that - help strengthen existing preparedness plans by allowing the healthcare system and other agencies to work together during an influenza pandemic. It helps reveal each core agency partners (sectors) capabilities and resources, and highlights cases of the same vendors being used for resource supplies (e.g., personal protective equipment [PPE] and oxygen) by the partners (e.g., public health departments, clinics, or hospitals). The CAT also addresses gaps in the community's capabilities or potential shortages in resources. This tool has been reviewed by a variety of key subject matter experts from federal, state, and local agencies and organizations. It also has been piloted with various communities that consist of different population sizes, to include large urban to small rural communities.« less

Multiplexed detection of serological cancer markers with plasmon-enhanced Raman spectro-immunoassay.

PubMed

Li, Ming; Kang, Jeon Woong; Sukumar, Saraswati; Dasari, Ramachandra Rao; Barman, Ishan

2015-07-01

Circulating biomarkers have emerged as promising non-invasive, real-time surrogates for cancer diagnosis, prognostication and monitoring of therapeutic response. Emerging data, however, suggest that single markers are inadequate in describing complex pathologic transformations. Architecting assays capable of parallel measurements of multiple biomarkers can help achieve the desired clinical sensitivity and specificity while conserving patient specimen and reducing turn-around time. Here we describe a plasmon-enhanced Raman spectroscopic assay featuring nanostructured biomolecular probes and spectroscopic imaging for multiplexed detection of disseminated breast cancer markers cancer antigen (CA) 15-3, CA 27-29 and cancer embryonic antigen (CEA). In the developed SERS assay, both the assay chip and surface-enhanced Raman spectroscopy (SERS) tags are functionalized with monoclonal antibodies against CA15-3, CA27-29 and CEA, respectively. Sequential addition of biomarkers and functionalized SERS tags onto the functionalized assay chip enable the specific recognition of these biomarkers through the antibody-antigen interactions, leading to a sandwich spectro-immunoassay. In addition to offering extensive multiplexing capability, our method provides higher sensitivity than conventional immunoassays and demonstrates exquisite specificity owing to selective formation of conjugated complexes and fingerprint spectra of the Raman reporter. We envision that clinical translation of this assay may further enable asymptomatic surveillance of cancer survivors and speedy assessment of treatment benefit through a simple blood test.

Lessons learned from an emergency release of a post-fire debris-flow hazard assessment for the 2009 Station fire, San Gabriel Mountains, southern California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cannon, S. H.; Perry, S. C.; Staley, D. M.

2010-12-01

The 2009 Station fire burned through portions of the steep, rugged terrain of the San Gabriel Mountains in southern California with a known history of producing large magnitude debris flows following fires. In response to the emergency, the U.S. Geological Survey released an assessment of debris-flow hazards as maps showing estimates of the probability and volume of debris-flow production from 678 burned drainage basins, and the areas that may be inundated by debris flows. The assessment was based on statistical-empirical models developed from post-fire hydrologic-response monitoring data throughout southern California steeplands. The intent of the assessment was to provide state-of-the-art information about potential debris-flow impacts to the public, and quantitative data critical for mitigation, resource-deployment and evacuation decisions by land-management, city and county public-works and flood-control, and emergency-response agencies. Here, we describe a research scientist perspective of the hits and misses associated with the release of this information. Release of the assessment was accompanied by an extensive multi-agency public information campaign. Hazards information was provided to the media and presented at numerous well-attended public meetings organized by local politicians, homeowner and religious associations, city councils, and a multi-agency response team. Meetings targeted to specific ethnic and religious groups resulted in increased attendance by members of these groups. Even with the extensive information campaign, the public response to both mandatory and voluntary evacuation orders was low, and decreased with each sequential winter storm. Interviews with local residents indicated that the low compliance could be attributed to: 1) a lack of a personal understanding of just how dangerous and destructive debris flows can be, 2) inconsistent messaging from different agencies regarding potential magnitudes of a debris-flow response, 3) a poor understanding of the uncertainties inherent to both weather and debris-flow predictions, and 4) a desire to protect personal property. Communication on a one-to-one basis throughout the storm season was necessary to avoid this last, all-too-human tendency. These observations also indicate that effective evacuations in response to debris-flow hazards require an increased awareness of the potential magnitudes and impacts by all parties involved, and this awareness must be established well in advance of any emergency. Most public-response agencies were receptive and appreciative of the information provided, although some were not. The information included in the hazard assessment was used as intended by numerous agencies, and many requested the GIS shapefiles so they would have the capability to generate maps for specific areas of responsibility. However, not every agency had the flexibility to adopt new information during the crisis. A state of emergency is not a good time to advocate for acceptance of new approaches or techniques.

The Tanzanian trauma patients' prehospital experience: a qualitative interview-based study

PubMed Central

Kuzma, Kristin; Lim, Andrew George; Kepha, Bernard; Nalitolela, Neema Evelyne; Reynolds, Teri A

2015-01-01

Objectives We sought to characterise the prehospital experience of Tanzanian trauma patients, and identify barriers and facilitators to implement community-based emergency medical systems (EMS). Settings Our study was conducted in the emergency department of an urban national referral hospital in Tanzania. Participants A convenience sample of 34 adult trauma patients, or surrogate family members, presenting or referred to an urban referral emergency department in Tanzania for treatment of injury, participated in the study. Interventions Participation in semistructured, iteratively developed interviews until saturation of responses was reached. Outcomes A grounded theory-based approach to qualitative analysis was used to identify recurrent themes. Results We characterised numerous deficiencies within the existing clinic-to-hospital referral network, including missed/delayed diagnoses, limited management capabilities at pre-referral facilities and interfacility transfer delays. Potential barriers to EMS implementation include patient financial limitations and lack of insurance, limited public infrastructure and resources, and the credibility of potential first aid responders. Potential facilitators of EMS include communities’ tendency to pool resources, individuals’ trust of other community members to be first aid responders, and faith in community leaders to organise EMS response. Participants expressed a strong desire to learn first aid. Conclusions The composite themes generated by the data suggest that there are myriad structural, financial, institutional and cultural barriers to the implementation of a formal prehospital system. However, our analysis also revealed potential facilitators to a first-responder system that takes advantage of close-knit local communities and the trust of recognised leaders in society. The results suggest favourable acceptability for community-based response by trained lay people. There is significant opportunity for care improvements with short trainings and low-cost supply planning. Further research looking at the effects of delay on outcomes in this population is needed. PMID:25916487

Towards an Integrated Flood Preparedness and Response: Centralized Data Access, Analysis, and Visualization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Demir, I.; Krajewski, W. F.

2014-12-01

Recent advances in internet and cyberinfrastucture technologies have provided the capability to understand the hydrological and meteorological systems at space and time scales that are critical for making accurate understanding and prediction of flooding, and emergency preparedness. A novel example of a cyberinfrastructure platform for flood preparedness and response is the Iowa Flood Center's Iowa Flood Information System (IFIS). IFIS is a one-stop web-platform to access community-based flood conditions, forecasts, visualizations, inundation maps and flood-related data, information, and applications. An enormous volume of real-time observational data from a variety of sensors and remote sensing resources (radars, rain gauges, stream sensors, etc.) and complex flood inundation models are staged on a user-friendly maps environment that is accessible to the general public. IFIS has developed into a very successful tool used by agencies, decision-makers, and the general public throughout Iowa to better understand their local watershed and their personal and community flood risk, and to monitor local stream and river levels. IFIS helps communities make better-informed decisions on the occurrence of floods, and alerts communities in advance to help minimize flood damages. IFIS is widely used by general public in Iowa and the Midwest region with over 120,000 unique users, and became main source of information for many newspapers and TV stations in Iowa. IFIS has features for general public to improve emergency preparedness, and for decision makers to support emergency response and recovery efforts. IFIS is also a great platform for educators and local authorities to educate students and public on flooding with games, easy to use interactive environment, and data rich system.

Establishing Recommendations for Stroke Systems in the Thrombectomy Era: The Upstate New York Stakeholder Proceedings.

PubMed

Magdon-Ismail, Zainab; Benesch, Curtis; Cushman, Jeremy T; Brissette, Ian; Southerland, Andrew M; Brandler, Ethan S; Sozener, Cemal B; Flor, Sue; Hemmitt, Roseanne; Wales, Kathleen; Parrigan, Krystal; Levine, Steven R

2017-07-01

The American Heart Association/American Stroke Association and Department of Health Stroke Coverdell Program convened a stakeholder meeting in upstate NY to develop recommendations to enhance stroke systems for acute large vessel occlusion. Prehospital, hospital, and Department of Health leadership were invited (n=157). Participants provided goals/concerns and developed recommendations for prehospital triage and interfacility transport, rating each using a 3-level impact (A [high], B, and C [low]) and implementation feasibility (1 [high], 2, and 3 [low]) scale. Six weeks later, participants finalized recommendations. Seventy-one stakeholders (45% of invitees) attended. Six themes around goals/concerns emerged: (1) emergency medical services capacity, (2) validated prehospital screening tools, (3) facility capability, (4) triage/transport guidelines, (5) data capture/feedback tools, and (6) facility competition. In response, high-impact (level A) prehospital recommendations, stratified by implementation feasibility, were (1) use of online medical control for triage (6%); (2) regional transportation strategy (31%), standardized emergency medical services checklists (18%), quality metrics (14%), standardized prehospital screening tools (13%), and feedback for performance improvement (7%); and (3) smartphone application algorithm for screening/decision-making (6%) and ambulance-based telemedicine (6%). Level A interfacility transfer recommendations were (1) standardized transfer process (32%)/timing goals (16%)/regionalized systems (11%), performance metrics (11%), image sharing capabilities (7%); (2) provider education (9%) and stroke toolbox (5%); and (3) interfacility telemedicine (7%) and feedback (2%). The methods used and recommendations generated provide models for stroke system enhancement. Implementation may vary based on geographic need/capacity and be contingent on establishing standard care practices. Further research is needed to establish optimal implementation strategies. © 2017 American Heart Association, Inc.

Enhancing functional electrical stimulation for emerging rehabilitation robotics in the framework of HYPER project.

PubMed

Brunetti, F; Garay, Á; Moreno, J C; Pons, J L

2011-01-01

This paper presents the development of a novel functional electrical stimulation (FES) system. New approaches in emerging rehabilitation robotics propose the use of residual muscular activity or limbs movements during the rehabilitation process of neuromotor. More ambitious projects propose the use of FES systems to restore or compensate motor capabilities by controlling existing muscles or subject limbs. These emerging approaches require more sophisticated FES devices in terms of channels, signals controls and portability. In the framework of HYPER project, such devices are being developed to support the main objective of the project: the development of neurorobots and neuroprosthetics to restore functional motor capabilities in patients who suffered cerebrovascular accidents or spinal cord injury. The presented portable FES system includes novel elec-trostimulator circuits and improved channel switching capacities to enable emerging approaches in rehabilitation robotics. © 2011 IEEE

The application of unmanned aerial vehicle remote sensing for monitoring secondary geological disasters after earthquakes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lei, Tianjie; Zhang, Yazhen; Wang, Xingyong; Fu, Jun'e.; Li, Lin; Pang, Zhiguo; Zhang, Xiaolei; Kan, Guangyuan

2017-07-01

Remote sensing system fitted on Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) can obtain clear images and high-resolution aerial photographs. It has advantages of strong real-time, flexibility and convenience, free from influence of external environment, low cost, low-flying under clouds and ability to work full-time. When an earthquake happened, it could go deep into the places safely and reliably which human staff can hardly approach, such as secondary geological disasters hit areas. The system can be timely precise in response to secondary geological disasters monitoring by a way of obtaining first-hand information as quickly as possible, producing a unique emergency response capacity to provide a scientific basis for overall decision-making processes. It can greatly enhance the capability of on-site disaster emergency working team in data collection and transmission. The great advantages of UAV remote sensing system played an irreplaceable role in monitoring secondary geological disaster dynamics and influences. Taking the landslides and barrier lakes for example, the paper explored the basic application and process of UAV remote sensing in the disaster emergency relief. UAV high-resolution remote sensing images had been exploited to estimate the situation of disaster-hit areas and monitor secondary geological disasters rapidly, systematically and continuously. Furthermore, a rapid quantitative assessment on the distribution and size of landslides and barrier lakes was carried out. Monitoring results could support relevant government departments and rescue teams, providing detailed and reliable scientific evidence for disaster relief and decision-making.

Emerging role of mesenchymal stem cells during tuberculosis: The fifth element in cell mediated immunity.

PubMed

Khan, Arshad; Hunter, Robert L; Jagannath, Chinnaswamy

2016-12-01

Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are non-hematopoietic cells that occur in almost all human tissues and can be cultured and expanded to large numbers in vitro. They secrete growth factors, cytokines, and chemokines and express Toll-like receptors on their surface, although multiple cell biological mechanisms remain unclear. MSCs are multi-potent and can differentiate into many cell types including adipocytes, neuronal cells and osteoclasts. Despite gaps in cell biology, because of their immunomodulatory and regenerative capacity, several hundred clinical trials have used MSCs for therapy of cancer, autoimmune diseases and control of inflammation during organ transplantation. MSCs secrete immune-modulatory factors and are able to skew T cell responses and shift M1 to M2 differentiation of macrophages. We review the emerging role of MSCs to act as phagocytes for Mycobacterium tuberculosis and its role during the persistence of M. tuberculosis and spread of infection. Paradoxically, MSCs use innate defense mechanisms of autophagy and nitric oxide to inhibit the growth of intracellular M. tuberculosis. In addition, transplantation with autologous MSCs improved the clinical condition of patients with multi-drug resistant tuberculosis. Thus, in addition to the well-known immune defense played by macrophages, DCs, classical T cells and non-classical immune cells, MSCs have emerged as a fifth element capable of regulating immune responses during tuberculosis. We discuss their immunomodulatory properties and innate defense mechanisms in the context of developing immunotherapeutic strategies for tuberculosis. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Report on the emergency response to the event on May 14, 1997, at the plutonuim reclamation facility, Hanford Site, Richland,Washington

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

Shoop, D.S.

1997-08-20

On the evening of May 14,1997, a chemical explosion Occurred at the Plutonium Reclamation Facility (PRF) in the 200 West Area(200-W) of the Hanford Site. The event warranted the declaration of an Alert emergency, activation of the Hanford Emergency Response Organization (BRO), and notification of offsite agencies. As a result of the emergency declaration, a subsequent evaluation was conducted to assess: 9 the performance of the emergency response organization o the occupational health response related to emergency activities o event notifications to offsite and environmental agencies. Additionally, the evaluation was designed to: 9 document the chronology of emergency and occupationalmore » health responses and environmental notifications connected with the explosion at the facility 0 assess the adequacy of the Hanford Site emergency preparedness activities; response readiness; and emergency management actions, occupational health, and environmental actions 0 provide an analysis of the causes of the deficiencies and weaknesses in the preparedness and response system that have been identified in the evaluation of the response a assign organizational responsibility to correct deficiencies and weaknesses a improve future performance 0 adjust elements of emergency implementing procedures and emergency preparedness activities.« less

Science for decision making: Transmitting hazard science using catastrophic scenarios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wein, A.

2010-12-01

The ShakeOut and ARkStorm scenarios are scientifically-based, multi-disciplinary efforts to describe the damages and consequences of large, but plausible, natural disasters for use in emergency management and other planning. The ShakeOut earthquake scenario, completed in 2008, posits the occurrence of a major earthquake on the southern San Andreas Fault. It was used by more than 5,000 emergency personnel in a California statewide exercise, and it underpins the Federal Emergency Management Agency’s (FEMA) Catastrophic Plan for Southern California. The ARkStorm winter storm scenario, to be completed in 2010, posits the occurrence of a statewide disaster like the storm that occurred during 1861-1862. The ARkStorm scenario will culminate with two planning summits comprised of federal and state agencies, because such an event would exceed local response and recovery capabilities. This talk will address the following questions that are critical to transmitting science for decision making with examples and observations from the two scenarios: 1) Who are the end users of the scenarios, what types of decisions can scenarios inform, and how are stakeholders engaged? 2) What forms of information and processes work best to communicate and apply the hazard science? 3) What are the challenges of using science in decision making? 4) What future directions shall we pursue? From my perspective as coordinator of economic consequences analyses for the two scenarios, I will share insights to these questions. Framing stakeholder decisions in terms of scale (e.g., household to State) and disaster phase (e.g., emergency response, recovery, and mitigation) allows us to align methods of stakeholder engagement with stakeholder decision making. For these regional-scale scenarios, the methods of engagement included stakeholder participation in project vision, scenario construction workshops, presentations, conferences, and emergency response and recovery exercises. Champions (self-motivated individuals who took on leadership roles in their communities or industrial sectors), customized and localized analyses, and workshops enhanced the use of hazard science. Examples from the two scenarios will be used to illustrate these points. We experienced several significant challenges in using science to enhance emergency management exercises and community decision making. Some of these challenges include 1) adapting scientific results to exercise format; 2) the special needs of recovery exercises, which can mimic response exercises only with limited success, because recovery is tactical while response is strategic; 3) staff turnover; and 4) limited resources. An important future direction will be to leverage our in-depth knowledge of scenarios, multi-disciplinary network, and stakeholder relations to integrate knowledge about multiple hazards to better inform risk-based decision making for all hazards.

Transient modeling in simulation of hospital operations for emergency response.

PubMed

Paul, Jomon Aliyas; George, Santhosh K; Yi, Pengfei; Lin, Li

2006-01-01

Rapid estimates of hospital capacity after an event that may cause a disaster can assist disaster-relief efforts. Due to the dynamics of hospitals, following such an event, it is necessary to accurately model the behavior of the system. A transient modeling approach using simulation and exponential functions is presented, along with its applications in an earthquake situation. The parameters of the exponential model are regressed using outputs from designed simulation experiments. The developed model is capable of representing transient, patient waiting times during a disaster. Most importantly, the modeling approach allows real-time capacity estimation of hospitals of various sizes and capabilities. Further, this research is an analysis of the effects of priority-based routing of patients within the hospital and the effects on patient waiting times determined using various patient mixes. The model guides the patients based on the severity of injuries and queues the patients requiring critical care depending on their remaining survivability time. The model also accounts the impact of prehospital transport time on patient waiting time.

Electrochemical Probing through a Redox Capacitor To Acquire Chemical Information on Biothiols

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

The acquisition of chemical information is a critical need for medical diagnostics, food/environmental monitoring, and national security. Here, we report an electrochemical information processing approach that integrates (i) complex electrical inputs/outputs, (ii) mediators to transduce the electrical I/O into redox signals that can actively probe the chemical environment, and (iii) a redox capacitor that manipulates signals for information extraction. We demonstrate the capabilities of this chemical information processing strategy using biothiols because of the emerging importance of these molecules in medicine and because their distinct chemical properties allow evaluation of hypothesis-driven information probing. We show that input sequences can be tailored to probe for chemical information both qualitatively (step inputs probe for thiol-specific signatures) and quantitatively. Specifically, we observed picomolar limits of detection and linear responses to concentrations over 5 orders of magnitude (1 pM–0.1 μM). This approach allows the capabilities of signal processing to be extended for rapid, robust, and on-site analysis of chemical information. PMID:27385047

Electrochemical Probing through a Redox Capacitor To Acquire Chemical Information on Biothiols.

PubMed

Liu, Zhengchun; Liu, Yi; Kim, Eunkyoung; Bentley, William E; Payne, Gregory F

2016-07-19

The acquisition of chemical information is a critical need for medical diagnostics, food/environmental monitoring, and national security. Here, we report an electrochemical information processing approach that integrates (i) complex electrical inputs/outputs, (ii) mediators to transduce the electrical I/O into redox signals that can actively probe the chemical environment, and (iii) a redox capacitor that manipulates signals for information extraction. We demonstrate the capabilities of this chemical information processing strategy using biothiols because of the emerging importance of these molecules in medicine and because their distinct chemical properties allow evaluation of hypothesis-driven information probing. We show that input sequences can be tailored to probe for chemical information both qualitatively (step inputs probe for thiol-specific signatures) and quantitatively. Specifically, we observed picomolar limits of detection and linear responses to concentrations over 5 orders of magnitude (1 pM-0.1 μM). This approach allows the capabilities of signal processing to be extended for rapid, robust, and on-site analysis of chemical information.

Viking 1975 Orbiter Development Test Model/Lander Dynamic Test Model dynamic environmental testing - An overview

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Milder, G.

1975-01-01

The current work presents an overview of the Viking 1975 environmental testing from an engineering standpoint. An extremely large vibration test fixture had to be designed, analyzed, and integrated into a test setup that employed hydrostatic bearings in a new fashion. A vibration control system was also required that would allow for thirty-six channels of sine-wave peak select control from acceleration, force-of-strain transducers. In addition, some 68 channels of peak limiting shutdown capability were needed for backup and monitoring of other data during the forced vibration test. Pretesting included analyses of the fixture design, overturning moment, control system capabilities, and response of the entire spacecraft/fixture/exciter system to the test environment. Closed-loop control for acoustic testing was a necessity due to the fact that the Viking spacecraft took up a major portion of the volume of the 10,000 cu ft chamber. The spacecraft emerged from testing undamaged.

The effective use of unmanned aerial vehicles for local law enforcement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gasque, Leighton

This qualitative study was done to interview local law enforcement in Murfreesboro, Tennessee to determine if unmanned aerial vehicles could increase the safety of policy officers. Many police officers face dangerous scenarios on a daily basis; however, officers must also perform non-criminal related responsibilities that could put them in hazardous situations. UAVs have multiple capabilities that can decrease the number of hazards in an emergency situation whether it is environmental, traffic related, criminal activity, or investigations. Officers were interviewed to find whether or not unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) could be useful manpower on the police force. The study was also used to find whether or not officers foresee UAVs being used in law enforcement. The study revealed that UAVs could be used to add useful manpower to law enforcement based on the capabilities a UAV may have. Police officers cannot confirm whether or not they would be able to use a UAV until further research is conducted to examine the relation of costs to usage.

Molecular imaging probe development: a chemistry perspective

PubMed Central

Nolting, Donald D; Nickels, Michael L; Guo, Ning; Pham, Wellington

2012-01-01

Molecular imaging is an attractive modality that has been widely employed in many aspects of biomedical research; especially those aimed at the early detection of diseases such as cancer, inflammation and neurodegenerative disorders. The field emerged in response to a new research paradigm in healthcare that seeks to integrate detection capabilities for the prediction and prevention of diseases. This approach made a distinct impact in biomedical research as it enabled researchers to leverage the capabilities of molecular imaging probes to visualize a targeted molecular event non-invasively, repeatedly and continuously in a living system. In addition, since such probes are inherently compact, robust, and amenable to high-throughput production, these probes could potentially facilitate screening of preclinical drug discovery, therapeutic assessment and validation of disease biomarkers. They could also be useful in drug discovery and safety evaluations. In this review, major trends in the chemical synthesis and development of positron emission tomography (PET), optical and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) probes are discussed. PMID:22943038

The Interpersonal Theory of Suicide

PubMed Central

Van Orden, Kimberly A.; Witte, Tracy K.; Cukrowicz, Kelly C.; Braithwaite, Scott; Selby, Edward A.; Joiner, Thomas E.

2011-01-01

Suicidal behavior is a major problem worldwide and at the same time has received relatively little empirical attention. This relative lack of empirical attention may be due in part to a relative absence of theory development regarding suicidal behavior. The current paper presents the Interpersonal Theory of Suicidal Behavior. We propose that the most dangerous form of suicidal desire is caused by the simultaneous presence of two interpersonal constructs—thwarted belongingness and perceived burdensomeness (and hopelessness about these states)—and further, that the capability to engage in suicidal behavior is separate from the desire to engage in suicidal behavior. According to the theory, the capability for suicidal behavior emerges, via habituation and opponent processes, in response to repeated exposure to physically painful and/or fear-inducing experiences. In the current paper, the theory’s hypotheses are more precisely delineated than in previous presentations (Joiner, 2005), with the aim of inviting scientific inquiry and potential falsification of the theory’s hypotheses. PMID:20438238

Emergency and urgent care capacity in a resource-limited setting: an assessment of health facilities in western Kenya

PubMed Central

Burke, Thomas F; Hines, Rosemary; Ahn, Roy; Walters, Michelle; Young, David; Anderson, Rachel Eleanor; Tom, Sabrina M; Clark, Rachel; Obita, Walter; Nelson, Brett D

2014-01-01

Objective Injuries, trauma and non-communicable diseases are responsible for a rising proportion of death and disability in low-income and middle-income countries. Delivering effective emergency and urgent healthcare for these and other conditions in resource-limited settings is challenging. In this study, we sought to examine and characterise emergency and urgent care capacity in a resource-limited setting. Methods We conducted an assessment within all 30 primary and secondary hospitals and within a stratified random sampling of 30 dispensaries and health centres in western Kenya. The key informants were the most senior facility healthcare provider and manager available. Emergency physician researchers utilised a semistructured assessment tool, and data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic coding. Results No lower level facilities and 30% of higher level facilities reported having a defined, organised approach to trauma. 43% of higher level facilities had access to an anaesthetist. The majority of lower level facilities had suture and wound care supplies and gloves but typically lacked other basic trauma supplies. For cardiac care, 50% of higher level facilities had morphine, but a minority had functioning ECG, sublingual nitroglycerine or a defibrillator. Only 20% of lower level facilities had glucometers, and only 33% of higher level facilities could care for diabetic emergencies. No facilities had sepsis clinical guidelines. Conclusions Large gaps in essential emergency care capabilities were identified at all facility levels in western Kenya. There are great opportunities for a universally deployed basic emergency care package, an advanced emergency care package and facility designation scheme, and a reliable prehospital care transportation and communications system in resource-limited settings. PMID:25260371

Coming of Age on a Shoestring Budget: Financial Capability and Financial Behaviors of Lower-Income Millennials.

PubMed

West, Stacia; Friedline, Terri

2016-10-01

Lower-income millennials make important financial decisions that may affect their future financial well-being. With limited resources, this population is at risk for acquiring too much debt or being unprepared for a financial emergency that can send them further into poverty and constrain their ability to leverage resources for future economic mobility. A financial capability approach, an intervention that combines financial education with financial inclusion through the use of a savings account, may correlate with millennials’ healthy financial behaviors. This study used data from the 2012 National Financial Capability Study to examine the relationship between financial capability and the financial behaviors of lower-income millennials between the ages of 18 and 34 years (N = 2,578). Compared with those lower-income millennials who were financially excluded, those who were financially capable were also 171 percent more likely to afford an unexpected expense, 182 percent more likely to save for emergencies, and 34 percent less likely to carry too much debt, relating to their greater overall financial satisfaction. The findings of this study indicate that interventions that develop lower-income millennials’ financial capability may be effective for promoting healthy financial behaviors.

44 CFR 352.27 - Federal role in the emergency response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... response. 352.27 Section 352.27 Emergency Management and Assistance FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY... Federal Participation § 352.27 Federal role in the emergency response. In addition to the Federal component of the licensee offsite emergency response plan described in subpart B (§ 352.26), and after...

44 CFR 352.27 - Federal role in the emergency response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... response. 352.27 Section 352.27 Emergency Management and Assistance FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY... Federal Participation § 352.27 Federal role in the emergency response. In addition to the Federal component of the licensee offsite emergency response plan described in subpart B (§ 352.26), and after...

44 CFR 352.27 - Federal role in the emergency response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... response. 352.27 Section 352.27 Emergency Management and Assistance FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY... Federal Participation § 352.27 Federal role in the emergency response. In addition to the Federal component of the licensee offsite emergency response plan described in subpart B (§ 352.26), and after...

44 CFR 352.27 - Federal role in the emergency response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... response. 352.27 Section 352.27 Emergency Management and Assistance FEDERAL EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT AGENCY... Federal Participation § 352.27 Federal role in the emergency response. In addition to the Federal component of the licensee offsite emergency response plan described in subpart B (§ 352.26), and after...

Prince William Sound disabled tanker towing study. Part 1. Evaluation of existing equipment, personnel and procedures

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

Not Available

1993-08-01

The study has been undertaken by the Glosten Associates, Inc., to evaluate the existing capability for emergency towing at Prince William Sound and to examine alternatives that could enhance the escort and assist capabilities for disabled tankers within the waterway from the Alyeska Oil Terminal at the Port of Valdez to the Gulf of Alaska outside Hinchinbrook Entrance. Part 1, reported herein, is an objective evaluation by an experienced salvage towing master of the existing tugs, emergency towing equipment, towing practices, and discussion of alternative tug types.

Tsunami disaster risk management capabilities in Greece

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Marios Karagiannis, Georgios; Synolakis, Costas

2015-04-01

Greece is vulnerable to tsunamis, due to the length of the coastline, its islands and its geographical proximity to the Hellenic Arc, an active subduction zone. Historically, about 10% of all world tsunamis occur in the Mediterranean region. Here we review existing tsunami disaster risk management capabilities in Greece. We analyze capabilities across the disaster management continuum, including prevention, preparedness, response and recovery. Specifically, we focus on issues like legal requirements, stakeholders, hazard mitigation practices, emergency operations plans, public awareness and education, community-based approaches and early-warning systems. Our research is based on a review of existing literature and official documentation, on previous projects, as well as on interviews with civil protection officials in Greece. In terms of tsunami disaster prevention and hazard mitigation, the lack of tsunami inundation maps, except for some areas in Crete, makes it quite difficult to get public support for hazard mitigation practices. Urban and spatial planning tools in Greece allow the planner to take into account hazards and establish buffer zones near hazard areas. However, the application of such ordinances at the local and regional levels is often difficult. Eminent domain is not supported by law and there are no regulatory provisions regarding tax abatement as a disaster prevention tool. Building codes require buildings and other structures to withstand lateral dynamic earthquake loads, but there are no provisions for resistance to impact loading from water born debris Public education about tsunamis has increased during the last half-decade but remains sporadic. In terms of disaster preparedness, Greece does have a National Tsunami Warning Center (NTWC) and is a Member of UNESCO's Tsunami Program for North-eastern Atlantic, the Mediterranean and connected seas (NEAM) region. Several exercises have been organized in the framework of the NEAM Tsunami Warning System, with the Greek NWTC actively participating as a Candidate Tsunami Watch Provider. In addition, Greece designed and conducted the first tsunami exercise program in the Union Civil Protection Mechanism in 2011, which also considered the attrition of response capabilities by the earthquake generating the tsunami. These exercises have demonstrated the capability of the Greek NWTC to provide early warning to local civil protection authorities, but warning dissemination to the population remains an issue, especially during the summer season. However, there is no earthquake or tsunami national emergency operations plan, and we found that tsunami disaster planning and preparedness activities are rather limited at the local level. We acknowledge partial support by the project ASTARTE (Assessment, STrategy And Risk Reduction for Tsunamis in Europe) FP7-ENV2013 6.4-3, Grant 603839 to the Technical University of Crete.

47 CFR 10.340 - Digital television transmission towers retransmission capability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 1 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Digital television transmission towers retransmission capability. 10.340 Section 10.340 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION GENERAL WIRELESS EMERGENCY ALERTS System Architecture § 10.340 Digital television transmission towers...

47 CFR 10.340 - Digital television transmission towers retransmission capability.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 1 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Digital television transmission towers retransmission capability. 10.340 Section 10.340 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION GENERAL WIRELESS EMERGENCY ALERTS System Architecture § 10.340 Digital television transmission towers...

Improving Coalitions through S&T Cooperation

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-12-01

Canada Potentially disruptive technologies that could provide decisive advantage for the CF • Quantum capabilities • Autonomous intelligent systems...the gaps in the CF Strategic Capability Roadmap • Position Defence to exploit emerging or disruptive technologies • Reduce the costs of defence

Mission Analysis for Using Preventive Radiological/Nuclear Detection Equipment for Consequence Management

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

Buddemeier, Brooke R.; Wood-Zika, Annmarie R.; Haynes, Daniel

The overall objective of this project is to research, evaluate, and test first responder preventive radiological/nuclear detection (PRND) equipment to provide state and local agencies with scientific guidance on how to effectively use this equipment for response after a radiological/nuclear release or detonation. While the equipment being tested in this effort has been specifically designed by technology manufacturers and purchased by responders for preventive detection and source interdiction operations, the fleet of PRND equipment can help fill critical needs for radiological instrumentation should a consequence management (CM) response take place, as it is currently the most widely available and fieldedmore » radiological instrumentation by state and local agencies. This effort will provide scientific guidance on the most effective way to utilize this class of equipment for consequence management missions. Gaining a better understanding of how PRND equipment can operate and perform for these missions will allow for recommendations on the tactical approach responders can use for consequence management operations. PRND equipment has been placed into service by federal, state, and local agencies throughout the nation. If the equipment capability and limitations are taken into account, this large inventory can be leveraged to support the emergency response in the aftermath of a radiological or nuclear event. With several hundred makes and models of PRND equipment, often with significantly different detection capabilities that do not align with their nominal PRND equipment type, development of a streamlined categorization scheme with respect to consequence management missions was the first step to identifying safe and effective uses of PRND equipment for radiological/nuclear incident response.« less

Neuropeptide Signaling Networks and Brain Circuit Plasticity.

PubMed

McClard, Cynthia K; Arenkiel, Benjamin R

2018-01-01

The brain is a remarkable network of circuits dedicated to sensory integration, perception, and response. The computational power of the brain is estimated to dwarf that of most modern supercomputers, but perhaps its most fascinating capability is to structurally refine itself in response to experience. In the language of computers, the brain is loaded with programs that encode when and how to alter its own hardware. This programmed "plasticity" is a critical mechanism by which the brain shapes behavior to adapt to changing environments. The expansive array of molecular commands that help execute this programming is beginning to emerge. Notably, several neuropeptide transmitters, previously best characterized for their roles in hypothalamic endocrine regulation, have increasingly been recognized for mediating activity-dependent refinement of local brain circuits. Here, we discuss recent discoveries that reveal how local signaling by corticotropin-releasing hormone reshapes mouse olfactory bulb circuits in response to activity and further explore how other local neuropeptide networks may function toward similar ends.

Conformable amplified lead zirconate titanate sensors with enhanced piezoelectric response for cutaneous pressure monitoring.

PubMed

Dagdeviren, Canan; Su, Yewang; Joe, Pauline; Yona, Raissa; Liu, Yuhao; Kim, Yun-Soung; Huang, YongAn; Damadoran, Anoop R; Xia, Jing; Martin, Lane W; Huang, Yonggang; Rogers, John A

2014-08-05

The ability to measure subtle changes in arterial pressure using devices mounted on the skin can be valuable for monitoring vital signs in emergency care, detecting the early onset of cardiovascular disease and continuously assessing health status. Conventional technologies are well suited for use in traditional clinical settings, but cannot be easily adapted for sustained use during daily activities. Here we introduce a conformal device that avoids these limitations. Ultrathin inorganic piezoelectric and semiconductor materials on elastomer substrates enable amplified, low hysteresis measurements of pressure on the skin, with high levels of sensitivity (~0.005 Pa) and fast response times (~0.1 ms). Experimental and theoretical studies reveal enhanced piezoelectric responses in lead zirconate titanate that follow from integration on soft supports as well as engineering behaviours of the associated devices. Calibrated measurements of pressure variations of blood flow in near-surface arteries demonstrate capabilities for measuring radial artery augmentation index and pulse pressure velocity.

[Immune response in cervical cancer. Strategies for the development of therapeutic vaccines].

PubMed

Mora-García, María Lourdes; Monroy-García, Alberto

2015-01-01

High-risk human papillomaviruses (HR-HPV), as HPV-16, evade immune recognition through the inactivation of cells of the innate immune response. HPV-16 E6 and E7 genes down-regulate type I interferon response. They do not produce viremia or cell death; therefore, they do not cause inflammation or damage signal that alerts the immune system. Virus-like particles (VLPs), consisting of structural proteins (L1 and L2) of the main HR-HPV types that infect the genitourinary tract, are the most effective prophylactic vaccines against HR-HPV infection. While for the high grade neoplastic lesions, therapeutic vaccines based on viral vectors, peptides, DNA or complete HR-HPV E6 and E7 proteins as antigens, have had limited effectiveness. Chimeric virus-like particles (cVLPs) that carry immunogenic peptides derived from E6 and E7 viral proteins, capable to induce activation of specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes, emerge as an important alternative to provide prophylactic and therapeutic activity against HR-HPV infection and cervical cancer.

Cyclone preparedness and response: an analysis of lessons identified using an adapted military planning framework.

PubMed

Tatham, Peter; Oloruntoba, Richard; Spens, Karen

2012-01-01

The United Kingdom uses the Defence Lines of Development (DLOD) framework to analyse and understand the key components and costs of a military capability. Rooted in the Resource Based View (RBV) of a firm, an adapted DLOD approach is employed to explore, analyse and discuss the preparedness, planning and response strategies of two markedly different countries (Australia and Bangladesh) when faced with a major cyclone event of a comparable size. Given the numerous similarities in the challenges facing military forces in a complex emergency and humanitarian agencies in a natural disaster, the paper demonstrates the applicability of the DLOD framework as an analysis and planning tool in the cyclone preparedness planning and response phases, and more broadly within the disaster management area. In addition, the paper highlights the benefit to disaster managers, policymakers and researchers of exploiting comparative cross-learning opportunities from disaster events, drawn from different sectors and countries. © 2012 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2012.

40 CFR 1.47 - Office of Solid Waste and Emergency Response.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... the Agency's solid and hazardous wastes and emergency response programs. This Office has primary..., under the supervision of a Director, is responsible for the emergency and remedial response functions of...) Providing direction, guidance, and support to the Agency's non-enforcement emergency and remedial response...

Near Real-Time Use of Optical Remote Sensing and Synthetic Aperture Radar for Response to Central U.S. Flooding in Late April-Early May 2017

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bell, J. R.; Schultz, L. A.; Jones, M.; Molthan, A.; Arko, S. A.; Hogenson, K.; Meyer, F. J.

2017-12-01

In late April and early May 2017, heavy rainfall across Missouri led to extensive flooding along the Missouri and Mississippi River basins in the Central United States. Determining the extent of flooding is critical for response organizations to properly deploy personnel and other assets involved in preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery efforts. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) relies on geospatial flood extent data, among other data, to estimate the impacts to population and infrastructure in order to prepare and engage response activities in support of the affected states and communities. To assist FEMA in mapping flood extent in a near real-time, the NASA Earth Science Disasters Program coordinates a multi-NASA center response to provide satellite imagery and products to FEMA during major flood events to supplement their analysis tools and capabilities. Scientists at the NASA Short-term Prediction Research and Transition (SPoRT) Center at Marshall Space Flight Center, who led this particular response, have been working with the Alaska Satellite Facility (ASF) at the University of Alaska Fairbanks to provide synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imagery and derived flood products to FEMA's geospatial response team in support of flooding events. Combined, these efforts helped to provide preliminary flood mapping to FEMA from a broad constellation of remote sensors. The presentation will describe the various products available throughout the response event, post-event collaborations examining these products in comparison to additional modeling and data collection by FEMA, training needs to improve product use, and more efficient methods for data delivery. Lessons learned will highlight opportunities for future work and improvement, and guide other ongoing efforts to develop collaborations that would also support other domestic emergency response activities, such as those led by the National Guard Bureau, which assists individual state Guard units.

40 CFR 68.180 - Emergency response program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... activities and the emergency response plan is coordinated. (c) The owner or operator shall list other Federal... (CONTINUED) CHEMICAL ACCIDENT PREVENTION PROVISIONS Risk Management Plan § 68.180 Emergency response program... written emergency response plan? (2) Does the plan include specific actions to be taken in response to an...

40 CFR 68.180 - Emergency response program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... activities and the emergency response plan is coordinated. (c) The owner or operator shall list other Federal... (CONTINUED) CHEMICAL ACCIDENT PREVENTION PROVISIONS Risk Management Plan § 68.180 Emergency response program... written emergency response plan? (2) Does the plan include specific actions to be taken in response to an...

40 CFR 68.180 - Emergency response program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... activities and the emergency response plan is coordinated. (c) The owner or operator shall list other Federal... (CONTINUED) CHEMICAL ACCIDENT PREVENTION PROVISIONS Risk Management Plan § 68.180 Emergency response program... written emergency response plan? (2) Does the plan include specific actions to be taken in response to an...

40 CFR 68.180 - Emergency response program.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... activities and the emergency response plan is coordinated. (c) The owner or operator shall list other Federal... (CONTINUED) CHEMICAL ACCIDENT PREVENTION PROVISIONS Risk Management Plan § 68.180 Emergency response program... written emergency response plan? (2) Does the plan include specific actions to be taken in response to an...

RMP Guidance for Chemical Distributors - Chapter 8: Emergency Response Program

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Depending on the level of processes at your facility, part 68 may require an emergency response program: an emergency response plan, emergency response equipment procedures, employee training, and procedures to ensure the program is up-to-date.

The development of Operational Intervention Levels (OILs) for Soils - A decision support tool in nuclear and radiological emergency response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee Zhi Yi, Amelia; Dercon, Gerd; Blackburn, Carl; Kheng, Heng Lee

2017-04-01

In the event of a large-scale nuclear accident, the swift implementation of response actions is imperative. For food and agriculture, it is important to restrict contaminated food from being produced or gathered, and to put in place systems to prevent contaminated produce from entering the food chain. Emergency tools and response protocols exist to assist food control and health authorities but they tend to focus on radioactivity concentrations in food products as a means of restricting the distribution and sale of contaminated produce. Few, if any, emergency tools or protocols focus on the food production environment, for example radioactivity concentrations in soils. Here we present the Operational Intervention Levels for Soils (OIL for Soils) concept, an optimization tool developed at the IAEA to facilitate agricultural decision making and to improve nuclear emergency preparedness and response capabilities. Effective intervention relies on the prompt availability of radioactivity concentration data and the ability to implement countermeasures. Sampling in food and agriculture can be demanding because it may involve large areas and many sample types. In addition, there are finite resources available in terms of manpower and laboratory support. Consequently, there is a risk that timely decision making will be hindered and food safety compromised due to time taken to sample and analyse produce. However, the OILs for Soils concept developed based on experience in Japan can help in this situation and greatly assist authorities responsible for agricultural production. OILs for Soils - pre-determined reference levels of air dose rates linked to radionuclide concentrations in soils - can be used to trigger response actions particularly important for agricultural and food protection. Key considerations in the development of the OILs for Soils are: (1) establishing a pragmatic sampling approach to prioritize and optimize available resources and data requirements for decision making in agricultural sites: (2) creating a system that is adaptable to different countries, and; (3) developing a framework to calculate default values of OILs for Soils for application during an emergency. The OILs for Soils reference levels are calculated using a mathematical model. Empirical equations, paired with radionuclide data (e.g. Cs-134, Cs-137 and I-131) from the ICRU 53 report, are utilized to determine soil contamination from aerial monitoring air dose rate data. Modelling allows soil contamination values to be readily approximated and this is used to prioritize soil and food sampling sites. Reference levels are based on a model that considers radionuclide transfer factors for up-take into plants, soil density, and soil sampling depth. Decision actions for determined reference levels are suggested for processed foods, animal products, animal feed and crop products (including plants at the growing stage, mature stage, fallow farmland, and forestry products). With these steps, OILs for Soils provide practical guidance that will equip authorities to respond efficiently and help maintain the safety of the food supply during large-scale nuclear or radiological emergency situations.

Using principles from emergency management to improve emergency response plans for research animals.

PubMed

Vogelweid, Catherine M

2013-10-01

Animal research regulatory agencies have issued updated requirements for emergency response planning by regulated research institutions. A thorough emergency response plan is an essential component of an institution's animal care and use program, but developing an effective plan can be a daunting task. The author provides basic information drawn from the field of emergency management about best practices for developing emergency response plans. Planners should use the basic principles of emergency management to develop a common-sense approach to managing emergencies in their facilities.

Space Weather Products at the Community Coordinated Modeling Center

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hesse, Michael; Kuznetsova, M.; Pulkkinen, A.; Maddox, M.; Rastaetter, L.; Berrios, D.; MacNeice, P.

2010-01-01

The Community Coordinated Modeling Center (CCMC) is a US inter-agency activity aiming at research in support of the generation of advanced space weather models. As one of its main functions, the CCMC provides to researchers the use of space science models, even if they are not model owners themselves. The second CCMC activity is to support Space Weather forecasting at national Space Weather Forecasting Centers. This second activity involves model evaluations, model transitions to operations, and the development of space weather forecasting tools. Owing to the pace of development in the science community, new model capabilities emerge frequently. Consequently, space weather products and tools involve not only increased validity, but often entirely new capabilities. This presentation will review the present state of space weather tools as well as point out emerging future capabilities.

The Naval Health Research Center Respiratory Disease Laboratory.

PubMed

Ryan, M; Gray, G; Hawksworth, A; Malasig, M; Hudspeth, M; Poddar, S

2000-07-01

Concern about emerging and reemerging respiratory pathogens prompted the development of a respiratory disease reference laboratory at the Naval Health Research Center. Professionals working in this laboratory have instituted population-based surveillance for pathogens that affect military trainees and responded to threats of increased respiratory disease among high-risk military groups. Capabilities of this laboratory that are unique within the Department of Defense include adenovirus testing by viral shell culture and microneutralization serotyping, influenza culture and hemagglutination inhibition serotyping, and other special testing for Streptococcus pneumoniae, Streptococcus pyogenes, Mycoplasma pneumonia, and Chlamydia pneumoniae. Projected capabilities of this laboratory include more advanced testing for these pathogens and testing for other emerging pathogens, including Bordetella pertussis, Legionella pneumoniae, and Haemophilus influenzae type B. Such capabilities make the laboratory a valuable resource for military public health.

Southern states radiological emergency response laws and regulations

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

Not Available

1989-07-01

The purpose of this report is to provide a summary of the emergency response laws and regulations in place in the various states within the southern region for use by legislators, emergency response planners, the general public and all persons concerned about the existing legal framework for emergency response. SSEB expects to periodically update the report as necessary. Radiation protection regulations without emergency response provisions are not included in the summary.

Molecular evolution and emergence of avian gammacoronaviruses.

PubMed

Jackwood, Mark W; Hall, David; Handel, Andreas

2012-08-01

Coronaviruses, which are single stranded, positive sense RNA viruses, are responsible for a wide variety of existing and emerging diseases in humans and other animals. The gammacoronaviruses primarily infect avian hosts. Within this genus of coronaviruses, the avian coronavirus infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) causes a highly infectious upper-respiratory tract disease in commercial poultry. IBV shows rapid evolution in chickens, frequently producing new antigenic types, which adds to the multiple serotypes of the virus that do not cross protect. Rapid evolution in IBV is facilitated by strong selection, large population sizes and high genetic diversity within hosts, and transmission bottlenecks between hosts. Genetic diversity within a host arises primarily by mutation, which includes substitutions, insertions and deletions. Mutations are caused both by the high error rate, and limited proof reading capability, of the viral RNA-dependent RNA-polymerase, and by recombination. Recombination also generates new haplotype diversity by recombining existing variants. Rapid evolution of avian coronavirus IBV makes this virus extremely difficult to diagnose and control, but also makes it an excellent model system to study viral genetic diversity and the mechanisms behind the emergence of coronaviruses in their natural host. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Information System Engineering Supporting Observation, Orientation, Decision, and Compliant Action

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Georgakopoulos, Dimitrios

The majority of today's software systems and organizational/business structures have been built on the foundation of solving problems via long-term data collection, analysis, and solution design. This traditional approach of solving problems and building corresponding software systems and business processes, falls short in providing the necessary solutions needed to deal with many problems that require agility as the main ingredient of their solution. For example, such agility is needed in responding to an emergency, in military command control, physical security, price-based competition in business, investing in the stock market, video gaming, network monitoring and self-healing, diagnosis in emergency health care, and many other areas that are too numerous to list here. The concept of Observe, Orient, Decide, and Act (OODA) loops is a guiding principal that captures the fundamental issues and approach for engineering information systems that deal with many of these problem areas. However, there are currently few software systems that are capable of supporting OODA. In this talk, we provide a tour of the research issues and state of the art solutions for supporting OODA. In addition, we provide specific examples of OODA solutions we have developed for the video surveillance and emergency response domains.

Challenges of the New Zealand healthcare disaster preparedness prior to the Canterbury earthquakes: a qualitative analysis.

PubMed

Al-Shaqsi, Sultan; Gauld, Robin; Lovell, Sarah; McBride, David; Al-Kashmiri, Ammar; Al-Harthy, Abdullah

2013-03-15

Disasters are a growing global phenomenon. New Zealand has suffered several major disasters in recent times. The state of healthcare disaster preparedness in New Zealand prior to the Canterbury earthquakes is not well documented. To investigate the challenges of the New Zealand healthcare disaster preparedness prior to the Canterbury earthquakes. Semi-structured interviews with emergency planners in all the District Health Boards (DHBs) in New Zealand in the period between January and March 2010. The interview protocol revolved around the domains of emergency planning adopted by the World Health Organization. Seventeen interviews were conducted. The main themes included disinterest of clinical personnel in emergency planning, the need for communication backup, the integration of private services in disaster preparedness, the value of volunteers, the requirement for regular disaster training, and the need to enhance surge capability of the New Zealand healthcare system to respond to disasters. Prior to the Canterbury earthquakes, healthcare disaster preparedness faced multiple challenges. Despite these challenges, New Zealand's healthcare response was adequate. Future preparedness has to consider the lessons learnt from the 2011 earthquakes to improve healthcare disaster planning in New Zealand.

The Application of the Haddon Matrix to Public Health Readiness and Response Planning

PubMed Central

Barnett, Daniel J.; Balicer, Ran D.; Blodgett, David; Fews, Ayanna L.; Parker, Cindy L.; Links, Jonathan M.

2005-01-01

State and local health departments continue to face unprecedented challenges in preparing for, recognizing, and responding to threats to the public’s health. The attacks of 11 September 2001 and the ensuing anthrax mailings of 2001 highlighted the public health readiness and response hurdles posed by intentionally caused injury and illness. At the same time, recent natural disasters have highlighted the need for comparable public health readiness and response capabilities. Public health readiness and response activities can be conceptualized similarly for intentional attacks, natural disasters, and human-caused accidents. Consistent with this view, the federal government has adopted the all-hazards response model as its fundamental paradigm. Adoption of this paradigm provides powerful improvements in efficiency and efficacy, because it reduces the need to create a complex family of situation-specific preparedness and response activities. However, in practice, public health preparedness requires additional models and tools to provide a framework to better understand and prioritize emergency readiness and response needs, as well as to facilitate solutions; this is particularly true at the local health department level. Here, we propose to extend the use of the Haddon matrix—a conceptual model used for more than two decades in injury prevention and response strategies—for this purpose. PMID:15866764

Emergence of transformation-tolerant representations of visual objects in rat lateral extrastriate cortex

PubMed Central

Tafazoli, Sina; Safaai, Houman; De Franceschi, Gioia; Rosselli, Federica Bianca; Vanzella, Walter; Riggi, Margherita; Buffolo, Federica; Panzeri, Stefano; Zoccolan, Davide

2017-01-01

Rodents are emerging as increasingly popular models of visual functions. Yet, evidence that rodent visual cortex is capable of advanced visual processing, such as object recognition, is limited. Here we investigate how neurons located along the progression of extrastriate areas that, in the rat brain, run laterally to primary visual cortex, encode object information. We found a progressive functional specialization of neural responses along these areas, with: (1) a sharp reduction of the amount of low-level, energy-related visual information encoded by neuronal firing; and (2) a substantial increase in the ability of both single neurons and neuronal populations to support discrimination of visual objects under identity-preserving transformations (e.g., position and size changes). These findings strongly argue for the existence of a rat object-processing pathway, and point to the rodents as promising models to dissect the neuronal circuitry underlying transformation-tolerant recognition of visual objects. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.7554/eLife.22794.001 PMID:28395730

The grateful are patient: Heightened daily gratitude is associated with attenuated temporal discounting.

PubMed

Dickens, Leah; DeSteno, David

2016-06-01

Past research has regularly linked the experience of affect to increased impatience and, thereby, decreased self-control. Given emerging work identifying the emotion gratitude as a fairly unique affective state capable of enhancing, rather than inhibiting, patience, the present study examined the association between chronically elevated gratitude and individual differences in temporal discounting. Participants' levels of gratitude were assessed in response to a standardized lab induction and then over a 3-week period prior to measurement of their financial patience in the form of an incentivized delay discounting task. Analyses revealed a strong relation between lab-based and naturally occurring gratitude levels, thereby confirming the validity of the daily online measures. Of import, mean levels of daily gratitude were significantly associated with increased patience in the form of decreased temporal discounting. As expected, no similar relation emerged for daily levels of happiness, thereby confirming the relative specificity of the positive state of gratitude. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).

A structural model of the VEGF signalling pathway: emergence of robustness and redundancy properties.

PubMed

Lignet, Floriane; Calvez, Vincent; Grenier, Emmanuel; Ribba, Benjamin

2013-02-01

The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is known as one of the main promoter of angiogenesis - the process of blood vessel formation. Angiogenesis has been recognized as a key stage for cancer development and metastasis. In this paper, we propose a structural model of the main molecular pathways involved in the endothelial cells response to VEGF stimuli. The model, built on qualitative information from knowledge databases, is composed of 38 ordinary differential equations with 78 parameters and focuses on the signalling driving endothelial cell proliferation, migration and resistance to apoptosis. Following a VEGF stimulus, the model predicts an increase of proliferation and migration capability, and a decrease in the apoptosis activity. Model simulations and sensitivity analysis highlight the emergence of robustness and redundancy properties of the pathway. If further calibrated and validated, this model could serve as tool to analyse and formulate new hypothesis on th e VEGF signalling cascade and its role in cancer development and treatment.

Essentials of disaster management: the role of the orthopaedic surgeon.

PubMed

Born, Christopher T; Monchik, Keith O; Hayda, Roman A; Bosse, Michael J; Pollak, Andrew N

2011-01-01

Disaster preparedness and management education is essential for allowing orthopaedic surgeons to play a valuable, constructive role in responding to disasters. The National Incident Management System, as part of the National Response Framework, provides coordination between all levels of government and uses the Incident Command System as its unified command structure. An "all-hazards" approach to disasters, whether natural, man-made, intentional, or unintentional, is fundamental to disaster planning. To respond to any disaster, command and control must be established, and emergency management must be integrated with public health and medical care. In the face of increasing acts of terrorism, an understanding of blast injury pathophysiology allows for improved diagnostic and treatment strategies. A practical understanding of potential biologic, chemical, and nuclear agents and their attendant clinical symptoms is also prerequisite. Credentialing and coordination between designated organizations and the federal government are essential to allow civilian orthopaedic surgeons to access systems capable of disaster response.

A new preparedness policy for EMS logistics.

PubMed

Lee, Seokcheon

2017-03-01

Response time in emergency medical services (EMS) is defined as the interval for an ambulance to arrive the scene after receipt of a 911 call. When several ambulances are available upon the receipt of a new call, a decision of selecting an ambulance has to be made in an effort to reduce response time. Dispatching the closest unit available is commonly used in practice; however, recently the Preparedness policy was designed that is in a simplistic form yet being capable of securing a long-term efficiency. This research aims to improve the Preparedness policy, resolving several critical issues inherent in the current form of the policy. The new Preparedness policy incorporates a new metric of preparedness based on the notion of centrality and involves a tuning parameter, weight on preparedness, which has to be appropriately chosen according to operational scenario. Computational experiment shows that the new policy significantly improves the former policy robustly in various scenarios.

Ultrafast optical switching of infrared plasmon polaritons in high-mobility graphene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ni, G. X.; Wang, L.; Goldflam, M. D.; Wagner, M.; Fei, Z.; McLeod, A. S.; Liu, M. K.; Keilmann, F.; Özyilmaz, B.; Castro Neto, A. H.; Hone, J.; Fogler, M. M.; Basov, D. N.

2016-04-01

The success of metal-based plasmonics for manipulating light at the nanoscale has been empowered by imaginative designs and advanced nano-fabrication. However, the fundamental optical and electronic properties of elemental metals, the prevailing plasmonic media, are difficult to alter using external stimuli. This limitation is particularly restrictive in applications that require modification of the plasmonic response at sub-picosecond timescales. This handicap has prompted the search for alternative plasmonic media, with graphene emerging as one of the most capable candidates for infrared wavelengths. Here we visualize and elucidate the properties of non-equilibrium photo-induced plasmons in a high-mobility graphene monolayer. We activate plasmons with femtosecond optical pulses in a specimen of graphene that otherwise lacks infrared plasmonic response at equilibrium. In combination with static nano-imaging results on plasmon propagation, our infrared pump-probe nano-spectroscopy investigation reveals new aspects of carrier relaxation in heterostructures based on high-purity graphene.

Responsible healthcare innovation: anticipatory governance of nanodiagnostics for theranostics medicine.

PubMed

Fisher, Erik; Boenink, Marianne; van der Burg, Simone; Woodbury, Neal

2012-11-01

Theranostics signals the integrated application of molecular diagnostics, therapeutic treatment and patient response monitoring. Such integration has hitherto neglected another crucial dimension: coproduction of theranostic scientific knowledge, novel technological development and broader sociopolitical systems whose boundaries are highly porous. Nanodiagnostics applications to theranostics are one of the most contested and potentially volatile postgenomics innovation trajectories as they build on past and current tensions and promises surrounding both nanotechnology and personalized medicine. Recent science policy research suggests that beneficial outcomes of innovations do not simply flow from the generation of scientific knowledge and technological capability in a linear or automatic fashion. Thus, attempts to offset public concerns about controversial emerging technologies by expert risk assurances can be unproductive. Anticipation provides a more robust basis for governance that supports genuine healthcare progress. This article presents a synthesis of novel policy approaches that directly inform theranostics medicine and the future(s) of postgenomics healthcare.

Gender and Hurricane Mitch: reconstructing subjectivities after disaster.

PubMed

Cupples, Julie

2007-06-01

Much of the gender and disaster literature calls for more gender-sensitive disaster relief and research by focusing on the ways in which women are more vulnerable in a disaster or on their unique capabilities as community leaders or natural resource managers, which are often overlooked or underutilised in emergency management strategies. As well as seeking to overcome the (strategic) essentialism that is part of these calls and debates, this paper pays closer attention to gender identity and subjectivity as these are constructed and reworked through the disaster process to highlight the complexities and contradictions associated with women's responses to a disaster. This focus, while crucial to gaining a deeper understanding of the gendered dimensions of disaster, also complicates attempts to create more gender-sensitive frameworks for disaster response. It draws on qualitative research conducted with a number of women in the wake of Hurricane Mitch (1998) in Nicaragua.

Distributed virtual environment for emergency medical training

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Stytz, Martin R.; Banks, Sheila B.; Garcia, Brian W.; Godsell-Stytz, Gayl M.

1997-07-01

In many professions where individuals must work in a team in a high stress environment to accomplish a time-critical task, individual and team performance can benefit from joint training using distributed virtual environments (DVEs). One professional field that lacks but needs a high-fidelity team training environment is the field of emergency medicine. Currently, emergency department (ED) medical personnel train by using words to create a metal picture of a situation for the physician and staff, who then cooperate to solve the problems portrayed by the word picture. The need in emergency medicine for realistic virtual team training is critical because ED staff typically encounter rarely occurring but life threatening situations only once in their careers and because ED teams currently have no realistic environment in which to practice their team skills. The resulting lack of experience and teamwork makes diagnosis and treatment more difficult. Virtual environment based training has the potential to redress these shortfalls. The objective of our research is to develop a state-of-the-art virtual environment for emergency medicine team training. The virtual emergency room (VER) allows ED physicians and medical staff to realistically prepare for emergency medical situations by performing triage, diagnosis, and treatment on virtual patients within an environment that provides them with the tools they require and the team environment they need to realistically perform these three tasks. There are several issues that must be addressed before this vision is realized. The key issues deal with distribution of computations; the doctor and staff interface to the virtual patient and ED equipment; the accurate simulation of individual patient organs' response to injury, medication, and treatment; and an accurate modeling of the symptoms and appearance of the patient while maintaining a real-time interaction capability. Our ongoing work addresses all of these issues. In this paper we report on our prototype VER system and its distributed system architecture for an emergency department distributed virtual environment for emergency medical staff training. The virtual environment enables emergency department physicians and staff to develop their diagnostic and treatment skills using the virtual tools they need to perform diagnostic and treatment tasks. Virtual human imagery, and real-time virtual human response are used to create the virtual patient and present a scenario. Patient vital signs are available to the emergency department team as they manage the virtual case. The work reported here consists of the system architectures we developed for the distributed components of the virtual emergency room. The architectures we describe consist of the network level architecture as well as the software architecture for each actor within the virtual emergency room. We describe the role of distributed interactive simulation and other enabling technologies within the virtual emergency room project.

78 FR 73872 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request; Logistics...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-09

..., and tribal entities to evaluate their current disaster logistics readiness, identify areas for...; Logistics Capability Assistance Tool (LCAT) AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Notice... Reduction Act of 1995, this notice seeks comments concerning the Logistics Capability Assistance Tool (LCAT...

Capabilities for Clinical Management of Radiation Injuries of the Nikiforov Russian Center of Emergency and Radiation Medicine (EMERCOM of Russia).

PubMed

Aleksanin, S

2016-09-01

This article presents an overview of the capabilities for clinical management of radiation injuries available at the Nikiforov Russian Center of Emergency and Radiation Medicine (NRCERM) of the Ministry of the Russian Federation for Civil Defense, Emergencies and Elimination of Consequences of Natural Disasters (EMERCOM). NRCERM is a federal state budgetary institution and the Russian Federation's head organization for providing medical assistance for persons overexposed to ionizing radiation, responders to radiation emergencies and people evacuated from radiation contaminated areas. As the WHO Collaborating Center for Treatment and Rehabilitation of Accident Recovery Workers of Nuclear and Other Disasters and a member of the WHO Radiation Emergency Medical Preparedness and Assistance Network (REMPAN), NRCERM is prepared to provide assistance and technical support in case of a radiation accident. For this purpose, NRCERM hospitals are equipped with technologically advanced facilities and possess well-trained specialist staff. © World Health Organisation 2016. All rights reserved. The World Health Organization has granted Oxford University Press permission for the reproduction of this article.

44 CFR 360.1 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Purpose. The Emergency Management Training Program is designed to enhance the States' emergency management... give States the opportunity to develop new capabilities and techniques. The Program is an ongoing intergovernmental endeavor which combines financial and human resources to fill the unique training needs of local...

44 CFR 360.1 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Purpose. The Emergency Management Training Program is designed to enhance the States' emergency management... give States the opportunity to develop new capabilities and techniques. The Program is an ongoing intergovernmental endeavor which combines financial and human resources to fill the unique training needs of local...

International Collaboration in Satellite Observations for Disaster Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Duda, Kenneth A.; Abrams, Michael

2012-01-01

When lives are threatened or lost due to catastrophic disasters, and when massive financial impacts are experienced, international emergency response teams rapidly mobilize to provide urgently required support. Satellite observations of affected areas often provide essential insight into the magnitude and details of the impacts. The large cost and high complexity of developing and operating satellite flight and ground systems encourages international collaboration in acquiring imagery for such significant global events in order to speed delivery of critical information to help those affected, and optimize spectral, spatial, and temporal coverage of the areas of interest. The International Charter-Space and Major Disasters was established to enable such collaboration in sensor tasking during times of crisis and is often activated in response to calls for assistance from authorized users. Insight is provided from a U.S. perspective into sensor support for Charter activations and other disaster events through a description of the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER), which has been used to support emergency situations for over a decade through its expedited tasking and near real-time data delivery capabilities. Examples of successes achieved and challenges encountered in international collaboration to develop related systems and fulfill tasking requests suggest operational considerations for new missions as well as areas for future enhancements.

Nonlinear dynamics of team performance and adaptability in emergency response.

PubMed

Guastello, Stephen J

2010-04-01

The impact of team size and performance feedback on adaptation levels and performance of emergency response (ER) teams was examined to introduce a metric for quantifying adaptation levels based on nonlinear dynamical systems (NDS) theory. NDS principles appear in reports surrounding Hurricane Katrina, earthquakes, floods, a disease epidemic, and the Southeast Asian tsunami. They are also intrinsic to coordination within teams, adaptation levels, and performance in dynamic decision processes. Performance was measured in a dynamic decision task in which ER teams of different sizes worked against an attacker who was trying to destroy a city (total N = 225 undergraduates). The complexity of teams' and attackers' adaptation strategies and the role of the opponents' performance were assessed by nonlinear regression analysis. An optimal group size for team performance was identified. Teams were more readily influenced by the attackers' performance than vice versa. The adaptive capabilities of attackers and teams were impaired by their opponents in some conditions. ER teams should be large enough to contribute a critical mass of ideas but not so large that coordination would be compromised. ER teams used self-organized strategies that could have been more adaptive, whereas attackers used chaotic strategies. The model and results are applicable to ER processes or training maneuvers involving dynamic decisions but could be limited to nonhierarchical groups.

Antisense therapy and emerging applications for the management of dyslipidemia.

PubMed

Toth, Peter P

2011-01-01

Because a significant percentage of patients who require high-dose statin therapy for dyslipidemia experience treatment-related muscle symptoms and an inconsistent clinical response, alternative or adjunctive approaches to the management of dyslipidemia are needed. One alternative approach, antisense therapy, may offer an effective and well-tolerated option for patients not satisfactorily responsive to or intolerant to standard pharmacologic dyslipidemia therapies. This review provides an overview of antisense technology and its potential role in the management of dyslipidemia. Source material was obtained primarily from the published literature identified through a search of the PubMed database. Antisense technology is an evolving approach to therapy that has gone through a series of refinements to enhance molecular stability, potency, and tolerability. Mipomersen is an antisense molecule capable of producing clinically meaningful reductions in low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in patients with severe familial hypercholesterolemia. Further long-term clinical studies are required to more clearly quantify its impact on risk for cardiovascular events and establish whether it increases risk for hepatosteatosis. Antisense therapy represents a potentially effective and well-tolerated emerging treatment modality for numerous diseases. In the treatment of hypercholesterolemia, the antisense therapy mipomersen may provide a possible treatment option for patients with treatment-resistant dyslipidemia. Copyright © 2011 National Lipid Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

ASTER satellite observations for international disaster management

USGS Publications Warehouse

Duda, K.A.; Abrams, M.

2012-01-01

When lives are threatened or lost due to catastrophic disasters, and when massive financial impacts are experienced, international emergency response teams rapidly mobilize to provide urgently required support. Satellite observations of affected areas often provide essential insight into the magnitude and details of the impacts. The large cost and high complexity of developing and operating satellite flight and ground systems encourages international collaboration in acquiring imagery for such significant global events in order to speed delivery of critical information to help those affected, and optimize spectral, spatial, and temporal coverage of the areas of interest. The International Charter-Space and Major Disasters was established to enable such collaboration in sensor tasking during times of crisis and is often activated in response to calls for assistance from authorized users. Insight is provided from a U.S. perspective into sensor support for Charter activations and other disaster events through a description of the Advanced Spaceborne Thermal Emission and Reflection Radiometer (ASTER), which has been used to support emergency situations for over a decade through its expedited tasking and near real-time data delivery capabilities. Examples of successes achieved and challenges encountered in international collaboration to develop related systems and fulfill tasking requests suggest operational considerations for new missions as well as areas for future enhancements.

Emerging CFD Capabilities and Outlook: A NASA Langley Perspective

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Biedron, Robert T.; Pao, S. Paul; Thomas, James L.

2004-01-01

COMSAC goals include increasing the acceptance of CFD as a viable tool for S&C predictions, as well as to focus CFD development and improvement towards the needs of the S&C community. We view this as a symbiotic relationship, with increasing improvement of CFD promoting increasing acceptance by the S&C community, and increasing acceptance spurring further improvements. In this presentation we want to provide an overview for the non CFD expert of current CFD strengths and weaknesses, as well as to highlight a few emerging capabilities that we feel will lead toward increased usefulness in S&C applications.

NASA SensorWeb and OGC Standards for Disaster Management

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mandl, Dan

2010-01-01

I. Goal: Enable user to cost-effectively find and create customized data products to help manage disasters; a) On-demand; b) Low cost and non-specialized tools such as Google Earth and browsers; c) Access via open network but with sufficient security. II. Use standards to interface various sensors and resultant data: a) Wrap sensors in Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC) standards; b) Wrap data processing algorithms and servers with OGC standards c) Use standardized workflows to orchestrate and script the creation of these data; products. III. Target Web 2.0 mass market: a) Make it simple and easy to use; b) Leverage new capabilities and tools that are emerging; c) Improve speed and responsiveness.

Modeling and Visualizing Flow of Chemical Agents Across Complex Terrain

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kao, David; Kramer, Marc; Chaderjian, Neal

2005-01-01

Release of chemical agents across complex terrain presents a real threat to homeland security. Modeling and visualization tools are being developed that capture flow fluid terrain interaction as well as point dispersal downstream flow paths. These analytic tools when coupled with UAV atmospheric observations provide predictive capabilities to allow for rapid emergency response as well as developing a comprehensive preemptive counter-threat evacuation plan. The visualization tools involve high-end computing and massive parallel processing combined with texture mapping. We demonstrate our approach across a mountainous portion of North California under two contrasting meteorological conditions. Animations depicting flow over this geographical location provide immediate assistance in decision support and crisis management.

Transport and Dispersion Model Predictions of Elevated Source Tracer Experiments in the Copenhagen Area: Comparisons of Hazard Prediction and Assessment Capability (HPAC) and National Atmospheric Release Advisory Center (NARAC) Emergency Response Model Predictions

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-07-01

Blue --) and NARAC (Red -) for two elevated releases ( MvM 3 and MvM 15) considered in the model-to-model study [2]. MvM 3 was a gas release (SF6...carried out under stable conditions with a boundary layer height of 100 m and release height of 80 m, while MvM 15 was a particle release carried out...release scenarios: MvM 3 at 30 and 60 Minutes and MvM 15 at 120 and 180 minutes. Each release shows significant NARAC underpredictions with

Volumetric soft tissue brain imaging on xCAT, a mobile flat-panel x-ray CT system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zbijewski, Wojciech; Stayman, J. Webster

2009-02-01

We discuss the ongoing development of soft-tissue imaging capabilities on xCAT, a highly portable, flat-panel based cone-beam X-ray CT platform. By providing the ability to rapidly detect intra-cranial bleeds and other symptoms of stroke directly at the patient's bedside, our new system can potentially significantly improve the management of neurological emergency and intensive care patients. The paper reports on the design of our system, as well as on the methods used to combat artifacts due to scatter, non-linear detector response and scintillator glare. Images of cadaveric head samples are also presented and compared with conventional CT scans.

tDNA insulators and the emerging role of TFIIIC in genome organization

PubMed Central

Van Bortle, Kevin; Corces, Victor G.

2012-01-01

Recent findings provide evidence that tDNAs function as chromatin insulators from yeast to humans. TFIIIC, a transcription factor that interacts with the B-box in tDNAs as well as thousands of ETC sites in the genome, is responsible for insulator function. Though tDNAs are capable of enhancer-blocking and barrier activities for which insulators are defined, new insights into the relationship between insulators and chromatin structure suggest that TFIIIC serves a complex role in genome organization. We review the role of tRNA genes and TFIIIC as chromatin insulators, and highlight recent findings that have broadened our understanding of insulators in genome biology. PMID:22889843

The Student Volunteer Army: a 'repeat emergent' emergency response organisation.

PubMed

Carlton, Sally; Mills, Colleen E

2017-10-01

This paper seeks to contribute to understanding of the factors associated with an effective emergent emergency response organisation and to provide new insights into this understudied area. It examines, through an analysis of a range of textual resources, the emergence and re-emergence of the Student Volunteer Army (SVA) during the devastating earthquakes in Canterbury, New Zealand, in 2010-11. This evaluation is conducted in relation to the four key features of an effective emergency response organisation: adaptability; direction; leadership; and communication. In addition, the paper aims to further understanding of 'emergency entrepreneurship' and thus of the values and strategies that underpin social entrepreneur organisations in times of normalcy. The paper concludes that the unique position of the SVA as a 'repeat emergent' emergency response organisation enabled it to innovate continually and to improve repeatedly its systems, relationships, and image, such that it exhibited features common to emergent and established emergency response organisations. © 2017 The Author(s). Disasters © Overseas Development Institute, 2017.

40 CFR 300.215 - Title III local emergency response plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... should be closely coordinated with applicable federal ACPs and state emergency response plans. (b... POLLUTION CONTINGENCY PLAN Planning and Preparedness § 300.215 Title III local emergency response plans... are codified at 40 CFR part 355. (a) Each LEPC is to prepare an emergency response plan in accordance...

40 CFR 300.215 - Title III local emergency response plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... should be closely coordinated with applicable federal ACPs and state emergency response plans. (b... POLLUTION CONTINGENCY PLAN Planning and Preparedness § 300.215 Title III local emergency response plans... are codified at 40 CFR part 355. (a) Each LEPC is to prepare an emergency response plan in accordance...

40 CFR 300.215 - Title III local emergency response plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... should be closely coordinated with applicable federal ACPs and state emergency response plans. (b... POLLUTION CONTINGENCY PLAN Planning and Preparedness § 300.215 Title III local emergency response plans... are codified at 40 CFR part 355. (a) Each LEPC is to prepare an emergency response plan in accordance...

29 CFR 2700.24 - Emergency response plan dispute proceedings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 29 Labor 9 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Emergency response plan dispute proceedings. 2700.24... COMMISSION PROCEDURAL RULES Contests of Citations and Orders § 2700.24 Emergency response plan dispute... operator's emergency response plan, or any refusal by the Secretary to approve such a plan. Any referral...

29 CFR 2700.24 - Emergency response plan dispute proceedings.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 29 Labor 9 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Emergency response plan dispute proceedings. 2700.24... COMMISSION PROCEDURAL RULES Contests of Citations and Orders § 2700.24 Emergency response plan dispute... operator's emergency response plan, or any refusal by the Secretary to approve such a plan. Any referral...

40 CFR 300.215 - Title III local emergency response plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... should be closely coordinated with applicable federal ACPs and state emergency response plans. (b... POLLUTION CONTINGENCY PLAN Planning and Preparedness § 300.215 Title III local emergency response plans... are codified at 40 CFR part 355. (a) Each LEPC is to prepare an emergency response plan in accordance...

40 CFR 300.215 - Title III local emergency response plans.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... should be closely coordinated with applicable federal ACPs and state emergency response plans. (b... POLLUTION CONTINGENCY PLAN Planning and Preparedness § 300.215 Title III local emergency response plans... are codified at 40 CFR part 355. (a) Each LEPC is to prepare an emergency response plan in accordance...

Beyond the Horizon: Developing Future Airpower Strategy

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-01-01

is or becomes more capable, then it is further evidence the USAF failed to proactively usher in these emerging and vital airpower capabilities...USAF airpower. 9. USAF chief of staff, Gen Norton Schwartz, 2009, offered in numerous speeches. 10. Carl H. Builder, The Icarus Syndrome : The Role of

ASM LabCap's contributions to disease surveillance and the International Health Regulations (2005).

PubMed

Specter, Steven; Schuermann, Lily; Hakiruwizera, Celestin; Sow, Mah-Séré Keita

2010-12-03

The revised International Health Regulations [IHR(2005)], which requires the Member States of the World Health Organization (WHO) to develop core capacities to detect, assess, report, and respond to public health threats, is bringing new challenges for national and international surveillance systems. As more countries move toward implementation and/or strengthening of their infectious disease surveillance programs, the strengthening of clinical microbiology laboratories becomes increasingly important because they serve as the first line responders to detect new and emerging microbial threats, re-emerging infectious diseases, the spread of antibiotic resistance, and the possibility of bioterrorism. In fact, IHR(2005) Core Capacity #8, "Laboratory", requires that laboratory services be a part of every phase of alert and response.Public health laboratories in many resource-constrained countries require financial and technical assistance to build their capacity. In recognition of this, in 2006, the American Society for Microbiology (ASM) established an International Laboratory Capacity Building Program, LabCap, housed under the ASM International Board. ASM LabCap utilizes ASM's vast resources and its membership's expertise-40,000 microbiologists worldwide-to strengthen clinical and public health laboratory systems in low and low-middle income countries. ASM LabCap's program activities align with HR(2005) by building the capability of resource-constrained countries to develop quality-assured, laboratory-based information which is critical to disease surveillance and the rapid detection of disease outbreaks, whether they stem from natural, deliberate or accidental causes.ASM LabCap helps build laboratory capacity under a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and under a sub-contract with the Program for Appropriate Technology in Health (PATH) funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Successful activities of ASM LabCap have occurred throughout Africa, Asia, Central America and the Caribbean. In addition, ASM LabCap coordinates efforts with international agencies such as the WHO in order to maximize resources and ensure a unified response, with the intended goal to help build integrated disease surveillance and response capabilities worldwide in compliance with HR(2005)'s requirements.

ELER software - a new tool for urban earthquake loss assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hancilar, U.; Tuzun, C.; Yenidogan, C.; Erdik, M.

2010-12-01

Rapid loss estimation after potentially damaging earthquakes is critical for effective emergency response and public information. A methodology and software package, ELER-Earthquake Loss Estimation Routine, for rapid estimation of earthquake shaking and losses throughout the Euro-Mediterranean region was developed under the Joint Research Activity-3 (JRA3) of the EC FP6 Project entitled "Network of Research Infrastructures for European Seismology-NERIES". Recently, a new version (v2.0) of ELER software has been released. The multi-level methodology developed is capable of incorporating regional variability and uncertainty originating from ground motion predictions, fault finiteness, site modifications, inventory of physical and social elements subjected to earthquake hazard and the associated vulnerability relationships. Although primarily intended for quasi real-time estimation of earthquake shaking and losses, the routine is also equally capable of incorporating scenario-based earthquake loss assessments. This paper introduces the urban earthquake loss assessment module (Level 2) of the ELER software which makes use of the most detailed inventory databases of physical and social elements at risk in combination with the analytical vulnerability relationships and building damage-related casualty vulnerability models for the estimation of building damage and casualty distributions, respectively. Spectral capacity-based loss assessment methodology and its vital components are presented. The analysis methods of the Level 2 module, i.e. Capacity Spectrum Method (ATC-40, 1996), Modified Acceleration-Displacement Response Spectrum Method (FEMA 440, 2005), Reduction Factor Method (Fajfar, 2000) and Coefficient Method (ASCE 41-06, 2006), are applied to the selected building types for validation and verification purposes. The damage estimates are compared to the results obtained from the other studies available in the literature, i.e. SELENA v4.0 (Molina et al., 2008) and ATC-55 (Yang, 2005). An urban loss assessment exercise for a scenario earthquake for the city of Istanbul is conducted and physical and social losses are presented. Damage to the urban environment is compared to the results obtained from similar software, i.e. KOERILoss (KOERI, 2002) and DBELA (Crowley et al., 2004). The European rapid loss estimation tool is expected to help enable effective emergency response, on both local and global level, as well as public information.

The interns' learning assessment in obstetrics and gynecology department of Zahedan University of Medical Sciences.

PubMed

Roudbari, Masoud; Yaghmaei, Minoo

2007-09-01

One of the aims of management priorities in medical universities is the evaluation of learning in educational departments in order to prevent educational retardation and to improve the quality of education. The aim of this study was to evaluate the interns' learning in the obstetrics and gynecology (O&G) department at Zahedan University of Medical Sciences (ZUMS). The study was performed in ZUMS, Iran, in 2002-2003 on all interns at the O&G department, including 30 men and 40 women. For data collection, a questionnaire was used and included some questions regarding the common emergencies and diseases in O&G, together with different learning indicators such as reading, observation, hearing, management, and the capability of management. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, tables, t test, and chi-square test using the SPSS software. The mean percentages of learning indicators of observation, bedside teaching, supervised management, and personal management in the common emergencies and diseases of O&G in male interns were significantly lower than those in female interns. Also, the mean percentages of managing capabilities were 12% and 70.5% in common emergencies and 14.2% and 59.3% in common diseases for male and female interns, respectively. The chi-square test showed a significant difference between the mean percentages of the managing capabilities in male and female interns for the majority of the common emergencies and diseases. Also, the chi-square test revealed a significant relationship between the learning indicators and the interns' managing capabilities for common emergencies and diseases. Some learning indicators in the male interns were very low. This needs urgent improvement of the learning quality in the O&G department, especially for the male interns, particularly those who are supposed to work in the deprived areas of the country after graduation in the public service.

Public Health Responses to a Dengue Outbreak in a Fragile State: A Case Study of Nepal

PubMed Central

Griffiths, Karolina; Banjara, Megha Raj; O'Dempsey, T.; Munslow, B.; Kroeger, Axel

2013-01-01

Objectives. The number of countries reporting dengue cases is increasing worldwide. Nepal saw its first dengue outbreak in 2010, with 96% of cases reported in three districts. There are numerous policy challenges to providing an effective public health response system in a fragile state. This paper evaluates the dengue case notification, surveillance, laboratory facilities, intersectoral collaboration, and how government and community services responded to the outbreak. Methods. Qualitative data were collected through 20 in-depth interviews, with key stakeholders, and two focus-group discussions, with seven participants. Results. Limitations of case recognition included weak diagnostic facilities and private hospitals not incorporated into the case reporting system. Research on vectors was weak, with no virological surveillance. Limitations of outbreak response included poor coordination and an inadequate budget. There was good community mobilization and emergency response but no routine vector control. Conclusions. A weak state has limited response capabilities. Disease surveillance and response plans need to be country-specific and consider state response capacity and the level of endemicity. Two feasible solutions for Nepal are (1) go upwards to regional collaboration for disease and vector surveillance, laboratory assistance, and staff training; (2) go downwards to expand upon community mobilisation, ensuring that vector control is anticipatory to outbreaks. PMID:23690789

Utilization of military support in the response to hurricane Marilyn: implications for future military-civilian cooperation.

PubMed

Weddle, M; Prado-Monje, H

1999-01-01

The past decade has been a period of evolution for the Federal disaster response system within the United States. Two domestic hurricanes were pivotal events that influenced the methods used for organizing Federal disaster assistance. The lessons of Hurricane Hugo (1989) and Hurricane Andrew (1992) were incorporated into the successful response to Hurricane Marilyn in the U.S. Virgin Islands in 1995. Following each of these storms, the Department of Defense was a major component of the response by the health sector. Despite progress in many areas, lack of clear communication between military and civilian managers and confusion among those requesting Department of Defense health resources may remain as obstacles to rapid response. This discussion is based on an unpublished case report utilizing interviews with military and civilian managers involved in the Hurricane Marilyn response. The findings suggest that out-of-channel pathways normally utilized in the warning and emergency phase of the response remained operational after more formal civilian-military communication pathways and local assessment capability had been established. It is concluded that delays may be avoided if the system in place was to make all active pathways for the request and validation of military resources visible to the designated Federal managers located within the area of operations.

Emergency Response of Iranian Hospitals Against Disasters: A Practical Framework for Improvement.

PubMed

Janati, Ali; Sadeghi-Bazargani, Homayoun; Hasanpoor, Edris; Sokhanvar, Mobin; HaghGoshyie, Elaheh; Salehi, Abdollah

2018-04-01

Hospital emergency management is a continuous process that requires monolithic integration of planning and response attempts with local and national schemes. The aim of the current study is to evaluate emergency response by hospitals against potential disasters in Tabriz, north-west Iran. A cross-sectional study was conducted in the city of Tabriz, in Iran, in 2016. The study population included all hospitals in Tabriz. A total of 18 hospitals were assessed. The hospital emergency response checklist was used to collect data. Tool components included command and control, communication, safety and security, triage, surge capacity, continuity of essential services, human resources, logistics and supply management, and post-disaster recovery. Data entry and analysis were carried out using SPSS software (version 20). The results showed that the emergency response rate of hospitals was 54.26% in Tabriz. The lowest response rates were for Shafaa hospital (18.89%) and the highest response rates were for Razi Hospital (91.67%). The components of hospital emergency response were assessed to be between 48.07% (surge capacity) and 58.95% (communication). On the basis of the World Health Organization checklist, the emergency response rate for hospitals in Tabriz was only 54.26%. Therefore, hospital emergency responses against disasters have to be improved and must be made to reach 100%. It is essential to design a comprehensive framework for hospital emergency response. (Disaster Med Public Health Preparedness. 2018;12:166-171).

Lessons from SARS in an age of emerging infections.

PubMed

Ooi, Peng L I M; Lim, S; Tham, K W

2006-01-01

SARS, the first pandemic of this century, commanded the world's attention and required public health actions at the national and international levels. In an age of emerging infections, the lessons learnt from combating SARS can be used to improve our preparedness capabilities in three key areas to effectively tackle a public health emergency of international concern. The first area is in outbreak alert, which encompasses use of surveillance to detect, assess, notify and report events involving death or disease, and share information widely to enable proper risk assessment. The system must able to build up a comprehensive picture with appropriate warning for zoonotic diseases, environmental health and food safety. The second area is in public health response. In the event of an outbreak alert, the authorities must be able to quickly investigate cases/deaths and institute comprehensive control measures to break the chain of transmission. Protection of healthcare workers and reducing the opportunities for spread of infection through contact tracing and quarantine are important. The third area is in international health. This comprises health requirements for inbound and outbound travellers at the border checkpoints and global information exchange to mitigate the risks of travel abroad. Extrapolating these lessons to a wider public health context, our rapidly changing global infectious diseases situation mandates that we evaluate all available public health tools and build institutional capacity to effectively manage emerging infections.

Overview of the program to assess the reliability of emerging nondestructive techniques open testing and study of flaw type effect on NDE response

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyer, Ryan M.; Komura, Ichiro; Kim, Kyung-cho; Zetterwall, Tommy; Cumblidge, Stephen E.; Prokofiev, Iouri

2016-02-01

In February 2012, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) executed agreements with VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, Nuclear Regulatory Authority of Japan (NRA, former JNES), Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety (KINS), Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM), and Swiss Federal Nuclear Safety Inspectorate (ENSI) to establish the Program to Assess the Reliability of Emerging Nondestructive Techniques (PARENT). The goal of PARENT is to investigate the effectiveness of current emerging and perspective novel nondestructive examination procedures and techniques to find flaws in nickel-alloy welds and base materials. This is done by conducting a series of open and blind international round-robin tests on a set of large-bore dissimilar metal welds (LBDMW), small-bore dissimilar metal welds (SBDMW), and bottom-mounted instrumentation (BMI) penetration weld test blocks. The purpose of blind testing is to study the reliability of more established techniques and included only qualified teams and procedures. The purpose of open testing is aimed at a more basic capability assessment of emerging and novel technologies. The range of techniques applied in open testing varied with respect to maturity and performance uncertainty and were applied to a variety of simulated flaws. This paper will include a brief overview of the PARENT blind and open testing techniques and test blocks and present some of the blind testing results.

Modeling the nitrogen cycle one gene at a time

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coles, V.; Stukel, M. R.; Hood, R. R.; Moran, M. A.; Paul, J. H.; Satinsky, B.; Zielinski, B.; Yager, P. L.

2016-02-01

Marine ecosystem models are lagging the revolution in microbial oceanography. As a result, modeling of the nitrogen cycle has largely failed to leverage new genomic information on nitrogen cycling pathways and the organisms that mediate them. We developed a nitrogen based ecosystem model whose community is determined by randomly assigning functional genes to build each organism's "DNA". Microbes are assigned a size that sets their baseline environmental responses using allometric response curves. These responses are modified by the costs and benefits conferred by each gene in an organism's genome. The microbes are embedded in a general circulation model where environmental conditions shape the emergent population. This model is used to explore whether organisms constructed from randomized combinations of metabolic capability alone can self-organize to create realistic oceanic biogeochemical gradients. Community size spectra and chlorophyll-a concentrations emerge in the model with reasonable fidelity to observations. The model is run repeatedly with randomly-generated microbial communities and each time realistic gradients in community size spectra, chlorophyll-a, and forms of nitrogen develop. This supports the hypothesis that the metabolic potential of a community rather than the realized species composition is the primary factor setting vertical and horizontal environmental gradients. Vertical distributions of nitrogen and transcripts for genes involved in nitrification are broadly consistent with observations. Modeled gene and transcript abundance for nitrogen cycling and processing of land-derived organic material match observations along the extreme gradients in the Amazon River plume, and they help to explain the factors controlling observed variability.

14 CFR 139.325 - Airport emergency plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

..., including a communications network; (2) Contain sufficient detail to provide adequate guidance to each... expected to serve; (2) The name, location, telephone number, and emergency capability of each hospital and other medical facility and the business address and telephone number of medical personnel on the airport...

An Approach to Command and Control Using Emerging Technologies

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-06-01

communicating in disadvantaged networks like fielded tactical radio networks. With the emergence and proliferation of new tactical radios capable of...undesirable, particularly on disadvantaged radio links, so in the return CoT message HTTP links are provided so the client may download the chips

Simulation of Healing Threshold in Strain-Induced Inflammation Through a Discrete Informatics Model.

PubMed

Ibrahim, Israr Bin M; Sarma O V, Sanjay; Pidaparti, Ramana M

2018-05-01

Respiratory diseases such as asthma and acute respiratory distress syndrome as well as acute lung injury involve inflammation at the cellular level. The inflammation process is very complex and is characterized by the emergence of cytokines along with other changes in cellular processes. Due to the complexity of the various constituents that makes up the inflammation dynamics, it is necessary to develop models that can complement experiments to fully understand inflammatory diseases. In this study, we developed a discrete informatics model based on cellular automata (CA) approach to investigate the influence of elastic field (stretch/strain) on the dynamics of inflammation and account for probabilistic adaptation based on statistical interpretation of existing experimental data. Our simulation model investigated the effects of low, medium, and high strain conditions on inflammation dynamics. Results suggest that the model is able to indicate the threshold of innate healing of tissue as a response to strain experienced by the tissue. When strain is under the threshold, the tissue is still capable of adapting its structure to heal the damaged part. However, there exists a strain threshold where healing capability breaks down. The results obtained demonstrate that the developed discrete informatics based CA model is capable of modeling and giving insights into inflammation dynamics parameters under various mechanical strain/stretch environments.

Applying the 15 Public Health Emergency Preparedness Capabilities to Support Large-Scale Tuberculosis Investigations in Complex Congregate Settings

PubMed Central

Toren, Katelynne Gardner; Elsenboss, Carina; Narita, Masahiro

2017-01-01

Public Health—Seattle and King County, a metropolitan health department in western Washington, experiences rates of tuberculosis (TB) that are 1.6 times higher than are state and national averages. The department’s TB Control Program uses public health emergency management tools and capabilities sustained with Centers for Disease Control and Prevention grant funding to manage large-scale complex case investigations. We have described 3 contact investigations in large congregate settings that the TB Control Program conducted in 2015 and 2016. The program managed the investigations using public health emergency management tools, with support from the Preparedness Program. The 3 investigations encompassed medical evaluation of more than 1600 people, used more than 100 workers, identified nearly 30 individuals with latent TB infection, and prevented an estimated 3 cases of active disease. These incidents exemplify how investments in public health emergency preparedness can enhance health outcomes in traditional areas of public health. PMID:28892445

State Regulation Of Freestanding Emergency Departments Varies Widely, Affecting Location, Growth, And Services Provided.

PubMed

Gutierrez, Catherine; Lindor, Rachel A; Baker, Olesya; Cutler, David; Schuur, Jeremiah D

2016-10-01

Freestanding emergency departments (EDs), which offer emergency medical care at sites separate from hospitals, are a rapidly growing alternative to traditional hospital-based EDs. We evaluated state regulations of freestanding EDs and describe their effect on the EDs' location, staffing, and services. As of December 2015, thirty-two states collectively had 400 freestanding EDs. Twenty-one states had regulations that allowed freestanding EDs, and twenty-nine states did not have regulations that applied specifically to such EDs (one state had hospital regulations that precluded them). State policies regarding freestanding EDs varied widely, with no standard requirements for location, staffing patterns, or clinical capabilities. States requiring freestanding EDs to have a certificate of need had fewer of such EDs per capita than states without such a requirement. For patients to better understand the capabilities and costs of freestanding EDs and to be able to choose the most appropriate site of emergency care, consistent state regulation of freestanding EDs is needed. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

Developing a 'personalome' for precision medicine: emerging methods that compute interpretable effect sizes from single-subject transcriptomes.

PubMed

Vitali, Francesca; Li, Qike; Schissler, A Grant; Berghout, Joanne; Kenost, Colleen; Lussier, Yves A

2017-12-18

The development of computational methods capable of analyzing -omics data at the individual level is critical for the success of precision medicine. Although unprecedented opportunities now exist to gather data on an individual's -omics profile ('personalome'), interpreting and extracting meaningful information from single-subject -omics remain underdeveloped, particularly for quantitative non-sequence measurements, including complete transcriptome or proteome expression and metabolite abundance. Conventional bioinformatics approaches have largely been designed for making population-level inferences about 'average' disease processes; thus, they may not adequately capture and describe individual variability. Novel approaches intended to exploit a variety of -omics data are required for identifying individualized signals for meaningful interpretation. In this review-intended for biomedical researchers, computational biologists and bioinformaticians-we survey emerging computational and translational informatics methods capable of constructing a single subject's 'personalome' for predicting clinical outcomes or therapeutic responses, with an emphasis on methods that provide interpretable readouts. (i) the single-subject analytics of the transcriptome shows the greatest development to date and, (ii) the methods were all validated in simulations, cross-validations or independent retrospective data sets. This survey uncovers a growing field that offers numerous opportunities for the development of novel validation methods and opens the door for future studies focusing on the interpretation of comprehensive 'personalomes' through the integration of multiple -omics, providing valuable insights into individual patient outcomes and treatments. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press.

Real-Time Surveillance of Infectious Diseases: Taiwan's Experience.

PubMed

Jian, Shu-Wan; Chen, Chiu-Mei; Lee, Cheng-Yi; Liu, Ding-Ping

Integration of multiple surveillance systems advances early warning and supports better decision making during infectious disease events. Taiwan has a comprehensive network of laboratory, epidemiologic, and early warning surveillance systems with nationwide representation. Hospitals and clinical laboratories have deployed automatic reporting mechanisms since 2014 and have effectively improved timeliness of infectious disease and laboratory data reporting. In June 2016, the capacity of real-time surveillance in Taiwan was externally assessed and was found to have a demonstrated and sustainable capability. We describe Taiwan's disease surveillance system and use surveillance efforts for influenza and Zika virus as examples of surveillance capability. Timely and integrated influenza information showed a higher level and extended pattern of influenza activity during the 2015-16 season, which ensured prompt information dissemination and the coordination of response operations. Taiwan also has well-developed disease detection systems and was the first country to report imported cases of Zika virus from Miami Beach and Singapore. This illustrates a high level of awareness and willingness among health workers to report emerging infectious diseases, and highlights the robust and sensitive nature of Taiwan's surveillance system. These 2 examples demonstrate the flexibility of the surveillance systems in Taiwan to adapt to emerging infectious diseases and major communicable diseases. Through participation in the GHSA, Taiwan can more actively collaborate with national counterparts and use its expertise to strengthen global and regional surveillance capacity in the Asia Pacific and in Southeast Asia, in order to advance a world safe and secure from infectious disease.

Real-Time Surveillance of Infectious Diseases: Taiwan's Experience

PubMed Central

Jian, Shu-Wan; Chen, Chiu-Mei; Lee, Cheng-Yi

2017-01-01

Integration of multiple surveillance systems advances early warning and supports better decision making during infectious disease events. Taiwan has a comprehensive network of laboratory, epidemiologic, and early warning surveillance systems with nationwide representation. Hospitals and clinical laboratories have deployed automatic reporting mechanisms since 2014 and have effectively improved timeliness of infectious disease and laboratory data reporting. In June 2016, the capacity of real-time surveillance in Taiwan was externally assessed and was found to have a demonstrated and sustainable capability. We describe Taiwan's disease surveillance system and use surveillance efforts for influenza and Zika virus as examples of surveillance capability. Timely and integrated influenza information showed a higher level and extended pattern of influenza activity during the 2015-16 season, which ensured prompt information dissemination and the coordination of response operations. Taiwan also has well-developed disease detection systems and was the first country to report imported cases of Zika virus from Miami Beach and Singapore. This illustrates a high level of awareness and willingness among health workers to report emerging infectious diseases, and highlights the robust and sensitive nature of Taiwan's surveillance system. These 2 examples demonstrate the flexibility of the surveillance systems in Taiwan to adapt to emerging infectious diseases and major communicable diseases. Through participation in the GHSA, Taiwan can more actively collaborate with national counterparts and use its expertise to strengthen global and regional surveillance capacity in the Asia Pacific and in Southeast Asia, in order to advance a world safe and secure from infectious disease. PMID:28418738

Science in Emergency Response at CDC: Structure and Functions.

PubMed

Iskander, John; Rose, Dale A; Ghiya, Neelam D

2017-09-01

Recent high-profile activations of the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) Emergency Operations Center (EOC) include responses to the West African Ebola and Zika virus epidemics. Within the EOC, emergency responses are organized according to the Incident Management System, which provides a standardized structure and chain of command, regardless of whether the EOC activation occurs in response to an outbreak, natural disaster, or other type of public health emergency. By embedding key scientific roles, such as the associate director for science, and functions within a Scientific Response Section, the current CDC emergency response structure ensures that both urgent and important science issues receive needed attention. Key functions during emergency responses include internal coordination of scientific work, data management, information dissemination, and scientific publication. We describe a case example involving the ongoing Zika virus response that demonstrates how the scientific response structure can be used to rapidly produce high-quality science needed to answer urgent public health questions and guide policy. Within the context of emergency response, longer-term priorities at CDC include both streamlining administrative requirements and funding mechanisms for scientific research.

Physical Education Teachers' Content Knowledge of Movement Capability

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nyberg, Gunn; Larsson, Hakan

2017-01-01

The purpose of this article is to explore physical education (PE) teachers' content knowledge of the emerging concept movement capability. Interviews with eight PE teachers were conducted, partly using a stimulated recall technique which involved watching and commenting on video recorded PE lessons. A phenomenographic analysis was used to outline…

75 FR 66116 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request, OMB No. 1660-NEW...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-27

... logistics readiness, identify areas for targeted improvement, and develop a roadmap to both mitigate...; Logistics Capability Assessment Tool (LCAT) AGENCY: Federal Emergency Management Agency, DHS. ACTION: Notice... Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, this Notice seeks comments concerning the Logistics Capability Assessment...

75 FR 43446 - Nondiscrimination on the Basis of Disability in State and Local Government Services...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-26

... text, pictures, and video) capabilities. This ANPRM seeks information on possible revisions to the... as text, pictures, and video) capabilities so that they will be able to directly receive various kinds of voice-, text- and video-based ``calls.'' Several commenters, including the National Emergency...

Improving the Computational Thinking Pedagogical Capabilities of School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bower, Matt; Wood, Leigh N.; Lai, Jennifer W. M.; Howe, Cathie; Lister, Raymond; Mason, Raina; Highfield, Kate; Veal, Jennifer

2017-01-01

The idea of computational thinking as skills and universal competence which every child should possess emerged last decade and has been gaining traction ever since. This raises a number of questions, including how to integrate computational thinking into the curriculum, whether teachers have computational thinking pedagogical capabilities to teach…

Complex small pelagic fish population patterns arising from individual behavioral responses to their environment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brochier, Timothée; Auger, Pierre-Amaël; Pecquerie, Laure; Machu, Eric; Capet, Xavier; Thiaw, Modou; Mbaye, Baye Cheikh; Braham, Cheikh-Baye; Ettahiri, Omar; Charouki, Najib; Sène, Ousseynou Ndaw; Werner, Francisco; Brehmer, Patrice

2018-05-01

Small pelagic fish (SPF) species are heavily exploited in eastern boundary upwelling systems (EBUS) as their transformation products are increasingly used in the world's food chain. Management relies on regular monitoring, but there is a lack of robust theories for the emergence of the populations' traits and their evolution in highly variable environments. This work aims to address existing knowledge gaps by combining physical and biogeochemical modelling with an individual life-cycle based model applied to round sardinella (Sardinella aurita) off northwest Africa, a key species for regional food security. Our approach focused on the processes responsible for seasonal migrations, spatio-temporal size-structure, and interannual biomass fluctuations. Emergence of preferred habitat resulted from interactions between natal homing behavior and environmental variability that impacts early life stages. Exploration of the environment by the fishes was determined by swimming capabilities, mesoscale to regional habitat structure, and horizontal currents. Fish spatio-temporal abundance variability emerged from a complex combination of distinct life-history traits. An alongshore gradient in fish size distributions is reported and validated by in situ measurements. New insights into population structure are provided, within an area where the species is abundant year-round (Mauritania) and with latitudinal migrations of variable (300-1200 km) amplitude. Interannual biomass fluctuations were linked to modulations of fish recruitment over the Sahara Bank driven by variability in alongshore current intensity. The identified processes constitute an analytical framework that can be implemented in other EBUS and used to explore impacts of regional climate change on SPF.