The effect of OPC Factor on energy levels in healthy adults ages 45-65: a phase IIb randomized controlled trial.

PubMed

LaRiccia, Patrick J; Farrar, John T; Sammel, Mary D; Gallo, Joseph J

2008-07-01

To determine the efficacy of the food supplement OPC Factor to increase energy levels in healthy adults aged 45 to 65. Randomized, placebo-controlled, triple-blind crossover study. Twenty-five (25) healthy adults recruited from the University of Pennsylvania Health System. OPC Factor,trade mark (AlivenLabs, Lebanon, TN) a food supplement that contains oligomeric proanthocyanidins from grape seeds and pine bark along with other nutrient supplements including vitamins and minerals, was in the form of an effervescent powder. The placebo was similar in appearance and taste. Five outcome measurements were performed: (1) Energy subscale scores of the Activation-Deactivation Adjective Check List (AD ACL); (2) One (1) global question of percent energy change (Global Energy Percent Change); (3) One (1) global question of energy change measured on a Likert scale (Global Energy Scale Change); 4. One (1) global question of percent overall status change (Global Overall Status Percent Change); and (5) One (1) global question of overall status change measured on a Likert scale (Global Overall Status Scale Change). There were no carryover/period effects in the groups randomized to Placebo/Active Product sequence versus Active Product/Placebo sequence. Examination of the AD ACL Energy subscale scores for the Active Product versus Placebo comparison revealed no significant difference in the intention-to-treat (IT) analysis and the treatment received (TR) analysis. However, Global Energy Percent Change (p = 0.06) and Global Energy Scale Change (p = 0.09) both closely approached conventional levels of statistical significance for the active product in the IT analysis. Global Energy Percent Change (p = 0.05) and Global Energy Scale Change (p = 0.04) reached statistical significance in the TR analysis. A cumulative percent responders analysis graph indicated greater response rates for the active product. OPC Factor may increase energy levels in healthy adults aged 45-65 years. A larger study is recommended. Clinical Trials.gov identifier: NCT03318019.

Integration and global analysis of isothermal titration calorimetry data for studying macromolecular interactions.

PubMed

Brautigam, Chad A; Zhao, Huaying; Vargas, Carolyn; Keller, Sandro; Schuck, Peter

2016-05-01

Isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) is a powerful and widely used method to measure the energetics of macromolecular interactions by recording a thermogram of differential heating power during a titration. However, traditional ITC analysis is limited by stochastic thermogram noise and by the limited information content of a single titration experiment. Here we present a protocol for bias-free thermogram integration based on automated shape analysis of the injection peaks, followed by combination of isotherms from different calorimetric titration experiments into a global analysis, statistical analysis of binding parameters and graphical presentation of the results. This is performed using the integrated public-domain software packages NITPIC, SEDPHAT and GUSSI. The recently developed low-noise thermogram integration approach and global analysis allow for more precise parameter estimates and more reliable quantification of multisite and multicomponent cooperative and competitive interactions. Titration experiments typically take 1-2.5 h each, and global analysis usually takes 10-20 min.

Model-Derived Global Aerosol Climatology for MISR Analysis ("Clim-Likely" Data Set)

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2018-04-19

Model-Derived Global Aerosol Climatology for MISR Analysis Multi-angle Imaging ... (MISR) monthly, global 1° x 1° "Clim-Likely" aerosol climatology, derived from 'typical-year' aerosol transport model results are available for individual 1° x 1° boxes or ...

Benchmarks of Global Clean Energy Manufacturing

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

Sandor, Debra; Chung, Donald; Keyser, David

The Clean Energy Manufacturing Analysis Center (CEMAC), sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), provides objective analysis and up-to-date data on global supply chains and manufacturing of clean energy technologies. Benchmarks of Global Clean Energy Manufacturing sheds light on several fundamental questions about the global clean technology manufacturing enterprise: How does clean energy technology manufacturing impact national economies? What are the economic opportunities across the manufacturing supply chain? What are the global dynamics of clean energy technology manufacturing?

Development and verification of local/global analysis techniques for laminated composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Griffin, O. Hayden, Jr.

1989-01-01

Analysis and design methods for laminated composite materials have been the subject of considerable research over the past 20 years, and are currently well developed. In performing the detailed three-dimensional analyses which are often required in proximity to discontinuities, however, analysts often encounter difficulties due to large models. Even with the current availability of powerful computers, models which are too large to run, either from a resource or time standpoint, are often required. There are several approaches which can permit such analyses, including substructuring, use of superelements or transition elements, and the global/local approach. This effort is based on the so-called zoom technique to global/local analysis, where a global analysis is run, with the results of that analysis applied to a smaller region as boundary conditions, in as many iterations as is required to attain an analysis of the desired region. Before beginning the global/local analyses, it was necessary to evaluate the accuracy of the three-dimensional elements currently implemented in the Computational Structural Mechanics (CSM) Testbed. It was also desired to install, using the Experimental Element Capability, a number of displacement formulation elements which have well known behavior when used for analysis of laminated composites.

Tobacco industry globalization and global health governance: towards an interdisciplinary research agenda

PubMed Central

Lee, Kelley; Eckhardt, Jappe; Holden, Chris

2016-01-01

Shifting patterns of tobacco production and consumption, and the resultant disease burden worldwide since the late twentieth century, prompted efforts to strengthen global health governance through adoption of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. While the treaty is rightfully considered an important achievement, to address a neglected public health issue through collective action, evidence suggests that tobacco industry globalization continues apace. In this article, we provide a systematic review of the public health literature and reveal definitional and measurement imprecision, ahistorical timeframes, transnational tobacco companies and the state as the primary units and levels of analysis, and a strong emphasis on agency as opposed to structural power. Drawing on the study of globalization in international political economy and business studies, we identify opportunities to expand analysis along each of these dimensions. We conclude that this expanded and interdisciplinary research agenda provides the potential for fuller understanding of the dual and dynamic relationship between the tobacco industry and globalization. Deeper analysis of how the industry has adapted to globalization over time, as well as how the industry has influenced the nature and trajectory of globalization, is essential for building effective global governance responses. This article is published as part of a thematic collection dedicated to global governance. PMID:28458910

Tobacco industry globalization and global health governance: towards an interdisciplinary research agenda.

PubMed

Lee, Kelley; Eckhardt, Jappe; Holden, Chris

2016-01-01

Shifting patterns of tobacco production and consumption, and the resultant disease burden worldwide since the late twentieth century, prompted efforts to strengthen global health governance through adoption of the Framework Convention on Tobacco Control. While the treaty is rightfully considered an important achievement, to address a neglected public health issue through collective action, evidence suggests that tobacco industry globalization continues apace. In this article, we provide a systematic review of the public health literature and reveal definitional and measurement imprecision, ahistorical timeframes, transnational tobacco companies and the state as the primary units and levels of analysis, and a strong emphasis on agency as opposed to structural power. Drawing on the study of globalization in international political economy and business studies, we identify opportunities to expand analysis along each of these dimensions. We conclude that this expanded and interdisciplinary research agenda provides the potential for fuller understanding of the dual and dynamic relationship between the tobacco industry and globalization. Deeper analysis of how the industry has adapted to globalization over time, as well as how the industry has influenced the nature and trajectory of globalization, is essential for building effective global governance responses. This article is published as part of a thematic collection dedicated to global governance.

The error and bias of supplementing a short, arid climate, rainfall record with regional vs. global frequency analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Endreny, Theodore A.; Pashiardis, Stelios

2007-02-01

SummaryRobust and accurate estimates of rainfall frequencies are difficult to make with short, and arid-climate, rainfall records, however new regional and global methods were used to supplement such a constrained 15-34 yr record in Cyprus. The impact of supplementing rainfall frequency analysis with the regional and global approaches was measured with relative bias and root mean square error (RMSE) values. Analysis considered 42 stations with 8 time intervals (5-360 min) in four regions delineated by proximity to sea and elevation. Regional statistical algorithms found the sites passed discordancy tests of coefficient of variation, skewness and kurtosis, while heterogeneity tests revealed the regions were homogeneous to mildly heterogeneous. Rainfall depths were simulated in the regional analysis method 500 times, and then goodness of fit tests identified the best candidate distribution as the general extreme value (GEV) Type II. In the regional analysis, the method of L-moments was used to estimate location, shape, and scale parameters. In the global based analysis, the distribution was a priori prescribed as GEV Type II, a shape parameter was a priori set to 0.15, and a time interval term was constructed to use one set of parameters for all time intervals. Relative RMSE values were approximately equal at 10% for the regional and global method when regions were compared, but when time intervals were compared the global method RMSE had a parabolic-shaped time interval trend. Relative bias values were also approximately equal for both methods when regions were compared, but again a parabolic-shaped time interval trend was found for the global method. The global method relative RMSE and bias trended with time interval, which may be caused by fitting a single scale value for all time intervals.

Global Deployment Anaylsis System Algorithm Description (With Updates)

DTIC Science & Technology

1998-09-01

Global Deployment Analysis System Algorithm Description (with Updates) By Noetics , Inc. For U.S. Army Concepts Analysis Agency Contract...t "O -Q £5.3 Q 20000224 107 aQU’no-bi-o^f r This Algorithm Description for the Global Deployment Analysis System (GDAS) was prepared by Noetics ...support for Paradox Runtime will be provided by the GDAS developers, CAA and Noetics Inc., and not by Borland International. GDAS for Windows has

Globalization, Development and International Migration: A Cross-National Analysis of Less-Developed Countries, 1970-2000

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sanderson, Matthew R.; Kentor, Jeffrey D.

2009-01-01

It is widely argued that globalization and economic development are associated with international migration. However, these relationships have not been tested empirically. We use a cross-national empirical analysis to assess the impact of global and national factors on international migration from less-developed countries. An interdisciplinary…

The Community College and a Rising Global Imaginary: An Analysis of Practical Reasoning, 1950-2013

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ayers, David F.; Palmadessa, Allison L.

2015-01-01

Through an analysis of 245 issues of the "Community College Journal" published between 1950 and 2013, we show how three discourses--international understanding and geopolitics, economic competitiveness, and global citizenship--informed practical reasoning about a rising global imaginary and its implications for the community college. By…

Researching Education Policy in a Globalized World: Theoretical and Methodological Considerations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lingard, Bob

2009-01-01

This paper shows how globalization has given rise to a number of new theoretical and methodological issues for doing education policy analysis linked to globalization's impact within critical social science. Critical policy analysis has always required critical "reflexivity" and awareness of the "positionality" of the policy analyst. However, as…

Global Futures: The Emerging Scenario.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Seth, Satish C.

1983-01-01

Acknowledging global interdependence, especially in economics, may be the most important step toward resolving international conflicts. Describes seven major global dangers and gives scenarios for exploring likely global futures. As "tools of prescription" these global models are inadequate, but as "tools of analysis" they have…

Application of wavelet analysis in determining the periodicity of global warming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Feng, Xiao

2018-04-01

In the last two decades of the last century, the global average temperature has risen by 0.48 ° C over 100 years ago. Since then, global warming has become a hot topic. Global warming will have complex and potential impacts on humans and the Earth. However, the negative impacts far outweigh the positive impacts. The most obvious external manifestation of global warming is temperature. Therefore, this study uses wavelet analysis study the characteristics of temperature time series, solve the periodicity of the sequence, find out the trend of temperature change and predict the extent of global warming in the future, so as to take the necessary precautionary measures.

Reply to comment on ''New limits on intrinsic charm in the nucleon from global analysis of parton distribution''

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

Jimenez-Delgado, Pedro; Hobbs, Timothy J.; Londergan, J. T.

2016-01-05

We reply to the Comment of Brodsky and Gardner on our paper "New limits on intrinsic charm in the nucleon from global analysis of parton distributions" [Phys. Rev. Lett. 114, 082002 (2015)]. We address a number of incorrect claims made about our fitting methodology, and elaborate how global QCD analysis of all available high-energy data provides no evidence for a large intrinsic charm component of the nucleon.

Global water cycle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robertson, Franklin; Goodman, Steven J.; Christy, John R.; Fitzjarrald, Daniel E.; Chou, Shi-Hung; Crosson, William; Wang, Shouping; Ramirez, Jorge

1993-01-01

This research is the MSFC component of a joint MSFC/Pennsylvania State University Eos Interdisciplinary Investigation on the global water cycle extension across the earth sciences. The primary long-term objective of this investigation is to determine the scope and interactions of the global water cycle with all components of the Earth system and to understand how it stimulates and regulates change on both global and regional scales. Significant accomplishments in the past year are presented and include the following: (1) water vapor variability; (2) multi-phase water analysis; (3) global modeling; and (4) optimal precipitation and stream flow analysis and hydrologic processes.

Ecological network analysis on global virtual water trade.

PubMed

Yang, Zhifeng; Mao, Xufeng; Zhao, Xu; Chen, Bin

2012-02-07

Global water interdependencies are likely to increase with growing virtual water trade. To address the issues of the indirect effects of water trade through the global economic circulation, we use ecological network analysis (ENA) to shed insight into the complicated system interactions. A global model of virtual water flow among agriculture and livestock production trade in 1995-1999 is also built as the basis for network analysis. Control analysis is used to identify the quantitative control or dependency relations. The utility analysis provides more indicators for describing the mutual relationship between two regions/countries by imitating the interactions in the ecosystem and distinguishes the beneficiary and the contributor of virtual water trade system. Results show control and utility relations can well depict the mutual relation in trade system, and direct observable relations differ from integral ones with indirect interactions considered. This paper offers a new way to depict the interrelations between trade components and can serve as a meaningful start as we continue to use ENA in providing more valuable implications for freshwater study on a global scale.

Global sensitivity analysis for fuzzy inputs based on the decomposition of fuzzy output entropy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Yan; Lu, Zhenzhou; Zhou, Yicheng

2018-06-01

To analyse the component of fuzzy output entropy, a decomposition method of fuzzy output entropy is first presented. After the decomposition of fuzzy output entropy, the total fuzzy output entropy can be expressed as the sum of the component fuzzy entropy contributed by fuzzy inputs. Based on the decomposition of fuzzy output entropy, a new global sensitivity analysis model is established for measuring the effects of uncertainties of fuzzy inputs on the output. The global sensitivity analysis model can not only tell the importance of fuzzy inputs but also simultaneously reflect the structural composition of the response function to a certain degree. Several examples illustrate the validity of the proposed global sensitivity analysis, which is a significant reference in engineering design and optimization of structural systems.

Army Transformation in the Age of Globalization - Implementing Directed Change with Strategic Management Design (SMD): An Analysis Based on the Army Staff in the German Ministry of Defense

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-05-01

researched and tested in the U.S. Army during the Unified Quest exercise series, design of military campaigns occurs in the complex globalized environment...Army Transformation in the Age of Globalization – Implementing Directed Change with Strategic Management Design (SMD) An Analysis based on the...the Age of globalization – Implementing Direction Change with Strategic Management Design (SMD). 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 5d. PROJECT NUMBER

Global/local methods for probabilistic structural analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Millwater, H. R.; Wu, Y.-T.

1993-01-01

A probabilistic global/local method is proposed to reduce the computational requirements of probabilistic structural analysis. A coarser global model is used for most of the computations with a local more refined model used only at key probabilistic conditions. The global model is used to establish the cumulative distribution function (cdf) and the Most Probable Point (MPP). The local model then uses the predicted MPP to adjust the cdf value. The global/local method is used within the advanced mean value probabilistic algorithm. The local model can be more refined with respect to the g1obal model in terms of finer mesh, smaller time step, tighter tolerances, etc. and can be used with linear or nonlinear models. The basis for this approach is described in terms of the correlation between the global and local models which can be estimated from the global and local MPPs. A numerical example is presented using the NESSUS probabilistic structural analysis program with the finite element method used for the structural modeling. The results clearly indicate a significant computer savings with minimal loss in accuracy.

Global/local methods for probabilistic structural analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Millwater, H. R.; Wu, Y.-T.

1993-04-01

A probabilistic global/local method is proposed to reduce the computational requirements of probabilistic structural analysis. A coarser global model is used for most of the computations with a local more refined model used only at key probabilistic conditions. The global model is used to establish the cumulative distribution function (cdf) and the Most Probable Point (MPP). The local model then uses the predicted MPP to adjust the cdf value. The global/local method is used within the advanced mean value probabilistic algorithm. The local model can be more refined with respect to the g1obal model in terms of finer mesh, smaller time step, tighter tolerances, etc. and can be used with linear or nonlinear models. The basis for this approach is described in terms of the correlation between the global and local models which can be estimated from the global and local MPPs. A numerical example is presented using the NESSUS probabilistic structural analysis program with the finite element method used for the structural modeling. The results clearly indicate a significant computer savings with minimal loss in accuracy.

A White Paper on Global Wheat Health Based on Scenario Development and Analysis.

PubMed

Savary, S; Djurle, A; Yuen, J; Ficke, A; Rossi, V; Esker, P D; Fernandes, J M C; Del Ponte, E M; Kumar, J; Madden, L V; Paul, P; McRoberts, N; Singh, P K; Huber, L; Pope de Vallavielle, C; Saint-Jean, S; Willocquet, L

2017-10-01

Scenario analysis constitutes a useful approach to synthesize knowledge and derive hypotheses in the case of complex systems that are documented with mainly qualitative or very diverse information. In this article, a framework for scenario analysis is designed and then, applied to global wheat health within a timeframe from today to 2050. Scenario analysis entails the choice of settings, the definition of scenarios of change, and the analysis of outcomes of these scenarios in the chosen settings. Three idealized agrosystems, representing a large fraction of the global diversity of wheat-based agrosystems, are considered, which represent the settings of the analysis. Several components of global changes are considered in their consequences on global wheat health: climate change and climate variability, nitrogen fertilizer use, tillage, crop rotation, pesticide use, and the deployment of host plant resistances. Each idealized agrosystem is associated with a scenario of change that considers first, a production situation and its dynamics, and second, the impacts of the evolving production situation on the evolution of crop health. Crop health is represented by six functional groups of wheat pathogens: the pathogens associated with Fusarium head blight; biotrophic fungi, Septoria-like fungi, necrotrophic fungi, soilborne pathogens, and insect-transmitted viruses. The analysis of scenario outcomes is conducted along a risk-analytical pattern, which involves risk probabilities represented by categorized probability levels of disease epidemics, and risk magnitudes represented by categorized levels of crop losses resulting from these levels of epidemics within each production situation. The results from this scenario analysis suggest an overall increase of risk probabilities and magnitudes in the three idealized agrosystems. Changes in risk probability or magnitude however vary with the agrosystem and the functional groups of pathogens. We discuss the effects of global changes on the six functional groups, in terms of their epidemiology and of the crop losses they cause. Scenario analysis enables qualitative analysis of complex systems, such as plant pathosystems that are evolving in response to global changes, including climate change and technology shifts. It also provides a useful framework for quantitative simulation modeling analysis for plant disease epidemiology.

Global water cycle

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Robertson, Franklin R.; Christy, John R.; Goodman, Steven J.; Miller, Tim L.; Fitzjarrald, Dan; Lapenta, Bill; Wang, Shouping

1991-01-01

The primary objective is to determine the scope and interactions of the global water cycle with all components of the Earth system and to understand how it stimulates and regulates changes on both global and regional scales. The following subject areas are covered: (1) water vapor variability; (2) multi-phase water analysis; (3) diabatic heating; (4) MSU (Microwave Sounding Unit) temperature analysis; (5) Optimal precipitation and streamflow analysis; (6) CCM (Community Climate Model) hydrological cycle; (7) CCM1 climate sensitivity to lower boundary forcing; and (8) mesoscale modeling of atmosphere/surface interaction.

Adding insult to injury

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Friebele, Elaine

New predictions and observations suggest that global warming will exact the highest costs on developing countries. A recent economic analysis of global climate change indicates that developed countries, the primary emitters of carbon dioxide, would benefit by $82 billion per year from a 2°C increase in global mean temperature, while underdeveloped countries would lose $40 billion per year.For the economic analysis, global climate predictions were combined with economic data (for agriculture, forestry, coastal resources, energy, and tourism), but natural climate variability, including frosts, droughts, or severe thunderstorms, was not included. Countries predicted to suffer the greatest economic losses from global warming are island nations, said Michael Schlesinger, a University of Illinois atmospheric scientist who performed the economic analysis with colleagues from Yale University and Middlebury College. “These countries have long coast lines, sensitive tourism industries, and small, undeveloped economies.”

Globalization and the Governance of Education in Viet Nam

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

London, Jonathan D.

2010-01-01

In a globalizing world, local and global governance arrangements are increasingly interdependent, which produces harmonization in some instances and new tensions and contradictions in others. Analysis shows that successive waves of globalization have affected the governance of education in Viet Nam differently. It shows that the globalization of…

Global Educators' Personal Attribution of a Global Perspective

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carano, Kenneth Thomas

2013-01-01

This case study of self-identifying global educators investigated factors that they attributed to the development of their global perspective and how it influenced curricular decision-making. Analysis resulted in seven themes identified by the participants as having attributed to the development of a global perspective: (a) family, (b) exposure to…

An Analysis of San Diego's Housing Market Using a Geographically Weighted Regression Approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grant, Christina P.

San Diego County real estate transaction data was evaluated with a set of linear models calibrated by ordinary least squares and geographically weighted regression (GWR). The goal of the analysis was to determine whether the spatial effects assumed to be in the data are best studied globally with no spatial terms, globally with a fixed effects submarket variable, or locally with GWR. 18,050 single-family residential sales which closed in the six months between April 2014 and September 2014 were used in the analysis. Diagnostic statistics including AICc, R2, Global Moran's I, and visual inspection of diagnostic plots and maps indicate superior model performance by GWR as compared to both global regressions.

Education, Technology and Connectedness. Global Societal Trends to 2030: Thematic Report 2

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horvath, Veronika; Ghez, Jeremy; Khodyakov, Dmitry; Yaqub, Ohid

2015-01-01

This Research Report forms part of our series on global societal trends and their impact on the EU in 2030. This analysis is embedded within the framework of the European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS) set up to develop a lasting framework to assess global trends and to develop policy responses across EU institutions over the next…

The Determination of Children's Knowledge of Global Lunar Patterns from Online Essays Using Text Mining Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cheon, Jongpil; Lee, Sangno; Smith, Walter; Song, Jaeki; Kim, Yongjin

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to use text mining analysis of early adolescents' online essays to determine their knowledge of global lunar patterns. Australian and American students in grades five to seven wrote about global lunar patterns they had discovered by sharing observations with each other via the Internet. These essays were analyzed for…

Individual Empowerment. Global Societal Trends to 2030: Thematic Report 3

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Graf, Marlon; Ghez, Jeremy; Khodyakov, Dmitry; Yaqub, Ohid

2015-01-01

This Research Report forms part of our series on global societal trends and their impact on the EU in 2030. This analysis is embedded within the framework of the European Strategy and Policy Analysis System (ESPAS) set up to develop a lasting framework to assess global trends and to develop policy responses across EU institutions over the next…

Where Are the Global Rankings Leading Us? An Analysis of Recent Methodological Changes and New Developments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rauhvargers, Andrejs

2014-01-01

This article is based on the analysis of the changes in global university rankings and the new "products" based on rankings data in the period since mid-2011. It is a summary and continuation of the European University Association (EUA)-commissioned report "Global University Rankings Their Impact, Report II" which was launched…

Political priority of global oral health: an analysis of reasons for international neglect.

PubMed

Benzian, Habib; Hobdell, Martin; Holmgren, Christopher; Yee, Robert; Monse, Bella; Barnard, Johannes T; van Palenstein Helderman, Wim

2011-06-01

Global Oral Health suffers from a lack of political attention, particularly in low- and middle-income countries. This paper analyses the reasons for this political neglect through the lens of four areas of political power: the power of the ideas, the power of the issue, the power of the actors, and the power of the political context (using a modified Political Power Framework by Shiffman and Smith. Lancet370 [2007] 1370). The analysis reveals that political priority for global oral health is low, resulting from a set of complex issues deeply rooted in the current global oral health sector, its stakeholders and their remit, the lack of coherence and coalescence; as well as the lack of agreement on the problem, its portrayal and possible solutions. The shortcomings and weaknesses demonstrated in the analysis range from rather basic matters, such as defining the issue in an agreed way, to complex and multi-levelled issues concerning appropriate data collection and agreement on adequate solutions. The political priority of Global Oral Health can only be improved by addressing the underlying reasons that resulted in the wide disconnection between the international health discourse and the small sector of Global Oral Health. We hope that this analysis may serve as a starting point for a long overdue, broad and candid international analysis of political, social, cultural, communication, financial and other factors related to better prioritisation of oral health. Without such an analysis and the resulting concerted action the inequities in Global Oral Health will grow and increasingly impact on health systems, development and, most importantly, human lives. © 2011 FDI World Dental Federation.

Improving Incremental Balance in the GSI 3DVAR Analysis System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Errico, Ronald M.; Yang, Runhua; Kleist, Daryl T.; Parrish, David F.; Derber, John C.; Treadon, Russ

2008-01-01

The Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI) analysis system is a unified global/regional 3DVAR analysis code that has been under development for several years at the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP)/Environmental Modeling Center. It has recently been implemented into operations at NCEP in both the global and North American data assimilation systems (GDAS and NDAS). An important aspect of this development has been improving the balance of the analysis produced by GSI. The improved balance between variables has been achieved through the inclusion of a Tangent Linear Normal Mode Constraint (TLNMC). The TLNMC method has proven to be very robust and effective. The TLNMC as part of the global GSI system has resulted in substantial improvement in data assimilation both at NCEP and at the NASA Global Modeling and Assimilation Office (GMAO).

The effects of Global Fund financing on health governance in Brazil.

PubMed

Gómez, Eduardo J; Atun, Rifat

2012-07-16

The impact of donors, such as national government (bi-lateral), private sector, and individual financial (philanthropic) contributions, on domestic health policies of developing nations has been the subject of scholarly discourse. Little is known, however, about the impact of global financial initiatives, such as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, on policies and health governance of countries receiving funding from such initiatives. This study employs a qualitative methodological design based on a single case study: Brazil. Analysis at national, inter-governmental and community levels is based on in-depth interviews with the Global Fund and the Brazilian Ministry of Health and civil societal activists. Primary research is complemented with information from printed media, reports, journal articles, and books, which were used to deepen our analysis while providing supporting evidence. Our analysis suggests that in Brazil, Global Fund financing has helped to positively transform health governance at three tiers of analysis: the national-level, inter-governmental-level, and community-level. At the national-level, Global Fund financing has helped to increased political attention and commitment to relatively neglected diseases, such as tuberculosis, while harmonizing intra-bureaucratic relationships; at the inter-governmental-level, Global Fund financing has motivated the National Tuberculosis Programme to strengthen its ties with state and municipal health departments, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs); while at the community-level, the Global Fund's financing of civil societal institutions has encouraged the emergence of new civic movements, participation, and the creation of new municipal participatory institutions designed to monitor the disbursement of funds for Global Fund grants. Global Fund financing can help deepen health governance at multiple levels. Future work will need to explore how the financing of civil society by the Global Fund and other donors influence policy agenda-setting and institutional innovations for increased civic participation in health governance and accountability to citizens.

The effects of Global Fund financing on health governance in Brazil

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Objectives The impact of donors, such as national government (bi-lateral), private sector, and individual financial (philanthropic) contributions, on domestic health policies of developing nations has been the subject of scholarly discourse. Little is known, however, about the impact of global financial initiatives, such as the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria, on policies and health governance of countries receiving funding from such initiatives. Methods This study employs a qualitative methodological design based on a single case study: Brazil. Analysis at national, inter-governmental and community levels is based on in-depth interviews with the Global Fund and the Brazilian Ministry of Health and civil societal activists. Primary research is complemented with information from printed media, reports, journal articles, and books, which were used to deepen our analysis while providing supporting evidence. Results Our analysis suggests that in Brazil, Global Fund financing has helped to positively transform health governance at three tiers of analysis: the national-level, inter-governmental-level, and community-level. At the national-level, Global Fund financing has helped to increased political attention and commitment to relatively neglected diseases, such as tuberculosis, while harmonizing intra-bureaucratic relationships; at the inter-governmental-level, Global Fund financing has motivated the National Tuberculosis Programme to strengthen its ties with state and municipal health departments, and non-governmental organisations (NGOs); while at the community-level, the Global Fund’s financing of civil societal institutions has encouraged the emergence of new civic movements, participation, and the creation of new municipal participatory institutions designed to monitor the disbursement of funds for Global Fund grants. Conclusions Global Fund financing can help deepen health governance at multiple levels. Future work will need to explore how the financing of civil society by the Global Fund and other donors influence policy agenda-setting and institutional innovations for increased civic participation in health governance and accountability to citizens. PMID:22799635

Compressive buckling analysis of hat-stiffened panel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ko, William L.; Jackson, Raymond H.

1991-01-01

Buckling analysis was performed on a hat-stiffened panel subjected to uniaxial compression. Both local buckling and global buckling were analyzed. It was found that the global buckling load was several times higher than the buckling load. The predicted local buckling loads compared favorably with both experimental data and finite-element analysis.

Global/local stress analysis of composite panels

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ransom, Jonathan B.; Knight, Norman F., Jr.

1989-01-01

A method for performing a global/local stress analysis is described, and its capabilities are demonstrated. The method employs spline interpolation functions which satisfy the linear plate bending equation to determine displacements and rotations from a global model which are used as boundary conditions for the local model. Then, the local model is analyzed independent of the global model of the structure. This approach can be used to determine local, detailed stress states for specific structural regions using independent, refined local models which exploit information from less-refined global models. The method presented is not restricted to having a priori knowledge of the location of the regions requiring local detailed stress analysis. This approach also reduces the computational effort necessary to obtain the detailed stress state. Criteria for applying the method are developed. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated using a classical stress concentration problem and a graphite-epoxy blade-stiffened panel with a discontinuous stiffener.

Global/local stress analysis of composite structures. M.S. Thesis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ransom, Jonathan B.

1989-01-01

A method for performing a global/local stress analysis is described and its capabilities are demonstrated. The method employs spline interpolation functions which satisfy the linear plate bending equation to determine displacements and rotations from a global model which are used as boundary conditions for the local model. Then, the local model is analyzed independent of the global model of the structure. This approach can be used to determine local, detailed stress states for specific structural regions using independent, refined local models which exploit information from less-refined global models. The method presented is not restricted to having a priori knowledge of the location of the regions requiring local detailed stress analysis. This approach also reduces the computational effort necessary to obtain the detailed stress state. Criteria for applying the method are developed. The effectiveness of the method is demonstrated using a classical stress concentration problem and a graphite-epoxy blade-stiffened panel with a discontinuous stiffener.

2-D to 3-D global/local finite element analysis of cross-ply composite laminates

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, D. Muheim; Griffin, O. Hayden, Jr.

1990-01-01

An example of two-dimensional to three-dimensional global/local finite element analysis of a laminated composite plate with a hole is presented. The 'zoom' technique of global/local analysis is used, where displacements of the global/local interface from the two-dimensional global model are applied to the edges of the three-dimensional local model. Three different hole diameters, one, three, and six inches, are considered in order to compare the effect of hole size on the three-dimensional stress state around the hole. In addition, three different stacking sequences are analyzed for the six inch hole case in order to study the effect of stacking sequence. The existence of a 'critical' hole size, where the interlaminar stresses are maximum, is indicated. Dispersion of plies at the same angle, as opposed to clustering, is found to reduce the magnitude of some interlaminar stress components and increase others.

A fast global fitting algorithm for fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy based on image segmentation.

PubMed

Pelet, S; Previte, M J R; Laiho, L H; So, P T C

2004-10-01

Global fitting algorithms have been shown to improve effectively the accuracy and precision of the analysis of fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy data. Global analysis performs better than unconstrained data fitting when prior information exists, such as the spatial invariance of the lifetimes of individual fluorescent species. The highly coupled nature of global analysis often results in a significantly slower convergence of the data fitting algorithm as compared with unconstrained analysis. Convergence speed can be greatly accelerated by providing appropriate initial guesses. Realizing that the image morphology often correlates with fluorophore distribution, a global fitting algorithm has been developed to assign initial guesses throughout an image based on a segmentation analysis. This algorithm was tested on both simulated data sets and time-domain lifetime measurements. We have successfully measured fluorophore distribution in fibroblasts stained with Hoechst and calcein. This method further allows second harmonic generation from collagen and elastin autofluorescence to be differentiated in fluorescence lifetime imaging microscopy images of ex vivo human skin. On our experimental measurement, this algorithm increased convergence speed by over two orders of magnitude and achieved significantly better fits. Copyright 2004 Biophysical Society

Analysis of Globalization, the Planet and Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tsegay, Samson Maekele

2016-01-01

Thorough the framework of theories analyzing globalization and education, this paper focuses on the intersection among globalization, the environment and education. This paper critically analyzes how globalization could affect environmental devastation, and explore the role of pedagogies that could foster planetary citizenship by exposing…

Method and Early Results of Applying the Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) in the Third Global Reanalysis of NCEP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meng, J.; Mitchell, K.; Wei, H.; Yang, R.; Kumar, S.; Geiger, J.; Xie, P.

2008-05-01

Over the past several years, the Environmental Modeling Center (EMC) of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) of the U.S. National Weather Service has developed a Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS). For its computational infrastructure, the GLDAS applies the NASA Land Information System (LIS), developed by the Hydrological Science Branch of NASA Goddard Space Flight Center. The land model utilized in the NCEP GLDAS is the NCEP Noah Land Surface Model (Noah LSM). This presentation will 1) describe how the GLDAS component has been included in the development of NCEP's third global reanalysis (with special attention to the input sources of global precipitation), and 2) will present results from the GLDAS component of pilot tests of the new NCEP global reanalysis. Unlike NCEP's past two global reanalysis projects, this new NCEP global reanalysis includes both a global land data assimilation system (GLDAS) and a global ocean data assimilation system (GODAS). The new global reanalysis will span 30-years (1979-2008) and will include a companion realtime operational component. The atmospheric, ocean, and land states of this global reanalysis will provide the initial conditions for NCEP's 3rd- generation global coupled Climate Forecast System (CFS). NCEP is now preparing to launch a 28-year seasonal reforecast project with its new CFS, to provide the reforecast foundation for operational NCEP seasonal climate forecasts using the new CFS. Together, the new global reanalysis and companion CFS reforecasts constitute what NCEP calls the Climate Forecast System Reanalysis and Reforecast (CFSRR) project. Compared to the previous two generations of NCEP global reanalysis, the hallmark of the GLDAS component of CFSRR is GLDAS use of global analyses of observed precipitation to drive the land surface component of the reanalysis (rather than the typical reanalysis approach of using precipitation from the assimilating background atmospheric model). Specifically, the GLDAS merges two global analyses of observed precipitation produced by the Climate Prediction Center (CPC) of NCEP, as follows: 1) a new CPC daily gauge-only land-only global precipitation analysis at 0.5-degree resolution and 2) the well-known CPC CMAP global 2.0 x 2.5 degree 5-day precipitation analysis, which utilizes satellite estimates of precipitation, as well as some gauge observations. The presentation will describe how these two analyses are merged with latitude-dependent weights that favor the gauge-only analysis in mid-latitudes and the satellite-dominated CMAP analysis in tropical latitudes. Finally, we will show some impacts of using GLDAS to initialize the land states of seasonal CFS reforecasts, versus using the previous generation of NCEP global reanalysis as the source for CFS initial land states.

U.S. Clean Energy Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies: A Competitiveness Analysis

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

Fullenkamp, Patrick; Holody, Diane; James, Brian

The objectives of this project are a 1) Global Competitiveness Analysis of hydrogen and fuel cell systems and components manufactured including 700 bar compressed hydrogen storage system in the U.S., Europe, Asia, and other key areas to be identified to determine the global cost leaders, the best current manufacturing processes, the key factors determining competitiveness, and the potential means of cost reductions; and an 2) Analysis to assess the status of global hydrogen and fuel cell markets. The analysis of units, megawatts by country and by application will focus on polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) fuel cell systems (automotive and stationary).

Observations of geographically correlated orbit errors for TOPEX/Poseidon using the global positioning system

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Christensen, E. J.; Haines, B. J.; Mccoll, K. C.; Nerem, R. S.

1994-01-01

We have compared Global Positioning System (GPS)-based dynamic and reduced-dynamic TOPEX/Poseidon orbits over three 10-day repeat cycles of the ground-track. The results suggest that the prelaunch joint gravity model (JGM-1) introduces geographically correlated errors (GCEs) which have a strong meridional dependence. The global distribution and magnitude of these GCEs are consistent with a prelaunch covariance analysis, with estimated and predicted global rms error statistics of 2.3 and 2.4 cm rms, respectively. Repeating the analysis with the post-launch joint gravity model (JGM-2) suggests that a portion of the meridional dependence observed in JGM-1 still remains, with global rms error of 1.2 cm.

Half-Truths and Consequences: The Legacy of Global 2000. Institution Analysis No. 34.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Stephen

The 1980 "Global 2000 Report to the President" was based on a study which attempted to project international trends in population, pollution, and resource availability through the year 2000. This document discusses: (1) the background of Global 2000; (2) Global 2000 and the media; (3) Global 2000's impact on the environmental movement…

Global Warming: Understanding and Teaching the Forecast. Part A The Greenhouse Effect.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andrews, Bill

1993-01-01

Provides information necessary for an interdisciplinary analysis of the greenhouse effect, enhanced greenhouse effect, global warming, global climate change, greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide, and scientific study of global warming for students grades 4-12. Several activity ideas accompany the information. (LZ)

WATERSHED BOUNDARY CONDITIONS FOR GLOBAL CHANGE IMPACT ANALYSIS

EPA Science Inventory

The US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) studies (among other issues) the impact of global change on water quality. This field study evaluates the impact of global changes (land-use change and climate change) on source water quality. Changes in source water quality change...

Global Seasonal Climatologies of Ocean Chlorophyll: Blending In situ and Satellite Data for the CZCS Era

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gregg, Watson W.; Conkright, Margarita E.

1999-01-01

The historical archives of in situ (National Oceanographic Data Center) and satellite (Coastal Zone Color Scanner) chlorophyll data were combined using the blended analysis method of Reynolds [1988] in an attempt to construct an improved climatological seasonal representation of global chlorophyll distributions. The results of the blended analysis differed dramatically from the CZCS representation: global chlorophyll estimates increased 8-35% in the blended analysis depending upon season. Regional differences were even larger, up to 140% in the equatorial Indian Ocean in summer (during the southwest monsoon). Tropical Pacific chlorophyll values increased 25-41%. The results suggested that the CZCS generally underestimates chlorophyll. Regional and seasonal differences in the blended analysis were sufficiently large as to produce a different representation of global chlorophyll distributions than otherwise inferred from CZCS data alone. Analyses of primary production and biogeochemical cycles may be substantially impacted by these results.

Assessing global resource utilization efficiency in the industrial sector.

PubMed

Rosen, Marc A

2013-09-01

Designing efficient energy systems, which also meet economic, environmental and other objectives and constraints, is a significant challenge. In a world with finite natural resources and large energy demands, it is important to understand not just actual efficiencies, but also limits to efficiency, as the latter identify margins for efficiency improvement. Energy analysis alone is inadequate, e.g., it yields energy efficiencies that do not provide limits to efficiency. To obtain meaningful and useful efficiencies for energy systems, and to clarify losses, exergy analysis is a beneficial and useful tool. Here, the global industrial sector and industries within it are assessed by using energy and exergy methods. The objective is to improve the understanding of the efficiency of global resource use in the industrial sector and, with this information, to facilitate the development, prioritization and ultimate implementation of rational improvement options. Global energy and exergy flow diagrams for the industrial sector are developed and overall efficiencies for the global industrial sector evaluated as 51% based on energy and 30% based on exergy. Consequently, exergy analysis indicates a less efficient picture of energy use in the global industrial sector than does energy analysis. A larger margin for improvement exists from an exergy perspective, compared to the overly optimistic margin indicated by energy. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Modern Era Retrospective-analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) Global Water and Energy Budgets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bosilovich, Michael G.; Chen, Junye

2009-01-01

In the Summer of 2009, NASA's Modern Era Retrospective-analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) will have completed 28 years of global satellite data analyses. Here, we characterize the global water and energy budgets of MERRA, compared with available observations and the latest reanalyses. In this analysis, the climatology of the global average components are studied as well as the separate land and ocean averages. In addition, the time series of the global averages are evaluated. For example, the global difference of precipitation and evaporation generally shows the influence of water vapor observations on the system. Since the observing systems change in time, especially remotely sensed observations of water, significant temporal variations can occur across the 28 year record. These then are also closely connected to changes in the atmospheric energy and water budgets. The net imbalance of the energy budget at the surface can be large and different signs for different reanalyses. In MERRA, the imbalance of energy at the surface tends to improve with time being the smallest during the most recent and abundant satellite observations.

Is globalization healthy: a statistical indicator analysis of the impacts of globalization on health.

PubMed

Martens, Pim; Akin, Su-Mia; Maud, Huynen; Mohsin, Raza

2010-09-17

It is clear that globalization is something more than a purely economic phenomenon manifesting itself on a global scale. Among the visible manifestations of globalization are the greater international movement of goods and services, financial capital, information and people. In addition, there are technological developments, more transboundary cultural exchanges, facilitated by the freer trade of more differentiated products as well as by tourism and immigration, changes in the political landscape and ecological consequences. In this paper, we link the Maastricht Globalization Index with health indicators to analyse if more globalized countries are doing better in terms of infant mortality rate, under-five mortality rate, and adult mortality rate. The results indicate a positive association between a high level of globalization and low mortality rates. In view of the arguments that globalization provides winners and losers, and might be seen as a disequalizing process, we should perhaps be careful in interpreting the observed positive association as simple evidence that globalization is mostly good for our health. It is our hope that a further analysis of health impacts of globalization may help in adjusting and optimising the process of globalization on every level in the direction of a sustainable and healthy development for all.

Is globalization healthy: a statistical indicator analysis of the impacts of globalization on health

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

It is clear that globalization is something more than a purely economic phenomenon manifesting itself on a global scale. Among the visible manifestations of globalization are the greater international movement of goods and services, financial capital, information and people. In addition, there are technological developments, more transboundary cultural exchanges, facilitated by the freer trade of more differentiated products as well as by tourism and immigration, changes in the political landscape and ecological consequences. In this paper, we link the Maastricht Globalization Index with health indicators to analyse if more globalized countries are doing better in terms of infant mortality rate, under-five mortality rate, and adult mortality rate. The results indicate a positive association between a high level of globalization and low mortality rates. In view of the arguments that globalization provides winners and losers, and might be seen as a disequalizing process, we should perhaps be careful in interpreting the observed positive association as simple evidence that globalization is mostly good for our health. It is our hope that a further analysis of health impacts of globalization may help in adjusting and optimising the process of globalization on every level in the direction of a sustainable and healthy development for all. PMID:20849605

Lessons for the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure : international case study analysis

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2002-01-01

This report presents a RAND analysis of international collaboration for the Global Spatial Data Infrastructure (GSDI). Ten in-depth international and regional collaboration case studies were conducted to assess lessons learned for GSDI development an...

Global Real-Time Ocean Forecast System

Science.gov Websites

services. Marine Modeling and Analysis Branch Logo Click here to go to the MMAB home page Global Real-Time 17 Oct 2017 at 0Z, the Global RTOFS model has been upgraded to version 1.1.2. Changes include: The ). The global operational Real-Time Ocean Forecast System (Global RTOFS) at the National Centers for

Accurate Realization of GPS Vertical Global Reference Frame

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Elosegui, Pedro

2004-01-01

The few millimeter per year level accuracy of radial global velocity estimates with the Global Positioning System (GPS) is at least an order of magnitude poorer than the accuracy of horizontal global motions. An improvement in the accuracy of radial global velocities would have a very positive impact on a number of geophysical studies of current general interest such as global sea-level and climate change, coastal hazards, glacial isostatic adjustment, atmospheric and oceanic loading, glaciology and ice mass variability, tectonic deformation and volcanic inflation, and geoid variability. The goal of this project is to improve our current understanding of GPS error sources associated with estimates of radial velocities at global scales. GPS error sources relevant to this project can be classified in two broad categories: (1) those related to the analysis of the GPS phase observable, and (2) those related to the combination of the positions and velocities of a set of globally distributed stations as determined from the analysis of GPS data important aspect in the first category include the effect on vertical rate estimates due to standard analysis choices, such as orbit modeling, network geometry, ambiguity resolution, as well as errors in models (or simply the lack of models) for clocks, multipath, phase-center variations, atmosphere, and solid-Earth tides. The second category includes the possible methods of combining and defining terrestrial reference flames for determining vertical velocities in a global scale. The latter has been the subject of our research activities during this reporting period.

Globalization and Its Influence on Comparative Education Methodology

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chigisheva, Oksana

2015-01-01

The article is devoted to the research of the methodological changes that occur in the field of comparative education as a result of globalization. A deep analysis of the globalization phenomenon is undertaken with a special focus on the differentiation of globalization, internationalisation, regionalisation and integration. UNESCO's role in the…

Global Governance, Educational Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mundy, Karen

2007-01-01

In the last half decade, a rising literature has focused on the idea that processes of economic, political and social globalization require analysis in terms of governance at the global level. It is argued in this article that emerging forms of global governance have produced significant challenges to conventional conceptions of international…

IPMP Global Fit - A one-step direct data analysis tool for predictive microbiology.

PubMed

Huang, Lihan

2017-12-04

The objective of this work is to develop and validate a unified optimization algorithm for performing one-step global regression analysis of isothermal growth and survival curves for determination of kinetic parameters in predictive microbiology. The algorithm is incorporated with user-friendly graphical interfaces (GUIs) to develop a data analysis tool, the USDA IPMP-Global Fit. The GUIs are designed to guide the users to easily navigate through the data analysis process and properly select the initial parameters for different combinations of mathematical models. The software is developed for one-step kinetic analysis to directly construct tertiary models by minimizing the global error between the experimental observations and mathematical models. The current version of the software is specifically designed for constructing tertiary models with time and temperature as the independent model parameters in the package. The software is tested with a total of 9 different combinations of primary and secondary models for growth and survival of various microorganisms. The results of data analysis show that this software provides accurate estimates of kinetic parameters. In addition, it can be used to improve the experimental design and data collection for more accurate estimation of kinetic parameters. IPMP-Global Fit can be used in combination with the regular USDA-IPMP for solving the inverse problems and developing tertiary models in predictive microbiology. Published by Elsevier B.V.

First Extraction of Transversity from a Global Analysis of Electron-Proton and Proton-Proton Data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Radici, Marco; Bacchetta, Alessandro

2018-05-01

We present the first extraction of the transversity distribution in the framework of collinear factorization based on the global analysis of pion-pair production in deep-inelastic scattering and in proton-proton collisions with a transversely polarized proton. The extraction relies on the knowledge of dihadron fragmentation functions, which are taken from the analysis of electron-positron annihilation data. For the first time, the transversity is extracted from a global analysis similar to what is usually done for the spin-averaged and helicity distributions. The knowledge of transversity is important for, among other things, detecting possible signals of new physics in high-precision low-energy experiments.

The statistical analysis of global climate change studies

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

Hardin, J.W.

1992-01-01

The focus of this work is to contribute to the enhancement of the relationship between climatologists and statisticians. The analysis of global change data has been underway for many years by atmospheric scientists. Much of this analysis includes a heavy reliance on statistics and statistical inference. Some specific climatological analyses are presented and the dependence on statistics is documented before the analysis is undertaken. The first problem presented involves the fluctuation-dissipation theorem and its application to global climate models. This problem has a sound theoretical niche in the literature of both climate modeling and physics, but a statistical analysis inmore » which the data is obtained from the model to show graphically the relationship has not been undertaken. It is under this motivation that the author presents this problem. A second problem concerning the standard errors in estimating global temperatures is purely statistical in nature although very little materials exists for sampling on such a frame. This problem not only has climatological and statistical ramifications, but political ones as well. It is planned to use these results in a further analysis of global warming using actual data collected on the earth. In order to simplify the analysis of these problems, the development of a computer program, MISHA, is presented. This interactive program contains many of the routines, functions, graphics, and map projections needed by the climatologist in order to effectively enter the arena of data visualization.« less

Comprehensive evaluation of global energy interconnection development index

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, Lin; Zhang, Yi

2018-04-01

Under the background of building global energy interconnection and realizing green and low-carbon development, this article constructed the global energy interconnection development index system which based on the current situation of global energy interconnection development. Through using the entropy method for the weight analysis of global energy interconnection development index, and then using gray correlation method to analyze the selected countries, this article got the global energy interconnection development index ranking and level classification.

Preliminary evaluation of diabatic heating distribution from FGGE level 3b analysis data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kasahara, A.; Mizzi, A. P.

1985-01-01

A method is presented for calculating the global distribution of diabatic heating rate. Preliminary results of global heating rate evaluated from the European center for Medium Range Weather Forecasts Level IIIb analysis data is also presented.

Validation and Verification of Operational Land Analysis Activities at the Air Force Weather Agency

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shaw, Michael; Kumar, Sujay V.; Peters-Lidard, Christa D.; Cetola, Jeffrey

2011-01-01

The NASA developed Land Information System (LIS) is the Air Force Weather Agency's (AFWA) operational Land Data Assimilation System (LDAS) combining real time precipitation observations and analyses, global forecast model data, vegetation, terrain, and soil parameters with the community Noah land surface model, along with other hydrology module options, to generate profile analyses of global soil moisture, soil temperature, and other important land surface characteristics. (1) A range of satellite data products and surface observations used to generate the land analysis products (2) Global, 1/4 deg spatial resolution (3) Model analysis generated at 3 hours

Local-global alignment for finding 3D similarities in protein structures

DOEpatents

Zemla, Adam T [Brentwood, CA

2011-09-20

A method of finding 3D similarities in protein structures of a first molecule and a second molecule. The method comprises providing preselected information regarding the first molecule and the second molecule. Comparing the first molecule and the second molecule using Longest Continuous Segments (LCS) analysis. Comparing the first molecule and the second molecule using Global Distance Test (GDT) analysis. Comparing the first molecule and the second molecule using Local Global Alignment Scoring function (LGA_S) analysis. Verifying constructed alignment and repeating the steps to find the regions of 3D similarities in protein structures.

Constellation Coverage Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lo, Martin W. (Compiler)

1997-01-01

The design of satellite constellations requires an understanding of the dynamic global coverage provided by the constellations. Even for a small constellation with a simple circular orbit propagator, the combinatorial nature of the analysis frequently renders the problem intractable. Particularly for the initial design phase where the orbital parameters are still fluid and undetermined, the coverage information is crucial to evaluate the performance of the constellation design. We have developed a fast and simple algorithm for determining the global constellation coverage dynamically using image processing techniques. This approach provides a fast, powerful and simple method for the analysis of global constellation coverage.

Prediction of Left Ventricular Filling Pressure by 3-Dimensional Speckle-Tracking Echocardiography in Patients With Coronary Artery Disease.

PubMed

Ma, Hong; Xie, Rong-Ai; Gao, Li-Jian; Zhang, Jin-Ping; Wu, Wei-Chun; Wang, Hao

2015-10-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the diagnostic value of 3-dimensional (3D) speckle-tracking echocardiography for estimating left ventricular filling pressure in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) and a preserved left ventricular ejection fraction. Altogether, 84 patients with CAD and 30 age- and sex-matched healthy control participants in sinus rhythm were recruited prospectively. All participants underwent conventional and 3D speckle-tracking echocardiography. Global strain values were automatically calculated by 3D speckle-tracking analysis. The left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) was determined invasively by left heart catheterization. Echocardiography and cardiac catheterization were performed within 24 hours. Compared with the controls, patients with CAD showed lower global longitudinal strain, global circumferential strain, global area strain, and global radial strain. Patients with CAD who had an elevated LVEDP had much lower levels of all 4 3D-speckle-tracking echocardiographic variables. Pearson correlation analysis revealed that the LVEDP correlated positively with the early transmitral flow velocity/early diastolic myocardial velocity (E/E') ratio, global longitudinal strain, global circumferential strain, and global area strain. It correlated negatively with global radial strain. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that these 3D speckle-tracking echocardiographic indices could effectively predict elevated left ventricular filling pressure (LVEDP >15 mm Hg) in patients with CAD (areas under the curve: global longitudinal strain, 0.78; global radial strain, 0.77; global circumferential strain, 0.75; and global area strain, 0.74). These parameters, however, showed no advantages over the commonly used E/E' ratio (area under the curve, 0.84). Three-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography was a practical technique for predicting elevated left ventricular filling pressure, but it might not be superior to the commonly used E/E' ratio in patients with CAD who have a normal left ventricular ejection fraction. © 2015 by the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine.

Global Health Governance and Global Power: A Critical Commentary on the Lancet-University of Oslo Commission Report.

PubMed

Gill, Stephen; Benatar, Solomon

2016-01-01

The Lancet-University of Oslo Commission Report on Global Governance for Health provides an insightful analysis of the global health inequalities that result from transnational activities consequent on what the authors call contemporary "global social norms." Our critique is that the analysis and suggested reforms to prevailing institutions and practices are confined within the perspective of the dominant-although unsustainable and inequitable-market-oriented, neoliberal development model of global capitalism. Consequently, the report both elides critical discussion of many key forms of material and political power under conditions of neoliberal development and governance that shape the nature and priorities of the global governance for health, and fails to point to the extent of changes required to sustainably improve global health. We propose that an alternative concept of progress-one grounded in history, political economy, and ecologically responsible health ethics-is sorely needed to better address challenges of global health governance in the new millennium. This might be premised on global solidarity and the "development of sustainability." We argue that the prevailing market civilization model that lies at the heart of global capitalism is being, and will further need to be, contested to avoid contradictions and dislocations associated with the commodification and privatization of health. © The Author(s) 2016.

The Global in Global Health is Not a Given.

PubMed

Mason, Paul H; Kerridge, Ian; Lipworth, Wendy

2017-04-01

AbstractThe process of globalization is commonly espoused as a means for promoting global health. Efforts to "go global" can, however, easily go awry as a result of lack of attention to local social, economic, and political contexts and/or as a result of commercial and political imperatives that allow local populations to be exploited. Critical analysis of the processes of globalization is necessary to better understand the local particularities of global projects and confront challenges more transparently. We illustrate the potential adverse impacts of globalization in the global health setting, through examination of international tuberculosis control, global mental health, and the establishment of transnational biobank networks.

Global Transmission Dynamics of Measles in the Measles Elimination Era.

PubMed

Furuse, Yuki; Oshitani, Hitoshi

2017-04-16

Although there have been many epidemiological reports of the inter-country transmission of measles, systematic analysis of the global transmission dynamics of the measles virus (MV) is limited. In this study, we applied phylogeographic analysis to characterize the global transmission dynamics of the MV using large-scale genetic sequence data (obtained for 7456 sequences) from 115 countries between 1954 and 2015. These analyses reveal the spatial and temporal characteristics of global transmission of the virus, especially in Australia, China, India, Japan, the UK, and the USA in the period since 1990. The transmission is frequently observed, not only within the same region but also among distant and frequently visited areas. Frequencies of export from measles-endemic countries, such as China, India, and Japan are high but decreasing, while the frequencies from countries where measles is no longer endemic, such as Australia, the UK, and the USA, are low but slightly increasing. The world is heading toward measles eradication, but the disease is still transmitted regionally and globally. Our analysis reveals that countries wherein measles is endemic and those having eliminated the disease (apart from occasional outbreaks) both remain a source of global transmission in this measles elimination era. It is therefore crucial to maintain vigilance in efforts to monitor and eradicate measles globally.

How Closely Related Are the National Curriculum and the Global Dimension? A Content Analysis of the Global Dimension in Elementary School Textbooks in Taiwan

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chou, Pei-I; Ting, Hsiu-Jung

2016-01-01

Over the past few decades, researchers, educators, and policymakers have become increasingly concerned about preparing future generations for life in the rapidly changing global society; thus, interest in the global dimension of school curricula has been growing. However, as tension often exists between this global dimension and national…

Global health in foreign policy--and foreign policy in health? Evidence from the BRICS.

PubMed

Watt, Nicola F; Gomez, Eduardo J; McKee, Martin

2014-09-01

Amidst the growing literature on global health, much has been written recently about the Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (BRICS) countries and their involvement and potential impact in global health, particularly in relation to development assistance. Rather less has been said about countries' motivations for involvement in global health negotiations, and there is a notable absence of evidence when their motivations are speculated on. This article uses an existing framework linking engagement in global health to foreign policy to explore differing levels of engagement by BRICS countries in the global health arena, with a particular focus on access to medicines. It concludes that countries' differing and complex motivations reinforce the need for realistic, pragmatic approaches to global health debates and their analysis. It also underlines that these analyses should be informed by analysis from other areas of foreign policy. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine © The Author 2013; all rights reserved.

Global Learning in England: Baseline Analysis of the Global Learning Programme Whole School Audit 2013-14. Research Paper No. 15 for the Global Learning Programme

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hunt, Frances; Cara, Olga

2015-01-01

The Global Learning Programme in England is an initiative aimed at supporting the teaching and learning of global learning in schools in England at Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3. It is a five-year national programme of support to schools to enhance their provision of global learning. Specifically, the GLP-E works with teachers to enhance their…

Pneumothorax detection in chest radiographs using local and global texture signatures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geva, Ofer; Zimmerman-Moreno, Gali; Lieberman, Sivan; Konen, Eli; Greenspan, Hayit

2015-03-01

A novel framework for automatic detection of pneumothorax abnormality in chest radiographs is presented. The suggested method is based on a texture analysis approach combined with supervised learning techniques. The proposed framework consists of two main steps: at first, a texture analysis process is performed for detection of local abnormalities. Labeled image patches are extracted in the texture analysis procedure following which local analysis values are incorporated into a novel global image representation. The global representation is used for training and detection of the abnormality at the image level. The presented global representation is designed based on the distinctive shape of the lung, taking into account the characteristics of typical pneumothorax abnormalities. A supervised learning process was performed on both the local and global data, leading to trained detection system. The system was tested on a dataset of 108 upright chest radiographs. Several state of the art texture feature sets were experimented with (Local Binary Patterns, Maximum Response filters). The optimal configuration yielded sensitivity of 81% with specificity of 87%. The results of the evaluation are promising, establishing the current framework as a basis for additional improvements and extensions.

Botswana's Beef Global Commodity Chain: Explaining the Resistance to Change

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ransom, Elizabeth

2011-01-01

In an era of increasing global agricultural trade, many firms and farms seek to upgrade their agricultural commodity chains to become better integrated into global markets. Utilizing a global commodity chain (GCC) approach, this analysis unravels the challenges to and the potential consequences of upgrading Botswana's beef commodity chain.…

Joining the Global Village: Teaching Globalization with Wikipedia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Konieczny, Piotr

2017-01-01

This paper presents an analysis of my experiences with a teaching activity that engages students in publishing in Wikipedia on issues relating to globalization. It begins with a short overview of some of the current debates revolving around teaching globalization, which lay ground for the assignment. I discuss how this teaching tool fits with a…

Global Citizenship and the Importance of Education in a Globally Integrated World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, William C.; Fraser, Pablo; Chykina, Volha; Ikoma, Sakiko; Levitan, Joseph; Liu, Jing; Mahfouz, Julia

2017-01-01

As national borders dissipate and technology allows different cultures and nationalities to communicate on a regular basis, more individuals are self-identifying as a global citizen. Using Social Network Analysis and multi-level modelling, this study explores factors associated with global citizen affinity and finds that education plays an…

Globalization and Higher Education Organizational Change: A Framework for Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Vaira, Massimiliano

2004-01-01

The aim of this article is to outline a theoretical framework to address Higher Education organizational change in a globalized and globalizing age. The paper will start with a brief description of trends characterizing the global landscape and their relationships with Higher Education policies and institutions. Although these trends are well…

International Trade Drives Global Resource Use: A Structural Decomposition Analysis of Raw Material Consumption from 1990-2010.

PubMed

Plank, Barbara; Eisenmenger, Nina; Schaffartzik, Anke; Wiedenhofer, Dominik

2018-04-03

Globalization led to an immense increase of international trade and the emergence of complex global value chains. At the same time, global resource use and pressures on the environment are increasing steadily. With these two processes in parallel, the question arises whether trade contributes positively to resource efficiency, or to the contrary is further driving resource use? In this article, the socioeconomic driving forces of increasing global raw material consumption (RMC) are investigated to assess the role of changing trade relations, extended supply chains and increasing consumption. We apply a structural decomposition analysis of changes in RMC from 1990 to 2010, utilizing the Eora multi-regional input-output (MRIO) model. We find that changes in international trade patterns significantly contributed to an increase of global RMC. Wealthy developed countries play a major role in driving global RMC growth through changes in their trade structures, as they shifted production processes increasingly to less material-efficient input suppliers. Even the dramatic increase in material consumption in the emerging economies has not diminished the role of industrialized countries as drivers of global RMC growth.

Analysis of the trade-off between high crop yield and low yield instability at the global scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ben-Ari, Tamara; Makowski, David

2016-10-01

Yield dynamics of major crops species vary remarkably among continents. Worldwide distribution of cropland influences both the expected levels and the interannual variability of global yields. An expansion of cultivated land in the most productive areas could theoretically increase global production, but also increase global yield instability if the most productive regions are characterized by high interannual yield variability. In this letter, we use portfolio analysis to quantify the tradeoff between the expected values and the interannual variance of global yield. We compute optimal frontiers for four crop species i.e., maize, rice, soybean and wheat and show how the distribution of cropland among large world regions can be optimized to either increase expected global crop production or decrease its interannual variability. We also show that a preferential allocation of cropland in the most productive regions can increase global expected yield at the expense of yield stability. Theoretically, optimizing the distribution of a small fraction of total cultivated areas can help find a good compromise between low instability and high crop yields at the global scale.

GEWEX Radiative Flux Assessment

Atmospheric Science Data Center

2016-05-20

... The ultimate goal of the Global Energy and Water Cycle Experiment ( GEWEX ) global data analysis projects is to obtain observations of the elements of the global energy and water cycle with sufficient detail and accuracy to diagnose the causes of ...

Education and human survival: The relevance of the global security framework to international education

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Williams, Christopher

2000-07-01

The nature of international education as a field of studies has been affected by global changes over the past decade. At the same time, the concept of global security has emerged, bringing together studies related to development, the environment and the understanding of violence. Although much of the education literature reflects the global security approach, it is not a field that has been subjected to much analysis as a whole. This paper provides an assessment of international education as a discipline, and outlines the global security framework. It examines how this framework is reflected in the forms of analysis used by international educationists. Finally it suggests how the central purpose of global security, namely ensuring human survival, could be adopted within international education to provide a clear sense of direction. This has specific implications for such areas as curriculum, assessment, educational provision and planning.

Time-varying correlations in global real estate markets: A multivariate GARCH with spatial effects approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gu, Huaying; Liu, Zhixue; Weng, Yingliang

2017-04-01

The present study applies the multivariate generalized autoregressive conditional heteroscedasticity (MGARCH) with spatial effects approach for the analysis of the time-varying conditional correlations and contagion effects among global real estate markets. A distinguishing feature of the proposed model is that it can simultaneously capture the spatial interactions and the dynamic conditional correlations compared with the traditional MGARCH models. Results reveal that the estimated dynamic conditional correlations have exhibited significant increases during the global financial crisis from 2007 to 2009, thereby suggesting contagion effects among global real estate markets. The analysis further indicates that the returns of the regional real estate markets that are in close geographic and economic proximities exhibit strong co-movement. In addition, evidence of significantly positive leverage effects in global real estate markets is also determined. The findings have significant implications on global portfolio diversification opportunities and risk management practices.

Modeling and Analysis of Global and Regional Climate Change in Relation to Atmospheric Hydrologic Processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Donald R.

2001-01-01

This research was directed to the development and application of global isentropic modeling and analysis capabilities to describe hydrologic processes and energy exchange in the climate system, and discern regional climate change. An additional objective was to investigate the accuracy and theoretical limits of global climate predictability which are imposed by the inherent limitations of simulating trace constituent transport and the hydrologic processes of condensation, precipitation and cloud life cycles.

Scaling analysis of stock markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bu, Luping; Shang, Pengjian

2014-06-01

In this paper, we apply the detrended fluctuation analysis (DFA), local scaling detrended fluctuation analysis (LSDFA), and detrended cross-correlation analysis (DCCA) to investigate correlations of several stock markets. DFA method is for the detection of long-range correlations used in time series. LSDFA method is to show more local properties by using local scale exponents. DCCA method is a developed method to quantify the cross-correlation of two non-stationary time series. We report the results of auto-correlation and cross-correlation behaviors in three western countries and three Chinese stock markets in periods 2004-2006 (before the global financial crisis), 2007-2009 (during the global financial crisis), and 2010-2012 (after the global financial crisis) by using DFA, LSDFA, and DCCA method. The findings are that correlations of stocks are influenced by the economic systems of different countries and the financial crisis. The results indicate that there are stronger auto-correlations in Chinese stocks than western stocks in any period and stronger auto-correlations after the global financial crisis for every stock except Shen Cheng; The LSDFA shows more comprehensive and detailed features than traditional DFA method and the integration of China and the world in economy after the global financial crisis; When it turns to cross-correlations, it shows different properties for six stock markets, while for three Chinese stocks, it reaches the weakest cross-correlations during the global financial crisis.

Revealing the underlying drivers of disaster risk: a global analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peduzzi, Pascal

2017-04-01

Disasters events are perfect examples of compound events. Disaster risk lies at the intersection of several independent components such as hazard, exposure and vulnerability. Understanding the weight of each component requires extensive standardisation. Here, I show how footprints of past disastrous events were generated using GIS modelling techniques and used for extracting population and economic exposures based on distribution models. Using past event losses, it was possible to identify and quantify a wide range of socio-politico-economic drivers associated with human vulnerability. The analysis was applied to about nine thousand individual past disastrous events covering earthquakes, floods and tropical cyclones. Using a multiple regression analysis on these individual events it was possible to quantify each risk component and assess how vulnerability is influenced by various hazard intensities. The results show that hazard intensity, exposure, poverty, governance as well as other underlying factors (e.g. remoteness) can explain the magnitude of past disasters. Analysis was also performed to highlight the role of future trends in population and climate change and how this may impacts exposure to tropical cyclones in the future. GIS models combined with statistical multiple regression analysis provided a powerful methodology to identify, quantify and model disaster risk taking into account its various components. The same methodology can be applied to various types of risk at local to global scale. This method was applied and developed for the Global Risk Analysis of the Global Assessment Report on Disaster Risk Reduction (GAR). It was first applied on mortality risk in GAR 2009 and GAR 2011. New models ranging from global assets exposure and global flood hazard models were also recently developed to improve the resolution of the risk analysis and applied through CAPRA software to provide probabilistic economic risk assessments such as Average Annual Losses (AAL) and Probable Maximum Losses (PML) in GAR 2013 and GAR 2015. In parallel similar methodologies were developed to highlitght the role of ecosystems for Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) and Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR). New developments may include slow hazards (such as e.g. soil degradation and droughts), natech hazards (by intersecting with georeferenced critical infrastructures) The various global hazard, exposure and risk models can be visualized and download through the PREVIEW Global Risk Data Platform.

What did the Go4Health policy research project contribute to the policy discourse on the sustainable development goals? A reflexive review.

PubMed

Te, Vannarath; Floden, Nadia; Hussain, Sameera; Brolan, Claire E; Hill, Peter S

2018-05-16

In 2012, the European Commission funded Go4Health-Goals and Governance for Global Health, a consortium of 13 academic research and human rights institutions from both Global North and South-to track the evolution of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), and provide ongoing policy advice. This paper reviews the research outputs published between 2012 and 2016, analyzing the thematic content of the publications, and the influence on global health and development discourse through citation metrics. Analysis of the 54 published papers showed 6 dominant themes related to the SDGs: the formulation process for the SDG health goal; the right to health; Universal Health Coverage; voices of marginalized peoples; global health governance; and the integration of health across the other SDGs. The papers combined advocacy---particularly for the right to health and its potential embodiment in Universal Health Coverage-with qualitative research and analysis of policy and stakeholders. Go4Health's publications on the right to health, global health governance and the voices of marginalized peoples in relation to the SDGs represented a substantial proportion of papers published for these topics. Go4Health analysis of the right to health clarified its elements and their application to Universal Health Coverage, global health governance, financing the SDGs and access to medicines. Qualitative research identified correspondence between perceptions of marginalized peoples and right to health principles, and reluctance among multilateral organizations to explicitly represent the right to health in the goals, despite their acknowledgement of their importance. Citation metrics analysis confirmed an average of 5.5 citations per paper, with a field-weighted citation impact of 2.24 for the 43 peer reviewed publications. Citations in the academic literature and UN policy documents confirmed the impact of Go4Health on the global discourse around the SDGs, but within the Go4Health consortium there was also evidence of two epistemological frames of analysis-normative legal analysis and empirical research-that created productive synergies in unpacking the health SDG and the right to health. The analysis offers clear evidence for the contribution of funded programmatic research-such as the Go4Health project-to the global health discourse.

State Support: A Prerequisite for Global Health Network Effectiveness

PubMed Central

Marten, Robert; Smith, Richard D.

2018-01-01

Shiffman recently summarized lessons for network effectiveness from an impressive collection of case-studies. However, in common with most global health governance analysis in recent years, Shiffman underplays the important role of states in these global networks. As the body which decides and signs international agreements, often provides the resourcing, and is responsible for implementing initiatives all contributing to the prioritization of certain issues over others, state recognition and support is a prerequisite to enabling and determining global health networks’ success. The role of states deserves greater attention, analysis and consideration. We reflect upon the underappreciated role of the state within the current discourse on global health. We present the tobacco case study to illustrate the decisive role of states in determining progress for global health networks, and highlight how states use a legitimacy loop to gain legitimacy from and provide legitimacy to global health networks. Moving forward in assessing global health networks’ effectiveness, further investigating state support as a determinant of success will be critical. Understanding how global health networks and states interact and evolve to shape and support their respective interests should be a focus for future research. PMID:29524958

Application of Observed Precipitation in NCEP Global and Regional Data Assimilation Systems, Including Reanalysis and Land Data Assimilation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mitchell, K. E.

2006-12-01

The Environmental Modeling Center (EMC) of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) applies several different analyses of observed precipitation in both the data assimilation and validation components of NCEP's global and regional numerical weather and climate prediction/analysis systems (including in NCEP global and regional reanalysis). This invited talk will survey these data assimilation and validation applications and methodologies, as well as the temporal frequency, spatial domains, spatial resolution, data sources, data density and data quality control in the precipitation analyses that are applied. Some of the precipitation analyses applied by EMC are produced by NCEP's Climate Prediction Center (CPC), while others are produced by the River Forecast Centers (RFCs) of the National Weather Service (NWS), or by automated algorithms of the NWS WSR-88D Radar Product Generator (RPG). Depending on the specific type of application in data assimilation or model forecast validation, the temporal resolution of the precipitation analyses may be hourly, daily, or pentad (5-day) and the domain may be global, continental U.S. (CONUS), or Mexico. The data sources for precipitation include ground-based gauge observations, radar-based estimates, and satellite-based estimates. The precipitation analyses over the CONUS are analyses of either hourly, daily or monthly totals of precipitation, and they are of two distinct types: gauge-only or primarily radar-estimated. The gauge-only CONUS analysis of daily precipitation utilizes an orographic-adjustment technique (based on the well-known PRISM precipitation climatology of Oregon State University) developed by the NWS Office of Hydrologic Development (OHD). The primary NCEP global precipitation analysis is the pentad CPC Merged Analysis of Precipitation (CMAP), which blends both gauge observations and satellite estimates. The presentation will include a brief comparison between the CMAP analysis and other global precipitation analyses by other institutions. Other global precipitation analyses produced by other methodologies are also used by EMC in certain applications, such as CPC's well-known satellite-IR based technique known as "GPI", and satellite-microwave based estimates from NESDIS or NASA. Finally, the presentation will cover the three assimilation methods used by EMC to assimilate precipitation data, including 1) 3D-VAR variational assimilation in NCEP's Global Data Assimilation System (GDAS), 2) direct insertion of precipitation-inferred vertical latent heating profiles in NCEP's N. American Data Assimilation System (NDAS) and its N. American Regional Reanalysis (NARR) counterpart, and 3) direct use of observed precipitation to drive the Noah land model component of NCEP's Global and N. American Land Data Assimilation Systems (GLDAS and NLDAS). In the applications of precipitation analyses in data assimilation at NCEP, the analyses are temporally disaggregated to hourly or less using time-weights calculated from A) either radar-based estimates or an analysis of hourly gauge-observations for the CONUS-domain daily precipitation analyses, or B) global model forecasts of 6-hourly precipitation (followed by linear interpolation to hourly or less) for the global CMAP precipitation analysis.

Global Optimality of the Successive Maxbet Algorithm.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hanafi, Mohamed; ten Berge, Jos M. F.

2003-01-01

It is known that the Maxbet algorithm, which is an alternative to the method of generalized canonical correlation analysis and Procrustes analysis, may converge to local maxima. Discusses an eigenvalue criterion that is sufficient, but not necessary, for global optimality of the successive Maxbet algorithm. (SLD)

The Global in Global Health is Not a Given

PubMed Central

Mason, Paul H.; Kerridge, Ian; Lipworth, Wendy

2017-01-01

The process of globalization is commonly espoused as a means for promoting global health. Efforts to “go global” can, however, easily go awry as a result of lack of attention to local social, economic, and political contexts and/or as a result of commercial and political imperatives that allow local populations to be exploited. Critical analysis of the processes of globalization is necessary to better understand the local particularities of global projects and confront challenges more transparently. We illustrate the potential adverse impacts of globalization in the global health setting, through examination of international tuberculosis control, global mental health, and the establishment of transnational biobank networks. PMID:28138044

The Stark Reality of the "White Saviour" Complex and the Need for Critical Consciousness: A Document Analysis of the Early Journals of a Freirean Educator

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Straubhaar, Rolf

2015-01-01

While the anglophone academic literature has long engaged in analysis of the role of privilege in the work of educators in the Global North, this article represents an initial foray into such analysis in non-formal educational settings in the Global South. Through a cultural-textual document analysis of 12?months of personal journal entries…

Beyond homogenization discourse: Reconsidering the cultural consequences of globalized medical education.

PubMed

Gosselin, K; Norris, J L; Ho, M-J

2016-07-01

Global medical education standards, largely designed in the West, have been promoted across national boundaries with limited regard for cultural differences. This review aims to identify discourses on cultural globalization in medical education literature from non-Western countries. To explore the diversity of discourses related to globalization and culture in the field of medical education, the authors conducted a critical review of medical education research from non-Western countries published in Academic Medicine, Medical Education and Medical Teacher from 2006 to 2014. Key discourses about globalization and culture emerged from a preliminary analysis of this body of literature. A secondary analysis identified inductive sub-themes. Homogenization, polarization and hybridization emerged as key themes in the literature. These findings demonstrate the existence of discourses beyond Western-led homogenization and the co-existence of globalization discourses ranging from homogenization to syncretism to resistance. This review calls attention to the existence of manifold discourses about globalization and culture in non-Western medical education contexts. In refocusing global medical education processes to avoid Western cultural imperialism, it will also be necessary to avoid the pitfalls of other globalization discourses. Moving beyond existing discourses, researchers and educators should work towards equitable, context-sensitive and locally-driven approaches to global medical education.

Estimating the potential intensification of global grazing systems based on climate adjusted yield gap analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sheehan, J. J.

2016-12-01

We report here a first-of-its-kind analysis of the potential for intensification of global grazing systems. Intensification is calculated using the statistical yield gap methodology developed previously by others (Mueller et al 2012 and Licker et al 2010) for global crop systems. Yield gaps are estimated by binning global pasture land area into 100 equal area sized bins of similar climate (defined by ranges of rainfall and growing degree days). Within each bin, grid cells of pastureland are ranked from lowest to highest productivity. The global intensification potential is defined as the sum of global production across all bins at a given percentile ranking (e.g. performance at the 90th percentile) divided by the total current global production. The previous yield gap studies focused on crop systems because productivity data on these systems is readily available. Nevertheless, global crop land represents only one-third of total global agricultural land, while pasture systems account for the remaining two-thirds. Thus, it is critical to conduct the same kind of analysis on what is the largest human use of land on the planet—pasture systems. In 2013, Herrero et al announced the completion of a geospatial data set that augmented the animal census data with data and modeling about production systems and overall food productivity (Herrero et al, PNAS 2013). With this data set, it is now possible to apply yield gap analysis to global pasture systems. We used the Herrero et al data set to evaluate yield gaps for meat and milk production from pasture based systems for cattle, sheep and goats. The figure included with this abstract shows the intensification potential for kcal per hectare per year of meat and milk from global cattle, sheep and goats as a function of increasing levels of performance. Performance is measured as the productivity achieved at a given ranked percentile within each bin.We find that if all pasture land were raised to their 90th percentile of performance, global output of meat and milk could increase 2.8 fold. This is much higher than that reported previously for major grain crops like corn and wheat. Our results suggest that efforts to address poor performance of pasture systems around the world could substantially improve the outlook for meeting future food demand.

A fully traits-based approach to modeling global vegetation distribution.

PubMed

van Bodegom, Peter M; Douma, Jacob C; Verheijen, Lieneke M

2014-09-23

Dynamic Global Vegetation Models (DGVMs) are indispensable for our understanding of climate change impacts. The application of traits in DGVMs is increasingly refined. However, a comprehensive analysis of the direct impacts of trait variation on global vegetation distribution does not yet exist. Here, we present such analysis as proof of principle. We run regressions of trait observations for leaf mass per area, stem-specific density, and seed mass from a global database against multiple environmental drivers, making use of findings of global trait convergence. This analysis explained up to 52% of the global variation of traits. Global trait maps, generated by coupling the regression equations to gridded soil and climate maps, showed up to orders of magnitude variation in trait values. Subsequently, nine vegetation types were characterized by the trait combinations that they possess using Gaussian mixture density functions. The trait maps were input to these functions to determine global occurrence probabilities for each vegetation type. We prepared vegetation maps, assuming that the most probable (and thus, most suited) vegetation type at each location will be realized. This fully traits-based vegetation map predicted 42% of the observed vegetation distribution correctly. Our results indicate that a major proportion of the predictive ability of DGVMs with respect to vegetation distribution can be attained by three traits alone if traits like stem-specific density and seed mass are included. We envision that our traits-based approach, our observation-driven trait maps, and our vegetation maps may inspire a new generation of powerful traits-based DGVMs.

Understanding and Improving Knowledge Transactions in Command and Control

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-06-01

implications for the development of tools to facilitate efficient and effectiv and knowledge exchange. Cognitive task analysis (CTA) in support...makers]?” *quotes taken from K-web cognitive task analysis , Global 2000 and Global 2001 War Games, interviews with Carl Vinson K-Web users following

Discourse Communities--Local and Global.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Killingsworth, M. Jimmie

1992-01-01

Argues that rhetorical theory needs to keep alive competing concepts of discourse communities, so that alternatives exist in the description and analysis of discourse practices. Proposes distinguishing between two kinds of discourse communities--the local and the global--so that rhetorical analysis can achieve the necessary critical edge,…

To Nail a Pudding: Metaphorical Analysis of the Social Studies Education Discourse Community on Globalization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Agbaria, Ayman K.

2011-01-01

Despite the abundance of studies on globalization in educational research, globalization is often approached as a monolithic and standardized concept. Focusing on the social studies education in the USA, this study explores how the various metaphors through which globalization is framed embrace particular perspectives on how to conceive and…

The Global Targeting of Education and Skill: Policy History and Comparative Perspectives

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Kenneth

2016-01-01

This analysis covers the period from 1925 to 2016 in respect of constructing national and global goals and targets in education and training. Tensions between global and national approaches to target-setting are identified. Equally, the ownership of the global target discourse is discussed along with its contested relevance to both developed and…

"Global Human Resource Development" and Japanese University Education: "Localism" in Actor Discussions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yoshida, Aya

2017-01-01

The aim of this paper is to analyse the actions of various actors involved in "global human resource development" and to clarify whether discussions on global human resources are based on local perspectives. The results of the analysis are as follows: 1) after the year 2000 began, industry started discussions on global human resources in…

A systematic review of Investigator Global Assessment (IGA) in atopic dermatitis (AD) trials: Many options, no standards.

PubMed

Futamura, Masaki; Leshem, Yael A; Thomas, Kim S; Nankervis, Helen; Williams, Hywel C; Simpson, Eric L

2016-02-01

Investigators often use global assessments to provide a snapshot of overall disease severity in dermatologic clinical trials. Although easy to perform, the frequency of use and standardization of global assessments in studies of atopic dermatitis (AD) is unclear. We sought to assess the frequency, definitions, and methods of analysis of Investigator Global Assessment in randomized controlled trials of AD. We conducted a systematic review using all published randomized controlled trials of AD treatments in the Global Resource of Eczema Trials database (2000-2014). We determined the frequency of global scales application and defining features. Among 317 trials identified, 101 trials (32%) used an investigator-performed global assessment as an outcome measure. There was large variability in global assessments between studies in nomenclature, scale size, definitions, outcome description, and analysis. Both static and dynamic scales were identified that ranged from 4- to 7-point scales. North American studies used global assessments more commonly than studies from other countries. The search was restricted to the Global Resource of Eczema Trials database. Global assessments are used frequently in studies of AD, but their complete lack of standardized definitions and implementation preclude any meaningful comparisons between studies, which in turn impedes data synthesis to inform clinical decision-making. Standardization is urgently required. Copyright © 2015. Published by Elsevier Inc.

The International GPS Service: A Global Resource for GPS Applications and Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Neilan, Ruth E.; Zumberge, James F.; Beutler, Gerhard; Kouba, Jan

1997-01-01

Since June, 1992, the International GPS service has been coordinating a global civilian GPS infrastructure in order to support numerous GPS applications and research activities. A key aspect of the IGS is the reliability and quality of the analysis products that have been made available over the past five years through the IGS Analysis Centers and the Analysis Center Coordinator.

Optimizing human activity patterns using global sensitivity analysis.

PubMed

Fairchild, Geoffrey; Hickmann, Kyle S; Mniszewski, Susan M; Del Valle, Sara Y; Hyman, James M

2014-12-01

Implementing realistic activity patterns for a population is crucial for modeling, for example, disease spread, supply and demand, and disaster response. Using the dynamic activity simulation engine, DASim, we generate schedules for a population that capture regular (e.g., working, eating, and sleeping) and irregular activities (e.g., shopping or going to the doctor). We use the sample entropy (SampEn) statistic to quantify a schedule's regularity for a population. We show how to tune an activity's regularity by adjusting SampEn, thereby making it possible to realistically design activities when creating a schedule. The tuning process sets up a computationally intractable high-dimensional optimization problem. To reduce the computational demand, we use Bayesian Gaussian process regression to compute global sensitivity indices and identify the parameters that have the greatest effect on the variance of SampEn. We use the harmony search (HS) global optimization algorithm to locate global optima. Our results show that HS combined with global sensitivity analysis can efficiently tune the SampEn statistic with few search iterations. We demonstrate how global sensitivity analysis can guide statistical emulation and global optimization algorithms to efficiently tune activities and generate realistic activity patterns. Though our tuning methods are applied to dynamic activity schedule generation, they are general and represent a significant step in the direction of automated tuning and optimization of high-dimensional computer simulations.

Optimizing human activity patterns using global sensitivity analysis

PubMed Central

Hickmann, Kyle S.; Mniszewski, Susan M.; Del Valle, Sara Y.; Hyman, James M.

2014-01-01

Implementing realistic activity patterns for a population is crucial for modeling, for example, disease spread, supply and demand, and disaster response. Using the dynamic activity simulation engine, DASim, we generate schedules for a population that capture regular (e.g., working, eating, and sleeping) and irregular activities (e.g., shopping or going to the doctor). We use the sample entropy (SampEn) statistic to quantify a schedule’s regularity for a population. We show how to tune an activity’s regularity by adjusting SampEn, thereby making it possible to realistically design activities when creating a schedule. The tuning process sets up a computationally intractable high-dimensional optimization problem. To reduce the computational demand, we use Bayesian Gaussian process regression to compute global sensitivity indices and identify the parameters that have the greatest effect on the variance of SampEn. We use the harmony search (HS) global optimization algorithm to locate global optima. Our results show that HS combined with global sensitivity analysis can efficiently tune the SampEn statistic with few search iterations. We demonstrate how global sensitivity analysis can guide statistical emulation and global optimization algorithms to efficiently tune activities and generate realistic activity patterns. Though our tuning methods are applied to dynamic activity schedule generation, they are general and represent a significant step in the direction of automated tuning and optimization of high-dimensional computer simulations. PMID:25580080

Optimizing human activity patterns using global sensitivity analysis

DOE PAGES

Fairchild, Geoffrey; Hickmann, Kyle S.; Mniszewski, Susan M.; ...

2013-12-10

Implementing realistic activity patterns for a population is crucial for modeling, for example, disease spread, supply and demand, and disaster response. Using the dynamic activity simulation engine, DASim, we generate schedules for a population that capture regular (e.g., working, eating, and sleeping) and irregular activities (e.g., shopping or going to the doctor). We use the sample entropy (SampEn) statistic to quantify a schedule’s regularity for a population. We show how to tune an activity’s regularity by adjusting SampEn, thereby making it possible to realistically design activities when creating a schedule. The tuning process sets up a computationally intractable high-dimensional optimizationmore » problem. To reduce the computational demand, we use Bayesian Gaussian process regression to compute global sensitivity indices and identify the parameters that have the greatest effect on the variance of SampEn. Here we use the harmony search (HS) global optimization algorithm to locate global optima. Our results show that HS combined with global sensitivity analysis can efficiently tune the SampEn statistic with few search iterations. We demonstrate how global sensitivity analysis can guide statistical emulation and global optimization algorithms to efficiently tune activities and generate realistic activity patterns. Finally, though our tuning methods are applied to dynamic activity schedule generation, they are general and represent a significant step in the direction of automated tuning and optimization of high-dimensional computer simulations.« less

Inference of Global Mean Temperature Trend and Climate Change from MSU and AMSU

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prabhakara, Cuddapah; Iacovazzi, R. A., Jr.; Yoo, J.-M.; Lau, William K. M. (Technical Monitor)

2001-01-01

Microwave Sounding Unit (MSU) and Advanced MSU (AMSU) radiometers flown on the NOAA operational satellite series are potentially valuable as global temperature monitoring devices. Spencer and Christy pioneered the analysis of mid-tropospheric temperature, given by MSU Channel 2 (Ch 2) at 53.74 GHz, to derive the global temperature trend. Also, in addition to monitoring global temperature, these microwave radiometers have the potential to reveal interannual climate signals in tropics. We have analyzed the data of MSU Ch 2 and AMSU Ch 5 (53.6 GHz) from the NOAA operational satellites for the period 1980 to 2000, utilizing the NOAA calibration procedure. The data are corrected for the satellite orbital drift based on the temporal changes of the on-board warm blackbody temperature. From our analysis, we find that the global temperature increased at a rate of 0.13 +/- 0.05 Kdecade(sup -1) during 1980 to 2000. From an Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF) analysis of the MSU global data, we find that the mid-tropospheric temperature in middle and high latitudes responds to the ENSO forcing during the Northern Hemisphere Winter in a distinct manner. This mid-latitude response is opposite in phase to that in the tropics. This result is in accord with simulations performed with an ECMWF global spectral model. This study shows a potential use of the satellite observations for climatic change.

Understanding how and why health is integrated into foreign policy - a case study of health is global, a UK Government Strategy 2008-2013.

PubMed

Gagnon, Michelle L; Labonté, Ronald

2013-06-06

Over the past decade, global health issues have become more prominent in foreign policies at the national level. The process to develop state level global health strategies is arguably a form of global health diplomacy (GHD). Despite an increase in the volume of secondary research and analysis in this area, little primary research, particularly that which draws directly on the perspectives of those involved in these processes, has been conducted. This study seeks to fill this knowledge gap through an empirical case study of Health is Global: A UK Government Strategy 2008-2013. It aims to build understanding about how and why health is integrated into foreign policy and derive lessons of potential relevance to other nations interested in developing whole-of-government global health strategies. The major element of the study consisted of an in-depth investigation and analysis of the UK global health strategy. Document analysis and twenty interviews were conducted. Data was organized and described using an adapted version of Walt and Gilson's policy analysis triangle. A general inductive approach was used to identify themes in the data, which were then analysed and interpreted using Fidler's health and foreign policy conceptualizations and Kingdon's multiples streams model of the policymaking process. The primary reason that the UK decided to focus more on global health is self-interest - to protect national and international security and economic interests. Investing in global health was also seen as a way to enhance the UK's international reputation. A focus on global health to primarily benefit other nations and improve global health per se was a prevalent through weaker theme. A well organized, credible policy community played a critical role in the process and a policy entrepreneur with expertise in both international relations and health helped catalyze attention and action on global health when the time was right. Support from the Prime Minister and from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office was essential. The process to arrive at a government-wide strategy was complex and time-consuming, but also broke down silos. Significant negotiation and compromise were required from actors with widely varying perspectives on global health and conflicting priorities. As primarily an exploratory study, this research sheds significant light on the global health policymaking process at the level of the state. It provides a useful and important starting point for further hypothesis driven empirical research that focuses on the integration of health in foreign policy, how and why this happens and whether or not it makes an impact on improving global health.

Understanding how and why health is integrated into foreign policy - a case study of health is global, a UK Government Strategy 2008–2013

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Over the past decade, global health issues have become more prominent in foreign policies at the national level. The process to develop state level global health strategies is arguably a form of global health diplomacy (GHD). Despite an increase in the volume of secondary research and analysis in this area, little primary research, particularly that which draws directly on the perspectives of those involved in these processes, has been conducted. This study seeks to fill this knowledge gap through an empirical case study of Health is Global: A UK Government Strategy 2008–2013. It aims to build understanding about how and why health is integrated into foreign policy and derive lessons of potential relevance to other nations interested in developing whole-of-government global health strategies. Methods The major element of the study consisted of an in-depth investigation and analysis of the UK global health strategy. Document analysis and twenty interviews were conducted. Data was organized and described using an adapted version of Walt and Gilson’s policy analysis triangle. A general inductive approach was used to identify themes in the data, which were then analysed and interpreted using Fidler’s health and foreign policy conceptualizations and Kingdon’s multiples streams model of the policymaking process. Results The primary reason that the UK decided to focus more on global health is self-interest - to protect national and international security and economic interests. Investing in global health was also seen as a way to enhance the UK’s international reputation. A focus on global health to primarily benefit other nations and improve global health per se was a prevalent through weaker theme. A well organized, credible policy community played a critical role in the process and a policy entrepreneur with expertise in both international relations and health helped catalyze attention and action on global health when the time was right. Support from the Prime Minister and from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office was essential. The process to arrive at a government-wide strategy was complex and time-consuming, but also broke down silos. Significant negotiation and compromise were required from actors with widely varying perspectives on global health and conflicting priorities. Conclusions As primarily an exploratory study, this research sheds significant light on the global health policymaking process at the level of the state. It provides a useful and important starting point for further hypothesis driven empirical research that focuses on the integration of health in foreign policy, how and why this happens and whether or not it makes an impact on improving global health. PMID:23742130

TARA OCEANS: A Global Analysis of Oceanic Plankton Ecosystems (2013 DOE JGI Genomics of Energy and Environment 8th Annual User Meeting)

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

Karsenti, Eric

2013-03-01

Eric Karsenti of EMBL delivers the closing keynote on "TARA OCEANS: A Global Analysis of Oceanic Plankton Ecosystems" at the 8th Annual Genomics of Energy & Environment Meeting on March 28, 2013 in Walnut Creek, California.

TARA OCEANS: A Global Analysis of Oceanic Plankton Ecosystems (2013 DOE JGI Genomics of Energy and Environment 8th Annual User Meeting)

ScienceCinema

Karsenti, Eric [European Molecular Biology Lab. (EMBL), Heidelberg (Germany)

2018-05-23

Eric Karsenti of EMBL delivers the closing keynote on "TARA OCEANS: A Global Analysis of Oceanic Plankton Ecosystems" at the 8th Annual Genomics of Energy & Environment Meeting on March 28, 2013 in Walnut Creek, California.

Globalization and International Student Mobility: A Network Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shields, Robin

2013-01-01

This article analyzes changes to the network of international student mobility in higher education over a 10-year period (1999-2008). International student flows have increased rapidly, exceeding 3 million in 2009, and extensive data on mobility provide unique insight into global educational processes. The analysis is informed by three theoretical…

Challenges in the global QCD analysis of parton structure of nucleons

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tung, Wu-Ki

2000-12-01

We briefly summarize the current status of global QCD analysis of the parton structure of the nucleon and then highlight the open questions and challenges which confront this endeavor on which much of the phenomenology of the Standard Model and the search of New Physics depend.

System for the Analysis of Global Energy Markets - Vol. II, Model Documentation

EIA Publications

2003-01-01

The second volume provides a data implementation guide that lists all naming conventions and model constraints. In addition, Volume 1 has two appendixes that provide a schematic of the System for the Analysis of Global Energy Markets (SAGE) structure and a listing of the source code, respectively.

Global Sensitivity and Data-Worth Analyses in iTOUGH2: User's Guide

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

Wainwright, Haruko Murakami; Finsterle, Stefan

2016-07-15

This manual explains the use of local sensitivity analysis, the global Morris OAT and Sobol’ methods, and a related data-worth analysis as implemented in iTOUGH2. In addition to input specification and output formats, it includes some examples to show how to interpret results.

Global health justice and governance.

PubMed

Ruger, Jennifer Prah

2012-01-01

While there is a growing body of work on moral issues and global governance in the fields of global justice and international relations, little work has connected principles of global health justice with those of global health governance for a theory of global health. Such a theory would enable analysis and evaluation of the current global health system and would ethically and empirically ground proposals for reforming it to more closely align with moral values. Global health governance has been framed as an issue of national security, human security, human rights, and global public goods. The global health governance literature is essentially untethered to a theorized framework to illuminate or evaluate governance. This article ties global health justice and ethics to principles for governing the global health realm, developing a theoretical framework for global and domestic institutions and actors.

The Version 2 Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) Monthly Precipitation Analysis (1979-Present)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adler, Robert F.; Huffman, George J.; Chang, Alfred; Ferraro, Ralph; Xie, Ping-Ping; Janowiak, John; Rudolf, Bruno; Schneider, Udo; Curtis, Scott; Bolvin, David

2003-01-01

The Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) Version 2 Monthly Precipitation Analysis is described. This globally complete, monthly analysis of surface precipitation at 2.5 degrees x 2.5 degrees latitude-longitude resolution is available from January 1979 to the present. It is a merged analysis that incorporates precipitation estimates from low-orbit-satellite microwave data, geosynchronous-orbit-satellite infrared data, and rain gauge observations. The merging approach utilizes the higher accuracy of the low-orbit microwave observations to calibrate, or adjust, the more frequent geosynchronous infrared observations. The data set is extended back into the premicrowave era (before 1987) by using infrared-only observations calibrated to the microwave-based analysis of the later years. The combined satellite-based product is adjusted by the raingauge analysis. This monthly analysis is the foundation for the GPCP suite of products including those at finer temporal resolution, satellite estimate, and error estimates for each field. The 23-year GPCP climatology is characterized, along with time and space variations of precipitation.

SBML-SAT: a systems biology markup language (SBML) based sensitivity analysis tool

PubMed Central

Zi, Zhike; Zheng, Yanan; Rundell, Ann E; Klipp, Edda

2008-01-01

Background It has long been recognized that sensitivity analysis plays a key role in modeling and analyzing cellular and biochemical processes. Systems biology markup language (SBML) has become a well-known platform for coding and sharing mathematical models of such processes. However, current SBML compatible software tools are limited in their ability to perform global sensitivity analyses of these models. Results This work introduces a freely downloadable, software package, SBML-SAT, which implements algorithms for simulation, steady state analysis, robustness analysis and local and global sensitivity analysis for SBML models. This software tool extends current capabilities through its execution of global sensitivity analyses using multi-parametric sensitivity analysis, partial rank correlation coefficient, SOBOL's method, and weighted average of local sensitivity analyses in addition to its ability to handle systems with discontinuous events and intuitive graphical user interface. Conclusion SBML-SAT provides the community of systems biologists a new tool for the analysis of their SBML models of biochemical and cellular processes. PMID:18706080

SBML-SAT: a systems biology markup language (SBML) based sensitivity analysis tool.

PubMed

Zi, Zhike; Zheng, Yanan; Rundell, Ann E; Klipp, Edda

2008-08-15

It has long been recognized that sensitivity analysis plays a key role in modeling and analyzing cellular and biochemical processes. Systems biology markup language (SBML) has become a well-known platform for coding and sharing mathematical models of such processes. However, current SBML compatible software tools are limited in their ability to perform global sensitivity analyses of these models. This work introduces a freely downloadable, software package, SBML-SAT, which implements algorithms for simulation, steady state analysis, robustness analysis and local and global sensitivity analysis for SBML models. This software tool extends current capabilities through its execution of global sensitivity analyses using multi-parametric sensitivity analysis, partial rank correlation coefficient, SOBOL's method, and weighted average of local sensitivity analyses in addition to its ability to handle systems with discontinuous events and intuitive graphical user interface. SBML-SAT provides the community of systems biologists a new tool for the analysis of their SBML models of biochemical and cellular processes.

Global Climate Change and NEPA: The Difficulty with Cumulative Impacts Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-05-18

This paper will provide a survey of the current requirements under the law for addressing global climate change in NEPA documents, along with various...methodologies for quantifying the potential global climate change impacts of federal actions subject to NEPA.

The detection of global convection on the sun by an analysis of line shift data of the John M. Wilcox Solar Observatory at Stanford University

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Yoshimura, Hirokazu

1987-01-01

An analysis of the absorption line shift data of the John M. Wilcox Solar Observatory at Stanford University has yielded signatures of the existence of global convection on the sun. These include persistent periodic time variations in the east-west component of the velocity fields defined by fitting a slope to the line shift data in a certain longitude window at a specified latitude and longitude by the least squares method. The amplitude of the velocity fields estimated from these variations is of the order of 100 m/s. The results of the analysis also suggest that several modes of global convection coexist in the solar convection zone. Details of the analysis are given.

Stability analysis for stochastic BAM nonlinear neural network with delays

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lv, Z. W.; Shu, H. S.; Wei, G. L.

2008-02-01

In this paper, stochastic bidirectional associative memory neural networks with constant or time-varying delays is considered. Based on a Lyapunov-Krasovskii functional and the stochastic stability analysis theory, we derive several sufficient conditions in order to guarantee the global asymptotically stable in the mean square. Our investigation shows that the stochastic bidirectional associative memory neural networks are globally asymptotically stable in the mean square if there are solutions to some linear matrix inequalities(LMIs). Hence, the global asymptotic stability of the stochastic bidirectional associative memory neural networks can be easily checked by the Matlab LMI toolbox. A numerical example is given to demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed global asymptotic stability criteria.

Global processing takes time: A meta-analysis on local-global visual processing in ASD.

PubMed

Van der Hallen, Ruth; Evers, Kris; Brewaeys, Katrien; Van den Noortgate, Wim; Wagemans, Johan

2015-05-01

What does an individual with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) perceive first: the forest or the trees? In spite of 30 years of research and influential theories like the weak central coherence (WCC) theory and the enhanced perceptual functioning (EPF) account, the interplay of local and global visual processing in ASD remains only partly understood. Research findings vary in indicating a local processing bias or a global processing deficit, and often contradict each other. We have applied a formal meta-analytic approach and combined 56 articles that tested about 1,000 ASD participants and used a wide range of stimuli and tasks to investigate local and global visual processing in ASD. Overall, results show no enhanced local visual processing nor a deficit in global visual processing. Detailed analysis reveals a difference in the temporal pattern of the local-global balance, that is, slow global processing in individuals with ASD. Whereas task-dependent interaction effects are obtained, gender, age, and IQ of either participant groups seem to have no direct influence on performance. Based on the overview of the literature, suggestions are made for future research. (c) 2015 APA, all rights reserved).

The world as the new local clinic: a critical analysis of three discourses of global medical competency.

PubMed

Martimianakis, Maria Athina Tina; Hafferty, Frederic W

2013-06-01

The effects of globalization on health are the focus of administrators, educators, policy makers and researchers as they work to consider how best to train and regulate health professionals to practice in a globalized world. This study explores what happens to constructs such as medical competence when the context of medical practice is discursively expanded to include the whole world. An archive of texts was assembled (1970-2011) totaling 1100 items and analyzed using a governmentality approach. Texts were included that articulated rationales for pursuing global education activities, and/or that implicitly or explicitly took a position on medical competencies in relation to practicing medicine in international or culturally diverse contexts, or in dealing with health issues as global concerns. The analysis revealed three distinct visions, representative of a primarily western mentality, for preparing physicians to practice in a globalized world: the universal global physician, the culturally versed global physician and the global physician advocate. Each has its own epistemological relationship to globalization and is supported by an evidence base. All three discourses are active and productive, sometimes within the same context. However, the discourse of the universal global physician is currently the most established. The challenge to policy makers and educators in evolving regulatory frameworks and curricula that are current and relevant necessitates a better understanding of the socio-political effects of globalization on medical education, and the ethical, political, cultural and scientific issues underlying efforts to prepare students to practice competently in a globalized world. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fungal symbionts alter plant responses to global change.

PubMed

Kivlin, Stephanie N; Emery, Sarah M; Rudgers, Jennifer A

2013-07-01

While direct plant responses to global change have been well characterized, indirect plant responses to global change, via altered species interactions, have received less attention. Here, we examined how plants associated with four classes of fungal symbionts (class I leaf endophytes [EF], arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi [AMF], ectomycorrhizal fungi [ECM], and dark septate endophytes [DSE]) responded to four global change factors (enriched CO2, drought, N deposition, and warming). We performed a meta-analysis of 434 studies spanning 174 publications to search for generalizable trends in responses of plant-fungal symbioses to future environments. Specifically, we addressed the following questions: (1) Can fungal symbionts ameliorate responses of plants to global change? (2) Do fungal symbiont groups differ in the degree to which they modify plant response to global change? (3) Do particular global change factors affect plant-fungal symbioses more than others? In all global change scenarios, except elevated CO2, fungal symbionts significantly altered plant responses to global change. In most cases, fungal symbionts increased plant biomass in response to global change. However, increased N deposition reduced the benefits of symbiosis. Of the global change factors we considered, drought and N deposition resulted in the strongest fungal mediation of plant responses. Our analysis highlighted gaps in current knowledge for responses of particular fungal groups and revealed the importance of considering not only the nonadditive effects of multiple global change factors, but also the interactive effects of multiple fungal symbioses. Our results show that considering plant-fungal symbioses is critical to predicting ecosystem response to global change.

Sources and implications of whole-brain fMRI signals in humans

PubMed Central

Power, Jonathan D; Plitt, Mark; Laumann, Timothy O; Martin, Alex

2016-01-01

Whole-brain fMRI signals are a subject of intense interest: variance in the global fMRI signal (the spatial mean of all signals in the brain) indexes subject arousal, and psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia and autism have been characterized by differences in the global fMRI signal. Further, vigorous debates exist on whether global signals ought to be removed from fMRI data. However, surprisingly little research has focused on the empirical properties of whole-brain fMRI signals. Here we map the spatial and temporal properties of the global signal, individually, in 1000+ fMRI scans. Variance in the global fMRI signal is strongly linked to head motion, to hardware artifacts, and to respiratory patterns and their attendant physiologic changes. Many techniques used to prepare fMRI data for analysis fail to remove these uninteresting kinds of global signal fluctuations. Thus, many studies include, at the time of analysis, prominent global effects of yawns, breathing changes, and head motion, among other signals. Such artifacts will mimic dynamic neural activity and will spuriously alter signal covariance throughout the brain. Methods capable of isolating and removing global artifactual variance while preserving putative “neural” variance are needed; this paper adopts no position on the topic of global signal regression. PMID:27751941

Global Energy and Water Budgets in MERRA

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bosilovich, Michael G.; Robertson, Franklin R.; Chen, Junye

2010-01-01

Reanalyses, retrospectively analyzing observations over climatological time scales, represent a merger between satellite observations and models to provide globally continuous data and have improved over several generations. Balancing the Earth s global water and energy budgets has been a focus of research for more than two decades. Models tend to their own climate while remotely sensed observations have had varying degrees of uncertainty. This study evaluates the latest NASA reanalysis, called the Modern Era Retrospective-analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA), from a global water and energy cycles perspective. MERRA was configured to provide complete budgets in its output diagnostics, including the Incremental Analysis Update (IAU), the term that represents the observations influence on the analyzed states, alongside the physical flux terms. Precipitation in reanalyses is typically sensitive to the observational analysis. For MERRA, the global mean precipitation bias and spatial variability are more comparable to merged satellite observations (GPCP and CMAP) than previous generations of reanalyses. Ocean evaporation also has a much lower value which is comparable to observed data sets. The global energy budget shows that MERRA cloud effects may be generally weak, leading to excess shortwave radiation reaching the ocean surface. Evaluating the MERRA time series of budget terms, a significant change occurs, which does not appear to be represented in observations. In 1999, the global analysis increments of water vapor changes sign from negative to positive, and primarily lead to more oceanic precipitation. This change is coincident with the beginning of AMSU radiance assimilation. Previous and current reanalyses all exhibit some sensitivity to perturbations in the observation record, and this remains a significant research topic for reanalysis development. The effect of the changing observing system is evaluated for MERRA water and energy budget terms.

A multiyear, global gridded fossil fuel CO2 emission data product: Evaluation and analysis of results

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Asefi-Najafabady, S.; Rayner, P. J.; Gurney, K. R.; McRobert, A.; Song, Y.; Coltin, K.; Huang, J.; Elvidge, C.; Baugh, K.

2014-09-01

High-resolution, global quantification of fossil fuel CO2 emissions is emerging as a critical need in carbon cycle science and climate policy. We build upon a previously developed fossil fuel data assimilation system (FFDAS) for estimating global high-resolution fossil fuel CO2 emissions. We have improved the underlying observationally based data sources, expanded the approach through treatment of separate emitting sectors including a new pointwise database of global power plants, and extended the results to cover a 1997 to 2010 time series at a spatial resolution of 0.1°. Long-term trend analysis of the resulting global emissions shows subnational spatial structure in large active economies such as the United States, China, and India. These three countries, in particular, show different long-term trends and exploration of the trends in nighttime lights, and population reveal a decoupling of population and emissions at the subnational level. Analysis of shorter-term variations reveals the impact of the 2008-2009 global financial crisis with widespread negative emission anomalies across the U.S. and Europe. We have used a center of mass (CM) calculation as a compact metric to express the time evolution of spatial patterns in fossil fuel CO2 emissions. The global emission CM has moved toward the east and somewhat south between 1997 and 2010, driven by the increase in emissions in China and South Asia over this time period. Analysis at the level of individual countries reveals per capita CO2 emission migration in both Russia and India. The per capita emission CM holds potential as a way to succinctly analyze subnational shifts in carbon intensity over time. Uncertainties are generally lower than the previous version of FFDAS due mainly to an improved nightlight data set.

Comparison of modeling approaches for carbon partitioning: Impact on estimates of global net primary production and equilibrium biomass of woody vegetation from MODIS GPP

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ise, Takeshi; Litton, Creighton M.; Giardina, Christian P.; Ito, Akihiko

2010-12-01

Partitioning of gross primary production (GPP) to aboveground versus belowground, to growth versus respiration, and to short versus long-lived tissues exerts a strong influence on ecosystem structure and function, with potentially large implications for the global carbon budget. A recent meta-analysis of forest ecosystems suggests that carbon partitioning to leaves, stems, and roots varies consistently with GPP and that the ratio of net primary production (NPP) to GPP is conservative across environmental gradients. To examine influences of carbon partitioning schemes employed by global ecosystem models, we used this meta-analysis-based model and a satellite-based (MODIS) terrestrial GPP data set to estimate global woody NPP and equilibrium biomass, and then compared it to two process-based ecosystem models (Biome-BGC and VISIT) using the same GPP data set. We hypothesized that different carbon partitioning schemes would result in large differences in global estimates of woody NPP and equilibrium biomass. Woody NPP estimated by Biome-BGC and VISIT was 25% and 29% higher than the meta-analysis-based model for boreal forests, with smaller differences in temperate and tropics. Global equilibrium woody biomass, calculated from model-specific NPP estimates and a single set of tissue turnover rates, was 48 and 226 Pg C higher for Biome-BGC and VISIT compared to the meta-analysis-based model, reflecting differences in carbon partitioning to structural versus metabolically active tissues. In summary, we found that different carbon partitioning schemes resulted in large variations in estimates of global woody carbon flux and storage, indicating that stand-level controls on carbon partitioning are not yet accurately represented in ecosystem models.

NASA GISS Surface Temperature (GISTEMP) Analysis

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

Schmidt, G.; Ruedy, R.; Persin, A

The NASA GISS Surface Temperature (GISTEMP) analysis provides a measure of the changing global surface temperature with monthly resolution for the period since 1880, when a reasonably global distribution of meteorological stations was established. The input data that the GISTEMP Team use for the analysis, collected by many national meteorological services around the world, are the adjusted data of the Global Historical Climatology Network (GHCN) Vs. 3 (this represents a change from prior use of unadjusted Vs. 2 data) (Peterson and Vose, 1997 and 1998), United States Historical Climatology Network (USHCN) data, and SCAR (Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research) datamore » from Antarctic stations. Documentation of the basic analysis method is provided by Hansen et al. (1999), with several modifications described by Hansen et al. (2001). The GISS analysis is updated monthly, however CDIAC's presentation of the data here is updated annually.« less

Global GNSS processing based on the raw observation approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strasser, Sebastian; Zehentner, Norbert; Mayer-Gürr, Torsten

2017-04-01

Many global navigation satellite system (GNSS) applications, e.g. Precise Point Positioning (PPP), require high-quality GNSS products, such as precise GNSS satellite orbits and clocks. These products are routinely determined by analysis centers of the International GNSS Service (IGS). The current processing methods of the analysis centers make use of the ionosphere-free linear combination to reduce the ionospheric influence. Some of the analysis centers also form observation differences, in general double-differences, to eliminate several additional error sources. The raw observation approach is a new GNSS processing approach that was developed at Graz University of Technology for kinematic orbit determination of low Earth orbit (LEO) satellites and subsequently adapted to global GNSS processing in general. This new approach offers some benefits compared to well-established approaches, such as a straightforward incorporation of new observables due to the avoidance of observation differences and linear combinations. This becomes especially important in view of the changing GNSS landscape with two new systems, the European system Galileo and the Chinese system BeiDou, currently in deployment. GNSS products generated at Graz University of Technology using the raw observation approach currently comprise precise GNSS satellite orbits and clocks, station positions and clocks, code and phase biases, and Earth rotation parameters. To evaluate the new approach, products generated using the Global Positioning System (GPS) constellation and observations from the global IGS station network are compared to those of the IGS analysis centers. The comparisons show that the products generated at Graz University of Technology are on a similar level of quality to the products determined by the IGS analysis centers. This confirms that the raw observation approach is applicable to global GNSS processing. Some areas requiring further work have been identified, enabling future improvements of the method.

Power Watch: Increasing Transparency and Accessibility of Data in the Global Power Sector to Accelerate the Transition to a Lower Carbon Economy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hennig, R. J.; Friedrich, J.; Malaguzzi Valeri, L.; McCormick, C.; Lebling, K.; Kressig, A.

2016-12-01

The Power Watch project will offer open data on the global electricity sector starting with power plants and their impacts on climate and water systems; it will also offer visualizations and decision making tools. Power Watch will create the first comprehensive, open database of power plants globally by compiling data from national governments, public and private utilities, transmission grid operators, and other data providers to create a core dataset that has information on over 80% of global installed capacity for electrical generation. Power plant data will at a minimum include latitude and longitude, capacity, fuel type, emissions, water usage, ownership, and annual generation. By providing data that is both comprehensive, as well as making it publically available, this project will support decision making and analysis by actors across the economy and in the research community. The Power Watch research effort focuses on creating a global standard for power plant information, gathering and standardizing data from multiple sources, matching information from multiple sources on a plant level, testing cross-validation approaches (regional statistics, crowdsourcing, satellite data, and others) and developing estimation methodologies for generation, emissions, and water usage. When not available from official reports, emissions, annual generation, and water usage will be estimated. Water use estimates of power plants will be based on capacity, fuel type and satellite imagery to identify cooling types. This analysis is being piloted in several states in India and will then be scaled up to a global level. Other planned applications of of the Power Watch data include improving understanding of energy access, air pollution, emissions estimation, stranded asset analysis, life cycle analysis, tracking of proposed plants and curtailment analysis.

Physical Education and Health: Global Perspectives and Best Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chin, Ming-Kai, Ed.; Edginton, Christopher R.

2014-01-01

"Physical Education and Health: Global Perspectives and Best Practice" draws together global scholars, researchers, and practitioners to provide a review and analysis of new directions in physical education and health worldwide. The book provides descriptive information from 40 countries regarding contemporary practices, models, and…

Stability investigations of airfoil flow by global analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Morzynski, Marek; Thiele, Frank

1992-01-01

As the result of global, non-parallel flow stability analysis the single value of the disturbance growth-rate and respective frequency is obtained. This complex value characterizes the stability of the whole flow configuration and is not referred to any particular flow pattern. The global analysis assures that all the flow elements (wake, boundary and shear layer) are taken into account. The physical phenomena connected with the wake instability are properly reproduced by the global analysis. This enhances the investigations of instability of any 2-D flows, including ones in which the boundary layer instability effects are known to be of dominating importance. Assuming fully 2-D disturbance form, the global linear stability problem is formulated. The system of partial differential equations is solved for the eigenvalues and eigenvectors. The equations, written in the pure stream function formulation, are discretized via FDM using a curvilinear coordinate system. The complex eigenvalues and corresponding eigenvectors are evaluated by an iterative method. The investigations performed for various Reynolds numbers emphasize that the wake instability develops into the Karman vortex street. This phenomenon is shown to be connected with the first mode obtained from the non-parallel flow stability analysis. The higher modes are reflecting different physical phenomena as for example Tollmien-Schlichting waves, originating in the boundary layer and having the tendency to emerge as instabilities for the growing Reynolds number. The investigations are carried out for a circular cylinder, oblong ellipsis and airfoil. It is shown that the onset of the wake instability, the waves in the boundary layer, the shear layer instability are different solutions of the same eigenvalue problem, formulated using the non-parallel theory. The analysis offers large potential possibilities as the generalization of methods used till now for the stability analysis.

Evaluation of a global algorithm for wavefront reconstruction for Shack-Hartmann wave-front sensors and thick fundus reflectors.

PubMed

Liu, Tao; Thibos, Larry; Marin, Gildas; Hernandez, Martha

2014-01-01

Conventional aberration analysis by a Shack-Hartmann aberrometer is based on the implicit assumption that an injected probe beam reflects from a single fundus layer. In fact, the biological fundus is a thick reflector and therefore conventional analysis may produce errors of unknown magnitude. We developed a novel computational method to investigate this potential failure of conventional analysis. The Shack-Hartmann wavefront sensor was simulated by computer software and used to recover by two methods the known wavefront aberrations expected from a population of normally-aberrated human eyes and bi-layer fundus reflection. The conventional method determines the centroid of each spot in the SH data image, from which wavefront slopes are computed for least-squares fitting with derivatives of Zernike polynomials. The novel 'global' method iteratively adjusted the aberration coefficients derived from conventional centroid analysis until the SH image, when treated as a unitary picture, optimally matched the original data image. Both methods recovered higher order aberrations accurately and precisely, but only the global algorithm correctly recovered the defocus coefficients associated with each layer of fundus reflection. The global algorithm accurately recovered Zernike coefficients for mean defocus and bi-layer separation with maximum error <0.1%. The global algorithm was robust for bi-layer separation up to 2 dioptres for a typical SH wavefront sensor design. For 100 randomly generated test wavefronts with 0.7 D axial separation, the retrieved mean axial separation was 0.70 D with standard deviations (S.D.) of 0.002 D. Sufficient information is contained in SH data images to measure the dioptric thickness of dual-layer fundus reflection. The global algorithm is superior since it successfully recovered the focus value associated with both fundus layers even when their separation was too small to produce clearly separated spots, while the conventional analysis misrepresents the defocus component of the wavefront aberration as the mean defocus for the two reflectors. Our novel global algorithm is a promising method for SH data image analysis in clinical and visual optics research for human and animal eyes. © 2013 The Authors Ophthalmic & Physiological Optics © 2013 The College of Optometrists.

Understanding Coupling of Global and Diffuse Solar Radiation with Climatic Variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamdan, Lubna

Global solar radiation data is very important for wide variety of applications and scientific studies. However, this data is not readily available because of the cost of measuring equipment and the tedious maintenance and calibration requirements. Wide variety of models have been introduced by researchers to estimate and/or predict the global solar radiations and its components (direct and diffuse radiation) using other readily obtainable atmospheric parameters. The goal of this research is to understand the coupling of global and diffuse solar radiation with climatic variability, by investigating the relationships between these radiations and atmospheric parameters. For this purpose, we applied multilinear regression analysis on the data of National Solar Radiation Database 1991--2010 Update. The analysis showed that the main atmospheric parameters that affect the amount of global radiation received on earth's surface are cloud cover and relative humidity. Global radiation correlates negatively with both variables. Linear models are excellent approximations for the relationship between atmospheric parameters and global radiation. A linear model with the predictors total cloud cover, relative humidity, and extraterrestrial radiation is able to explain around 98% of the variability in global radiation. For diffuse radiation, the analysis showed that the main atmospheric parameters that affect the amount received on earth's surface are cloud cover and aerosol optical depth. Diffuse radiation correlates positively with both variables. Linear models are very good approximations for the relationship between atmospheric parameters and diffuse radiation. A linear model with the predictors total cloud cover, aerosol optical depth, and extraterrestrial radiation is able to explain around 91% of the variability in diffuse radiation. Prediction analysis showed that the linear models we fitted were able to predict diffuse radiation with efficiency of test adjusted R2 values equal to 0.93, using the data of total cloud cover, aerosol optical depth, relative humidity and extraterrestrial radiation. However, for prediction purposes, using nonlinear terms or nonlinear models might enhance the prediction of diffuse radiation.

Evaluation of Analysis Techniques for Fluted-Core Sandwich Cylinders

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lovejoy, Andrew E.; Schultz, Marc R.

2012-01-01

Buckling-critical launch-vehicle structures require structural concepts that have high bending stiffness and low mass. Fluted-core, also known as truss-core, sandwich construction is one such concept. In an effort to identify an analysis method appropriate for the preliminary design of fluted-core cylinders, the current paper presents and compares results from several analysis techniques applied to a specific composite fluted-core test article. The analysis techniques are evaluated in terms of their ease of use and for their appropriateness at certain stages throughout a design analysis cycle (DAC). Current analysis techniques that provide accurate determination of the global buckling load are not readily applicable early in the DAC, such as during preliminary design, because they are too costly to run. An analytical approach that neglects transverse-shear deformation is easily applied during preliminary design, but the lack of transverse-shear deformation results in global buckling load predictions that are significantly higher than those from more detailed analysis methods. The current state of the art is either too complex to be applied for preliminary design, or is incapable of the accuracy required to determine global buckling loads for fluted-core cylinders. Therefore, it is necessary to develop an analytical method for calculating global buckling loads of fluted-core cylinders that includes transverse-shear deformations, and that can be easily incorporated in preliminary design.

System for the Analysis of Global Energy Markets - Vol. I, Model Documentation

EIA Publications

2003-01-01

Documents the objectives and the conceptual and methodological approach used in the development of projections for the International Energy Outlook. The first volume of this report describes the System for the Analysis of Global Energy Markets (SAGE) methodology and provides an in-depth explanation of the equations of the model.

The Sensitivity of a Global Ocean Model to Wind Forcing: A Test Using Sea Level and Wind Observations from Satellites and Operational Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Fu, L. L.; Chao, Y.

1997-01-01

Investigated in this study is the response of a global ocean general circulation model to forcing provided by two wind products: operational analysis from the National Center for Environmental Prediction (NCEP); observations made by the ERS-1 radar scatterometer.

Global foot-and-mouth disease research update and gap analysis: 2 - epidemiology, wildlife and economics

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In 2014, the Global Foot-and-mouth disease Research ings in the fields of (i) epidemiology, (ii) wildlife and (iii) Alliance (GFRA) conducted a gap analysis of foot-and- economics. Although the three sections, epidemiology, wildlife and economics are presented as separate entities, the fields are ...

Fractal Inequality: A Social Network Analysis of Global and Regional International Student Mobility

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Macrander, Ashley

2017-01-01

Literature on global international student mobility (ISM) highlights the uneven nature of student flows--from the developing to the developed world--however, studies have yet to address whether this pattern is replicated within expanding regional networks. Utilizing social network analysis, UNESCO ISM data, and World Bank income classifications,…

Distant views and local realities: The limits of global assessments to restore the fragmented phosphorus cycle

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

With more sophisticated data compilation and analytical capabilities, the evolution of “big data” analysis has occurred rapidly. We examine the meta-analysis of “big data” representing phosphorus (P) flows and stocks in global agriculture and address the need to consider local nuances of farm operat...

Global foot-and-mouth disease research update and gap analysis: 3 - vaccines

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In 2014, the Global Foot-and-mouth disease Research Alliance (GFRA) conducted a gap analysis of FMD research. In this paper, we report updated findings in the field of FMD vaccine research. This paper consists of the following four sections: 1) Research priorities identified in the 2010 GFRA gap ana...

Global foot-and-mouth disease research update and gap analysis: 5 - biotherapeutics and disinfectants

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In 2014, the Global Foot-and-mouth disease Research Alliance(GFRA)conducted a gap analysis of FMD research. This work has been updated and reported in a series of papers with the focus of this article being (i) biotherapeutics and (ii) disinfectants, including environmental contamination. The paper ...

Global foot-and-mouth disease research update and gap analysis: 4 - diagnostics

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In 2014, the Global Foot-And-Mouth Disease Research Alliance (GFRA) conducted a gap analysis of FMD research. Published as a series of seven papers, in this paper, we report updated findings in the field of diagnostics. The paper consists of the following four sections: 1. Research priorities identi...

Global foot-and-mouth disease research update and gap analysis: 6 - immunology

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In 2014, the Global Foot-and-mouth disease Research Alliance (GFRA) conducted a gap analysis of FMD research. This has been updated with findings reported in a series of papers. Here we present findings for FMD immunology research. The paper consists of the following four sections: 1. Research prior...

Heuristic Implementation of Dynamic Programming for Matrix Permutation Problems in Combinatorial Data Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Brusco, Michael J.; Kohn, Hans-Friedrich; Stahl, Stephanie

2008-01-01

Dynamic programming methods for matrix permutation problems in combinatorial data analysis can produce globally-optimal solutions for matrices up to size 30x30, but are computationally infeasible for larger matrices because of enormous computer memory requirements. Branch-and-bound methods also guarantee globally-optimal solutions, but computation…

Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging: the impact of regression analysis.

PubMed

Yeh, Chia-Jung; Tseng, Yu-Sheng; Lin, Yi-Ru; Tsai, Shang-Yueh; Huang, Teng-Yi

2015-01-01

To investigate the impact of regression methods on resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI). During rsfMRI preprocessing, regression analysis is considered effective for reducing the interference of physiological noise on the signal time course. However, it is unclear whether the regression method benefits rsfMRI analysis. Twenty volunteers (10 men and 10 women; aged 23.4 ± 1.5 years) participated in the experiments. We used node analysis and functional connectivity mapping to assess the brain default mode network by using five combinations of regression methods. The results show that regressing the global mean plays a major role in the preprocessing steps. When a global regression method is applied, the values of functional connectivity are significantly lower (P ≤ .01) than those calculated without a global regression. This step increases inter-subject variation and produces anticorrelated brain areas. rsfMRI data processed using regression should be interpreted carefully. The significance of the anticorrelated brain areas produced by global signal removal is unclear. Copyright © 2014 by the American Society of Neuroimaging.

The Global Challenge of Antimicrobial Resistance: Insights from Economic Analysis

PubMed Central

Eggleston, Karen; Zhang, Ruifang; Zeckhauser, Richard J.

2010-01-01

The prevalence of antimicrobial resistance (AR) limits the therapeutic options for treatment of infections, and increases the social benefit from disease prevention. Like an environmental resource, antimicrobials require stewardship. The effectiveness of an antimicrobial agent is a global public good. We argue for greater use of economic analysis as an input to policy discussion about AR, including for understanding the incentives underlying health behaviors that spawn AR, and to supplement other methods of tracing the evolution of AR internationally. We also discuss integrating antimicrobial stewardship into global health governance. PMID:20948953

A "Fine Balance" in Truth and Fiction: Exploring Globalization's Impacts on Community and Implications for Adult Learning in Rohinton Mistry's Novel and Related Literature

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jubas, Kaela

2005-01-01

Globalization continues to interest researchers and practitioners as it unfolds around us. This article contributes to the analysis of globalization's discourse, objectives and outcomes, by exploring the impact of globalization on community and its implications for adult learning. Using selected themes from a work of fiction to frame this…

Global Connections to Global Partnerships: Navigating the Changing Landscape of Internationalism and Cross-Border Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olcott, Don, Jr.

2009-01-01

The purpose of this article is to provide continuing higher education leaders with a comprehensive overview of the major considerations for doing business in the global market. Included is an analysis of the driving forces in global higher education and current trends in cross-border programs and a brief review of activities that may be part of a…

Global and National Prominent Universities: Internationalization, Competitiveness and the Role of the State

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Horta, Hugo

2009-01-01

This article provides a characterization of the internationalization of "global" European universities and discusses the role of the State in promoting greater internationalization and competitiveness levels of prominent national universities. The analysis supports previous arguments stating that global ranking of universities is…

Future Impact of Globalism on Programs in Educational Administration.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Prickett, R. L.; And Others

A descriptive analysis addressing the future impact of globalism on programs in educational administration provides perspicacity to professors in the specialty area. Emphasis on internal/global education is usually reserved for programs for individuals going to foreign countries, working with foreign countries, or providing cooperative programs…

National Centers for Environmental Prediction

Science.gov Websites

Organization Search Enter text Search Navigation Bar End Cap Search EMC Go Branches Global Climate and Weather Modeling Mesoscale Modeling Marine Modeling and Analysis Teams Climate Data Assimilation Ensembles and Post Products People GLOBAL CLIMATE & WEATHER MODELING Global Forecast System (GFS) products - Please see

Framing health and foreign policy: lessons for global health diplomacy.

PubMed

Labonté, Ronald; Gagnon, Michelle L

2010-08-22

Global health financing has increased dramatically in recent years, indicative of a rise in health as a foreign policy issue. Several governments have issued specific foreign policy statements on global health and a new term, global health diplomacy, has been coined to describe the processes by which state and non-state actors engage to position health issues more prominently in foreign policy decision-making. Their ability to do so is important to advancing international cooperation in health. In this paper we review the arguments for health in foreign policy that inform global health diplomacy. These are organized into six policy frames: security, development, global public goods, trade, human rights and ethical/moral reasoning. Each of these frames has implications for how global health as a foreign policy issue is conceptualized. Differing arguments within and between these policy frames, while overlapping, can also be contradictory. This raises an important question about which arguments prevail in actual state decision-making. This question is addressed through an analysis of policy or policy-related documents and academic literature pertinent to each policy framing with some assessment of policy practice. The reference point for this analysis is the explicit goal of improving global health equity. This goal has increasing national traction within national public health discourse and decision-making and, through the Millennium Development Goals and other multilateral reports and declarations, is entering global health policy discussion. Initial findings support conventional international relations theory that most states, even when committed to health as a foreign policy goal, still make decisions primarily on the basis of the 'high politics' of national security and economic material interests. Development, human rights and ethical/moral arguments for global health assistance, the traditional 'low politics' of foreign policy, are present in discourse but do not appear to dominate practice. While political momentum for health as a foreign policy goal persists, the framing of this goal remains a contested issue. The analysis offered in this article may prove helpful to those engaged in global health diplomacy or in efforts to have global governance across a range of sectoral interests pay more attention to health equity impacts.

Framing health and foreign policy: lessons for global health diplomacy

PubMed Central

2010-01-01

Global health financing has increased dramatically in recent years, indicative of a rise in health as a foreign policy issue. Several governments have issued specific foreign policy statements on global health and a new term, global health diplomacy, has been coined to describe the processes by which state and non-state actors engage to position health issues more prominently in foreign policy decision-making. Their ability to do so is important to advancing international cooperation in health. In this paper we review the arguments for health in foreign policy that inform global health diplomacy. These are organized into six policy frames: security, development, global public goods, trade, human rights and ethical/moral reasoning. Each of these frames has implications for how global health as a foreign policy issue is conceptualized. Differing arguments within and between these policy frames, while overlapping, can also be contradictory. This raises an important question about which arguments prevail in actual state decision-making. This question is addressed through an analysis of policy or policy-related documents and academic literature pertinent to each policy framing with some assessment of policy practice. The reference point for this analysis is the explicit goal of improving global health equity. This goal has increasing national traction within national public health discourse and decision-making and, through the Millennium Development Goals and other multilateral reports and declarations, is entering global health policy discussion. Initial findings support conventional international relations theory that most states, even when committed to health as a foreign policy goal, still make decisions primarily on the basis of the 'high politics' of national security and economic material interests. Development, human rights and ethical/moral arguments for global health assistance, the traditional 'low politics' of foreign policy, are present in discourse but do not appear to dominate practice. While political momentum for health as a foreign policy goal persists, the framing of this goal remains a contested issue. The analysis offered in this article may prove helpful to those engaged in global health diplomacy or in efforts to have global governance across a range of sectoral interests pay more attention to health equity impacts. PMID:20727211

An Innovative Technique to Assess Spontaneous Baroreflex Sensitivity with Short Data Segments: Multiple Trigonometric Regressive Spectral Analysis.

PubMed

Li, Kai; Rüdiger, Heinz; Haase, Rocco; Ziemssen, Tjalf

2018-01-01

Objective: As the multiple trigonometric regressive spectral (MTRS) analysis is extraordinary in its ability to analyze short local data segments down to 12 s, we wanted to evaluate the impact of the data segment settings by applying the technique of MTRS analysis for baroreflex sensitivity (BRS) estimation using a standardized data pool. Methods: Spectral and baroreflex analyses were performed on the EuroBaVar dataset (42 recordings, including lying and standing positions). For this analysis, the technique of MTRS was used. We used different global and local data segment lengths, and chose the global data segments from different positions. Three global data segments of 1 and 2 min and three local data segments of 12, 20, and 30 s were used in MTRS analysis for BRS. Results: All the BRS-values calculated on the three global data segments were highly correlated, both in the supine and standing positions; the different global data segments provided similar BRS estimations. When using different local data segments, all the BRS-values were also highly correlated. However, in the supine position, using short local data segments of 12 s overestimated BRS compared with those using 20 and 30 s. In the standing position, the BRS estimations using different local data segments were comparable. There was no proportional bias for the comparisons between different BRS estimations. Conclusion: We demonstrate that BRS estimation by the MTRS technique is stable when using different global data segments, and MTRS is extraordinary in its ability to evaluate BRS in even short local data segments (20 and 30 s). Because of the non-stationary character of most biosignals, the MTRS technique would be preferable for BRS analysis especially in conditions when only short stationary data segments are available or when dynamic changes of BRS should be monitored.

Amyloid-PET burden and regional distribution in cerebral amyloid angiopathy: a systematic review and meta-analysis of biomarker performance.

PubMed

Charidimou, Andreas; Farid, Karim; Tsai, Hsin-Hsi; Tsai, Li-Kai; Yen, Rouh-Fang; Baron, Jean-Claude

2018-04-01

We performed a meta-analysis to synthesise current evidence on amyloid-positron emission tomography (PET) burden and presumed preferential occipital distribution in sporadic cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA). In a PubMed systematic search, we identified case-control studies with extractable data on global and occipital-to-global amyloid-PET uptake in symptomatic patients with CAA (per Boston criteria) versus control groups (healthy participants or patients with non-CAA deep intracerebral haemorrhage) and patients with Alzheimer's disease. To circumvent PET studies' methodological variation, we generated and used 'fold change', that is, ratio of mean amyloid uptake (global and occipital-to-global) of CAA relative to comparison groups. Amyloid-PET uptake biomarker performance was then quantified by random-effects meta-analysis on the ratios of the means. A ratio >1 indicates that amyloid-PET uptake (global or occipital/global) is higher in CAA than comparison groups, and a ratio <1 indicates the reverse. Seven studies, including 106 patients with CAA (>90% with probable CAA) and 138 controls (96 healthy elderly, 42 deep intracerebral haemorrhage controls) and 72 patients with Alzheimer's disease, were included. Global amyloid-PET ratio between patients with CAA and controls was above 1, with an average effect size of 1.18 (95% CI 1.08 to 1.28; p<0.0001). Occipital-to-global amyloid-PET uptake ratio did not differ between patients with CAA versus patients with deep intracerebral haemorrhage or healthy controls. By contrast, occipital-to-global amyloid-PET uptake ratio was above 1 in patients with CAA versus those with Alzheimer's disease, with an average ratio of 1.10 (95% CI 1.03 to 1.19; p=0.009) and high statistical heterogeneity. Our analysis provides exploratory actionable data on the overall effect sizes and strength of amyloid-PET burden and distribution in patients with CAA, useful for future larger studies. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2018. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Inequalities in global health inequalities research: A 50-year bibliometric analysis (1966-2015)

PubMed Central

Pericàs, Juan M.; Benach, Joan

2018-01-01

Background Increasing evidence shows that health inequalities exist between and within countries, and emphasis has been placed on strengthening the production and use of the global health inequalities research, so as to improve capacities to act. Yet, a comprehensive overview of this evidence base is still needed, to determine what is known about the global and historical scientific production on health inequalities to date, how is it distributed in terms of country income groups and world regions, how has it changed over time, and what international collaboration dynamics exist. Methods A comprehensive bibliometric analysis of the global scientific production on health inequalities, from 1966 to 2015, was conducted using Scopus database. The historical and global evolution of the study of health inequalities was considered, and through joinpoint regression analysis and visualisation network maps, the preceding questions were examined. Findings 159 countries (via authorship affiliation) contributed to this scientific production, three times as many countries than previously found. Scientific output on health inequalities has exponentially grown over the last five decades, with several marked shift points, and a visible country-income group affiliation gradient in the initiation and consistent publication frequency. Higher income countries, especially Anglo-Saxon and European countries, disproportionately dominate first and co-authorship, and are at the core of the global collaborative research networks, with the Global South on the periphery. However, several country anomalies exist that suggest that the causes of these research inequalities, and potential underlying dependencies, run deeper than simply differences in country income and language. Conclusions Whilst the global evidence base has expanded, Global North-South research gaps exist, persist and, in some cases, are widening. Greater understanding of the structural determinants of these research inequalities and national research capacities is needed, to further strengthen the evidence base, and support the long term agenda for global health equity. PMID:29385197

Modeling and Analysis of Global and Regional Climate Change in Relation to Atmospheric Hydrologic Processes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Johnson, Donald R.

1998-01-01

The goal of this research is the continued development and application of global isentropic modeling and analysis capabilities to describe hydrologic processes and energy exchange in the climate system, and discern regional climate change. This work involves a combination of modeling and analysis efforts involving 4DDA datasets and simulations from the University of Wisconsin (UW) hybrid isentropic-sigma (theta-sigma) coordinate model and the GEOS GCM.

Dynamic Analysis of the Melanoma Model: From Cancer Persistence to Its Eradication

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Starkov, Konstantin E.; Jimenez Beristain, Laura

In this paper, we study the global dynamics of the five-dimensional melanoma model developed by Kronik et al. This model describes interactions of tumor cells with cytotoxic T cells and respective cytokines under cellular immunotherapy. We get the ultimate upper and lower bounds for variables of this model, provide formulas for equilibrium points and present local asymptotic stability/hyperbolic instability conditions. Next, we prove the existence of the attracting set. Based on these results we come to global asymptotic melanoma eradication conditions via global stability analysis. Finally, we provide bounds for a locus of the melanoma persistence equilibrium point, study the case of melanoma persistence and describe conditions under which we observe global attractivity to the unique melanoma persistence equilibrium point.

NASA/MSFC FY88 Global Scale Atmospheric Processes Research Program Review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wilson, Greg S. (Editor); Leslie, Fred W. (Editor); Arnold, J. E. (Editor)

1989-01-01

Interest in environmental issues and the magnitude of the environmental changes continues. One way to gain more understanding of the atmosphere is to make measurements on a global scale from space. The Earth Observation System is a series of new sensors to measure globally atmospheric parameters. Analysis of satellite data by developing algorithms to interpret the radiance information improves the understanding and also defines requirements for these sensors. One measure of knowledge of the atmosphere lies in the ability to predict its behavior. Use of numerical and experimental models provides a better understanding of these processes. These efforts are described in the context of satellite data analysis and fundamental studies of atmospheric dynamics which examine selected processes important to the global circulation.

An Analysis of Second-Tier Arms Producing Countries’ Offset Policies: Technology Transfer and Defense Industrial Base Establishment

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-01

38  39  ......................... 40  ......................... 42  42  Offsets in the Global Arms Market ...The Global Arms Market Structure .................................................. Increasing Globalization of Defense Industry...109  Overcapacity of the Defense Industry in a Declining Market ........................... 109 Economies of Scale

Science priorities for the human dimensions of global change

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

1994-01-01

The topics covered include the following: defining research needs; understanding land use change; improving policy analysis -- research on the decision-making process; designing policy instruments and institutions to address energy-related environmental problems; assessing impacts, vulnerability, and adaptation to global changes; and understanding population dynamics and global change.

Global Justice and Education: From Nation to Neuron

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Christopher

2010-01-01

What is the relationship between education and global justice? This question is addressed within Ulrich Beck's notion of global "goods" and "bads", through a multidisciplinary approach, which E.O. Wilson terms "consilience"--a "jumping together" of knowledge from international relations to neuroscience. A critical political analysis proposes that…

Crustal Structure of Mars from Mars Global Surveyor Topography and Gravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zuber, M. T.; Solomon, S. C.; Phillips, R. J.; Smith, D. E.; Tyler, G. L.; Aharonson, O.; Balmino, G.; Banerdt, W. B.; Head, J. W.; Johnson, C. L.

2000-01-01

In this analysis we invert global models of Mars' topography from Mars Orbiter Laser Altimeter (MOLA) and gravity from Doppler tracking obtained during the mapping mission of Mars Global Surveyor (MGS). We analyze the distribution of Martian crust and discuss implications for Mars' thermal history.

Learner Analysis Framework for Globalized E-Learning: A Case Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Saxena, Mamta

2011-01-01

The shift to technology-mediated modes of instructional delivery and increased global connectivity has led to the rise in globalized e-learning programs. Educational institutions face multiple challenges as they seek to design effective, engaging, and culturally competent instruction for an increasingly diverse learner population. The purpose of…

Philosophical Aspects of Global Environmental Issues

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lazutinaa, Tatyana V.; Baksheev, Vladimir N.

2016-01-01

The relevance of this paper is determined by understanding of global environmental problems in the context of social ecology. The purpose of this paper is the analysis of main modern environmental global problems created by the equipment representing a public and social basis for the practical transformation of public relations and also the…

Global migration of influenza A viruses in swine

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The emergence of the 2009 A/H1N1 pandemic virus underscores the importance of understanding how influenza A viruses evolve in swine on a global scale. To reveal the frequency, patterns and drivers of the spread of swine influenza virus globally, we conducted the largest phylogenetic analysis of swin...

Multicollinearity in prognostic factor analyses using the EORTC QLQ-C30: identification and impact on model selection.

PubMed

Van Steen, Kristel; Curran, Desmond; Kramer, Jocelyn; Molenberghs, Geert; Van Vreckem, Ann; Bottomley, Andrew; Sylvester, Richard

2002-12-30

Clinical and quality of life (QL) variables from an EORTC clinical trial of first line chemotherapy in advanced breast cancer were used in a prognostic factor analysis of survival and response to chemotherapy. For response, different final multivariate models were obtained from forward and backward selection methods, suggesting a disconcerting instability. Quality of life was measured using the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire completed by patients. Subscales on the questionnaire are known to be highly correlated, and therefore it was hypothesized that multicollinearity contributed to model instability. A correlation matrix indicated that global QL was highly correlated with 7 out of 11 variables. In a first attempt to explore multicollinearity, we used global QL as dependent variable in a regression model with other QL subscales as predictors. Afterwards, standard diagnostic tests for multicollinearity were performed. An exploratory principal components analysis and factor analysis of the QL subscales identified at most three important components and indicated that inclusion of global QL made minimal difference to the loadings on each component, suggesting that it is redundant in the model. In a second approach, we advocate a bootstrap technique to assess the stability of the models. Based on these analyses and since global QL exacerbates problems of multicollinearity, we therefore recommend that global QL be excluded from prognostic factor analyses using the QLQ-C30. The prognostic factor analysis was rerun without global QL in the model, and selected the same significant prognostic factors as before. Copyright 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Conflations, Possibilities, and Foreclosures: Global Citizenship Education in a Multicultural Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pashby, Karen

2015-01-01

This paper presents a critical framework applied to findings from a critical discourse analysis of curriculum and lesson plans in Alberta to examine the assumption that Canada is an ideal place for global citizenship education. The analysis draws on a framework that presents a critique of modernity to recognize a conflation within calls for new…

Global, Regional and Local Influences on Adult Literacy Policy in England

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamilton, Mary

2014-01-01

This paper explores the relationship between global, regional and local influences on adult literacy policy and practice in the UK through a discourse analysis of policy-related texts. The analysis is framed by theoretical perspectives from literacy studies and socio-material theory. The paper identifies a number of specific features in the UK…

Improving long-term global precipitation dataset using multi-sensor surface soil moisture retrievals and the soil moisture analysis rainfall tool (SMART)

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Using multiple historical satellite surface soil moisture products, the Kalman Filtering-based Soil Moisture Analysis Rainfall Tool (SMART) is applied to improve the accuracy of a multi-decadal global daily rainfall product that has been bias-corrected to match the monthly totals of available rain g...

Global foot-and-mouth disease research update and gap analysis: 7 - pathogenesis and molecular biology

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

In 2014, the GFRA (Global Foot-and-mouth disease Research Alliance) conducted a gap analysis of FMD (Foot-and-Mouth Disease) research. This work has been updated and reported in a series of papers, in this article we report findings in the fields of 1) pathogenesis and 2) molecular biology. The arti...

Technography and Design-Actuality Gap-Analysis of Internet Computer Technologies-Assisted Education: Western Expectations and Global Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Greenhalgh-Spencer, Heather; Jerbi, Moja

2017-01-01

In this paper, we provide a design-actuality gap-analysis of the internet infrastructure that exists in developing nations and nations in the global South with the deployed internet computer technologies (ICT)-assisted programs that are designed to use internet infrastructure to provide educational opportunities. Programs that specifically…

[Cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the PROMIS Global Health scale in the Portuguese language].

PubMed

Zumpano, Camila Eugênia; Mendonça, Tânia Maria da Silva; Silva, Carlos Henrique Martins da; Correia, Helena; Arnold, Benjamin; Pinto, Rogério de Melo Costa

2017-01-23

This study aimed to perform the cross-cultural adaptation and validation of the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) Global Health scale in the Portuguese language. The ten Global Health items were cross-culturally adapted by the method proposed in the Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy (FACIT). The instrument's final version in Portuguese was self-administered by 1,010 participants in Brazil. The scale's precision was verified by floor and ceiling effects analysis, reliability of internal consistency, and test-retest reliability. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to assess the construct's validity and instrument's dimensionality. Calibration of the items used the Gradual Response Model proposed by Samejima. Four global items required adjustments after the pretest. Analysis of the psychometric properties showed that the Global Health scale has good reliability, with Cronbach's alpha of 0.83 and intra-class correlation of 0.89. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses showed good fit in the previously established two-dimensional model. The Global Physical Health and Global Mental Health scale showed good latent trait coverage according to the Gradual Response Model. The PROMIS Global Health items showed equivalence in Portuguese compared to the original version and satisfactory psychometric properties for application in clinical practice and research in the Brazilian population.

Research Synthesis Methods in an Age of Globalized Risks: Lessons from the Global Burden of Foodborne Disease Expert Elicitation.

PubMed

2016-02-01

We live in an age that increasingly calls for national or regional management of global risks. This article discusses the contributions that expert elicitation can bring to efforts to manage global risks and identifies challenges faced in conducting expert elicitation at this scale. In doing so it draws on lessons learned from conducting an expert elicitation as part of the World Health Organizations (WHO) initiative to estimate the global burden of foodborne disease; a study commissioned by the Foodborne Disease Epidemiology Reference Group (FERG). Expert elicitation is designed to fill gaps in data and research using structured, transparent methods. Such gaps are a significant challenge for global risk modeling. Experience with the WHO FERG expert elicitation shows that it is feasible to conduct an expert elicitation at a global scale, but that challenges do arise, including: defining an informative, yet feasible geographical structure for the elicitation; defining what constitutes expertise in a global setting; structuring international, multidisciplinary expert panels; and managing demands on experts' time in the elicitation. This article was written as part of a workshop, "Methods for Research Synthesis: A Cross-Disciplinary Approach" held at the Harvard Center for Risk Analysis on October 13, 2013. © 2016 Society for Risk Analysis.

State Support: A Prerequisite for Global Health Network Effectiveness Comment on "Four Challenges that Global Health Networks Face".

PubMed

Marten, Robert; Smith, Richard D

2017-07-24

Shiffman recently summarized lessons for network effectiveness from an impressive collection of case-studies. However, in common with most global health governance analysis in recent years, Shiffman underplays the important role of states in these global networks. As the body which decides and signs international agreements, often provides the resourcing, and is responsible for implementing initiatives all contributing to the prioritization of certain issues over others, state recognition and support is a prerequisite to enabling and determining global health networks' success. The role of states deserves greater attention, analysis and consideration. We reflect upon the underappreciated role of the state within the current discourse on global health. We present the tobacco case study to illustrate the decisive role of states in determining progress for global health networks, and highlight how states use a legitimacy loop to gain legitimacy from and provide legitimacy to global health networks. Moving forward in assessing global health networks' effectiveness, further investigating state support as a determinant of success will be critical. Understanding how global health networks and states interact and evolve to shape and support their respective interests should be a focus for future research. © 2018 The Author(s); Published by Kerman University of Medical Sciences. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

The global contribution of energy consumption by product exports from China.

PubMed

Tang, Erzi; Peng, Chong

2017-06-01

This paper presents a model to analyze the mechanism of the global contribution of energy usage by product exports. The theoretical analysis is based on the perspective that contribution estimates should be in relatively smaller sectors in which the production characteristics could be considered, such as the productivity distribution for each sector. Then, we constructed a method to measure the global contribution of energy usage. The simple method to estimate the global contribution is the percentage of goods export volume compared to the GDP as a multiple of total energy consumption, but this method underestimates the global contribution because it ignores the structure of energy consumption and product export in China. According to our measurement method and based on the theoretical analysis, we calculated the global contribution of energy consumption only by industrial manufactured product exports in a smaller sector per industry or manufacturing sector. The results indicated that approximately 42% of the total energy usage in the whole economy for China in 2013 was contributed to foreign regions. Along with the primary products and service export in China, the global contribution of energy consumption for China in 2013 by export was larger than 42% of the total energy usage.

How is water-use efficiency of terrestrial ecosystems distributed and changing on Earth?

PubMed

Tang, Xuguang; Li, Hengpeng; Desai, Ankur R; Nagy, Zoltan; Luo, Juhua; Kolb, Thomas E; Olioso, Albert; Xu, Xibao; Yao, Li; Kutsch, Werner; Pilegaard, Kim; Köstner, Barbara; Ammann, Christof

2014-12-15

A better understanding of ecosystem water-use efficiency (WUE) will help us improve ecosystem management for mitigation as well as adaption to global hydrological change. Here, long-term flux tower observations of productivity and evapotranspiration allow us to detect a consistent latitudinal trend in WUE, rising from the subtropics to the northern high-latitudes. The trend peaks at approximately 51°N, and then declines toward higher latitudes. These ground-based observations are consistent with global-scale estimates of WUE. Global analysis of WUE reveals existence of strong regional variations that correspond to global climate patterns. The latitudinal trends of global WUE for Earth's major plant functional types reveal two peaks in the Northern Hemisphere not detected by ground-based measurements. One peak is located at 20° ~ 30°N and the other extends a little farther north than 51°N. Finally, long-term spatiotemporal trend analysis using satellite-based remote sensing data reveals that land-cover and land-use change in recent years has led to a decline in global WUE. Our study provides a new framework for global research on the interactions between carbon and water cycles as well as responses to natural and human impacts.

The globalisation strategies of five Asian tobacco companies: a comparative analysis and implications for global health governance.

PubMed

Lee, Kelley; Eckhardt, Jappe

2017-03-01

The global tobacco industry, from the 1960s to mid 1990s, saw consolidation and eventual domination by a small number of transnational tobacco companies (TTC). This paper draws together comparative analysis of five case studies in the special issue on 'The Emergence of Asian Tobacco Companies: Implications for Global Health Governance.' The cases suggest that tobacco industry globalisation is undergoing a new phase, beginning in the late 1990s, with the adoption of global business strategies by five Asian companies. The strategies were prompted foremost by external factors, notably market liberalisation, competition from TTCs and declining domestic markets. State protection and promotion enabled the industries in Japan, South Korea and China to rationalise their operations ahead of foreign market expansion. The TTM and TTL will likely remain domestic or perhaps regional companies, JTI and KT&G have achieved TTC status, and the CNTC is poised to dwarf all existing companies. This global expansion of Asian tobacco companies will increase competition which, in turn, will intensify marketing, exert downward price pressures along the global value chain, and encourage product innovation. Global tobacco control requires fuller understanding of these emerging changes and the regulatory challenges posed by ongoing globalisation.

The growing impact of globalization for health and public health practice.

PubMed

Labonté, Ronald; Mohindra, Katia; Schrecker, Ted

2011-01-01

In recent decades, public health policy and practice have been increasingly challenged by globalization, even as global financing for health has increased dramatically. This article discusses globalization and its health challenges from a vantage of political science, emphasizing increased global flows (of pathogens, information, trade, finance, and people) as driving, and driven by, global market integration. This integration requires a shift in public health thinking from a singular focus on international health (the higher disease burden in poor countries) to a more nuanced analysis of global health (in which health risks in both poor and rich countries are seen as having inherently global causes and consequences). Several globalization-related pathways to health exist, two key ones of which are described: globalized diseases and economic vulnerabilities. The article concludes with a call for national governments, especially those of wealthier nations, to take greater account of global health and its social determinants in all their foreign policies.

A Data Analysis Toolbox for Modeling the Global Food-Energy-Water Nexus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

AghaKouchak, A.; Sadegh, M.; Mallakpour, I.

2017-12-01

Water, Food and energy systems are highly interconnected. More than seventy percent of global water resource is used for food production. Water withdrawal, purification, and transfer systems are energy intensive. Furthermore, energy generation strongly depends on water availability. Therefore, considering the interactions in the nexus of water, food and energy is crucial for sustainable management of available resources. In this presentation, we introduce a user-friendly data analysis toolbox that mines the available global data on food, energy and water, and analyzes their interactions. This toolbox provides estimates of water footprint for a wide range of food types in different countries and also approximates the required energy and water resources. The toolbox also provides estimates of the corresponding emissions and biofuel production of different crops. In summary, this toolbox allows evaluating dependencies of the food, energy, and water systems at the country scale. We present global analysis of the interactions between water, food and energy from different perspectives including efficiency and diversity of resources use.

The use of NASA GEOS Global Analysis in MM5/WRF Initialization: Current Studies and Future Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Pu, Zhao-Xia; Tao, Wei-Kuo

2004-01-01

An effort has been made at NASA/GSFC to use the Goddard Earth Observing system (GEOS) global analysis in generating the initial and boundary conditions for MM5/WRF simulation. This linkage between GEOS global analysis and MM5/WRF models has made possible for a few useful applications. As one of the sample studies, a series of MM5 simulations were conducted to test the sensitivity of initial and boundary conditions to MM5 simulated precipitation over the eastern; USA. Global analyses horn different operational centers (e.g., NCEP, ECMWF, I U ASA/GSFCj were used to provide first guess field and boundary conditions for MM5. Numerical simulations were performed for one- week period over the eastern coast areas of USA. the distribution and quantities of MM5 simulated precipitation were compared. Results will be presented in the workshop. In addition,other applications from recent and future studies will also be addressed.

Nano-enabled drug delivery: a research profile.

PubMed

Zhou, Xiao; Porter, Alan L; Robinson, Douglas K R; Shim, Min Suk; Guo, Ying

2014-07-01

Nano-enabled drug delivery (NEDD) systems are rapidly emerging as a key area for nanotechnology application. Understanding the status and developmental prospects of this area around the world is important to determine research priorities, and to evaluate and direct progress. Global research publication and patent databases provide a reservoir of information that can be tapped to provide intelligence for such needs. Here, we present a process to allow for extraction of NEDD-related information from these databases by involving topical experts. This process incorporates in-depth analysis of NEDD literature review papers to identify key subsystems and major topics. We then use these to structure global analysis of NEDD research topical trends and collaborative patterns, inform future innovation directions. This paper describes the process of how to derive nano-enabled drug delivery-related information from global research and patent databases in an effort to perform comprehensive global analysis of research trends and directions, along with collaborative patterns. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A methodology for global-sensitivity analysis of time-dependent outputs in systems biology modelling.

PubMed

Sumner, T; Shephard, E; Bogle, I D L

2012-09-07

One of the main challenges in the development of mathematical and computational models of biological systems is the precise estimation of parameter values. Understanding the effects of uncertainties in parameter values on model behaviour is crucial to the successful use of these models. Global sensitivity analysis (SA) can be used to quantify the variability in model predictions resulting from the uncertainty in multiple parameters and to shed light on the biological mechanisms driving system behaviour. We present a new methodology for global SA in systems biology which is computationally efficient and can be used to identify the key parameters and their interactions which drive the dynamic behaviour of a complex biological model. The approach combines functional principal component analysis with established global SA techniques. The methodology is applied to a model of the insulin signalling pathway, defects of which are a major cause of type 2 diabetes and a number of key features of the system are identified.

Detection of Functional Change Using Cluster Trend Analysis in Glaucoma.

PubMed

Gardiner, Stuart K; Mansberger, Steven L; Demirel, Shaban

2017-05-01

Global analyses using mean deviation (MD) assess visual field progression, but can miss localized changes. Pointwise analyses are more sensitive to localized progression, but more variable so require confirmation. This study assessed whether cluster trend analysis, averaging information across subsets of locations, could improve progression detection. A total of 133 test-retest eyes were tested 7 to 10 times. Rates of change and P values were calculated for possible re-orderings of these series to generate global analysis ("MD worsening faster than x dB/y with P < y"), pointwise and cluster analyses ("n locations [or clusters] worsening faster than x dB/y with P < y") with specificity exactly 95%. These criteria were applied to 505 eyes tested over a mean of 10.5 years, to find how soon each detected "deterioration," and compared using survival models. This was repeated including two subsequent visual fields to determine whether "deterioration" was confirmed. The best global criterion detected deterioration in 25% of eyes in 5.0 years (95% confidence interval [CI], 4.7-5.3 years), compared with 4.8 years (95% CI, 4.2-5.1) for the best cluster analysis criterion, and 4.1 years (95% CI, 4.0-4.5) for the best pointwise criterion. However, for pointwise analysis, only 38% of these changes were confirmed, compared with 61% for clusters and 76% for MD. The time until 25% of eyes showed subsequently confirmed deterioration was 6.3 years (95% CI, 6.0-7.2) for global, 6.3 years (95% CI, 6.0-7.0) for pointwise, and 6.0 years (95% CI, 5.3-6.6) for cluster analyses. Although the specificity is still suboptimal, cluster trend analysis detects subsequently confirmed deterioration sooner than either global or pointwise analyses.

Exploratory Model Analysis of the Space Based Infrared System (SBIRS) Low Global Scheduler Problem

DTIC Science & Technology

1999-12-01

solution. The non- linear least squares model is defined as Y = f{e,t) where: 0 =M-element parameter vector Y =N-element vector of all data t...NAVAL POSTGRADUATE SCHOOL Monterey, California THESIS EXPLORATORY MODEL ANALYSIS OF THE SPACE BASED INFRARED SYSTEM (SBIRS) LOW GLOBAL SCHEDULER...December 1999 3. REPORT TYPE AND DATES COVERED Master’s Thesis 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE EXPLORATORY MODEL ANALYSIS OF THE SPACE BASED INFRARED SYSTEM

Global versus local linear beat-to-beat analysis of the relationship between arterial pressure and pulse transit time during dynamic exercise.

PubMed

Porta, A; Gasperi, C; Nollo, G; Lucini, D; Pizzinelli, P; Antolini, R; Pagani, M

2006-04-01

Global linear analysis has been traditionally performed to verify the relationship between pulse transit time (PTT) and systolic arterial pressure (SAP) at the level of their spontaneous beat-to-beat variabilities: PTT and SAP have been plotted in the plane (PTT,SAP) and a significant linear correlation has been found. However, this relationship is weak and in specific individuals cannot be found. This result prevents the utilization of the SAP-PTT relationship to derive arterial pressure changes from PTT measures on an individual basis. We propose a local linear approach to study the SAP-PTT relationship. This approach is based on the definition of short SAP-PTT sequences characterized by SAP increase (decrease) and PTT decrease (increase) and on their search in the SAP and PTT beat-to-beat series. This local approach was applied to PTT and SAP series derived from 13 healthy humans during incremental supine dynamic exercise (at 10, 20 and 30% of the nominal individual maximum effort) and compared to the global approach. While global approach failed in some subjects, local analysis allowed the extraction of the gain of the SAP-PTT relationship in all subjects both at rest and during exercise. When both local and global analyses were successful, the local SAP-PTT gain is more negative than the global one as a likely result of noise reduction.

Habitability at the frontlines of sea level rise: a spatiotemporal analysis of settlements and coastal inundation in eight global sea level rise hotspots between 1990 and 2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rose, S. A.; Wrathall, D.

2017-12-01

Over the coming centuries and millennia, sea level rise will greatly redistribute global human population through displacement and migration. Sudden, large-scale displacement is extremely disruptive to society both for migrants and host communities, and there is a great scientific and policy need to anticipate where, when and how this could happen around sea level rise. We can meet these needs by examining how long-term coastal inundation of settlements has already occurred. Using two global geospatial data sets, the Global Human Settlement Layer and the Global Surface Water Layer, we examine the global spatial concentration of settlement inundation that occurred between 1990 and 2015. We focus on the eight sea level rise hotspots identified in Clark et al (2016), which include Bangladesh, Mekong Delta, Indonesia, Japan, Nile Delta, Philippines, and the US Mid-Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico, and examine areas of convergence between settlement loss density and negative population change. This analysis reveals specific areas of concern within vulnerable countries, and forms the basis for focused investigations of the long-term impact of coastal inundation on various migration systems. This analysis shows us how long-term sets of satellite derived data on human population can help anticipate how sea level rise will alter future patterns of human settlement and migration into the 21st century and beyond.

Global Sensitivity Analysis for Identifying Important Parameters of Nitrogen Nitrification and Denitrification under Model and Scenario Uncertainties

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ye, M.; Chen, Z.; Shi, L.; Zhu, Y.; Yang, J.

2017-12-01

Nitrogen reactive transport modeling is subject to uncertainty in model parameters, structures, and scenarios. While global sensitivity analysis is a vital tool for identifying the parameters important to nitrogen reactive transport, conventional global sensitivity analysis only considers parametric uncertainty. This may result in inaccurate selection of important parameters, because parameter importance may vary under different models and modeling scenarios. By using a recently developed variance-based global sensitivity analysis method, this paper identifies important parameters with simultaneous consideration of parametric uncertainty, model uncertainty, and scenario uncertainty. In a numerical example of nitrogen reactive transport modeling, a combination of three scenarios of soil temperature and two scenarios of soil moisture leads to a total of six scenarios. Four alternative models are used to evaluate reduction functions used for calculating actual rates of nitrification and denitrification. The model uncertainty is tangled with scenario uncertainty, as the reduction functions depend on soil temperature and moisture content. The results of sensitivity analysis show that parameter importance varies substantially between different models and modeling scenarios, which may lead to inaccurate selection of important parameters if model and scenario uncertainties are not considered. This problem is avoided by using the new method of sensitivity analysis in the context of model averaging and scenario averaging. The new method of sensitivity analysis can be applied to other problems of contaminant transport modeling when model uncertainty and/or scenario uncertainty are present.

Graph-based normalization and whitening for non-linear data analysis.

PubMed

Aaron, Catherine

2006-01-01

In this paper we construct a graph-based normalization algorithm for non-linear data analysis. The principle of this algorithm is to get a spherical average neighborhood with unit radius. First we present a class of global dispersion measures used for "global normalization"; we then adapt these measures using a weighted graph to build a local normalization called "graph-based" normalization. Then we give details of the graph-based normalization algorithm and illustrate some results. In the second part we present a graph-based whitening algorithm built by analogy between the "global" and the "local" problem.

Disciplinary competitiveness analysis in international stomatology education.

PubMed

Wen, Ping; Hong, Xiao; Zhu, Lu; Zhang, Linglin; Gu, Xuekui; Gao, Zhihua; Chen, Qianming

2013-11-01

With economic and cultural globalization, the trend of globalization of higher education becomes inevitable. Using the concept of competitiveness, the authors established a principal component analysis (PCA) model to examine disciplinary competitiveness in stomatology of various higher education institutions worldwide. A total of forty-four universities entered the final list according to these calculations. Possible reasons for their selection were explored and explained at macro and micro levels. The authors further accessed various sources of data and summarized several suggestions for enhancing disciplinary competitiveness for other universities in pursuit of promoting their position in the global spectrum.

The Global Health Policies of the EU and its Member States: A Common Vision?

PubMed Central

Steurs, Lies; Van de Pas, Remco; Delputte, Sarah; Orbie, Jan

2018-01-01

Background: This article assesses the global health policies of the European Union (EU) and those of its individual member states. So far EU and public health scholars have paid little heed to this, despite the large budgets involved in this area. While the European Commission has attempted to define the ‘EU role in Global Health’ in 2010, member states are active in the domain of global health as well. Therefore, this article raises the question to what extent a common ‘EU’ vision on global health exists. Methods: This is examined through a comparative framing analysis of the global health policy documents of the European Commission and five EU member states (France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Belgium, and Denmark). The analysis is informed by a two-layered typology, distinguishing global health from international health and four ‘global health frames,’ namely social justice, security, investment and charity. Results: The findings show that the concept of ‘global health’ has not gained ground the same way within European policy documents. Consequently, there are also differences in how health is being framed. While the European Commission, Belgium, and Denmark clearly support a social justice frame, the global health strategies of the United Kingdom, Germany, and France put an additional focus on the security and investment frames. Conclusion: There are different understandings of global/international health as well as different framings within relevant documents of the EU and its member states. Therefore, the existence of an ‘EU’ vision on global health is questionable. Further research is needed on how this impacts on policy implementation. PMID:29764107

Global spectral graph wavelet signature for surface analysis of carpal bones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Masoumi, Majid; Rezaei, Mahsa; Ben Hamza, A.

2018-02-01

Quantitative shape comparison is a fundamental problem in computer vision, geometry processing and medical imaging. In this paper, we present a spectral graph wavelet approach for shape analysis of carpal bones of the human wrist. We employ spectral graph wavelets to represent the cortical surface of a carpal bone via the spectral geometric analysis of the Laplace-Beltrami operator in the discrete domain. We propose global spectral graph wavelet (GSGW) descriptor that is isometric invariant, efficient to compute, and combines the advantages of both low-pass and band-pass filters. We perform experiments on shapes of the carpal bones of ten women and ten men from a publicly-available database of wrist bones. Using one-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and permutation testing, we show through extensive experiments that the proposed GSGW framework gives a much better performance compared to the global point signature embedding approach for comparing shapes of the carpal bones across populations.

Global spectral graph wavelet signature for surface analysis of carpal bones.

PubMed

Masoumi, Majid; Rezaei, Mahsa; Ben Hamza, A

2018-02-05

Quantitative shape comparison is a fundamental problem in computer vision, geometry processing and medical imaging. In this paper, we present a spectral graph wavelet approach for shape analysis of carpal bones of the human wrist. We employ spectral graph wavelets to represent the cortical surface of a carpal bone via the spectral geometric analysis of the Laplace-Beltrami operator in the discrete domain. We propose global spectral graph wavelet (GSGW) descriptor that is isometric invariant, efficient to compute, and combines the advantages of both low-pass and band-pass filters. We perform experiments on shapes of the carpal bones of ten women and ten men from a publicly-available database of wrist bones. Using one-way multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) and permutation testing, we show through extensive experiments that the proposed GSGW framework gives a much better performance compared to the global point signature embedding approach for comparing shapes of the carpal bones across populations.

Cross-ply laminates with holes in compression - Straight free-edge stresses determined by two- to three-dimensional global/local finite element analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Thompson, Danniella Muheim; Griffin, O. Hayden, Jr.; Vidussoni, Marco A.

1990-01-01

A practical example of applying two- to three-dimensional (2- to 3-D) global/local finite element analysis to laminated composites is presented. Cross-ply graphite/epoxy laminates of 0.1-in. (0.254-cm) thickness with central circular holes ranging from 1 to 6 in. (2.54 to 15.2 cm) in diameter, subjected to in-plane compression were analyzed. Guidelines for full three-dimensional finite element analysis and two- to three-dimensional global/local analysis of interlaminar stresses at straight free edges of laminated composites are included. The larger holes were found to reduce substantially the interlaminar stresses at the straight free-edge in proximity to the hole. Three-dimensional stress results were obtained for thin laminates which require prohibitive computer resources for full three-dimensional analyses of comparative accuracy.

77 FR 14523 - Western Digital Corporation; Analysis of Agreement Containing Consent Order to Aid Public Comment

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-12

... of Viviti Technologies Ltd., formerly known as Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Ltd. (``HGST''), a... negotiate the purchase price of desktop HDDs at a global level. The desktop HDD market is highly... Digital'') proposed acquisition of Viviti Technologies Ltd., formerly known as Hitachi Global Storage...

Using Scientific Enquiry to Make Sense of Global Challenges

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hogg, Max

2010-01-01

In a context where the science underlying global issues such as climate change often loses out to political opinions and distortions, science teachers have a unique and very important role. Science teachers can use global-learning approaches to encourage learners to develop skills in scientific enquiry and critical analysis of scientific issues.…

75 FR 64351 - The Economic Effects of Significant U.S. Import Restraints: Seventh Update; Special Topic: Global...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-19

.... Import Restraints: Seventh Update; Special Topic: Global Supply Chains AGENCY: United States... effects analysis similar to that included in prior reports, include an overview of global supply chains... firm supplying the information. By order of the Commission. Issued: October 14, 2010. William R. Bishop...

An Analysis of Globalization and Higher Education in Malaysia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Arokiasamy, Anantha Raj A.

2011-01-01

This study aims to examine the impact of globalization on private higher education in Malaysia. The impact of globalization and the development of knowledge-based economy have caused much dramatic change to the character and functions of higher education in Malaysia. The major trend is the reforming and restructuring of private higher education in…

Developing Global Leaders: Building Effective Global- Intercultural Collaborative Online Learning Environments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ivy, Karen Lynne-Daniels

2017-01-01

This paper shares the findings of a study conducted on a virtual inter-cultural global leadership development learning project. Mixed Methods analysis techniques were used to examine the interviews of U.S. and Uganda youth project participants. The study, based on cultural and social constructivist learning theories, investigated the effects of…

Estimating global distribution of boreal, temperate, and tropical tree plant functional types using clustering techniques

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Audrey; Price, David T.

2007-03-01

A simple integrated algorithm was developed to relate global climatology to distributions of tree plant functional types (PFT). Multivariate cluster analysis was performed to analyze the statistical homogeneity of the climate space occupied by individual tree PFTs. Forested regions identified from the satellite-based GLC2000 classification were separated into tropical, temperate, and boreal sub-PFTs for use in the Canadian Terrestrial Ecosystem Model (CTEM). Global data sets of monthly minimum temperature, growing degree days, an index of climatic moisture, and estimated PFT cover fractions were then used as variables in the cluster analysis. The statistical results for individual PFT clusters were found consistent with other global-scale classifications of dominant vegetation. As an improvement of the quantification of the climatic limitations on PFT distributions, the results also demonstrated overlapping of PFT cluster boundaries that reflected vegetation transitions, for example, between tropical and temperate biomes. The resulting global database should provide a better basis for simulating the interaction of climate change and terrestrial ecosystem dynamics using global vegetation models.

NIEHS extramural global environmental health portfolio: opportunities for collaboration.

PubMed

Drew, Christina H; Barnes, Martha I; Phelps, Jerry; Van Houten, Bennett

2008-04-01

Global environmental health has emerged as a critical topic for environmental health researchers and practitioners. Estimates of the environmental contribution of total worldwide disease burden range from 25 to 33%. We reviewed grants funded by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) during 2005-2007 to evaluate the costs and scientific composition of the global environmental health portfolio, with the ultimate aim of strengthening global environmental health research partnerships. We examined NIEHS grant research databases to identify the global environmental health portfolio. In the past 3 fiscal years (2005-2007), the NIEHS funded 57 scientific research projects in 37 countries, at an estimated cost of $30 million. Metals such as arsenic, methylmercury, and lead are the most frequently studied toxic agents, but a wide range of stressors, routes of exposure, and agents are addressed in the portfolio. The portfolio analysis indicates that there is a firm foundation of research activities upon which additional global environmental health partnerships could be encouraged. Current data structures could be strengthened to support more automated analysis of grantee information.

A global optimization approach to multi-polarity sentiment analysis.

PubMed

Li, Xinmiao; Li, Jing; Wu, Yukeng

2015-01-01

Following the rapid development of social media, sentiment analysis has become an important social media mining technique. The performance of automatic sentiment analysis primarily depends on feature selection and sentiment classification. While information gain (IG) and support vector machines (SVM) are two important techniques, few studies have optimized both approaches in sentiment analysis. The effectiveness of applying a global optimization approach to sentiment analysis remains unclear. We propose a global optimization-based sentiment analysis (PSOGO-Senti) approach to improve sentiment analysis with IG for feature selection and SVM as the learning engine. The PSOGO-Senti approach utilizes a particle swarm optimization algorithm to obtain a global optimal combination of feature dimensions and parameters in the SVM. We evaluate the PSOGO-Senti model on two datasets from different fields. The experimental results showed that the PSOGO-Senti model can improve binary and multi-polarity Chinese sentiment analysis. We compared the optimal feature subset selected by PSOGO-Senti with the features in the sentiment dictionary. The results of this comparison indicated that PSOGO-Senti can effectively remove redundant and noisy features and can select a domain-specific feature subset with a higher-explanatory power for a particular sentiment analysis task. The experimental results showed that the PSOGO-Senti approach is effective and robust for sentiment analysis tasks in different domains. By comparing the improvements of two-polarity, three-polarity and five-polarity sentiment analysis results, we found that the five-polarity sentiment analysis delivered the largest improvement. The improvement of the two-polarity sentiment analysis was the smallest. We conclude that the PSOGO-Senti achieves higher improvement for a more complicated sentiment analysis task. We also compared the results of PSOGO-Senti with those of the genetic algorithm (GA) and grid search method. From the results of this comparison, we found that PSOGO-Senti is more suitable for improving a difficult multi-polarity sentiment analysis problem.

Phylogeographical analysis of the dominant multidrug-resistant H58 clade of Salmonella Typhi identifies inter- and intracontinental transmission events.

PubMed

Wong, Vanessa K; Baker, Stephen; Pickard, Derek J; Parkhill, Julian; Page, Andrew J; Feasey, Nicholas A; Kingsley, Robert A; Thomson, Nicholas R; Keane, Jacqueline A; Weill, François-Xavier; Edwards, David J; Hawkey, Jane; Harris, Simon R; Mather, Alison E; Cain, Amy K; Hadfield, James; Hart, Peter J; Thieu, Nga Tran Vu; Klemm, Elizabeth J; Glinos, Dafni A; Breiman, Robert F; Watson, Conall H; Kariuki, Samuel; Gordon, Melita A; Heyderman, Robert S; Okoro, Chinyere; Jacobs, Jan; Lunguya, Octavie; Edmunds, W John; Msefula, Chisomo; Chabalgoity, Jose A; Kama, Mike; Jenkins, Kylie; Dutta, Shanta; Marks, Florian; Campos, Josefina; Thompson, Corinne; Obaro, Stephen; MacLennan, Calman A; Dolecek, Christiane; Keddy, Karen H; Smith, Anthony M; Parry, Christopher M; Karkey, Abhilasha; Mulholland, E Kim; Campbell, James I; Dongol, Sabina; Basnyat, Buddha; Dufour, Muriel; Bandaranayake, Don; Naseri, Take Toleafoa; Singh, Shalini Pravin; Hatta, Mochammad; Newton, Paul; Onsare, Robert S; Isaia, Lupeoletalalei; Dance, David; Davong, Viengmon; Thwaites, Guy; Wijedoru, Lalith; Crump, John A; De Pinna, Elizabeth; Nair, Satheesh; Nilles, Eric J; Thanh, Duy Pham; Turner, Paul; Soeng, Sona; Valcanis, Mary; Powling, Joan; Dimovski, Karolina; Hogg, Geoff; Farrar, Jeremy; Holt, Kathryn E; Dougan, Gordon

2015-06-01

The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) typhoid is a major global health threat affecting many countries where the disease is endemic. Here whole-genome sequence analysis of 1,832 Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi) identifies a single dominant MDR lineage, H58, that has emerged and spread throughout Asia and Africa over the last 30 years. Our analysis identifies numerous transmissions of H58, including multiple transfers from Asia to Africa and an ongoing, unrecognized MDR epidemic within Africa itself. Notably, our analysis indicates that H58 lineages are displacing antibiotic-sensitive isolates, transforming the global population structure of this pathogen. H58 isolates can harbor a complex MDR element residing either on transmissible IncHI1 plasmids or within multiple chromosomal integration sites. We also identify new mutations that define the H58 lineage. This phylogeographical analysis provides a framework to facilitate global management of MDR typhoid and is applicable to similar MDR lineages emerging in other bacterial species.

Phylogeographical analysis of the dominant multidrug-resistant H58 clade of Salmonella Typhi identifies inter- and intracontinental transmission events

PubMed Central

Wong, Vanessa K; Baker, Stephen; Pickard, Derek J; Parkhill, Julian; Page, Andrew J; Feasey, Nicholas A; Kingsley, Robert A; Thomson, Nicholas R; Keane, Jacqueline A; Weill, François-Xavier; Edwards, David J; Hawkey, Jane; Harris, Simon R; Mather, Alison E; Cain, Amy K; Hadfield, James; Hart, Peter J; Thieu, Nga Tran Vu; Klemm, Elizabeth J; Glinos, Dafni A; Breiman, Robert F; Watson, Conall H; Kariuki, Samuel; Gordon, Melita A; Heyderman, Robert S; Okoro, Chinyere; Jacobs, Jan; Lunguya, Octavie; Edmunds, W John; Msefula, Chisomo; Chabalgoity, Jose A; Kama, Mike; Jenkins, Kylie; Dutta, Shanta; Marks, Florian; Campos, Josefina; Thompson, Corinne; Obaro, Stephen; MacLennan, Calman A; Dolecek, Christiane; Keddy, Karen H; Smith, Anthony M; Parry, Christopher M; Karkey, Abhilasha; Mulholland, E Kim; Campbell, James I; Dongol, Sabina; Basnyat, Buddha; Dufour, Muriel; Bandaranayake, Don; Naseri, Take Toleafoa; Singh, Shalini Pravin; Hatta, Mochammad; Newton, Paul; Onsare, Robert S; Isaia, Lupeoletalalei; Dance, David; Davong, Viengmon; Thwaites, Guy; Wijedoru, Lalith; Crump, John A; De Pinna, Elizabeth; Nair, Satheesh; Nilles, Eric J; Thanh, Duy Pham; Turner, Paul; Soeng, Sona; Valcanis, Mary; Powling, Joan; Dimovski, Karolina; Hogg, Geoff; Farrar, Jeremy; Holt, Kathryn E; Dougan, Gordon

2016-01-01

The emergence of multidrug-resistant (MDR) typhoid is a major global health threat affecting many countries where the disease is endemic. Here whole-genome sequence analysis of 1,832 Salmonella enterica serovar Typhi (S. Typhi) identifies a single dominant MDR lineage, H58, that has emerged and spread throughout Asia and Africa over the last 30 years. Our analysis identifies numerous transmissions of H58, including multiple transfers from Asia to Africa and an ongoing, unrecognized MDR epidemic within Africa itself. Notably, our analysis indicates that H58 lineages are displacing antibiotic-sensitive isolates, transforming the global population structure of this pathogen. H58 isolates can harbor a complex MDR element residing either on transmissible IncHI1 plasmids or within multiple chromosomal integration sites. We also identify new mutations that define the H58 lineage. This phylogeographical analysis provides a framework to facilitate global management of MDR typhoid and is applicable to similar MDR lineages emerging in other bacterial species. PMID:25961941

[Globalization of acupuncture technology innovation: a quantitative analysis based on acupuncture patents in the U.S.A].

PubMed

Pan, Wei; Hu, Yuan-Jia; Wang, Yi-Tao

2011-08-01

The structure of international flow of acupuncture knowledge was explored in this article so as to promote the globalization of acupuncture technology innovation. Statistical methods were adopted to reveal geographical distribution of acupuncture patents in the U.S.A. and the influencing factors of cumulative advantage of acupuncture techniques as well as innovation value of application of acupuncture patents. Social network analysis was also utilized to establish a global innovation network of acupuncture technology. The result shows that the cumulative strength on acupuncture technology correlates with the patent retention period. The innovative value of acupuncture invention correlates with the frequency of patent citation. And the U. S. A. and Canada seize central positions in the global acupuncture information and technology delivery system.

[Visual field progression in glaucoma: cluster analysis].

PubMed

Bresson-Dumont, H; Hatton, J; Foucher, J; Fonteneau, M

2012-11-01

Visual field progression analysis is one of the key points in glaucoma monitoring, but distinction between true progression and random fluctuation is sometimes difficult. There are several different algorithms but no real consensus for detecting visual field progression. The trend analysis of global indices (MD, sLV) may miss localized deficits or be affected by media opacities. Conversely, point-by-point analysis makes progression difficult to differentiate from physiological variability, particularly when the sensitivity of a point is already low. The goal of our study was to analyse visual field progression with the EyeSuite™ Octopus Perimetry Clusters algorithm in patients with no significant changes in global indices or worsening of the analysis of pointwise linear regression. We analyzed the visual fields of 162 eyes (100 patients - 58 women, 42 men, average age 66.8 ± 10.91) with ocular hypertension or glaucoma. For inclusion, at least six reliable visual fields per eye were required, and the trend analysis (EyeSuite™ Perimetry) of visual field global indices (MD and SLV), could show no significant progression. The analysis of changes in cluster mode was then performed. In a second step, eyes with statistically significant worsening of at least one of their clusters were analyzed point-by-point with the Octopus Field Analysis (OFA). Fifty four eyes (33.33%) had a significant worsening in some clusters, while their global indices remained stable over time. In this group of patients, more advanced glaucoma was present than in stable group (MD 6.41 dB vs. 2.87); 64.82% (35/54) of those eyes in which the clusters progressed, however, had no statistically significant change in the trend analysis by pointwise linear regression. Most software algorithms for analyzing visual field progression are essentially trend analyses of global indices, or point-by-point linear regression. This study shows the potential role of analysis by clusters trend. However, for best results, it is preferable to compare the analyses of several tests in combination with morphologic exam. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

National Renewable Energy Policy in a Global World

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jeong, Minji

Increasing trade of renewable energy products has significantly contributed to reducing the costs of renewable energy sources, but at the same time, it has generated protectionist policies, which may negatively affect the trend of the cost reduction. Although a few recent studies examined the rise of renewable energy protectionism and trade disputes, they are limited in addressing the conflict between the original goal of traditional renewable energy policies and the new protectionist policies under the globalized renewable energy industry. To fill this gap, this dissertation explores how the globalized renewable energy industry has changed national renewable energy policies. Through three analyses, three aspects of the globalized renewable energy industry are examined: the rise of multinational corporations, international interactions among actors, and the changes of the global and domestic market conditions. First analysis investigates how multinational renewable energy corporations have affected national policies. A content analysis of the annual reports of 15 solar photovoltaic multinational corporation shows that solar multinationals have been influenced by national policies and have adapted to the changes rather than having attempted to change national policies. Second analysis examines how diverse actors have framed renewable energy trade issues through a network analysis of the Chinese solar panel issue in the United States. The result shows that the Chinese solar panel issue was framed differently from the traditional environmental frame of renewable energy, being dominated by multinational corporations headquartered in other countries. Third analysis explores what has caused the increasing diversity in national renewable energy policies through the case studies of the U.S. and South Korea. The result reveals that the globalization of solar industry has affected the diversification of solar policies in two countries by generating both challenges, which needed to be addressed by new and additional policies, and opportunities, which strengthened the political power of domestic solar industries. The three analyses show that the globalized renewable energy industry has led to the diversification of national renewable energy policies by increasing international interactions between actors and by introducing both challenges and opportunities to domestic renewable energy industries. This research contributes to the literature on trade and the environment by analyzing a new pattern of the conflicts between traditional environmental policies and "green" protectionist policies. It also contributes to the literature on protectionism by adding an empirical case of green protectionism, one of the forms of "murky" protectionism that has risen after the global financial crisis.

Advancing Globally Integrated Logistics Effort 2017 Wargame Report

DTIC Science & Technology

2017-09-01

September 2017 Dr. M. Webster Ewell, Jr. Director, Integration and Gaming Team Advanced Technology and Systems Analysis REPORT...release: distribution unlimited. 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT This report describes the execution and analysis of a logistics game created for...the Joint Staff J-4, Directorate for Logistics. The game , Advancing Globally Integrated Logistics Effort 2017 (AGILE 17), centered on developing a

Location-only and use-availability data: analysis methods converge

USGS Publications Warehouse

McDonald, Lyman; Manly, Bryan; Huettmann, Falk; Thogmartin, Wayne

2013-01-01

by the availability of geographical information systems (GIS), global positioning system (GPS) radiotelemetry and public online data access initiatives (e.g. global biodiversity information facility). The papers in this Special Feature are intended to present the state of the methodological art in their subject area, with particular attention paid to contrasting the advantages and disadvantages of alternative methods of analysis for data.

The status of accurately locating forest inventory and analysis plots using the Global Positioning System

Treesearch

Michael Hoppus; Andrew Lister

2007-01-01

Historically, field crews used Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates to establish and relocate plots, as well as document their general location. During the past 5 years, the increase in Geographic Information System (GIS) capabilities and in customer requests to use the spatial relationships between Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) plot data and other GIS...

A situational analysis of pharmacovigilance plans in the Global Fund Malaria and U.S. President's Malaria Initiative proposals.

PubMed

Stergachis, Andy; Bartlein, Rebecca J K; Dodoo, Alexander; Nwokike, Jude; Kachur, S Patrick

2010-05-30

Pharmacovigilance programmes can monitor and help ensure the safe use of medicines that are critical to the success of global public health programmes. The widespread deployment of artemisinin-based combination therapy (ACT) by national malaria control programmes as part of the overall Global Malaria Action Plan for malaria control to elimination and eradication makes ACT an excellent candidate for pharmacovigilance activities. In 2008, The Roll Back Malaria partnership issued guidelines for inclusion of pharmacovigilance in Global Fund and other related proposals. In light of this recommendation and the rapid scale-up of ACT worldwide, an analysis of Global Fund Round 8 proposals and the President's Malaria Initiative (PMI) 2009 Malaria Operational Plans was conducted to assess if and how pharmacovigilance has been incorporated into countries' national malaria plans and donor budget requests. The Global Fund-Malaria Round 8 proposals for the 26 countries and the PMI Malaria Operational Plans (MOPs) for fiscal year 2009 for the 15 countries that were approved and received funding from either the Global Fund-Malaria Round 8 or PMI were accessed through the programme websites. The analysis consisted of conducting word counts and key word in context analyses of each proposal and plan. Twelve out of 26 (46%) of the Global Fund proposals mentioned that established pharmacovigilance systems were present in their countries. Four of the fifteen PMI MOPs (27%) mentioned that established pharmacovigilance systems were present in their countries. Only seven of the 26 (27%) Global Fund proposals included a request for funding for new or current pharmacovigilance activities. Seven of 15 (47%) MOPs included a request for funding for pharmacovigilance activities. There were relatively few requests for funding for pharmacovigilance activities, demonstrating a lack of emphasis placed on pharmacovigilance systems in recipient countries. The findings stress the need for more active direction to strengthen active surveillance and passive adverse event reporting systems to augment the issuance of guidance documents.

Global bioanalytical support.

PubMed

John Lin, Zhongping; Zhang, Tianyi; Pasas-Farmer, Stephanie; Brooks, Stephen D; Moyer, Michael; Connolly, Ron

2014-05-01

With the globalization of drug development, there is an increasing need for global bioanalytical support. Bioanalysis provides pivotal data for toxicokinetic, pharmacokinetic, bioavailability and bioequivalence studies used for regional or global regulatory submission. There are many known complications in building a truly global bioanalytical operation, ranging from lack of global regulatory guidelines and global standard operating procedures to barriers in regional requirements on sample shipping, importation and exportation. The primary objective of this article is to discuss common experiences and challenges facing the biopharmaceutical industry when providing bioanalytical support in a global setting. The key components of global bioanalytical services include the supporting infrastructure, spanning project management, IT support of data management, best practices in bioanalytical method transfer and sample analysis, and comprehensive knowledge of the requirements of bioanalysis guidelines and differences in these guidelines. A case study will highlight best practices for successful management of a global project.

How Stationary Are the Internal Tides in a High-Resolution Global Ocean Circulation Model?

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-05-12

Egbert et al., 1994] and that the model global internal tide amplitudes compare well with an altimetric-based tidal analysis [Ray and Byrne, 2010]. The... analysis [Foreman, 1977] applied to the HYCOM total SSH. We will follow Shriver et al. [2012], analyzing the tides along satellite altimeter tracks...spots,’’ the comparison between the model and altimetric analysis is not as good due, in part, to two prob- lems, errors in the model barotropic tides and

Superspace and global stability in general relativity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gurzadyan, A. V.; Kocharyan, A. A.

A framework is developed enabling the global analysis of the stability of cosmological models using the local geometric characteristics of the infinite-dimensional superspace, i.e. using the generalized Jacobi equation reformulated for pseudo-Riemannian manifolds. We give a direct formalism for dynamical analysis in the superspace, the requisite equation pertinent for stability analysis of the universe by means of generalized covariant and Fermi derivative is derived. Then, the relevant definitions and formulae are retrieved for cosmological models with a scalar field.

Shear buckling analysis of a hat-stiffened panel

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ko, William L.; Jackson, Raymond H.

1994-01-01

A buckling analysis was performed on a hat-stiffened panel subjected to shear loading. Both local buckling and global buckling were analyzed. The global shear buckling load was found to be several times higher than the local shear buckling load. The classical shear buckling theory for a flat plate was found to be useful in predicting the local shear buckling load of the hat-stiffened panel, and the predicted local shear buckling loads thus obtained compare favorably with the results of finite element analysis.

A mechanics framework for a progressive failure methodology for laminated composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Harris, Charles E.; Allen, David H.; Lo, David C.

1989-01-01

A laminate strength and life prediction methodology has been postulated for laminated composites which accounts for the progressive development of microstructural damage to structural failure. A damage dependent constitutive model predicts the stress redistribution in an average sense that accompanies damage development in laminates. Each mode of microstructural damage is represented by a second-order tensor valued internal state variable which is a strain like quantity. The mechanics framework together with the global-local strategy for predicting laminate strength and life is presented in the paper. The kinematic effects of damage are represented by effective engineering moduli in the global analysis and the results of the global analysis provide the boundary conditions for the local ply level stress analysis. Damage evolution laws are based on experimental results.

Global/Local: What Does It Mean for Global Health Educators and How Do We Do It?

PubMed

Rowthorn, Virginia

2015-01-01

There has been dramatic growth in the number of innovative university programs that focus on social justice and teach community-based strategies that are applicable both domestically in North America and internationally. These programs often are referred to as global/local and reflect an effort to link global health and campus community engagement efforts to acknowledge that a common set of transferable skills can be adapted to work with vulnerable populations wherever they may be. However, the concepts underlying global/local education are undertheorized and universities struggle to make the global/local link without a conceptual framework to guide them in this pursuit. This study reports on the outcomes of a 2015 national meeting of 120 global health educators convened to discuss the concepts underlying global/local education, to share models of global/local programs, and to draft a preliminary list of critical elements of a meaningful and didactically sound global/local educational program. A qualitative analysis was conducted of the discussions that took place at the national meeting. The analysis was supported by videorecordings made of full-group discussions. Results were categorized into a preliminary list of global/local program elements. Additionally, a synthesis was developed of critical issues raised at the meeting that warrant future discussion and study. A preliminary list was developed of 7 program components that global health educators consider essential to categorize a program as global/local and to ensure that such a program includes specific critical elements. Interest is great among global health educators to understand and teach the conceptual link between learning on both the global and community levels. Emphasis on this link has high potential to unite the siloed fields of global health and domestic community public health and the institutions, funding options, and career pathways that flow from them. Future research should focus on implementation of global/local programming and evaluation of student learning and community health outcomes related to such programs. Copyright © 2015 The Author. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Balancing the personal, local, institutional, and global: multiple case study and multidimensional scaling analysis of African experiences in addressing complexity and political economy in health research capacity strengthening.

PubMed

Ager, Alastair; Zarowsky, Christina

2015-01-17

Strengthening health research capacity in low- and middle-income countries remains a major policy goal. The Health Research Capacity Strengthening (HRCS) Global Learning (HGL) program of work documented experiences of HRCS across sub-Saharan Africa. We reviewed findings from HGL case studies and reflective papers regarding the dynamics of HRCS. Analysis was structured with respect to common challenges in such work, identified through a multi-dimensional scaling analysis of responses from 37 participants at the concluding symposium of the program of work. Symposium participants identified 10 distinct clusters of challenges: engaging researchers, policymakers, and donors; securing trust and cooperation; finding common interest; securing long-term funding; establishing sustainable models of capacity strengthening; ensuring Southern ownership; accommodating local health system priorities and constraints; addressing disincentives for academic engagement; establishing and retaining research teams; and sustaining mentorship and institutional support. Analysis links these challenges to three key and potentially competing drivers of the political economy of health research: an enduring model of independent researchers and research leaders, the globalization of knowledge and the linked mobility of (elite) individuals, and institutionalization of research within universities and research centres and, increasingly, national research and development agendas. We identify tensions between efforts to embrace the global 'Community of Science' and the promotion and protection of national and institutional agendas in an unequal global health research environment. A nuanced understanding of the dynamics and implications of the uneven global health research landscape is required, along with a willingness to explore pragmatic models that seek to balance these competing drivers.

Global Precipitation Analyses at Time Scales of Monthly to 3-Hourly

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adler, Robert F.; Huffman, George; Curtis, Scott; Bolvin, David; Nelkin, Eric; Einaudi, Franco (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

Global precipitation analysis covering the last few decades and the impact of the new TRMM precipitation observations are discussed. The 20+ year, monthly, globally complete precipitation analysis of the World Climate Research Program's (WCRP/GEWEX) Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) is used to explore global and regional variations and trends and is compared to the much shorter TRMM (Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission) tropical data set. The GPCP data set shows no significant trend in precipitation over the twenty years, unlike the positive trend in global surface temperatures over the past century. Regional trends are also analyzed. A trend pattern that is a combination of both El Nino and La Nina precipitation features is evident in the Goodyear data set. This pattern is related to an increase with time in the number of combined months of El Nino and La Nina during the Goodyear period. Monthly anomalies of precipitation are related to ENRON variations with clear signals extending into middle and high latitudes of both hemispheres. The GPCP daily, 1 degree latitude-longitude analysis, which is available from January 1997 to the present is described and the evolution of precipitation patterns on this time scale related to El Nino and La Nina is described. Finally, a TRMM-based Based analysis is described that uses TRMM to calibrate polar-orbit microwave observations from SSM/I and geosynchronous OR observations and merges the various calibrated observations into a final, Baehr resolution map. This TRMM standard product will be available for the entire TRMM period (January Represent). A real-time version of this merged product is being produced and is available at 0.25 degree latitude-longitude resolution over the latitude range from 50 deg. N -50 deg. S. Examples will be shown, including its use in monitoring flood conditions.

Quantitative Trait Locus Analysis of SIX1-SIX6 with Retinal Nerve Fiber Layer Thickness in Individuals of European Descent

PubMed Central

Kuo, Jane Z.; Zangwill, Linda M.; Medeiros, Felipe A.; Liebmann, Jeffery M.; Girkin, Christopher A.; Hammel, Na’ama; Rotter, Jerome I.; Weinreb, Robert N.

2015-01-01

Purpose To perform a quantitative trait locus (QTL) analysis and evaluate whether a locus between SIX1 and SIX6 is associated with retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) thickness in individuals of European descent. Design Observational, multi-center, cross-sectional study. Methods 231 participants were recruited from the Diagnostic Innovations in Glaucoma Study and the African Descent and Glaucoma Evaluation Study. Association of rs10483727 in SIX1-SIX6 with global and sectoral RNFL thickness was performed. Quantitative trait analysis with the additive model of inheritance was analyzed using linear regression. Trend analysis was performed to evaluate the mean global and sectoral RNFL thickness with 3 genotypes of interest (T/T, C/T, C/C). All models were adjusted for age and gender. Results Direction of association between T allele and RNFL thickness was consistent in the global and different sectoral RNFL regions. Each copy of the T risk allele in rs10483727 was associated with −0.16 μm thinner global RNFL thickness (β=−0.16, 95% CI: −0.28 to −0.03; P=0.01). Similar patterns were found for the sectoral regions, including inferior (P=0.03), inferior-nasal (P=0.017), superior-nasal (P=0.0025), superior (P=0.002) and superior-temporal (P=0.008). The greatest differences were observed in the superior and inferior quadrants, supporting clinical observations for RNFL thinning in glaucoma. Thinner global RNFL was found in subjects with T/T genotypes compared to subjects with C/T and C/C genotypes (P=0.044). Conclusions Each copy of the T risk allele has an additive effect and was associated with thinner global and sectoral RNFL. Findings from this QTL analysis further support a genetic contribution to glaucoma pathophysiology. PMID:25849520

Structural Analysis of the Redesigned Ice/Frost Ramp Bracket

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Phillips, D. R.; Dawicke, D. S.; Gentz, S. J.; Roberts, P. W.; Raju, I. S.

2007-01-01

This paper describes the interim structural analysis of a redesigned Ice/Frost Ramp bracket for the Space Shuttle External Tank (ET). The proposed redesigned bracket consists of mounts for attachment to the ET wall, supports for the electronic/instrument cables and propellant repressurization lines that run along the ET, an upper plate, a lower plate, and complex bolted connections. The eight nominal bolted connections are considered critical in the summarized structural analysis. Each bolted connection contains a bolt, a nut, four washers, and a non-metallic spacer and block that are designed for thermal insulation. A three-dimensional (3D) finite element model of the bracket is developed using solid 10-node tetrahedral elements. The loading provided by the ET Project is used in the analysis. Because of the complexities associated with accurately modeling the bolted connections in the bracket, the analysis is performed using a global/local analysis procedure. The finite element analysis of the bracket identifies one of the eight bolted connections as having high stress concentrations. A local area of the bracket surrounding this bolted connection is extracted from the global model and used as a local model. Within the local model, the various components of the bolted connection are refined, and contact is introduced along the appropriate interfaces determined by the analysts. The deformations from the global model are applied as boundary conditions to the local model. The results from the global/local analysis show that while the stresses in the bolts are well within yield, the spacers fail due to compression. The primary objective of the interim structural analysis is to show concept viability for static thermal testing. The proposed design concept would undergo continued design optimization to address the identified analytical assumptions and concept shortcomings, assuming successful thermal testing.

Global surface temperature change analysis based on MODIS data in recent twelve years

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mao, K. B.; Ma, Y.; Tan, X. L.; Shen, X. Y.; Liu, G.; Li, Z. L.; Chen, J. M.; Xia, L.

2017-01-01

Global surface temperature change is one of the most important aspects in global climate change research. In this study, in order to overcome shortcomings of traditional observation methods in meteorology, a new method is proposed to calculate global mean surface temperature based on remote sensing data. We found that (1) the global mean surface temperature was close to 14.35 °C from 2001 to 2012, and the warmest and coldest surface temperatures of the global in the recent twelve years occurred in 2005 and 2008, respectively; (2) the warmest and coldest surface temperatures on the global land surface occurred in 2005 and 2001, respectively, and on the global ocean surface in 2010 and 2008, respectively; and (3) in recent twelve years, although most regions (especially the Southern Hemisphere) are warming, global warming is yet controversial because it is cooling in the central and eastern regions of Pacific Ocean, northern regions of the Atlantic Ocean, northern regions of China, Mongolia, southern regions of Russia, western regions of Canada and America, the eastern and northern regions of Australia, and the southern tip of Africa. The analysis of daily and seasonal temperature change indicates that the temperature change is mainly caused by the variation of orbit of celestial body. A big data model based on orbit position and gravitational-magmatic change of celestial body with the solar or the galactic system should be built and taken into account for climate and ecosystems change at a large spatial-temporal scale.

Probabilistic assessment of sea level during the last interglacial stage.

PubMed

Kopp, Robert E; Simons, Frederik J; Mitrovica, Jerry X; Maloof, Adam C; Oppenheimer, Michael

2009-12-17

With polar temperatures approximately 3-5 degrees C warmer than today, the last interglacial stage (approximately 125 kyr ago) serves as a partial analogue for 1-2 degrees C global warming scenarios. Geological records from several sites indicate that local sea levels during the last interglacial were higher than today, but because local sea levels differ from global sea level, accurately reconstructing past global sea level requires an integrated analysis of globally distributed data sets. Here we present an extensive compilation of local sea level indicators and a statistical approach for estimating global sea level, local sea levels, ice sheet volumes and their associated uncertainties. We find a 95% probability that global sea level peaked at least 6.6 m higher than today during the last interglacial; it is likely (67% probability) to have exceeded 8.0 m but is unlikely (33% probability) to have exceeded 9.4 m. When global sea level was close to its current level (>or=-10 m), the millennial average rate of global sea level rise is very likely to have exceeded 5.6 m kyr(-1) but is unlikely to have exceeded 9.2 m kyr(-1). Our analysis extends previous last interglacial sea level studies by integrating literature observations within a probabilistic framework that accounts for the physics of sea level change. The results highlight the long-term vulnerability of ice sheets to even relatively low levels of sustained global warming.

Emergence and global spread of epidemic healthcare-associated Clostridium difficile

PubMed Central

He, Miao; Miyajima, Fabio; Roberts, Paul; Ellison, Louise; Pickard, Derek J.; Martin, Melissa J.; Connor, Thomas R.; Harris, Simon R.; Fairley, Derek; Bamford, Kathleen B.; D’Arc, Stephanie; Brazier, Jon; Brown, Derek; Coia, John E.; Douce, Gill; Gerding, Dale; Kim, Hee Jung; Koh, Tse Hsien; Kato, Haru; Senoh, Mitsutoshi; Louie, Tom; Michell, Stephen; Butt, Emma; Peacock, Sharon J.; Brown, Nick M.; Riley, Tom; Songer, Glen; Wilcox, Mark; Pirmohamed, Munir; Kuijper, Ed; Hawkey, Peter; Wren, Brendan W.; Dougan, Gordon; Parkhill, Julian; Lawley, Trevor D.

2012-01-01

Epidemic Clostridium difficile (027/BI/NAP1) rapidly emerged in the past decade as the leading cause of antibiotic-associated diarrhea worldwide. However, the key moments in the evolutionary history leading to its emergence and subsequent patterns of global spread remain unknown. Here we define the global population structure of C. difficile 027/BI/NAP1 based on whole-genome sequencing and phylogenetic analysis. We demonstrate that two distinct epidemic lineages, FQR1 and FQR2, not one as previously thought, emerged in North America within a relatively short period after acquiring the same fluoroquinolone resistance mutation and a highly-related conjugative transposon. The two epidemic lineages displayed distinct patterns of global spread, and the FQR2 lineage spread more widely leading to healthcare outbreaks in the UK, continental Europe and Australia. Our analysis identifies key genetic changes linked to the rapid trans-continental dissemination of epidemic C. difficile 027/BI/NAP1 and highlights the routes by which it spreads through the global healthcare system. PMID:23222960

[Global Atmospheric Chemistry/Transport Modeling and Data-Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prinn, Ronald G.

1999-01-01

This grant supported a global atmospheric chemistry/transport modeling and data- analysis project devoted to: (a) development, testing, and refining of inverse methods for determining regional and global transient source and sink strengths for trace gases; (b) utilization of these inverse methods which use either the Model for Atmospheric Chemistry and Transport (MATCH) which is based on analyzed observed winds or back- trajectories calculated from these same winds for determining regional and global source and sink strengths for long-lived trace gases important in ozone depletion and the greenhouse effect; (c) determination of global (and perhaps regional) average hydroxyl radical concentrations using inverse methods with multiple "titrating" gases; and (d) computation of the lifetimes and spatially resolved destruction rates of trace gases using 3D models. Important ultimate goals included determination of regional source strengths of important biogenic/anthropogenic trace gases and also of halocarbons restricted by the Montreal Protocol and its follow-on agreements, and hydrohalocarbons now used as alternatives to the above restricted halocarbons.

Global and local networking for HIV/AIDS prevention: the case of the Saathii E-forum.

PubMed

Desouza, Rebecca; Jyoti Dutta, Mohan

2008-06-01

The global spread of HIV/AIDS has sparked the proliferation of civil society groups working on various aspects of the disease such as prevention, treatment, support, and policy. In this article, we explore the role of the Internet in networking civil society organizations working on HIV/AIDS-related issues across local and global spaces. Specifically, we conducted a thematic analysis of an e-forum established by the nongovernmental organization (NGO) Saathii, working on HIV/AIDS issues in India to (a) identify the specific functions served by the e-forum and (b) explore how global and local actors use the e-forum to network with one another. The thematic analysis documented four key functions of the online forum: (a) to provide HIV/AIDS-related news, (b) to serve as an informational resource, (c) to promote political activism, and (d) to express emotions. The discussion elaborates on the how global and local actors network with one another and build solidarity.

Connecting the Dots: How U.S. Global Health Programs Can Improve International Health Regulation Compliance

DTIC Science & Technology

2014-12-01

50 E. ACTIVITIES , FUNDING, AND ANALYSIS .............................................51 1. Global Emerging Infectious Disease System...Organizational Chart ..............................................................................71 Figure 9. CDC: Global Health Activities Map...of the WHO was roughly $2.2 billion the same year.12 New threats like antibacterial -resistant infections have resulted in at least 23,000 deaths with

Global Character of International Labour Migration: Challenges and Objectives for Higher Education in World Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zhuravska, Nina

2016-01-01

The article deals with analysis of challenges and objectives for higher education in the context of globalization: the forming of international labour market proves the fact that the process of international integration is affecting economy and technology as well as social and labour relations that are becoming more and more global. The…

Time as the Fourth Dimension in the Globalization of Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Walker, Judith

2009-01-01

This paper calls for an analysis of time to be integrated into the theories on the globalization of higher education. Specifically, the author argues that academic capitalism, fuelled by globalization, has led to changes in the university visible in time/space compression, time acceleration, the reification of time and our internalization of the…

The Understandings of Global Warming and Learning Styles: A Phenomenographic Analysis of Prospective Primary School Teachers

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Demirkaya, Hilmi

2008-01-01

In this study, statements by prospective primary school teachers such as "I think the word global warming ..." or "I think the term global warming means ..." were analyzed by using qualitative phenomenographic research methods. 142 female (48.3%) and 152 male (51.7%) primary school teacher candidates (n = 294) participated in…

People, Pope and Planet: A Hermeneutic and Spectacle Analysis of "Laudato Si'" for Global Citizenship Educators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gaudelli, William

2017-01-01

Global citizenship education presents a number of challenges for educators, including the wide variety of texts available to be studied. I explore "Laudato Si'," Pope Francis' 2015 statement on global warming and human development. "Laudato Si'" includes contents that are broad, connective, and significant/relevant, making it a…

Metaphors of Primary School Students Relating to the Concept of Global Warming

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dogru, Mustafa; Sarac, Esra

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study is to reveal the metaphors of primary school students (n = 362) relating to the concept of global warming. Data collected by completing the expression of "global warming is like..., because..." of the students were analysed by use of qualitative and quantitative data analysis techniques. According to findings of…

Curriculum Policy in Portugal (1995-2007): Global Agendas and Regional and National Reconfigurations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Teodoro, Antonio; Estrela, Elsa

2010-01-01

This paper undertakes a critical analysis of recent education and curriculum policies in Portugal, focusing on the relationship between globalization, international agencies, and the curriculum. It aims to highlight not only changes in the organization of schools, but also the setting of a agenda structured at a global level for education in which…

International Student Migration: A Comparison of UK and Indian Students' Motivations for Studying Abroad

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

King, Russell; Sondhi, Gunjan

2018-01-01

This paper breaks new ground in its comparative analysis of two international student migration (ISM) streams, one from the Global South to the Global North (India to developed Anglophone countries), and the other within the Global North (UK to North America, Europe and Australia). These two ISM movements reflect different positionalities within…

Educational Policy Transfer in an Era of Globalization: Theory--History--Comparison. Comparative Studies Series. Volume 23

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rappleye, Jeremy

2012-01-01

As education becomes increasingly global, the processes and politics of transfer have become a central focus of research. This study provides a comprehensive analysis of contemporary theoretical and analytical work aimed at exploring international educational reform and reveals the myriad ways that globalization is now fundamentally altering our…

Universities and Corporate Universities: The Higher Learning Industry in Global Society.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jarvis, Peter

This book offers a sociological analysis of what has occurred in the university sector of higher education since globalization expanded in the 1970s. It examines the nature of globalization and considers the emergence of the corporate universities and their roles in higher education in the future. The chapters are: (1) "Universities under…

Global climate change impacts on forests and markets

Treesearch

Xiaohui Tian; Brent Sohngen; John B Kim; Sara Ohrel; Jefferson Cole

2016-01-01

This paper develops an economic analysis of climate change impacts in the global forest sector. It illustrates how potential future climate change impacts can be integrated into a dynamic forestry economics model using data from a global dynamic vegetation model, theMC2model. The results suggest that climate change will cause forest outputs (such as timber) to increase...

Global Status, Intra-Institutional Stratification and Organizational Segmentation: A Time-Dynamic Tobit Analysis of ARWU Position among U.S. Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cantwell, Brendan; Taylor, Barrett J.

2013-01-01

Ranking systems such as "The Times Higher Education's World University Rankings" and Shanghai Jiao Tong University's "Academic Rankings of World Universities" simultaneously mark global status and stimulate global academic competition. As international ranking systems have become more prominent, researchers have begun to examine whether global…

Global foot-and-mouth disease research update and gap analysis: 1 - overview of global status and research needs

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Few, if any, animal diseases have a greater impact than footand-mouth disease (FMD). It is highly infectious, has enormous control costs and severe impacts on trade. FMD research is performed in numerous institutions around the world. The Global FMD Research alliance (GFRA) is an international conso...

Glossary of AWS Acrinabs. Acronyms, Initialisms, and Abbreviations Commonly Used in Air Weather Service

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-01-01

Foundation FYDP ......... Five Year Defense Plan FSI ............ Fog Stability Index 17 G G ................ gravity, giga- GISM ......... Gridded ...Global Circulation Model GOES-TAP GOES imagery processing & dissemination system GCS .......... grid course GOFS ........ Global Ocean Flux Study GD...Analysis Support System Complex Systems GRID .......... Global Resource Information Data -Base GEMAG ..... geomagnetic GRIST..... grazing-incidence solar

The Rhetorical Constructions of Global Citizenship and the Location of Youth: A Critical Analysis

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Abdi, Ali A.

2017-01-01

The recent growth of global citizenship scholarship, especially in so-called Western universities, could entice us into making constructive assumptions about the viability of this area of study and teaching. Especially with respect to the lives of young people, the promise of global citizenship and its growing disciplinary popularity can be read…

Analysis of global oceanic rainfall from microwave data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rao, M.

1978-01-01

A Global Rainfall Atlas was prepared from Nimbus 5 ESMR data. The Atlas includes global oceanic rainfall maps based on weekly, monthly and seasonal averages, complete through the end of 1975. Similar maps for 1973 and 1974 were studied. They reveal several previously unknown areas of enhanced rainfall and preliminary data on interannual variability of oceanic rainfall.

First-Annual Global Clean Energy Manufacturing Report Shows Strong Domestic Benefits for the United States

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

EERE Office of Strategic Programs, Strategic Priorities and Impact Analysis Team

The Energy Department’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) commissioned the Clean Energy Manufacturing Analysis Center to conduct the first-ever annual assessment of the economic state of global clean energy manufacturing. The report, Benchmarks of Global Clean Energy Manufacturing, makes economic data on clean energy technology widely available.

A novel dysregulated pathway-identification analysis based on global influence of within-pathway effects and crosstalk between pathways

PubMed Central

Han, Junwei; Li, Chunquan; Yang, Haixiu; Xu, Yanjun; Zhang, Chunlong; Ma, Jiquan; Shi, Xinrui; Liu, Wei; Shang, Desi; Yao, Qianlan; Zhang, Yunpeng; Su, Fei; Feng, Li; Li, Xia

2015-01-01

Identifying dysregulated pathways from high-throughput experimental data in order to infer underlying biological insights is an important task. Current pathway-identification methods focus on single pathways in isolation; however, consideration of crosstalk between pathways could improve our understanding of alterations in biological states. We propose a novel method of pathway analysis based on global influence (PAGI) to identify dysregulated pathways, by considering both within-pathway effects and crosstalk between pathways. We constructed a global gene–gene network based on the relationships among genes extracted from a pathway database. We then evaluated the extent of differential expression for each gene, and mapped them to the global network. The random walk with restart algorithm was used to calculate the extent of genes affected by global influence. Finally, we used cumulative distribution functions to determine the significance values of the dysregulated pathways. We applied the PAGI method to five cancer microarray datasets, and compared our results with gene set enrichment analysis and five other methods. Based on these analyses, we demonstrated that PAGI can effectively identify dysregulated pathways associated with cancer, with strong reproducibility and robustness. We implemented PAGI using the freely available R-based and Web-based tools (http://bioinfo.hrbmu.edu.cn/PAGI). PMID:25551156

Consistency between the global and regional modeling components of CAMS over Europe.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katragkou, Eleni; Akritidis, Dimitrios; Kontos, Serafim; Zanis, Prodromos; Melas, Dimitrios; Engelen, Richard; Plu, Matthieu; Eskes, Henk

2017-04-01

The Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service (CAMS) is a component of the European Earth Observation programme Copernicus. CAMS consists of two major forecast and analysis systems: i) the CAMS global near-real time service, based on the ECMWF Integrated Forecast System (C-IFS), which provides daily analyses and forecasts of reactive trace gases, greenhouse gases and aerosol concentrations ii) a regional ensemble (ENS) for European air quality, compiled and disseminated by Météo-France, which consists of seven ensemble members. The boundaries from the regional ensemble members are extracted from the global CAMS forecast product. This work reports on the consistency between the global and regional modeling components of CAMS, and the impact of global CAMS boundary conditions on regional forecasts. The current analysis includes ozone (O3) carbon monoxide (CO) and aerosol (PM10/PM2.5) forecasts. The comparison indicates an overall good agreement between the global C-IFS and the regional ENS patterns for O3 and CO, especially above 250m altitude, indicating that the global boundary conditions are efficiently included in the regional ensemble simulations. As expected, differences are found within the PBL, with lower/higher C-IFS O3/CO concentrations over continental Europe with respect to ENS.

Global assessment of urban and peri-urban agriculture: irrigated and rainfed croplands

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thebo, A. L.; Drechsel, P.; Lambin, E. F.

2014-11-01

The role of urban agriculture in global food security is a topic of increasing discussion. Existing research on urban and peri-urban agriculture consists largely of case studies that frequently use disparate definitions of urban and peri-urban agriculture depending on the local context and study objectives. This lack of consistency makes quantification of the extent of this practice at the global scale difficult. This study instead integrates global data on croplands and urban extents using spatial overlay analysis to estimate the global area of urban and peri-urban irrigated and rainfed croplands. The global area of urban irrigated croplands was estimated at about 24 Mha (11.0 percent of all irrigated croplands) with a cropping intensity of 1.48. The global area of urban rainfed croplands found was approximately 44 Mha (4.7 percent of all rainfed croplands) with a cropping intensity of 1.03. These values were derived from the MIRCA2000 Maximum Monthly Cropped Area Grids for irrigated and rainfed crops and therefore their sum does not necessarily represent the total urban cropland area when the maximum extent of irrigated and rainfed croplands occurs in different months. Further analysis of croplands within 20 km of urban extents show that 60 and 35 percent of, respectively, all irrigated and rainfed croplands fall within this distance range.

The globalisation strategies of five Asian tobacco companies: a comparative analysis and implications for global health governance

PubMed Central

Lee, Kelley; Eckhardt, Jappe

2017-01-01

ABSTRACT The global tobacco industry, from the 1960s to mid 1990s, saw consolidation and eventual domination by a small number of transnational tobacco companies (TTC). This paper draws together comparative analysis of five case studies in the special issue on ‘The Emergence of Asian Tobacco Companies: Implications for Global Health Governance.’ The cases suggest that tobacco industry globalisation is undergoing a new phase, beginning in the late 1990s, with the adoption of global business strategies by five Asian companies. The strategies were prompted foremost by external factors, notably market liberalisation, competition from TTCs and declining domestic markets. State protection and promotion enabled the industries in Japan, South Korea and China to rationalise their operations ahead of foreign market expansion. The TTM and TTL will likely remain domestic or perhaps regional companies, JTI and KT&G have achieved TTC status, and the CNTC is poised to dwarf all existing companies. This global expansion of Asian tobacco companies will increase competition which, in turn, will intensify marketing, exert downward price pressures along the global value chain, and encourage product innovation. Global tobacco control requires fuller understanding of these emerging changes and the regulatory challenges posed by ongoing globalisation. PMID:28139967

Global land cover mapping: a review and uncertainty analysis

USGS Publications Warehouse

Congalton, Russell G.; Gu, Jianyu; Yadav, Kamini; Thenkabail, Prasad S.; Ozdogan, Mutlu

2014-01-01

Given the advances in remotely sensed imagery and associated technologies, several global land cover maps have been produced in recent times including IGBP DISCover, UMD Land Cover, Global Land Cover 2000 and GlobCover 2009. However, the utility of these maps for specific applications has often been hampered due to considerable amounts of uncertainties and inconsistencies. A thorough review of these global land cover projects including evaluating the sources of error and uncertainty is prudent and enlightening. Therefore, this paper describes our work in which we compared, summarized and conducted an uncertainty analysis of the four global land cover mapping projects using an error budget approach. The results showed that the classification scheme and the validation methodology had the highest error contribution and implementation priority. A comparison of the classification schemes showed that there are many inconsistencies between the definitions of the map classes. This is especially true for the mixed type classes for which thresholds vary for the attributes/discriminators used in the classification process. Examination of these four global mapping projects provided quite a few important lessons for the future global mapping projects including the need for clear and uniform definitions of the classification scheme and an efficient, practical, and valid design of the accuracy assessment.

The Europa Global Geologic Map

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Leonard, E. J.; Patthoff, D. A.; Senske, D. A.; Collins, G. C.

2018-06-01

The Europa Global Geologic Map reveals three periods in Europa's surface history as well as an interesting distribution of microchaos. We will discuss the mapping and the interesting implications of our analysis of Europa's surface.

ON THE UNIVERSALITY OF THE GLOBAL DENSITY SLOPE-ANISOTROPY INEQUALITY

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

Van Hese, Emmanuel; Baes, Maarten; Dejonghe, Herwig, E-mail: emmanuel.vanhese@gmail.com, E-mail: maarten.baes@ugent.be, E-mail: herwig.dejonghe@ugent.be

2011-01-10

Recently, some intriguing results have led to speculations whether the central density slope-velocity dispersion anisotropy inequality (An and Evans) actually holds at all radii for spherical dynamical systems. We extend these studies by providing a complete analysis of the global slope-anisotropy inequality for all spherical systems in which the augmented density is a separable function of radius and potential. We prove that these systems indeed satisfy the global inequality if their central anisotropy is {beta}{sub 0} {<=} 1/2. Furthermore, we present several systems with {beta}{sub 0}>1/2 for which the inequality does not hold, thus demonstrating that the global density slope-anisotropymore » inequality is not a universal property. This analysis is a significant step toward an understanding of the relation for general spherical systems.« less

Global model of zenith tropospheric delay proposed based on EOF analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Langlang; Chen, Peng; Wei, Erhu; Li, Qinzheng

2017-07-01

Tropospheric delay is one of the main error budgets in Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) measurements. Many empirical correction models have been developed to compensate this delay, and models which do not require meteorological parameters have received the most attention. This study established a global troposphere zenith total delay (ZTD) model, called Global Empirical Orthogonal Function Troposphere (GEOFT), based on the empirical orthogonal function (EOF, also known as geographically weighted PCAs) analysis method and the Global Geodetic Observing System (GGOS) Atmosphere data from 2012 to 2015. The results showed that ZTD variation could be well represented by the characteristics of the EOF base function Ek and associated coefficients Pk. Here, E1 mainly signifies the equatorial anomaly; E2 represents north-south asymmetry, and E3 and E4 reflects regional variation. Moreover, P1 mainly reflects annual and semiannual variation components; P2 and P3 mainly contains annual variation components, and P4 displays semiannual variation components. We validated the proposed GEOFT model using tropospheric delay data of GGOS ZTD grid data and the tropospheric product of the International GNSS Service (IGS) over the year 2016. The results showed that GEOFT model has high accuracy with bias and RMS of -0.3 and 3.9 cm, respectively, with respect to the GGOS ZTD data, and of -0.8 and 4.1 cm, respectively, with respect to the global IGS tropospheric product. The accuracy of GEOFT demonstrating that the use of the EOF analysis method to characterize ZTD variation is reasonable.

Analysis of the solar radiation data for Beer Sheva, Israel, and its environs

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

Kudish, A.I.; Ianetz, A.

The solar radiation climate of Beer Sheva, Israel, is reported upon in detail. The database utilized in this analysis consisted of global radiation on a horizontal surface, normal incidence beam radiation, and global radiation on a south-facing surface tilted at 40{degree}. Monthly-average hourly and daily values are reported for each of these three types of measured radiations, together with the calculated monthly-average daily values for the components of the global radiation, viz. the horizontal beam and diffuse radiations. The monthly-average hourly and daily clearness index values have also been calculated and analyzed. Monthly-average daily frequency distributions of the clearness indexmore » values are reported for each month. The solar radiation climate of Beer Sheva has also been compared to those reported for a number of countries in this region. The annual-average daily global radiation incident on a horizontal surface is 18.91 MG/m{sup 2} and that for normal incidence beam radiation is 21.17 MG/m{sup 2}. The annual-average daily fraction of the horizontal global radiation that is beam is 0.72. The annual-average daily value for the clearness index is 0.587 and the average frequency of clear days annually is 58.6%. The authors conclude, based upon the above analysis, that Beer Sheva and its environs are characterized by relatively high, average-daily irradiation rates, both global and beam, and a relatively high frequency of clear days.« less

Global Biogeographic Analysis of Methanogenic Archaea Identifies Community-Shaping Environmental Factors of Natural Environments

PubMed Central

Wen, Xi; Yang, Sizhong; Horn, Fabian; Winkel, Matthias; Wagner, Dirk; Liebner, Susanne

2017-01-01

Methanogenic archaea are important for the global greenhouse gas budget since they produce methane under anoxic conditions in numerous natural environments such as oceans, estuaries, soils, and lakes. Whether and how environmental change will propagate into methanogenic assemblages of natural environments remains largely unknown owing to a poor understanding of global distribution patterns and environmental drivers of this specific group of microorganisms. In this study, we performed a meta-analysis targeting the biogeographic patterns and environmental controls of methanogenic communities using 94 public mcrA gene datasets. We show a global pattern of methanogenic archaea that is more associated with habitat filtering than with geographical dispersal. We identify salinity as the control on methanogenic community composition at global scale whereas pH and temperature are the major controls in non-saline soils and lakes. The importance of salinity for structuring methanogenic community composition is also reflected in the biogeography of methanogenic lineages and the physiological properties of methanogenic isolates. Linking methanogenic alpha-diversity with reported values of methane emission identifies estuaries as the most diverse methanogenic habitats with, however, minor contribution to the global methane budget. With salinity, temperature and pH our study identifies environmental drivers of methanogenic community composition facing drastic changes in many natural environments at the moment. However, consequences of this for the production of methane remain elusive owing to a lack of studies that combine methane production rate with community analysis. PMID:28769904

The relevance of globalization to nursing: a concept analysis.

PubMed

Grootjans, J; Newman, S

2013-03-01

This paper emerged alongside the development of learning materials for a new unit of study on global health and nursing. The proposed unit was for inclusion in a graduate entry master of nursing course leading to registration. It became evident that there has been growing attention within the nursing literature to the demands of an increasingly globalized world and the subsequent challenges confronting nursing as a profession. At the same time, the literature is inconsistent and contains mixed messages with regard to how nurses and nursing might respond to these challenges. This paper aims to (i) present the findings of a narrative analysis of the current nursing discourse on globalization, and (ii) to identify directional cohesiveness for the nursing profession in the seemingly disparate literature. Concept analysis following extensive literature review. Several nursing authors argue that nurses globally are increasingly sharing concerns expressed by nurses at a local level. Concerns such as the future sustainability of the profession and more specifically practice concerns such as the continuing failure of nurses to adequately deal with social justice issues requires careful consideration by every nurse. While strategies recommended for dealing with these concerns lack a cohesive thread, some interesting themes and innovative recommendations have emerged. For example, the need for nurses to consider replacing environmental considerations with ecological considerations and that nurses consider preventative nursing practice beyond the immediate needs of clients and from a more global perspective. © 2012 The Authors. International Nursing Review © 2012 International Council of Nurses.

Cluster analysis based on dimensional information with applications to feature selection and classification

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eigen, D. J.; Fromm, F. R.; Northouse, R. A.

1974-01-01

A new clustering algorithm is presented that is based on dimensional information. The algorithm includes an inherent feature selection criterion, which is discussed. Further, a heuristic method for choosing the proper number of intervals for a frequency distribution histogram, a feature necessary for the algorithm, is presented. The algorithm, although usable as a stand-alone clustering technique, is then utilized as a global approximator. Local clustering techniques and configuration of a global-local scheme are discussed, and finally the complete global-local and feature selector configuration is shown in application to a real-time adaptive classification scheme for the analysis of remote sensed multispectral scanner data.

Development of Modal Analysis for the Study of Global Modes in High Speed Boundary Layer Flows

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Brock, Joseph Michael

Boundary layer transition for compressible flows remains a challenging and unsolved problem. In the context of high-speed compressible flow, transitional and turbulent boundary-layers produce significantly higher surface heating caused by an increase in skin-friction. The higher heating associated with transitional and turbulent boundary layers drives thermal protection systems (TPS) and mission trajectory bounds. Proper understanding of the mechanisms that drive transition is crucial to the successful design and operation of the next generation spacecraft. Currently, prediction of boundary-layer transition is based on experimental efforts and computational stability analysis. Computational analysis, anchored by experimental correlations, offers an avenue to assess/predict stability at a reduced cost. Classical methods of Linearized Stability Theory (LST) and Parabolized Stability Equations (PSE) have proven to be very useful for simple geometries/base flows. Under certain conditions the assumptions that are inherent to classical methods become invalid and the use of LST/PSE is inaccurate. In these situations, a global approach must be considered. A TriGlobal stability analysis code, Global Mode Analysis in US3D (GMAUS3D), has been developed and implemented into the unstructured solver US3D. A discussion of the methodology and implementation will be presented. Two flow configurations are presented in an effort to validate/verify the approach. First, stability analysis for a subsonic cylinder wake is performed and results compared to literature. Second, a supersonic blunt cone is considered to directly compare LST/PSE analysis and results generated by GMAUS3D.

A qualitative content analysis of global health engagements in Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute's stability operations lessons learned and information management system.

PubMed

Nang, Roberto N; Monahan, Felicia; Diehl, Glendon B; French, Daniel

2015-04-01

Many institutions collect reports in databases to make important lessons-learned available to their members. The Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences collaborated with the Peacekeeping and Stability Operations Institute to conduct a descriptive and qualitative analysis of global health engagements (GHEs) contained in the Stability Operations Lessons Learned and Information Management System (SOLLIMS). This study used a summative qualitative content analysis approach involving six steps: (1) a comprehensive search; (2) two-stage reading and screening process to identify first-hand, health-related records; (3) qualitative and quantitative data analysis using MAXQDA, a software program; (4) a word cloud to illustrate word frequencies and interrelationships; (5) coding of individual themes and validation of the coding scheme; and (6) identification of relationships in the data and overarching lessons-learned. The individual codes with the most number of text segments coded included: planning, personnel, interorganizational coordination, communication/information sharing, and resources/supplies. When compared to the Department of Defense's (DoD's) evolving GHE principles and capabilities, the SOLLIMS coding scheme appeared to align well with the list of GHE capabilities developed by the Department of Defense Global Health Working Group. The results of this study will inform practitioners of global health and encourage additional qualitative analysis of other lessons-learned databases. Reprint & Copyright © 2015 Association of Military Surgeons of the U.S.

Lattice Boltzmann methods for global linear instability analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pérez, José Miguel; Aguilar, Alfonso; Theofilis, Vassilis

2017-12-01

Modal global linear instability analysis is performed using, for the first time ever, the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) to analyze incompressible flows with two and three inhomogeneous spatial directions. Four linearization models have been implemented in order to recover the linearized Navier-Stokes equations in the incompressible limit. Two of those models employ the single relaxation time and have been proposed previously in the literature as linearization of the collision operator of the lattice Boltzmann equation. Two additional models are derived herein for the first time by linearizing the local equilibrium probability distribution function. Instability analysis results are obtained in three benchmark problems, two in closed geometries and one in open flow, namely the square and cubic lid-driven cavity flow and flow in the wake of the circular cylinder. Comparisons with results delivered by classic spectral element methods verify the accuracy of the proposed new methodologies and point potential limitations particular to the LBM approach. The known issue of appearance of numerical instabilities when the SRT model is used in direct numerical simulations employing the LBM is shown to be reflected in a spurious global eigenmode when the SRT model is used in the instability analysis. Although this mode is absent in the multiple relaxation times model, other spurious instabilities can also arise and are documented herein. Areas of potential improvements in order to make the proposed methodology competitive with established approaches for global instability analysis are discussed.

System analysis to estimate subsurface flow: from global level to the State of Minnesota

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shmagin, Boris A.; Kanivetsky, Roman

2002-06-01

Stream runoff data globally and in the state of Minnesota were used to estimate subsurface water flow. This system approach is based, in principal, on unity of groundwater and surface water systems, and it is in stark contrast to the traditional deterministic approach based on modeling. In coordination with methodology of system analysis, two levels of study were used to estimate subsurface flow. First, the global stream runoff data were assessed to estimate the temporal-spatial variability of surface water runoff. Factor analysis was used to study the temporal-spatial variability of global runoff for the period from 1918 to 1967. Results of these analysis demonstrate that the variability of global runoff could be represented by seven major components (factor scores) that could be grouped into seven distinct independent grouping from the total of 18 continental slopes on the Earth. Computed variance value in this analysis is 76% and supports such analysis. The global stream runoff for this period is stationary, and is more closely connected with the stream flow of Asia to the Pacific Ocean as well as with the stream runoff of North America towards the Arctic and Pacific Oceans. The second level examines the distribution of river runoff (annual and for February) for various landscapes and the hydrogeological conditions in the State of Minnesota (218,000 km2). The annual and minimal monthly rate of stream runoff for 115 gauging stations with a period of observation of 47 years (1935-1981) were used to characterize the spatio-temporal distribution of stream runoff in Minnesota. Results of this analysis demonstrate that the annual stream runoff rate changes from 6.3, towards 3.95, and then to 2.09 l s-1 km-2 (the difference is significant based on Student's criteria). These values in Minnesota correspond to ecological provinces from a mixed forest province towards the broadleaf forest and to prairie province, respectively. The distribution of minimal monthly stream runoff rate (February runoff) is controlled by hydrogeological systems in Minnesota. The difference between the two hydrogeological regions, Precambrian crystalline basement and Paleozoic artesian basin of 0.83 and 2.09 l/s/km2, is statistically significant. Within these regions, the monthly minimal runoff (0.5 and 1.68, and 0.87 and 3.11 l s-1 km-2 for February, respectively) is also distinctly different for delineated subregions, depending on whether or not the Quaternary cover is present. The spatio-temporal structure that emerges could thus be used to generate river runoff and subsurface flow maps at any scale - from the global level to local detail. Such analysis was carried out in Minnesota with the detailed mapping of the subsurface flow for the Twin Cities Metropolitan area.

System analysis to estimate subsurface flow: From global level to the State of Minnesota

USGS Publications Warehouse

Shmagin, B.A.; Kanivetsky, R.

2002-01-01

Stream runoff data globally and in the state of Minnesota were used to estimate subsurface water flow. This system approach is based, in principal, on unity of groundwater and surface water systems, and it is in stark contrast to the traditional deterministic approach based on modeling. In coordination with methodology of system analysis, two levels of study were used to estimate subsurface flow. First, the global stream runoff data were assessed to estimate the temporal-spatial variability of surface water runoff. Factor analysis was used to study the temporal-spatial variability of global runoff for the period from 1918 to 1967. Results of these analysis demonstrate that the variability of global runoff could be represented by seven major components (factor scores) that could be grouped into seven distinct independent grouping from the total of 18 continental slopes on the Earth. Computed variance value in this analysis is 76% and supports such analysis. The global stream runoff for this period is stationary, and is more closely connected with the stream flow of Asia to the Pacific Ocean as well as with the stream runoff of North America towards the Arctic and Pacific Oceans. The second level examines the distribution of river runoff (annual and for February) for various landscapes and the hydrogeological conditions in the State of Minnesota (218,000 km2). The annual and minimal monthly rate of stream runoff for 115 gauging stations with a period of observation of 47 years (1935-1981) were used to characterize the spatio-temporal distribution of stream runoff in Minnesota. Results of this analysis demonstrate that the annual stream runoff rate changes from 6.3, towards 3.95, and then to 2.09 1 s-1 km-2 (the difference is significant based on Student's criteria). These values in Minnesota correspond to ecological provinces from a mixed forest province towards the broadleaf forest and to prairie province, respectively. The distribution of minimal monthly stream runoff rate (February runoff) is controlled by hydrogeological systems in Minnesota. The difference between the two hydrogeological regions, Precambrian crystalline basement and Paleozoic artesian basin of 0.83 and 2.09 1/s/km2, is statistically significant. Within these regions, the monthly minimal runoff (0.5 and 1.68, and 0.87 and 3.11 1 s-1 km-2 for February, respectively) is also distinctly different for delineated subregions, depending on whether or not the Quaternary cover is present. The spatio-temporal structure that emerges could thus be used to generate river runoff and subsurface flow maps at any scale - from the global level to local detail. Such analysis was carried out in Minnesota with the detailed mapping of the subsurface flow for the Twin Cities Metropolitan area.

Sedimentation equilibrium analysis of protein interactions with global implicit mass conservation constraints and systematic noise decomposition.

PubMed

Vistica, Jennifer; Dam, Julie; Balbo, Andrea; Yikilmaz, Emine; Mariuzza, Roy A; Rouault, Tracey A; Schuck, Peter

2004-03-15

Sedimentation equilibrium is a powerful tool for the characterization of protein self-association and heterogeneous protein interactions. Frequently, it is applied in a configuration with relatively long solution columns and with equilibrium profiles being acquired sequentially at several rotor speeds. The present study proposes computational tools, implemented in the software SEDPHAT, for the global analysis of equilibrium data at multiple rotor speeds with multiple concentrations and multiple optical detection methods. The detailed global modeling of such equilibrium data can be a nontrivial computational problem. It was shown previously that mass conservation constraints can significantly improve and extend the analysis of heterogeneous protein interactions. Here, a method for using conservation of mass constraints for the macromolecular redistribution is proposed in which the effective loading concentrations are calculated from the sedimentation equilibrium profiles. The approach is similar to that described by Roark (Biophys. Chem. 5 (1976) 185-196), but its utility is extended by determining the bottom position of the solution columns from the macromolecular redistribution. For analyzing heterogeneous associations at multiple protein concentrations, additional constraints that relate the effective loading concentrations of the different components or their molar ratio in the global analysis are introduced. Equilibrium profiles at multiple rotor speeds also permit the algebraic determination of radial-dependent baseline profiles, which can govern interference optical ultracentrifugation data, but usually also occur, to a smaller extent, in absorbance optical data. Finally, the global analysis of equilibrium profiles at multiple rotor speeds with implicit mass conservation and computation of the bottom of the solution column provides an unbiased scale for determining molar mass distributions of noninteracting species. The properties of these tools are studied with theoretical and experimental data sets.

Coupled 2D-3D finite element method for analysis of a skin panel with a discontinuous stiffener

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Wang, J. T.; Lotts, C. G.; Davis, D. D., Jr.; Krishnamurthy, T.

1992-01-01

This paper describes a computationally efficient analysis method which was used to predict detailed stress states in a typical composite compression panel with a discontinuous hat stiffener. A global-local approach was used. The global model incorporated both 2D shell and 3D brick elements connected by newly developed transition elements. Most of the panel was modeled with 2D elements, while 3D elements were employed to model the stiffener flange and the adjacent skin. Both linear and geometrically nonlinear analyses were performed on the global model. The effect of geometric nonlinearity induced by the eccentric load path due to the discontinuous hat stiffener was significant. The local model used a fine mesh of 3D brick elements to model the region at the end of the stiffener. Boundary conditions of the local 3D model were obtained by spline interpolation of the nodal displacements from the global analysis. Detailed in-plane and through-the-thickness stresses were calculated in the flange-skin interface near the end of the stiffener.

Evaluation of variability in high-resolution protein structures by global distance scoring.

PubMed

Anzai, Risa; Asami, Yoshiki; Inoue, Waka; Ueno, Hina; Yamada, Koya; Okada, Tetsuji

2018-01-01

Systematic analysis of the statistical and dynamical properties of proteins is critical to understanding cellular events. Extraction of biologically relevant information from a set of high-resolution structures is important because it can provide mechanistic details behind the functional properties of protein families, enabling rational comparison between families. Most of the current structural comparisons are pairwise-based, which hampers the global analysis of increasing contents in the Protein Data Bank. Additionally, pairing of protein structures introduces uncertainty with respect to reproducibility because it frequently accompanies other settings for superimposition. This study introduces intramolecular distance scoring for the global analysis of proteins, for each of which at least several high-resolution structures are available. As a pilot study, we have tested 300 human proteins and showed that the method is comprehensively used to overview advances in each protein and protein family at the atomic level. This method, together with the interpretation of the model calculations, provide new criteria for understanding specific structural variation in a protein, enabling global comparison of the variability in proteins from different species.

Mixed kernel function support vector regression for global sensitivity analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Kai; Lu, Zhenzhou; Wei, Yuhao; Shi, Yan; Zhou, Yicheng

2017-11-01

Global sensitivity analysis (GSA) plays an important role in exploring the respective effects of input variables on an assigned output response. Amongst the wide sensitivity analyses in literature, the Sobol indices have attracted much attention since they can provide accurate information for most models. In this paper, a mixed kernel function (MKF) based support vector regression (SVR) model is employed to evaluate the Sobol indices at low computational cost. By the proposed derivation, the estimation of the Sobol indices can be obtained by post-processing the coefficients of the SVR meta-model. The MKF is constituted by the orthogonal polynomials kernel function and Gaussian radial basis kernel function, thus the MKF possesses both the global characteristic advantage of the polynomials kernel function and the local characteristic advantage of the Gaussian radial basis kernel function. The proposed approach is suitable for high-dimensional and non-linear problems. Performance of the proposed approach is validated by various analytical functions and compared with the popular polynomial chaos expansion (PCE). Results demonstrate that the proposed approach is an efficient method for global sensitivity analysis.

Examination of Satellite and Model Reanalysis Precipitation with Climate Oscillations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Donato, T. F.; Houser, P. R.

2016-12-01

The purpose of this study is to examine the efficacy of satellite and model reanalysis precipitation with climate oscillations. Specifically, we examine and compare the relationship between the Global Precipitation Climate Project (GPCP) with Modern-Era Retrospective Analysis for Research and Application, Version 2 (MERRA-2) in regards to four climate indices: The North Atlantic Oscillation, Southern Oscillation Index, the Southern Annular Mode and Solar Activity. This analysis covers a 35-year observation period from 1980 through 2015. We ask two questions: How is global and regional precipitation changing over the observation period, and how are global and regional variations in precipitation related to global climate variation? We explore and compare global and regional precipitation trends between the two data sets. To do this, we constructed a total of 56 Regions of Interest (ROI). Nineteen of the ROIs were focused on geographic regions including continents, ocean basins, and marginal seas. Twelve ROIs examine hemispheric processes. The remaining 26 regions are derived from spatial-temporal classification analysis of GPCP data over a ten-year period (2001-2010). These regions include the primary wet and dry monsoon regions, regions influenced by western boundary currents, and orography. We investigate and interpret the monthly, seasonal and yearly global and regional response to the selected climate indices. Initial results indicate that no correlation exist between the GPCP data and Merra-2 data. Preliminary qualitative assessment between GCPC and solar activity suggest a possible relationship in intra-annual variability. This work is performed under the State of the Global Water and Energy Cycle (SWEC) project, a NASA-sponsored program in support of NASA's Energy and Water cycle Study (NEWS).

A human-driven decline in global burned area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Andela, N.; Morton, D. C.; Chen, Y.; van der Werf, G.; Giglio, L.; Kasibhatla, P. S.; Randerson, J. T.

2016-12-01

Fire is an important and dynamic ecosystem process that influences many aspects of the global Earth system. Here, we used several different satellite datasets to assess trends in global burned area during 1998 to 2014. Global burned area decreased by about 21.6 ± 8.5% over the period from 1998-2014, with large regional declines observed in savanna and grassland ecosystems in northern Africa, Eurasia, and South America. The decrease in burned area remained robust after removing the influence of climate (16.0 ± 6.0%), implicating human activity as a likely driver. To further investigate the mechanisms contributing to regional and global trends, we conducted several kinds of analysis, including separation of burned area into ignition and fire size components and geospatial analysis of fire trends in relationship with demographic and land use variables. We found that fire number was a more important factor contributing to burned area trends than fire size, suggesting a reduction in the use of fire for management purposes. Concurrent decreases in fire size also contributed to the trend outside of North and South America, suggesting a role for greater landscape fragmentation. From our geospatial analysis, we developed a conceptual model that incorporates a range of drivers for human-driven changes in biomass burning that can be used to guide global fire models, currently unable to reproduce these large scale recent trends. Patterns of agricultural expansion and land use intensification are likely to further contribute to declining burned area trends in future decades, with important consequences for Earth system processes mediated by surface albedo, greenhouse gas emissions, and aerosols. Our results also highlight the vulnerability of savannas and grassland to land use changes with unprecedented global scale consequences for vegetation structure and the carbon cycle.

A global analysis of the urban heat island effect based on multisensor satellite data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xiao, J.; Frolking, S. E.; Milliman, T. E.; Schneider, A.; Friedl, M. A.

2017-12-01

Human population is rapidly urbanizing. In much of the world, cities are prone to hotter weather than surrounding rural areas - so-called `urban heat islands' - and this effect can have mortal consequences during heat waves. During the daytime, when the surface energy balance is driven by incoming solar radiation, the magnitude of urban warming is strongly influenced by surface albedo and the capacity to evaporate water (i.e., there is a strong relationship between vegetated land fraction and the ratio of sensible to latent heat loss or Bowen ratio). At nighttime, urban cooling is often inhibited by the thermal inertia of the built environment and anthropogenic heat exhaust from building and transportation energy use. We evaluated a suite of global remote sensing data sets representing a range of urban characteristics against MODIS-derived land-surface temperature differences between urban and surrounding rural areas. We included two new urban datasets in this analysis - MODIS-derived change in global urban extent and global urban microwave backscatter - along with several MODIS standard products and DMSP/OLS nighttime lights time series data. The global analysis spanned a range of urban characteristics that likely influence the magnitude of daytime and/or nighttime urban heat islands - urban size, population density, building density, state of development, impervious fraction, eco-climatic setting. Specifically, we developed new satellite datasets and synthesizing these with existing satellite data into a global database of urban land surface parameters, used two MODIS land surface temperature products to generate time series of daytime and nighttime urban heat island effects for 30 large cities across the globe, and empirically analyzed these data to determine specifically which remote sensing-based characterizations of global urban areas have explanatory power with regard to both daytime and nighttime urban heat islands.

Recent trends in the frequency and duration of global floods

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Najibi, Nasser; Devineni, Naresh

2018-06-01

Frequency and duration of floods are analyzed using the global flood database of the Dartmouth Flood Observatory (DFO) to explore evidence of trends during 1985-2015 at global and latitudinal scales. Three classes of flood duration (i.e., short: 1-7, moderate: 8-20, and long: 21 days and above) are also considered for this analysis. The nonparametric Mann-Kendall trend analysis is used to evaluate three hypotheses addressing potential monotonic trends in the frequency of flood, moments of duration, and frequency of specific flood duration types. We also evaluated if trends could be related to large-scale atmospheric teleconnections using a generalized linear model framework. Results show that flood frequency and the tails of the flood duration (long duration) have increased at both the global and the latitudinal scales. In the tropics, floods have increased 4-fold since the 2000s. This increase is 2.5-fold in the north midlatitudes. However, much of the trend in frequency and duration of the floods can be placed within the long-term climate variability context since the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation, North Atlantic Oscillation, and Pacific Decadal Oscillation were the main atmospheric teleconnections explaining this trend. There is no monotonic trend in the frequency of short-duration floods across all the global and latitudinal scales. There is a significant increasing trend in the annual median of flood durations globally and each latitudinal belt, and this trend is not related to these teleconnections. While the DFO data come with a certain level of epistemic uncertainty due to imprecision in the estimation of floods, overall, the analysis provides insights for understanding the frequency and persistence in hydrologic extremes and how they relate to changes in the climate, organization of global and local dynamical systems, and country-scale socioeconomic factors.

Polycentrism in Global Health Governance Scholarship

PubMed Central

Tosun, Jale

2018-01-01

Drawing on an in-depth analysis of eight global health networks, a recent essay in this journal argued that global health networks face four challenges to their effectiveness: problem definition, positioning, coalition-building, and governance. While sharing the argument of the essay concerned, in this commentary, we argue that these analytical concepts can be used to explicate a concept that has implicitly been used in global health governance scholarship for quite a few years. While already prominent in the discussion of climate change governance, for instance, global health governance scholarship could make progress by looking at global health governance as being polycentric. Concisely, polycentric forms of governance mix scales, mechanisms, and actors. Drawing on the essay, we propose a polycentric approach to the study of global health governance that incorporates coalitionbuilding tactics, internal governance and global political priority as explanatory factors. PMID:29325406

Is manipulation of color effective in study of the global precedence effect?

PubMed

Vidal-López, Joaquín; Romera-Vivancos, Juan Antonio

2009-04-01

This article evaluates the use of color manipulation in studying the effect of global precedence and the possible involvement of the magnocellular processing system. The analysis shows variations of color used in three studies produced changes on the global precedence effect, but findings based on this technique present some methodological problems and have little theoretical support from the magnocellular processing-system perspective. For this reason, more research is required to develop knowledge about the origin of these variations in global precedence.

Global Health Warning: Definitions Wield Power

PubMed Central

Marten, Robert

2016-01-01

Gorik Ooms recently made a strong case for considering the centrality of normative premises to analyzing and understanding the underappreciated importance of the nexus of politics, power and process in global health. This critical commentary raises serious questions for the practice and study of global health and global health governance. First and foremost, this commentary underlines the importance of the question of what is global health, and why as well as how does this definition matter? This refocuses discussion on the importance of definitions and how they wield power. It also re-affirms the necessity of a deeper analysis and understanding of power and how it affects and shapes the practice of global health. PMID:26927595

High-Precision Image Aided Inertial Navigation with Known Features: Observability Analysis and Performance Evaluation

PubMed Central

Jiang, Weiping; Wang, Li; Niu, Xiaoji; Zhang, Quan; Zhang, Hui; Tang, Min; Hu, Xiangyun

2014-01-01

A high-precision image-aided inertial navigation system (INS) is proposed as an alternative to the carrier-phase-based differential Global Navigation Satellite Systems (CDGNSSs) when satellite-based navigation systems are unavailable. In this paper, the image/INS integrated algorithm is modeled by a tightly-coupled iterative extended Kalman filter (IEKF). Tightly-coupled integration ensures that the integrated system is reliable, even if few known feature points (i.e., less than three) are observed in the images. A new global observability analysis of this tightly-coupled integration is presented to guarantee that the system is observable under the necessary conditions. The analysis conclusions were verified by simulations and field tests. The field tests also indicate that high-precision position (centimeter-level) and attitude (half-degree-level)-integrated solutions can be achieved in a global reference. PMID:25330046

Structural analysis of a ship on global aspect using ANSYS

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahman, M. Muzibur; Kamol, Rajia Sultana; Islam, Reyana

2017-12-01

Ship is a complex geometry which undergoes a combination of loadings such as hydrostatic, hydrodynamic, wind, wave etc. at sea and thus adequate strength in a ship has always been one of the most challenging tasks for the ship designers. International Maritime Organization (IMO) and classification societies are providing the standards to ensure the adequacy of strength for the ship against all demands throughout its service life. Thus, structural analysis is needed to assess the overall strength of hull, and the means in this regard are based on finite element method which may be applied either local or global aspect of the ship. This paper is an attempt to carry out the structural analysis of a ship in global aspect using ANSYS software to locate the most stress concentration and deformed area, which will have ultimate effect on fatigue fracture.

An Analysis of Global Problems Issues in Sixth and Seventh Grade Science Textbooks.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamm, Mary; Adams, Dennis

The study examines the extent to which the global issues of population growth, world hunger, air quality and atmosphere, and water resources were treated in sixth and seventh grade science textbooks. Ten textbooks were examined by five raters to determine the amount of content presented by different textbooks on global issues, the number of pages…

Building World Class Universities in China: Exploring Faculty's Perceptions, Interpretations of and Struggles with Global Forces in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kim, Dongbin; Song, Quirong; Liu, Ji; Liu, Qingqin; Grimm, Adam

2018-01-01

Employing a glonacal (global, national and local) heuristic as a theoretical lens, and a qualitative analysis with interview data, this study highlights how Chinese faculty members interpret the definitions and implications of pursuing world class universities (WCUs) and struggle with the multiple dimensions of their academic lives across global,…

Linking global scenarios to national assessments: Experiences from the Resources Planning Act (RPA) Assessment

Treesearch

Linda L. Langner; Peter J. Ince

2012-01-01

The Resources Planning Act (RPA) Assessment provides a nationally consistent analysis of the status and trends of the Nation's renewable forest resources. A global scenario approach was taken for the 2010 RPA Assessment to provide a shared world view of potential futures. The RPA Assessment scenarios were linked to the global scenarios and climate projections used...

Observing System Evaluations Using GODAE Systems

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-09-01

DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY STATEMENT Approved for public release, distribution is unlimite 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 20091228151 14. ABSTRACT Global ocean...forecast systems, developed under the Global Ocean Data Assimilation Experiment (GODAE), are a powerful means of assessing the impact of different...components of the Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS). Using a range of analysis tools and approaches, GODAE systems are useful for quantifying the

How Important Is Private Higher Education in Europe? A Regional Analysis in Global Context

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Levy, Daniel C.

2012-01-01

The importance of private higher education (PHE) is increasingly clear globally. But does Europe fit the global generalisation? This question can be assessed with reference to two major considerations: the size of PHE and the degree of private-public difference. The growth of PHE in Europe has been delayed and limited compared to that in most of…

A global meta-analysis on the impact of management practices on net global warming potential and greenhouse gas intensity from cropland soils

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Agricultural practices contribute significant amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, but little is known about their effects on net global warming potential (GWP) and greenhouse gas intensity (GHGI) that account for all sources and sinks of carbon dioxide emissions per unit area or crop yield. Se...

LAND USE AS A MITIGATON STRATEGY FOR THE WATER QUALITY IMPACTS OF GLOBAL WARMING: A SCENARIO ANALYSIS ON TWO WATERSHEDS IN THE OHIO RIVER BASIN

EPA Science Inventory

This study uses an integrative approach to study the water quality impacts of future global climate and land use changes. Changing land use types was used as a nitigation strategy to reduce the adverse impacts of global climate change on water resources. The climate scenarios wer...

Evaluating Economic Impacts of Expanded Global Wood Energy Consumption with the USFPM/GFPM Model

Treesearch

Peter J. Ince; Andrew Kramp; Kenneth E. Skog

2012-01-01

A U.S. forest sector market module was developed within the general Global Forest Products Model. The U.S. module tracks regional timber markets, timber harvests by species group, and timber product outputs in greater detail than does the global model. This hybrid approach provides detailed regional market analysis for the United States although retaining the...

Testing a Coupled Global-limited-area Data Assimilation System using Observations from the 2004 Pacific Typhoon Season

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Holt, C. R.; Szunyogh, I.; Gyarmati, G.; Hoffman, R. N.; Leidner, M.

2011-12-01

Tropical cyclone (TC) track and intensity forecasts have improved in recent years due to increased model resolution, improved data assimilation, and the rapid increase in the number of routinely assimilated observations over oceans. The data assimilation approach that has received the most attention in recent years is Ensemble Kalman Filtering (EnKF). The most attractive feature of the EnKF is that it uses a fully flow-dependent estimate of the error statistics, which can have important benefits for the analysis of rapidly developing TCs. We implement the Local Ensemble Transform Kalman Filter algorithm, a vari- ation of the EnKF, on a reduced-resolution version of the National Centers for Environmental Prediction (NCEP) Global Forecast System (GFS) model and the NCEP Regional Spectral Model (RSM) to build a coupled global-limited area anal- ysis/forecast system. This is the first time, to our knowledge, that such a system is used for the analysis and forecast of tropical cyclones. We use data from summer 2004 to study eight tropical cyclones in the Northwest Pacific. The benchmark data sets that we use to assess the performance of our system are the NCEP Reanalysis and the NCEP Operational GFS analyses from 2004. These benchmark analyses were both obtained by the Statistical Spectral Interpolation, which was the operational data assimilation system of NCEP in 2004. The GFS Operational analysis assimilated a large number of satellite radiance observations in addition to the observations assimilated in our system. All analyses are verified against the Joint Typhoon Warning Center Best Track data set. The errors are calculated for the position and intensity of the TCs. The global component of the ensemble-based system shows improvement in po- sition analysis over the NCEP Reanalysis, but shows no significant difference from the NCEP operational analysis for most of the storm tracks. The regional com- ponent of our system improves position analysis over all the global analyses. The intensity analyses, measured by the minimum sea level pressure, are of similar quality in all of the analyses. Regional deterministic forecasts started from our analyses are generally not significantly different from those started from the GFS operational analysis. On average, the regional experiments performed better for longer than 48 h sea level pressure forecasts, while the global forecast performed better in predicting the position for longer than 48 h.

Unemployment levels after the global financial crisis linked to increase in suicides.

PubMed

2013-10-23

The 2008 global economic crisis appears to have triggered an increase in suicides, particularly among men in Europe and America. To investigate the impact of the economic crisis on international trends in suicide, researchers conducted an analysis comparing the number of suicides in 2009 with the number that would have been expected based on trends before the crisis (2000-2007). The analysis included data from 54 countries.

W.E.B. Du Bois and Filipino/a American Exposure Programs to the Philippines: Race Class Analysis in an Epoch of "Global Apartheid"

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Viola, Michael Joseph

2016-01-01

The article highlights the ongoing relevance of W.E.B. Du Bois for the global analysis of race and class. Engaging scholarly debates that have ensued within the educational subfields of critical race theory (CRT) and (revolutionary) critical pedagogy, the article explores how a deeper engagement with Du Bois's ideas contributes theoretically and…

The relative contribution of the precipitation and evapotranspiration on total terrestrial water storage change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Y.

2017-12-01

Changes of global terrestrial water storage (TWS) retrieved from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite mission has been extensively evaluated by previous studies. However, attributions of global TWS changes are still poorly understood. In this study, the responses TWS to two most important surface water fluxes, precipitation (P) and evapotranspiration (ET), were comprehensively examined based on 3 global P datasets and 3 global ET datasets. In addition, the relative contribution of P and ET to TWS changes were quantified using the hierarchical partitioning analysis. Results show that, over the period of Apr. 2002 to July. 2016, more than 40.5% global continent experienced significant TWS decrease, while significant TWS increases were observed over 36% of global continent. A general positive effect of P on TWS was observed over almost all land, but a contrasting response of TWS to ET were identified between arid or cold areas and humid areas with positive and negative TWS-ET relationship, respectively. Global as a whole, precipitation from GPCC and ET simulated by the Noah model forcing by Global land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) has the highest performance in explaining global TWS change. HP analysis suggests that the independent contribution of ET to TWS change is apparently higher than that of P. Furthermore, with the decrease of climate humidity, the contribution of P is decreasing, while the contribution of ET is increasing. Spatially speaking, ET has higher impacts on TWS than P in arid areas, while the opposite function was identified for very humid and cold areas. Knowledge from this study is crucial for the understanding of the response of global TWS change to climate change.

The Global Spine Care Initiative: a summary of the global burden of low back and neck pain studies.

PubMed

Hurwitz, Eric L; Randhawa, Kristi; Yu, Hainan; Côté, Pierre; Haldeman, Scott

2018-02-26

This article summarizes relevant findings related to low back and neck pain from the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) reports for the purpose of informing the Global Spine Care Initiative. We reviewed and summarized back and neck pain burden data from two studies that were published in Lancet in 2016, namely: "Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 310 diseases and injuries, 1990-2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015" and "Global, regional, and national disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for 315 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE), 1990-2015: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2015." In 2015, low back and neck pain were ranked the fourth leading cause of disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) globally just after ischemic heart disease, cerebrovascular disease, and lower respiratory infection {low back and neck pain DALYs [thousands]: 94 941.5 [95% uncertainty interval (UI) 67 745.5-128 118.6]}. In 2015, over half a billion people worldwide had low back pain and more than a third of a billion had neck pain of more than 3 months duration. Low back and neck pain are the leading causes of years lived with disability in most countries and age groups. Low back and neck pain prevalence and disability have increased markedly over the past 25 years and will likely increase further with population aging. Spinal disorders should be prioritized for research funding given the huge and growing global burden. These slides can be retrieved under Electronic Supplementary Material.

A trend analysis of surgical operations under a global payment system in Tehran, Iran (2005–2015)

PubMed Central

Goudari, Faranak Behzadi; Rashidian, Arash; Arab, Mohammad; Mahmoudi, Mahmood

2018-01-01

Background Global payment system is a first example of per-case payment system that contains 60 commonly used surgical operations for which payment is based on the average cost per case in Iran. Objective The aim of the study was to determine the amount of reduction, increase or no change in the trend of global operations. Methods In this retrospective longitudinal study, data on the 60 primary global surgery codes was gathered from Tehran Health Insurance Organization within the ten-year period of 2005–2015 separately, for each month. Out of 60 surgery codes, only acceptable data for 46 codes were available based on the insurance documents sent by medical centers. A quantitative analysis of time series through Regression Analysis Model using STATA software v.11 was performed. Results Some global surgery codes had an upward trend and some were downwards. Of N Codes, N83, N20, N28, N63, and N93 had an upward trend (p<0.05) and N32, N43, N81 and N90 showed a significant downward trend (p<0.05). Similarly, all H Codes except for H18 had a significant upward trend (p<0.000). As such, K Codes including K45, K56 and K81 had an increasing movement. S Codes also experienced both increasing and decreasing trends. However, none of the O Codes changed according to time. Other global surgical codes like C61, E07, M51, L60, J98 (p<0.000), I84 (p<0.031) and I86 (p<0.000) shown upward and downward trends. Total global surgeries trend was significantly upwards (B=24.26109, p<0.000). Conclusion The varying trend of global surgeries can partly reflect the behavior of service providers in order to increase their profits and minimize their costs. PMID:29765576

Global Warming Estimation From Microwave Sounding Unit

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Prabhakara, C.; Iacovazzi, R., Jr.; Yoo, J.-M.; Dalu, G.

1998-01-01

Microwave Sounding Unit (MSU) Ch 2 data sets, collected from sequential, polar-orbiting, Sun-synchronous National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration operational satellites, contain systematic calibration errors that are coupled to the diurnal temperature cycle over the globe. Since these coupled errors in MSU data differ between successive satellites, it is necessary to make compensatory adjustments to these multisatellite data sets in order to determine long-term global temperature change. With the aid of the observations during overlapping periods of successive satellites, we can determine such adjustments and use them to account for the coupled errors in the long-term time series of MSU Ch 2 global temperature. In turn, these adjusted MSU Ch 2 data sets can be used to yield global temperature trend. In a pioneering study, Spencer and Christy (SC) (1990) developed a procedure to derive the global temperature trend from MSU Ch 2 data. Such a procedure can leave unaccounted residual errors in the time series of the temperature anomalies deduced by SC, which could lead to a spurious long-term temperature trend derived from their analysis. In the present study, we have developed a method that avoids the shortcomings of the SC procedure, the magnitude of the coupled errors is not determined explicitly. Furthermore, based on some assumptions, these coupled errors are eliminated in three separate steps. Such a procedure can leave unaccounted residual errors in the time series of the temperature anomalies deduced by SC, which could lead to a spurious long-term temperature trend derived from their analysis. In the present study, we have developed a method that avoids the shortcomings of the SC procedures. Based on our analysis, we find there is a global warming of 0.23+/-0.12 K between 1980 and 1991. Also, in this study, the time series of global temperature anomalies constructed by removing the global mean annual temperature cycle compares favorably with a similar time series obtained from conventional observations of temperature.

Analysis of Pacific oyster larval proteome and its response to high-CO2.

PubMed

Dineshram, R; Wong, Kelvin K W; Xiao, Shu; Yu, Ziniu; Qian, Pei Yuan; Thiyagarajan, Vengatesen

2012-10-01

Most calcifying organisms show depressed metabolic, growth and calcification rates as symptoms to high-CO(2) due to ocean acidification (OA) process. Analysis of the global expression pattern of proteins (proteome analysis) represents a powerful tool to examine these physiological symptoms at molecular level, but its applications are inadequate. To address this knowledge gap, 2-DE coupled with mass spectrophotometer was used to compare the global protein expression pattern of oyster larvae exposed to ambient and to high-CO(2). Exposure to OA resulted in marked reduction of global protein expression with a decrease or loss of 71 proteins (18% of the expressed proteins in control), indicating a wide-spread depression of metabolic genes expression in larvae reared under OA. This is, to our knowledge, the first proteome analysis that provides insights into the link between physiological suppression and protein down-regulation under OA in oyster larvae. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Investing for Impact: The Global Fund Approach to Measurement of AIDS Response.

PubMed

Jain, Suman; Zorzi, Nathalie

2017-07-01

The Global Fund raises and invests nearly US$4 billion a year to support programs run in more than 140 countries. The Global Fund strategy 2012-2016 is focused on "Investing for Impact". In order to accomplish this, timely and accurate data are needed to inform strategies and prioritize activities to achieve greater coverage with quality services. Monitoring and evaluation is intrinsic to the Global Fund's system of performance-based funding. The Global Fund invests in strengthening measurement and reporting of results at all stages of the grant cycle. The Global Fund approach to measurement is based on three key principles-(1) simplified reporting: the Global Fund has updated its measurement guidance to focus on impact, coverage and quality with the use of a harmonized set of indicators. (2) Supporting data systems-based on a common framework developed and supported by partners, it promotes investment in five common data systems: routine reporting including HMIS; Surveys-population based and risk group surveys; Analysis, reviews and transparency; Administrative and financial data sources; and, Vital registration systems. (3) Strengthen data use: the Global Fund funding encourages use of data at all levels-national, subnational and site level. Countries do not automatically prioritize M&E but when guidance, tools and investments are available, there is high level utilization of M&E systems in program design, planning, implementation, and results reporting. An in-depth analysis of the available data helps the Global Fund and countries to direct investments towards interventions where impact could be achieved and focus on target population groups and geographic areas that are most affected.

Global Health Education and Advocacy: Using BMJ Case Reports to Tackle the Social Determinants of Health.

PubMed

Douthit, Nathan T; Biswas, Seema

2018-01-01

Since 2013, BMJ Case Reports (http://casereports.bmj.com/) has published over 70 global health case reports from five continents, written by doctors, nurses, students, and allied health professionals. These cases, a burgeoning repository of evidence of how real patients are affected by disease, trauma, violence, sexual assault, conflict, migration, adverse living and working conditions, and poor access to health care, discuss, in addition to clinicopathological findings, the global health problems affecting each patient. The global health problem analysis examines the problems of individual patients, critically appraises the literature, and describes actual and potential solutions for the patient, the local community, and patients affected by similar issues across the world. At present global health literature and learning materials lack a patient focus and real-life context in the analysis of global health problems. BMJ Case Reports global health case reports are a unique and important tool to learn about and advocate for change in the social, political, cultural, and financial determinants of health as they affect real patients. This growing evidence base brings together clinicians, local service providers, policy makers, and government and non-governmental institutions to effect real change in patients' lives toward improving health. Each global health case report is an excellent resource for learning, and together, these case reports provide essential reading for anyone embarking on a career in global health, and writing their own case report. The online course (http://casereports.bmj.com/site/misc/GHMA_Mar_2017.pptx) at BMJ Case Reports uses these cases and is free to access.

A global seasonal surface ocean climatology of phytoplankton types based on CHEMTAX analysis of HPLC pigments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swan, Chantal M.; Vogt, Meike; Gruber, Nicolas; Laufkoetter, Charlotte

2016-03-01

Much advancement has been made in recent years in field data assimilation, remote sensing and ecosystem modeling, yet our global view of phytoplankton biogeography beyond chlorophyll biomass is still a cursory taxonomic picture with vast areas of the open ocean requiring field validations. High performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) pigment data combined with inverse methods offer an advantage over many other phytoplankton quantification measures by way of providing an immediate perspective of the whole phytoplankton community in a sample as a function of chlorophyll biomass. Historically, such chemotaxonomic analysis has been conducted mainly at local spatial and temporal scales in the ocean. Here, we apply a widely tested inverse approach, CHEMTAX, to a global climatology of pigment observations from HPLC. This study marks the first systematic and objective global application of CHEMTAX, yielding a seasonal climatology comprised of ~1500 1°×1° global grid points of the major phytoplankton pigment types in the ocean characterizing cyanobacteria, haptophytes, chlorophytes, cryptophytes, dinoflagellates, and diatoms, with results validated against prior regional studies where possible. Key findings from this new global view of specific phytoplankton abundances from pigments are a) the large global proportion of marine haptophytes (comprising 32±5% of total chlorophyll), whose biogeochemical functional roles are relatively unknown, and b) the contrasting spatial scales of complexity in global community structure that can be explained in part by regional oceanographic conditions. The results are publically accessible via

Climate Prediction Center global monthly soil moisture data set at 0.5° resolution for 1948 to present

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fan, Yun; van den Dool, Huug

2004-05-01

We have produced a 0.5° × 0.5° monthly global soil moisture data set for the period from 1948 to the present. The land model is a one-layer "bucket" water balance model, while the driving input fields are Climate Prediction Center monthly global precipitation over land, which uses over 17,000 gauges worldwide, and monthly global temperature from global Reanalysis. The output consists of global monthly soil moisture, evaporation, and runoff, starting from January 1948. A distinguishing feature of this data set is that all fields are updated monthly, which greatly enhances utility for near-real-time purposes. Data validation shows that the land model does well; both the simulated annual cycle and interannual variability of soil moisture are reasonably good against the limited observations in different regions. A data analysis reveals that, on average, the land surface water balance components have a stronger annual cycle in the Southern Hemisphere than those in the Northern Hemisphere. From the point of view of soil moisture, climates can be characterized into two types, monsoonal and midlatitude climates, with the monsoonal ones covering most of the low-latitude land areas and showing a more prominent annual variation. A global soil moisture empirical orthogonal function analysis and time series of hemisphere means reveal some interesting patterns (like El Niño-Southern Oscillation) and long-term trends in both regional and global scales.

Architectural Design for the Global Legal Information Network

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kalpakis, Konstantinos

1999-01-01

In this report, we provide a summary of our activities regarding the goals, requirements analysis, design, and prototype implementation for the Global Legal Information Network, a joint effort between the Law Library of Congress and NASA.

Global Electricity Trade Network: Structures and Implications

PubMed Central

Ji, Ling; Jia, Xiaoping; Chiu, Anthony S. F.; Xu, Ming

2016-01-01

Nations increasingly trade electricity, and understanding the structure of the global power grid can help identify nations that are critical for its reliability. This study examines the global grid as a network with nations as nodes and international electricity trade as links. We analyze the structure of the global electricity trade network and find that the network consists of four sub-networks, and provide a detailed analysis of the largest network, Eurasia. Russia, China, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan have high betweenness measures in the Eurasian sub-network, indicating the degrees of centrality of the positions they hold. The analysis reveals that the Eurasian sub-network consists of seven communities based on the network structure. We find that the communities do not fully align with geographical proximity, and that the present international electricity trade in the Eurasian sub-network causes an approximately 11 million additional tons of CO2 emissions. PMID:27504825

Global Electricity Trade Network: Structures and Implications.

PubMed

Ji, Ling; Jia, Xiaoping; Chiu, Anthony S F; Xu, Ming

2016-01-01

Nations increasingly trade electricity, and understanding the structure of the global power grid can help identify nations that are critical for its reliability. This study examines the global grid as a network with nations as nodes and international electricity trade as links. We analyze the structure of the global electricity trade network and find that the network consists of four sub-networks, and provide a detailed analysis of the largest network, Eurasia. Russia, China, Ukraine, and Azerbaijan have high betweenness measures in the Eurasian sub-network, indicating the degrees of centrality of the positions they hold. The analysis reveals that the Eurasian sub-network consists of seven communities based on the network structure. We find that the communities do not fully align with geographical proximity, and that the present international electricity trade in the Eurasian sub-network causes an approximately 11 million additional tons of CO2 emissions.

Malala and the politics of global iconicity.

PubMed

Olesen, Thomas

2016-06-01

The article presents a case analysis of Malala Yousafzai's transformation into a global injustice icon after she was shot in 2012 by the Pakistani Taliban for advocating for girls' right to education. The analysis focuses on the political aspects of this process and is divided into three parts. The first looks at factors that facilitated Malala's iconization as she was undergoing medical treatment and was unable to participate in her iconization. The second part starts when Malala enters the global public sphere and begins to actively contribute to the iconization process. The third part identifies de-iconizing resistance to Malala from Pakistani actors who see her iconization as a symbolic colonization in which Malala has become a vehicle of the West. Theoretically, the article is located within cultural sociology, but expands it in a political and global direction. © London School of Economics and Political Science 2016.

CalQuo: automated, simultaneous single-cell and population-level quantification of global intracellular Ca2+ responses.

PubMed

Fritzsche, Marco; Fernandes, Ricardo A; Colin-York, Huw; Santos, Ana M; Lee, Steven F; Lagerholm, B Christoffer; Davis, Simon J; Eggeling, Christian

2015-11-13

Detecting intracellular calcium signaling with fluorescent calcium indicator dyes is often coupled with microscopy techniques to follow the activation state of non-excitable cells, including lymphocytes. However, the analysis of global intracellular calcium responses both at the single-cell level and in large ensembles simultaneously has yet to be automated. Here, we present a new software package, CalQuo (Calcium Quantification), which allows the automated analysis and simultaneous monitoring of global fluorescent calcium reporter-based signaling responses in up to 1000 single cells per experiment, at temporal resolutions of sub-seconds to seconds. CalQuo quantifies the number and fraction of responding cells, the temporal dependence of calcium signaling and provides global and individual calcium-reporter fluorescence intensity profiles. We demonstrate the utility of the new method by comparing the calcium-based signaling responses of genetically manipulated human lymphocytic cell lines.

Temporal Fourier analysis applied to equilibrium radionuclide cineangiography. Importance in the study of global and regional left ventricular wall motion.

PubMed

Cardot, J C; Berthout, P; Verdenet, J; Bidet, A; Faivre, R; Bassand, J P; Bidet, R; Maurat, J P

1982-01-01

Regional and global left ventricular wall motion was assessed in 120 patients using radionuclide cineangiography (RCA) and contrast angiography. Functional imaging procedures based on a temporal Fourier analysis of dynamic image sequences were applied to the study of cardiac contractility. Two images were constructed by taking the phase and amplitude values of the first harmonic in the Fourier transform for each pixel. These two images aided in determining the perimeter of the left ventricle to calculate the global ejection fraction. Regional left ventricular wall motion was studied by analyzing the phase value and by examining the distribution histogram of these values. The accuracy of global ejection fraction calculation was improved by the Fourier technique. This technique increased the sensitivity of RCA for determining segmental abnormalities especially in the left anterior oblique view (LAO).

Biventricular myocardial strain analysis in patients with arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy (ARVC) using cardiovascular magnetic resonance feature tracking.

PubMed

Heermann, Philipp; Hedderich, Dennis M; Paul, Matthias; Schülke, Christoph; Kroeger, Jan Robert; Baeßler, Bettina; Wichter, Thomas; Maintz, David; Waltenberger, Johannes; Heindel, Walter; Bunck, Alexander C

2014-10-07

Fibrofatty degeneration of myocardium in ARVC is associated with wall motion abnormalities. The aim of this study was to examine whether Cardiovascular Magnetic Resonance (CMR) based strain analysis using feature tracking (FT) can serve as a quantifiable measure to confirm global and regional ventricular dysfunction in ARVC patients and support the early detection of ARVC. We enrolled 20 patients with ARVC, 30 with borderline ARVC and 22 subjects with a positive family history but no clinical signs of a manifest ARVC. 10 healthy volunteers (HV) served as controls. 15 ARVC patients received genotyping for Plakophilin-2 mutation (PKP-2), of which 7 were found to be positive. Cine MR datasets of all subjects were assessed for myocardial strain using FT (TomTec Diogenes Software). Global strain and strain rate in radial, circumferential and longitudinal mode were assessed for the right and left ventricle. In addition strain analysis at a segmental level was performed for the right ventricular free wall. RV global longitudinal strain rates in ARVC (-0.68 ± 0.36 sec⁻¹) and borderline ARVC (-0.85 ± 0.36 sec⁻¹) were significantly reduced in comparison with HV (-1.38 ± 0.52 sec⁻¹, p ≤ 0.05). Furthermore, in ARVC patients RV global circumferential strain and strain rates at the basal level were significantly reduced compared with HV (strain: -5.1 ± 2.7 vs. -9.2 ± 3.6%; strain rate: -0.31 ± 0.13 sec(-1) vs. -0.61 ± 0.21 sec⁻¹). Even for patients with ARVC or borderline ARVC and normal RV ejection fraction (n=30) global longitudinal strain rate proved to be significantly reduced compared with HV (-0.9 ± 0.3 vs. -1.4 ± 0.5 sec(-1); p < 0.005). In ARVC patients with PKP-2 mutation there was a clear trend towards a more pronounced impairment in RV global longitudinal strain rate. On ROC analysis RV global longitudinal strain rate and circumferential strain rate at the basal level proved to be the best discriminators between ARVC patients and HV (AUC: 0.9 and 0.92, respectively). CMR based strain analysis using FT is an objective and useful measure for quantification of wall motion abnormalities in ARVC. It allows differentiation between manifest or borderline ARVC and HV, even if ejection fraction is still normal.

LAND USE AS A MITIGATION STRATEGY FOR THE WATER QUALITY IMPACTS OF GLOBAL WARMING: A SCENARIO ANALYSIS ON TWO WATERSHEDS IN THE OHIO RIVER BASIN

EPA Science Inventory

This study uses an integrative approach to study the water quality impacts of future global climate and land use changes. In this study, changing land use types were used as a mitigation strategy to reduce the adverse impacts of global climate change on water resources. The Thorn...

LAND USE AS A MITIGATION STRATEGY FOR THE WATER QUALITY IMPACTS OF GLOBAL WARMING: A SCENARIO ANALYSIS ON TWO WATERSHEDS IN THE OHIO RIVER BASIN

EPA Science Inventory

This study uses an integrative approach to study the water quality impacts of future global climate and land use changes. In this study, changing land use types was used as a mitigation strategy to reduce the adverse impacts of global climate change on water resources. The climat...

An empirical, hierarchical typology of tree species assemblages for assessing forest dynamics under global change scenarios

Treesearch

Jennifer K. Costanza; John W. Coulston; David N. Wear

2017-01-01

The composition of tree species occurring in a forest is important and can be affected by global change drivers such as climate change. To inform assessment and projection of global change impacts at broad extents, we used hierarchical cluster analysis and over 120,000 recent forest inventory plots to empirically define forest tree assemblages across the U.S., and...

Climate Change, Instability and a Full Spectrum Approach to Conflict Prevention in Africa

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-10-23

commander to follow. 15. SUBJECT TERMS Climate Change, Global Warming , Security Cooperation, Stability, Instability, Stabilization, Security...note that global warming could also create similar impacts on resources.19 In modern times disputes over natural resources have erupted into conflict...16. Center for Naval Analysis, National Security and the Threat of Climate Change, 18. 17. Michael T. Klare, ― Global Warming Battlefields: How

Educating Citizens of 'The Global': Mapping Textual Constructs of UNESCO's Global Citizenship Education 2012-2015

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

VanderDussen Toukan, Elena

2018-01-01

In this article, I pose the question of what constructs of 'global citizenship education' are being mobilized by key international actors. I undertake a comparative analysis of three key United Nations (UN) and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) documents that have emerged in the past 5 years to frame the…

A Study of the Impact of Business Education on Global Career Mobility: An Analysis of Location and International Orientation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Silvanto, Sari; Ryan, Jason; Gupta, Vipin

2017-01-01

Purpose: This paper aims to develop a clearer understanding of the role of business education and business schools in fostering global mobility. As business schools seek to educate managers who can work globally and adjust to new business and cultural environments, it is important to assess which specific dimensions of business education, such as…

An Analysis of Mobility in Global Rankings: Making Institutional Strategic Plans and Positioning for Building World-Class Universities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hou, Angela Yung Chi; Morse, Robert; Chiang, Chung-Lin

2012-01-01

Since the start of the twenty-first century, university rankings have become internationalized. Global rankings have a variety of uses, levels of popularity and rationales and they are here to stay. An examination of the results of the current global ranking reveals that well-reputed world-class universities are amongst the top ranked ones. A…

Analysis of the mass media coverage of the Gates Foundation grand challenges in global health initiative.

PubMed

Verma, G

2009-03-01

The Grand Challenges were launched in 2003 by the Gates Foundation and other collaborators to address the health needs of developing countries. This paper outlines the current problem with health research and development in the context of inequality as conveyed by the 90/10 divide. The paper then looks at the focus and nature of press reporting of global health issues by analysing how press articles have portrayed the Grand Challenges in Global Health initiative. Analysis of the mass media illustrates that the focus of reporting on the Grand Challenges tends to be on utilitarian themes, leaving issues related to justice and equity comparatively under-reported.

Local and Global Gestalt Laws: A Neurally Based Spectral Approach.

PubMed

Favali, Marta; Citti, Giovanna; Sarti, Alessandro

2017-02-01

This letter presents a mathematical model of figure-ground articulation that takes into account both local and global gestalt laws and is compatible with the functional architecture of the primary visual cortex (V1). The local gestalt law of good continuation is described by means of suitable connectivity kernels that are derived from Lie group theory and quantitatively compared with long-range connectivity in V1. Global gestalt constraints are then introduced in terms of spectral analysis of a connectivity matrix derived from these kernels. This analysis performs grouping of local features and individuates perceptual units with the highest salience. Numerical simulations are performed, and results are obtained by applying the technique to a number of stimuli.

IMAGE Mission Science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Gallagher, D. L.; Fok, M.-C.; Fuselier, S.; Gladstone, G. R.; Green, J. L.; Fung, S. F.; Perez, J.; Reiff, P.; Roelof, E. C.; Wilson, G.

1998-01-01

Simultaneous, global measurement of major magnetospheric plasma systems will be performed for the first time with the Imager for Magnetopause-to-Aurora Global Exploration (IMAGE) Mission. The ring current, plasmasphere, and auroral systems will be imaged using energetic neutral and ultraviolet cameras. Quantitative remote measurement of the magnetosheath, plasmaspheric, and magnetospheric densities will be obtained through radio sounding by the Radio Plasma Imager. The IMAGE Mission will open a new era in global magnetospheric physics, while bringing with it new challenges in data analysis. An overview of the IMAGE Theory and Modeling team efforts will be presented, including the state of development of Internet tools that will be available to the science community for access and analysis of IMAGE observations.

History Teaches Us That Confronting Antibiotic Resistance Requires Stronger Global Collective Action.

PubMed

Podolsky, Scott H; Bud, Robert; Gradmann, Christoph; Hobaek, Bård; Kirchhelle, Claas; Mitvedt, Tore; Santesmases, María Jesús; Thoms, Ulrike; Berild, Dag; Kveim Lie, Anne

2015-01-01

Antibiotic development and usage, and antibiotic resistance in particular, are today considered global concerns, simultaneously mandating local and global perspectives and actions. Yet such global considerations have not always been part of antibiotic policy formation, and those who attempt to formulate a globally coordinated response to antibiotic resistance will need to confront a history of heterogeneous, often uncoordinated, and at times conflicting reform efforts, whose legacies remain apparent today. Historical analysis permits us to highlight such entrenched trends and processes, helping to frame contemporary efforts to improve access, conservation and innovation. © 2015 American Society of Law, Medicine & Ethics, Inc.

Advancing Global Health – The Need for (Better) Social Science

PubMed Central

Hanefeld, Johanna

2016-01-01

In his perspective "Navigating between stealth advocacy and unconscious dogmatism: the challenge of researching the norms, politics and power of global health," Ooms argues that actions taken in the field of global health are dependent not only on available resources, but on the normative premise that guides how these resources are spent. This comment sets out how the application of a predominately biomedical positivist research tradition in global health, has potentially limited understanding of the value judgements underlying decisions in the field. To redress this critical social science, including health policy analysis has much to offer, to the field of global health including on questions of governance. PMID:27239873

Towards 'reflexive epidemiology': Conflation of cisgender male and transgender women sex workers and implications for global understandings of HIV prevalence.

PubMed

Perez-Brumer, Amaya G; Oldenburg, Catherine E; Reisner, Sari L; Clark, Jesse L; Parker, Richard G

2016-01-01

The HIV epidemic has had a widespread impact on global scientific and cultural discourses related to gender, sexuality, and identity. 'Male sex workers' have been identified as a 'key population' in the global HIV epidemic; however, there are methodological and conceptual challenges for defining inclusion and exclusion of transgender women within this group. To assess these potential implications, this study employs self-critique and reflection to grapple with the empiric and conceptual implications of shifting understandings of sexuality and gender within the externally re-created etic category of 'MSM' and 'transgender women' in epidemiologic HIV research. We conducted a sensitivity analysis of our previously published meta-analysis which aimed to identify the scope of peer-reviewed articles assessing HIV prevalence among male sex workers globally between 2004 and 2013. The inclusion of four studies previously excluded due to non-differentiation of cisgender male from transgender women participants (studies from Spain, Thailand, India, and Brazil: 421 total participants) increased the overall estimate of global HIV prevalence among 'men' who engage in sex work from 10.5% (95% CI 9.4-11.5%) to 10.8% (95% CI 9.8-11.8%). The combination of social science critique with empiric epidemiologic analysis represents a first step in defining and operationalising 'reflexive epidemiology'. Grounded in the context of sex work and HIV prevention, this paper highlights the multiplicity of genders and sexualities across a range of social and cultural settings, limitations of existing categories (i.e. 'MSM', 'transgender'), and their global implications for epidemiologic estimates of HIV prevalence.

Traumatic Spinal Injury: Global Epidemiology and Worldwide Volume.

PubMed

Kumar, Ramesh; Lim, Jaims; Mekary, Rania A; Rattani, Abbas; Dewan, Michael C; Sharif, Salman Y; Osorio-Fonseca, Enrique; Park, Kee B

2018-05-01

Traumatic spinal injury (TSI) results from injury to bony, ligamentous, and/or neurologic structures of the spinal column and can cause significant morbidity and mortality. The global burden of TSI is poorly understood, so we performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to estimate the global volume of TSI. We performed a systematic review through PubMed, Embase, and Cochrane Databases on TSI studies reported from 2000 to 2016. Collected data were used to perform a meta-analysis to estimate the annual incidence of TSI across World Health Organization regions and World Bank income groups using random-effect models. Incorporating global population figures, the annual worldwide volume of TSI was estimated. A total of 102 studies were included in the systematic review and 19 studies in the meta-analysis. The overall global incidence of TSI was 10.5 cases per 100,000 persons, resulting in an estimated 768,473 [95% confidence interval, 597,213-939,732] new cases of TSI annually worldwide. The incidence of TSI was higher in low- and middle-income countries (8.72 per 100,000 persons) compared with high-income countries (13.69 per 100,000 persons). Road traffic accidents, followed by falls, were the most common mechanism of TSI worldwide. Overall, 48.8% of patients with TSI required surgery. TSI is a major source of morbidity and mortality throughout the world. Largely preventable mechanisms, including road traffic accidents and falls, are the main causes of TSI globally. Further investigation is needed to delineate local and regional TSI incidences and causes, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Evaluating Effects of H2O and overhead O3 on Global Mean Tropospheric OH Concentration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nicely, Julie M.; Salawitch, R.J.; Canty, T.; Lang, Chang; Duncan, Bryan; Liang, Qing; Oman, Luke David; Stolarski, Richard S.; Waugh, Darryn

2012-01-01

The oxidizing capacity of the troposphere is controlled, to a large extent, by the abundance of hydroxyl radical (OH). The global mean concentration of OH, [OH]GLOBAL, inferred from measurements of methyl chloroform, has remained relatively constant during the past several decades, despite rising levels of CH4 that should have led to a steady decline. Here we examine other factors that may have affected [OH]GLOBAL, such as the overhead burden of stratospheric O3 and tropospheric H2O, using global OH fields from the GEOS-CHEM Chemistry-Climate Model. Our analysis suggests these factors may have contributed a positive trend to [OH]GLOBAL large enough to counter the decrease due to CH4.

Cervical cancer and the global health agenda: Insights from multiple policy-analysis frameworks

PubMed Central

Parkhurst, Justin O.; Vulimiri, Madhulika

2013-01-01

Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths for women globally, with an estimated 88% of deaths occurring in the developing world. Available technologies have dramatically reduced mortality in high-income settings, yet cervical cancer receives considerably little attention on the global health policy landscape. The authors applied four policy-analysis frameworks to literature on global cervical cancer to explore the question of why cervical cancer may not be receiving the international attention it may otherwise warrant. Each framework explores the process of agenda setting and discerns factors that either facilitate or hinder policy change in cases where there is both a clear problem and a potential effective solution. In combination, these frameworks highlight a number of crucial elements that may be needed to raise the profile of cervical cancer on global health agendas, including improving local (national or sub-national) information on the condition; increasing mobilisation of affected civil society groups; framing cervical cancer debates in ways that build upon its classification as a non-communicable disease (NCD) and an issue of women's rights; linking cervical cancer screening to well-funded services such as those for HIV treatment in some countries; and identifying key global policy windows of opportunity to promote the cervical cancer agenda, including emerging NCD global health discussions and post-2015 reviews of the Millennium Development Goals. PMID:24236409

Cervical cancer and the global health agenda: Insights from multiple policy-analysis frameworks.

PubMed

Parkhurst, Justin O; Vulimiri, Madhulika

2013-01-01

Cervical cancer is the second leading cause of cancer deaths for women globally, with an estimated 88% of deaths occurring in the developing world. Available technologies have dramatically reduced mortality in high-income settings, yet cervical cancer receives considerably little attention on the global health policy landscape. The authors applied four policy-analysis frameworks to literature on global cervical cancer to explore the question of why cervical cancer may not be receiving the international attention it may otherwise warrant. Each framework explores the process of agenda setting and discerns factors that either facilitate or hinder policy change in cases where there is both a clear problem and a potential effective solution. In combination, these frameworks highlight a number of crucial elements that may be needed to raise the profile of cervical cancer on global health agendas, including improving local (national or sub-national) information on the condition; increasing mobilisation of affected civil society groups; framing cervical cancer debates in ways that build upon its classification as a non-communicable disease (NCD) and an issue of women's rights; linking cervical cancer screening to well-funded services such as those for HIV treatment in some countries; and identifying key global policy windows of opportunity to promote the cervical cancer agenda, including emerging NCD global health discussions and post-2015 reviews of the Millennium Development Goals.

Analyzing Regional Climate Change in Africa in a 1.5, 2, and 3°C Global Warming World

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weber, T.; Haensler, A.; Rechid, D.; Pfeifer, S.; Eggert, B.; Jacob, D.

2018-04-01

At the 21st session of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP21) in Paris, an agreement to strengthen the effort to limit the global temperature increase well below 2°C was decided. However, even if global warming is limited, some regions might still be substantially affected by climate change, especially for continents like Africa where the socio-economic conditions are strongly linked to the climatic conditions. In the paper we will discuss the analysis of indices assigned to the sectors health, agriculture, and infrastructure in a 1.5, 2, and 3°C global warming world for the African continent. For this analysis an ensemble of 10 different general circulation model-regional climate model simulations conducted in the framework of the COordinated Downscaling EXperiment for Africa was investigated. The results show that the African continent, in particular the regions between 15°S and 15°N, has to expect an increase in hot nights and longer and more frequent heat waves even if the global temperature will be kept below 2°C. These effects intensify if the global mean temperature will exceed the 2°C threshold. Moreover, the daily rainfall intensity is expected to increase toward higher global warming scenarios and will affect especially the African Sub-Saharan coastal regions.

The Sensitivity of Regional Precipitation to Global Temperature Change and Forcings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tebaldi, C.; O'Neill, B. C.; Lamarque, J. F.

2016-12-01

Global policies are most commonly formulated in terms of climate targets, like the much talked about 1.5° and 2°C warming thresholds identified as critical by the recent Paris agreements. But what does a target defined in terms of a globally averaged quantity mean in terms of expected regional changes? And, in particular, what should we expect in terms of significant changes in precipitation over specific regional domains for these and other incrementally different global goals? In this talk I will summarize the result of an analysis that aimed at characterizing the sensitivity of regional temperatures and precipitation amounts to changes in global average temperature. The analysis uses results from a multi-model ensemble (CMIP5), which allows us to address structural uncertainty in future projections, a type of uncertainty particularly relevant when considering precipitation changes. I will show what type of changes in global temperature and forcing levels bring about significant and pervasive changes in regional precipitation, contrasting its sensitivity to that of regional temperature changes. Because of the large internal variability of regional precipitation, I will show that significant changes in average regional precipitation can be detected only for fairly large separations (on the order of 2.5° or 3°C) in global average temperature levels, differently from the much higher sensitivity shown by regional temperatures.

The influence of globalization on medical regulation: a descriptive analysis of international medical graduates registered through alternative licensure routes in Ontario.

PubMed

Yen, Wendy; Hodwitz, Kathryn; Thakkar, Niels; Martimianakis, Maria Athina Tina; Faulkner, Dan

2016-12-01

The increasing globalization of the medical profession has influenced health policy, health human resource planning, and medical regulation in Canada. Since the early 2000s, numerous policy initiatives have been created to facilitate the entry of international medical graduates (IMGs) into the Canadian workforce. In Ontario, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) developed alternative licensure routes to increase the ability of qualified IMGs to obtain licenses to practice. The current study provides demographic and descriptive information about the IMGs registered through the CPSO's alternative licensure routes between 2000 and 2012. An analysis of the characteristics and career trajectories of all IMGs practicing in the province sheds light on broader globalization trends and raises questions about the future of health human resource planning in Canada. As the medical profession becomes increasingly globalized, health policy and regulation will continue to be influenced by trends in international migration, concerns about global health equity, and the shifting demographics of the Canadian physician workforce. Implications for future policy development in the complex landscape of medical education and practice are discussed.

Who pays for cooperation in global health? A comparative analysis of WHO, the World Bank, the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance.

PubMed

Clinton, Chelsea; Sridhar, Devi

2017-07-15

In this report we assess who pays for cooperation in global health through an analysis of the financial flows of WHO, the World Bank, the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, TB and Malaria, and Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance. The past few decades have seen the consolidation of influence in the disproportionate roles the USA, UK, and the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation have had in financing three of these four institutions. Current financing flows in all four case study institutions allow donors to finance and deliver assistance in ways that they can more closely control and monitor at every stage. We highlight three major trends in global health governance more broadly that relate to this development: towards more discretionary funding and away from core or longer-term funding; towards defined multi-stakeholder governance and away from traditional government-centred representation and decision-making; and towards narrower mandates or problem-focused vertical initiatives and away from broader systemic goals. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Determination of Energy Independent Neutron Densities using Dirac Phenomenology based on the RIA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, B. C.; Kerr, L. J.; Hama, S.; Mercer, R. L.

2002-04-01

A new method for extracting neutron densities from intermediate energy elastic proton-nucleus scattering observables using a global Dirac phenomenological (DP) approach based on the Relativistic Impulse Approximation (RIA) is presented. (B. C. Clark, et al.) BAPS Vol 46, No. 7 pg.139, 2001. We have considered data sets for ^40Ca, ^48Ca and ^208Pb and energies from 500 MeV to 1040 MeV. The global fits are successful in reproducing the data and in predicting data sets not included in the analysis. Using this global DP approach we have obtained energy independent neutron densities. The vector point proton density distribution, ρ^p_v, is determined from the empirical charge density after unfolding the proton form factor. The other densities, ρ^n_v, ρ^p_s, ρ^n_s, are parameterized using the cosh form given in our paper on global DP optical potentials.(E. D. Cooper, et al.) Phys Rev. 47C, pg. 297, 1993 Neutron skin thicknesses extracted using the global analysis are compared to predictions from theoretical models.

Spatiotemporal Dynamics and Fitness Analysis of Global Oil Market: Based on Complex Network

PubMed Central

Wang, Minggang; Fang, Guochang; Shao, Shuai

2016-01-01

We study the overall topological structure properties of global oil trade network, such as degree, strength, cumulative distribution, information entropy and weight clustering. The structural evolution of the network is investigated as well. We find the global oil import and export networks do not show typical scale-free distribution, but display disassortative property. Furthermore, based on the monthly data of oil import values during 2005.01–2014.12, by applying random matrix theory, we investigate the complex spatiotemporal dynamic from the country level and fitness evolution of the global oil market from a demand-side analysis. Abundant information about global oil market can be obtained from deviating eigenvalues. The result shows that the oil market has experienced five different periods, which is consistent with the evolution of country clusters. Moreover, we find the changing trend of fitness function agrees with that of gross domestic product (GDP), and suggest that the fitness evolution of oil market can be predicted by forecasting GDP values. To conclude, some suggestions are provided according to the results. PMID:27706147

A global sensitivity analysis approach for morphogenesis models.

PubMed

Boas, Sonja E M; Navarro Jimenez, Maria I; Merks, Roeland M H; Blom, Joke G

2015-11-21

Morphogenesis is a developmental process in which cells organize into shapes and patterns. Complex, non-linear and multi-factorial models with images as output are commonly used to study morphogenesis. It is difficult to understand the relation between the uncertainty in the input and the output of such 'black-box' models, giving rise to the need for sensitivity analysis tools. In this paper, we introduce a workflow for a global sensitivity analysis approach to study the impact of single parameters and the interactions between them on the output of morphogenesis models. To demonstrate the workflow, we used a published, well-studied model of vascular morphogenesis. The parameters of this cellular Potts model (CPM) represent cell properties and behaviors that drive the mechanisms of angiogenic sprouting. The global sensitivity analysis correctly identified the dominant parameters in the model, consistent with previous studies. Additionally, the analysis provided information on the relative impact of single parameters and of interactions between them. This is very relevant because interactions of parameters impede the experimental verification of the predicted effect of single parameters. The parameter interactions, although of low impact, provided also new insights in the mechanisms of in silico sprouting. Finally, the analysis indicated that the model could be reduced by one parameter. We propose global sensitivity analysis as an alternative approach to study the mechanisms of morphogenesis. Comparison of the ranking of the impact of the model parameters to knowledge derived from experimental data and from manipulation experiments can help to falsify models and to find the operand mechanisms in morphogenesis. The workflow is applicable to all 'black-box' models, including high-throughput in vitro models in which output measures are affected by a set of experimental perturbations.

Global Terrestrial Water Storage Changes and Connections to ENSO Events

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ni, Shengnan; Chen, Jianli; Wilson, Clark R.; Li, Jin; Hu, Xiaogong; Fu, Rong

2018-01-01

Improved data quality of extended record of the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellite gravity solutions enables better understanding of terrestrial water storage (TWS) variations. Connections of TWS and climate change are critical to investigate regional and global water cycles. In this study, we provide a comprehensive analysis of global connections between interannual TWS changes and El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) events, using multiple sources of data, including GRACE measurements, land surface model (LSM) predictions and precipitation observations. We use cross-correlation and coherence spectrum analysis to examine global connections between interannual TWS changes and the Niño 3.4 index, and select four river basins (Amazon, Orinoco, Colorado, and Lena) for more detailed analysis. The results indicate that interannual TWS changes are strongly correlated with ENSO over much of the globe, with maximum cross-correlation coefficients up to 0.70, well above the 95% significance level ( 0.29) derived by the Monte Carlo experiments. The strongest correlations are found in tropical and subtropical regions, especially in the Amazon, Orinoco, and La Plata basins. While both GRACE and LSM TWS estimates show reasonably good correlations with ENSO and generally consistent spatial correlation patterns, notably higher correlations are found between GRACE TWS and ENSO. The existence of significant correlations in middle-high latitudes shows the large-scale impact of ENSO on the global water cycle.

Bacillus Calmette-Guérin (BCG) vaccine: A global assessment of demand and supply balance.

PubMed

Cernuschi, Tania; Malvolti, Stefano; Nickels, Emily; Friede, Martin

2018-01-25

Over the past decade, several countries across all regions, income groups and procurement methods have been unable to secure sufficient BCG vaccine supply. While the frequency of stock-outs has remained rather stable, duration increased in 2014-2015 due to manufacturing issues and attracted the attention of national, regional and global immunization stakeholders. This prompted an in-depth analysis of supply and demand dynamics aiming to characterize supply risks. This analysis is unique as it provides a global picture, where previous analyses have focused on a portion of the market procuring through UN entities. Through literature review, supplier interviews, appraisal of shortages, stock-outs and historical procurement data, and through demand forecasting, this analysis shows an important increase in global capacity in 2017: supply is sufficient to meet forecasted BCG vaccine demand and possibly buffer market shocks. Nevertheless, risks remain mainly due to supply concentration and limited investment in production process improvements, as well as inflexibility in demand. Identification of these market risks will allow implementation of risk-mitigating interventions in three areas: (1) enhancing information sharing between major global health actors, countries and suppliers, (2) identifying interests and incentives to expand product registration and investment in the BCG manufacturing process, and (3) working with countries for tighter vaccine management. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Recurrent jellyfish blooms are a consequence of global oscillations.

PubMed

Condon, Robert H; Duarte, Carlos M; Pitt, Kylie A; Robinson, Kelly L; Lucas, Cathy H; Sutherland, Kelly R; Mianzan, Hermes W; Bogeberg, Molly; Purcell, Jennifer E; Decker, Mary Beth; Uye, Shin-ichi; Madin, Laurence P; Brodeur, Richard D; Haddock, Steven H D; Malej, Alenka; Parry, Gregory D; Eriksen, Elena; Quiñones, Javier; Acha, Marcelo; Harvey, Michel; Arthur, James M; Graham, William M

2013-01-15

A perceived recent increase in global jellyfish abundance has been portrayed as a symptom of degraded oceans. This perception is based primarily on a few case studies and anecdotal evidence, but a formal analysis of global temporal trends in jellyfish populations has been missing. Here, we analyze all available long-term datasets on changes in jellyfish abundance across multiple coastal stations, using linear and logistic mixed models and effect-size analysis to show that there is no robust evidence for a global increase in jellyfish. Although there has been a small linear increase in jellyfish since the 1970s, this trend was unsubstantiated by effect-size analysis that showed no difference in the proportion of increasing vs. decreasing jellyfish populations over all time periods examined. Rather, the strongest nonrandom trend indicated jellyfish populations undergo larger, worldwide oscillations with an approximate 20-y periodicity, including a rising phase during the 1990s that contributed to the perception of a global increase in jellyfish abundance. Sustained monitoring is required over the next decade to elucidate with statistical confidence whether the weak increasing linear trend in jellyfish after 1970 is an actual shift in the baseline or part of an oscillation. Irrespective of the nature of increase, given the potential damage posed by jellyfish blooms to fisheries, tourism, and other human industries, our findings foretell recurrent phases of rise and fall in jellyfish populations that society should be prepared to face.

The GEOS Ozone Data Assimilation System: Specification of Error Statistics

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stajner, Ivanka; Riishojgaard, Lars Peter; Rood, Richard B.

2000-01-01

A global three-dimensional ozone data assimilation system has been developed at the Data Assimilation Office of the NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center. The Total Ozone Mapping Spectrometer (TOMS) total ozone and the Solar Backscatter Ultraviolet (SBUV) or (SBUV/2) partial ozone profile observations are assimilated. The assimilation, into an off-line ozone transport model, is done using the global Physical-space Statistical Analysis Scheme (PSAS). This system became operational in December 1999. A detailed description of the statistical analysis scheme, and in particular, the forecast and observation error covariance models is given. A new global anisotropic horizontal forecast error correlation model accounts for a varying distribution of observations with latitude. Correlations are largest in the zonal direction in the tropics where data is sparse. Forecast error variance model is proportional to the ozone field. The forecast error covariance parameters were determined by maximum likelihood estimation. The error covariance models are validated using x squared statistics. The analyzed ozone fields in the winter 1992 are validated against independent observations from ozone sondes and HALOE. There is better than 10% agreement between mean Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE) and analysis fields between 70 and 0.2 hPa. The global root-mean-square (RMS) difference between TOMS observed and forecast values is less than 4%. The global RMS difference between SBUV observed and analyzed ozone between 50 and 3 hPa is less than 15%.

Nonexistence of global solutions of abstract wave equations with high energies.

PubMed

Esquivel-Avila, Jorge A

2017-01-01

We consider an undamped second order in time evolution equation. For any positive value of the initial energy, we give sufficient conditions to conclude nonexistence of global solutions. The analysis is based on a differential inequality. The success of our result is based in a detailed analysis which is different from the ones commonly used to prove blow-up. Several examples are given improving known results in the literature.

Dynamic Modeling of Cell-Free Biochemical Networks Using Effective Kinetic Models

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-16

sensitivity value was the maximum uncertainty in that value estimated by the Sobol method. 2.4. Global Sensitivity Analysis of the Reduced Order Coagulation...sensitivity analysis, using the variance-based method of Sobol , to estimate which parameters controlled the performance of the reduced order model [69]. We...Environment. Comput. Sci. Eng. 2007, 9, 90–95. 69. Sobol , I. Global sensitivity indices for nonlinear mathematical models and their Monte Carlo estimates

Global Sensitivity of Simulated Water Balance Indicators Under Future Climate Change in the Colorado Basin

DOE PAGES

Bennett, Katrina Eleanor; Urrego Blanco, Jorge Rolando; Jonko, Alexandra; ...

2017-11-20

The Colorado River basin is a fundamentally important river for society, ecology and energy in the United States. Streamflow estimates are often provided using modeling tools which rely on uncertain parameters; sensitivity analysis can help determine which parameters impact model results. Despite the fact that simulated flows respond to changing climate and vegetation in the basin, parameter sensitivity of the simulations under climate change has rarely been considered. In this study, we conduct a global sensitivity analysis to relate changes in runoff, evapotranspiration, snow water equivalent and soil moisture to model parameters in the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) hydrologic model.more » Here, we combine global sensitivity analysis with a space-filling Latin Hypercube sampling of the model parameter space and statistical emulation of the VIC model to examine sensitivities to uncertainties in 46 model parameters following a variance-based approach.« less

Evolution of the pilot infrastructure of CMS: towards a single glideinWMS pool

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

Belforte, S.; Gutsche, O.; Letts, J.

2014-01-01

CMS production and analysis job submission is based largely on glideinWMS and pilot submissions. The transition from multiple different submission solutions like gLite WMS and HTCondor-based implementations was carried out over years and is coming now to a conclusion. The historically explained separate glideinWMS pools for different types of production jobs and analysis jobs are being unified into a single global pool. This enables CMS to benefit from global prioritization and scheduling possibilities. It also presents the sites with only one kind of pilots and eliminates the need of having to make scheduling decisions on the CE level. This papermore » provides an analysis of the benefits of a unified resource pool, as well as a description of the resulting global policy. It will explain the technical challenges moving forward and present solutions to some of them.« less

The Weakly Nonlinear Magnetorotational Instability in a Global, Cylindrical Taylor–Couette Flow

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

Clark, S. E.; Oishi, Jeffrey S., E-mail: seclark@astro.columbia.edu

We conduct a global, weakly nonlinear analysis of the magnetorotational instability (MRI) in a Taylor–Couette flow. This is a multiscale, perturbative treatment of the nonideal, axisymmetric MRI near threshold, subject to realistic radial boundary conditions and cylindrical geometry. We analyze both the standard MRI, initialized by a constant vertical background magnetic field, and the helical MRI, with an azimuthal background field component. This is the first weakly nonlinear analysis of the MRI in a global Taylor–Couette geometry, as well as the first weakly nonlinear analysis of the helical MRI. We find that the evolution of the amplitude of the standardmore » MRI is described by a real Ginzburg–Landau equation (GLE), whereas the amplitude of the helical MRI takes the form of a complex GLE. This suggests that the saturated state of the helical MRI may itself be unstable on long spatial and temporal scales.« less

New limits on intrinsic charm in the nucleon from global analysis of parton distributions

DOE PAGES

Jimenez-Delgado, P.; Hobbs, T. J.; Londergan, J. T.; ...

2015-02-27

We present a new global QCD analysis of parton distribution functions, allowing for possible intrinsic charm (IC) contributions in the nucleon inspired by light-front models. The analysis makes use of the full range of available high-energy scattering data for Q 2 ≥ 1 GeV 2 and W 2 ≥ 3.5 GeV 2, including fixed-target proton and deuteron deep cross sections at lower energies that were excluded in previously global analyses. The expanded data set places more stringent constraints on the momentum carried by IC, with (x) IC at most 0.5% (corresponding to an IC normalization of ~1%) at the 4σmore » level for Δ X2 = 1. We also assess the impact of older EMC measurements of F c 2c at large x, which favor a nonzero IC, but with very large X 2 values.« less

Heat, Human Performance, and Occupational Health: A Key Issue for the Assessment of Global Climate Change Impacts.

PubMed

Kjellstrom, Tord; Briggs, David; Freyberg, Chris; Lemke, Bruno; Otto, Matthias; Hyatt, Olivia

2016-01-01

Ambient heat exposure is a well-known health hazard, which reduces human performance and work capacity at heat levels already common in tropical and subtropical areas. Various health problems have been reported. Increasing heat exposure during the hottest seasons of each year is a key feature of global climate change. Heat exhaustion and reduced human performance are often overlooked in climate change health impact analysis. Later this century, many among the four billion people who live in hot areas worldwide will experience significantly reduced work capacity owing to climate change. In some areas, 30-40% of annual daylight hours will become too hot for work to be carried out. The social and economic impacts will be considerable, with global gross domestic product (GDP) losses greater than 20% by 2100. The analysis to date is piecemeal. More analysis of climate change-related occupational health impact assessments is greatly needed.

The emergence of global health partnerships as facilitators of access to medication in Africa: a narrative policy analysis.

PubMed

Ngoasong, Michael Zisuh

2009-03-01

Over the last decade global health partnerships (GHPs) have been formed to provide a better policy response to Africa's health problems. This paper uses narrative policy analysis to explain the historical processes and challenges facing national and global health policy in facilitating access to medication in African countries. An overview of the historical context of events leading to the creation of GHPs is followed by a content and context analysis of two GHPs - Roll Back Malaria partnership and the Accelerating Access Initiative. The historical narratives implicitly reflect the context in which policy decisions are produced and implemented. The deployment of GHPs in Africa reflects a convergence of the competing and conflicting narratives, in relating to strategies previously promoted by various multilateral and bilateral development agencies, international civil society organizations, and the private commercial industry to facilitate access to medication.

The self as capital in the narrative economy: how biographical testimonies move activism in the Global South.

PubMed

Burchardt, Marian

2016-05-01

This article analyses and theorises the practice of biographical storytelling of HIV-positive AIDS activists in South Africa. Combining research in illness narratives, studies of emotions in social activism and analysis of global health institutions in Africa, I explore how biographical self-narrations are deployed to facilitate access to resources and knowledge and thus acquire material and symbolic value. I illustrate my argument through the analysis of the case of an AIDS activist who became a professional biographical storyteller. Based on the analysis which I claim to represent wider dynamics in human-rights-based health activism in the Global South, I propose the concept of narrative economies by which I mean the set of exchange relationships within which biographical self-narrations circulate and produce social value for individuals and organisations. © 2015 Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness.

An Update on Experimental Climate Prediction and Analysis Products Being Developed at NASA's Global Modeling and Assimilation Office

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Schubert, Siegfried

2011-01-01

The Global Modeling and Assimilation Office at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center is developing a number of experimental prediction and analysis products suitable for research and applications. The prediction products include a large suite of subseasonal and seasonal hindcasts and forecasts (as a contribution to the US National MME), a suite of decadal (10-year) hindcasts (as a contribution to the IPCC decadal prediction project), and a series of large ensemble and high resolution simulations of selected extreme events, including the 2010 Russian and 2011 US heat waves. The analysis products include an experimental atlas of climate (in particular drought) and weather extremes. This talk will provide an update on those activities, and discuss recent efforts by WCRP to leverage off these and similar efforts at other institutions throughout the world to develop an experimental global drought early warning system.

An R package for the design, analysis and operation of reservoir systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Turner, Sean; Ng, Jia Yi; Galelli, Stefano

2016-04-01

We present a new R package - named "reservoir" - which has been designed for rapid and easy routing of runoff through storage. The package comprises well-established tools for capacity design (e.g., the sequent peak algorithm), performance analysis (storage-yield-reliability and reliability-resilience-vulnerability analysis) and release policy optimization (Stochastic Dynamic Programming). Operating rules can be optimized for water supply, flood control and amenity objectives, as well as for maximum hydropower production. Storage-depth-area relationships are in-built, allowing users to incorporate evaporation from the reservoir surface. We demonstrate the capabilities of the software for global studies using thousands of reservoirs from the Global Reservoir and Dam (GRanD) database fed by historical monthly inflow time series from a 0.5 degree gridded global runoff dataset. The package is freely available through the Comprehensive R Archive Network (CRAN).

Global Sensitivity of Simulated Water Balance Indicators Under Future Climate Change in the Colorado Basin

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

Bennett, Katrina Eleanor; Urrego Blanco, Jorge Rolando; Jonko, Alexandra

The Colorado River basin is a fundamentally important river for society, ecology and energy in the United States. Streamflow estimates are often provided using modeling tools which rely on uncertain parameters; sensitivity analysis can help determine which parameters impact model results. Despite the fact that simulated flows respond to changing climate and vegetation in the basin, parameter sensitivity of the simulations under climate change has rarely been considered. In this study, we conduct a global sensitivity analysis to relate changes in runoff, evapotranspiration, snow water equivalent and soil moisture to model parameters in the Variable Infiltration Capacity (VIC) hydrologic model.more » Here, we combine global sensitivity analysis with a space-filling Latin Hypercube sampling of the model parameter space and statistical emulation of the VIC model to examine sensitivities to uncertainties in 46 model parameters following a variance-based approach.« less

NASA GEOS-3/TRMM Re-analysis: Capturing Observed Tropical Rainfall Variability in Global Analysis for Climate Research

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hou, Arthur Y.

2004-01-01

Understanding climate variability over a wide range of space-time scales requires a comprehensive description of the earth system. Global analyses produced by a fixed assimilation system (i.e., re-analyses) - as their quality continues to improve - have the potential of providing a vital tool for meeting this challenge. But at the present time, the usefulness of re-analyses is limited by uncertainties in such basic fields as clouds, precipitation, and evaporation - especially in the tropics, where observations are relatively sparse. Analyses of the tropics have long been shown to be sensitive to. the treatment of cloud precipitation processes, which remains a major source of uncertainty in current models. Yet, for many climate studies it is crucial that analyses can accurately reproduce the observed rainfall intensity and variability since a small error of 1 mm/d in surface rain translates into an error of approx. 30 W/sq m in energy (latent heat) flux. Currently, discrepancies between the observed and analyzed monthly-mean rain rates averaged to 100 km x 100 km resolution can exceed 4 mm/d (or 120 W/sq m ), compared to uncertainties in surface radiative fluxes of approx. 10-20 W/sq m . Improving precipitation in analyses would reduce a major source of uncertainty in the global energy budget. Uncertainties in tropical precipitation have also been a major impediment in understanding how the tropics interact with other regions, including the remote response to El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) variability on interannual time scales, the influence of Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) and monsoons on intraseasonal time scales. A global analysis that can replicate the observed precipitation variability together with physically consistent estimates of other atmospheric variables provides the key to breaking this roadblock. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center has been exploring the use of satellite-based microwave rainfall measurements in improving global analyses and has recently produced a multi-year, 1 x 1 TRMM re-analysis , which assimilates 6-hourly TMI and SSM/I surface rain rates over tropical oceans using a ID variational continuous assimilation (VCA) procedure in the GEOS-3 global data assimilation system. The analysis period extends from 1 November 1997 through 3 1 December 2002. The goal is to produce a multi-year global analysis that is dynamically consistent with available tropical precipitation observations for the community to assess its utility in climate applications and identify areas for further improvements. A distinct feature of the GEOS-3RRMh4 re-analysis is that its precipitation analysis is not derived from a short-term forecast (as done in most operational systems) but is given by a time- continuous model integration constrained by precipitation observations within a 6-h analysis window, while the wind, temperature, and pressure fields are allowed to directly respond to the improved precipitation and associated latent heating structures within the same analysis window. In this talk, I will assess the impact VCA precipitation assimilation on analyses of climate signals ranging from a few weeks to interannual time scales and compare results against other operational and reanalysis products.

Vulnerability assessment of the transportation infrastructure relying on global positioning system

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-08-29

This report responds to Presidential Decision Directive 63 concerning assessing the risks to the transportation infrastructure resulting from the degradation or loss of the Global Positioning System (GPS) signal. This study includes analysis of civil...

NASA/MSFC FY90 Global Scale Atmospheric Processes Research Program Review

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Leslie, Fred W. (Editor)

1990-01-01

Research supported by the Global Atmospheric Research Program at the Marshall Space Flight Center on atmospheric remote sensing, meteorology, numerical weather forecasting, satellite data analysis, cloud precipitation, atmospheric circulation, atmospheric models and related topics is discussed.

Batch process fault detection and identification based on discriminant global preserving kernel slow feature analysis.

PubMed

Zhang, Hanyuan; Tian, Xuemin; Deng, Xiaogang; Cao, Yuping

2018-05-16

As an attractive nonlinear dynamic data analysis tool, global preserving kernel slow feature analysis (GKSFA) has achieved great success in extracting the high nonlinearity and inherently time-varying dynamics of batch process. However, GKSFA is an unsupervised feature extraction method and lacks the ability to utilize batch process class label information, which may not offer the most effective means for dealing with batch process monitoring. To overcome this problem, we propose a novel batch process monitoring method based on the modified GKSFA, referred to as discriminant global preserving kernel slow feature analysis (DGKSFA), by closely integrating discriminant analysis and GKSFA. The proposed DGKSFA method can extract discriminant feature of batch process as well as preserve global and local geometrical structure information of observed data. For the purpose of fault detection, a monitoring statistic is constructed based on the distance between the optimal kernel feature vectors of test data and normal data. To tackle the challenging issue of nonlinear fault variable identification, a new nonlinear contribution plot method is also developed to help identifying the fault variable after a fault is detected, which is derived from the idea of variable pseudo-sample trajectory projection in DGKSFA nonlinear biplot. Simulation results conducted on a numerical nonlinear dynamic system and the benchmark fed-batch penicillin fermentation process demonstrate that the proposed process monitoring and fault diagnosis approach can effectively detect fault and distinguish fault variables from normal variables. Copyright © 2018 ISA. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

What do we mean by sensitivity analysis? The need for comprehensive characterization of "global" sensitivity in Earth and Environmental systems models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Razavi, Saman; Gupta, Hoshin V.

2015-05-01

Sensitivity analysis is an essential paradigm in Earth and Environmental Systems modeling. However, the term "sensitivity" has a clear definition, based in partial derivatives, only when specified locally around a particular point (e.g., optimal solution) in the problem space. Accordingly, no unique definition exists for "global sensitivity" across the problem space, when considering one or more model responses to different factors such as model parameters or forcings. A variety of approaches have been proposed for global sensitivity analysis, based on different philosophies and theories, and each of these formally characterizes a different "intuitive" understanding of sensitivity. These approaches focus on different properties of the model response at a fundamental level and may therefore lead to different (even conflicting) conclusions about the underlying sensitivities. Here we revisit the theoretical basis for sensitivity analysis, summarize and critically evaluate existing approaches in the literature, and demonstrate their flaws and shortcomings through conceptual examples. We also demonstrate the difficulty involved in interpreting "global" interaction effects, which may undermine the value of existing interpretive approaches. With this background, we identify several important properties of response surfaces that are associated with the understanding and interpretation of sensitivities in the context of Earth and Environmental System models. Finally, we highlight the need for a new, comprehensive framework for sensitivity analysis that effectively characterizes all of the important sensitivity-related properties of model response surfaces.

Global Health Warning: Definitions Wield Power Comment on "Navigating Between Stealth Advocacy and Unconscious Dogmatism: The Challenge of Researching the Norms, Politics and Power of Global Health".

PubMed

Marten, Robert

2015-12-25

Gorik Ooms recently made a strong case for considering the centrality of normative premises to analyzing and understanding the underappreciated importance of the nexus of politics, power and process in global health. This critical commentary raises serious questions for the practice and study of global health and global health governance. First and foremost, this commentary underlines the importance of the question of what is global health, and why as well as how does this definition matter? This refocuses discussion on the importance of definitions and how they wield power. It also re-affirms the necessity of a deeper analysis and understanding of power and how it affects and shapes the practice of global health. © 2016 by Kerman University of Medical Sciences.

Global Instability on Laminar Separation Bubbles-Revisited

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Theofilis, Vassilis; Rodriquez, Daniel; Smith, Douglas

2010-01-01

In the last 3 years, global linear instability of LSB has been revisited, using state-of-the-art hardware and algorithms. Eigenspectra of LSB flows have been understood and classified in branches of known and newly-discovered eigenmodes. Major achievements: World-largest numerical solutions of global eigenvalue problems are routinely performed. Key aerodynamic phenomena have been explained via critical point theory, applied to our global mode results. Theoretical foundation for control of LSB flows has been laid. Global mode of LSB at the origin of observable phenomena. U-separation on semi-infinite plate. Stall cells on (stalled) airfoil. Receptivity/Sensitivity/AFC feasible (practical?) via: Adjoint EVP solution. Direct/adjoint coupling (the Crete connection). Minor effect of compressibility on global instability in the subsonic compressible regime. Global instability analysis of LSB in realistic supersonic flows apparently quite some way down the horizon.

Local conformity induced global oscillation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Dong; Li, Wei; Hu, Gang; Zheng, Zhigang

2009-04-01

The game ‘rock-paper-scissors’ model, with the consideration of the effect of the psychology of conformity, is investigated. The interaction between each two agents is global, but the strategy of the conformity is local for individuals. In the statistical opinion, the probability of the appearance of each strategy is uniform. The dynamical analysis of this model indicates that the equilibrium state may lose its stability at a threshold and is replaced by a globally oscillating state. The global oscillation is induced by the local conformity, which is originated from the synchronization of individual strategies.

Do We Produce Enough Fruits and Vegetables to Meet Global Health Need?

PubMed Central

Siegel, Karen R.; Ali, Mohammed K.; Srinivasiah, Adithi; Nugent, Rachel A.; Narayan, K. M. Venkat

2014-01-01

Background Low fruit and vegetable (FV) intake is a leading risk factor for chronic disease globally, but much of the world’s population does not consume the recommended servings of FV daily. It remains unknown whether global supply of FV is sufficient to meet current and growing population needs. We sought to determine whether supply of FV is sufficient to meet current and growing population needs, globally and in individual countries. Methods and Findings We used global data on agricultural production and population size to compare supply of FV in 2009 with population need, globally and in individual countries. We found that the global supply of FV falls, on average, 22% short of population need according to nutrition recommendations (supply:need ratio: 0.78 [Range: 0.05–2.01]). This ratio varies widely by country income level, with a median supply:need ratio of 0.42 and 1.02 in low-income and high-income countries, respectively. A sensitivity analysis accounting for need-side food wastage showed similar insufficiency, to a slightly greater extent (global supply:need ratio: 0.66, varying from 0.37 [low-income countries] to 0.77 [high-income countries]). Using agricultural production and population projections, we also estimated supply and need for FV for 2025 and 2050. Assuming medium fertility and projected growth in agricultural production, the global supply:need ratio for FV increases slightly to 0.81 by 2025 and to 0.88 by 2050, with similar patterns seen across country income levels. In a sensitivity analysis assuming no change from current levels of FV production, the global supply:need ratio for FV decreases to 0.66 by 2025 and to 0.57 by 2050. Conclusion The global nutrition and agricultural communities need to find innovative ways to increase FV production and consumption to meet population health needs, particularly in low-income countries. PMID:25099121

Right Ventricular Strain and Dyssynchrony Assessment in Arrhythmogenic Right Ventricular Cardiomyopathy: Cardiac Magnetic Resonance Feature-Tracking Study.

PubMed

Prati, Giulio; Vitrella, Giancarlo; Allocca, Giuseppe; Muser, Daniele; Buttignoni, Sonja Cukon; Piccoli, Gianluca; Morocutti, Giorgio; Delise, Pietro; Pinamonti, Bruno; Proclemer, Alessandro; Sinagra, Gianfranco; Nucifora, Gaetano

2015-11-01

Analysis of right ventricular (RV) regional dysfunction by cardiac magnetic resonance (CMR) imaging in arrhythmogenic RV cardiomyopathy (ARVC) may be inadequate because of the complex contraction pattern of the RV. Aim of this study was to determine the use of RV strain and dyssynchrony assessment in ARVC using feature-tracking CMR analysis. Thirty-two consecutive patients with ARVC referred to CMR imaging were included. Thirty-two patients with idiopathic RV outflow tract arrhythmias and 32 control subjects, matched for age and sex to the ARVC group, were included for comparison purpose. CMR imaging was performed to assess biventricular function; feature-tracking analysis was applied to the cine CMR images to assess regional and global longitudinal, circumferential, and radial RV strains and RV dyssynchrony (defined as the SD of the time-to-peak strain of the RV segments). RV global longitudinal strain (-17±5% versus -26±6% versus -29±6%; P<0.001), global circumferential strain (-9±4% versus -12±4% versus -13±5%; P=0.001), and global radial strain (18 [12-26]% versus 22 [15-32]% versus 27 [20-39]%; P=0.015) were significantly lower and SD of the time-to-peak RV strain in all 3 directions were significantly higher among patients with ARVC compared with patients with RV outflow tract arrhythmias and controls. RV global longitudinal strain >-23.2%, SD of the time-to-peak RV longitudinal strain >113.1 ms, and SD of the time-to-peak RV circumferential strain >177.1 ms allowed correct identification of 88%, 75%, and 63% of ARVC patients with no or only minor CMR criteria for ARVC diagnosis. Strain analysis by feature-tracking CMR helps to objectively quantify global and regional RV dysfunction and RV dyssynchrony in patients with ARVC and provides incremental value over conventional cine CMR imaging. © 2015 American Heart Association, Inc.

The Leicester AATSR Global Analyser (LAGA) - Giving Young Students the Opportunity to Examine Space Observations of Global Climate-Related Processes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Llewellyn-Jones, David; Good, Simon; Corlett, Gary

A pc-based analysis package has been developed, for the dual purposes of, firstly, providing ‘quick-look' capability to research workers inspecting long time-series of global satellite datasets of Sea-surface Temperature (SST); and, secondly, providing an introduction for students, either undergraduates, or advanced high-school students to the characteristics of commonly used analysis techniques for large geophysical data-sets from satellites. Students can also gain insight into the behaviour of some basic climate-related large-scale or global processes. The package gives students immediate access to up to 16 years of continuous global SST data, mainly from the Advanced Along-Track Scanning Radiometer, currently flying on ESA's Envisat satellite. The data are available and are presented in the form of monthly averages and spatial averaged to half-degree or one-sixth degree longitude-latitude grids. There are simple button-operated facilities for defining and calculating box-averages; producing time-series of such averages; defining and displaying transects and their evolution over time; and the examination anomalous behaviour by displaying the difference between observed values and values derived from climatological means. By using these facilities a student rapidly gains familiarity with such processes as annual variability, the El Nĩo effect, as well as major current systems n such as the Gulf Stream and other climatically important phenomena. In fact, the student is given immediate insights into the basic methods of examining geophysical data in a research context, without needing to acquire special analysis skills are go trough lengthy data retrieval and preparation procedures which are more generally required, as precursors to serious investigation, in the research laboratory. This software package, called the Leicester AAATSR Global Analyser (LAGA), is written in a well-known and widely used analysis language and the package can be run by using software that is readily available free-of-charge.

Global Precipitation Analyses (3-Hourly to Monthly) Using TRMM, SSM/I and other Satellite Information

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adler, Robert F.; Huffman, George; Curtis, Scott; Bolvin, David; Nelkin, Eric

2002-01-01

Global precipitation analysis covering the last few decades and the impact of the new TRMM precipitation observations are discussed. The 20+ year, monthly, globally complete precipitation analysis of the World Climate Research Program's (WCRP/GEWEX) Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) is used to explore global and regional variations and trends and is compared to the much shorter TRMM(Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission) tropical data set. The GPCP data set shows no significant trend in precipitation over the twenty years, unlike the positive trend in global surface temperatures over the past century. Regional trends are also analyzed. A trend pattern that is a combination of both El Nino and La Nina precipitation features is evident in the 20-year data set. This pattern is related to an increase with time in the number of combined months of El Nino and La Nina during the 20 year period. Monthly anomalies of precipitation are related to ENS0 variations with clear signals extending into middle and high latitudes of both hemispheres. The GPCP daily, 1 deg. latitude-longitude analysis, which is available from January 1997 to the present is described and the evolution of precipitation patterns on this time scale related to El Nino and La Nina is discussed. Finally, a TRMM-based 3-hr analysis is described that uses TRMM to calibrate polar-orbit microwave observations from SSM/I and geosynchronous IR observations and merges the various calibrated observations into a final, 3-hr resolution map. This TRMM standard product will be available for the entire TRMM period (January 1998-present). A real-time version of this merged product is being produced and is available at 0.25 deg. latitude-longitude resolution over the latitude range from 5O deg. N-50 deg. S. Examples are shown, including its use in monitoring flood conditions.

A Critical Analysis of Global Competition in Higher Education: Synthesizing Themes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Portnoi, Laura M.; Bagley, Sylvia S.

2014-01-01

In this final chapter of the volume, the editors synthesize key themes that emerge from the preceding chapters. They also highlight the contributions the authors make through emphasizing critical perspectives and the tension between global and local forces.

Extensive cross-talk and global regulators identified from an analysis of the integrated transcriptional and signaling network in Escherichia coli.

PubMed

Antiqueira, Lucas; Janga, Sarath Chandra; Costa, Luciano da Fontoura

2012-11-01

To understand the regulatory dynamics of transcription factors (TFs) and their interplay with other cellular components we have integrated transcriptional, protein-protein and the allosteric or equivalent interactions which mediate the physiological activity of TFs in Escherichia coli. To study this integrated network we computed a set of network measurements followed by principal component analysis (PCA), investigated the correlations between network structure and dynamics, and carried out a procedure for motif detection. In particular, we show that outliers identified in the integrated network based on their network properties correspond to previously characterized global transcriptional regulators. Furthermore, outliers are highly and widely expressed across conditions, thus supporting their global nature in controlling many genes in the cell. Motifs revealed that TFs not only interact physically with each other but also obtain feedback from signals delivered by signaling proteins supporting the extensive cross-talk between different types of networks. Our analysis can lead to the development of a general framework for detecting and understanding global regulatory factors in regulatory networks and reinforces the importance of integrating multiple types of interactions in underpinning the interrelationships between them.

Technology Resource, Distribution, and Development Characteristics of Global Influenza Virus Vaccine: A Patent Bibliometric Analysis.

PubMed

Chen, Ning; Liu, Yun; Cheng, Yijie; Liu, Long; Yan, Zhe; Tao, Lixin; Guo, Xiuhua; Luo, Yanxia; Yan, Aoshuang

2015-01-01

Influenza virus vaccine (IVV) is a promising research domain that is closely related to global health matters, which has been acknowledged not only by scientists and technology developers, but also by policy-makers. Meanwhile, patents encompass valuable technological information and reflect the latest technological inventions as well as the innovative capability of a nation. However, little research has examined this up-and-coming research field using patent bibliometric method. Thus, this paper (a) designs the technology classification system and search strategy for the identification of IVV; and (b) presents a longitudinal analysis of the global IVV development based on the European Patent Office (EPO) patents. Bibliometric analysis is used to rank countries, institutions, inventors and technology subfields contributing to IVV technical progress. The results show that the global trends of IVV are a multi-developing feature of variety but an uneven technical resource distribution. Although the synthetic peptide vaccine is a comparatively young field, it already demonstrates the powerful vitality and the enormous development space. With the worldwide competition increasing, all nations especially China should be looking to increase devotion, enhance capability and regard effectiveness of technological innovation.

Technology Resource, Distribution, and Development Characteristics of Global Influenza Virus Vaccine: A Patent Bibliometric Analysis

PubMed Central

Liu, Long; Yan, Zhe; Tao, Lixin; Guo, Xiuhua; Luo, Yanxia; Yan, Aoshuang

2015-01-01

Influenza virus vaccine (IVV) is a promising research domain that is closely related to global health matters, which has been acknowledged not only by scientists and technology developers, but also by policy-makers. Meanwhile, patents encompass valuable technological information and reflect the latest technological inventions as well as the innovative capability of a nation. However, little research has examined this up-and-coming research field using patent bibliometric method. Thus, this paper (a) designs the technology classification system and search strategy for the identification of IVV; and (b) presents a longitudinal analysis of the global IVV development based on the European Patent Office (EPO) patents. Bibliometric analysis is used to rank countries, institutions, inventors and technology subfields contributing to IVV technical progress. The results show that the global trends of IVV are a multi-developing feature of variety but an uneven technical resource distribution. Although the synthetic peptide vaccine is a comparatively young field, it already demonstrates the powerful vitality and the enormous development space. With the worldwide competition increasing, all nations especially China should be looking to increase devotion, enhance capability and regard effectiveness of technological innovation. PMID:26372160

Management of Globally Distributed Software Development Projects in Multiple-Vendor Constellations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schott, Katharina; Beck, Roman; Gregory, Robert Wayne

Global information systems development outsourcing is an apparent trend that is expected to continue in the foreseeable future. Thereby, IS-related services are not only increasingly provided from different geographical sites simultaneously but beyond that from multiple service providers based in different countries. The purpose of this paper is to understand how the involvement of multiple service providers affects the management of the globally distributed information systems development projects. As research on this topic is scarce, we applied an exploratory in-depth single-case study design as research approach. The case we analyzed comprises a global software development outsourcing project initiated by a German bank together with several globally distributed vendors. For data collection and data analysis we have adopted techniques suggested by the grounded theory method. Whereas the extant literature points out the increased management overhead associated with multi-sourcing, the analysis of our case suggests that the required effort for managing global outsourcing projects with multiple vendors depends among other things on the maturation level of the cooperation within the vendor portfolio. Furthermore, our data indicate that this interplay maturity is positively impacted through knowledge about the client that has been derived based on already existing client-vendor relationships. The paper concludes by offering theoretical and practical implications.

Localized Principal Component Analysis based Curve Evolution: A Divide and Conquer Approach

PubMed Central

Appia, Vikram; Ganapathy, Balaji; Yezzi, Anthony; Faber, Tracy

2014-01-01

We propose a novel localized principal component analysis (PCA) based curve evolution approach which evolves the segmenting curve semi-locally within various target regions (divisions) in an image and then combines these locally accurate segmentation curves to obtain a global segmentation. The training data for our approach consists of training shapes and associated auxiliary (target) masks. The masks indicate the various regions of the shape exhibiting highly correlated variations locally which may be rather independent of the variations in the distant parts of the global shape. Thus, in a sense, we are clustering the variations exhibited in the training data set. We then use a parametric model to implicitly represent each localized segmentation curve as a combination of the local shape priors obtained by representing the training shapes and the masks as a collection of signed distance functions. We also propose a parametric model to combine the locally evolved segmentation curves into a single hybrid (global) segmentation. Finally, we combine the evolution of these semilocal and global parameters to minimize an objective energy function. The resulting algorithm thus provides a globally accurate solution, which retains the local variations in shape. We present some results to illustrate how our approach performs better than the traditional approach with fully global PCA. PMID:25520901

The solar neutrino problem after the first results from KamLAND

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bandyopadhyay, Abhijit; Choubey, Sandhya; Gandhi, Raj; Goswami, Srubabati; Roy, D. P.

2003-05-01

The first results from the KamLAND experiment have provided confirmational evidence for the Large Mixing Angle (LMA) Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein (MSW) solution to the solar neutrino problem. We do a global analysis of solar and the recently announced KamLAND data (both rate and spectrum) and investigate its effect on the allowed region in the Δm2-tan2θ plane. The best-fit from a combined analysis which uses the KamLAND rate plus global solar data comes at Δm2=6.06×10-5 eV2 and tan2θ=0.42, very close to the global solar best-fit, leaving a large allowed region within the global solar LMA contour. The inclusion of the KamLAND spectral data in the global fit gives a best-fit Δm2=7.17×10-5 eV2 and tan2θ=0.43 and constrains the allowed areas within LMA, leaving essentially two allowed zones. Maximal mixing though allowed by the KamLAND data alone is disfavored by the global solar data and remains disallowed at about /3σ. The low Δm2 solution (LOW) is now ruled out at about 5/σ with respect to the LMA solution.

Exploring and Analyzing Climate Variations Online by Using MERRA-2 data at GES DISC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shen, S.; Ostrenga, D.; Vollmer, B.; Kempler, S.

2016-12-01

NASA Giovanni (Geospatial Interactive Online Visualization ANd aNalysis Infrastructure) (http://giovanni.sci.gsfc.nasa.gov/giovanni/) is a web-based data visualization and analysis system developed by the Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC). Current data analysis functions include Lat-Lon map, time series, scatter plot, correlation map, difference, cross-section, vertical profile, and animation etc. The system enables basic statistical analysis and comparisons of multiple variables. This web-based tool facilitates data discovery, exploration and analysis of large amount of global and regional remote sensing and model data sets from a number of NASA data centers. Recently, long term global assimilated atmospheric, land, and ocean data have been integrated into the system that enables quick exploration and analysis of climate data without downloading, and preprocessing the data. Example data include climate reanalysis from NASA Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA-2) which provides data beginning 1980 to present; land data from NASA Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) which assimilates data from 1948 to 2012; as well as ocean biological data from NASA Ocean Biogeochemical Model (NOBM) which assimilates data from 1998 to 2012. This presentation, using surface air temperature, precipitation, ozone, and aerosol, etc. from MERRA-2, demonstrates climate variation analysis with Giovanni at selected regions.

Exploring and Analyzing Climate Variations Online by Using NASA MERRA-2 Data at GES DISC

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Shen, Suhung; Ostrenga, Dana M.; Vollmer, Bruce E.; Kempler, Steven J.

2016-01-01

NASA Giovanni (Goddard Interactive Online Visualization ANd aNalysis Infrastructure) (http:giovanni.sci.gsfc.nasa.govgiovanni) is a web-based data visualization and analysis system developed by the Goddard Earth Sciences Data and Information Services Center (GES DISC). Current data analysis functions include Lat-Lon map, time series, scatter plot, correlation map, difference, cross-section, vertical profile, and animation etc. The system enables basic statistical analysis and comparisons of multiple variables. This web-based tool facilitates data discovery, exploration and analysis of large amount of global and regional remote sensing and model data sets from a number of NASA data centers. Long term global assimilated atmospheric, land, and ocean data have been integrated into the system that enables quick exploration and analysis of climate data without downloading, preprocessing, and learning data. Example data include climate reanalysis data from NASA Modern-Era Retrospective analysis for Research and Applications, Version 2 (MERRA-2) which provides data beginning in 1980 to present; land data from NASA Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS), which assimilates data from 1948 to 2012; as well as ocean biological data from NASA Ocean Biogeochemical Model (NOBM), which provides data from 1998 to 2012. This presentation, using surface air temperature, precipitation, ozone, and aerosol, etc. from MERRA-2, demonstrates climate variation analysis with Giovanni at selected regions.

Comparison of Two Global Sensitivity Analysis Methods for Hydrologic Modeling over the Columbia River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hameed, M.; Demirel, M. C.; Moradkhani, H.

2015-12-01

Global Sensitivity Analysis (GSA) approach helps identify the effectiveness of model parameters or inputs and thus provides essential information about the model performance. In this study, the effects of the Sacramento Soil Moisture Accounting (SAC-SMA) model parameters, forcing data, and initial conditions are analysed by using two GSA methods: Sobol' and Fourier Amplitude Sensitivity Test (FAST). The simulations are carried out over five sub-basins within the Columbia River Basin (CRB) for three different periods: one-year, four-year, and seven-year. Four factors are considered and evaluated by using the two sensitivity analysis methods: the simulation length, parameter range, model initial conditions, and the reliability of the global sensitivity analysis methods. The reliability of the sensitivity analysis results is compared based on 1) the agreement between the two sensitivity analysis methods (Sobol' and FAST) in terms of highlighting the same parameters or input as the most influential parameters or input and 2) how the methods are cohered in ranking these sensitive parameters under the same conditions (sub-basins and simulation length). The results show the coherence between the Sobol' and FAST sensitivity analysis methods. Additionally, it is found that FAST method is sufficient to evaluate the main effects of the model parameters and inputs. Another conclusion of this study is that the smaller parameter or initial condition ranges, the more consistency and coherence between the sensitivity analysis methods results.

Long-Term Global Morphology of Gravity Wave Activity Using UARS Data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Eckermann, Stephen D.; Bacmeister, Julio T.; Wu, Dong L.

1998-01-01

Progress in research into the global morphology of gravity wave activity using UARS data is described for the period March-June, 1998. Highlights this quarter include further progress in the analysis and interpretation of CRISTA temperature variances; model-generated climatologies of mesospheric gravity wave activity using the HWM-93 wind and temperature model; and modeling of gravity wave detection from space-based platforms. Preliminary interpretations and recommended avenues for further analysis are also described.

Bridging the gap between data analysis and data collection in FIA and forest monitoring globally: successes, research findings, and lessons learned from the Western US and Southeast Asia

Treesearch

Leif Mortenson

2015-01-01

Globally, national forest inventories (NFI) require a large work force typically consisting of multiple teams spread across multiple locations in order to successfully capture a given nation’s forest resources. This is true of the Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) program in the US and in many inventories in developing countries that are supported by USFS...

What Could Be Causing Global Ozone Depletion

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Singer, S. Fred

1990-01-01

The reported decline trend in global ozone between 1970 and 1986 may be in part an artifact of the analysis; the trend value appears to depend on the time interval selected for analysis--in relation to the 11-year solar cycle. If so, then the decline should diminish as one approaches solar maximum and includes data from 1987 to 1990. If the decline is real, its cause could be the result of natural and human factors other than just chlorofluorocarbons.

Sensitivity analysis of a wing aeroelastic response

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kapania, Rakesh K.; Eldred, Lloyd B.; Barthelemy, Jean-Francois M.

1991-01-01

A variation of Sobieski's Global Sensitivity Equations (GSE) approach is implemented to obtain the sensitivity of the static aeroelastic response of a three-dimensional wing model. The formulation is quite general and accepts any aerodynamics and structural analysis capability. An interface code is written to convert one analysis's output to the other's input, and visa versa. Local sensitivity derivatives are calculated by either analytic methods or finite difference techniques. A program to combine the local sensitivities, such as the sensitivity of the stiffness matrix or the aerodynamic kernel matrix, into global sensitivity derivatives is developed. The aerodynamic analysis package FAST, using a lifting surface theory, and a structural package, ELAPS, implementing Giles' equivalent plate model are used.

Expanding the global network of protected areas to save the imperiled mediterranean biome.

PubMed

Underwood, Emma C; Klausmeyer, Kirk R; Cox, Robin L; Busby, Sylvia M; Morrison, Scott A; Shaw, M Rebecca

2009-02-01

: Global goals established by the Convention on Biological Diversity stipulate that 10% of the world's ecological regions must be effectively conserved by 2010. To meet that goal for the mediterranean biome, at least 5% more land must be formally protected over the next few years. Although global assessments identify the mediterranean biome as a priority, without biologically meaningful analysis units, finer-resolution data, and corresponding prioritization analysis, future conservation investments could lead to more area being protected without increasing the representation of unique mediterranean ecosystems. We used standardized analysis units and six potential natural vegetation types stratified by 3 elevation zones in a global gap analysis that systematically explored conservation priorities across the mediterranean biome. The highest levels of protection were in Australia, South Africa, and California-Baja California (from 9-11%), and the lowest levels of protection were in Chile and the mediterranean Basin (<1%). Protection was skewed to montane elevations in three out of five regions. Across the biome only one of the six vegetation types--mediterranean shrubland--exceeded 10% protection. The remaining vegetation types--grassland, scrub, succulent dominated, woodland, and forest--each had <3% protection. To guard against biases in future protection efforts and ensure the protection of species characteristic of the mediterranean biome, we identified biodiversity assemblages with <10% protection and subject to >30% conversion and suggest that these assemblages be elevated to high-priority status in future conservation efforts.

Non-biased and efficient global amplification of a single-cell cDNA library

PubMed Central

Huang, Huan; Goto, Mari; Tsunoda, Hiroyuki; Sun, Lizhou; Taniguchi, Kiyomi; Matsunaga, Hiroko; Kambara, Hideki

2014-01-01

Analysis of single-cell gene expression promises a more precise understanding of molecular mechanisms of a living system. Most techniques only allow studies of the expressions for limited numbers of gene species. When amplification of cDNA was carried out for analysing more genes, amplification biases were frequently reported. A non-biased and efficient global-amplification method, which uses a single-cell cDNA library immobilized on beads, was developed for analysing entire gene expressions for single cells. Every step in this analysis from reverse transcription to cDNA amplification was optimized. By removing degrading excess primers, the bias due to the digestion of cDNA was prevented. Since the residual reagents, which affect the efficiency of each subsequent reaction, could be removed by washing beads, the conditions for uniform and maximized amplification of cDNAs were achieved. The differences in the amplification rates for randomly selected eight genes were within 1.5-folds, which could be negligible for most of the applications of single-cell analysis. The global amplification gives a large amount of amplified cDNA (>100 μg) from a single cell (2-pg mRNA), and that amount is enough for downstream analysis. The proposed global-amplification method was used to analyse transcript ratios of multiple cDNA targets (from several copies to several thousand copies) quantitatively. PMID:24141095

Training the next generation of global health advocates through experiential education: A mixed-methods case study evaluation.

PubMed

Hoffman, Steven J; Silverberg, Sarah L

2015-10-15

This case study evaluates a global health education experience aimed at training the next generation of global health advocates. Demand and interest in global health among Canadian students is well documented, despite the difficulty in integrating meaningful experiences into curricula. Global health advocacy was taught to 19 undergraduate students at McMaster University through an experiential education course, during which they developed a national advocacy campaign on global access to medicines. A quantitative survey and an analysis of social network dynamics were conducted, along with a qualitative analysis of written work and course evaluations. Data were interpreted through a thematic synthesis approach. Themes were identified related to students' learning outcomes, experience and class dynamics. The experiential education format helped students gain authentic, real-world experience in global health advocacy and leadership. The tangible implications for their course work was a key motivating factor. While experiential education is an effective tool for some learning outcomes, it is not suitable for all. As well, group dynamics and evaluation methods affect the learning environment. Real-world global health issues, public health practice and advocacy approaches can be effectively taught through experiential education, alongside skills like communication and professionalism. Students developed a nuanced understanding of many strategies, challenges and barriers that exist in advocating for public health ideas. These experiences are potentially empowering and confidence-building despite the heavy time commitment they require. Attention should be given to how such experiences are designed, as course dynamics and grading structure significantly influence students' experience.

Human Land-Use Practices Lead to Global Long-Term Increases in Photosynthetic Capacity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mueller, Thomas; Tucker, Compton J.; Dressler, Gunnar; Pinzon, Jorge E.; Leimgruber, Peter; Dubayah, Ralph O.; Hurtt, George C.; Boehning-Gaese, Katrin; Fagan, William F.

2014-01-01

Long-term trends in photosynthetic capacity measured with the satellite-derived Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) are usually associated with climate change. Human impacts on the global land surface are typically not accounted for. Here, we provide the first global analysis quantifying the effect of the earth's human footprint on NDVI trends. Globally, more than 20% of the variability in NDVI trends was explained by anthropogenic factors such as land use, nitrogen fertilization, and irrigation. Intensely used land classes, such as villages, showed the greatest rates of increase in NDVI, more than twice than those of forests. These findings reveal that factors beyond climate influence global long-term trends in NDVI and suggest that global climate change models and analyses of primary productivity should incorporate land use effects.

CLIMATE CHANGE. Possible artifacts of data biases in the recent global surface warming hiatus.

PubMed

Karl, Thomas R; Arguez, Anthony; Huang, Boyin; Lawrimore, Jay H; McMahon, James R; Menne, Matthew J; Peterson, Thomas C; Vose, Russell S; Zhang, Huai-Min

2015-06-26

Much study has been devoted to the possible causes of an apparent decrease in the upward trend of global surface temperatures since 1998, a phenomenon that has been dubbed the global warming "hiatus." Here, we present an updated global surface temperature analysis that reveals that global trends are higher than those reported by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, especially in recent decades, and that the central estimate for the rate of warming during the first 15 years of the 21st century is at least as great as the last half of the 20th century. These results do not support the notion of a "slowdown" in the increase of global surface temperature. Copyright © 2015, American Association for the Advancement of Science.

Public health agenda setting in a global context: the International Labor Organization's decent work agenda.

PubMed

Di Ruggiero, Erica; Cohen, Joanna E; Cole, Donald C; Forman, Lisa

2015-04-01

We drew on two agenda-setting theories usually applied at the state or national level to assess their utility at the global level: Kingdon's multiple streams theory and Baumgartner and Jones's punctuated equilibrium theory. We illustrate our analysis with findings from a qualitative study of the International Labor Organization's Decent Work Agenda. We found that both theories help explain the agenda-setting mechanisms that operate in the global context, including how windows of opportunity open and what role institutions play as policy entrepreneurs. Future application of these theories could help characterize power struggles between global actors, whose voices are heard or silenced, and their impact on global policy agenda setting.

Maintaining Atmospheric Mass and Water Balance Within Reanalysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Takacs, Lawrence L.; Suarez, Max; Todling, Ricardo

2015-01-01

This report describes the modifications implemented into the Goddard Earth Observing System Version-5 (GEOS-5) Atmospheric Data Assimilation System (ADAS) to maintain global conservation of dry atmospheric mass as well as to preserve the model balance of globally integrated precipitation and surface evaporation during reanalysis. Section 1 begins with a review of these global quantities from four current reanalysis efforts. Section 2 introduces the modifications necessary to preserve these constraints within the atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM), the Gridpoint Statistical Interpolation (GSI) analysis procedure, and the Incremental Analysis Update (IAU) algorithm. Section 3 presents experiments quantifying the impact of the new procedure. Section 4 shows preliminary results from its use within the GMAO MERRA-2 Reanalysis project. Section 5 concludes with a summary.

Global optimization of small bimetallic Pd-Co binary nanoalloy clusters: a genetic algorithm approach at the DFT level.

PubMed

Aslan, Mikail; Davis, Jack B A; Johnston, Roy L

2016-03-07

The global optimisation of small bimetallic PdCo binary nanoalloys are systematically investigated using the Birmingham Cluster Genetic Algorithm (BCGA). The effect of size and composition on the structures, stability, magnetic and electronic properties including the binding energies, second finite difference energies and mixing energies of Pd-Co binary nanoalloys are discussed. A detailed analysis of Pd-Co structural motifs and segregation effects is also presented. The maximal mixing energy corresponds to Pd atom compositions for which the number of mixed Pd-Co bonds is maximised. Global minimum clusters are distinguished from transition states by vibrational frequency analysis. HOMO-LUMO gap, electric dipole moment and vibrational frequency analyses are made to enable correlation with future experiments.

Wall-motion tracking in fetal echocardiography-Influence of frame rate on longitudinal strain analysis assessed by two-dimensional speckle tracking.

PubMed

Enzensberger, Christian; Achterberg, Friederike; Graupner, Oliver; Wolter, Aline; Herrmann, Johannes; Axt-Fliedner, Roland

2017-06-01

Frame rates (FR) used for strain analysis assessed by speckle tracking in fetal echocardiography show a considerable variation. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of the FR on strain analysis in 2D speckle tracking. Fetal echocardiography was performed prospectively on a Toshiba Aplio 500 system and a Toshiba Artida system, respectively. Based on an apical or basal four-chamber view of the fetal heart, cine loops were stored with a FR of 30 fps (Aplio 500) and 60 fps (Artida/Aplio 500). For both groups (30fps and 60fps), global and segmental longitudinal peak systolic strain (LPSS) values of both, left (LV) and right ventricle (RV), were assessed by 2D wall-motion tracking. A total of 101 fetuses, distributed to three study groups, were included. The mean gestational age was 25.2±5.0 weeks. Mean global LPSS values for RV in the 30 fps group and in the 60 fps group were -16.07% and -16.47%, respectively. Mean global LPSS values for LV in the 30 fps group and in the 60 fps group were -17.54% and -17.06%, respectively. Comparing global and segmental LPSS values of both, the RV and LV, did not show any statistically significant differences within the two groups. Performance of myocardial 2D strain analysis by wall-motion tracking was feasible with 30 and 60 fps. Obtained global and segmental LPSS values of both ventricles were relatively independent from acquisition rate. © 2017, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Spanwise effects on instabilities of compressible flow over a long rectangular cavity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Y.; Taira, K.; Cattafesta, L. N.; Ukeiley, L. S.

2017-12-01

The stability properties of two-dimensional (2D) and three-dimensional (3D) compressible flows over a rectangular cavity with length-to-depth ratio of L/D=6 are analyzed at a free-stream Mach number of M_∞ =0.6 and depth-based Reynolds number of Re_D=502. In this study, we closely examine the influence of three-dimensionality on the wake mode that has been reported to exhibit high-amplitude fluctuations from the formation and ejection of large-scale spanwise vortices. Direct numerical simulation (DNS) and bi-global stability analysis are utilized to study the stability characteristics of the wake mode. Using the bi-global stability analysis with the time-averaged flow as the base state, we capture the global stability properties of the wake mode at a spanwise wavenumber of β =0. To uncover spanwise effects on the 2D wake mode, 3D DNS are performed with cavity width-to-depth ratio of W/D=1 and 2. We find that the 2D wake mode is not present in the 3D cavity flow with W/D=2, in which spanwise structures are observed near the rear region of the cavity. These 3D instabilities are further investigated via bi-global stability analysis for spanwise wavelengths of λ /D=0.5{-}2.0 to reveal the eigenspectra of the 3D eigenmodes. Based on the findings of 2D and 3D global stability analysis, we conclude that the absence of the wake mode in 3D rectangular cavity flows is due to the release of kinetic energy from the spanwise vortices to the streamwise vortical structures that develops from the spanwise instabilities.

Estimating the Global Incidence of Aneurysmal Subarachnoid Hemorrhage: A Systematic Review for Central Nervous System Vascular Lesions and Meta-Analysis of Ruptured Aneurysms.

PubMed

Hughes, Joshua D; Bond, Kamila M; Mekary, Rania A; Dewan, Michael C; Rattani, Abbas; Baticulon, Ronnie; Kato, Yoko; Azevedo-Filho, Hildo; Morcos, Jacques J; Park, Kee B

2018-04-09

There is increasing acknowledgement that surgical care is important in global health initiatives. In particular, neurosurgical care is as limited as 1 per 10 million people in parts of the world. We performed a systematic literature review to examine the worldwide incidence of central nervous system vascular lesions and a meta-analysis of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH) to define the disease burden and inform neurosurgical global health efforts. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines to estimate the global epidemiology of central nervous system vascular lesions, including unruptured and ruptured aneurysms, arteriovenous malformations, cavernous malformations, dural arteriovenous fistulas, developmental venous anomalies, and vein of Galen malformations. Results were organized by World Health Organization regions. After literature review, because of a lack of data from particular World Health Organization regions, we determined we could only provide an estimate of aSAH. Using data from studies with aSAH and 12 high-quality stroke studies from regions lacking data, we meta-analyzed the yearly crude incidence of aSAH per 100,000 persons. Estimates were generated via random-effects models. From an initial yield of 1492 studies, 46 manuscripts on aSAH incidence were included. The final meta-analysis included 58 studies from 31 different countries. We estimated the global crude incidence for aSAH to be 6.67 per 100,000 persons with a wide variation across WHO regions from 0.71 to 12.38 per 100,000 persons. Worldwide, almost 500,000 individuals will suffer from aSAH each year, with almost two-thirds in low- and middle-income countries. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Usage, Utility, and Usability of the Knowledge Wall During the Global 2000 War Game

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-08-01

evaluation during the Global 2000 War Game. The prototype KW was designed to meet 14 user requirements identified in a previous cognitive task analysis of potential KW users. This report presents the results of the evaluation.

Global Mitigation of Non-CO2 GHGs Report: Download the Report

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

View the report illustrating the abatement potential of non-CO2 greenhouse gases through a comprehensive global analysis and resulting data set of marginal abatement cost (MAC) curves. The report can be viewed as a whole or by individual section.

Analysis of emission data from global commercial aviation : 2004 and 2006

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-07-14

The global commercial aircraft fleet in 2006 flew 31.26 million flights, burned 188.20 million metric tons of fuel, and covered 38.68 billion kilometers. This activity emitted substantial amounts of fossil-fuel combustion products within the upper tr...

Global Distribution of Dissected Duricrust on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mustard, J. F.; Cooper, C. D.

2000-01-01

Evidence for dissected duricrust was identified in high resolution MOC images. Analysis of all available images was used to map the global distribution of this terrain. It is apparently restricted to two latitude bands: 30-60 deg. N and 30-60 deg. S.

High accuracy-nationwide differential global positioning system test and analysis : phase II report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2005-07-01

The High Accuracy-Nationwide Differential Global Positioning System (HA-NDGPS) program focused on the development of compression and broadcast techniques to provide users over a large area wit very accurate radio navigation solutions. The goal was ac...

Global Citizenship

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Osiadacz, Evelina

2018-01-01

This article draws attention to the keyword "global citizenship" through an analysis of the ambiguity of expectations of teachers from the Ontario curriculum documents. Particular reference is drawn to the citizenship education framework, an addition to the 2013 revision of "Ontario Curriculum: Social Studies, Grades 1 to 6;…

Global Sentry: NASA/USRA high altitude reconnaissance aircraft design, volume 2

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Alexandru, Mona-Lisa; Martinez, Frank; Tsou, Jim; Do, Henry; Peters, Ashish; Chatsworth, Tom; Yu, YE; Dhillon, Jaskiran

1990-01-01

The Global Sentry is a high altitude reconnaissance aircraft design for the NASA/USRA design project. The Global Sentry uses proven technologies, light-weight composites, and meets the R.F.P. requirements. The mission requirements for the Global Sentry are described. The configuration option is discussed and a description of the final design is given. Preliminary sizing analyses and the mass properties of the design are presented. The aerodynamic features of the Global Sentry are described along with the stability and control characteristics designed into the flight control system. The performance characteristics are discussed as is the propulsion installation and system layout. The Global Sentry structural design is examined, including a wing structural analysis. The cockpit, controls and display layouts are covered. Manufacturing is covered and the life cost estimation. Reliability is discussed. Conclusions about the current Global Sentry design are presented, along with suggested areas for future engineering work.

Load Balancing Using Time Series Analysis for Soft Real Time Systems with Statistically Periodic Loads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hailperin, M.

1993-01-01

This thesis provides design and analysis of techniques for global load balancing on ensemble architectures running soft-real-time object-oriented applications with statistically periodic loads. It focuses on estimating the instantaneous average load over all the processing elements. The major contribution is the use of explicit stochastic process models for both the loading and the averaging itself. These models are exploited via statistical time-series analysis and Bayesian inference to provide improved average load estimates, and thus to facilitate global load balancing. This thesis explains the distributed algorithms used and provides some optimality results. It also describes the algorithms' implementation and gives performance results from simulation. These results show that the authors' techniques allow more accurate estimation of the global system loading, resulting in fewer object migrations than local methods. The authors' method is shown to provide superior performance, relative not only to static load-balancing schemes but also to many adaptive load-balancing methods. Results from a preliminary analysis of another system and from simulation with a synthetic load provide some evidence of more general applicability.

Global sensitivity analysis in stochastic simulators of uncertain reaction networks.

PubMed

Navarro Jimenez, M; Le Maître, O P; Knio, O M

2016-12-28

Stochastic models of chemical systems are often subjected to uncertainties in kinetic parameters in addition to the inherent random nature of their dynamics. Uncertainty quantification in such systems is generally achieved by means of sensitivity analyses in which one characterizes the variability with the uncertain kinetic parameters of the first statistical moments of model predictions. In this work, we propose an original global sensitivity analysis method where the parametric and inherent variability sources are both treated through Sobol's decomposition of the variance into contributions from arbitrary subset of uncertain parameters and stochastic reaction channels. The conceptual development only assumes that the inherent and parametric sources are independent, and considers the Poisson processes in the random-time-change representation of the state dynamics as the fundamental objects governing the inherent stochasticity. A sampling algorithm is proposed to perform the global sensitivity analysis, and to estimate the partial variances and sensitivity indices characterizing the importance of the various sources of variability and their interactions. The birth-death and Schlögl models are used to illustrate both the implementation of the algorithm and the richness of the proposed analysis method. The output of the proposed sensitivity analysis is also contrasted with a local derivative-based sensitivity analysis method classically used for this type of systems.

Global sensitivity analysis in stochastic simulators of uncertain reaction networks

DOE PAGES

Navarro Jimenez, M.; Le Maître, O. P.; Knio, O. M.

2016-12-23

Stochastic models of chemical systems are often subjected to uncertainties in kinetic parameters in addition to the inherent random nature of their dynamics. Uncertainty quantification in such systems is generally achieved by means of sensitivity analyses in which one characterizes the variability with the uncertain kinetic parameters of the first statistical moments of model predictions. In this work, we propose an original global sensitivity analysis method where the parametric and inherent variability sources are both treated through Sobol’s decomposition of the variance into contributions from arbitrary subset of uncertain parameters and stochastic reaction channels. The conceptual development only assumes thatmore » the inherent and parametric sources are independent, and considers the Poisson processes in the random-time-change representation of the state dynamics as the fundamental objects governing the inherent stochasticity. Here, a sampling algorithm is proposed to perform the global sensitivity analysis, and to estimate the partial variances and sensitivity indices characterizing the importance of the various sources of variability and their interactions. The birth-death and Schlögl models are used to illustrate both the implementation of the algorithm and the richness of the proposed analysis method. The output of the proposed sensitivity analysis is also contrasted with a local derivative-based sensitivity analysis method classically used for this type of systems.« less

Global sensitivity analysis in stochastic simulators of uncertain reaction networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Navarro Jimenez, M.; Le Maître, O. P.; Knio, O. M.

2016-12-01

Stochastic models of chemical systems are often subjected to uncertainties in kinetic parameters in addition to the inherent random nature of their dynamics. Uncertainty quantification in such systems is generally achieved by means of sensitivity analyses in which one characterizes the variability with the uncertain kinetic parameters of the first statistical moments of model predictions. In this work, we propose an original global sensitivity analysis method where the parametric and inherent variability sources are both treated through Sobol's decomposition of the variance into contributions from arbitrary subset of uncertain parameters and stochastic reaction channels. The conceptual development only assumes that the inherent and parametric sources are independent, and considers the Poisson processes in the random-time-change representation of the state dynamics as the fundamental objects governing the inherent stochasticity. A sampling algorithm is proposed to perform the global sensitivity analysis, and to estimate the partial variances and sensitivity indices characterizing the importance of the various sources of variability and their interactions. The birth-death and Schlögl models are used to illustrate both the implementation of the algorithm and the richness of the proposed analysis method. The output of the proposed sensitivity analysis is also contrasted with a local derivative-based sensitivity analysis method classically used for this type of systems.

Towards ‘reflexive epidemiology’: Conflation of cisgender male and transgender women sex workers and implications for global understandings of HIV prevalence

PubMed Central

Perez-Brumer, Amaya G.; Oldenburg, Catherine E.; Reisner, Sari L.; Clark, Jesse L.; Parker, Richard G.

2016-01-01

The HIV epidemic has had a widespread impact on global scientific and cultural discourses related to gender, sexuality, and identity. ‘Male sex workers’ have been identified as a ‘key population’ in the global HIV epidemic; however, there are methodological and conceptual challenges for defining inclusion and exclusion of transgender women within this group. To assess these potential implications, this study employs self-critique and reflection to grapple with the empiric and conceptual implications of shifting understandings of sexuality and gender within the externally recreated etic category of ‘MSM’ and ‘transgender women’ in epidemiologic HIV research. We conducted a sensitivity analysis of our previously published meta-analysis which aimed to identify the scope of peer-reviewed articles assessing HIV prevalence among male sex workers globally between 2004–2013. The inclusion of four studies previously excluded due to non-differentiation of cisgender male from transgender women participants (studies from Spain, Thailand, India, and Brazil: 421 total participants) increased the overall estimate of global HIV prevalence among “men” who engage in sex work from 10.5% (95% CI 9.4–11.5%) to 10.8% (95% CI 9.8–11.8%). The combination of social science critique with empiric epidemiologic analysis represents a first step in defining and operationalizing ‘reflexive epidemiology’. Grounded in the context of sex work and HIV prevention, this paper highlights the multiplicity of genders and sexualities across a range of social and cultural settings, limitations of existing categories (i.e., ‘MSM’, ‘transgender’), and their global implications for epidemiologic estimates of HIV prevalence. PMID:27173599

Should precipitation influence dust emission in global dust models?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okin, Gregory

2016-04-01

Soil moisture modulates the threshold shear stress required to initiate aeolian transport and dust emission. Most of the theoretical and laboratory work that has confirmed the impact of soil moisture has appropriately acknowledged that it is the soil moisture of a surface layer a few grain diameters thick that truly controls threshold shear velocity. Global and regional models of dust emission include the effect of soil moisture on transport threshold, but most ignore the fact that only the moisture of the very topmost "active layer" matters. The soil moisture in the active layer can differ greatly from that integrated through the top 2, 5, 10, or 100 cm (surface layers used by various global models) because the top 2 mm of heavy texture soils dries within ~1/2 day while sandy soils dry within less than 2 hours. Thus, in drylands where dust emission occurs, it is likely that this top layer is drier than the underlying soil in the days and weeks after rain. This paper explores, globally, the time between rain events in relation to the time for the active layer to dry and the timing of high wind events. This analysis is carried out using the same coarse reanalyses used in global dust models and is intended to inform the soil moisture controls in these models. The results of this analysis indicate that the timing between events is, in almost all dust-producing areas, significantly longer than the drying time of the active layer, even when considering soil texture differences. Further, the analysis shows that the probability of a high wind event during the period after a rain where the surface is wet is small. Therefore, in coarse global models, there is little reason to include rain-derived soil moisture in the modeling scheme.

An analysis of GAVI, the Global Fund and World Bank support for human resources for health in developing countries.

PubMed

Vujicic, Marko; Weber, Stephanie E; Nikolic, Irina A; Atun, Rifat; Kumar, Ranjana

2012-12-01

Shortages, geographic imbalances and poor performance of health workers pose major challenges for improving health service delivery in developing countries. In response, multilateral agencies have increasingly recognized the need to invest in human resources for health (HRH) to assist countries in achieving their health system goals. In this paper we analyse the HRH-related activities of three agencies: the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunisation (GAVI); the Global Fund for Aids, Tuberculosis, and Malaria (the Global Fund); and the World Bank. First, we reviewed the type of HRH-related activities that are eligible for financing within each agency. Second, we reviewed the HRH-related activities that each agency is actually financing. Third, we reviewed the literature to understand the impact that GAVI, Global Fund and World Bank investments in HRH have had on the health workforce in developing countries. Our analysis found that by far the most common activity supported across all agencies is short-term, in-service training. There is relatively little investment in expanding pre-service training capacity, despite large health worker shortages in developing countries. We also found that the majority of GAVI and the Global Fund grants finance health worker remuneration, largely through supplemental allowances, with little information available on how payment rates are determined, how the potential negative consequences are mitigated, and how payments are to be sustained at the end of the grant period. Based on the analysis, we argue there is an opportunity for improved co-ordination between the three agencies at the country level in supporting HRH-related activities. Existing initiatives, such as the International Health Partnership and the Health Systems Funding Platform, could present viable and timely vehicles for the three agencies to implement this improved co-ordination.

Comparison of ash behavior of different fuels in fluidised bed combustion using advanced fuel analysis and global equilibrium calculations

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

Zevenhoven-Onderwater, M.; Blomquist, J.P.; Skrifvars, B.J.

1999-07-01

The behavior of different ashes is predicted by means of a combination of an advanced fuel analysis and global equilibrium calculations. In order to cover a broad spectrum of fuels a coal, a peat, a forest residue and Salix (i.e. willow) are studied. The latter was taken with and without soil contamination, i.e. with a high and low content of silica , respectively. It is shown that mineral matter in fossil and biomass fuels can be present in the matrix of the fuel itself or as included minerals. Using an advanced fuel analysis, i.e. a fractionation method, this mineral contentmore » can be divided into four fractions. The first fraction mainly contains those metal ions, that can be leached out of the fuel by water and mainly contains alkali sulfates, carbonates and chlorides. The second fraction mainly consists of those ions leached out by ammonium acetate and covers those ions, that are connected to the organic matrix. The third fraction contains the metals leached out by hydrochloric acid and contains earth alkali carbonates and sulfates as well as pyrites. The rest fraction contains those minerals, that are not leached out by any of the above mentioned solvents, such as silicates. A global equilibrium analysis is used to predict the thermal and chemical behavior of the combined first and second fractions and of the combined third and rest fractions under pressurized and/or atmospheric combustion conditions. Results of both the fuel analysis and the global equilibrium analysis are discussed and practical implications for combustion processes are pointed out.« less

Comparative Analysis: Potential Barriers to Career Participation by North American Physicians in Global Health

PubMed Central

Rhee, Daniel S.; Heckman, Jennifer E.

2014-01-01

Physician interest in global health, particularly among family physicians, is reflected by an increasing proliferation of field training and service experiences. However, translating initial training involvement into a defined and sustainable global health career remains difficult and beset by numerous barriers. Existing global health literature has largely examined training experiences and related ethical considerations while neglecting the role of career development in global health. To explore this, this paper extrapolates potential barriers to global health career involvement from existing literature and compares these to salary and skills requirements for archetypal physician positions in global health, presenting a framework of possible barriers to sustained physician participation in global health work. Notable barriers identified include financial limitations, scheduling conflicts, security/family concerns, skills limitations, limited awareness of opportunities, and specialty choice, with family practice often closely aligned with global health experience. Proposed solutions include financial support, protected time, family relocation support, and additional training. This framework delineates barriers to career involvement in global health by physicians. Further research regarding these barriers as well as potential solutions may help direct policy and initiatives to better utilize physicians, particularly family physicians, as a valuable global health human resource. PMID:25405030

Cost-Risk Trade-off of Solar Radiation Management and Mitigation under Long-Tailed Climate Sensitivity Probability Density Distributions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roshan, E.; Mohammadi Khabbazan, M.; Held, H.

2016-12-01

Solar radiation management (SRM) might be able to reduce the anthropogenic global mean temperature rise but unable to do so for other climate variables such as precipitation, particularly with respect to regional disparities due to changes in planetary energy budget. We apply cost-risk analysis (CRA), which is a decision analytic framework that trades off the expected welfare-loss from climate policies costs against the climate risks from exceeding an environmental target. Here, in both global- and `Giorgi'-regional-scale analyses, we study the optimal mix of SRM and mitigation under probabilistic knowledge about climate sensitivity, in our numerics ranging from 1.01°C to 7.17°C. To do so, we generalize CRA for the sake of including temperature risk, global and regional precipitation risks. Social welfare is maximized in three scenarios, considering a convex combination of climate risks: temperature-risk-only, precipitation-risk-only, and equally weighted both-risks. Our global results represent 100%, 65%, and 90% compliance with 2°C-temperature target and simultaneously 0%, 100%, and 100% compliance with 2°C-compatible-precipitation corridor respectively in temperature-risk-only, precipitation-risk-only, and both-risks scenarios. On the other hand, our regional results emphasize that SRM would alleviate the global mean temperature to be complied with 2°C-temperature target for about 100%, 95%, and 95% of climate sensitivities in temperature-risk-only, precipitation-risk-only, and both-risks scenarios, respectively. However, half of the regions suffer a very high precipitation risks when the society only cares about global temperature reduction in temperature-risk-only scenario. Our results indicate that although SRM might almost substitute for mitigation in the global analysis, it only saves about a half of the welfare-loss in a purely mitigation-based analysis (from economic costs and climate risks, in terms of BGE) when considering regional precipitation risks.

Effects of different correlation metrics and preprocessing factors on small-world brain functional networks: a resting-state functional MRI study.

PubMed

Liang, Xia; Wang, Jinhui; Yan, Chaogan; Shu, Ni; Xu, Ke; Gong, Gaolang; He, Yong

2012-01-01

Graph theoretical analysis of brain networks based on resting-state functional MRI (R-fMRI) has attracted a great deal of attention in recent years. These analyses often involve the selection of correlation metrics and specific preprocessing steps. However, the influence of these factors on the topological properties of functional brain networks has not been systematically examined. Here, we investigated the influences of correlation metric choice (Pearson's correlation versus partial correlation), global signal presence (regressed or not) and frequency band selection [slow-5 (0.01-0.027 Hz) versus slow-4 (0.027-0.073 Hz)] on the topological properties of both binary and weighted brain networks derived from them, and we employed test-retest (TRT) analyses for further guidance on how to choose the "best" network modeling strategy from the reliability perspective. Our results show significant differences in global network metrics associated with both correlation metrics and global signals. Analysis of nodal degree revealed differing hub distributions for brain networks derived from Pearson's correlation versus partial correlation. TRT analysis revealed that the reliability of both global and local topological properties are modulated by correlation metrics and the global signal, with the highest reliability observed for Pearson's-correlation-based brain networks without global signal removal (WOGR-PEAR). The nodal reliability exhibited a spatially heterogeneous distribution wherein regions in association and limbic/paralimbic cortices showed moderate TRT reliability in Pearson's-correlation-based brain networks. Moreover, we found that there were significant frequency-related differences in topological properties of WOGR-PEAR networks, and brain networks derived in the 0.027-0.073 Hz band exhibited greater reliability than those in the 0.01-0.027 Hz band. Taken together, our results provide direct evidence regarding the influences of correlation metrics and specific preprocessing choices on both the global and nodal topological properties of functional brain networks. This study also has important implications for how to choose reliable analytical schemes in brain network studies.

Instability in strongly magnetized accretion discs: a global perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Das, Upasana; Begelman, Mitchell C.; Lesur, Geoffroy

2018-01-01

We examine the properties of strongly magnetized accretion discs in a global framework, with particular focus on the evolution of magnetohydrodynamic instabilities such as the magnetorotational instability (MRI). Work by Pessah & Psaltis showed that MRI is stabilized beyond a critical toroidal field in compressible, differentially rotating flows and, also, reported the appearance of two new instabilities beyond this field. Their results stemmed from considering geometric curvature effects due to the suprathermal background toroidal field, which had been previously ignored in weak-field studies. However, their calculations were performed under the local approximation, which poses the danger of introducing spurious behaviour due to the introduction of global geometric terms in an otherwise local framework. In order to avoid this, we perform a global eigenvalue analysis of the linearized MHD equations in cylindrical geometry. We confirm that MRI indeed tends to be highly suppressed when the background toroidal field attains the Pessah-Psaltis limit. We also observe the appearance of two new instabilities that emerge in the presence of highly suprathermal toroidal fields. These results were additionally verified using numerical simulations in PLUTO. There are, however, certain differences between the the local and global results, especially in the vertical wavenumber occupancies of the various instabilities, which we discuss in detail. We also study the global eigenfunctions of the most unstable modes in the suprathermal regime, which are inaccessible in the local analysis. Overall, our findings emphasize the necessity of a global treatment for accurately modelling strongly magnetized accretion discs.

Effect of dark matter halo on global spiral modes in a collisionless galactic disk

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghosh, Soumavo; Saini, Tarun Deep; Jog, Chanda J.

2017-07-01

Low surface brightness (LSB) galaxies are dominated by dark matter halo from the innermost radii; hence they are ideal candidates to investigate the influence of dark matter on different dynamical aspects of spiral galaxies. Here, we study the effect of dark matter halo on grand-design, m = 2 , spiral modes in a galactic disk, treated as a collisionless system, by carrying out a global modal analysis within the WKB approximation. First, we study a superthin, LSB galaxy UGC 7321 and show that it does not support discrete global spiral modes when modeled as a disk-alone system or as a disk plus dark matter system. Even a moderate increase in the stellar central surface density does not yield any global spiral modes. This naturally explains the observed lack of strong large-scale spiral structure in LSBs. An earlier work (Ghosh et al., 2016) where the galactic disk was treated as a fluid system for simplicity had shown that the dominant halo could not arrest global modes. We found that this difference arises due to the different dispersion relation used in the two cases and which plays a crucial role in the search for global spiral modes. Thus the correct treatment of stars as a collisionless system as done here results in the suppression of global spiral modes, in agreement with the observations. We performed a similar modal analysis for the Galaxy, and found that the dark matter halo has a negligible effect on large-scale spiral structure.

Global assessment of surfing conditions: seasonal, interannual and long-term variability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Espejo, A.; Losada, I.; Mendez, F.

2012-12-01

International surfing destinations owe a great debt to specific combinations of wind-wave, thermal conditions and local bathymetry. As surf quality depends on a vast number of geophysical variables, a multivariable standardized index on the basis of expert judgment is proposed to analyze surf resource in a worldwide domain. Data needed is obtained by combining several datasets (reanalyses): 60-year satellite-calibrated spectral wave hindcast (GOW, WaveWatchIII), wind fields from NCEP/NCAR, global sea surface temperature from ERSST.v3b, and global tides from TPXO7.1. A summary of the global surf resource is presented, which highlights the high degree of variability in surfable events. According to general atmospheric circulation, results show that west facing low to middle latitude coasts are more suitable for surfing, especially those in Southern Hemisphere. Month to month analysis reveals strong seasonal changes in the occurrence of surfable events, enhancing those in North Atlantic or North Pacific. Interannual variability is investigated by comparing occurrence values with global and regional climate patterns showing a great influence at both, global and regional scales. Analysis of long term trends shows an increase in the probability of surfable events over the west facing coasts on the planet (i.e. + 30 hours/year in California). The resulting maps provide useful information for surfers and surf related stakeholders, coastal planning, education, and basic research.; Figure 1. Global distribution of medium quality (a) and high quality surf conditions probability (b).

Global brain atrophy is associated with physical performance and the risk of falls in older adults with cognitive impairment.

PubMed

Yamada, Minoru; Takechi, Hajime; Mori, Shuhei; Aoyama, Tomoki; Arai, Hidenori

2013-04-01

Falls are common in patients with cognitive disorder. The purpose of this study was to determine whether global brain atrophy is associated with cognitive function, physical performance and fall incidents in older adults with mild cognitive disorder. A total of 31 older adults with mild cognitive disorders (mean age 78.9 ± 7.3 years) were studied, and 10 of them had experienced falls and the others had not in the past 1 year. Cognitive function and physical performance were measured in these patients. Global brain atrophy was determined by the Voxel-Based Specific Regional Analysis System for Alzheimer's Disease software. Fallers showed significantly worse scores than the non-fallers in the Global Brain Atrophy Index, Clock Drawing Test (CDT), Verbal Fluency Test (animal), maximum walking time and Timed Up & Go (TUG) Test. The Global Brain Atrophy Index was correlated with the Verbal Fluency Test (animal; r = -0.522), the Verbal Fluency Test with letter (ka; r = -0.337), CDT (r = -0.547), TUG (r = 0.276) and Five Chair Stands Test (r = 0.303) by age-adjusted correlation analyses. Stepwise regression analysis showed that the Global Brain Atrophy Index (β = 1.265, 95% CI 1.022-1.567) was a significant and independent determinant of falls (R(2) = 0.356, P = 0.003). Global brain atrophy might be indicated as one of the risk factors for falls in older adults with mild cognitive disorders. © 2012 Japan Geriatrics Society.

Dynamic Modeling of the Human Coagulation Cascade Using Reduced Order Effective Kinetic Models (Open Access)

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-03-16

shaded region around each total sensitivity value was the maximum uncertainty in that value estimated by the Sobol method. 2.4. Global Sensitivity...Performance We conducted a global sensitivity analysis, using the variance-based method of Sobol , to estimate which parameters controlled the...Hunter, J.D. Matplotlib: A 2D Graphics Environment. Comput. Sci. Eng. 2007, 9, 90–95. 69. Sobol , I. Global sensitivity indices for nonlinear

[International financial cooperation in the fight against AIDS in Latin America and the Caribbean].

PubMed

Leyva-Flores, René; Castillo, José Gabriel; Serván-Mori, Edson; Ballesteros, Maria Luisa Gontes; Rodríguez, Juan Francisco Molina

2014-07-01

This study analyzed the financial contribution by the Global Fund to Fight HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, and Malaria and its relationship to eligibility criteria for funding in Latin America and the Caribbean in 2002-2010. Descriptive analysis (linear regression) was conducted for the Global Fund financial contributions according to eligibility criteria (income level, burden of disease, governmental co-investment). Financial contributions totaled US$ 705 million. Lower-income countries received higher shares; there was no relationship between Global Fund contributions and burden of disease. The Global Fund's international financing complements governmental expenditure, with equity policies for financial allocation.

The role of philosophy in global bioethics: introducing four trends.

PubMed

Hellsten, Sirkku K

2015-04-01

This article examines the relationship between philosophy and culture in global bioethics. First, it studies what is meant by the term "global" in global bioethics. Second, the author introduces four different types, or recognizable trends, in philosophical inquiry in bioethics today. The main argument is that, in order to make better sense of the complexity of the ethical questions and challenges we face today across the globe, we need to embrace the universal nature of self-critical and analytical philosophical analysis and argumentation, rather than using seemingly philosophical approaches to give unjustified normative emphasis on different cultural approaches to bioethics.

The structure and infrastructure of the global nanotechnology literature

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kostoff, Ronald N.; Stump, Jesse A.; Johnson, Dustin; Murday, James S.; Lau, Clifford G. Y.; Tolles, William M.

2006-08-01

Text mining is the extraction of useful information from large volumes of text. A text mining analysis of the global open nanotechnology literature was performed. Records from the Science Citation Index (SCI)/Social SCI were analyzed to provide the infrastructure of the global nanotechnology literature (prolific authors/journals/institutions/countries, most cited authors/papers/journals) and the thematic structure (taxonomy) of the global nanotechnology literature, from a science perspective. Records from the Engineering Compendex (EC) were analyzed to provide a taxonomy from a technology perspective. The Far Eastern countries have expanded nanotechnology publication output dramatically in the past decade.

Recurrent jellyfish blooms are a consequence of global oscillations

PubMed Central

Condon, Robert H.; Duarte, Carlos M.; Pitt, Kylie A.; Robinson, Kelly L.; Lucas, Cathy H.; Sutherland, Kelly R.; Mianzan, Hermes W.; Bogeberg, Molly; Purcell, Jennifer E.; Decker, Mary Beth; Uye, Shin-ichi; Madin, Laurence P.; Brodeur, Richard D.; Haddock, Steven H. D.; Malej, Alenka; Parry, Gregory D.; Eriksen, Elena; Quiñones, Javier; Acha, Marcelo; Harvey, Michel; Arthur, James M.; Graham, William M.

2013-01-01

A perceived recent increase in global jellyfish abundance has been portrayed as a symptom of degraded oceans. This perception is based primarily on a few case studies and anecdotal evidence, but a formal analysis of global temporal trends in jellyfish populations has been missing. Here, we analyze all available long-term datasets on changes in jellyfish abundance across multiple coastal stations, using linear and logistic mixed models and effect-size analysis to show that there is no robust evidence for a global increase in jellyfish. Although there has been a small linear increase in jellyfish since the 1970s, this trend was unsubstantiated by effect-size analysis that showed no difference in the proportion of increasing vs. decreasing jellyfish populations over all time periods examined. Rather, the strongest nonrandom trend indicated jellyfish populations undergo larger, worldwide oscillations with an approximate 20-y periodicity, including a rising phase during the 1990s that contributed to the perception of a global increase in jellyfish abundance. Sustained monitoring is required over the next decade to elucidate with statistical confidence whether the weak increasing linear trend in jellyfish after 1970 is an actual shift in the baseline or part of an oscillation. Irrespective of the nature of increase, given the potential damage posed by jellyfish blooms to fisheries, tourism, and other human industries, our findings foretell recurrent phases of rise and fall in jellyfish populations that society should be prepared to face. PMID:23277544

Global Handwashing Day 2012: a qualitative content analysis of Chinese social media reaction to a health promotion event.

PubMed

Fung, Isaac Chun-Hai; Cai, Jingxian; Hao, Yi; Ying, Yuchen; Chan, Benedict Shing Bun; Tse, Zion Tsz Ho; Fu, King-Wa

2015-01-01

Global Handwashing Day (GHD) is a handwashing promotion campaign organized by the Global Public-Private Partnership of Handwashing with Soap. In China, it has been promoted by the Chinese public health authorities, international organizations and multinational corporations through various channels including social media such as Sina Weibo, the leading Chinese microblogging site similar to Twitter. The objective of this study is to qualitatively assess Chinese social media users' reactions to a health promotion campaign using Global Handwashing Day (GHD) 2012 as an example. We conducted a qualitative content analysis of 552 Weibo posts generated on GHD 2012 by Weibo users with 1000 or more followers with the Chinese keyword for "handwashing." We categorized the Weibo posts into groups by keywords that frequently appeared in the data set. These groups were either exact reposts of an original post, or they conveyed similar information. We observed the interconnections between traditional media and social media in handwashing promotion. Social media were found to serve as amplifiers of contents provided by traditional media. We observed the contextualization of global hygiene messages in a unique national social media market in China. Our study showed that social media and traditional media are two interconnected arms of the GHD campaign in China. Our analysis demonstrated that public health campaigns in China can be evaluated using social media data. The themes and topics identified in this study will help public health practitioners evaluate future social media handwashing promotion campaigns.

GCIP water and energy budget synthesis (WEBS)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Roads, J.; Lawford, R.; Bainto, E.; Berbery, E.; Chen, S.; Fekete, B.; Gallo, K.; Grundstein, A.; Higgins, W.; Kanamitsu, M.; Krajewski, W.; Lakshmi, V.; Leathers, D.; Lettenmaier, D.; Luo, L.; Maurer, E.; Meyers, T.; Miller, D.; Mitchell, Ken; Mote, T.; Pinker, R.; Reichler, T.; Robinson, D.; Robock, A.; Smith, J.; Srinivasan, G.; Verdin, K.; Vinnikov, K.; Vonder, Haar T.; Vorosmarty, C.; Williams, S.; Yarosh, E.

2003-01-01

As part of the World Climate Research Program's (WCRPs) Global Energy and Water-Cycle Experiment (GEWEX) Continental-scale International Project (GCIP), a preliminary water and energy budget synthesis (WEBS) was developed for the period 1996-1999 fromthe "best available" observations and models. Besides this summary paper, a companion CD-ROM with more extensive discussion, figures, tables, and raw data is available to the interested researcher from the GEWEX project office, the GAPP project office, or the first author. An updated online version of the CD-ROM is also available at http://ecpc.ucsd.edu/gcip/webs.htm/. Observations cannot adequately characterize or "close" budgets since too many fundamental processes are missing. Models that properly represent the many complicated atmospheric and near-surface interactions are also required. This preliminary synthesis therefore included a representative global general circulation model, regional climate model, and a macroscale hydrologic model as well as a global reanalysis and a regional analysis. By the qualitative agreement among the models and available observations, it did appear that we now qualitatively understand water and energy budgets of the Mississippi River Basin. However, there is still much quantitative uncertainty. In that regard, there did appear to be a clear advantage to using a regional analysis over a global analysis or a regional simulation over a global simulation to describe the Mississippi River Basin water and energy budgets. There also appeared to be some advantage to using a macroscale hydrologic model for at least the surface water budgets. Copyright 2003 by the American Geophysical Union.

The regional and global significance of nitrogen removal in lakes and reservoirs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Harrison, J.A.; Maranger, R.J.; Alexander, Richard B.; Giblin, A.E.; Jacinthe, P.-A.; Mayorga, Emilio; Seitzinger, S.P.; Sobota, D.J.; Wollheim, W.M.

2009-01-01

Human activities have greatly increased the transport of biologically available nitrogen (N) through watersheds to potentially sensitive coastal ecosystems. Lentic water bodies (lakes and reservoirs) have the potential to act as important sinks for this reactive N as it is transported across the landscape because they offer ideal conditions for N burial in sediments or permanent loss via denitrification. However, the patterns and controls on lentic N removal have not been explored in great detail at large regional to global scales. In this paper we describe, evaluate, and apply a new, spatially explicit, annual-scale, global model of lentic N removal called NiRReLa (Nitrogen Retention in Reservoirs and Lakes). The NiRReLa model incorporates small lakes and reservoirs than have been included in previous global analyses, and also allows for separate treatment and analysis of reservoirs and natural lakes. Model runs for the mid-1990s indicate that lentic systems are indeed important sinks for N and are conservatively estimated to remove 19.7 Tg N year-1 from watersheds globally. Small lakes (<50 km2) were critical in the analysis, retaining almost half (9.3 Tg N year -1) of the global total. In model runs, capacity of lakes and reservoirs to remove watershed N varied substantially at the half-degree scale (0-100%) both as a function of climate and the density of lentic systems. Although reservoirs occupy just 6% of the global lentic surface area, we estimate they retain ~33% of the total N removed by lentic systems, due to a combination of higher drainage ratios (catchment surface area:lake or reservoir surface area), higher apparent settling velocities for N, and greater average N loading rates in reservoirs than in lakes. Finally, a sensitivity analysis of NiRReLa suggests that, on-average, N removal within lentic systems will respond more strongly to changes in land use and N loading than to changes in climate at the global scale. ?? 2008 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Dark sides of the proposed Framework Convention on Global Health's many virtues: A systematic review and critical analysis.

PubMed

Hoffman, Steven J; Røttingen, John-Arne

2013-06-14

The costs of any proposal for new international law must be fully evaluated and compared with benefits and competing alternatives to ensure adoption will not create more problems than solutions. A systematic review of the research literature was conducted to categorize and assess limitations and unintended negative consequences associated with the proposed Framework Convention on Global Health (FCGH). A critical analysis then interpreted these findings using economic, ethical, legal, and political science perspectives. Of the 442 documents retrieved, nine met the inclusion criteria. Collectively, these documents highlighted that an FCGH could duplicate other efforts, lack feasibility, and have questionable impact. The critical analysis reveals that negative consequences can result from the FCGH's proposed form of international law and proposed functions of influencing national budgets, realizing health rights and resetting global governance for health. These include the direct costs of international law, opportunity costs, reducing political dialogue by legalizing political interactions, petrifying principles that may have only contemporary relevance, imposing foreign values on less powerful countries, forcing externally defined goals on countries, prioritizing individual rights over population-wide well-being, further complicating global governance for health, weakening the World Health Organization (WHO), reducing participation opportunities for non-state actors, and offering sub-optimal solutions for global health challenges. Four options for revising the FCGH proposal are developed to address its weaknesses and strengthen its potential for impact. These include: 1) abandoning international law as the primary commitment mechanism and instead pursuing agreement towards a less formal "framework for global health"; 2) seeking fundamental constitutional reform of WHO to address gaps in global governance for health; 3) mobilizing for a separate political platform that completely bypasses WHO; or 4) narrowing the scope of sought changes to one particular governance issue such as financing for global health needs. Copyright © 2013 Hoffman and Rottingen. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/3.0/), which permits unrestricted non-commercial use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Uncertainty of the global oceanic CO2 exchange at the air-water interface induced by the choice of the gas exchange velocity formulation and the wind product: quantification and spatial analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Roobaert, Alizee; Laruelle, Goulven; Landschützer, Peter; Regnier, Pierre

2017-04-01

In lakes, rivers, estuaries and the ocean, the quantification of air-water CO2 exchange (FCO2) is still characterized by large uncertainties partly due to the lack of agreement over the parameterization of the gas exchange velocity (k). Although the ocean is generally regarded as the best constrained system because k is only controlled by the wind speed, numerous formulations are still currently used, leading to potentially large differences in FCO2. Here, a quantitative global spatial analysis of FCO2 is presented using several k-wind speed formulations in order to compare the effect of the choice of parameterization of k on FCO2. This analysis is performed at a 1 degree resolution using a sea surface pCO2 product generated using a two-step artificial neuronal network by Landschützer et al. (2015) over the 1991-2011 period. Four different global wind speed datasets (CCMP, ERA, NCEP 1 and NCEP 2) are also used to assess the effect of the choice of one wind speed product over the other when calculating the global and regional oceanic FCO2. Results indicate that this choice of wind speed product only leads to small discrepancies globally (6 %) except with NCEP 2 which produces a more intense global FCO2 compared to the other wind products. Regionally, theses differences are even more pronounced. For a given wind speed product, the choice of parametrization of k yields global FCO2 differences ranging from 7 % to 16 % depending on the wind product used. We also provide latitudinal profiles of FCO2 and its uncertainty calculated combining all combinations between the different k-relationships and the four wind speed products. Wind speeds >14 m s-1, which only account for 7 % of all observations, contributes disproportionately to the global oceanic FCO2 and, for this range of wind speeds, the uncertainty induced by the choice of formulation for k is maximum ( 50 %).

Generation of political priority for global surgery: a qualitative policy analysis.

PubMed

Shawar, Yusra Ribhi; Shiffman, Jeremy; Spiegel, David A

2015-08-01

Despite the high burden of surgical conditions, the provision of surgical services has been a low global health priority. We examined factors that have shaped priority for global surgical care. We undertook semi-structured interviews by telephone with members of global surgical networks and ministries of health to explore the challenges and opportunities surgeons, anaesthesiologists, and other proponents face in increasing global priority for surgery. We did a literature review and collected information from reports from organisations involved in surgery. We used a policy framework consisting of four categories-actor power, ideas, political contexts, and characteristics of the issue itself-to analyse factors that have shaped global political priority for surgery. We did a thematic analysis on the collected information. Several factors hinder the acquisition of attention and resources for global surgery. With respect to actor power, the global surgery community is fragmented, does not have unifying leadership, and is missing guiding institutions. Regarding ideas, community members disagree on how to address and publicly position the problem. With respect to political contexts, the community has made insufficient efforts to capitalise on political opportunities such as the Millennium Development Goals. Regarding issue characteristics, data on the burden of surgical diseases are limited and public misperceptions surrounding the cost and complexity of surgery are widespread. However, the community has several strengths that portend well for the acquisition of political support. These include the existence of networks deeply committed to the cause, the potential to link with global health priorities, and emerging research on the cost-effectiveness of some procedures. To improve global priority for surgery, proponents will need to create an effective governance structure that facilitates achievement of collective goals, generate consensus on solutions, and find an effective public positioning of the issue that attracts political support. None. Copyright © 2015 Shawar et al. Open Access article distributed under the terms of CC BY-NC-ND. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Global spatiotemporal distribution of soil respiration modeled using a global database

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hashimoto, S.; Carvalhais, N.; Ito, A.; Migliavacca, M.; Nishina, K.; Reichstein, M.

2015-07-01

The flux of carbon dioxide from the soil to the atmosphere (soil respiration) is one of the major fluxes in the global carbon cycle. At present, the accumulated field observation data cover a wide range of geographical locations and climate conditions. However, there are still large uncertainties in the magnitude and spatiotemporal variation of global soil respiration. Using a global soil respiration data set, we developed a climate-driven model of soil respiration by modifying and updating Raich's model, and the global spatiotemporal distribution of soil respiration was examined using this model. The model was applied at a spatial resolution of 0.5°and a monthly time step. Soil respiration was divided into the heterotrophic and autotrophic components of respiration using an empirical model. The estimated mean annual global soil respiration was 91 Pg C yr-1 (between 1965 and 2012; Monte Carlo 95 % confidence interval: 87-95 Pg C yr-1) and increased at the rate of 0.09 Pg C yr-2. The contribution of soil respiration from boreal regions to the total increase in global soil respiration was on the same order of magnitude as that of tropical and temperate regions, despite a lower absolute magnitude of soil respiration in boreal regions. The estimated annual global heterotrophic respiration and global autotrophic respiration were 51 and 40 Pg C yr-1, respectively. The global soil respiration responded to the increase in air temperature at the rate of 3.3 Pg C yr-1 °C-1, and Q10 = 1.4. Our study scaled up observed soil respiration values from field measurements to estimate global soil respiration and provide a data-oriented estimate of global soil respiration. The estimates are based on a semi-empirical model parameterized with over one thousand data points. Our analysis indicates that the climate controls on soil respiration may translate into an increasing trend in global soil respiration and our analysis emphasizes the relevance of the soil carbon flux from soil to the atmosphere in response to climate change. Further approaches should additionally focus on climate controls in soil respiration in combination with changes in vegetation dynamics and soil carbon stocks, along with their effects on the long temporal dynamics of soil respiration. We expect that these spatiotemporal estimates will provide a benchmark for future studies and also help to constrain process-oriented models.

Global Identification of Disease Associated Genes in Fragile X Cells

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-08-01

for this study listed as follows: 1) Validate the co-localized R-loop formation and chromosome fragility in Fragile X cells, particularly at the brain ...retardation protein February 2016, NGS Data Analysis & Informatics Conference, San Diego, California (Poster presentation) Title: Global detection

Part 1. The GLOSAS Project.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Utsumi, Takeshi; Mogalhaes, Maria Rosa Abreu

1993-01-01

Describes accomplishments of the Global Systems Analysis and Simulation (GLOSAS) project from 1973 to the present, including a system for global peace gaming. The capabilities of interactive multimedia to link people across political and geographic boundaries for joint study, debate, research, planetary problem solving, and political action are…

Analysis of West African Drug Trafficking: The Dynamics of Interdiction and State Capacity

DTIC Science & Technology

2011-03-01

www.unodc.org/southerncone/en/frontpage/2010/05/21-cooperacao-internacional-brasil- forma - oficiais-que-irao-administrar-academia-de-policia-na-guine...Side of Globalization. Tracking Globalization. Bloomington: Indiana University Press, 2005. Vaz, Nuno and Iris Cordelia Rotzoll. “Presidential

Lithospheric Structure from Mars Global Surveyor Topography and Gravity and Implications for the Early Thermal Evolution of Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Solomon, Sean C.; Zuber, Maria T.; Phillips, Roger J.; Smith, David E.; Tyler, G. Leonard; Aharonson, Oded; Balmino, Georges; Banerdt, W. B.; Head, James W.; Johnson, Catherine L.

2000-01-01

Regional variations in the thickness of the elastic lithosphere on Mars derived from a combined analysis of topography and gravity anomalies determined by Mars Global Surveyor provide new insight into the planet's thermal history.

Mapping Global Research on International Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuzhabekova, Aliya; Hendel, Darwin D.; Chapman, David W.

2015-01-01

The purpose of the study is to map global research in international higher education. Specifically, the study uses bibliometric and social network analysis methods to identify key individuals, institutions, countries, and disciplines contributing to research in international higher education and to investigate patterns of connectivity among…

The Global Systems Analysis and Simulation (GLOSAS) Project, and the Global Lecture Hall (GLH) Operating at the Orlando ICEM Conference.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bell, John

1993-01-01

Introduces two articles which describe an interactive video conference between North and South America, the Caribbean, Europe, and Scandinavia as part of the International Council for Educational Media (ICEM) 1992 conference. (EAM)

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

The Benchmarks of Global Clean Energy Manufacturing will help policymakers and industry gain deeper understanding of global manufacturing of clean energy technologies. Increased knowledge of the product supply chains can inform decisions related to manufacturing facilities for extracting and processing raw materials, making the array of required subcomponents, and assembling and shipping the final product. This brochure summarized key findings from the analysis and includes important figures from the report. The report was prepared by the Clean Energy Manufacturing Analysis Center (CEMAC) analysts at the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory.

SEASAT-A SASS wind processing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Langland, R. A.; Stephens, P. L.; Pihos, G. G.

1980-01-01

The techniques used for ingesting SEASAT-A SASS wind retrievals into the existing operational software are described. The intent is to assess the impact of SEASAT data in he marine wind fields produced by the global marine wind/sea level pressure analysis. This analysis is performed on a 21/2 deg latitude/longitude global grid which executes at three hourly time increments. Wind fields with and without SASS winds are being compared. The problems of data volume reduction and aliased wind retrieval ambiquity are treated.

Combinatorial-topological framework for the analysis of global dynamics.

PubMed

Bush, Justin; Gameiro, Marcio; Harker, Shaun; Kokubu, Hiroshi; Mischaikow, Konstantin; Obayashi, Ippei; Pilarczyk, Paweł

2012-12-01

We discuss an algorithmic framework based on efficient graph algorithms and algebraic-topological computational tools. The framework is aimed at automatic computation of a database of global dynamics of a given m-parameter semidynamical system with discrete time on a bounded subset of the n-dimensional phase space. We introduce the mathematical background, which is based upon Conley's topological approach to dynamics, describe the algorithms for the analysis of the dynamics using rectangular grids both in phase space and parameter space, and show two sample applications.

Combinatorial-topological framework for the analysis of global dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bush, Justin; Gameiro, Marcio; Harker, Shaun; Kokubu, Hiroshi; Mischaikow, Konstantin; Obayashi, Ippei; Pilarczyk, Paweł

2012-12-01

We discuss an algorithmic framework based on efficient graph algorithms and algebraic-topological computational tools. The framework is aimed at automatic computation of a database of global dynamics of a given m-parameter semidynamical system with discrete time on a bounded subset of the n-dimensional phase space. We introduce the mathematical background, which is based upon Conley's topological approach to dynamics, describe the algorithms for the analysis of the dynamics using rectangular grids both in phase space and parameter space, and show two sample applications.

Dynamic fracture mechanics analysis for an edge delamination crack

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rizzi, Stephen A.; Doyle, James F.

1994-01-01

A global/local analysis is applied to the problem of a panel with an edge delamination crack subject to an impulse loading to ascertain the dynamic J integral. The approach uses the spectral element method to obtain the global dynamic response and local resultants to obtain the J integral. The variation of J integral along the crack front is shown. The crack behavior is mixed mode (Mode 2 and Mode 3), but is dominated by the Mode 2 behavior.

Data Visualization and Analysis for Climate Studies using NASA Giovanni Online System

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Rui, Hualan; Leptoukh, Gregory; Lloyd, Steven

2008-01-01

With many global earth observation systems and missions focused on climate systems and the associated large volumes of observational data available for exploring and explaining how climate is changing and why, there is an urgent need for climate services. Giovanni, the NASA GES DISC Interactive Online Visualization ANd ANalysis Infrastructure, is a simple to use yet powerful tool for analysing these data for research on global warming and climate change, as well as for applications to weather. air quality, agriculture, and water resources,

Local-global analysis of crack growth in continuously reinfoced ceramic matrix composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ballarini, Roberto; Ahmed, Shamim

1989-01-01

This paper describes the development of a mathematical model for predicting the strength and micromechanical failure characteristics of continuously reinforced ceramic matrix composites. The local-global analysis models the vicinity of a propagating crack tip as a local heterogeneous region (LHR) consisting of spring-like representation of the matrix, fibers and interfaces. Parametric studies are conducted to investigate the effects of LHR size, component properties, and interface conditions on the strength and sequence of the failure processes in the unidirectional composite system.

A global magnetic anomaly map. [obtained from POGO satellite data

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Regan, R. D.; Davis, W. M.; Cain, J. C.

1974-01-01

A subset of POGO satellite magnetometer data has been formed that is suitable for analysis of crustal magnetic anomalies. Using a thirteenth order field model, fit to these data, magnetic residuals have been calculated over the world to latitude limits of plus 50 deg. These residuals averaged over one degree latitude-longitude blocks represent a detailed global magnetic anomaly map derived solely from satellite data. Preliminary analysis of the map indicates that the anomalies are real and of geological origin.

The importance of national and international collaboration in adult congenital heart disease: A network analysis of research output.

PubMed

Orwat, Melanie Iris; Kempny, Aleksander; Bauer, Ulrike; Gatzoulis, Michael A; Baumgartner, Helmut; Diller, Gerhard-Paul

2015-09-15

The determinants of adult congenital heart disease (ACHD) research output are only partially understood. The heterogeneity of ACHD naturally calls for collaborative work; however, limited information exists on the impact of collaboration on academic performance. We aimed to examine the global topology of ACHD research, distribution of research collaboration and its association with cumulative research output. Based on publications presenting original research between 2005 and 2011, a network analysis was performed quantifying centrality measures and key players in the field of ACHD. In addition, network maps were produced to illustrate the global distribution and interconnected nature of ACHD research. The proportion of collaborative research was 35.6 % overall, with a wide variation between countries (7.1 to 62.8%). The degree of research collaboration, as well as measures of network centrality (betweenness and degree centrality), were statistically associated with cumulative research output independently of national wealth and available workforce. The global ACHD research network was found to be scale-free with a small number of central hubs and a relatively large number of peripheral nodes. In addition, we could identify potentially influential hubs based on cluster analysis and measures of centrality/key player analysis. Using network analysis methods the current study illustrates the complex and global structures of ACHD research. It suggests that collaboration between research institutions is associated with higher academic output. As a consequence national and international collaboration in ACHD research should be encouraged and the creation of an adequate supporting infrastructure should be further promoted. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

The 'Book of Life' in the press: comparing German and Irish media discourse on human genome research.

PubMed

O'Mahony, Patrick; Schäfer, Mike Steffen

2005-02-01

The essay compares German and Irish media coverage of human genome research in the year 2000, using qualitative and quantitative frame analysis of a print media corpus. Drawing from a media-theoretical account of science communication, the study examines four analytic dimensions: (1) the influence of global and national sources of discourse; (2) the nature of elaboration on important themes; (3) the extent of societal participation in discourse production; (4) the cultural conditions in which the discourse resonates. The analysis shows that a global discursive package, emphasizing claims of scientific achievement and medical progress, dominates media coverage in both countries. However, German coverage is more extensive and elaborate, and includes a wider range of participants. Irish coverage more often incorporates the global package without further elaboration. These finding indicate that the global package is 'localized' differently due to national patterns of interests, German participation in human genome research, traditions of media coverage, and the domestic resonance of the issue.

Links between global meat trade and organic river pollution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wen, Yingrong; Schoups, Gerrit; van de Giesen, Nick

2017-04-01

Rising demand of meat boosts livestock farming intensification. Due to international meat trade, the environmental costs of production are becoming increasingly separated from where the meat is consumed. However, little is known about the impact of trade on the environment for both importers and exporters. Combining multi-scale (national, regional and gridded) data, we present a new method to quantify the impacts of international meat trade on global river organic pollution. We computed spatially distributed organic pollution in global river networks with and without meat trade, where the without-trade scenario assumes that meat imports are replaced by local production. Our analysis indicates high potential savings of livestock population and pollutants production at the global scale due to the international meat trade. The spatially detailed analysis shows that current trade contributes to organic pollution reductions in meat importing regions, especially in rich nations. The deterioration of river water quality, especially in developing regions, points to an urgent need for affordable infrastructure and technology development and wastewater solutions.

Stability and Scalability of the CMS Global Pool: Pushing HTCondor and GlideinWMS to New Limits

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

Balcas, J.; Bockelman, B.; Hufnagel, D.

The CMS Global Pool, based on HTCondor and glideinWMS, is the main computing resource provisioning system for all CMS workflows, including analysis, Monte Carlo production, and detector data reprocessing activities. The total resources at Tier-1 and Tier-2 grid sites pledged to CMS exceed 100,000 CPU cores, while another 50,000 to 100,000 CPU cores are available opportunistically, pushing the needs of the Global Pool to higher scales each year. These resources are becoming more diverse in their accessibility and configuration over time. Furthermore, the challenge of stably running at higher and higher scales while introducing new modes of operation such asmore » multi-core pilots, as well as the chaotic nature of physics analysis workflows, places huge strains on the submission infrastructure. This paper details some of the most important challenges to scalability and stability that the CMS Global Pool has faced since the beginning of the LHC Run II and how they were overcome.« less

Global climate shocks to agriculture from 1950 - 2015

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jackson, N. D.; Konar, M.; Debaere, P.; Sheffield, J.

2016-12-01

Climate shocks represent a major disruption to crop yields and agricultural production, yet a consistent and comprehensive database of agriculturally relevant climate shocks does not exist. To this end, we conduct a spatially and temporally disaggregated analysis of climate shocks to agriculture from 1950-2015 using a new gridded dataset. We quantify the occurrence and magnitude of climate shocks for all global agricultural areas during the growing season using a 0.25-degree spatial grid and daily time scale. We include all major crops and both temperature and precipitation extremes in our analysis. Critically, we evaluate climate shocks to all potential agricultural areas to improve projections within our time series. To do this, we use Global Agro-Ecological Zones maps from the Food and Agricultural Organization, the Princeton Global Meteorological Forcing dataset, and crop calendars from Sacks et al. (2010). We trace the dynamic evolution of climate shocks to agriculture, evaluate the spatial heterogeneity in agriculturally relevant climate shocks, and identify the crops and regions that are most prone to climate shocks.

Global alliances effect in coalition forming

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vinogradova, Galina; Galam, Serge

2014-11-01

Coalition forming is investigated among countries, which are coupled with short range interactions, under the influence of externally-set opposing global alliances. The model extends a recent Natural Model of coalition forming inspired from Statistical Physics, where instabilities are a consequence of decentralized maximization of the individual benefits of actors. In contrast to physics where spins can only evaluate the immediate cost/benefit of a flip of orientation, countries have a long horizon of rationality, which associates with the ability to envision a way up to a better configuration even at the cost of passing through intermediate loosing states. The stabilizing effect is produced through polarization by the global alliances of either a particular unique global interest factor or multiple simultaneous ones. This model provides a versatile theoretical tool for the analysis of real cases and design of novel strategies. Such analysis is provided for several real cases including the Eurozone. The results shed a new light on the understanding of the complex phenomena of planned stabilization in the coalition forming.

Stability and scalability of the CMS Global Pool: Pushing HTCondor and glideinWMS to new limits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Balcas, J.; Bockelman, B.; Hufnagel, D.; Hurtado Anampa, K.; Aftab Khan, F.; Larson, K.; Letts, J.; Marra da Silva, J.; Mascheroni, M.; Mason, D.; Perez-Calero Yzquierdo, A.; Tiradani, A.

2017-10-01

The CMS Global Pool, based on HTCondor and glideinWMS, is the main computing resource provisioning system for all CMS workflows, including analysis, Monte Carlo production, and detector data reprocessing activities. The total resources at Tier-1 and Tier-2 grid sites pledged to CMS exceed 100,000 CPU cores, while another 50,000 to 100,000 CPU cores are available opportunistically, pushing the needs of the Global Pool to higher scales each year. These resources are becoming more diverse in their accessibility and configuration over time. Furthermore, the challenge of stably running at higher and higher scales while introducing new modes of operation such as multi-core pilots, as well as the chaotic nature of physics analysis workflows, places huge strains on the submission infrastructure. This paper details some of the most important challenges to scalability and stability that the CMS Global Pool has faced since the beginning of the LHC Run II and how they were overcome.

The Pilot Phase of the Global Soil Wetness Project Phase 3

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, H.; Oki, T.

2015-12-01

After the second phase of the Global Soil Wetness Project (GSWP2) as an early global continuous gridded multi-model analysis, a comprehensive set of land surface fluxes and state variables became available. It has been broadly utilized in the hydrology community, and its success has evolved to take advantages of recent scientific progress and to extend the relatively short time span (1986-1995) of the previous project. In the third phase proposed here (GSWP3), an extensive set of quantities for hydro-energy-eco systems will be produced to investigate their long-term (1901-2010) changes. The energy-water-carbon cycles and their interactions are also examined subcomponent-wise with appropriate model verifications in ensemble land simulations. In this study, the preliminary results and problems found from the first round analysis of the GSWP3 pilot study are shown. Also, it is discussed how the global offline simulation activity contributes to wider communities and a bigger scope such as Climate Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 (CMIP6).

MicroTCA-based Global Trigger Upgrade project for the CMS experiment at LHC

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahbaran, B.; Arnold, B.; Bergauer, H.; Eichberger, M.; Rabady, D.

2011-12-01

The electronics of the first Level Global Trigger (GT) of CMS is the last stage of the Level-1 trigger system [1]. At LHC up to 40 million collisions of proton bunches occur every second, resulting in about 800 million proton collisions. The CMS Level-1 Global Trigger [1], a custom designed electronics system based on FPGA technology and the VMEbus system, performs a quick on-line analysis of each collision every 25 ns and decides whether to reject or to accept it for further analysis. The CMS trigger group of the Institute of High Energy Physics in Vienna (HEPHY) is involved in the Level-1 trigger of the CMS experiment at CERN. As part of the Trigger Upgrade, the Level-1 Global Trigger will be redesigned and implemented in MicroTCA based technology, which allows engineers to detect all possible faults on plug-in boards, in the power supply and in the cooling system. The upgraded Global Trigger will be designed to have the same basic categories of functions as the present GT, but will have more algorithms and more possibilities for combining trigger candidates. Additionally, reconfigurability and testability will be supported based on the next system generation.

Global Simulation of Bioenergy Crop Productivity: Analytical Framework and Case Study for Switchgrass

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

Kang, Shujiang; Kline, Keith L; Nair, S. Surendran

A global energy crop productivity model that provides geospatially explicit quantitative details on biomass potential and factors affecting sustainability would be useful, but does not exist now. This study describes a modeling platform capable of meeting many challenges associated with global-scale agro-ecosystem modeling. We designed an analytical framework for bioenergy crops consisting of six major components: (i) standardized natural resources datasets, (ii) global field-trial data and crop management practices, (iii) simulation units and management scenarios, (iv) model calibration and validation, (v) high-performance computing (HPC) simulation, and (vi) simulation output processing and analysis. The HPC-Environmental Policy Integrated Climate (HPC-EPIC) model simulatedmore » a perennial bioenergy crop, switchgrass (Panicum virgatum L.), estimating feedstock production potentials and effects across the globe. This modeling platform can assess soil C sequestration, net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, nonpoint source pollution (e.g., nutrient and pesticide loss), and energy exchange with the atmosphere. It can be expanded to include additional bioenergy crops (e.g., miscanthus, energy cane, and agave) and food crops under different management scenarios. The platform and switchgrass field-trial dataset are available to support global analysis of biomass feedstock production potential and corresponding metrics of sustainability.« less

The influence of globalization on medical regulation: a descriptive analysis of international medical graduates registered through alternative licensure routes in Ontario

PubMed Central

Yen, Wendy; Hodwitz, Kathryn; Thakkar, Niels; Martimianakis, Maria Athina (Tina); Faulkner, Dan

2016-01-01

The increasing globalization of the medical profession has influenced health policy, health human resource planning, and medical regulation in Canada. Since the early 2000s, numerous policy initiatives have been created to facilitate the entry of international medical graduates (IMGs) into the Canadian workforce. In Ontario, the College of Physicians and Surgeons of Ontario (CPSO) developed alternative licensure routes to increase the ability of qualified IMGs to obtain licenses to practice. The current study provides demographic and descriptive information about the IMGs registered through the CPSO’s alternative licensure routes between 2000 and 2012. An analysis of the characteristics and career trajectories of all IMGs practicing in the province sheds light on broader globalization trends and raises questions about the future of health human resource planning in Canada. As the medical profession becomes increasingly globalized, health policy and regulation will continue to be influenced by trends in international migration, concerns about global health equity, and the shifting demographics of the Canadian physician workforce. Implications for future policy development in the complex landscape of medical education and practice are discussed. PMID:28344705

On dynamical systems approaches and methods in f ( R ) cosmology

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

Alho, Artur; Carloni, Sante; Uggla, Claes, E-mail: aalho@math.ist.utl.pt, E-mail: sante.carloni@tecnico.ulisboa.pt, E-mail: claes.uggla@kau.se

We discuss dynamical systems approaches and methods applied to flat Robertson-Walker models in f ( R )-gravity. We argue that a complete description of the solution space of a model requires a global state space analysis that motivates globally covering state space adapted variables. This is shown explicitly by an illustrative example, f ( R ) = R + α R {sup 2}, α > 0, for which we introduce new regular dynamical systems on global compactly extended state spaces for the Jordan and Einstein frames. This example also allows us to illustrate several local and global dynamical systems techniquesmore » involving, e.g., blow ups of nilpotent fixed points, center manifold analysis, averaging, and use of monotone functions. As a result of applying dynamical systems methods to globally state space adapted dynamical systems formulations, we obtain pictures of the entire solution spaces in both the Jordan and the Einstein frames. This shows, e.g., that due to the domain of the conformal transformation between the Jordan and Einstein frames, not all the solutions in the Jordan frame are completely contained in the Einstein frame. We also make comparisons with previous dynamical systems approaches to f ( R ) cosmology and discuss their advantages and disadvantages.« less

Qualitative Description of Global Health Nursing Competencies by Nursing Faculty in Africa and the Americas

PubMed Central

Wilson, Lynda; Moran, Laura; Zarate, Rosa; Warren, Nicole; Ventura, Carla Aparecida Arena; Tamí-Maury, Irene; Mendes, Isabel Amélia Costa

2016-01-01

Abstract Objective: to analyze qualitative comments from four surveys asking nursing faculty to rate the importance of 30 global health competencies for undergraduate nursing programs. Method: qualitative descriptive study that included 591 individuals who responded to the survey in English (49 from Africa and 542 from the Americas), 163 who responded to the survey in Spanish (all from Latin America), and 222 Brazilian faculty who responded to the survey in Portuguese. Qualitative comments were recorded at the end of the surveys by 175 respondents to the English survey, 75 to the Spanish survey, and 70 to the Portuguese survey. Qualitative description and a committee approach guided data analysis. Results: ten new categories of global health competencies emerged from the analysis. Faculty also demonstrated concern about how and when these competencies could be integrated into nursing curricula. Conclusion: the additional categories should be considered for addition to the previously identified global health competencies. These, in addition to the guidance about integration into existing curricula, can be used to guide refinement of the original list of global health competencies. Further research is needed to seek consensus about these competencies and to develop recommendations and standards to guide nursing curriculum development. PMID:27276020

The Effects of Global Warming on Temperature and Precipitation Trends in Northeast America

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Francis, F.

2013-12-01

The objective of this paper is to discuss the analysis of results in temperature and precipitation (rainfall) data and how they are affected by the theory of global warming in Northeast America. The topic was chosen because it will show the trends in temperature and precipitation and their relations to global warming. Data was collected from The Global Historical Climatology Network (GHCN). The data range from years of 1973 to 2012. We were able to calculate the yearly and monthly regress to estimate the relationship of variables found in the individual sources. With the use of specially designed software, analysis and manual calculations we are able to give a visualization of these trends in precipitation and temperature and to question if these trends are due to the theory of global warming. With the Calculation of the trends in slope we were able to interpret the changes in minimum and maximum temperature and precipitation. Precipitation had a 9.5 % increase over the past forty years, while maximum temperature increased 1.9 %, a greater increase is seen in minimum temperature of 3.3 % was calculated over the years. The trends in precipitation, maximum and minimum temperature is statistically significant at a 95% level.

The next 5 years of global HIV/AIDS policy: critical gaps and strategies for effective responses.

PubMed

Szekeres, Greg

2008-08-01

The University of California, Los Angeles Program in Global Health performed a landscape analysis based on interviews conducted between November 2006 and February 2007 with 35 key informants from major international organizations conducting HIV/AIDS work. Institutions represented included multilateral organizations, foundations, and governmental and non-governmental organizations. The purpose of this analysis is to assist major foundations and other institutions to understand better the international HIV/AIDS policy landscape and to formulate research and development programmes that can make a significant contribution to moving important issues forward in the HIV/AIDS policy arena. Topics identified during the interviews were organized around the four major themes of the Ford Foundation's Global HIV/AIDS Initiative: leadership and leadership development; equity; accountability; and global partnerships. Key informants focused on the need for a visionary response to the HIV pandemic, the need to maintain momentum, ways to improve the scope of leadership development programmes, ideas for improving gender equity and addressing regional disparities and the needs of vulnerable populations, recommendations for strengthening accountability mechanisms among governments, foundations, and civil society and on calling for increased collaboration and partnership among key players in the global HIV/AIDS response.

The New 20-Year Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP) Merged Satellite and Rainguage Monthly Analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Adler, Robert; Huffman, George; Xie, Ping Ping; Rudolf, Bruno; Gruber, Arnold; Janowiak, John

1999-01-01

A new 20-year, monthly, globally complete precipitation analysis has been completed as part of the World Climate Research Program's (WCRP/GEWEX) Global Precipitation Climatology Project (GPCP). This Version 2 of the community generated data set is a result of combining the procedures and data sets as described. The global, monthly, 2.5x 2.5 degree latitude-longitude product utilizes precipitation estimates from low-orbit microwave sensors (SSM/1) and geosynchronous IR sensors and raingauge information over land. The low-orbit microwave estimates are used to adjust or correct the geosynchronous IR estimates, thereby maximizing the utility of the more physically-based microwave estimates and the finer time sampling of the geosynchronous observations. Information from raingauges is blended into the analyses over land. In the 1986-present period TOVS-based precipitation estimates are adjusted to GPCP fields and used in polar regions to produce globally-complete results. The extension back to 1979 utilizes the procedures of Xie and Arkin and their OLR Precipitation Index (OPI). The 20-year climatology of the Version 2 GPCP analysis indicates the expected features of a very strong Pacific Ocean ITCZ and SPCZ with maximum 20-year means approaching 10 mm/day. A similar strength maximum over land is evident over Borneo. Weaker maxima in the tropics occur in the Atlantic ITCZ and over South America and Africa. In mid-latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere the Western Pacific and Western Atlantic maxima have values of approximately 7 mm/day, while in the Southern Hemisphere the mid-latitude maxima are located southeast of Africa, in mid-Pacific as an extension of the SPCZ and southeast of South America. In terms of global totals the GPCP analysis shows 2.7 mm/day (3.0 mm/day over ocean; 2.1 mm/day over land), similar to the Jaeger climatology, but not other climatologies. Zonal averages peak at 6 mm/day at 7*N with mid-latitude peaks of about 3 mm/day at 40-45* latitude. Poleward of 45* the GPCP analysis shows larger zonally-averaged values than most previous satellite-based estimates, although the values are similar to tl,ie Jaeger climatology. Over both ocean areas and at high latitudes the analysis requires additional validation and comparison with special, independent data sets from field experiments and from the Tropical Rain Measuring Mission (TRMM) to confirm the absolute magnitude and variations of precipitation seen in the analysis. Interannual and other variations of the global fields will be shown focusing on the recent ('97-'99) ENSO event compared with previous events, including teleconnections at mid and high latitudes. An ENSO Precipitation Index (ESPI) calculated using the new data set will be described and related to the evolution of the ENSO events during the 20-year period.

Advancing Global Health - The Need for (Better) Social Science Comment on "Navigating Between Stealth Advocacy and Unconscious Dogmatism: The Challenge of Researching the Norms, Politics and Power of Global Health".

PubMed

Hanefeld, Johanna

2016-02-06

In his perspective "Navigating between stealth advocacy and unconscious dogmatism: the challenge of researching the norms, politics and power of global health," Ooms argues that actions taken in the field of global health are dependent not only on available resources, but on the normative premise that guides how these resources are spent. This comment sets out how the application of a predominately biomedical positivist research tradition in global health, has potentially limited understanding of the value judgements underlying decisions in the field. To redress this critical social science, including health policy analysis has much to offer, to the field of global health including on questions of governance. © 2016 by Kerman University of Medical Sciences.

Globalization: grasping the concept within the context of nursing.

PubMed

Keighley, Tom

2013-03-01

Globalization is a phenomenon traceable historically from the beginning of time as clans and tribes migrated and learnt from each other. The article in this issue of INR by Grootjans and Newman 'Globalization and nursing: a concept analysis' (pp. 78-85) makes the case for nurses to be educated about globalization as it applies to modern health care. The concept is complex and requires insight not only into health care itself but also fields such as human migration, economics, the significance of English as a universal language and the use and availability of information technology. Writings on the impact of global technology and social capital are also important. In addressing globalization, nurses need to access research and writings well beyond the standard healthcare oeuvre. © 2013 The Author. International Nursing Review © 2013 International Council of Nurses.

Urbanization and Greenhouse Gas Emissions from Industry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Didenko, N. I.; Skripnuk, D. F.; Mirolyubova, O. V.

2017-06-01

This article analyses the global environment. The article describes processes that characterize the global environment, specific indicators are suggested, that can be used to measure the change in the global environment. It is said that cities and all urbanized territories have a negative effect on the global environment. Originally, the authors wanted to call the article «City as a source of destruction of the global environment». But taking into account the fact that urbanization contributes to improving the economic efficiency of the state, cities are the centers of the economic, cultural and informational potential that provide a «breakthrough» into the development of the economy. The article assesses the impact of urbanization on the global environment. For the analysis of the impact of urbanization on the natural habitat, the autoregressive distributed lags (ADL-model) are chosen.

Globalization and medicine in Trinidad.

PubMed

Reznik, David L; Murphy, John W; Belgrave, Linda Liska

2007-05-01

In a qualitative study of urban Trinidadians who work in the medical industry, the concept of medical globalization was provisionally analysed. Two research questions were addressed: what is globalization, in the context of mainstream medicine, and how is this process manifested in everyday practices? Four fundamental principles of medical globalization emerged from in-depth interviews and analysis of observational materials: (1) the notion of history as an autonomous force with globalization as the latest stage, (2) the expansion of 'Total Market' philosophy as a driving social force, (3) the fragmentation of society into atomistic, self-interested, and competitive individuals, and (4) the adoption of a 'centralised' set of ideals as the normative core necessary for social order. In this paper, findings from this investigation and their implications are discussed. In particular, medical globalization is linked with major themes in medical sociological theory including dualism and medicalization.

Statistical analysis of global horizontal solar irradiation GHI in Fez city, Morocco

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bounoua, Z.; Mechaqrane, A.

2018-05-01

An accurate knowledge of the solar energy reaching the ground is necessary for sizing and optimizing the performances of solar installations. This paper describes a statistical analysis of the global horizontal solar irradiation (GHI) at Fez city, Morocco. For better reliability, we have first applied a set of check procedures to test the quality of hourly GHI measurements. We then eliminate the erroneous values which are generally due to measurement or the cosine effect errors. Statistical analysis show that the annual mean daily values of GHI is of approximately 5 kWh/m²/day. Daily monthly mean values and other parameter are also calculated.

Global and local approaches to population analysis: Bonding patterns in superheavy element compounds

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Oleynichenko, Alexander; Zaitsevskii, Andréi; Romanov, Stepan; Skripnikov, Leonid V.; Titov, Anatoly V.

2018-03-01

Relativistic effective atomic configurations of superheavy elements Cn, Nh and Fl and their lighter homologues (Hg, Tl and Pb) in their simple compounds with fluorine and oxygen are determined using the analysis of local properties of molecular Kohn-Sham density matrices in the vicinity of heavy nuclei. The difference in populations of atomic spinors with the same orbital angular momentum and different total angular momenta is demonstrated to be essential for understanding the peculiarities of chemical bonding in superheavy element compounds. The results are fully compatible with those obtained by the relativistic iterative version of conventional projection analysis of global density matrices.

A hierarchical structure for automatic meshing and adaptive FEM analysis

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Kela, Ajay; Saxena, Mukul; Perucchio, Renato

1987-01-01

A new algorithm for generating automatically, from solid models of mechanical parts, finite element meshes that are organized as spatially addressable quaternary trees (for 2-D work) or octal trees (for 3-D work) is discussed. Because such meshes are inherently hierarchical as well as spatially addressable, they permit efficient substructuring techniques to be used for both global analysis and incremental remeshing and reanalysis. The global and incremental techniques are summarized and some results from an experimental closed loop 2-D system in which meshing, analysis, error evaluation, and remeshing and reanalysis are done automatically and adaptively are presented. The implementation of 3-D work is briefly discussed.

Portraits of self-organization in fish schools interacting with robots

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Aureli, M.; Fiorilli, F.; Porfiri, M.

2012-05-01

In this paper, we propose an enabling computational and theoretical framework for the analysis of experimental instances of collective behavior in response to external stimuli. In particular, this work addresses the characterization of aggregation and interaction phenomena in robot-animal groups through the exemplary analysis of fish schooling in the vicinity of a biomimetic robot. We adapt global observables from statistical mechanics to capture the main features of the shoal collective motion and its response to the robot from experimental observations. We investigate the shoal behavior by using a diffusion mapping analysis performed on these global observables that also informs the definition of relevant portraits of self-organization.

solveTruss v1.0: Static, global buckling and frequency analysis of 2D and 3D trusses with Mathematica

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozbasaran, Hakan

Trusses have an important place amongst engineering structures due to many advantages such as high structural efficiency, fast assembly and easy maintenance. Iterative truss design procedures, which require analysis of a large number of candidate structural systems such as size, shape and topology optimization with stochastic methods, mostly lead the engineer to establish a link between the development platform and external structural analysis software. By increasing number of structural analyses, this (probably slow-response) link may climb to the top of the list of performance issues. This paper introduces a software for static, global member buckling and frequency analysis of 2D and 3D trusses to overcome this problem for Mathematica users.

Observed and theoretical variations of atmospheric ozone

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

London, J.

1976-01-01

Results are summarized from three areas of ozone research: (1) continued analysis of the global distribution of total ozone to extend the global ozone atlas to summarize 15 years (1957-72) of ground based observations; (2) analysis of balloon borne ozonesonde observations for Arosa, Switzerland, and Hohenpeissenberg, Germany (GFR); (3) contined processing of the (Orbiting Geophysical Observatory-4) satellite data to complete the analysis of the stratospheric ozone distribution from the available OGO-4 data. Results of the analysis of the total ozone observations indicated that the long term ozone variation have marked regional patterns and tend to alternate with season and hemisphere. It is becoming increasingly clear that these long period changes are associated with large scale variations in the general upper atmosphere circulation patterns.

Iterative Monte Carlo analysis of spin-dependent parton distributions

DOE PAGES

Sato, Nobuo; Melnitchouk, Wally; Kuhn, Sebastian E.; ...

2016-04-05

We present a comprehensive new global QCD analysis of polarized inclusive deep-inelastic scattering, including the latest high-precision data on longitudinal and transverse polarization asymmetries from Jefferson Lab and elsewhere. The analysis is performed using a new iterative Monte Carlo fitting technique which generates stable fits to polarized parton distribution functions (PDFs) with statistically rigorous uncertainties. Inclusion of the Jefferson Lab data leads to a reduction in the PDF errors for the valence and sea quarks, as well as in the gluon polarization uncertainty at x ≳ 0.1. Furthermore, the study also provides the first determination of the flavor-separated twist-3 PDFsmore » and the d 2 moment of the nucleon within a global PDF analysis.« less

Modern Era Retrospective-analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) Global Water and Energy Budgets

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bosilovich, Michael G.; Robertson, Franklin R.; Chen, Junye

2008-01-01

The Modern. Era Retrospective-analysis for Research and Applications (MERRA) reanalyses has produced several years of data, on the way to a completing. the 1979-present modern satellite era. Here, we present a preliminary evaluation of those years currently available, includin g comparisons with the existing long reanalyses (ERA40, JRA25 and NCE P I and II) as well as with global data sets for the water and energy cycle Time series shows that the MERRA budgets can change with some of the variations in observing systems. We will present all terms of the budgets in MERRA including the time rates of change and analysis increments (tendency due to the analysis of observations)

AN EMERGY ANALYSIS OF THE GLOBAL NITROGEN CYCLE

EPA Science Inventory

Human use of fossil fuel to build and support a global society during the past 150 years has resulted in major changes in the annual biogeochemical fluxes of nitrogen through the terrestrial, oceanic and atmospheric systems of the earth. The various forms of nitrogen produced by ...

ICT as an Effective Tool for Internationalization of Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Magzan, Masha; Aleksic-Maslac, Karmela

2009-01-01

Globalization and new technologies have opened up a global market for education pressuring many institutions to be internationalized. Within mainly descriptive mode of analysis, this study investigates how internationalization of higher education can be facilitated by the effective use of information and communication technologies. Reporting…

Management Development. Symposium 15. [Concurrent Symposium Session at AHRD Annual Conference, 2000.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

2000

Three presentations are provided from Symposium 15, Management Development, of the Academy of Human Resource Development (HRD) 2000 Conference Proceedings. "Conceptualizing Global Leadership from Multiple Perspectives: An Analysis of Behavioral Ratings" (Allan H. Church) examines the underlying nature of global leadership behavior using…

Validation results of the IAG Dancer project for distributed GPS analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Boomkamp, H.

2012-12-01

The number of permanent GPS stations in the world has grown far too large to allow processing of all this data at analysis centers. The majority of these GPS sites do not even make their observation data available to the analysis centers, for various valid reasons. The current ITRF solution is still based on centralized analysis by the IGS, and subsequent densification of the reference frame via regional network solutions. Minor inconsistencies in analysis methods, software systems and data quality imply that this centralized approach is unlikely to ever reach the ambitious accuracy objectives of GGOS. The dependence on published data also makes it clear that a centralized approach will never provide a true global ITRF solution for all GNSS receivers in the world. If the data does not come to the analysis, the only alternative is to bring the analysis to the data. The IAG Dancer project has implemented a distributed GNSS analysis system on the internet in which each receiver can have its own analysis center in the form of a freely distributed JAVA peer-to-peer application. Global parameters for satellite orbits, clocks and polar motion are solved via a distributed least squares solution among all participating receivers. A Dancer instance can run on any computer that has simultaneous access to the receiver data and to the public internet. In the future, such a process may be embedded in the receiver firmware directly. GPS network operators can join the Dancer ITRF realization without having to publish their observation data or estimation products. GPS users can run a Dancer process without contributing to the global solution, to have direct access to the ITRF in near real-time. The Dancer software has been tested on-line since late 2011. A global network of processes has gradually evolved to allow stabilization and tuning of the software in order to reach a fully operational system. This presentation reports on the current performance of the Dancer system, and demonstrates the obvious benefits of distributed analysis of geodetic data in general. IAG Dancer screenshot

Public Health Agenda Setting in a Global Context: The International Labor Organization’s Decent Work Agenda

PubMed Central

Cohen, Joanna E.; Cole, Donald C.; Forman, Lisa

2015-01-01

We drew on two agenda-setting theories usually applied at the state or national level to assess their utility at the global level: Kingdon’s multiple streams theory and Baumgartner and Jones’s punctuated equilibrium theory. We illustrate our analysis with findings from a qualitative study of the International Labor Organization’s Decent Work Agenda. We found that both theories help explain the agenda-setting mechanisms that operate in the global context, including how windows of opportunity open and what role institutions play as policy entrepreneurs. Future application of these theories could help characterize power struggles between global actors, whose voices are heard or silenced, and their impact on global policy agenda setting. PMID:25713966

Load Balancing Using Time Series Analysis for Soft Real Time Systems with Statistically Periodic Loads

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hailperin, Max

1993-01-01

This thesis provides design and analysis of techniques for global load balancing on ensemble architectures running soft-real-time object-oriented applications with statistically periodic loads. It focuses on estimating the instantaneous average load over all the processing elements. The major contribution is the use of explicit stochastic process models for both the loading and the averaging itself. These models are exploited via statistical time-series analysis and Bayesian inference to provide improved average load estimates, and thus to facilitate global load balancing. This thesis explains the distributed algorithms used and provides some optimality results. It also describes the algorithms' implementation and gives performance results from simulation. These results show that our techniques allow more accurate estimation of the global system load ing, resulting in fewer object migration than local methods. Our method is shown to provide superior performance, relative not only to static load-balancing schemes but also to many adaptive methods.

Geostationary Coastal and Air Pollution Events (GEO-CAPE) Sensitivity Analysis Experiment

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lee, Meemong; Bowman, Kevin

2014-01-01

Geostationary Coastal and Air pollution Events (GEO-CAPE) is a NASA decadal survey mission to be designed to provide surface reflectance at high spectral, spatial, and temporal resolutions from a geostationary orbit necessary for studying regional-scale air quality issues and their impact on global atmospheric composition processes. GEO-CAPE's Atmospheric Science Questions explore the influence of both gases and particles on air quality, atmospheric composition, and climate. The objective of the GEO-CAPE Observing System Simulation Experiment (OSSE) is to analyze the sensitivity of ozone to the global and regional NOx emissions and improve the science impact of GEO-CAPE with respect to the global air quality. The GEO-CAPE OSSE team at Jet propulsion Laboratory has developed a comprehensive OSSE framework that can perform adjoint-sensitivity analysis for a wide range of observation scenarios and measurement qualities. This report discusses the OSSE framework and presents the sensitivity analysis results obtained from the GEO-CAPE OSSE framework for seven observation scenarios and three instrument systems.

Micromechanics Fatigue Damage Analysis Modeling for Fabric Reinforced Ceramic Matrix Composites

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Min, J. B.; Xue, D.; Shi, Y.

2013-01-01

A micromechanics analysis modeling method was developed to analyze the damage progression and fatigue failure of fabric reinforced composite structures, especially for the brittle ceramic matrix material composites. A repeating unit cell concept of fabric reinforced composites was used to represent the global composite structure. The thermal and mechanical properties of the repeating unit cell were considered as the same as those of the global composite structure. The three-phase micromechanics, the shear-lag, and the continuum fracture mechanics models were integrated with a statistical model in the repeating unit cell to predict the progressive damages and fatigue life of the composite structures. The global structure failure was defined as the loss of loading capability of the repeating unit cell, which depends on the stiffness reduction due to material slice failures and nonlinear material properties in the repeating unit cell. The present methodology is demonstrated with the analysis results evaluated through the experimental test performed with carbon fiber reinforced silicon carbide matrix plain weave composite specimens.

Forecast and analysis of the ratio of electric energy to terminal energy consumption for global energy internet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Wei; Zhong, Ming; Cheng, Ling; Jin, Lu; Shen, Si

2018-02-01

In the background of building global energy internet, it has both theoretical and realistic significance for forecasting and analysing the ratio of electric energy to terminal energy consumption. This paper firstly analysed the influencing factors of the ratio of electric energy to terminal energy and then used combination method to forecast and analyse the global proportion of electric energy. And then, construct the cointegration model for the proportion of electric energy by using influence factor such as electricity price index, GDP, economic structure, energy use efficiency and total population level. At last, this paper got prediction map of the proportion of electric energy by using the combination-forecasting model based on multiple linear regression method, trend analysis method, and variance-covariance method. This map describes the development trend of the proportion of electric energy in 2017-2050 and the proportion of electric energy in 2050 was analysed in detail using scenario analysis.

Clustering of short and long-term co-movements in international financial and commodity markets in wavelet domain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lahmiri, Salim; Uddin, Gazi Salah; Bekiros, Stelios

2017-11-01

We propose a general framework for measuring short and long term dynamics in asset classes based on the wavelet presentation of clustering analysis. The empirical results show strong evidence of instability of the financial system aftermath of the global financial crisis. Indeed, both short and long-term dynamics have significantly changed after the global financial crisis. This study provides an interesting insights complex structure of global financial and economic system.

Monitoring global snow cover

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Armstrong, Richard; Hardman, Molly

1991-01-01

A snow model that supports the daily, operational analysis of global snow depth and age has been developed. It provides improved spatial interpolation of surface reports by incorporating digital elevation data, and by the application of regionalized variables (kriging) through the use of a global snow depth climatology. Where surface observations are inadequate, the model applies satellite remote sensing. Techniques for extrapolation into data-void mountain areas and a procedure to compute snow melt are also contained in the model.

Real-time Analysis of Global Waves Accompanying Coronal Mass Ejections

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-09-01

Moreton–Ramsey waves were not propagating in the chromosphere, but were instead the footprint of a global wave pulse moving through the solar corona above... corona and in 1997 the first observations were made of a global wave propagating through the low solar corona (see bottom row of Figure 1 and the...Procedures While there are similarities in the behaviour and morphology of both Moreton–Ramsey waves and “EIT waves”, the low solar corona and solar

Robust Global Image Registration Based on a Hybrid Algorithm Combining Fourier and Spatial Domain Techniques

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-09-01

Robust global image registration based on a hybrid algorithm combining Fourier and spatial domain techniques Peter N. Crabtree, Collin Seanor...00-00-2012 to 00-00-2012 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Robust global image registration based on a hybrid algorithm combining Fourier and spatial domain...demonstrate performance of a hybrid algorithm . These results are from analysis of a set of images of an ISO 12233 [12] resolution chart captured in the

Generation of global political priority for early childhood development: the challenges of framing and governance.

PubMed

Shawar, Yusra Ribhi; Shiffman, Jeremy

2017-01-07

Despite progress, early childhood development (ECD) remains a neglected issue, particularly in resource-poor countries. We analyse the challenges and opportunities that ECD proponents face in advancing global priority for the issue. We triangulated among several data sources, including 19 semi-structured interviews with individuals involved in global ECD leadership, practice, and advocacy, as well as peer-reviewed research, organisation reports, and grey literature. We undertook a thematic analysis of the collected data, drawing on social science scholarship on collective action and a policy framework that elucidates why some global initiatives are more successful in generating political priority than others. The analysis indicates that the ECD community faces two primary challenges in advancing global political priority. The first pertains to framing: generation of internal consensus on the definition of the problem and solutions, agreement that could facilitate the discovery of a public positioning of the issue that could generate political support. The second concerns governance: building of effective institutions to achieve collective goals. However, there are multiple opportunities to advance political priority for ECD, including an increasingly favourable political environment, advances in ECD metrics, and the existence of compelling arguments for investment in ECD. To advance global priority for ECD, proponents will need to surmount the framing and governance challenges and leverage these opportunities. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Global patterns of kelp forest change over the past half-century.

PubMed

Krumhansl, Kira A; Okamoto, Daniel K; Rassweiler, Andrew; Novak, Mark; Bolton, John J; Cavanaugh, Kyle C; Connell, Sean D; Johnson, Craig R; Konar, Brenda; Ling, Scott D; Micheli, Fiorenza; Norderhaug, Kjell M; Pérez-Matus, Alejandro; Sousa-Pinto, Isabel; Reed, Daniel C; Salomon, Anne K; Shears, Nick T; Wernberg, Thomas; Anderson, Robert J; Barrett, Nevell S; Buschmann, Alejandro H; Carr, Mark H; Caselle, Jennifer E; Derrien-Courtel, Sandrine; Edgar, Graham J; Edwards, Matt; Estes, James A; Goodwin, Claire; Kenner, Michael C; Kushner, David J; Moy, Frithjof E; Nunn, Julia; Steneck, Robert S; Vásquez, Julio; Watson, Jane; Witman, Jon D; Byrnes, Jarrett E K

2016-11-29

Kelp forests (Order Laminariales) form key biogenic habitats in coastal regions of temperate and Arctic seas worldwide, providing ecosystem services valued in the range of billions of dollars annually. Although local evidence suggests that kelp forests are increasingly threatened by a variety of stressors, no comprehensive global analysis of change in kelp abundances currently exists. Here, we build and analyze a global database of kelp time series spanning the past half-century to assess regional and global trends in kelp abundances. We detected a high degree of geographic variation in trends, with regional variability in the direction and magnitude of change far exceeding a small global average decline (instantaneous rate of change = -0.018 y -1 ). Our analysis identified declines in 38% of ecoregions for which there are data (-0.015 to -0.18 y -1 ), increases in 27% of ecoregions (0.015 to 0.11 y -1 ), and no detectable change in 35% of ecoregions. These spatially variable trajectories reflected regional differences in the drivers of change, uncertainty in some regions owing to poor spatial and temporal data coverage, and the dynamic nature of kelp populations. We conclude that although global drivers could be affecting kelp forests at multiple scales, local stressors and regional variation in the effects of these drivers dominate kelp dynamics, in contrast to many other marine and terrestrial foundation species.

Global forest cover mapping for the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization forest resources assessment 2000 program

USGS Publications Warehouse

Zhu, Z.; Waller, E.

2003-01-01

Many countries periodically produce national reports on the status and changes of forest resources, using statistical surveys and spatial mapping of remotely sensed data. At the global level, the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations has conducted a Forest Resources Assessment (FRA) program every 10 yr since 1980, producing statistics and analysis that give a global synopsis of forest resources in the world. For the year 2000 of the FRA program (FRA2000), a global forest cover map was produced to provide spatial context to the extensive survey. The forest cover map, produced at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) EROS Data Center (EDC), has five classes: closed forest, open or fragmented forest, other wooded land, other land cover, and water. The first two forested classes at the global scale were delineated using combinations of temporal compositing, modified mixture analysis, geographic stratification, and other classification techniques. The remaining three FAO classes were derived primarily from the USGS global land cover characteristics database (Loveland et al. 1999). Validated on the basis of existing reference data sets, the map is estimated to be 77% accurate for the first four classes (no reference data were available for water), and 86% accurate for the forest and nonforest classification. The final map will be published as an insert to the FAO FRA2000 report.

Comparison of human embryomorphokinetic parameters in sequential or global culture media.

PubMed

Kazdar, Nadia; Brugnon, Florence; Bouche, Cyril; Jouve, Guilhem; Veau, Ségolène; Drapier, Hortense; Rousseau, Chloé; Pimentel, Céline; Viard, Patricia; Belaud-Rotureau, Marc-Antoine; Ravel, Célia

2017-08-01

A prospective study on randomized patients was conducted to determine how morphokinetic parameters are altered in embryos grown in sequential versus global culture media. Eleven morphokinetic parameters of 160 single embryos transferred were analyzed by time lapse imaging involving two University-affiliated in vitro fertilization (IVF) centers. We found that the fading of the two pronuclei occurred earlier in global (22.56±2.15 hpi) versus sequential media (23.63±2.71 hpi; p=0.0297). Likewise, the first cleavage started earlier at 24.52±2.33 hpi vs 25.76±2.95 hpi (p=0.0158). Also, the first cytokinesis was shorter in global medium, lasting 18±10.2 minutes in global versus 36±37.8 minutes in sequential culture medium (p <0.0001). We also observed a significant shortening in the duration of the 2-cell stage in sequential medium: 10.64 h±2.75 versus 11.66 h±1.11 in global medium (p=0.0225) which suggested a faster progression of the embryos through their first mitotic cell cycle. In conclusion, morphokinetic analysis of human embryos by Time lapse imaging reveals significant differences in five kinetic variables according to culture medium. Our study highlights the need to adapt morphokinetic analysis accordingly to the type of media used to best support human early embryo development.

Isotopic constraints on global atmospheric methane sources and sinks: a critical assessment of recent findings and new data

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schwietzke, S.; Sherwood, O.; Michel, S. E.; Bruhwiler, L.; Dlugokencky, E. J.; Tans, P. P.

2017-12-01

Methane isotopic data have increasingly been used in recent studies to help constrain global atmospheric methane sources and sinks. The added scientific contributions to this field include (i) careful comparisons and merging of atmospheric isotope measurement datasets to increase spatial coverage, (ii) in-depth analyses of observed isotopic spatial gradients and seasonal patterns, and (iii) improved datasets of isotopic source signatures. Different interpretations have been made regarding the utility of the isotopic data on the diagnosis of methane sources and sinks. Some studies have found isotopic evidence of a largely microbial source causing the renewed growth in global atmospheric methane since 2007, and underestimated global fossil fuel methane emissions compared to most previous studies. However, other studies have challenged these conclusions by pointing out substantial spatial variability in isotopic source signatures as well as open questions in atmospheric sinks and biomass burning trends. This presentation will review and contrast the main arguments and evidence for the different conclusions. The analysis will distinguish among the different research objectives including (i) global methane budget source attribution in steady-state, (ii) source attribution of recent global methane trends, and (iii) identifying specific methane sources in individual plumes during field campaigns. Additional comparisons of model experiments with atmospheric measurements and updates on isotopic source signature data will complement the analysis.

Global patterns of kelp forest change over the past half-century

PubMed Central

Krumhansl, Kira A.; Okamoto, Daniel K.; Rassweiler, Andrew; Novak, Mark; Bolton, John J.; Cavanaugh, Kyle C.; Connell, Sean D.; Johnson, Craig R.; Konar, Brenda; Ling, Scott D.; Micheli, Fiorenza; Norderhaug, Kjell M.; Pérez-Matus, Alejandro; Sousa-Pinto, Isabel; Reed, Daniel C.; Salomon, Anne K.; Shears, Nick T.; Wernberg, Thomas; Anderson, Robert J.; Barrett, Nevell S.; Buschmann, Alejandro H.; Carr, Mark H.; Caselle, Jennifer E.; Derrien-Courtel, Sandrine; Edgar, Graham J.; Edwards, Matt; Estes, James A.; Goodwin, Claire; Kenner, Michael C.; Kushner, David J.; Nunn, Julia; Steneck, Robert S.; Vásquez, Julio; Watson, Jane; Witman, Jon D.

2016-01-01

Kelp forests (Order Laminariales) form key biogenic habitats in coastal regions of temperate and Arctic seas worldwide, providing ecosystem services valued in the range of billions of dollars annually. Although local evidence suggests that kelp forests are increasingly threatened by a variety of stressors, no comprehensive global analysis of change in kelp abundances currently exists. Here, we build and analyze a global database of kelp time series spanning the past half-century to assess regional and global trends in kelp abundances. We detected a high degree of geographic variation in trends, with regional variability in the direction and magnitude of change far exceeding a small global average decline (instantaneous rate of change = −0.018 y−1). Our analysis identified declines in 38% of ecoregions for which there are data (−0.015 to −0.18 y−1), increases in 27% of ecoregions (0.015 to 0.11 y−1), and no detectable change in 35% of ecoregions. These spatially variable trajectories reflected regional differences in the drivers of change, uncertainty in some regions owing to poor spatial and temporal data coverage, and the dynamic nature of kelp populations. We conclude that although global drivers could be affecting kelp forests at multiple scales, local stressors and regional variation in the effects of these drivers dominate kelp dynamics, in contrast to many other marine and terrestrial foundation species. PMID:27849580

Requirements for a next generation global flood inundation models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bates, P. D.; Neal, J. C.; Smith, A.; Sampson, C. C.

2016-12-01

In this paper we review the current status of global hydrodynamic models for flood inundation prediction and highlight recent successes and current limitations. Building on this analysis we then go on to consider what is required to develop the next generation of such schemes and show that to achieve this a number of fundamental science problems will need to be overcome. New data sets and new types of analysis will be required, and we show that these will only partially be met by currently planned satellite missions and data collection initiatives. A particular example is the quality of available global Digital Elevation data. The current best data set for flood modelling, SRTM, is only available at a relatively modest 30m resolution, contains pixel-to-pixel noise of 6m and is corrupted by surface artefacts. Creative processing techniques have sought to address these issues with some success, but fundamentally the quality of the available global terrain data limits flood modelling and needs to be overcome. Similar arguments can be made for many other elements of global hydrodynamic models including their bathymetry data, boundary conditions, flood defence information and model validation data. We therefore systematically review each component of global flood models and document whether planned new technology will solve current limitations and, if not, what exactly will be required to do so.

The Global Tsunami Model (GTM)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Thio, H. K.; Løvholt, F.; Harbitz, C. B.; Polet, J.; Lorito, S.; Basili, R.; Volpe, M.; Romano, F.; Selva, J.; Piatanesi, A.; Davies, G.; Griffin, J.; Baptista, M. A.; Omira, R.; Babeyko, A. Y.; Power, W. L.; Salgado Gálvez, M.; Behrens, J.; Yalciner, A. C.; Kanoglu, U.; Pekcan, O.; Ross, S.; Parsons, T.; LeVeque, R. J.; Gonzalez, F. I.; Paris, R.; Shäfer, A.; Canals, M.; Fraser, S. A.; Wei, Y.; Weiss, R.; Zaniboni, F.; Papadopoulos, G. A.; Didenkulova, I.; Necmioglu, O.; Suppasri, A.; Lynett, P. J.; Mokhtari, M.; Sørensen, M.; von Hillebrandt-Andrade, C.; Aguirre Ayerbe, I.; Aniel-Quiroga, Í.; Guillas, S.; Macias, J.

2016-12-01

The large tsunami disasters of the last two decades have highlighted the need for a thorough understanding of the risk posed by relatively infrequent but disastrous tsunamis and the importance of a comprehensive and consistent methodology for quantifying the hazard. In the last few years, several methods for probabilistic tsunami hazard analysis have been developed and applied to different parts of the world. In an effort to coordinate and streamline these activities and make progress towards implementing the Sendai Framework of Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) we have initiated a Global Tsunami Model (GTM) working group with the aim of i) enhancing our understanding of tsunami hazard and risk on a global scale and developing standards and guidelines for it, ii) providing a portfolio of validated tools for probabilistic tsunami hazard and risk assessment at a range of scales, and iii) developing a global tsunami hazard reference model. This GTM initiative has grown out of the tsunami component of the Global Assessment of Risk (GAR15), which has resulted in an initial global model of probabilistic tsunami hazard and risk. Started as an informal gathering of scientists interested in advancing tsunami hazard analysis, the GTM is currently in the process of being formalized through letters of interest from participating institutions. The initiative has now been endorsed by the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) and the World Bank's Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR). We will provide an update on the state of the project and the overall technical framework, and discuss the technical issues that are currently being addressed, including earthquake source recurrence models, the use of aleatory variability and epistemic uncertainty, and preliminary results for a probabilistic global hazard assessment, which is an update of the model included in UNISDR GAR15.

The Global Tsunami Model (GTM)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lorito, S.; Basili, R.; Harbitz, C. B.; Løvholt, F.; Polet, J.; Thio, H. K.

2017-12-01

The tsunamis occurred worldwide in the last two decades have highlighted the need for a thorough understanding of the risk posed by relatively infrequent but often disastrous tsunamis and the importance of a comprehensive and consistent methodology for quantifying the hazard. In the last few years, several methods for probabilistic tsunami hazard analysis have been developed and applied to different parts of the world. In an effort to coordinate and streamline these activities and make progress towards implementing the Sendai Framework of Disaster Risk Reduction (SFDRR) we have initiated a Global Tsunami Model (GTM) working group with the aim of i) enhancing our understanding of tsunami hazard and risk on a global scale and developing standards and guidelines for it, ii) providing a portfolio of validated tools for probabilistic tsunami hazard and risk assessment at a range of scales, and iii) developing a global tsunami hazard reference model. This GTM initiative has grown out of the tsunami component of the Global Assessment of Risk (GAR15), which has resulted in an initial global model of probabilistic tsunami hazard and risk. Started as an informal gathering of scientists interested in advancing tsunami hazard analysis, the GTM is currently in the process of being formalized through letters of interest from participating institutions. The initiative has now been endorsed by the United Nations International Strategy for Disaster Reduction (UNISDR) and the World Bank's Global Facility for Disaster Reduction and Recovery (GFDRR). We will provide an update on the state of the project and the overall technical framework, and discuss the technical issues that are currently being addressed, including earthquake source recurrence models, the use of aleatory variability and epistemic uncertainty, and preliminary results for a probabilistic global hazard assessment, which is an update of the model included in UNISDR GAR15.

Operations research in global health: a scoping review with a focus on the themes of health equity and impact.

PubMed

Bradley, Beverly D; Jung, Tiffany; Tandon-Verma, Ananya; Khoury, Bassem; Chan, Timothy C Y; Cheng, Yu-Ling

2017-04-18

Operations research (OR) is a discipline that uses advanced analytical methods (e.g. simulation, optimisation, decision analysis) to better understand complex systems and aid in decision-making. Herein, we present a scoping review of the use of OR to analyse issues in global health, with an emphasis on health equity and research impact. A systematic search of five databases was designed to identify relevant published literature. A global overview of 1099 studies highlights the geographic distribution of OR and common OR methods used. From this collection of literature, a narrative description of the use of OR across four main application areas of global health - health systems and operations, clinical medicine, public health and health innovation - is also presented. The theme of health equity is then explored in detail through a subset of 44 studies. Health equity is a critical element of global health that cuts across all four application areas, and is an issue particularly amenable to analysis through OR. Finally, we present seven select cases of OR analyses that have been implemented or have influenced decision-making in global health policy or practice. Based on these cases, we identify three key drivers for success in bridging the gap between OR and global health policy, namely international collaboration with stakeholders, use of contextually appropriate data, and varied communication outlets for research findings. Such cases, however, represent a very small proportion of the literature found. Poor availability of representative and quality data, and a lack of collaboration between those who develop OR models and stakeholders in the contexts where OR analyses are intended to serve, were found to be common challenges for effective OR modelling in global health.

Poverty-related and neglected diseases - an economic and epidemiological analysis of poverty relatedness and neglect in research and development.

PubMed

von Philipsborn, Peter; Steinbeis, Fridolin; Bender, Max E; Regmi, Sadie; Tinnemann, Peter

2015-01-01

Economic growth in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC) has raised interest in how disease burden patterns are related to economic development. Meanwhile, poverty-related diseases are considered to be neglected in terms of research and development (R&D). Developing intuitive and meaningful metrics to measure how different diseases are related to poverty and neglected in the current R&D system. We measured how diseases are related to economic development with the income relation factor (IRF), defined by the ratio of disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) per 100,000 inhabitants in LMIC versus that in high-income countries. We calculated the IRF for 291 diseases and injuries and 67 risk factors included in the Global Burden of Disease Study 2010. We measured neglect in R&D with the neglect factor (NF), defined by the ratio of disease burden in DALYs (as percentage of the total global disease burden) and R&D expenditure (as percentage of total global health-related R&D expenditure) for 26 diseases. The disease burden varies considerably with the level of economic development, shown by the IRF (median: 1.38; interquartile range (IQR): 0.79-6.3). Comparison of IRFs from 1990 to 2010 highlights general patterns of the global epidemiological transition. The 26 poverty-related diseases included in our analysis of neglect in R&D are responsible for 13.8% of the global disease burden, but receive only 1.34% of global health-related R&D expenditure. Within this group, the NF varies considerably (median: 19; IQR: 6-52). The IRF is an intuitive and meaningful metric to highlight shifts in global disease burden patterns. A large shortfall exists in global R&D spending for poverty-related and neglected diseases, with strong variations between diseases.

Are national policies on global health in fact national policies on global health governance? A comparison of policy designs from Norway and Switzerland.

PubMed

Jones, Catherine M; Clavier, Carole; Potvin, Louise

2017-01-01

Since the signing of the Oslo Ministerial Declaration in 2007, the idea that foreign policy formulation should include health considerations has gained traction on the United Nations agenda as evidenced by annual General Assembly resolutions on global health and foreign policy. The adoption of national policies on global health (NPGH) is one way that some member states integrate health and foreign policymaking. This paper explores what these policies intend to do and how countries plan to do it. Using a most similar systems design, we carried out a comparative study of two policy documents formally adopted in 2012. We conducted a directed qualitative content analysis of the Norwegian White Paper on Global health in foreign and development policy and the Swiss Health Foreign Policy using Schneider and Ingram's policy design framework. After replicating analysis methods for each document, we analysed them side by side to explore the commonalities and differences across elements of NPGH design. Analyses indicate that NPGH expect to influence change outside their borders. Targeting the international level, they aim to affect policy venues, multilateral partnerships and international institutions. Instruments for supporting desired changes are primarily those of health diplomacy, proposed as a tool for negotiating interests and objectives for global health between multiple sectors, used internally in Switzerland and externally in Norway. Findings suggest that NPGH designs contribute to constructing the global health governance system by identifying it as a policy target, and policy instruments may elude the health sector actors unless implementation rules explicitly include them. Research should explore how future NPGH designs may construct different kinds of targets as politicised groups of actors on which national governments seek to exercise influence for global health decision-making.

Are national policies on global health in fact national policies on global health governance? A comparison of policy designs from Norway and Switzerland

PubMed Central

Clavier, Carole; Potvin, Louise

2017-01-01

Background Since the signing of the Oslo Ministerial Declaration in 2007, the idea that foreign policy formulation should include health considerations has gained traction on the United Nations agenda as evidenced by annual General Assembly resolutions on global health and foreign policy. The adoption of national policies on global health (NPGH) is one way that some member states integrate health and foreign policymaking. This paper explores what these policies intend to do and how countries plan to do it. Methods Using a most similar systems design, we carried out a comparative study of two policy documents formally adopted in 2012. We conducted a directed qualitative content analysis of the Norwegian White Paper on Global health in foreign and development policy and the Swiss Health Foreign Policy using Schneider and Ingram's policy design framework. After replicating analysis methods for each document, we analysed them side by side to explore the commonalities and differences across elements of NPGH design. Results Analyses indicate that NPGH expect to influence change outside their borders. Targeting the international level, they aim to affect policy venues, multilateral partnerships and international institutions. Instruments for supporting desired changes are primarily those of health diplomacy, proposed as a tool for negotiating interests and objectives for global health between multiple sectors, used internally in Switzerland and externally in Norway. Conclusion Findings suggest that NPGH designs contribute to constructing the global health governance system by identifying it as a policy target, and policy instruments may elude the health sector actors unless implementation rules explicitly include them. Research should explore how future NPGH designs may construct different kinds of targets as politicised groups of actors on which national governments seek to exercise influence for global health decision-making. PMID:28589007