Planning, Plumbing, or Posturing? Explaining the Weakness of Human Resource Development Structures and Policies in South Africa

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Allais, Stephanie; Marock, Carmel; Ngcwangu, Siphelo

2017-01-01

In South Africa, a national peak structure, the Human Resource Development Council, led by the Deputy President and consisting of key Cabinet Ministers, senior leaders from organised labour and business, community representatives, professional bodies and experts from research and higher education, was established to enable high-level coordination…

Human Resources Research Office Bibliography of Publications as of 30 June 1968.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

George Washington Univ., Alexandria, VA. Human Resources Research Office.

A bibliography has been compiled to provide as complete information as is feasible about research publications and by-products from the Human Resources Research Office (HumRRO). It includes abstracts for many items; key word out of context indexing; author indexes; and AD numbers, indicating items available to qualified users through the Defense…

Beyond the Paycheck: A Human Resources Management Guide for Leaders of Small Youth-Serving Organizations

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Casey, Thomas P.

2009-01-01

This guide aims to help organization leaders develop the tools and knowledge they need to create and use sound human resources management (HRM) systems and practices that support program success and sustainability. It identifies key components of HRM systems and discusses important considerations in designing HRM policies, procedures, and…

Qualities of an Effective Successor: the Role of Education and Training

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ibrahim, A.B.; Soufani, K.; Poutziouris, P.; Lam, J.

2004-01-01

Small family firms represent the predominant organizational form in Canada. They are perceived to be crucial to the development and growth of the Canadian economy. Despite this, scant attention is given to the study of human resource management practices in the specialist family business literature. A key human resource issue in family firms,…

The Microfoundations of Human Resources Management in US Public Schools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pogodzinski, Ben

2016-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to identify the extent to which human resources (HR) decision making is influenced by the social context of school systems. More specifically, this study draws upon organizational theory focussed on the microfoundations of organizations as a lens identify key aspects of school HR decision making at the…

Dealing with Organizational Silos with Communities of Practice and Human Resource Management

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Forsten-Astikainen, Riitta; Hurmelinna-Laukkanen, Pia; Lämsä, Tuija; Heilmann, Pia; Hyrkäs, Elina

2017-01-01

Purpose: Organizational silos that build on the existing organizational structures are often considered to have negative effects in the form of focus on private narrow objectives and organizational fragmentation. To avoid such harmful outcomes, competence management is called for, and in this, the human resources (HR) function takes a key role.…

Leadership and Strategic Management: Keys to Institutional Priorities and Planning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, James S.; de Lourdes Machado, Maria; Peterson, Marvin W.

2008-01-01

Allocating and managing resources have always been important cornerstones of institutional leadership. Institutional resources include financial, physical and human components. Even in the best of times, it is a challenge to do this effectively. In times of diminished and shrinking resources, distributing these precious commodities across the…

Assessing Undergraduate University Students' Level of Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviour towards Biodiversity: A Case Study in Cyprus

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nisiforou, Olympia; Charalambides, Alexandros George

2012-01-01

Biodiversity is a key resource as it provides both goods and services to society. However, humans value these resources differently, especially when biodiversity is exploited for its economic potential; a destruction on a scale rarely seen before. In order to decrease the threats that biodiversity is facing due to human activity, globally (climate…

The Community College and the Human Resources Development Council: Toward a National Training Strategy for the United States.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Eskow, Seymour

The key to economic renewal in the United States is a national human resources development strategy in which community colleges assume the national training role. This national strategy must recognize changes in the American economy and workforce, such as a more educated labor force, the demographics of developing countries, the increased…

The Reallocation of Human Resources to Improve Student Achievement in a Time of Fiscal Constraints

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Behar, Steve

2013-01-01

This study compared the allocation of human resources of a K-12 unified school district in Southern California to the Evidence-Based model (Odden & Picus, 2008). Using document analysis and interviews of key administrators of the district, data was input into a spreadsheet to identify gaps between current practice and the Evidence-Based model.…

Biodiversity Metrics

EPA Science Inventory

Ecosystem services, i.e., "services provided to humans from natural systems," have become a key focus of this century in resource management, conservation planning, human well-being, and environmental decision analysis. Mapping and quantifying ecosystem services have become strat...

Building human resources capability in health care: a global analysis of best practice--Part III.

PubMed

Zairi, M

1998-01-01

This is the last part of a series of three papers which discussed very comprehensively best practice applications in human resource management by drawing special inferences to the healthcare context. It emerged from parts I and II that high performing organisations plan and intend to build sustainable capability through a systematic consideration of the human element as the key asset and through a continuous process of training, developing, empowering and engaging people in all aspects of organisational excellence. Part III brings this debate to a close by demonstrating what brings about organisational excellence and proposes a road map for effective human resource development and management, based on world class standards. Healthcare human resource professionals can now rise to the challenge and plan ahead for building organisational capability and sustainable performance.

The Myers-Briggs Type Indicator as a Tool to Facilitate Learning Outcomes for Team Building in the Classroom

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berry, Priscilla; Wood, Cindy; Thornton, Barry

2007-01-01

Globalization and domestic competition are forcing businesses to rethink the human resources utilization process, and one method for considering again this challenge is creating a team culture. One key to this process for human resources development is the understanding of how to create the most successful teams. The use of the Myers-Briggs Type…

National Implications for Urban School Systems: Strategic Planning in the Human Resource Management Department in a Large Urban School District

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson, Clarence; Kritsonis, William Allan

2007-01-01

This article addresses several key ongoing issues in a large urban school district. Literature focuses on what make a large urban school district effective in Human Resource Management. The effectiveness is addressed through recruitment and retention practices. A comparison of the school district with current research is the main approach to the…

Piecing Together the Puzzle of Graduate Employment: Factors that Shape the Graduate Work Expectations of Human Resource Management Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parris, Melissa A.; Saville, Kerrie

2011-01-01

Providing graduates with a set of skills and attributes relevant to their future employment remains a key topic in both higher education policy and research. This paper reports findings from a pilot study of human resource management (HRM) students' perceptions of the graduate work experience. Specifically, it focuses on how these perceptions are…

Human resources for health: A narrative review of adequacy and distribution of clinical and nonclinical human resources in hospitals of Iran.

PubMed

Nobakht, Samin; Shirdel, Arash; Molavi-Taleghani, Yasamin; Doustmohammadi, Mohammad M; Sheikhbardsiri, Hojjat

2018-03-15

Human resource supply is considered as one of the most vital factors in achieving organizational goals, and human resources are the most valuable factor in the production and delivery of services. Labor shortages and surpluses could downgrade the quality of services offered to patients. Considering the seriousness of this issue, this study aimed to investigate the status of human resources in Iran hospitals. The narrative review was conducted according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses guidelines. The key terms "Human Resource," "Human Resource Management," "Staff," "Workforce," "Hospital," "emergency," "staff nursing," "medical," "clinical personnel," "administration," "physician personnel," "non clinical personnel," "hospital personnel," "human development," and "Iran" were used in combination with Boolean operators OR and AND. The Institute for Scientific Information's Web of Science, PubMed, Scopus, ScienceDirect, Ovid, ProQuest, Wiley, Google Scholar, and the Persian database were searched. The research findings revealed that Iran's hospitals have no uniform distribution of human resources. In spite of the concentration of labor forces in some positions (eg, laboratory, radiology, operating room, anesthesia, and midwifery), other positions occupied by physicians and nurses are experiencing serious shortages of human resources, affecting the quality of the provided services. With respect to the study findings, planning to compensate for staff shortages and achieving personnel standard levels as well as providing the grounds for training the heads of wards for proper human resource management and planning would lead to an increase in the efficiency and effectiveness of hospital activities. Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Inter-professional collaboration as a health human resources strategy: moving forward with a western provinces research agenda.

PubMed

Mickelson, Grace; Suter, Esther; Deutschlander, Siegrid; Bainbridge, Lesley; Harrison, Liz; Grymonpre, Ruby; Hepp, Shelanne

2012-01-01

The current gap in research on inter-professional collaboration and health human resources outcomes is explored by the Western Canadian Interprofessional Health Collaborative (WCIHC). In a recent research planning workshop with the four western provinces, 82 stakeholders from various sectors including health, provincial governments, research and education engaged with WCIHC to consider aligning their respective research agendas relevant to inter-professional collaboration and health human resources. Key research recommendations from a recent knowledge synthesis on inter-professional collaboration and health human resources as well as current provincial health priorities framed the discussions at the workshop. This knowledge exchange has helped to consolidate a shared current understanding of inter-professional education and practice and health workforce planning and management among the participating stakeholders. Ultimately, through a focused research program, a well-aligned approach between sectors to finding health human resources solutions will result in sustainable health systems reform. Copyright © 2013 Longwoods Publishing.

The NIH Roadmap Epigenomics Program data resource

PubMed Central

Chadwick, Lisa Helbling

2012-01-01

The NIH Roadmap Reference Epigenome Mapping Consortium is developing a community resource of genome-wide epigenetic maps in a broad range of human primary cells and tissues. There are large amounts of data already available, and a number of different options for viewing and analyzing the data. This report will describe key features of the websites where users will find data, protocols and analysis tools developed by the consortium, and provide a perspective on how this unique resource will facilitate and inform human disease research, both immediately and in the future. PMID:22690667

The NIH Roadmap Epigenomics Program data resource.

PubMed

Chadwick, Lisa Helbling

2012-06-01

The NIH Roadmap Reference Epigenome Mapping Consortium is developing a community resource of genome-wide epigenetic maps in a broad range of human primary cells and tissues. There are large amounts of data already available, and a number of different options for viewing and analyzing the data. This report will describe key features of the websites where users will find data, protocols and analysis tools developed by the consortium, and provide a perspective on how this unique resource will facilitate and inform human disease research, both immediately and in the future.

Sustainability initiatives in agriculture: The role of science

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

A sustainable society is one that can meet its needs while preserving natural resources for future generations. Key components of this goal are production of a robust food supply while protecting human health and the environment, conserving precious resources, and balancing economic viability. Rapid...

Land use change around protected areas: management to balance human needs and ecological function.

PubMed

DeFries, Ruth; Hansen, Andrew; Turner, B L; Reid, Robin; Liu, Jianguo

2007-06-01

Protected areas throughout the world are key for conserving biodiversity, and land use is key for providing food, fiber, and other ecosystem services essential for human sustenance. As land use change isolates protected areas from their surrounding landscapes, the challenge is to identify management opportunities that maintain ecological function while minimizing restrictions on human land use. Building on the case studies in this Invited Feature and on ecological principles, we identify opportunities for regional land management that maintain both ecological function in protected areas and human land use options, including preserving crucial habitats and migration corridors, and reducing dependence of local human populations on protected area resources. Identification of appropriate and effective management opportunities depends on clear definitions of: (1) the biodiversity attributes of concern; (2) landscape connections to delineate particular locations with strong ecological interactions between the protected area and its surrounding landscape; and (3) socioeconomic dynamics that determine current and future use of land resources in and around the protected area.

Key Skills and Competencies. Symposium.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

2002

This document contains three papers on key skills and competencies and human resource development (HRD). "Career Related Competencies" (Marinka A.C.T. Kuijpers) reports findings from surveys completed by Dutch employees who identified these issues: self-reflection is more important than career control; age and gender influence attitude…

Key issues in human resource planning for home support workers in Canada.

PubMed

Keefe, Janice M; Knight, Lucy; Martin-Matthews, Anne; Légaré, Jacques

2011-01-01

This paper is a synthesis of research on recruitment and retention challenges for home support workers (HSWs) in Canada. Home support workers (HSWs) provide needed support with personal care and daily activities to older persons living in the community. Literature (peer reviewed, government, and non-government documents) published in the past decade was collected from systematic data base searches between January and September 2009, and yielded over 100 references relevant to home care human resources for older Canadians. Four key human resource issues affecting HSWs were identified: compensation, education and training, quality assurance, and working conditions. To increase the workforce and retain skilled employees, employers can tailor their marketing strategies to specific groups, make improvements in work environment, and learn about what workers value and what attracts them to home support work. Understanding these HR issues for HSWs will improve recruitment and retention strategies for this workforce by helping agencies to target their limited resources. Given the projected increase in demand for these workers, preparations need to begin now and consider long-term strategies involving multiple policy areas, such as health and social care, employment, education, and immigration.

Update: What Nurses Need to Know about Human Trafficking.

PubMed

Washburn, Joy

Nurses are key people who interact with victims of human trafficking in healthcare and other settings. This article provides a current overview of human trafficking, explains legal definitions, elements for protocols in healthcare settings when trafficking is suspected, nursing roles and responses, interview tools, resources, public health recommendations, and nursing education approaches to address human trafficking.

Collective (Team) Learning Process Models: A Conceptual Review

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knapp, Randall

2010-01-01

Teams have become a key resource for learning and accomplishing work in organizations. The development of collective learning in specific contexts is not well understood, yet has become critical to organizational success. The purpose of this conceptual review is to inform human resource development (HRD) practice about specific team behaviors and…

A Multi-Objective Method to Align Human Resource Allocation with University Strategy

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bouillard, Philippe

2016-01-01

Universities are currently under considerable pressure to reach their stakeholders' expectations. Management tools that use strategic plans, key performance indicators and quality assurance methods are increasingly deployed. This paper aims to demonstrate how resource allocation can be aligned with institutional strategic plans with a very simple…

Key Problems in Science and Technology in Thailand.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yuthavong, Yongyuth; And Others

1985-01-01

Cites the need for promoting science/technology management and policy formation in Thailand, viewing contributions of science/technology to the socioeconomic development of the country as high priorities. Criteria for selecting priority areas and key problems are noted; they include relevance to development, availability of human resources, and…

A Connected History of Health and Education: Learning Together toward a Better City

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Howard, Joanne; Howard, Diane; Dotson, Ebbin

2015-01-01

The infrastructure, financial, and human resource histories of health and education are offered as key components of future strategic planning initiatives in learning cities, and 10 key components of strategic planning initiatives designed to enhance the health and wealth of citizens of learning cities are discussed.

Leveraging human decision making through the optimal management of centralized resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hyden, Paul; McGrath, Richard G.

2016-05-01

Combining results from mixed integer optimization, stochastic modeling and queuing theory, we will advance the interdisciplinary problem of efficiently and effectively allocating centrally managed resources. Academia currently fails to address this, as the esoteric demands of each of these large research areas limits work across traditional boundaries. The commercial space does not currently address these challenges due to the absence of a profit metric. By constructing algorithms that explicitly use inputs across boundaries, we are able to incorporate the advantages of using human decision makers. Key improvements in the underlying algorithms are made possible by aligning decision maker goals with the feedback loops introduced between the core optimization step and the modeling of the overall stochastic process of supply and demand. A key observation is that human decision-makers must be explicitly included in the analysis for these approaches to be ultimately successful. Transformative access gives warfighters and mission owners greater understanding of global needs and allows for relationships to guide optimal resource allocation decisions. Mastery of demand processes and optimization bottlenecks reveals long term maximum marginal utility gaps in capabilities.

Motivating employees through incentives: productive or a counterproductive strategy.

PubMed

Qayum, Mehran; Sawal, Shefa Haider; Khan, Hassan Mehmood

2014-05-01

The disparity between human resource in health and provision of health services is a growing concern worldwide. Many developing countries are facing this crisis and therefore human resource in health is considered a high priority on their agenda.This imbalance between supplies of human resource is exacerbated by migration of health workers in many countries. Understanding the motivational factor is an important aspect to retain the migrating health workforce. This paper analyses the role of financial and non financial incentives in motivating the health work force. A review of available literature was conducted to understand the role of motivational factor in retaining health workforce. A review of current literature found that an incentive plays a key role in motivating a health worker. Financial incentives are useful in improving the compliance to standard policies and procedures. Comprehensive integrated incentive system approach should be established to develop a sustainable health workforce with required skill. Likewise monetary incentives should be linked to adherence to provincial and national guidelines and procedures. Sustainability could be ensured by commitment of government, political will and involvement of key stakeholders and decision makers.

Human resource configurations: investigating fit with the organizational context.

PubMed

Toh, Soo Min; Morgeson, Frederick P; Campion, Michael A

2008-07-01

The present study investigated how key organizational contextual factors relate to bundles of human resource (HR) practices. In a two-phase study of a sample of 661 organizations representing a full range of industries and organizational size, the authors found that organizations use 1 of 5 HR bundles: cost minimizers, contingent motivators, competitive motivators, resource makers, and commitment maximizers. In addition, the authors showed that the organizations that use a given type of HR bundle may be distinguished by the organizational values they pursue and their organizational structure, thus suggesting that HR choices are related to the context within which organizations operate.

A National Approach to Quantify and Map Biodiversity Conservation Metrics within an Ecosystem Services Framework

EPA Science Inventory

Ecosystem services, i.e., "services provided to humans from natural systems," have become a key issue of this century in resource management, conservation planning, human well-being, and environmental decision analysis. Mapping and quantifying ecosystem services have be...

Demons of the Mind.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ivie, Stanley D.

1987-01-01

Analysis of the key educational concepts of behaviorism contrasts those concepts with parallel thoughts drawn from more humanistic educators and concludes that behaviorist psychology's attempts to reduce complex human learning to simple animal learning prevents educators from recognizing and helping humans to develop their unique inner resources.…

Variant (Swine Origin) Influenza Viruses in Humans

MedlinePlus

... Need To Know About Influenza (Flu) Reports of Human Infections with Variant Viruses Resources Print Materials Key Facts for People Exhibiting Pigs at Fairs [545 KB, 2 pages] Take Action to Prevent the Spread of Flu Between People and Pigs ... Viruses Get Email Updates To ...

Health reform: the human resource challenges for Central Asian Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) countries.

PubMed

Parfitt, Barbara

2009-01-01

This paper examines the key human resource issues for health amongst mid-level workers in Central Asia CIS countries. It focuses on Azerbaijan, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan highlighting the human resource issues that are evident within these countries and illustrating how they differ from those described in the sub-Saharan developing countries. The key human resource issue highlighted by the World Health Organization Report [WHO. (2006). World Health Report: Working together for health. Geneva: WHO] was the scarcity of health workers. Four million health care workers were identified as essential if the health services of the world are able to meet current health needs. The primary area of need highlighted was in Africa. Africa bears the greatest burden of disease but has the lowest number of health care workers. In the CIS countries in Central Asia different human resource issues have emerged. The Soviet health care system was comprehensive but labour intensive it had a primarily acute and a specialist disease focused approach with little investment in primary and community health care. It was unsustainable and the legacy that it left the new Central Asian emerging nations was of a large workforce with poor levels of competence and outdated approaches to providing care along with a crumbling infrastructure. In response to this situation health reform has been introduced which focuses on a family model of primary health care with family doctors supported by Family Health Nurses. This approach is beginning to make a difference to the morbidity and mortality of the populations but still has a long way to go before its full benefits are realised.

Evolution of the Concept of "Human Capital" in Economic Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perepelkin, Vyacheslav A.; Perepelkina, Elena V.; Morozova, Elena S.

2016-01-01

The relevance of the researched problem is determined by transformation of the human capital into the key economic resource of development of the postindustrial society. The purpose of the article is to disclose the content of evolution of the human capital as a scientific concept and phenomenon of the economic life. The leading approach to the…

Evaluation of Training in Organisations: A Proposal for an Integrated Model

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pineda, Pilar

2010-01-01

Purpose: Training is a key strategy for human resources development and in achieving organisational objectives. Organisations and public authorities invest large amounts of resources in training, but rarely have the data to show the results of that investment. Only a few organisations evaluate training in depth due to the difficulty involved and…

Responses of medial and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex to interpersonal conflict for resources.

PubMed

Koban, Leonie; Pichon, Swann; Vuilleumier, Patrik

2014-05-01

Little is known about brain mechanisms recruited during the monitoring and appraisal of social conflicts--for instance, when individuals compete with each other for the same resources. We designed a novel experimental task inducing resource conflicts between two individuals. In an event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) design, participants played with another human participant or against a computer, who across trials chose either different (no-conflict) or the same tokens (conflict trials) in order to obtain monetary gains. In conflict trials, the participants could decide whether they would share the token, and the resulting gain, with the other person or instead keep all points for themselves. Behaviorally, participants shared much more often when playing with a human partner than with a computer. fMRI results demonstrated that the dorsal mediofrontal cortex was selectively activated during human conflicts. This region might play a key role in detecting situations in which self- and social interest are incompatible and require behavioral adjustment. In addition, we found a conflict-related response in the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex that correlated with measures of social relationship and individual sharing behavior. Taken together, these findings reveal a key role of these prefrontal areas for the appraisal and resolution of interpersonal resource conflicts.

Responses of medial and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex to interpersonal conflict for resources

PubMed Central

Koban, Leonie; Pichon, Swann; Vuilleumier, Patrik

2014-01-01

Little is known about brain mechanisms recruited during the monitoring and appraisal of social conflicts—for instance, when individuals compete with each other for the same resources. We designed a novel experimental task inducing resource conflicts between two individuals. In an event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) design, participants played with another human participant or against a computer, who across trials chose either different (no-conflict) or the same tokens (conflict trials) in order to obtain monetary gains. In conflict trials, the participants could decide whether they would share the token, and the resulting gain, with the other person or instead keep all points for themselves. Behaviorally, participants shared much more often when playing with a human partner than with a computer. fMRI results demonstrated that the dorsal mediofrontal cortex was selectively activated during human conflicts. This region might play a key role in detecting situations in which self- and social interest are incompatible and require behavioral adjustment. In addition, we found a conflict-related response in the right ventrolateral prefrontal cortex that correlated with measures of social relationship and individual sharing behavior. Taken together, these findings reveal a key role of these prefrontal areas for the appraisal and resolution of interpersonal resource conflicts. PMID:23460073

Manpower and Planning.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Industrial Relations Counselors, Inc., New York, NY.

In recent years emphasis has shifted from physical to human capital as a key factor in economic growth. Both government and business have intensified efforts at manpower planning to improve the utilization of human resources. These papers by representatives of government and business cover various aspects of labor market efficiency. The nine…

Quality Counts 2008: Tapping into Teaching--Unlocking the Key to Student Success

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Education Week, 2008

2008-01-01

"Quality Counts 2008" reintroduces state grades in six key areas, from the Chance-for-Success Index to the teaching profession. This special issue of "Education Week" includes the following articles: (1) Human Resources a Weak Spot (Lynn Olson); (2) Teacher Salaries, Looking at Comparable Jobs (Christopher B. Swanson); (3) Data…

Process Demonstration For Lunar In Situ Resource Utilization-Molten Oxide Electrolysis (MSFC Independent Research and Development Project No. 5-81)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Curreri, P. A.; Ethridge, E. C.; Hudson, S. B.; Miller, T. Y.; Grugel, R. N.; Sen, S.; Sadoway, D. R.

2006-01-01

The purpose of this Focus Area Independent Research and Development project was to conduct, at Marshall Space Flight Center, an experimental demonstration of the processing of simulated lunar resources by the molten oxide electrolysis process to produce oxygen and metal. In essence, the vision was to develop two key technologies, the first to produce materials (oxygen, metals, and silicon) from lunar resources and the second to produce energy by photocell production on the Moon using these materials. Together, these two technologies have the potential to greatly reduce the costs and risks of NASA s human exploration program. Further, it is believed that these technologies are the key first step toward harvesting abundant materials and energy independent of Earth s resources.

Mapping Biodiversity Metrics Representing Ecosystem Services at the Landscape Scale in the American Southwest

EPA Science Inventory

It is widely understood that human condition is intrinsically linked to the quality of the environment and the services it provides. Ecosystem services, i.e., "services provided to humans from natural systems," have become a key issue of this century in resource management, conse...

Resources available for autism research in the big data era: a systematic review

PubMed Central

Milne, Elizabeth

2017-01-01

Recently, there has been a move encouraged by many stakeholders towards generating big, open data in many areas of research. One area where big, open data is particularly valuable is in research relating to complex heterogeneous disorders such as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The inconsistencies of findings and the great heterogeneity of ASD necessitate the use of big and open data to tackle important challenges such as understanding and defining the heterogeneity and potential subtypes of ASD. To this end, a number of initiatives have been established that aim to develop big and/or open data resources for autism research. In order to provide a useful data reference for autism researchers, a systematic search for ASD data resources was conducted using the Scopus database, the Google search engine, and the pages on ‘recommended repositories’ by key journals, and the findings were translated into a comprehensive list focused on ASD data. The aim of this review is to systematically search for all available ASD data resources providing the following data types: phenotypic, neuroimaging, human brain connectivity matrices, human brain statistical maps, biospecimens, and ASD participant recruitment. A total of 33 resources were found containing different types of data from varying numbers of participants. Description of the data available from each data resource, and links to each resource is provided. Moreover, key implications are addressed and underrepresented areas of data are identified. PMID:28097074

E-Learning as a Knowledge Management Approach for Intellectual Capital Utilization

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Shehabat, Issa; Mahdi, Saad A.; Khoualdi, Kamel

2008-01-01

This paper addresses human resources utilization at the university environment. We address the design issues of e-learning courses that can capture the teacher knowledge. The underlying objective is that e-learning is a key knowledge and major resources for many universities. Therefore, the design of e-learning should be an important part of the…

Psychiatrist Health Human Resource Planning - An Essential Component of a Hospital-Based Mental Healthcare System Transformation.

PubMed

Jarmain, Sarah

2016-01-01

The World Health Organization (WHO) defines health human resource planning as "the process of estimating the number of persons and the kinds of knowledge, skills, and attitudes they need to achieve predetermined health targets and ultimately health status objectives" (OHA 2015). Health human resource planning is a critical component of successful organizational and system transformation, and yet little has been written on how to do this for physicians at the local level. This paper will outline a framework for developing and managing key aspects of physician human resource planning related to both the quantity and quality of work within a hospital setting. Using the example of a complex multiphase hospital-based mental health transformation that involved both the reduction and divestment of beds and services, we will outline how we managed the physician human resource aspects to establish the number of psychiatrists needed and the desired attributes of those psychiatrists, and how we helped an existing workforce transition to meet the new expectations. The paper will describe a process for strategically aligning the selection and management of physicians to meet organizational vision and mandate.

Opening the black box in nursing work and management practice: the role of ward managers.

PubMed

Townsend, Keith; Wilkinson, Adrian; Kellner, Ashlea

2015-03-01

This paper aims to identify and explore key obstacles preventing ward managers from effectively performing the human resource management (HRM) responsibilities required in their role. In the context of increasing costs and the decentralisation of responsibility to ward level, the relevance of the ward manager role within the 'black box' between human resource management and firm performance is becoming increasingly pertinent. This paper presents an intensive case study including 37 interviews across all levels of a hospital where senior management attempted to shift to a high performance model of human resource management. The findings indicated that ward managers played a critical role in maintaining and improving employee performance, although they were restricted from effectively performing their responsibilities due to budget pressure and limited managerial skill development. Our findings support the contention that hospitals would benefit from focusing on the critical role of the ward manager as the central locus of influence in high performance human resource management (HPHRM) systems. Investment into high performance human resource management is discouraged if the hospital cannot adequately enable ward managers who are responsible for implementation. Introduction of managerial skills training to potential and existing ward managers is critical. © 2013 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

[Retention management by means of applied human resource development: lessons from cardiovascular anaesthesiology].

PubMed

Padosch, Stephan A; Schmidt, Christian E; Spöhr, Fabian A M

2011-05-01

At present, besides well-known financial problems, German hospitals are facing a serious lack of qualified medical staff. Given these facts, it is of great importance, especially in work load burdened disciplines, such as cardiovascular anaesthesiology, to retain highly qualified medical staff. Here, human resource development measures offer valuable tools for efficient retention management. Moreover, most of these are applicable to almost any clinical specialty. Surprisingly, financial aspects play a minor role in such concepts, in contrast to human resource development tools, such as mentoring, interviews, training and motivational activities. Especially, with regard to "Generation Y", an efficient retention management will play a key role to keep these physicians as hospital employees of long duration in the future. © Georg Thieme Verlag Stuttgart · New York.

[Human resources for health in Chile: the reform's pending challenge].

PubMed

Méndez, Claudio A

2009-09-01

Omission of human resources from health policy development has been identified as a barrier in the health sector reform's adoption phase. Since 2002, Chile's health care system has been undergoing a transformation based on the principles of health as a human right, equity, solidarity, efficiency, and social participation. While the reform has set forth the redefinition of the medical professions, continuing education, scheduled accreditation, and the introduction of career development incentives, it has not considered management options tailored to the new setting, a human resources strategy that has the consensus of key players and sector policy, or a process for understanding the needs of health care staff and professionals. However, there is still time to undo the shortcomings, in large part because the reform's implementation phase only recently has begun. Overcoming this challenge is in the hands of the experts charged with designing public health strategies and policies.

Toward human resource management in inter-professional health practice: linking organizational culture, group identity and individual autonomy.

PubMed

Tataw, David

2012-01-01

The literature on team and inter-professional care practice describes numerous barriers to the institutionalization of inter-professional healthcare. Responses to slow institutionalization of inter-professional healthcare practice have failed to describe change variables and to identify change agents relevant to inter-professional healthcare practice. The purpose of this paper is to (1) describe individual and organizational level barriers to collaborative practice in healthcare; (2) identify change variables relevant to the institutionalization of inter-professional practice at individual and organizational levels of analysis; and (3) identify human resource professionals as change agents and describe how the strategic use of the human resource function could transform individual and organizational level change variables and therefore facilitate the healthcare system's shift toward inter-professional practice. A proposed program of institutionalization includes the following components: a strategic plan to align human resource functions with organizational level inter-professional healthcare strategies, activities to enhance professional competencies and the organizational position of human resource personnel, activities to integrate inter-professional healthcare practices into the daily routines of institutional and individual providers, activities to stand up health provider champions as permanent leaders of inter-professional teams with human resource professionals as consultants and activities to bring all key players to the table including health providers. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

The EnviroAtlas ‐ Developing a National Approach to Quantify and Map Metrics within an Ecosystem Services Framework. Subfocus: Multi‐scale Biodiversity Conservation Metrics

EPA Science Inventory

Ecosystem services, i.e., "services provided to humans from natural systems," have become a key issue of this century in resource management, conservation planning, human well-being, and environmental decision analysis. Mapping and quantifying ecosystem services have become stra...

Implementing a Cross-District Principal Mentoring Program: A Human Resources Approach to Developing Midcareer Principals' Leadership Capacities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Della Sala, Matthew R.; Klar, Hans W.; Lindle, Jane Clark; Reese, Kenyae L.; Knoeppel, Robert C.; Campbell, Michael; Buskey, Frederick C.

2013-01-01

Despite the key role that principals play in leading schoolwide change, districts' efforts to support principals are often limited, particularly in rural settings. In this article, we report the preliminary findings of a cross-district mentoring program for nine midcareer rural school principals. The collaboratively developed human resource…

A Review of Extra-Terrestrial Mining Robot Concepts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mueller, Robert P.; Van Susante, Paul J.

2011-01-01

Outer space contains a vast amount of resources that offer virtually unlimited wealth to the humans that can access and use them for commercial purposes. One of the key technologies for harvesting these resources is robotic mining of regolith, minerals, ices and metals. The harsh environment and vast distances create challenges that are handled best by robotic machines working in collaboration with human explorers. Humans will benefit from the resources that will be mined by robots. They will visit outposts and mining camps as required for exploration, commerce and scientific research, but a continuous presence is most likely to be provided by robotic mining machines that are remotely controlled by humans. There have been a variety of extra-terrestrial robotic mining concepts proposed over the last 100 years and this paper will attempt to summarize and review concepts in the public domain (government, industry and academia) to serve as an informational resource for future mining robot developers and operators. The challenges associated with these concepts will be discussed and feasibility will be assessed. Future needs associated with commercial efforts will also be investigated.

A Review of Extra-Terrestrial Mining Concepts

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mueller, R. P.; van Susante, P. J.

2012-01-01

Outer space contains a vast amount of resources that offer virtually unlimited wealth to the humans that can access and use them for commercial purposes. One of the key technologies for harvesting these resources is robotic mining of regolith, minerals, ices and metals. The harsh environment and vast distances create challenges that are handled best by robotic machines working in collaboration with human explorers. Humans will benefit from the resources that will be mined by robots. They will visit outposts and mining camps as required for exploration, commerce and scientific research, but a continuous presence is most likely to be provided by robotic mining machines that are remotely controlled by humans. There have been a variety of extra-terrestrial robotic mining concepts proposed over the last 40 years and this paper will attempt to summarize and review concepts in the public domain (government, industry and academia) to serve as an informational resource for future mining robot developers and operators. The challenges associated with these concepts will be discussed and feasibility will be assessed. Future needs associated with commercial efforts will also be investigated.

WHO Atlas on Global Resources for Persons with Intellectual Disabilities 2007: Key Findings Relevant for Low- and Middle-Income Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mercier, Celine; Saxena, Shekhar; Lecomte, Jocelin; Cumbrera, Marco Garrido; Harnois, Gaston

2008-01-01

The World Health Organization (WHO) Atlas-ID project was designed to collect, compile, and disseminate information on intellectual disabilities (ID) services and resources from across the world. This paper aims at selecting findings in the Atlas-ID that can be used as a tool for advocacy, human rights awareness, development planning, and…

Access to Education with Online Learning and Open Educational Resources: Can They Close the Gap?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geith, Christine; Vignare, Karen

2008-01-01

One of the key concepts in the right to education is access: access to the means to fully develop as human beings as well as access to the means to gain skills, knowledge and credentials. This is an important perspective through which to examine the solutions to access enabled by Open Educational Resources (OER) and online learning. The authors…

Frontier In-Situ Resource Utilization for Enabling Sustained Human Presence on Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moses, Robert W.; Bushnell, Dennis M.

2016-01-01

The currently known resources on Mars are massive, including extensive quantities of water and carbon dioxide and therefore carbon, hydrogen and oxygen for life support, fuels and plastics and much else. The regolith is replete with all manner of minerals. In Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) applicable frontier technologies include robotics, machine intelligence, nanotechnology, synthetic biology, 3-D printing/additive manufacturing and autonomy. These technologies combined with the vast natural resources should enable serious, pre- and post-human arrival ISRU to greatly increase reliability and safety and reduce cost for human colonization of Mars. Various system-level transportation concepts employing Mars produced fuel would enable Mars resources to evolve into a primary center of trade for the inner solar system for eventually nearly everything required for space faring and colonization. Mars resources and their exploitation via extensive ISRU are the key to a viable, safe and affordable, human presence beyond Earth. The purpose of this paper is four-fold: 1) to highlight the latest discoveries of water, minerals, and other materials on Mars that reshape our thinking about the value and capabilities of Mars ISRU; 2) to summarize the previous literature on Mars ISRU processes, equipment, and approaches; 3) to point to frontier ISRU technologies and approaches that can lead to safe and affordable human missions to Mars; and 4) to suggest an implementation strategy whereby the ISRU elements are phased into the mission campaign over time to enable a sustainable and increasing human presence on Mars.

The sharing of water between society and ecosystems: from conflict to catchment-based co-management.

PubMed Central

Wallace, J S; Acreman, M C; Sullivan, C A

2003-01-01

Human uses of freshwater resources are increasing rapidly as the world population rises. As this happens, less water is left to support aquatic and associated ecosystems. To minimize future human water shortages and undesirable environmental impacts, more equitable sharing of water resources between society and nature is required. This will require physical quantities and social values to be placed on both human and aquatic ecosystem requirements. Current water valuation systems are dominated by economic values and this paper illustrates new quantification and valuation methods that take more account of human well-being and environmental impacts. The key to the effective implementation of these more equitable water allocation methods is the use of catchment-based integrated water resources management. This holistic framework makes it possible for human and ecosystem water requirements and the interactions between them to be better understood. This knowledge provides the foundation for incorporating relevant social factors so that water policies and laws can be developed to make best use of limited water resources. Catchment-based co-management can therefore help to ensure more effective sharing of water between people and nature. PMID:14728795

[Family Health Program implementation in municipalities in Mato Grosso State, Brazil].

PubMed

Canesqui, Ana Maria; Spinelli, Maria Angélica do Santos

2008-04-01

This article analysis some key aspects in the implementation of the Family Health Program (FHP): results; conditions; and institutional mechanisms; flow and regularity of funding; organizational structures; and human resources availability and training. The study was conducted in seven municipalities (counties) in the State of Mato Grosso, Brazil, and used secondary data as well as primary data from interviews with different stakeholders. The research design was evaluative, using a quantitative/qualitative analysis. The results showed: varying stages in the implementation process, different FHP models, and adaptation of organizational structures; high level of human resources availability, except for nurse assistants; availability of financial resources, with some difficulties in their flow; and other institutional factors that hinder or facilitate the micro-implementation process in the municipalities.

Customer service: the key to market differentiation.

PubMed

Stahl, D A

1997-06-01

Fierce competition in the subacute care environment makes customer service orientation essential. Four steps help to achieve quality customer service are: (1) institute core values; (2) identify your customers; (3) understand human resources; and (4) establish an efficient system.

Presence

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-07-01

around them [8]. They acknowledge the role of a human being as interpreter, making a mental model that estimates reality. It is theorized that humans...participant becomes, presence plays a key role in the experience’s fulfilment. It may be argued that for most entertainment applications, creating a...the allocation of attentional resources plays an important role in presence, is known as secondary reaction time measure [3]. The fundamental

Sustainable use of renewable resources in a stylized social-ecological network model under heterogeneous resource distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barfuss, Wolfram; Donges, Jonathan F.; Wiedermann, Marc; Lucht, Wolfgang

2017-04-01

Human societies depend on the resources ecosystems provide. Particularly since the last century, human activities have transformed the relationship between nature and society at a global scale. We study this coevolutionary relationship by utilizing a stylized model of private resource use and social learning on an adaptive network. The latter process is based on two social key dynamics beyond economic paradigms: boundedly rational imitation of resource use strategies and homophily in the formation of social network ties. The private and logistically growing resources are harvested with either a sustainable (small) or non-sustainable (large) effort. We show that these social processes can have a profound influence on the environmental state, such as determining whether the private renewable resources collapse from overuse or not. Additionally, we demonstrate that heterogeneously distributed regional resource capacities shift the critical social parameters where this resource extraction system collapses. We make these points to argue that, in more advanced coevolutionary models of the planetary social-ecological system, such socio-cultural phenomena as well as regional resource heterogeneities should receive attention in addition to the processes represented in established Earth system and integrated assessment models.

Quantifying and Mapping Habitat-Based Biodiversity Metrics Within an Ecosystem Services Framework

EPA Science Inventory

Ecosystem services have become a key issue of this century in resource management, conservation planning, human well-being, and environmental decision analysis. Mapping and quantifying ecosystem services have become strategic national interests for integrating ecology with econom...

Present and future of astronomy in Thailand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Soonthornthum, Boonrucksar

2018-05-01

Investments in national astronomical facilities and human resources through the National Astronomical Research Institute of Thailand have led to the rapid growth of astronomy in Thailand. Ongoing activities in key research areas, education and outreach will lead to further sustainable development.

The evolutionary and ecological roots of human social organization

PubMed Central

Kaplan, Hillard S.; Hooper, Paul L.; Gurven, Michael

2009-01-01

Social organization among human foragers is characterized by a three-generational system of resource provisioning within families, long-term pair-bonding between men and women, high levels of cooperation between kin and non-kin, and relatively egalitarian social relationships. In this paper, we suggest that these core features of human sociality result from the learning- and skill-intensive human foraging niche, which is distinguished by a late age-peak in caloric production, high complementarity between male and female inputs to offspring viability, high gains to cooperation in production and risk-reduction, and a lack of economically defensible resources. We present an explanatory framework for understanding variation in social organization across human societies, highlighting the interactive effects of four key ecological and economic variables: (i) the role of skill in resource production; (ii) the degree of complementarity in male and female inputs into production; (iii) economies of scale in cooperative production and competition; and (iv) the economic defensibility of physical inputs into production. Finally, we apply this framework to understanding variation in social and political organization across foraging, horticulturalist, pastoralist and agriculturalist societies. PMID:19805435

The effects of staffing and training on firm productivity and profit growth before, during, and after the Great Recession.

PubMed

Kim, Youngsang; Ployhart, Robert E

2014-05-01

This study integrates research from strategy, economics, and applied psychology to examine how organizations may leverage their human resources to enhance firm performance and competitive advantage. Staffing and training are key human resource management practices used to achieve firm performance through acquiring and developing human capital resources. However, little research has examined whether and why staffing and training influence firm-level financial performance (profit) growth under different environmental (economic) conditions. Using 359 firms with over 12 years of longitudinal firm-level profit data, we suggest that selective staffing and internal training directly and interactively influence firm profit growth through their effects on firm labor productivity, implying that staffing and training contribute to the generation of slack resources that help buffer and then recover from the effects of the Great Recession. Further, internal training that creates specific human capital resources is more beneficial for prerecession profitability, but staffing is more beneficial for postrecession recovery, apparently because staffing creates generic human capital resources that enable firm flexibility and adaptation. Thus, the theory and findings presented in this article have implications for the way staffing and training may be used strategically to weather economic uncertainty (recession effects). They also have important practical implications by demonstrating that firms that more effectively staff and train will outperform competitors throughout all pre- and postrecessionary periods, even after controlling for prior profitability. (c) 2014 APA, all rights reserved.

Economic Adjustment, Education and Human Resource Development in Africa: The Case of Nigeria

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Geo-Jaja, Macleans A.; Mangum, Garth

2003-07-01

On the basis of the Nigerian experience, this article argues that the structural adjustment programs of the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, when misapplied, can have a devastating effect on the educational systems that are essential to human resource development. The paper considers how the objectives of structural adjustment might have been accomplished without harming education, and recommends an outcomes-based educational policy for Nigeria which could serve equally well in other developing nations. The key message of the paper is that the ongoing austerity programs have been secured at excessively high human cost, and that it is time for a policy redirection that reaffirms education as the essential tool of all development.

Developing and sustaining human resources in the health supply chain in Ethiopia: barriers and enablers.

PubMed

Kälvemark Sporrong, Sofia; Traulsen, Janine M; Damene Kabtimer, Woynabeba; Mekasha Habtegiorgis, Bitsatab; Teshome Gebregeorgise, Dawit; Essah, Nana Am; Khan, Sara A; Brown, Andrew N

2016-01-01

The health supply chain is often the weakest link in achieving the health-related Millennium Development Goals and universal health coverage, requiring trained professionals who are often unavailable. In Ethiopia there have been recent developments in the area of health supply chain management. The aim of this study was to explore the current status of the development of human resources in health supply chain management in Ethiopia and to identify important factors affecting this development. A series of face-to-face interviews with key stakeholders was carried out in 2014. The interviews were conducted using a semi-structured interview guide. The interview guide comprised 51 questions. A qualitative analysis of transcripts was made. A total of 25 interviews were conducted. Three themes were identified: General changes: recognition, commitment and resources, Education and training, and Barriers and enablers. Results confirm the development of human resources in health supply chain management in many areas. However, several problems were identified including lack of coordination, partly due to the large number of stakeholders; reported high staff mobility; and a lack of overall strategy regarding the job/career structures necessary for maintaining human resources. Rural areas have a particular set of problems, including in transportation of goods and personnel, attracting and keeping personnel, and in communication and access to information. Ethiopia is on the way to developing a nationwide viable system for health supply chain management. However, there are still challenges. Short-term challenges include the importance of highlighting strategies and programs for human resources in health supply chain management. In the long term, commitments to financial support must be obtained. A strategy is needed for the further development and sustainability of human resources in the health supply chain in Ethiopia.

The factors affecting the institutionalisation of two policy units in Burkina Faso's health system: a case study.

PubMed

Zida, Andre; Lavis, John N; Sewankambo, Nelson K; Kouyate, Bocar; Moat, Kaelan

2017-07-17

This paper is one of three linked studies that attempts to understand the process of institutionalisation of policy units within Burkina Faso's health system. It examines the relationships between the existence of an institutional framework, data production capacity and other resource availability in the institutionalisation of policy units in health systems. It therefore contributes to our understanding of the dynamics linking the key drivers and indicators of institutionalisation. Additionally, it examines how factors within the managerial setting, including workplace environment, and budgetary and human resource availability, may influence the institutionalisation process. The study used an explanatory qualitative case study approach, examining two policy units in Burkina Faso's Ministry of Health, the first of which had been institutionalised successfully and the other less so. Data were collected from key policymakers, including 13 connected with the first policy unit and 10 with the second, plus two funders. We also conducted a documentary analysis of the National Program for Health Development, two mid-term strategic plans, 230 action plans, eight Ministry of Health state budgets, eight Ministry of Health annual statistics reports, 16 policy unit budgets and published literature. The framework within which the government gave the policy unit its mandate and policy focus had the strongest effect on the institutionalisation process. Institutionalisation depended on political will, in both the host government and any donors, and the priority given to the policy unit's focus. It was also affected by the leadership of the policy unit managers. These factors were influenced by human resource capacity, and our findings suggest that, for successful institutionalisation in Burkina Faso's health system, policy units need to be given sufficient human resources to achieve their objectives. Policy units' institutionalisation in Burkina Faso's health system depend on the leadership of the unit managers to implement relevant activities, mobilise funding, and recruit and maintain enough human resources, as well as the mandate given by the government.

Wildlife disease and environmental health in Alaska

USGS Publications Warehouse

Van Hemert, Caroline; Pearce, John; Oakley, Karen; Whalen, Mary

2013-01-01

Environmental health is defined by connections between the physical environment, ecological health, and human health. Current research within the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) recognizes the importance of this integrated research philosophy, which includes study of disease and pollutants as they pertain to wildlife and humans. Due to its key geographic location and significant wildlife resources, Alaska is a critical area for future study of environmental health.

Sustainability of common pool resources

PubMed Central

Timilsina, Raja Rajendra; Kamijo, Yoshio

2017-01-01

Sustainability has become a key issue in managing natural resources together with growing concerns for capitalism, environmental and resource problems. We hypothesize that the ongoing modernization of competitive societies, which we refer to as “capitalism,” affects human nature for utilizing common pool resources, thus compromising sustainability. To test this hypothesis, we design and implement a set of dynamic common pool resource games and experiments in the following two types of Nepalese areas: (i) rural (non-capitalistic) and (ii) urban (capitalistic) areas. We find that a proportion of prosocial individuals in urban areas is lower than that in rural areas, and urban residents deplete resources more quickly than rural residents. The composition of proself and prosocial individuals in a group and the degree of capitalism are crucial in that an increase in prosocial members in a group and the rural dummy positively affect resource sustainability by 65% and 63%, respectively. Overall, this paper shows that when societies move toward more capitalistic environments, the sustainability of common pool resources tends to decrease with the changes in individual preferences, social norms, customs and views to others through human interactions. This result implies that individuals may be losing their coordination abilities for social dilemmas of resource sustainability in capitalistic societies. PMID:28212426

Sustainability of common pool resources.

PubMed

Timilsina, Raja Rajendra; Kotani, Koji; Kamijo, Yoshio

2017-01-01

Sustainability has become a key issue in managing natural resources together with growing concerns for capitalism, environmental and resource problems. We hypothesize that the ongoing modernization of competitive societies, which we refer to as "capitalism," affects human nature for utilizing common pool resources, thus compromising sustainability. To test this hypothesis, we design and implement a set of dynamic common pool resource games and experiments in the following two types of Nepalese areas: (i) rural (non-capitalistic) and (ii) urban (capitalistic) areas. We find that a proportion of prosocial individuals in urban areas is lower than that in rural areas, and urban residents deplete resources more quickly than rural residents. The composition of proself and prosocial individuals in a group and the degree of capitalism are crucial in that an increase in prosocial members in a group and the rural dummy positively affect resource sustainability by 65% and 63%, respectively. Overall, this paper shows that when societies move toward more capitalistic environments, the sustainability of common pool resources tends to decrease with the changes in individual preferences, social norms, customs and views to others through human interactions. This result implies that individuals may be losing their coordination abilities for social dilemmas of resource sustainability in capitalistic societies.

Developing Learning Environments: Challenges for Theory, Research and Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iles, Paul

1994-01-01

Key challenges in development of learning organizations, promotion of learning culture, enhancement of learning processes, and development of learning communities are appropriateness of current models for interdisciplinary teams; whether valuing diversity enhances effectiveness; how global human resource development affects domestic; and what…

Standards and Certification. Symposium.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

2002

This document contains three papers from a symposium on standards and certification in human resource development (HRD). "Implementing Management Standards in the UK" (Jonathan Winterton, Ruth Winterton) reports on a study that explored the implementation of management standards in 16 organizations and identified 36 key themes and…

Organization Development. Symposium.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

2002

This document contains four papers on organization development and human resources. "Identification of Key Predictors of Rapid Change Adaptation in a Service Organization" (Constantine Kontoghiorghes, Carol Hansen) reports on the results of an exploratory study, which suggests that rapid change adaptation will be more likely to occur in…

Contemporary HRD Research: A Triarchy of Theoretical Perspectives and Their Prescriptions for HRD.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garavan, Thomas N.; Gunnigle, Patrick; Morley, Michael

2000-01-01

Presents key debates in human resource development. One table outlines the research focus and methodology of articles in this special issue. Another table compares three theoretical perspectives: capability driven, psychological contract, and learning organization. Contains 253 references. (SK)

Dramatically Bringing down the Cost of Education with OER: How Open Education Resources Unlock the Door to Free Learning

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wiley, David; Green, Cable; Soares, Louis

2012-01-01

The nation is in the midst of a revolution in education. For the first time in human history, tools to enable everyone to attain all the education they desire are available. And best of all this education is available at almost no cost. The key to this sea of change in learning is open education resources, or OER. OER are educational materials…

Automated Design of Propellant-Optimal, End-to-End, Low-Thrust Trajectories for Trojan Asteroid Tours

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stuart, Jeffrey; Howell, Kathleen; Wilson, Roby

2013-01-01

The Sun-Jupiter Trojan asteroids are celestial bodies of great scientific interest as well as potential resources offering water and other mineral resources for longterm human exploration of the solar system. Previous investigations under this project have addressed the automated design of tours within the asteroid swarm. This investigation expands the current automation scheme by incorporating options for a complete trajectory design approach to the Trojan asteroids. Computational aspects of the design procedure are automated such that end-to-end trajectories are generated with a minimum of human interaction after key elements and constraints associated with a proposed mission concept are specified.

Preface: Terrestrial Fieldwork to Support in situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) and Robotic Resource Prospecting for Future Activities in Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanders, Gerald B.

2015-05-01

Finding, extracting, and using resources at the site of robotic and human exploration activities holds the promise of enabling sustainable and affordable exploration of the Moon, Mars, and asteroids, and eventually allow humans to expand their economy and habitation beyond the surface of the Earth. Commonly referred to as in situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), mineral and volatile resources found in space can be converted into oxygen, water, metals, fuels, and manufacturing and construction materials (such as plastics and concrete) for transportation, power, life support, habitation construction, and part/logistics manufacturing applications. For every kilogram of payload landed on the surface of the Moon or Mars, 7.5-11 kg of payload (mostly propellant) needs to be launched into low Earth orbit. Therefore, besides promising long-term self-sufficiency and infrastructure growth, ISRU can provide significant reductions in launch costs and the number of launches required. Key to being able to use space resources is knowing where they are located, how much is there, and how the resources are distributed. While ISRU holds great promise, it has also never been demonstrated in an actual space mission. Therefore, operations and hardware associated with each ISRU prospecting, excavation, transportation, and processing step must be examined, tested, and finally integrated to enable the end goal of using space resources in future human space missions.

The Zagreb Collection of human brains: a unique, versatile, but underexploited resource for the neuroscience community.

PubMed

Judaš, Miloš; Šimić, Goran; Petanjek, Zdravko; Jovanov-Milošević, Nataša; Pletikos, Mihovil; Vasung, Lana; Vukšić, Mario; Kostović, Ivica

2011-05-01

The Zagreb Collection of developing and adult human brains was founded in 1974 by Ivica Kostović and consists of 1,278 developing and adult human brains, including 610 fetal, 317 children, and 359 adult brains. It is one of the largest collections of developing human brains. The collection serves as a key resource for many focused research projects and has led to several seminal contributions on mammalian cortical development, such as the discovery of the transient fetal subplate zone and of early bilaminar synaptogenesis in the embryonic and fetal human cerebral cortex, and the first description of growing afferent pathways in the human fetal telencephalon. The Zagreb Collection also serves as a core resource for ever-growing networks of international collaboration and represents the starting point for many young investigators who now pursue independent research careers at leading international institutions. The Zagreb Collection, however, remains underexploited owing to a lack of adequate funding in Croatia. Funding could establish an online catalog of the collection and modern virtual microscopy scanning methods to make the collection internationally more accessible. © 2011 New York Academy of Sciences.

Stakeholders’ Perspectives on Strategies for the Recruitment and Retention of Primary Health Care Employees in Qatar: A Qualitative Approach

PubMed Central

Alameddine, Mohamad; Yassoub, Rami; Mourad, Yara; Khodr, Hiba

2017-01-01

This study explores the recruitment and retention conditions influencing primary health care (PHC) human resources for health (HRH) in Qatar and suggests strategies for their improvement. A qualitative design employing semistructured key informant interviews with PHC stakeholders in Qatar was utilized. Key interviewees were originally recognized, and snowball sampling was used to identify additional interviewees until reaching saturation point. Interview scripts were transcribed and then analyzed thematically using the Nvivo software package. Thematic analysis precipitated a number of themes. Under recruitment, the centrality of enhancing collaboration with academic institutions, enhancing extrinsic benefits, and strengthening human resources recruitment and management practices. Dedicated support needs to be provided to expatriate HRH especially in regard to housing services, children schooling, and streamlining administrative processes for relocation. Findings revealed that job security, continuous professional development, objective performance appraisal systems, enhanced job transparency, and remuneration are key retention concerns. The study provides a number of recommendations for the proper recruitment and retention of HRH. Health planners and decision makers must take these recommendations into consideration to ensure the presence of a competent and sustainable HRH in the PHC sector in the future. PMID:28853314

Stakeholders' Perspectives on Strategies for the Recruitment and Retention of Primary Health Care Employees in Qatar: A Qualitative Approach.

PubMed

Alameddine, Mohamad; Yassoub, Rami; Mourad, Yara; Khodr, Hiba

2017-01-01

This study explores the recruitment and retention conditions influencing primary health care (PHC) human resources for health (HRH) in Qatar and suggests strategies for their improvement. A qualitative design employing semistructured key informant interviews with PHC stakeholders in Qatar was utilized. Key interviewees were originally recognized, and snowball sampling was used to identify additional interviewees until reaching saturation point. Interview scripts were transcribed and then analyzed thematically using the Nvivo software package. Thematic analysis precipitated a number of themes. Under recruitment, the centrality of enhancing collaboration with academic institutions, enhancing extrinsic benefits, and strengthening human resources recruitment and management practices. Dedicated support needs to be provided to expatriate HRH especially in regard to housing services, children schooling, and streamlining administrative processes for relocation. Findings revealed that job security, continuous professional development, objective performance appraisal systems, enhanced job transparency, and remuneration are key retention concerns. The study provides a number of recommendations for the proper recruitment and retention of HRH. Health planners and decision makers must take these recommendations into consideration to ensure the presence of a competent and sustainable HRH in the PHC sector in the future.

Factors influencing resource allocation decisions and equity in the health system of Ghana.

PubMed

Asante, A D; Zwi, A B

2009-05-01

Allocation of financial resources in the health sector is often seen as a formula-driven activity. However, the decision to allocate a certain amount of resources to a particular health jurisdiction or facility may be based on a broader range of factors, sometimes not reflected in the existing resource allocation formula. This study explores the 'other' factors that influence the equity of resource allocation in the health system of Ghana. The extent to which these factors are, or can be, accounted for in the resource allocation process is analysed. An exploratory design focusing on different levels of the health system and diverse stakeholders. Data were gathered through semi-structured qualitative interviews with health authorities at national, regional and district levels, and with donor representatives and local government officials in 2003 and 2004. The availability of human resources for health, local capacity to utilize funds, donor involvement in the health sector, and commitment to promote equity have considerable influence on resource allocation decisions and affect the equity of funding allocations. However, these factors are not accounted for adequately in the resource allocation process. This study highlights the need for a more transparent resource allocation system in Ghana based on needs, and takes into account key issues such as capacity constraints, the inequitable human resource distribution and donor-earmarked funding.

The transition to foraging for dense and predictable resources and its impact on the evolution of modern humans.

PubMed

Marean, Curtis W

2016-07-05

Scientists have identified a series of milestones in the evolution of the human food quest that are anticipated to have had far-reaching impacts on biological, behavioural and cultural evolution: the inclusion of substantial portions of meat, the broad spectrum revolution and the transition to food production. The foraging shift to dense and predictable resources is another key milestone that had consequential impacts on the later part of human evolution. The theory of economic defendability predicts that this shift had an important consequence-elevated levels of intergroup territoriality and conflict. In this paper, this theory is integrated with a well-established general theory of hunter-gatherer adaptations and is used to make predictions for the sequence of appearance of several evolved traits of modern humans. The distribution of dense and predictable resources in Africa is reviewed and found to occur only in aquatic contexts (coasts, rivers and lakes). The palaeoanthropological empirical record contains recurrent evidence for a shift to the exploitation of dense and predictable resources by 110 000 years ago, and the first known occurrence is in a marine coastal context in South Africa. Some theory predicts that this elevated conflict would have provided the conditions for selection for the hyperprosocial behaviours unique to modern humans.This article is part of the themed issue 'Major transitions in human evolution'. © 2016 The Author(s).

The transition to foraging for dense and predictable resources and its impact on the evolution of modern humans

PubMed Central

Marean, Curtis W.

2016-01-01

Scientists have identified a series of milestones in the evolution of the human food quest that are anticipated to have had far-reaching impacts on biological, behavioural and cultural evolution: the inclusion of substantial portions of meat, the broad spectrum revolution and the transition to food production. The foraging shift to dense and predictable resources is another key milestone that had consequential impacts on the later part of human evolution. The theory of economic defendability predicts that this shift had an important consequence—elevated levels of intergroup territoriality and conflict. In this paper, this theory is integrated with a well-established general theory of hunter–gatherer adaptations and is used to make predictions for the sequence of appearance of several evolved traits of modern humans. The distribution of dense and predictable resources in Africa is reviewed and found to occur only in aquatic contexts (coasts, rivers and lakes). The palaeoanthropological empirical record contains recurrent evidence for a shift to the exploitation of dense and predictable resources by 110 000 years ago, and the first known occurrence is in a marine coastal context in South Africa. Some theory predicts that this elevated conflict would have provided the conditions for selection for the hyperprosocial behaviours unique to modern humans. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Major transitions in human evolution’. PMID:27298470

A National Approach for Mapping and Quantifying Habitat-based Biodiversity Metrics Across Multiple Spatial Scales

EPA Science Inventory

Ecosystem services, i.e., "services provided to humans from natural systems," have become a key issue of this century in resource management, conservation planning, and environmental decision analysis. Mapping and quantifying ecosystem services have become strategic national inte...

The Learning Organisation: Results of a Benchmarking Study.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zairi, Mohamed

1999-01-01

Learning in corporations was assessed using these benchmarks: core qualities of creative organizations, characteristic of organizational creativity, attributes of flexible organizations, use of diversity and conflict, creative human resource management systems, and effective and successful teams. These benchmarks are key elements of the learning…

General Achievement Trends: Alabama

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center on Education Policy, 2009

2009-01-01

This general achievement trends profile includes information that the Center on Education Policy (CEP) and the Human Resources Research Organization (HumRRO) obtained from states from fall 2008 through April 2009. Included herein are: (1) Bullet points summarizing key findings about achievement trends in that state at three performance…

Problems with provision: barriers to drinking water quality and public health in rural Tasmania, Australia.

PubMed

Whelan, Jessica J; Willis, Karen

2007-01-01

Access to safe drinking water is essential to human life and wellbeing, and is a key public health issue. However, many communities in rural and regional parts of Australia are unable to access drinking water that meets national standards for protecting human health. The aim of this research was to identify the key issues in and barriers to the provision and management of safe drinking water in rural Tasmania, Australia. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with key local government employees and public health officials responsible for management of drinking water in rural Tasmania. Participants were asked about their core public health duties, regulatory responsibilities, perceptions and management of risk, as well as the key barriers that may be affecting the provision of safe drinking water. This research highlights the effect of rural locality on management and safety of fresh water in protecting public health. The key issues contributing to problems with drinking water provision and quality identified by participants included: poor and inadequate water supply infrastructure; lack of resources and staffing; inadequate catchment monitoring; and the effect of competing land uses, such as forestry, on water supply quality. This research raises issues of inequity in the provision of safe drinking water in rural communities. It highlights not only the increasing need for greater funding by state and commonwealth government for basic services such as drinking water, but also the importance of an holistic and integrated approach to managing drinking water resources in rural Tasmania.

Assessing and Mobilizing Faith Organizations to Implement Childhood Obesity Prevention Advocacy Strategies.

PubMed

Bozlak, Christine T; Kenady, James M; Becker, Adam B

2018-01-01

Childhood obesity remains a public health problem requiring mobilization across diverse social and political sectors. The faith-based sector can contribute to obesity prevention advocacy when existing resources are supported and leveraged. This article describes an advocacy resource assessment conducted in six Chicago faith organizations. Key administrators and congregation members were surveyed to identify organizational resources that could be mobilized for childhood obesity prevention advocacy. Survey data were analyzed using SPSS and Excel. Descriptive statistics were calculated for each organization and for all combined. Organizational resources for advocacy were identified, with varying degrees of resources within organizations. Congregation members and faith leaders expressed interest in advocacy training and activities but acknowledged competing organizational priorities. Participating organizations received a stipend to pursue recommended action items based on their assessment. Faith organizations have unique resources and human capital and can be key partners in childhood obesity prevention. Conducting an assessment prior to planning interventions and advocacy approaches can strengthen partnerships, leverage assets among partners, and ensure efforts are relevant and beneficial for faith organizations. It may also be strategic to incorporate funding in grant budgets in order to empower faith organizations to act on findings from the assessment process.

Emerging Concepts for Integrating Human and Environmental Water Needs in River Basin Management

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-09-01

SCOWAR concluded (Naiman et al . 2002 ): “the major challenge to freshwater management is to place water resource development within the context of...rate. It has been suggested (Naiman et al . 2002 ) that there are three overarching ecological principles for water resources management. These are...been expanded into another six key principles by Bunn and Arthington ( 2002 ), Nilsson and Svedmark ( 2002 ), and Pinay et al . ( 2002 ): a. Flow is a major

Multidimensional model to assess the readiness of Saudi Arabia to implement evidence based child maltreatment prevention programs at a large scale.

PubMed

Almuneef, Maha A; Qayad, Mohamed; Noor, Ismail K; Al-Eissa, Majid A; Albuhairan, Fadia S; Inam, Sarah; Mikton, Christopher

2014-03-01

There has been increased awareness of child maltreatment in Saudi Arabia recently. This study assessed the readiness for implementing large-scale evidence-based child maltreatment prevention programs in Saudi Arabia. Key informants, who were key decision makers and senior managers in the field of child maltreatment, were invited to participate in the study. A multidimensional tool, developed by WHO and collaborators from several middle and low income countries, was used to assess 10 dimensions of readiness. A group of experts also gave an objective assessment of the 10 dimensions and key informants' and experts' scores were compared. On a scale of 100, the key informants gave a readiness score of 43% for Saudi Arabia to implement large-scale, evidence-based CM prevention programs, and experts gave an overall readiness score of 40%. Both the key informants and experts agreed that 4 of the dimensions (attitudes toward child maltreatment prevention, institutional links and resources, material resources, and human and technical resources) had low readiness scores (<5) each and three dimensions (knowledge of child maltreatment prevention, scientific data on child maltreatment prevention, and will to address child maltreatment problem) had high readiness scores (≥5) each. There was significant disagreement between key informants and experts on the remaining 3 dimensions. Overall, Saudi Arabia has a moderate/fair readiness to implement large-scale child maltreatment prevention programs. Capacity building; strengthening of material resources; and improving institutional links, collaborations, and attitudes toward the child maltreatment problem are required to improve the country's readiness to implement such programs. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Human resource leadership: the key to improved results in health

PubMed Central

O'Neil, Mary L

2008-01-01

This article is the lead article in the Human Resources for Health journal's first quarterly feature. The series of seven articles has been contributed by Management Sciences for Health (MSH) under the theme of leadership and management in public health and will be published article by article over the next few weeks. The journal has invited Dr Manuel M. Dayrit, Director of the WHO Department of Human Resources for Health and former Minister of Health for the Philippines to launch the feature with an opening editorial to be found in the journal's blog. This opening article describes the human resource challenges that managers around the world report and analyses why solutions often fail to be implemented. Despite rising attention to the acute shortage of health care workers, solutions to the human resource (HR) crisis are difficult to achieve, especially in the poorest countries. Although we are aware of the issues and have developed HR strategies, the problem is that some old systems of leading and managing human resources for health do not work in today's context. The Leadership Development Program (LDP) is grounded on the belief that good leadership and management can be learned and practiced at all levels. The case studies in this issue were chosen to illustrate results from using the LDP at different levels of the health sector. The LDP makes a profound difference in health managers' attitudes towards their work. Rather than feeling defeated by a workplace climate that lacks motivation, hope, and commitment to change, people report that they are mobilized to take action to change the status quo. The lesson is that without this capacity at all levels, global policy and national HR strategies will fail to make a difference. PMID:18570657

[Regional integration, population health needs, and human resources for health systems and services: an approach to the concept of health care gap].

PubMed

Schweiger, Arturo Luis Francisco; Alvarez, Daniela Teresita

2007-01-01

The existence of gaps between the population's health needs and the human resources available for meeting them, as well as limitations in the methods to estimate such needs, constitute key factors to be tackled in the development and integration of health systems in Latin America. This aim of this study was to conduct an initial literature review on the tools and procedures used to estimate and plan human resources allocation in health and to use this review as the basis for identifying the advantages, limitations, and complementary characteristics of these tools, subsequently proposing the need for more in-depth studies on their applicability for designing regional health policies. The article then presents the concept of global public health goods, the generation and use of which results in a strategic alternative for improving both health systems integration in the region and quality of life for the population covered by such services.

Mergers: enhancing human resources management.

PubMed

Dolan, R; Weil, T P

1998-01-01

The health care industry is experiencing merger mania, but the majority of its current leadership underestimates the importance that significant differences in corporate culture and employee morale play among physicians and others in implementing such organizational objectives as enhancing access, reducing cost, and improving quality of care. The key human resources management issues are discussed that are too often overlooked and frequently sidetracked in the formation of powerful health networks now so prevalent in almost every metropolitan region. The authors conclude that in America's intensely competitive managed care environment, there are a number of critical human resources management ingredients that deal makers need to achieve from these mergers in order to ensure their perceived objectives: (1) paying far greater attention to variations in corporate culture and employee morale; (2) reducing total salary and fringe benefit costs; and, (3) concurrently recruiting and maintaining a qualified and stable workforce that focuses more decisively on clinical-fiscal concerns so as to improve quality of patient care at a lower cost.

Right place of human resource management in the reform of health sector.

PubMed

Hassani, Seyed Abas; Mobaraki, Hossein; Bayat, Maboubeh; Mafimoradi, Shiva

2013-01-01

In this paper the real role and place of human resource (HR) in health system reform will be discussed and determined within the whole system through the comprehensive Human Resource Management (HRM) model. Delphi survey and a questionnaire were used to 1) collect HR manager ideas and comments and 2) identify the main challenges of HRM. Then the results were discussed in an expert panel after being analyzed by content analysis method. Also, a deep focus study of recorded documents related to Health Human Resource Management was done. Then based on all achieved results, a rich picture was drawn to illustrate the right place of HRM in health sector. Finally, the authors revitalize the missed function of HRM within the health sector by drawing a holistic conceptual model. The most percentage of frequency about HR belongs to "Lack of reliable HR information system" (91%) and the least percentage of frequency belongs to "Low responsibility of HR" (28%). The most percentage of frequency about HR manager belongs to "Inattention to HR managers as key managers and consider them in background" (80%) and the least percentage of frequency belongs to "Lack of coordination between universities' policies" (30%). According to the conceptual framework, human resources employed in health system are viewed from two comprehensive approaches: instrumental approach and institutional. Unlike the common belief that looks HRM through the supportive approach, it is discussed that HRM not only has an instrumental role, but also do have a driver role.

Powerful Metrics: Strategic and Transformative

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Butterfield, Barbara

2006-01-01

To be a valuable partner at the strategic level, human resources can and should contribute to both institutional effectiveness measurement and workforce metrics. In this article, the author examines how to link HR initiatives with key institutional strategies, clarifies essential HR responsibilities for workforce results, explores return on human…

Yavapai College Integrated Master Plan.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yavapai Coll., Prescott, AZ.

This integrated master plan for Yavapai College (Arizona) includes the following six key components: (1) district services overview; (2) educational services plan; (3) human resources plan; (4) information technology services; (5) facilities plan; and (6) financial plan. The master plan was developed as a result of discussions and meetings with…

International Collaboration in Brazilian Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Creso, Sá; Grieco, Julieta

2015-01-01

This paper examines the approach Brazil has taken to promote the internationalization of higher education over the last decade. Three key areas are identified: human resources development, institution building, and international partnerships. Our analyses of initiatives in these areas demonstrate that Brazil does not follow global trends such as…

General Achievement Trends: New Hampshire

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center on Education Policy, 2009

2009-01-01

This general achievement trends profile includes information that the Center on Education Policy (CEP) and the Human Resources Research Organization (HumRRO) obtained from states from fall 2008 through April 2009. Included herein are: (1) Bullet points summarizing key findings about achievement trends in that state at three performance…

[Human resources management in a mother and child department: a research study on new nursing and obstetric staff].

PubMed

Sferrazza, Silvia; Papalia, Monica; Rossi, Sergio

2011-01-01

To put "human resources" in the first place in a working context is an ambitious target. The basic idea is the give more value to the human and professional contribution of each individual in order to create an alliance between an organization and the people who work in it. In this context, the nursing coordinator plays a key role in inserting new staff. In this delicate phase, the expectations of new staff may or may not be fulfilled. The aim of the present study is to examine the possible difficulties that may occur during this phase. The study included 175 new staff and 175 nurses, obstetricians and pediatric nurses already at work for a total of 350. Research instruments consisted of two anonymous ad hoc questionnaires, the first issued to new staff at the Mother and Child Department, the second to staff already working in the same department. Results showed a lack of sensitivity towards new staff and a lack of dedicated procedures to help them during this delicate phase which is fundamental for their future career. Key words: newly assumed staff, work insertion, nurses.

A coupled modeling framework for sustainable watershed management in transboundary river basins

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furqan Khan, Hassaan; Yang, Y. C. Ethan; Xie, Hua; Ringler, Claudia

2017-12-01

There is a growing recognition among water resource managers that sustainable watershed management needs to not only account for the diverse ways humans benefit from the environment, but also incorporate the impact of human actions on the natural system. Coupled natural-human system modeling through explicit modeling of both natural and human behavior can help reveal the reciprocal interactions and co-evolution of the natural and human systems. This study develops a spatially scalable, generalized agent-based modeling (ABM) framework consisting of a process-based semi-distributed hydrologic model (SWAT) and a decentralized water system model to simulate the impacts of water resource management decisions that affect the food-water-energy-environment (FWEE) nexus at a watershed scale. Agents within a river basin are geographically delineated based on both political and watershed boundaries and represent key stakeholders of ecosystem services. Agents decide about the priority across three primary water uses: food production, hydropower generation and ecosystem health within their geographical domains. Agents interact with the environment (streamflow) through the SWAT model and interact with other agents through a parameter representing willingness to cooperate. The innovative two-way coupling between the water system model and SWAT enables this framework to fully explore the feedback of human decisions on the environmental dynamics and vice versa. To support non-technical stakeholder interactions, a web-based user interface has been developed that allows for role-play and participatory modeling. The generalized ABM framework is also tested in two key transboundary river basins, the Mekong River basin in Southeast Asia and the Niger River basin in West Africa, where water uses for ecosystem health compete with growing human demands on food and energy resources. We present modeling results for crop production, energy generation and violation of eco-hydrological indicators at both the agent and basin-wide levels to shed light on holistic FWEE management policies in these two basins.

Stable isotopes reveal links between human food inputs and urban ant diets.

PubMed

Penick, Clint A; Savage, Amy M; Dunn, Robert R

2015-05-07

The amount of energy consumed within an average city block is an order of magnitude higher than that consumed in any other ecosystem over a similar area. This is driven by human food inputs, but the consequence of these resources for urban animal populations is poorly understood. We investigated the role of human foods in ant diets across an urbanization gradient in Manhattan using carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes. We found that some-but not all-ant species living in Manhattan's most urbanized habitats had δ(13)C signatures associated with processed human foods. In particular, pavement ants (Tetramorium sp. E) had increased levels of δ(13)C similar to δ(13)C levels in human fast foods. The magnitude of this effect was positively correlated with urbanization. By contrast, we detected no differences in δ(15)N, suggesting Tetramorium feeds at the same trophic level despite shifting to human foods. This pattern persisted across the broader ant community; species in traffic islands used human resources more than park species. Our results demonstrate that the degree urban ants exploit human resources changes across the city and among species, and this variation could play a key role in community structure and ecosystem processes where human and animal food webs intersect. © 2015 The Author(s) Published by the Royal Society. All rights reserved.

Transportation: The Key to Unlocking the Final Frontier

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sackheim, Robert L.; Saucier, Sidney (Technical Monitor)

2000-01-01

For this future generations in this new millennium, only two new frontiers remain to be explored and developed by humans: Under the oceans, seas and lakes (about 80 percent of the Earth) and The vast reaches of near and outer space. We are slowly running out of resources while this planet's population is exploding. We must establish new, highly reliable and low-cost ways to colonize under the seas and to get people permanently off "Spaceship Planet Earth". We must establish new colonies permanently in space because it is vital to the ultimate survival of the human race. Reliable and affordable space transportation for routine human travel into space and the planets is once again the key to developing this last great frontier. This talk will now focus on what NASA is now doing to initiate the process in earnest. Space transportation is the key, and once again will only meet the needs with new generations of competent, talented, and innovative mechanical engineers.

Coupling habitat suitability and ecosystem health with AEHRA to estimate E-flows under intensive human activities

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhao, C. S.; Yang, S. T.; Zhang, H. T.; Liu, C. M.; Sun, Y.; Yang, Z. Y.; Zhang, Y.; Dong, B. E.; Lim, R. P.

2017-08-01

Sustaining adequate environmental flows (e-flows) is a key principle for maintaining river biodiversity and ecosystem health, and for supporting sustainable water resource management in basins under intensive human activities. But few methods could correctly relate river health to e-flows assessment at the catchment scale when they are applied to rivers highly impacted by human activities. An effective method is presented in this study to closely link river health to e-flows assessment for rivers at the catchment scale. Key fish species, as indicators of ecosystem health, were selected by using the foodweb model. A multi-species-based habitat suitability model (MHSI) was improved, and coupled with dominance of the key fish species as well as the Index of Biological Integrity (IBI) to enhance its accuracy in determining the fish-preferred key hydrologic habitat variables related to ecosystem health. Taking 5964 fish samples and concurrent hydrological habitat variables as the basis, the combination of key variables of flow-velocity and water-depth were determined and used to drive the Adapted Ecological Hydraulic Radius Approach (AEHRA) to study e-flows in a Chinese urban river impacted by intensive human activities. Results showed that upstream urbanization resulted in abnormal river-course geomorphology and consequently abnormal e-flows under intensive human activities. Selection of key species based on the foodweb and trophic levels of aquatic ecosystems can reflect a comprehensive requirement on e-flows of the whole aquatic ecosystem, which greatly increases its potential to be used as a guidance tool for rehabilitation of degraded ecosystems at large spatial scales. These findings have significant ramifications for catchment e-flows assessment under intensive human activities and for river ecohealth restoration in such rivers globally.

A Flexible Socioeconomic Scenarios Framework for the Study of Plausible Arctic Futures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reissell, A. K.; Peters, G. P.; Riahi, K.; Kroglund, M.; Lovecraft, A. L.; Nilsson, A. E.; Preston, B. L.; van Ruijven, B. J.

2016-12-01

Future developments of the Arctic region are associated with different drivers of change - climate, environmental, and socio-economic - and their interactions, and are highly uncertain. The uncertainty poses challenges for decision-making, calling for development of new analytical frameworks. Scenarios - coherent narratives describing potential futures, pathways to futures, and drivers of change along the way - can be used to explore the consequences of the key uncertainties, particularly in the long-term. In a participatory scenarios workshop, we used both top-down and bottom-up approaches for the development of a flexible socioeconomic scenarios framework. The top-down approach was linked to the global Integrated Assessment Modeling framework and its Shared Socio-Economic Pathways (SSPs), developing an Arctic extension of the set of five storylines on the main socioeconomic uncertainties in global climate change research. The bottom-up approach included participatory development of narratives originating from within the Arctic region. For extension of global SSPs to the regional level, we compared the key elements in the global SSPs (Population, Human Development, Economy & Lifestyle, Policies & Institutions, Technology, and Environment & Natural Resources) and key elements in the Arctic. Additional key elements for the Arctic scenarios include, for example, seasonal migration, the large role of traditional knowledge and culture, mixed economy, nested governance structure, human and environmental security, quality of infrastructure. The bottom-up derived results suggested that the scenarios developed independent of the SSPs could be mapped back to the SSPs to demonstrate consistency with respect to representing similar boundary conditions. The two approaches are complimentary, as the top-down approach can be used to set the global socio-economic and climate boundary conditions, and the bottom-up approach providing the regional context. One key uncertainty and driving force is the demand for resources (global or regional) that was mapped against the role of governance as well as adaptive and transformative capacity among actors within the Arctic. Resources demand has significant influence on the society, culture, economy and environment of the Arctic.

Returnees and Diaspora as Source of Innovation in Chinese Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Welch, Anthony; Hao, Jie

2013-01-01

This paper highlights how returnees and knowledge diaspora are important sources for China's human resources development, identifying push and pull factors that also contribute significantly to innovation in the higher education sector. By outlining China's key projects and schemes for recruiting international professional workers, the paper…

Human Resources Competitiveness Profile.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Council on Competitiveness, Washington, DC.

This report distills hundreds of indicators from both domestic and international sources to determine how the United States compares to other countries and to its own past performance in competitiveness. It attempts to establish a baseline of some key education and training indicators that, taken together, show where the nation stands and where it…

Emergence of the global research alliance on agricultural greenhouse gases

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Increasing human population pressure on the Earth is of great concern and a key reason why agricultural and natural resource sciences must be fully engaged to develop solutions for a sustainable future. Increasing population puts pressure on the demand for food, clean water, healthy soil, and a sta...

Education at a Glance 2016: OECD Indicators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

OECD Publishing, 2016

2016-01-01

"Education at a Glance" is the authoritative source for information on the state of education around the world. It provides key information on the output of educational institutions; the impact of learning across countries; the financial and human resources invested in education; access, participation and progression in education; and…

Understanding the New Job-Analysis Technology.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aho, Kaye L.

1989-01-01

The author examines such trends as rapid job change, organizational decentralization, the need for increased productivity, legal challenges, and changing work force needs; the evolving job-analysis technology; and the potential impact of this technology on human resources professionals. She also summarizes the key features to look for in a…

Protecting Our Priorities: 2010 Annual Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Western Interstate Commission for Higher Education, 2010

2010-01-01

What does "protecting our priorities" mean in an era when economic realities require that institutions of higher education trim their budgets while also providing critical education and training to more and more students--those "human resources" whose skills will be the key to any economic turnaround? This is a question WICHE…

Technical Education--The Key to Sustainable Technological Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Odo, J. U.; Okafor, W. C.; Odo, A. L.; Ejikeugwu, L. N.; Ugwuoke, C. N.

2017-01-01

Technical education has been identified as one of the most effective human resource development that needs to be embraced for rapid industrialization and sustainable technological development of any nation. Technical education has been an integral part of national development in many societies because of its impact on productivity and economic…

Human rights, cultural pluralism, and international health research.

PubMed

Marshall, Patricia A

2005-01-01

In the field of bioethics, scholars have begun to consider carefully the impact of structural issues on global population health, including socioeconomic and political factors influencing the disproportionate burden of disease throughout the world. Human rights and social justice are key considerations for both population health and biomedical research. In this paper, I will briefly explore approaches to human rights in bioethics and review guidelines for ethical conduct in international health research, focusing specifically on health research conducted in resource-poor settings. I will demonstrate the potential for addressing human rights considerations in international health research with special attention to the importance of collaborative partnerships, capacity building, and respect for cultural traditions. Strengthening professional knowledge about international research ethics increases awareness of ethical concerns associated with study design and informed consent among researchers working in resource-poor settings. But this is not enough. Technological and financial resources are also necessary to build capacity for local communities to ensure that research results are integrated into existing health systems. Problematic issues surrounding the application of ethical guidelines in resource-poor settings are embedded in social history, cultural context, and the global political economy. Resolving the moral complexities requires a commitment to engaged dialogue and action among investigators, funding agencies, policy makers, governmental institutions, and private industry.

Groundwater and human development: challenges and opportunities in livelihoods and environment.

PubMed

Shah, T

2005-01-01

At less than 1000 km3/year, the world's annual use of groundwater is 1.5% of renewable water resource but contributes a lion's share of water-induced human welfare. Global groundwater use however has increased manifold in the past 50 years; and the human race has never had to manage groundwater use on such a large scale. Sustaining the massive welfare gains groundwater development has created without ruining the resource is a key water challenge facing the world today. In exploring this challenge, we have focused a good deal on conditions of resource occurrence but less so on resource use. I offer a typology of five groundwater demand systems as Groundwater Socio-ecologies (GwSE), each embodying a unique pattern of interactions between socio-economic and ecological variables, and each facing a distinct groundwater governance challenge. During the past century, a growing corpus of experiential knowledge has accumulated in the industrialized world on managing groundwater in various uses and contexts. A daunting global groundwater issue today is to apply this knowledge intelligently to by far the more formidable challenge that has arisen in developing regions of Asia and Africa, where groundwater irrigation has evolved into a colossal anarchy supporting billions of livelihoods but threatening the resource itself.

Echinococcosis: Control and Prevention.

PubMed

Craig, P S; Hegglin, D; Lightowlers, M W; Torgerson, P R; Wang, Q

2017-01-01

Human cystic echinococcosis (CE) has been eliminated or significantly reduced as a public health problem in several previously highly endemic regions. This has been achieved by the long-term application of prevention and control measures primarily targeted to deworming dogs, health education, meat inspection, and effective surveillance in livestock and human populations. Human CE, however, remains a serious neglected zoonotic disease in many resource-poor pastoral regions. The incidence of human alveolar echinococcosis (AE) has increased in continental Europe and is a major public health problem in parts of Eurasia. Better understanding of wildlife ecology for fox and small mammal hosts has enabled targeted anthelmintic baiting of fox populations and development of spatially explicit models to predict population dynamics for key intermediate host species and human AE risk in endemic landscapes. Challenges that remain for echinococcosis control include effective intervention in resource-poor communities, better availability of surveillance tools, optimal application of livestock vaccination, and management and ecology of dog and wildlife host populations. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Agroecology: the key role of arbuscular mycorrhizas in ecosystem services.

PubMed

Gianinazzi, Silvio; Gollotte, Armelle; Binet, Marie-Noëlle; van Tuinen, Diederik; Redecker, Dirk; Wipf, Daniel

2010-11-01

The beneficial effects of arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi on plant performance and soil health are essential for the sustainable management of agricultural ecosystems. Nevertheless, since the 'first green revolution', less attention has been given to beneficial soil microorganisms in general and to AM fungi in particular. Human society benefits from a multitude of resources and processes from natural and managed ecosystems, to which AM make a crucial contribution. These resources and processes, which are called ecosystem services, include products like food and processes like nutrient transfer. Many people have been under the illusion that these ecosystem services are free, invulnerable and infinitely available; taken for granted as public benefits, they lack a formal market and are traditionally absent from society's balance sheet. In 1997, a team of researchers from the USA, Argentina and the Netherlands put an average price tag of US $33 trillion a year on these fundamental ecosystem services. The present review highlights the key role that the AM symbiosis can play as an ecosystem service provider to guarantee plant productivity and quality in emerging systems of sustainable agriculture. The appropriate management of ecosystem services rendered by AM will impact on natural resource conservation and utilisation with an obvious net gain for human society.

Managerial implications of corporate board involvement and perceived market competition for quality improvement in nursing homes.

PubMed

Weech-Maldonado, R; Zinn, J S; Brannon, D

1999-01-01

This study examines the relationships among corporate board involvement, total quality management (TQM) adoption, perceived market competition, and the perceived effect of quality improvement (QI) activities for a sample of nursing homes in Pennsylvania. The findings of this study have several implications for healthcare managers interested in maximizing the effectiveness of QI efforts. Board involvement in quality improvement was an important predictor of QI outcomes in the areas of finance, resident care, and human resources. However, TQM adoption had a positive effect on human resources outcomes only. These findings suggest that board involvement in any organized form of QI may be more important than the adoption of a formal TQM program in the nursing home industry. TQM's emphasis on employee empowerment may account for its positive influence on human resources. Perceived competition was associated with better financial outcomes. Low-cost leadership can be a key to survival in more competitive markets, requiring a focus on efficiency and productivity issues in QI efforts. By focusing on process improvement, the facilities may achieve cost reductions that can result in an improved financial position. Facilities perceived to be in more competitive environments were also more likely to adopt TQM. This is consistent with the assertion by resource-dependence theorists that organizations facing competition for resources must be responsive to the needs of resource-providing constituencies.

Food for contagion: synthesis and future directions for studying host-parasite responses to resource shifts in anthropogenic environments.

PubMed

Altizer, Sonia; Becker, Daniel J; Epstein, Jonathan H; Forbes, Kristian M; Gillespie, Thomas R; Hall, Richard J; Hawley, Dana M; Hernandez, Sonia M; Martin, Lynn B; Plowright, Raina K; Satterfield, Dara A; Streicker, Daniel G

2018-05-05

Human-provided resource subsidies for wildlife are diverse, common and have profound consequences for wildlife-pathogen interactions, as demonstrated by papers in this themed issue spanning empirical, theoretical and management perspectives from a range of study systems. Contributions cut across scales of organization, from the within-host dynamics of immune function, to population-level impacts on parasite transmission, to landscape- and regional-scale patterns of infection. In this concluding paper, we identify common threads and key findings from author contributions, including the consequences of resource subsidies for (i) host immunity; (ii) animal aggregation and contact rates; (iii) host movement and landscape-level infection patterns; and (iv) interspecific contacts and cross-species transmission. Exciting avenues for future work include studies that integrate mechanistic modelling and empirical approaches to better explore cross-scale processes, and experimental manipulations of food resources to quantify host and pathogen responses. Work is also needed to examine evolutionary responses to provisioning, and ask how diet-altered changes to the host microbiome influence infection processes. Given the massive public health and conservation implications of anthropogenic resource shifts, we end by underscoring the need for practical recommendations to manage supplemental feeding practices, limit human-wildlife conflicts over shared food resources and reduce cross-species transmission risks, including to humans.This article is part of the theme issue 'Anthropogenic resource subsidies and host-parasite dynamics in wildlife'. © 2018 The Author(s).

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) Behavioral Health Disaster Response App.

PubMed

Seligman, Jamie; Felder, Stephanie S; Robinson, Maryann E

2015-10-01

The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) in the Department of Health and Human Services offers extensive disaster behavior health resources to assist disaster survivors in preparing for, responding to, and recovering from natural and manmade disasters. One of SAMHSA's most innovative resources is the SAMHSA Behavioral Health Disaster Response App (SAMHSA Disaster App). The SAMHSA Disaster App prepares behavioral health responders for any type of traumatic event by allowing them to access disaster-related materials and other key resources right on their phone, at the touch of a button. The SAMHSA Disaster App is available on iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry devices.

Integrating knowledge representation and quantitative modelling in physiology.

PubMed

de Bono, Bernard; Hunter, Peter

2012-08-01

A wealth of potentially shareable resources, such as data and models, is being generated through the study of physiology by computational means. Although in principle the resources generated are reusable, in practice, few can currently be shared. A key reason for this disparity stems from the lack of consistent cataloguing and annotation of these resources in a standardised manner. Here, we outline our vision for applying community-based modelling standards in support of an automated integration of models across physiological systems and scales. Two key initiatives, the Physiome Project and the European contribution - the Virtual Phsysiological Human Project, have emerged to support this multiscale model integration, and we focus on the role played by two key components of these frameworks, model encoding and semantic metadata annotation. We present examples of biomedical modelling scenarios (the endocrine effect of atrial natriuretic peptide, and the implications of alcohol and glucose toxicity) to illustrate the role that encoding standards and knowledge representation approaches, such as ontologies, could play in the management, searching and visualisation of physiology models, and thus in providing a rational basis for healthcare decisions and contributing towards realising the goal of of personalized medicine. Copyright © 2012 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

A taxonomy for community-based care programs focused on HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care in resource-poor settings

PubMed Central

Rachlis, Beth; Sodhi, Sumeet; Burciul, Barry; Orbinski, James; Cheng, Amy H.Y.; Cole, Donald

2013-01-01

Community-based care (CBC) can increase access to key services for people affected by HIV/AIDS through the mobilization of community interests and resources and their integration with formal health structures. Yet, the lack of a systematic framework for analysis of CBC focused on HIV/AIDS impedes our ability to understand and study CBC programs. We sought to develop taxonomy of CBC programs focused on HIV/AIDS in resource-limited settings in an effort to understand their key characteristics, uncover any gaps in programming, and highlight the potential roles they play. Our review aimed to systematically identify key CBC programs focused on HIV/AIDS in resource-limited settings. We used both bibliographic database searches (Medline, CINAHL, and EMBASE) for peer-reviewed literature and internet-based searches for gray literature. Our search terms were ‘HIV’ or ‘AIDS’ and ‘community-based care’ or ‘CBC’. Two co-authors developed a descriptive taxonomy through an iterative, inductive process using the retrieved program information. We identified 21 CBC programs useful for developing taxonomy. Extensive variation was observed within each of the nine categories identified: region, vision, characteristics of target populations, program scope, program operations, funding models, human resources, sustainability, and monitoring and evaluation strategies. While additional research may still be needed to identify the conditions that lead to overall program success, our findings can help to inform our understanding of the various aspects of CBC programs and inform potential logic models for CBC programming in the context of HIV/AIDS in resource-limited settings. Importantly, the findings of the present study can be used to develop sustainable HIV/AIDS-service delivery programs in regions with health resource shortages. PMID:23594416

A taxonomy for community-based care programs focused on HIV/AIDS prevention, treatment, and care in resource-poor settings.

PubMed

Rachlis, Beth; Sodhi, Sumeet; Burciul, Barry; Orbinski, James; Cheng, Amy H Y; Cole, Donald

2013-04-16

Community-based care (CBC) can increase access to key services for people affected by HIV/AIDS through the mobilization of community interests and resources and their integration with formal health structures. Yet, the lack of a systematic framework for analysis of CBC focused on HIV/AIDS impedes our ability to understand and study CBC programs. We sought to develop taxonomy of CBC programs focused on HIV/AIDS in resource-limited settings in an effort to understand their key characteristics, uncover any gaps in programming, and highlight the potential roles they play. Our review aimed to systematically identify key CBC programs focused on HIV/AIDS in resource-limited settings. We used both bibliographic database searches (Medline, CINAHL, and EMBASE) for peer-reviewed literature and internet-based searches for gray literature. Our search terms were 'HIV' or 'AIDS' and 'community-based care' or 'CBC'. Two co-authors developed a descriptive taxonomy through an iterative, inductive process using the retrieved program information. We identified 21 CBC programs useful for developing taxonomy. Extensive variation was observed within each of the nine categories identified: region, vision, characteristics of target populations, program scope, program operations, funding models, human resources, sustainability, and monitoring and evaluation strategies. While additional research may still be needed to identify the conditions that lead to overall program success, our findings can help to inform our understanding of the various aspects of CBC programs and inform potential logic models for CBC programming in the context of HIV/AIDS in resource-limited settings. Importantly, the findings of the present study can be used to develop sustainable HIV/AIDS-service delivery programs in regions with health resource shortages.

Simulating Phase Variation: A Practical Approach to Teaching Mutation and Diversity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wanford, Joe; Aidley, Jack; Bayliss, Chris; Ketley, Julian; Goodwin, Mark

2018-01-01

Mutation, diversity, natural selection and the biology of human pathogens (including antibiotic resistance) are key features of the biosciences curriculum at A Level and undergraduate study. Few resources exist to allow students to engage with these topics in an interactive manner. This paper describes an interactive, online simulation of mutation…

Open Access Resources for Genome Wide Association Studies (GWAS) in rice (Oryza sativa) illustrate the power of population-specific mapping

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Increasing food production is essential to meet the demands of a growing human population, with its rising income levels and nutritional expectations. New sources of genetic variation are key to enhancing the productivity, sustainability and resilience of crop varieties and agricultural systems that...

Where in the World Is Knowledge? A Key to International Business Expansion Decisions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nienhaus, Brian

This paper proposes use of an assessment tool called "commodity relations," to measure national knowledge resources to help companies make better site selections for international production operations. The paper first reviews traditional measures of human capital, such as average years of education per individual and literacy rates. The…

Education Indicators for East Asia and Pacific.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Acedo, Clementina; Uemura, Mitsue

This set of education indicators for the World Bank's East Asia and Pacific Region is designed to provide key policy-oriented data for World Bank staff and clients. The framework is divided into six main chapters: (1) the demographic, social and economic context of education; (2) financial and human resources invested in education; (3) access to…

Understanding and Articulating Effective Succession Planning: A Means for Infusing Influence by NAITTE Constituencies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Geroy, Gary D.; Caleb, Denise; Wright, Phillip C.

2005-01-01

Human resource succession planning (HRSP) is "a deliberate and systematic effort by an organization to ensure critical personnel continuity in key positions and encourage individual advancement". Succession planning allows an organization to prepare for the absence, departure, death, retirement, or termination of an individual. It provides for…

Large landscape conservation-synthetic and real-world datasets

Treesearch

Bistra Dilkina; Katherine Lai; Ronan Le Bras; Yexiang Xue; Carla P. Gomes; Ashish Sabharwal; Jordan Suter; Kevin S. McKelvey; Michael K. Schwartz; Claire Montgomery

2013-01-01

Biodiversity underpins ecosystem goods and services and hence protecting it is key to achieving sustainability. However, the persistence of many species is threatened by habitat loss and fragmentation due to human land use and climate change. Conservation efforts are implemented under very limited economic resources, and therefore designing scalable, cost-efficient and...

Industrialization: The Key Factor in Changing Rural Communities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deaton, Brady J.

While increased movement of industry into rural areas has whittled away at rural poverty in the United States, the question arises whether this transformation of rural landscape is good or bad. Evaluation should detail its effect on both human and natural resources. Though reduction of poverty is important to quality of life, increased…

Flexible Learning, Human Resource and Organisational Development: Putting Theory To Work.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jakupec, Viktor, Ed.; Garrick, John, Ed.

This book addresses contemporary contexts of flexible learning and its practices and provides insights about directions that education and training providers may be required to follow to implement flexible learning in a variety of settings. Key issues and debates include the following: social and economic dimensions of flexible learning and…

A Cognitive Model for Exposition of Human Deception and Counterdeception

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-10-01

for understanding deception and counterdeceptlon, for developing related tactics, and for stimulating research in cognitive processes. Further...Processing Resources; Attention) BUFFER MEMORY MANAGER (Local) (Problem Solving; Learning; Procedures) BUFFER MEMORY SENSORS Visual, Auditory ...Perception and Misperception in International Politics, Princeton University Press, Princeton, NJ, 1976. Key, W.B., Subliminal Seduction. New

76 FR 21044 - Notice of Entering Into a Compact With the Republic of Malawi

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-14

...) Operations: MCC funding will support change management efforts, designing human resources strategies... efforts to implement a suitable market model which will include efforts to: (a) Study and design a single... from time to time in accordance with the terms hereof, the ``Program'') to counter a key binding...

The Influence of Workplace Attraction on Recruitment and Retention

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Amundson, Norman E.

2007-01-01

Economic changes have made the topics of recruitment and retention key issues for career development and human resource professionals. In this article, a model of workplace attraction is presented as 1 way of better understanding the match between workers and workplaces. Many contextual variables such as age, culture, and gender influence the…

DHO: Discovery--Stargazing from the Ground Up

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

O'Leary, Niall

2013-01-01

In 2008, the Digital Humanities Observatory was charged with creating an all-island gateway to Irish digital collections and resources. A key factor in the achievement of this goal was the development of the web application, "DHO: Discovery." This chapter will describe what "DHO: Discovery" was intended to be and to what extent…

Assessment of Development of the Learning Organization Concept in Jordanian Industrial Companies

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Khadra, Marah F. Abu; Rawabdeh, Ibrahim A.

2006-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this research is to examine the impact on organizational performance of the application of management and human resource practices, and to attempt to outline key elements and assess development of the learning organization (LO) concept in Jordan. Design/methodology/approach: The tool described in this article assesses…

Collaboration with HEIs: A Key Capacity Building Block for the Uganda Water and Sanitation Public Sector

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kayaga, Sam

2007-01-01

The capacity of public service staff in developing countries is crucial for achieving the Millennium Development Goals. Literature from developed countries shows that, working with higher education institutions (HEIs), industries have improved their human resource capacity through continuing professional development. This paper reports on research…

Using a Combination of UML, C2RM, XML, and Metadata Registries to Support Long-Term Development/Engineering

DTIC Science & Technology

2003-01-01

Authenticat’n (XCBF) Authorizat’n (XACML) (SAML) Privacy (P3P) Digital Rights Management (XrML) Content Mngmnt (DASL) (WebDAV) Content Syndicat’n...Registry/ Repository BPSS eCommerce XML/EDI Universal Business Language (UBL) Internet & Computing Human Resources (HR-XML) Semantic KEY XML SPECIFICATIONS

Introducing ICT into Schools in Rwanda: Educational Challenges and Opportunities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rubagiza, Jolly; Were, Edmond; Sutherland, Rosamund

2011-01-01

The Rwandan government views Information and Communication Technology (ICT) as a key tool for transforming the economy, with the education sector playing an important role in developing the necessary human resources. Since 2000 there has been a big push to introduce computers into schools and integrate ICT into the education curriculum through a…

[HUMAN RESOURCES MANAGEMENT BASED ON COMPETENCIES].

PubMed

Larumbe Andueza, Ma Carmen; De Mendoza Cánton, Juana Hermoso

2016-05-01

We are living in a time with a lot of changes in which health organizations have more challenges to face. One of them is to recognize, strengthen, develop and retain the talent they have. Competency-based human resources management is emerging as a tool that contributes to achieve that aim. Competencies from the generic or characteristic perspective: personality traits, values and motivations, which are deeply rooted in the person. Through elaborating a competencies map for the organization, and identifying the job competencies profile, above all in key jobs, the employees know what it is going to expect from them. After, detect and cover the learning needs, it is possible to achieve better adjust between worker-job. The nursing unit manager is a key job because it is a link between management team and nursing team. The way that it is performed, it will have impact on the quality of care and its team motivation. So, the most adequate person who covers this job would have a part of knowledge, skills, attitudes and compatible interests with her job. Competency-based management helps identify both the potential and learning needs to performing this job.

Rural livelihoods and access to natural capital: Differences between migrants and non-migrants in Madagascar

PubMed Central

Nawrotzki, Raphael J.; Hunter, Lori M.; Dickinson, Thomas W.

2013-01-01

BACKGROUND Although natural resources play a central role in rural livelihoods across the globe, little research has explored the relationship between migration and natural capital use, particularly in combination with other livelihood capitals (i.e., human, social, financial and physical). OBJECTIVE Grounded in the rural livelihood framework, this paper explores the association between the livelihood capital availability, especially natural capital, for migrants and non-migrants in rural Madagascar. METHODS Data from the 2008/2009 Demographic and Health Survey are used in combination with satellite imagery of vegetation coverage (Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, NDVI) to proxy natural resources. Hierarchical multilevel models allow for inclusion of cross-level interactions between migrant status and proximate natural resources as determinants of the status of livelihood assets. RESULTS Three key findings emerge. First, higher levels of proximate natural resources are associated with greater financial, human, and social capital for both migrants and non-migrants. Second, migrants have, on average, greater financial, physical, human, and social capital than non-migrants, and urban-to-rural migrants do exceptionally well on all capital asset categories. Third, migrants residing in areas with higher levels of natural capital tend to have significantly higher levels of human capital (education). CONCLUSION Although we cannot examine livelihood strategies per se, the results suggest variation in livelihood potential among migrants and non-migrants in rural Madagascar, with migrants tending to have greater capital assets. In addition, access to natural resources is a central livelihood strategy. PMID:25364297

The resources of Mars for human settlement.

PubMed

Meyer, T R; McKay, C P

1989-01-01

Spacecraft exploration of Mars has shown that the essential resources necessary for life support are present on the martian surface. The key life-support compounds O2, N2, and H2O are available on Mars. The soil could be used as radiation shielding and could provide many useful industrial and construction materials. Compounds with high chemical energy, such as rocket fuels, can be manufactured in-situ on Mars. Solar power, and possibly wind power, are available and practical on Mars. Preliminary engineering studies indicate that fairly autonomous processes can be designed to extract and stockpile Martian consumables. The ability to utilize these materials in support of a human exploration effort allows missions that are more robust and economical than would otherwise be possible.

Space Resources Development: The Link Between Human Exploration and the Long-Term Commercialization of Space

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sanders, Gerald B.

2000-01-01

In a letter to the NASA Administrator, Dan Goldin, in January of 1999, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) stated the following . OMB recommends that NASA consider commercialization in a broader context than the more focused efforts to date on space station and space shuttle commercialization. We suggest that NASA examine architectures that take advantage of a potentially robust future commercial infrastructure that could dramatically lower the cost of future human exploration." In response to this letter, the NASA Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) Enterprise launched the BEDS Technology & Commercialization Initiative (HTCI) to link technology and system development for human exploration with the commercial development of space to emphasize the "D" (Development) in BEDS. The development of technologies and capabilities to utilize space resources is the first of six primary focus areas in this program. It is clear that Space Resources Development (SRD) is key for both long-term human exploration of our solar system and to the long-term commercialization of space since: a) it provides the technologies, products, and raw materials to support efficient space transportation and in-space construction and manufacturing, and b) it provides the capabilities and infrastructure to allow outpost growth, self-sufficiency, and commercial space service and utility industry activities.

Are constructed treatment wetlands sustainable sanitation solutions?

PubMed

Langergraber, Guenter

2013-01-01

The main objective of sanitation systems is to protect and promote human health by providing a clean environment and breaking the cycle of disease. In order to be sustainable, a sanitation system has to be not only economically viable, socially acceptable and technically and institutionally appropriate, but it should also protect the environment and the natural resources. 'Resources-oriented sanitation' describes the approach in which human excreta and water from households are recognized as resource made available for reuse. Nowadays, 'resources-oriented sanitation' is understood in the same way as 'ecological sanitation'. For resources-oriented sanitation systems to be truly sustainable they have to comply with the definition of sustainable sanitation as given by the Sustainable Sanitation Alliance (SuSanA, www.susana.org). Constructed treatment wetlands meet the basic criteria of sustainable sanitation systems by preventing diseases, protecting the environment, and being an affordable, acceptable, and simple technology. Additionally, constructed treatment wetlands produce treated wastewater of high quality, which is fostering reuse, which in turn makes them applicable in resources-oriented sanitation systems. The paper discusses the features that make constructed treatment wetlands a suitable solution in sustainable resources-oriented sanitation systems, the importance of system thinking for sustainability, as well as key factors for sustainable implementation of constructed wetland systems.

The Great Lakes Information Network: the region's Internet information service.

PubMed

Ratza, C A

1996-01-01

Communication is the cornerstone of ecosystem protection and sustainable development efforts in the binational Great Lakes region of North America. Great Lakes environmental protection, remediation, and pollution prevention efforts bring together individuals from across the public sector, business and industry, citizens groups, and academia. The region is now working to enhance communications between these groups and the rest of the world, through the Internet-based Great Lakes Information Network (GLIN). Diverse regional data, information, and human resources located at key agencies and organizations are accessible via GLIN. These online resources span environmental quality, human health effects and other research, resource management, transportation, demographic, and economic data, as well as other resources in the Great Lakes region of the United States and Canada. Federal, state, provincial, and regional agencies and a range of citizen, business, and research organizations are cooperating with the lead agency, the Great Lakes Commission, in developing GLIN into the region's shared Internet resource. GLIN resources are accessible to users of ubiquitous Internet research tools including World Wide Web and Gopher. Statistical information on usage and the region's response to ongoing efforts to build the GLIN system and solicit contributions of data and information indicate that we can continue to build GLIN into a truly regional resource which enhances communication among researchers, policy makers, students, and the general public.

The views of key leaders in South Africa on implementation of family medicine: critical role in the district health system.

PubMed

Moosa, Shabir; Mash, Bob; Derese, Anselme; Peersman, Wim

2014-06-25

Integrated team-based primary care is an international imperative. This is required more so in Africa, where fragmented verticalised care dominates. South Africa is trying to address this with health reforms, including Primary Health Care Re-engineering. Family physicians are already contributing to primary care despite family medicine being only fully registered as a full specialty in South Africa in 2008. However the views of leaders on family medicine and the role of family physicians is not clear, especially with recent health reforms. The aim of this study was to understand the views of key government and academic leaders in South Africa on family medicine, roles of family physicians and human resource issues. This was a qualitative study with academic and government leaders across South Africa. In-depth interviews were conducted with sixteen purposively selected leaders using an interview guide. Thematic content analysis was based on the framework method. Whilst family physicians were seen as critical to the district health system there was ambivalence on their leadership role and 'specialist' status. National health reforms were creating both threats and opportunities for family medicine. Three key roles for family physicians emerged: supporting referrals; clinical governance/quality improvement; and providing support to community-oriented care. Respondents' urged family physicians to consolidate the development and training of family physicians, and shape human resource policy to include family physicians. Family physicians were seen as critical to the district health system in South Africa despite difficulties around their precise role. Whilst their role was dominated by filling gaps at district hospitals to reduce referrals it extended to clinical governance and developing community-oriented primary care - a tall order, requiring strong teamwork. Innovative team-based service delivery is possible despite human resource challenges, but requires family physicians to proactively develop team-based models of care, reform education and advocate for clearer policy, based on the views of these respondents.

The views of key leaders in South Africa on implementation of family medicine: critical role in the district health system

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Integrated team-based primary care is an international imperative. This is required more so in Africa, where fragmented verticalised care dominates. South Africa is trying to address this with health reforms, including Primary Health Care Re-engineering. Family physicians are already contributing to primary care despite family medicine being only fully registered as a full specialty in South Africa in 2008. However the views of leaders on family medicine and the role of family physicians is not clear, especially with recent health reforms. The aim of this study was to understand the views of key government and academic leaders in South Africa on family medicine, roles of family physicians and human resource issues. Methods This was a qualitative study with academic and government leaders across South Africa. In-depth interviews were conducted with sixteen purposively selected leaders using an interview guide. Thematic content analysis was based on the framework method. Results Whilst family physicians were seen as critical to the district health system there was ambivalence on their leadership role and ‘specialist’ status. National health reforms were creating both threats and opportunities for family medicine. Three key roles for family physicians emerged: supporting referrals; clinical governance/quality improvement; and providing support to community-oriented care. Respondents’ urged family physicians to consolidate the development and training of family physicians, and shape human resource policy to include family physicians. Conclusions Family physicians were seen as critical to the district health system in South Africa despite difficulties around their precise role. Whilst their role was dominated by filling gaps at district hospitals to reduce referrals it extended to clinical governance and developing community-oriented primary care - a tall order, requiring strong teamwork. Innovative team-based service delivery is possible despite human resource challenges, but requires family physicians to proactively develop team-based models of care, reform education and advocate for clearer policy, based on the views of these respondents. PMID:24961449

Human resource management practices in a medical complex in the Eastern Cape, South Africa: assessing their impact on the retention of doctors.

PubMed

Longmore, Bruce; Ronnie, Linda

2014-03-26

Human resource management (HRM) practices have the potential to influence the retention of doctors in the public health sector. To explore the key human resource (HR) practices affecting doctors in a medical complex in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. We used an open-ended questionnaire to gather data from 75 doctors in this setting. The most important HR practices were paying salaries on time and accurately, the management of documentation, communication, HR staff showing that they respected and valued the doctors, and reimbursement for conferences and special leave requests. All these practices were judged to be poorly administered. Essential HR characteristics were ranked in the following order: task competence of HR staff, accountability, general HR efficiency, occupation-specific dispensation adjustments and performance management and development system efficiency, and availability of HR staff. All these characteristics were judged to be poor. HRM practices in this Eastern Cape medical complex were inadequate and a source of frustration. This lack of efficiency could lead to further problems with regard to retaining doctors in public sector service.

African leaders' views on critical human resource issues for the implementation of family medicine in Africa.

PubMed

Moosa, Shabir; Downing, Raymond; Essuman, Akye; Pentz, Stephen; Reid, Stephen; Mash, Robert

2014-01-17

The World Health Organisation has advocated for comprehensive primary care teams, which include family physicians. However, despite (or because of) severe doctor shortages in Africa, there is insufficient clarity on the role of the family physician in the primary health care team. Instead there is a trend towards task shifting without thought for teamwork, which runs the risk of dangerous oversimplification. It is not clear how African leaders understand the challenges of implementing family medicine, especially in human resource terms. This study, therefore, sought to explore the views of academic and government leaders on critical human resource issues for implementation of family medicine in Africa. In this qualitative study, key academic and government leaders were purposively selected from sixteen African countries. In-depth interviews were conducted using an interview guide. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed and thematically analysed. There were 27 interviews conducted with 16 government and 11 academic leaders in nine Sub-Saharan African countries: Botswana, Democratic Republic of Congo, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Rwanda, South Africa and Uganda. Respondents spoke about: educating doctors in family medicine suited to Africa, including procedural skills and holistic care, to address the difficulty of recruiting and retaining doctors in rural and underserved areas; planning for primary health care teams, including family physicians; new supervisory models in primary health care; and general human resource management issues. Important milestones in African health care fail to specifically address the human resource issues of integrated primary health care teamwork that includes family physicians. Leaders interviewed in this study, however, proposed organising the district health system with a strong embrace of family medicine in Africa, especially with regard to providing clinical leadership in team-based primary health care. Whilst these leaders focussed positively on entry and workforce issues, in terms of the 2006 World Health Report on human resources for health, they did not substantially address retention of family physicians. Family physicians need to respond to the challenge by respondents to articulate human resource policies appropriate to Africa, including the organisational development of the primary health care team with more sophisticated skills and teamwork.

Animal and human innovation: novel problems and novel solutions.

PubMed

Reader, Simon M; Morand-Ferron, Julie; Flynn, Emma

2016-03-19

This theme issue explores how and why behavioural innovation occurs, and the consequences of innovation for individuals, groups and populations. A vast literature on human innovation exists, from the development of problem-solving in children, to the evolution of technology, to the cultural systems supporting innovation. A more recent development is a growing literature on animal innovation, which has demonstrated links between innovation and personality traits, cognitive traits, neural measures, changing conditions, and the current state of the social and physical environment. Here, we introduce these fields, define key terms and discuss the potential for fruitful exchange between the diverse fields researching innovation. Comparisons of innovation between human and non-human animals provide opportunities, but also pitfalls. We also summarize some key findings specifying the circumstances in which innovation occurs, discussing factors such as the intrinsic nature of innovative individuals and the environmental and socio-ecological conditions that promote innovation, such as necessity, opportunity and free resources. We also highlight key controversies, including the relationship between innovation and intelligence, and the notion of innovativeness as an individual-level trait. Finally, we discuss current research methods and suggest some novel approaches that could fruitfully be deployed. © 2016 The Authors.

Animal and human innovation: novel problems and novel solutions

PubMed Central

2016-01-01

This theme issue explores how and why behavioural innovation occurs, and the consequences of innovation for individuals, groups and populations. A vast literature on human innovation exists, from the development of problem-solving in children, to the evolution of technology, to the cultural systems supporting innovation. A more recent development is a growing literature on animal innovation, which has demonstrated links between innovation and personality traits, cognitive traits, neural measures, changing conditions, and the current state of the social and physical environment. Here, we introduce these fields, define key terms and discuss the potential for fruitful exchange between the diverse fields researching innovation. Comparisons of innovation between human and non-human animals provide opportunities, but also pitfalls. We also summarize some key findings specifying the circumstances in which innovation occurs, discussing factors such as the intrinsic nature of innovative individuals and the environmental and socio-ecological conditions that promote innovation, such as necessity, opportunity and free resources. We also highlight key controversies, including the relationship between innovation and intelligence, and the notion of innovativeness as an individual-level trait. Finally, we discuss current research methods and suggest some novel approaches that could fruitfully be deployed. PMID:26926273

[Human resources for local health systems].

PubMed

Linger, C

1989-01-01

The economic and social crises affecting Latin America have had a profound social and political effect on its structures. This paper analyzes this impact from 2 perspectives: 1) the impact on the apparatus of the state, in particular on its health infra-structures; and 2) the direction of the democratic process in the continent and the participatory processes of civil societies. The institutionalization of the Local Health Systems (SILOS) is an effort to analyze the problem from within the health sector and propose solutions. This paper discusses the issues of human resource development in health systems; training in human resource development and human resource development in local health care systems. There are 3 strategies used to change health systems: 1) The judicial-political system: The state's apparatus 2) The political-administrative system: the national health care system; and 3) the political-operative system: local health care systems. To assure implementation of SILOS there are 4 steps to be followed: 1) create political conditions that allow the transformation and development of local health systems; 2) development of high-level institutional and political initiatives to develop health care networks; 3) offer key players institutional space and social action to develop the SILOS process; 4) rapidly develop SILOS in regions to assure its integration with other development efforts. The labor force in the health sector and organized communities play critical roles in proposing and institutionalizing health programs.

Decentralization's impact on the health workforce: Perspectives of managers, workers and national leaders

PubMed Central

Kolehmainen-Aitken, Riitta-Liisa

2004-01-01

Designers and implementers of decentralization and other reform measures have focused much attention on financial and structural reform measures, but ignored their human resource implications. Concern is mounting about the impact that the reallocation of roles and responsibilities has had on the health workforce and its management, but the experiences and lessons of different countries have not been widely shared. This paper examines evidence from published literature on decentralization's impact on the demand side of the human resource equation, as well as the factors that have contributed to the impact. The elements that make such an impact analysis exceptionally complex are identified. They include the mode of decentralization that a country is implementing, the level of responsibility for the salary budget and pay determination, and the civil service status of transferred health workers. The main body of the paper is devoted to examining decentralization's impact on human resource issues from three different perspectives: that of local health managers, health workers themselves, and national health leaders. These three groups have different concerns in the human resource realm, and consequently, have been differently affected by decentralization processes. The paper concludes with recommendations regarding three key concerns that national authorities and international agencies should give prompt attention to. They are (1) defining the essential human resource policy, planning and management skills for national human resource managers who work in decentralized countries, and developing training programs to equip them with such skills; (2) supporting research that focuses on improving the knowledge base of how different modes of decentralization impact on staffing equity; and (3) identifying factors that most critically influence health worker motivation and performance under decentralization, and documenting the most cost-effective best practices to improve them. Notable experiences from South Africa, Ghana, Indonesia and Mexico are shared in an annex. PMID:15144558

Establishment of the Northeast Coastal Watershed Geospatial Data Network (NECWGDN)

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

Hannigan, Robyn

The goals of NECWGDN were to establish integrated geospatial databases that interfaced with existing open-source (water.html) environmental data server technologies (e.g., HydroDesktop) and included ecological and human data to enable evaluation, prediction, and adaptation in coastal environments to climate- and human-induced threats to the coastal marine resources within the Gulf of Maine. We have completed the development and testing of a "test bed" architecture that is compatible with HydroDesktop and have identified key metadata structures that will enable seamless integration and delivery of environmental, ecological, and human data as well as models to predict threats to end-users. Uniquely this databasemore » integrates point as well as model data and so offers capacities to end-users that are unique among databases. Future efforts will focus on the development of integrated environmental-human dimension models that can serve, in near real time, visualizations of threats to coastal resources and habitats.« less

Toward fisheries sustainability in North America: Issues, challenges, and strategies for action

USGS Publications Warehouse

MacDonald, D.D.; Knudsen, E.E.

2004-01-01

Many fisheries in North America are severely depleted and trending downwards. In an effort to find ways of reversing this disturbing situation, the American Fisheries Society and the Sustainable Fisheries Foundation invited leading experts in fisheries science and aquatic resource management to share their thoughts and insights in this book. These experts were asked to identify the factors that are currently impairing our ability to effectively manage fisheries resources and propose creative solutions for addressing the most challenging issues affecting fisheries sustainability. Based on the information that was provided by the experts (i.e., as presented in the earlier chapters of this book), it is apparent that a wide range of human activities are adversely affecting our shared fisheries resources and the aquatic habitats upon which they depend. The most challenging problems stem from causes that are largely beyond the scope of traditional fisheries management (e.g., human population growth, resource consumption patterns, global climate change, broad land-use patterns). It is also apparent that resolution of these challenges will require a new approach to fisheries management - one that effectively integrates economic, social, and environmental interests into a decision-making framework that supports fisheries sustainability. The key strategies for supporting such a transition toward a more holistic and comprehensive approach to managing the human activities that influence fisheries and aquatic resources are summarized in this chapter. ?? 2004 by the American Fisheries Society.

HIV epidemic control-a model for optimal allocation of prevention and treatment resources.

PubMed

Alistar, Sabina S; Long, Elisa F; Brandeau, Margaret L; Beck, Eduard J

2014-06-01

With 33 million people living with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) worldwide and 2.7 million new infections occurring annually, additional HIV prevention and treatment efforts are urgently needed. However, available resources for HIV control are limited and must be used efficiently to minimize the future spread of the epidemic. We develop a model to determine the appropriate resource allocation between expanded HIV prevention and treatment services. We create an epidemic model that incorporates multiple key populations with different transmission modes, as well as production functions that relate investment in prevention and treatment programs to changes in transmission and treatment rates. The goal is to allocate resources to minimize R 0, the reproductive rate of infection. We first develop a single-population model and determine the optimal resource allocation between HIV prevention and treatment. We extend the analysis to multiple independent populations, with resource allocation among interventions and populations. We then include the effects of HIV transmission between key populations. We apply our model to examine HIV epidemic control in two different settings, Uganda and Russia. As part of these applications, we develop a novel approach for estimating empirical HIV program production functions. Our study provides insights into the important question of resource allocation for a country's optimal response to its HIV epidemic and provides a practical approach for decision makers. Better decisions about allocating limited HIV resources can improve response to the epidemic and increase access to HIV prevention and treatment services for millions of people worldwide.

Human disturbances of waterfowl: An annotated bibliography

USGS Publications Warehouse

Dahlgren, R.B.; Korschgen, C.E.

1992-01-01

The expansion of outdoor recreation greatly increased the interaction between the public, waterfowl, and waterfowl habitat. The effects of these interactions on waterfowl habitats are visible and obvious, whereas the effects of interactions that disrupt the normal behavior of waterfowl are subtle and often overlooked, but perhaps no less harmful than destruction of habitat. Resource managers and administrators require information on the types, magnitude, and effect of disturbances from human contact with wildlife. This bibliography contains annotations for 211 articles with information about effects of human disturbances on waterfowl. Indexes are provided by subject or key words, geographic locations, species of waterfowl, and authors.

Corporate Universities: A Catalyst for Strategic Human Resource Development?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Holland, Peter; Pyman, Amanda

2006-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to consider the extent to which the concept of the corporate university is emerging as a simple re-labelling of the functional training area or a key strategic platform in developing organisational competitive advantage. Design/methodology/approach: A case study approach was taken to provide an in-depth…

Higher Education Reform in South Korea: Perspectives on the New University for Regional Innovation Program

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Choi, Sheena; Yeom, Minho

2010-01-01

The New University for Regional Innovation (NURI) is one of the South Korean Ministry of Education and Human Resources Development's key projects supporting regional universities. NURI aims to develop areas of specialization in regional universities and link universities to local industries. In 2004, the South Korean government pledged to invest…

Structuring Serendipity: Mentoring as a Component of Leadership Development Programs in Higher Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bonebright, Denise A.

2014-01-01

The need to develop a pool of well-qualified future leaders is a key concern for human resource development scholars and practitioners in higher education. Research indicates that formal leadership development programs are most effective when they are based on experiential models. Mentoring is one experiential component that can enhance such…

HRD Practices and Talent Management in the Companies with the Employer Brand

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kucherov, Dmitry; Zavyalova, Elena

2012-01-01

Purpose: The employer brand could be a key factor of competitiveness for a company in a contemporary labour market. The purpose of this paper is to identify the features of human resource development (HRD) practices and talent management in companies with employer brand (CEBs). Design/methodology/approach: The authors examined three economic…

Career Survival: Strategic Job and Role Planning. Pfeiffer Career Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Schein, Edgar H.

This book was designed to help managers and employees to decipher the two crucial elements in work design and human resource planning: the role network that surrounds every position and the key stakeholders whose expectations define the essence of the job. It provides a structured process for analyzing one's own job as well as the jobs of…

Occupational Skill Standards. Experience Shows Industry Involvement To Be Key. Testimony before the Committee on Labor and Human Resources, U.S. Senate.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morra, Linda G.

A study reviewed eight standards and certification systems for occupations that required less than a bachelor's degree for entry-level employment. Common elements among systems included industry ownership and control, recertification requirements to keep certificate holders' skills current, national portability of credentials, and integration of…

Decision Support Framework (DSF) For Evaluating Planned Land And Resource Use Decisions: Hypothetical Application Of The DSF To Address Nutrient Loads In The Florida Keys

EPA Science Inventory

The mission of ORD's Ecosystme Services Research Program (ESRP) is to provide the information and methods needed by decision-makers to assess the benefits of ecosystem goods and services to human well-being for inclusion in management alternatives. The Decision Support Framework...

The Lisbon Strategy Challenges to the Czech Republic Human Resources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kaderabkova, Anna

2005-01-01

When achieving long-term sustainable growth, the key role is assigned to knowledge-based competitiveness. The new EU Member States therefore face a double challenge on the Lisbon road. On the one hand, higher expenditure is required to improve the quality of research and education input and infrastructure, and on the other, innovation system…

Conceptual Framework for Using Computers to Enhance Employee Engagement in Large Offices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gill, Rob

2010-01-01

Using computers to engage with staff members on their organization's Employer of Choice (EOC) program as part of a human resource development (HRD) framework can add real value to that organization's reputation. EOC is an evolving principle for Australian business. It reflects the value and importance organizations place on their key stakeholders,…

Motivation for Learning and Performance. Symposium 3. [Concurrent Symposium Session at AHRD Annual Conference, 2000.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

2000

This document contains three papers from a symposium on motivation for learning and performance that was conducted as part of a conference on human resource development (HRD). "A Holistic Approach towards Motivation To Learn" (Constantine Kontoghiorghes) reports on a study that identified the following key variables within and outside…

Training and Developing an Age Diverse Workforce in SMEs: The Need for a Strategic Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Beaver, Graham; Hutchings, Kate

2005-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to examine the importance of strategic human resource development (HRD) in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) with specific reference to key issues around training, development and education as well as an emerging issue of significance, age diversity management. Design/Methodology/Approach: The approach…

JPRS Report, Near East and South Asia: Pakistan.

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-11-08

23 Helping Set Up Light Industry [JANG 1 Sep...and Israel. and Responsibilities" called for a genuine self-reliance in the field of defence, production and other key industries The realisation of...of the outflow of the resources of the Third World coun- human behaviour . tries, its dependence on the existing currency reserves and embargo on the

Improving healthcare recruitment: the jupiter medical center experience.

PubMed

Uomo, Paul Dell; Schwieters, Jill

2009-04-01

Hospitals that want to improve their recruitment efforts should: Make recruitment a priority within the organization. Take steps to reduce high vacancy rates and turnover among first-year employees. Develop a recruitment marketing plan for key positions. Establish human resources metrics to track costs and effectiveness of recruiting efforts. Enhance the recruitment process for hiring managers and job candidates.

Toward a New Definition of Employability. Report by the North Central Indiana Workforce Literacy Task Force.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Remediation Design, Washington, DC.

The North Central Indiana Workplace Literacy Initiative seeks to develop a curriculum management system addressing work force literacy needs and a coordinated human resource investment system meeting individual economic self-sufficiency needs and labor market needs. The workplace of the future will contain six key changes: employers will require…

Management Matters: A Leverage Point for Health Systems Strengthening in Global Health

PubMed Central

Bradley, Elizabeth H.; Taylor, Lauren A.; Cuellar, Carlos J.

2015-01-01

Despite a renewed focus in the field of global health on strengthening health systems, inadequate attention has been directed to a key ingredient of high-performing health systems: management. We aimed to develop the argument that management – defined here as the process of achieving predetermined objectives through human, financial, and technical resources – is a cross-cutting function necessary for success in all World Health Organization (WHO) building blocks of health systems strengthening. Management within health systems is particularly critical in low-income settings where the efficient use of scarce resources is paramount to attaining health goals. More generally, investments in management capacity may be viewed as a key leverage point in grand strategy, as strong management enables the achievement of large ends with limited means. We also sought to delineate a set of core competencies and identify key roles to be targeted for management capacity building efforts. Several effective examples of management interventions have been described in the research literature. Together, the existing evidence underscores the importance of country ownership of management capacity building efforts, which often challenge the status quo and thus need country leadership to sustain despite inevitable friction. The literature also recognizes that management capacity efforts, as a key ingredient of effective systems change, take time to embed, as new protocols and ways of working become habitual and integrated as standard operating procedures. Despite these challenges, the field of health management as part of global health system strengthening efforts holds promise as a fundamental leverage point for achieving health system performance goals with existing human, technical, and financial resources. The evidence base consistently supports the role of management in performance improvement but would benefit from additional research with improved methodological rigor and longer-time horizon investigations. Meanwhile, greater emphasis on management as a critical element of global health efforts may open new and sustainable avenues for advancing health systems performance. PMID:26188805

Management Matters: A Leverage Point for Health Systems Strengthening in Global Health.

PubMed

Bradley, Elizabeth H; Taylor, Lauren A; Cuellar, Carlos J

2015-05-20

Despite a renewed focus in the field of global health on strengthening health systems, inadequate attention has been directed to a key ingredient of high-performing health systems: management. We aimed to develop the argument that management - defined here as the process of achieving predetermined objectives through human, financial, and technical resources - is a cross-cutting function necessary for success in all World Health Organization (WHO) building blocks of health systems strengthening. Management within health systems is particularly critical in low-income settings where the efficient use of scarce resources is paramount to attaining health goals. More generally, investments in management capacity may be viewed as a key leverage point in grand strategy, as strong management enables the achievement of large ends with limited means. We also sought to delineate a set of core competencies and identify key roles to be targeted for management capacity building efforts. Several effective examples of management interventions have been described in the research literature. Together, the existing evidence underscores the importance of country ownership of management capacity building efforts, which often challenge the status quo and thus need country leadership to sustain despite inevitable friction. The literature also recognizes that management capacity efforts, as a key ingredient of effective systems change, take time to embed, as new protocols and ways of working become habitual and integrated as standard operating procedures. Despite these challenges, the field of health management as part of global health system strengthening efforts holds promise as a fundamental leverage point for achieving health system performance goals with existing human, technical, and financial resources. The evidence base consistently supports the role of management in performance improvement but would benefit from additional research with improved methodological rigor and longer-time horizon investigations. Meanwhile, greater emphasis on management as a critical element of global health efforts may open new and sustainable avenues for advancing health systems performance. © 2015 by Kerman University of Medical Sciences.

Incentives for improving human resource outcomes in health care: overview of reviews.

PubMed

Misfeldt, Renee; Linder, Jordana; Lait, Jana; Hepp, Shelanne; Armitage, Gail; Jackson, Karen; Suter, Esther

2014-01-01

To review the effectiveness of financial and nonfinancial incentives for improving the benefits (recruitment, retention, job satisfaction, absenteeism, turnover, intent to leave) of human resource strategies in health care. Overview of 33 reviews published from 2000 to 2012 summarized the effectiveness of incentives for improving human resource outcomes in health care (such as job satisfaction, turnover rates, recruitment, and retention) that met the inclusion criteria and were assessed by at least two research members using the Assessment of Multiple Systematic Reviews quality assessment tool. Of those, 13 reviews met the quality criteria and were included in the overview. Information was extracted on a description of the review, the incentives considered, and their impact on human resource outcomes. The information on the relationship between incentives and outcomes was assessed and synthesized. While financial compensation is the best-recognized approach within an incentives package, there is evidence that health care practitioners respond positively to incentives linked to the quality of the working environments including opportunities for professional development, improved work life balance, interprofessional collaboration, and professional autonomy. There is less evidence that workload factors such as job demand, restructured staffing models, re-engineered work designs, ward practices, employment status, or staff skill mix have an impact on human resource outcomes. Overall, evidence of effective strategies for improving outcomes is mixed. While financial incentives play a key role in enhancing outcomes, they need to be considered as only one strategy within an incentives package. There is stronger evidence that improving the work place environment and instituting mechanisms for work-life balance need to be part of an overall strategy to improve outcomes for health care practitioners.

New Earth-abundant Materials for Large-scale Solar Fuels Generation.

PubMed

Prabhakar, Rajiv Ramanujam; Cui, Wei; Tilley, S David

2018-05-30

The solar resource is immense, but the power density of light striking the Earth's surface is relatively dilute, necessitating large area solar conversion devices in order to harvest substantial amounts of power for renewable energy applications. In addition, energy storage is a key challenge for intermittent renewable resources such as solar and wind, which adds significant cost to these energies. As the majority of humanity's present-day energy consumption is based on fuels, an ideal solution is to generate renewable fuels from abundant resources such as sunlight and water. In this account, we detail our recent work towards generating highly efficient and stable Earth-abundant semiconducting materials for solar water splitting to generate renewable hydrogen fuel.

Volatile Analysis by Pyrolysis of Regolith (Vapor) for Planetary Resource Prospecting

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glavin, D. P.; Malespin, C. A.; Ten Kate, I. L.; Mcadam, A.; Getty, S. A.; Mumm, E.; Franz, H. B.; Southard, A. E.; Bleacher, J. E.; Mahaffy, P. R.

2016-01-01

Measuring the chemical composition of planetary bodies and their atmospheres is key to understanding the formation of the Solar System and the evolution of the planets and their moons. In situ volatile measurements enable a ground-truth assessment of the distribution and abundance of resources such as water-ice and oxygen, important for a sustained human presence on the Moon and beyond. The Volatile Analysis by Pyrolysis of Regolith (VAPoR) instrument is a compact pyrolysis mass spectrometer designed to detect volatiles released from solid samples that are heated to elevated temperatures and is one technique that should be considered for resource prospecting on the Moon, Mars, and asteroids.

Quantitative analysis of the effect of climate change and human activities on runoff in the Liujiang River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

LI, X.

2017-12-01

Abstract: As human basic and strategic natural resources, Water resources have received an unprecedented challenge under the impacts of global climate change. Analyzing the variation characteristics of runoff and the effect of climate change and human activities on runoff could provide the basis for the reasonable utilization and management of water resources. Taking the Liujiang River Basin as the research object, the discharge data of hydrological station and meteorological data at 24 meteorological stations in the Guangxi Province as the basis, the variation characteristics of runoff and precipitation in the Liujiang River Basin was analyzed, and the quantitatively effect of climate change and human activities on runoff was proposed. The results showed that runoff and precipitation in the Liujiang River Basin had an increasing trend from 1964 to 2006. Using the method of accumulative anomaly and the orderly cluster method, the runoff series was divided into base period and change period. BP - ANN model and sensitivity coefficient method were used for quantifying the influences of climate change and human activities on runoff. We found that the most important factor which caused an increase trend of discharges in the Liujiang River Basin was precipitation. Human activities were also important factors which influenced the intra-annual distribution of runoff. Precipitation had a more sensitive influence to runoff variation than potential evaporation in the Liujiang River Basin. Key words: Liujiang River Basin, climate change, human activities, BP-ANN, sensitivity coefficient method

Food for contagion: Synthesis and future directions for studying host–parasite responses to resource shifts in anthropogenic environments

PubMed Central

Altizer, Sonia. M.; Becker, Daniel J.; Epstein, Jonathan H.; Forbes, Kristian M.; Gillespie, Thomas R.; Hall, Richard J.; Hawley, Dana; Hernandez, Sonia M.; Martin, Lynn B.; Plowright, Raina K.; Satterfield, Dara A.; Streicker, Daniel G.

2018-01-01

Human-provided resource subsidies for wildlife are diverse, common, and have profound consequences for wildlife–pathogen interactions, as demonstrated by papers in this themed issue spanning empirical, theoretical, and management perspectives from a range of study systems. Contributions cut across scales of organization, from the within-host dynamics of immune function, to population-level impacts on parasite transmission, to landscape- and regional-scale patterns of infection. In this concluding paper, we identify common threads and key findings from author contributions, including the consequences of resource subsidies for (i) host immunity; (ii) animal aggregation and contact rates; (iii) host movement and landscape-level infection patterns; and (iv) inter-specific contacts and cross-species transmission. Exciting avenues for future work include studies that integrate mechanistic modeling and empirical approaches to better explore cross-scale processes, and experimental manipulations of food resources to quantify host and pathogen responses. Work is also needed to examine evolutionary responses to provisioning, and ask how diet-altered changes to the host microbiome influence infection processes. Given the massive public health and conservation implications of anthropogenic resource shifts, we end by underscoring the need for practical recommendations to manage supplemental feeding practices, limit human–wildlife conflicts over shared food resources, and reduce cross-species transmission risks, including to humans. PMID:29531154

Robotics and telepresence for moon missions

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sallaberger, Christian

1994-01-01

An integrated moon program has often been proposed as a logical next step for today's space efforts. In the context of preparing for the possibility of launching a moon program, the European Space Agency is currently conducting an internal study effort which is focusing on the assessment of key technologies. Current thinking has this moon program organized into four phases. Phase 1 will deal with lunar resource exploration. The goal would be to produce a complete chemical inventory of the moon, including oxygen, water, other volatiles, carbon, silicon, and other resources. Phase 2 will establish a permanent robotic presence on the moon via a number of landers and surface rovers. Phase 3 will extend the second phase and concentrate on the use and exploitation of local lunar resources. Phase 4 will be the establishment of a first human outpost. Some preliminary work such as the building of the outpost and the installation of scientific equipment will be done by unmanned systems before a human crew is sent to the moon.

The Human Ageing Genomic Resources: online databases and tools for biogerontologists

PubMed Central

de Magalhães, João Pedro; Budovsky, Arie; Lehmann, Gilad; Costa, Joana; Li, Yang; Fraifeld, Vadim; Church, George M.

2009-01-01

Summary Ageing is a complex, challenging phenomenon that will require multiple, interdisciplinary approaches to unravel its puzzles. To assist basic research on ageing, we developed the Human Ageing Genomic Resources (HAGR). This work provides an overview of the databases and tools in HAGR and describes how the gerontology research community can employ them. Several recent changes and improvements to HAGR are also presented. The two centrepieces in HAGR are GenAge and AnAge. GenAge is a gene database featuring genes associated with ageing and longevity in model organisms, a curated database of genes potentially associated with human ageing, and a list of genes tested for their association with human longevity. A myriad of biological data and information is included for hundreds of genes, making GenAge a reference for research that reflects our current understanding of the genetic basis of ageing. GenAge can also serve as a platform for the systems biology of ageing, and tools for the visualization of protein-protein interactions are also included. AnAge is a database of ageing in animals, featuring over 4,000 species, primarily assembled as a resource for comparative and evolutionary studies of ageing. Longevity records, developmental and reproductive traits, taxonomic information, basic metabolic characteristics, and key observations related to ageing are included in AnAge. Software is also available to aid researchers in the form of Perl modules to automate numerous tasks and as an SPSS script to analyse demographic mortality data. The Human Ageing Genomic Resources are available online at http://genomics.senescence.info. PMID:18986374

Energy efficiency as a unifying principle for human, environmental, and global health.

PubMed

Fontana, Luigi; Atella, Vincenzo; Kammen, Daniel M

2013-01-01

A strong analogy exists between over/under consumption of energy at the level of the human body and of the industrial metabolism of humanity. Both forms of energy consumption have profound implications for human, environmental, and global health. Globally, excessive fossil-fuel consumption, and individually, excessive food energy consumption are both responsible for a series of interrelated detrimental effects, including global warming, extreme weather conditions, damage to ecosystems, loss of biodiversity, widespread pollution, obesity, cancer, chronic respiratory disease, and other lethal chronic diseases. In contrast, data show that the efficient use of energy-in the form of food as well as fossil fuels and other resources-is vital for promoting human, environmental, and planetary health and sustainable economic development. While it is not new to highlight how efficient use of energy and food can address some of the key problems our world is facing, little research and no unifying framework exists to harmonize these concepts of sustainable system management across diverse scientific fields into a single theoretical body. Insights beyond reductionist views of efficiency are needed to encourage integrated changes in the use of the world's natural resources, with the aim of achieving a wiser use of energy, better farming systems, and healthier dietary habits. This perspective highlights a range of scientific-based opportunities for cost-effective pro-growth and pro-health policies while using less energy and natural resources.

Mission Activity Planning for Humans and Robots on the Moon

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Weisbin, C.; Shelton, K.; Lincoln, W.; Elfes, A.; Smith, J.H.; Mrozinski, J.; Hua, H.; Adumitroaie, V.; Silberg, R.

2008-01-01

A series of studies is conducted to develop a systematic approach to optimizing, both in terms of the distribution and scheduling of tasks, scenarios in which astronauts and robots accomplish a group of activities on the Moon, given an objective function (OF) and specific resources and constraints. An automated planning tool is developed as a key element of this optimization system.

Learning for Work and Professional Development: The Significance of Informal Learning Networks of Digital Media Industry Professionals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campana, Joe

2014-01-01

Informal learning networks play a key role in the skill and professional development of professionals, working in micro-businesses within Australia's digital media industry, as they do not have access to learning and development or human resources sections that can assist in mapping their learning pathway. Professionals working in this environment…

The Dirty Dozen Keys to Strategy Success

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-03-15

additional elements such as Intellectual Capital, Marketing , and Advertising . Failure to properly sequence and synchronize plan excutables can be tied...default to use of Army capabilities and resources. Corporate marketing experienced executives tend to use marketing and advertising as a predominant...may include core functions of media relations, public relations, corporate relations, human relations, marketing , and advertising . With regard to the

"Distance Learning" or "Learning at a Distance"? Case Study of an Education Initiative to Deliver an In-Service Bachelors Degree in Zambia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Christopher J.

2010-01-01

In 1998, as part of what was then Zambia's Department of Technical Education and Vocational Training's (DTEVT) human resources capacity building initiative, under the Ministry of Science, Technology and Vocational Training (MSTVT), donor funding was secured to provide degree-level training for key teachers and managers within the technical…

Learning about Teacher Professional Learning: Case Studies of Schools at Work in New South Wales

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCulla, Norman; Gereige-Hinson, Josephine

2005-01-01

The extent of the human and financial resources that teachers have access to for their professional development, and the extent to which they have the capacity to determine when, how and with whom learning takes place, are key factors in determining the quality of professional learning that results. The New South Wales Department of Education and…

Two-Year College Succession Planning: Utilizing the Mission Statement for Selection of the Vice President of Human Resources

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lacey-Nevitt, Lucia

2012-01-01

Colleges have a critical investment in the proper selection of key executive administrative positions with high quality leadership and character since leadership transitions can be unsettling and costly, and governing boards have a vested interest in getting it right. The problem is that two-year colleges are facing a strategic planning crisis…

Understanding the HRD Role in MNCs: The Imperatives of Social Capital and Networking

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gubbins, Claire; Garavan, Thomas N.

2009-01-01

In an era of increasing global competition, it is argued that knowledge and skills are the key sources of competitive advantage. This places the human resource development (HRD) function in a situation of increased status and power, if HRD professionals adopt roles in a way that adds "value" and facilitates achievement of competitive advantage.…

Job Quality in Non-Profit Organizations. CPRN Research Series on Human Resources in the Non-Profit Sector.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McMullen, Kathryn; Schellenberg, Grant

The quality of jobs in nonprofit organizations in Canada was examined through a review of data from Canada's Workplace and Employer Survey, which collected data from a nationally representative sample of Canadian workplaces and paid employees in those workplaces. Key findings of the analysis were as follows: (1) overall, compared to the for-profit…

National Cultures, Performance Appraisal Practices, and Organizational Absenteeism and Turnover: A Study across 21 Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peretz, Hilla; Fried, Yitzhak

2012-01-01

Performance appraisal (PA) is a key human resource activity in organizations. However, in this global economy, we know little about how societal cultures affect PA practices. In this study, we address this gap by focusing on 2 complementary issues: (a) the influence of societal (national) cultural practices on PA practices adopted by organizations…

Emotional Labour and the Permanent Casual Lecturer: Ideas for a Research Project

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barrett, Steven

2004-01-01

Like most other parts of the Australian public sector, Australian universities have been required to do more with less over the past decade. A key strategy in reducing costs has been the increased casualisation of teaching. This paper uses a hard/soft model of Human Resource Management as a framework within which to argue that increased…

Training and Jobs: Keys to Rural Economic Development. A Regional Rural Revitalization Conference (Huntsville, Alabama, April 5-6, 1990).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hall, Jean M. Ed.

The conference brought Southern state and local leaders together to discuss ways to revitalize depressed rural areas and to improve citizens' quality of life. Papers discussed: (1) goals for rural educational improvement; (2) human resource barriers to community and economic development in the South; (3) survey results indicating that Alabama…

Managing for ecological integrity in protected wildlands: Key management challenges and research priorities in British Columbia

Treesearch

Pamela A. Wright

2007-01-01

Protected areas have long served two masters: providing recreation, tourism and economic opportunities while conserving resources. As wild lands have become more scarce, there has been increasing realization that recreational use of protected areas is not benign. Consequently, there has been growing discussion and debate about how to reconcile human use with...

Health systems analysis of eye care services in Zambia: evaluating progress towards VISION 2020 goals.

PubMed

Bozzani, Fiammetta Maria; Griffiths, Ulla Kou; Blanchet, Karl; Schmidt, Elena

2014-02-28

VISION 2020 is a global initiative launched in 1999 to eliminate avoidable blindness by 2020. The objective of this study was to undertake a situation analysis of the Zambian eye health system and assess VISION 2020 process indicators on human resources, equipment and infrastructure. All eye health care providers were surveyed to determine location, financing sources, human resources and equipment. Key informants were interviewed regarding levels of service provision, management and leadership in the sector. Policy papers were reviewed. A health system dynamics framework was used to analyse findings. During 2011, 74 facilities provided eye care in Zambia; 39% were public, 37% private for-profit and 24% owned by Non-Governmental Organizations. Private facilities were solely located in major cities. A total of 191 people worked in eye care; 18 of these were ophthalmologists and eight cataract surgeons, equivalent to 0.34 and 0.15 per 250,000 population, respectively. VISION 2020 targets for inpatient beds and surgical theatres were met in six out of nine provinces, but human resources and spectacles manufacturing workshops were below target in every province. Inequalities in service provision between urban and rural areas were substantial. Shortage and maldistribution of human resources, lack of routine monitoring and inadequate financing mechanisms are the root causes of underperformance in the Zambian eye health system, which hinder the ability to achieve the VISION 2020 goals. We recommend that all VISION 2020 process indicators are evaluated simultaneously as these are not individually useful for monitoring progress.

The resources of Mars for human settlement

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Meyer, T. R.; McKay, C. P.

1989-04-01

Spacecraft exploration of Marshas shown that the essential resources necessary for life support are present on the Martian surface. The key life-support compounds O2, N2, and H2O are available on Mars. The soil could be used as radiation shielding and could provide many useful industrial and construction materials. Compounds with high chemical energy, such as rocket fuels, can be manufactured in-situ on Mars. Solar power, and possibly wind power, are available and practical on Mars. Preliminary engineering studies indicate that fairly autonomous processes can be designed to extract and stockpile Martian consumables.

CICT Computing, Information, and Communications Technology Program

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Laufenberg, Lawrence; Tu, Eugene (Technical Monitor)

2002-01-01

The CICT Program is part of the NASA Aerospace Technology Enterprise's fundamental technology thrust to develop tools. processes, and technologies that enable new aerospace system capabilities and missions. The CICT Program's four key objectives are: Provide seamless access to NASA resources- including ground-, air-, and space-based distributed information technology resources-so that NASA scientists and engineers can more easily control missions, make new scientific discoveries, and design the next-generation space vehicles, provide high-data delivery from these assets directly to users for missions, develop goal-oriented human-centered systems, and research, develop and evaluate revolutionary technology.

The resources of Mars for human settlement

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Meyer, Thomas R.; Mckay, Christopher P.

1989-01-01

Spacecraft exploration of Marshas shown that the essential resources necessary for life support are present on the Martian surface. The key life-support compounds O2, N2, and H2O are available on Mars. The soil could be used as radiation shielding and could provide many useful industrial and construction materials. Compounds with high chemical energy, such as rocket fuels, can be manufactured in-situ on Mars. Solar power, and possibly wind power, are available and practical on Mars. Preliminary engineering studies indicate that fairly autonomous processes can be designed to extract and stockpile Martian consumables.

Sandhill crane roost selection, human disturbance, and forage resources

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pearse, Aaron T.; Krapu, Gary; Brandt, David

2017-01-01

Sites used for roosting represent a key habitat requirement for many species of birds because availability and quality of roost sites can influence individual fitness. Birds select roost sites based on numerous factors, requirements, and motivations, and selection of roosts can be dynamic in time and space because of various ecological and environmental influences. For sandhill cranes (Antigone canadensis) at their main spring-staging area along the Platte River in south-central Nebraska, USA, past investigations of roosting cranes focused on physical channel characteristics related to perceived security as motivating roost distribution. We used 6,310 roost sites selected by 313 sandhill cranes over 5 spring migration seasons (2003–2007) to quantify resource selection functions of roost sites on the central Platte River using a discrete choice analysis. Sandhill cranes generally showed stronger selection for wider channels with shorter bank vegetation situated farther from potential human disturbance features such as roads, bridges, and dwellings. Furthermore, selection for roost sites with preferable physical characteristics (wide channels with short bank vegetation) was more resilient to nearby disturbance features than more narrow channels with taller bank vegetation. The amount of cornfields surrounding sandhill crane roost sites positively influenced relative probability of use but only for more narrow channels < 100 m and those with shorter bank vegetation. We confirmed key resource features that sandhill cranes selected at river channels along the Platte River, and after incorporating spatial variation due to human disturbance, our understanding of roost site selection was more robust, providing insights on how disturbance may interact with physical habitat features. Managers can use information on roost-site selection when developing plans to increase probability of crane use at existing roost sites and to identify new areas for potential use if existing sites become limited.

The contribution of nature to people: Applying concepts of values and properties to rate the management importance of natural elements.

PubMed

Smith, Michael J; Wagner, Christian; Wallace, Ken J; Pourabdollah, Amir; Lewis, Loretta

2016-06-15

An important, and yet unresolved question in natural resource management is how best to manage natural elements and their associated values to ensure human wellbeing. Specifically, there is a lack of measurement tools to assess the contribution of nature to people. We present one approach to overcome this global issue and show that the preferred state of any system element, in terms of realising human values, is a function of element properties. Consequently, natural resource managers need to understand the nature of the relationships between element properties and values if they are to successfully manage for human wellbeing. In two case studies of applied planning, we demonstrate how to identify key element properties, quantify their relationships to priority human values, and combine this information to model the contribution of elements to human wellbeing. In one of the two case studies we also compared the modelling outputs with directly elicited stakeholder opinions regarding the importance of the elements for realising the given priority values. The two, largely congruent outputs provide additional support for the approach. The study shows that rating sets of elements on their relative overall value for human wellbeing, or utility, provides critical information for subsequent management decisions and a basis for productive new research. We consider that the described approach is broadly applicable within the domain of natural resource management. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.

Queer Genes: Realism, Sexuality and Science.

PubMed

Griffiths, David Andrew

2016-10-19

What are 'gay genes' and are they real? This article looks at key research into these hypothesized gay genes, made possible, in part, by the Human Genome Project. I argue that the complexity of both genetics and human sexuality demands a truly critical approach: one that takes into account feminist epistemologies of science and queer approaches to the body, while putting into conversation resources from agential realism and critical realism. This approach is able to maintain the agential complexity of genetic materiality, while also critically challenging the seemingly stable relationships between sex, gender and sexuality.

Precision Editing of Large Animal Genomes

PubMed Central

Tan, Wenfang (Spring); Carlson, Daniel F.; Walton, Mark W.; Fahrenkrug, Scott C.; Hackett, Perry B.

2013-01-01

Transgenic animals are an important source of protein and nutrition for most humans and will play key roles in satisfying the increasing demand for food in an ever-increasing world population. The past decade has experienced a revolution in the development of methods that permit the introduction of specific alterations to complex genomes. This precision will enhance genome-based improvement of farm animals for food production. Precision genetics also will enhance the development of therapeutic biomaterials and models of human disease as resources for the development of advanced patient therapies. PMID:23084873

Guidelines for investigating causality of sequence variants in human disease

PubMed Central

MacArthur, D. G.; Manolio, T. A.; Dimmock, D. P.; Rehm, H. L.; Shendure, J.; Abecasis, G. R.; Adams, D. R.; Altman, R. B.; Antonarakis, S. E.; Ashley, E. A.; Barrett, J. C.; Biesecker, L. G.; Conrad, D. F.; Cooper, G. M.; Cox, N. J.; Daly, M. J.; Gerstein, M. B.; Goldstein, D. B.; Hirschhorn, J. N.; Leal, S. M.; Pennacchio, L. A.; Stamatoyannopoulos, J. A.; Sunyaev, S. R.; Valle, D.; Voight, B. F.; Winckler, W.; Gunter, C.

2014-01-01

The discovery of rare genetic variants is accelerating, and clear guidelines for distinguishing disease-causing sequence variants from the many potentially functional variants present in any human genome are urgently needed. Without rigorous standards we risk an acceleration of false-positive reports of causality, which would impede the translation of genomic research findings into the clinical diagnostic setting and hinder biological understanding of disease. Here we discuss the key challenges of assessing sequence variants in human disease, integrating both gene-level and variant-level support for causality. We propose guidelines for summarizing confidence in variant pathogenicity and highlight several areas that require further resource development. PMID:24759409

Guidelines for investigating causality of sequence variants in human disease.

PubMed

MacArthur, D G; Manolio, T A; Dimmock, D P; Rehm, H L; Shendure, J; Abecasis, G R; Adams, D R; Altman, R B; Antonarakis, S E; Ashley, E A; Barrett, J C; Biesecker, L G; Conrad, D F; Cooper, G M; Cox, N J; Daly, M J; Gerstein, M B; Goldstein, D B; Hirschhorn, J N; Leal, S M; Pennacchio, L A; Stamatoyannopoulos, J A; Sunyaev, S R; Valle, D; Voight, B F; Winckler, W; Gunter, C

2014-04-24

The discovery of rare genetic variants is accelerating, and clear guidelines for distinguishing disease-causing sequence variants from the many potentially functional variants present in any human genome are urgently needed. Without rigorous standards we risk an acceleration of false-positive reports of causality, which would impede the translation of genomic research findings into the clinical diagnostic setting and hinder biological understanding of disease. Here we discuss the key challenges of assessing sequence variants in human disease, integrating both gene-level and variant-level support for causality. We propose guidelines for summarizing confidence in variant pathogenicity and highlight several areas that require further resource development.

Transformation of the nitrogen cycle: recent trends, questions, and potential solutions.

PubMed

Galloway, James N; Townsend, Alan R; Erisman, Jan Willem; Bekunda, Mateete; Cai, Zucong; Freney, John R; Martinelli, Luiz A; Seitzinger, Sybil P; Sutton, Mark A

2008-05-16

Humans continue to transform the global nitrogen cycle at a record pace, reflecting an increased combustion of fossil fuels, growing demand for nitrogen in agriculture and industry, and pervasive inefficiencies in its use. Much anthropogenic nitrogen is lost to air, water, and land to cause a cascade of environmental and human health problems. Simultaneously, food production in some parts of the world is nitrogen-deficient, highlighting inequities in the distribution of nitrogen-containing fertilizers. Optimizing the need for a key human resource while minimizing its negative consequences requires an integrated interdisciplinary approach and the development of strategies to decrease nitrogen-containing waste.

Space Network Control Conference on Resource Allocation Concepts and Approaches

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Moe, Karen L. (Editor)

1991-01-01

The results are presented of the Space Network Control (SNC) Conference. In the late 1990s, when the Advanced Tracking and Data Relay Satellite System is operational, Space Network communication services will be supported and controlled by the SNC. The goals of the conference were to survey existing resource allocation concepts and approaches, to identify solutions applicable to the Space Network, and to identify avenues of study in support of the SNC development. The conference was divided into three sessions: (1) Concepts for Space Network Allocation; (2) SNC and User Payload Operations Control Center (POCC) Human-Computer Interface Concepts; and (3) Resource Allocation Tools, Technology, and Algorithms. Key recommendations addressed approaches to achieving higher levels of automation in the scheduling process.

The ontogeny of fairness in seven societies.

PubMed

Blake, P R; McAuliffe, K; Corbit, J; Callaghan, T C; Barry, O; Bowie, A; Kleutsch, L; Kramer, K L; Ross, E; Vongsachang, H; Wrangham, R; Warneken, F

2015-12-10

A sense of fairness plays a critical role in supporting human cooperation. Adult norms of fair resource sharing vary widely across societies, suggesting that culture shapes the acquisition of fairness behaviour during childhood. Here we examine how fairness behaviour develops in children from seven diverse societies, testing children from 4 to 15 years of age (n = 866 pairs) in a standardized resource decision task. We measured two key aspects of fairness decisions: disadvantageous inequity aversion (peer receives more than self) and advantageous inequity aversion (self receives more than a peer). We show that disadvantageous inequity aversion emerged across all populations by middle childhood. By contrast, advantageous inequity aversion was more variable, emerging in three populations and only later in development. We discuss these findings in relation to questions about the universality and cultural specificity of human fairness.

Complete Subsurface Elemental Composition Measurements With PING

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Parsons, A. M.

2012-01-01

The Probing In situ with Neutrons and Gamma rays (PING) instrument will measure the complete bulk elemental composition of the subsurface of Mars as well as any other solid planetary body. PING can thus be a highly effective tool for both detailed local geochemistry science investigations and precision measurements of Mars subsurface reSOurces in preparation for future human exploration. As such, PING is thus fully capable of meeting a majority of both ncar and far term elements in Challenge #1 presented for this conference. Measuring the ncar subsurface composition of Mars will enable many of the MEPAG science goals and will be key to filling an important Strategic Knowledge Gap with regard to In situ Resources Utilization (ISRU) needs for human exploration. [1, 2] PING will thus fill an important niche in the Mars Exploration Program.

Reduction of potential food interference in two sympatric carnivores by sequential use of shared resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barrientos, Rafael; Virgós, Emilio

2006-07-01

The common genet ( Genetta genetta) and the stone marten ( Martes foina) are two species that overlap extensively in their distribution ranges in southwest Europe. Available diet data from these species allow us to predict some interference competition for food resources in sympatric populations. We checked the food interference hypothesis in a sympatric population. The diet of both predators was analyzed through scat collection. Seasonal differences in biomass consumption were compared between both species in those items considered as key resources according to biomass consumption. Strawberry tree fruits can be considered as key resource exclusively for genets whereas fungi, blackberries and rabbits are keys for stone martens only. For other key resources consumed by both species (wood mouse and figs) we suggest that a possible mechanism to reduce diet overlap could be the sequential use of these resources: no intensive exploitation by both species of the same key resource during the same season was detected. Figs and wood mouse were used alternatively. Although strawberry tree fruits and blackberry are exclusive key resources of one of the species, their consumptions showed the same pattern. Diet niche overlap in our study is low compared with other carnivore communities suggesting that exclusive use of some key resources and sequential use of shared ones is an optimal scenario to reduce overall competition for food resources.

Inclusive fitness and differential productivity across the life course determine intergenerational transfers in a small-scale human society.

PubMed

Hooper, Paul L; Gurven, Michael; Winking, Jeffrey; Kaplan, Hillard S

2015-03-22

Transfers of resources between generations are an essential element in current models of human life-history evolution accounting for prolonged development, extended lifespan and menopause. Integrating these models with Hamilton's theory of inclusive fitness, we predict that the interaction of biological kinship with the age-schedule of resource production should be a key driver of intergenerational transfers. In the empirical case of Tsimane' forager-horticulturalists in Bolivian Amazonia, we provide a detailed characterization of net transfers of food according to age, sex, kinship and the net need of donors and recipients. We show that parents, grandparents and siblings provide significant net downward transfers of food across generations. We demonstrate that the extent of provisioning responds facultatively to variation in the productivity and demographic composition of families, as predicted by the theory. We hypothesize that the motivation to provide these critical transfers is a fundamental force that binds together human nuclear and extended families. The ubiquity of three-generational families in human societies may thus be a direct reflection of fundamental evolutionary constraints on an organism's life-history and social organization.

Challenges for nursing education in Angola: the perception of nurse leaders affiliated with professional education institutions

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Angola is one of the African countries with the highest morbidity and mortality rates and a devastating lack of human resources for health, including nursing. The World Health Organization stimulates and takes technical cooperation initiatives for human resource education and training in health and education, with a view to the development of countries in the region. The aim in this study was to identify how nurses affiliated with nursing education institutions perceive the challenges nursing education is facing in Angola. Methods After consulting the National Directory of Human Resources in Angola, the nurse leaders affiliated with professional nursing education institutions in Angola were invited to participate in the study by email. Data were collected in February 2009 through the focus group technique. The group of participants was focused on the central question: what are the challenges faced for nursing education in your country? To register and understand the information, besides the use of a recorder, the reporters elaborated an interpretative report. Data were coded using content analysis. Results Fourteen nurses participated in the meeting, most of whom were affiliated with technical nursing education institutions. It was verified that the nurse leaders at technical and higher nursing education institutions in Angola face many challenges, mainly related to the lack of infrastructure, absence of trained human resources, bureaucratic problems to regularize the schools and lack of material resources. On the opposite, the solutions they present are predominantly centered on the valuation of nursing professionals, which implies cultural and attitude changes. Conclusions Public health education policies need to be established in Angola, including action guidelines that permit effective nursing activities. Professional education institutions need further regularizations and nurses need to be acknowledged as key elements for the qualitative enhancement of health services in the country. PMID:23866740

Challenges for nursing education in Angola: the perception of nurse leaders affiliated with professional education institutions.

PubMed

Marchi-Alves, Leila Maria; Ventura, Carla A Arena; Trevizan, Maria Auxiliadora; Mazzo, Alessandra; de Godoy, Simone; Mendes, Isabel Amélia Costa

2013-07-17

Angola is one of the African countries with the highest morbidity and mortality rates and a devastating lack of human resources for health, including nursing. The World Health Organization stimulates and takes technical cooperation initiatives for human resource education and training in health and education, with a view to the development of countries in the region. The aim in this study was to identify how nurses affiliated with nursing education institutions perceive the challenges nursing education is facing in Angola. After consulting the National Directory of Human Resources in Angola, the nurse leaders affiliated with professional nursing education institutions in Angola were invited to participate in the study by email. Data were collected in February 2009 through the focus group technique. The group of participants was focused on the central question: what are the challenges faced for nursing education in your country? To register and understand the information, besides the use of a recorder, the reporters elaborated an interpretative report. Data were coded using content analysis. Fourteen nurses participated in the meeting, most of whom were affiliated with technical nursing education institutions. It was verified that the nurse leaders at technical and higher nursing education institutions in Angola face many challenges, mainly related to the lack of infrastructure, absence of trained human resources,bureaucratic problems to regularize the schools and lack of material resources. On the opposite, the solutions they present are predominantly centered on the valuation of nursing professionals, which implies cultural and attitude changes. Public health education policies need to be established in Angola, including action guidelines that permit effective nursing activities. Professional education institutions need further regularizations and nurses need to be acknowledged as key elements for the qualitative enhancement of health services in the country.

Strengthening healthcare delivery in Haiti through nursing continuing education.

PubMed

Clark, M; Julmisse, M; Marcelin, N; Merry, L; Tuck, J; Gagnon, A J

2015-03-01

The aim of this paper was to (1) highlight nursing continuing education as a key initiative for strengthening healthcare delivery in low-resource settings, and (2) provide an example of a nursing continuing education programme in Haiti. Haiti and other low-resource settings face extreme challenges including severe shortages of healthcare workers, high rates of nurse out-migration and variations in nurse competency at entry-to-practice. Nursing continuing education has the potential to address these challenges and improve healthcare delivery through enhanced nurse performance and retention; however, it is underutilized in low-resource settings. A case study is presented from the Hôpital Universitaire de Mirebalais in Mirebalais, Haiti of a new nursing continuing education programme called the Beyond Expert Program. The case study highlights eight key dimensions of nursing continuing education in low-resource settings: (1) involving local stakeholders in planning process, (2) targeting programme to nurse participant level and area of care, (3) basing course content on local context, (4) including diverse range of nursing topics, (5) using participatory teaching methods, (6) addressing resource constraints in time and scheduling, (7) evaluating and monitoring outcomes, and (8) establishing partnerships. The case study provides guidance for others wishing to develop programmes in similar settings. Creating a nursing continuing education programme in a low-resource setting is possible when there is commitment and engagement for nursing continuing education at all levels of the organization. Our report suggests a need for policy-makers in resource-limited settings to make greater investments in nursing continuing education as a focus of human resources for health, as it is an important strategy for promoting nurse retention, building the knowledge and skill of the existing nursing workforce, and raising the image of nursing in low-resource settings. © 2015 International Council of Nurses.

Seasonal source-sink dynamics at the edge of a species' range

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kanda, L.L.; Fuller, T.K.; Sievert, P.R.; Kellogg, R.L.

2009-01-01

The roles of dispersal and population dynamics in determining species' range boundaries recently have received theoretical attention but little empirical work. Here we provide data on survival, reproduction, and movement for a Virginia opossum (Didelphis virginiana) population at a local distributional edge in central Massachusetts (USA). Most juvenile females that apparently exploited anthropogenic resources survived their first winter, whereas those using adjacent natural resources died of starvation. In spring, adult females recolonized natural areas. A life-table model suggests that a population exploiting anthropogenic resources may grow, acting as source to a geographically interlaced sink of opossums using only natural resources, and also providing emigrants for further range expansion to new human-dominated landscapes. In a geographical model, this source-sink dynamic is consistent with the local distribution identified through road-kill surveys. The Virginia opossum's exploitation of human resources likely ameliorates energetically restrictive winters and may explain both their local distribution and their northward expansion in unsuitable natural climatic regimes. Landscape heterogeneity, such as created by urbanization, may result in source-sink dynamics at highly localized scales. Differential fitness and individual dispersal movements within local populations are key to generating regional distributions, and thus species ranges, that exceed expectations. ?? 2009 by the Ecological Society of America.

RNAcentral: A vision for an international database of RNA sequences

PubMed Central

Bateman, Alex; Agrawal, Shipra; Birney, Ewan; Bruford, Elspeth A.; Bujnicki, Janusz M.; Cochrane, Guy; Cole, James R.; Dinger, Marcel E.; Enright, Anton J.; Gardner, Paul P.; Gautheret, Daniel; Griffiths-Jones, Sam; Harrow, Jen; Herrero, Javier; Holmes, Ian H.; Huang, Hsien-Da; Kelly, Krystyna A.; Kersey, Paul; Kozomara, Ana; Lowe, Todd M.; Marz, Manja; Moxon, Simon; Pruitt, Kim D.; Samuelsson, Tore; Stadler, Peter F.; Vilella, Albert J.; Vogel, Jan-Hinnerk; Williams, Kelly P.; Wright, Mathew W.; Zwieb, Christian

2011-01-01

During the last decade there has been a great increase in the number of noncoding RNA genes identified, including new classes such as microRNAs and piRNAs. There is also a large growth in the amount of experimental characterization of these RNA components. Despite this growth in information, it is still difficult for researchers to access RNA data, because key data resources for noncoding RNAs have not yet been created. The most pressing omission is the lack of a comprehensive RNA sequence database, much like UniProt, which provides a comprehensive set of protein knowledge. In this article we propose the creation of a new open public resource that we term RNAcentral, which will contain a comprehensive collection of RNA sequences and fill an important gap in the provision of biomedical databases. We envision RNA researchers from all over the world joining a federated RNAcentral network, contributing specialized knowledge and databases. RNAcentral would centralize key data that are currently held across a variety of databases, allowing researchers instant access to a single, unified resource. This resource would facilitate the next generation of RNA research and help drive further discoveries, including those that improve food production and human and animal health. We encourage additional RNA database resources and research groups to join this effort. We aim to obtain international network funding to further this endeavor. PMID:21940779

Valuing tradeoffs between agricultural production and ecosystem services in the Heihe River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Z.; Deng, X.; Wu, F.

2017-12-01

Ecosystem services are faced with multiple stress from complex driving factors, such as climate change and human interventions. The Heihe River Basin (HRB), as the second largest inland river basin in China, is a typical semi-arid and arid region with fragile and sensitive ecological environment. For the past decades, agricultural production activities in the basin has affected ecosystem services in different degrees, leading to complex relations among "water-land-climate-ecology-human", in which hydrological process and water resource management is the key. In this context, managing trade-offs among water uses in the river basin to sustain multiple ecosystem services is crucial for healthy ecosystem and sustainable socioeconomic development. In this study, we analyze the trade-offs between different water uses in agricultural production and key ecosystem services in the HRB by applying production frontier analysis, with the aim to explore the potential for managing them. This method traces out joint production frontiers showing the combinations of ecosystem services and agricultural production that can be generated in a given area, and it deals with the economic problem of the allocation of scarce water resources under presumed objective, which aims to highlight synergies and reduce trade-offs between alternative water uses. Thus, management schemes that targets to both sustain agricultural production and increase the provision of key ecosystem services have to consider not only the technological or biological nature of interrelationships, but also the economic interdependencies among them.

Challenges and Opportunities in the Provision of Surgical Care in Vanuatu: A Mixed Methods Analysis.

PubMed

Young, S; Perry, W R G; Leodoro, B; Nosa, V; Bissett, I; Windsor, J A; Dare, A J

2016-08-01

The Pacific island nation of Vanuatu faces a number of challenges in delivering surgical care to its population. We aimed to understand and document the barriers, opportunities and required actions to improve surgical care in the country using a mixed methods analysis which incorporated the perspectives of local health stakeholders. A baseline quantitative assessment of surgical capacity in Vanuatu was carried out using the WHO situational analysis tool. Twenty semi-structured interviews were then conducted on the two main islands (Efate and Espiritu Santo) with surgeons, allied health staff, health managers, policy-makers and other key stakeholders, using a grounded theory qualitative case study methodology. Initial informants were identified by purposive sampling followed by snowball sampling until theoretical saturation was reached. Interviews were open and axially coded with subsequent thematic analysis. Vanuatu faces deficits in surgical infrastructure, equipment and human resources, especially in the rural provinces. Geographic isolation, poverty and culture-including the use of traditional medicine and low health literacy-all act as barriers to patients accessing timely surgical care. Issues with governance, human resourcing and perioperative care were commonly identified by stakeholders as key challenges facing surgical services. Increasing outreach clinics, developing efficient referral systems, building provincial surgical capacity and undertaking locally led research were identified as key actions that can improve surgical care. Documenting locally identified challenges and opportunities for surgical care in Vanuatu is an important first step towards developing formal strategies for improving surgical services at the country level.

Key Informants' Perceptions on the Implementation of a National Program for Improving Nutritional Status of Children in Iran.

PubMed

Ghodsi, Delaram; Omidvar, Nasrin; Rashidian, Arash; Raghfar, Hossein; Eini-Zinab, Hassan; Ebrahimi, Marziyeh

2016-01-01

Childhood malnutrition is a major public health issue. Multidisciplinary approach for Improvement of Nutritional Status of Children in Iran was implemented in order to reduce malnutrition among children. This study aimed to evaluate the implementation aspect of the program and to explore key informants' perceptions and experience regarding the factors affected its implementation. Data were collected through the review of secondary data and semistructured interviews at national, province, and local levels. Four layers of key informants were selected purposefully for interviewing, including policymakers, senior nutrition officers, head of Hygiene, Remedy and Insurance Affairs in Imam Khomeini Relief Foundation, and community health workers. Qualitative content analysis was carried out based on Supporting the Use of Research Evidence framework and Tailored Implementation for Chronic Diseases' checklist to interpret the viewpoints of the study participants. Results showed that the program had successes in improving mother's knowledge on health, nutrition, and child care through health system and increased families' access to food, but there were some aspects that affected program's implementation. Some of these factors are the lack of clarity in the program's protocol and indicators, human shortage and inadequate financial resources, poor facilities, inattention to staff motivation, insufficient commitment among different sections, poor communication and supervision among different executive sections, and program protocols designing regardless of practical condition. Based on the results, top-down approach in policymaking and inadequate financial and human resources were responsible for most of the challenges encountered in the implementation.

Assessing and evaluating recreational uses of water resources: implications for an integrated management framework.

Treesearch

Christina Kakoyannis; George H. Stankey

2002-01-01

To resolve conflicts over water, we need an understanding of human uses and values for water. In this study, we explore how water-based recreation affects and is affected by the water regime and water management and how key social trends might influence future water-based recreation. We found that although water is a critical component of many recreational experiences...

Fairness and Ethical Considerations in Pay for Performance in NSPS

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-03-17

of performance. A 1998 Woodward study of eighteen organizations that developed alternative personnel systems for hiring, promoting, compensating...equity were the key values underlying the design and execution of their human resources management systems.35 Woodward found that the values of...leadership, time management, etc. 22 Amanda Olsen, The Value of Web-Based Training, available from http://www.amandaolsen.com/ Docs/White%20Paper

The Strategic Thinking Process: Efficient Mobilization of Human Resources for System Definition

PubMed Central

Covvey, H. D.

1987-01-01

This paper describes the application of several group management techniques to the creation of needs specifications and information systems strategic plans in health care institutions. The overall process is called the “Strategic Thinking Process”. It is a formal methodology that can reduce the time and cost of creating key documents essential for the successful implementation of health care information systems.

Staff in Higher Education Salary Report: Key Findings, Trends, and Comprehensive Tables for the 2016-17 Academic Year. Overview

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bichsel, Jacqueline; McChesney, Jasper

2017-01-01

This year is a momentous one for College and University Professional Association for Human Resources (CUPA-HR) research. As they celebrate their 50th anniversary of collecting salary data, they are also celebrating transformations in the way data are collected for all salary surveys and in the ways these data are reported. Rather than contributing…

A Cross-Cultural Perspective about the Implementation and Adaptation Process of the Schoolwide Enrichment Model: The Importance of Talent Development in a Global World

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hernández-Torrano, Daniel; Saranli, Adile Gulsah

2015-01-01

Gifted education and talent development are considered today as key elements for developing human capital and increasing competitiveness within education and the economy. Within this framework, a growing number of countries have begun to invest large amounts of resources to discover and nurture their most able students. As boundaries and…

Challenges of Human Papillomavirus Infection and Associated Diseases in Low-Resource Countries.

PubMed

Nweke, Michael Chukwugoziem; Okolo, Clement Abu; Daous, Yara; Esan, Olukemi Ayotunde

2018-06-01

- The prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection varies worldwide. The high-risk viruses are usually associated with cancers of the cervix, vagina, and vulva in women, cancer of the penis in men, and cancers of the anus, tonsils, oropharynx, and base of the tongue in both sexes. - To review literature about the challenges and burden associated with HPV infection in low-resource (ie, developing) countries, focusing on sub-Saharan Africa. To review the prevention, incidence, prevalence, morbidity, and mortality of HPV infections in sub-Saharan Africa. To review the therapy and management of HPV infections in low-resource countries in comparison to developed countries. - Peer-reviewed literature and experience of some of the authors. - Sub-Saharan Africa has high HPV infection prevalence rates, with predominance of high-risk subtypes 16, 18, and 45. The difficulty of access to health care has led to higher morbidity and mortality related to HPV-related cancers. Improvement in screening programs will help in monitoring the spread of HPV infections. Survival studies can be more informative if reliable cancer registries are improved. HPV vaccination is not yet widely available and this may be the key to curtailing the spread of HPV infections in resource-poor countries.

Infrastructure resources for clinical research in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

PubMed

Sherman, Alexander V; Gubitz, Amelie K; Al-Chalabi, Ammar; Bedlack, Richard; Berry, James; Conwit, Robin; Harris, Brent T; Horton, D Kevin; Kaufmann, Petra; Leitner, Melanie L; Miller, Robert; Shefner, Jeremy; Vonsattel, Jean Paul; Mitsumoto, Hiroshi

2013-05-01

Clinical trial networks, shared clinical databases, and human biospecimen repositories are examples of infrastructure resources aimed at enhancing and expediting clinical and/or patient oriented research to uncover the etiology and pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disease that leads to the paralysis of voluntary muscles. The current status of such infrastructure resources, as well as opportunities and impediments, were discussed at the second Tarrytown ALS meeting held in September 2011. The discussion focused on resources developed and maintained by ALS clinics and centers in North America and Europe, various clinical trial networks, U.S. government federal agencies including the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and several voluntary disease organizations that support ALS research activities. Key recommendations included 1) the establishment of shared databases among individual ALS clinics to enhance the coordination of resources and data analyses; 2) the expansion of quality-controlled human biospecimen banks; and 3) the adoption of uniform data standards, such as the recently developed Common Data Elements (CDEs) for ALS clinical research. The value of clinical trial networks such as the Northeast ALS (NEALS) Consortium and the Western ALS (WALS) Consortium was recognized, and strategies to further enhance and complement these networks and their research resources were discussed.

The intricate relationship between a medical school and a teaching hospital: A case study in Uganda.

PubMed

Mubuuke, Aloysius Gonzaga; Businge, Francis; Mukule, Emmanuel

2014-01-01

The relationship between medical schools and teaching hospitals is full of opportunities but also challenges even though they have complementary goals that could enhance each other. Although medical schools and teaching hospitals may face some similar challenges around the world, there could be context-specific observations that differ in resource-rich versus resource-limited settings. The purpose of this study was to investigate factors that are perceived to have influenced the relationship between a medical school and a teaching hospital in Uganda, a resource-limited setting. This was a cross-sectional, descriptive study in which key informant individual interviews were conducted with senior administrators and senior staff members of the Mulago Hospital and Makerere University Medical School. The interviews explored factors perceived to have favoured the working relationship between the two institutions, challenges faced and likely future opportunities. Both quantitative and qualitative data were generated. Thematic analysis was used with the qualitative data. Respondents reported a strained relationship between the two institutions, with unfavourable factors far outweighing the favourable factors influencing the relationship. Key negative reported factors included having different administrative set-ups, limited opportunities to share funds and to forge research collaborations, unexploited potential of sharing human resources to address staff shortages, as well as a lack of a memorandum of understanding between the two institutions. This study identifies barriers in the existing relationship between a teaching hospital and medical college in a resource-poor country. It proposes a collaborative model, rather than competitive model, for the two institutions that may work in both resource-limited and resource-rich settings.

The Social Development Summit and the developing countries.

PubMed

Barnabas, A P; Kulkarni, P D; Nanavatty, M C; Singh, R R

1996-01-01

This article discusses some concerns of the 1996 UN Summit on Social Development. Conference organizers identified the three key conference issues as poverty alleviation, social integration of the marginalized and disadvantaged, and expansion of productive employment. The goal of a "society for all" means dealing with the increasing differences between rich and poor countries, the survival of weaker economies in a competitive market system, wide variations in consumption patterns between countries, attainment of political stability while respecting ethnic identity, the rise in social problems among countries with a high human development index, and increasing joblessness. The Human Development Report for 1994 emphasizes human security. Social development is not the equivalent of human resource development nor a side issue of economic growth. The integration of ethnic groups poses social and political problems. There remains a question about what political system and culture would be best for social integration. Developed countries define poverty as the inability of people and government to provide resources and necessary services for people's productive activity. Poverty in developing countries is blamed on colonialism. Globally, developed countries control 71% of world trade. Sharing resources to meet basic needs throughout the world is not an operational ideal. The highest 20% of income earners receive 83% of the world income. The culture of poverty is the strategy used by the poor to survive. Welfare is not an end in itself but does enable the poor to improve their conditions. Development that focuses on productive employment is uncertain. Developed and developing countries do not share similar perceptions of human rights. There is a question as to who should set the priorities for social development. Sustainable social development is related to preservation of natural resources, control of population growth, and promotion of social security.

[Calculation model of urban water resources ecological footprint and its application: a case study in Shenyang City of Northeast China].

PubMed

Wang, Jian; Zhang, Chao-Xing; Yu, Ying-Tan; Li, Fa-Yun; Ma, Fang

2012-08-01

Water resources ecological footprint can directly reflect the pressure of human social and economic activities to water resources, and provide important reference for the rational utilization of water resources. Based on the existing ecological footprint models and giving full consideration of the water resources need of urban ecological system, this paper established a new calculation model of urban water resources ecological footprint, including domestic water account, process water account, public service water account, and ecological water requirement account. According to the actual situation of Shenyang City, the key parameters of the model were determined, and the water resources ecological footprint and ecological carrying capacity of the City were calculated and analyzed. From 2000 to 2009, the water resources ecological footprint per capita of the City presented an overall decreasing trend, but still had an annual ecological deficit. As compared to that in 2000, the water resources ecological footprint per capita was decreased to 0.31 hm2 in 2005, increased slightly in 2006 and 2007, and remained stable in 2008 and 2009, which suggested that the sustainable utilization of water resources in Shenyang City had definite improvement, but was still in an unsustainable development situation.

Internet and mobile technologies: addressing the mental health of trauma survivors in less resourced communities.

PubMed

Ruzek, J I; Yeager, C M

2017-01-01

Internet and mobile technologies offer potentially critical ways of delivering mental health support in low-resource settings. Much evidence indicates an enormous negative impact of mental health problems in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), and many of these problems are caused, or worsened, by exposure to wars, conflicts, natural and human-caused disasters, and other traumatic events. Though specific mental health treatments have been found to be efficacious and cost-effective for low-resource settings, most individuals living in these areas do not have access to them. Low-intensity task-sharing interventions will help, but there is a limit to the scalability and sustainability of human resources in these settings. To address the needs of trauma survivors, it will be important to develop and implement Internet and mobile technology resources to help reduce the scarcity, inequity, and inefficiency of current mental health services in LMICs. Mobile and Internet resources are experiencing a rapid growth in LMICs and can help address time, stigma, and cost barriers and connect those who have been socially isolated by traumatic events. This review discusses current research in technological interventions in low-resource settings and outlines key issues and future challenges and opportunities. Though formidable challenges exist for large-scale deployment of mobile and Internet mental health technologies, work to date indicates that these technologies are indeed feasible to develop, evaluate, and deliver to those in need of mental health services, and that they can be effective.

Life cycle assessment part 1: framework, goal and scope definition, inventory analysis, and applications.

PubMed

Rebitzer, G; Ekvall, T; Frischknecht, R; Hunkeler, D; Norris, G; Rydberg, T; Schmidt, W-P; Suh, S; Weidema, B P; Pennington, D W

2004-07-01

Sustainable development requires methods and tools to measure and compare the environmental impacts of human activities for the provision of goods and services (both of which are summarized under the term "products"). Environmental impacts include those from emissions into the environment and through the consumption of resources, as well as other interventions (e.g., land use) associated with providing products that occur when extracting resources, producing materials, manufacturing the products, during consumption/use, and at the products' end-of-life (collection/sorting, reuse, recycling, waste disposal). These emissions and consumptions contribute to a wide range of impacts, such as climate change, stratospheric ozone depletion, tropospheric ozone (smog) creation, eutrophication, acidification, toxicological stress on human health and ecosystems, the depletion of resources, water use, land use, and noise-among others. A clear need, therefore, exists to be proactive and to provide complimentary insights, apart from current regulatory practices, to help reduce such impacts. Practitioners and researchers from many domains come together in life cycle assessment (LCA) to calculate indicators of the aforementioned potential environmental impacts that are linked to products-supporting the identification of opportunities for pollution prevention and reductions in resource consumption while taking the entire product life cycle into consideration. This paper, part 1 in a series of two, introduces the LCA framework and procedure, outlines how to define and model a product's life cycle, and provides an overview of available methods and tools for tabulating and compiling associated emissions and resource consumption data in a life cycle inventory (LCI). It also discusses the application of LCA in industry and policy making. The second paper, by Pennington et al. (Environ. Int. 2003, in press), highlights the key features, summarises available approaches, and outlines the key challenges of assessing the aforementioned inventory data in terms of contributions to environmental impacts (life cycle impact assessment, LCIA).

ISRU at a Lunar Outpost: Implementation and Opportunities for Partnerships and Commercial Development

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sanders, Gerald B.; Simon, Thomas; Larson, William E.; Santiago-Maldonado, Edgardo; Sacksteder, Kurt; Linne, Diane; Caruso, John; Easter, Robert

2007-01-01

The NASA Lunar Architecture Team (LAT), which was commissioned to help answer the question "how" will humans return to the Moon, and the Synthesis Team and the recently released Global Exploration Strategy, which was commissioned to help answer the question "why" will humans return to the Moon and go on to Mars have identified the ability to extract and use in-situ resources as important to extending human frontiers, reduce dependence on Earth, and further economic and commercial expansion into space. The extraction and processing of space resources into useful products, known as In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), can have a substantial impact on mission and architecture concepts. In particular, the ability to make propellants, life support consumables, and fuel cell reagents can significantly reduce the cost, mass, and risk of sustained human activities beyond Earth. Potential lunar resources include solar wind implanted volatiles, vast quantities of metal and mineral oxides, possible water/ice at the poles, abundant solar energy, regions of permanent light and darkness, the vacuum of space itself, and even scavenging leftover descent propellants and/or trash and waste from human crew activities. Suitable processing can transform these raw resources into useful materials and products. The establishment of a human lunar Outpost, as proposed by NASA at the 2nd Space Exploration Conference in Houston in December 2006, opens up the possibility for the first time of breaking our reliance on Earth supplied consumables and learn to "live off the land". The ISRU phasing and capability incorporation strategy developed during LAT Phase I & II is based on the premise that while ISRU is a critical capability and key to successful implementation of the US Vision for Space Exploration, it is also an unproven capability for human lunar exploration and can not be put in the critical path of architecture success until it has been proven. Therefore, ISRU needs to take incremental steps toward the desired end state. However, at the same time, the lunar architecture needs to be open enough to take advantage of ISRU when proven available.

Health systems analysis of eye care services in Zambia: evaluating progress towards VISION 2020 goals

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background VISION 2020 is a global initiative launched in 1999 to eliminate avoidable blindness by 2020. The objective of this study was to undertake a situation analysis of the Zambian eye health system and assess VISION 2020 process indicators on human resources, equipment and infrastructure. Methods All eye health care providers were surveyed to determine location, financing sources, human resources and equipment. Key informants were interviewed regarding levels of service provision, management and leadership in the sector. Policy papers were reviewed. A health system dynamics framework was used to analyse findings. Results During 2011, 74 facilities provided eye care in Zambia; 39% were public, 37% private for-profit and 24% owned by Non-Governmental Organizations. Private facilities were solely located in major cities. A total of 191 people worked in eye care; 18 of these were ophthalmologists and eight cataract surgeons, equivalent to 0.34 and 0.15 per 250,000 population, respectively. VISION 2020 targets for inpatient beds and surgical theatres were met in six out of nine provinces, but human resources and spectacles manufacturing workshops were below target in every province. Inequalities in service provision between urban and rural areas were substantial. Conclusion Shortage and maldistribution of human resources, lack of routine monitoring and inadequate financing mechanisms are the root causes of underperformance in the Zambian eye health system, which hinder the ability to achieve the VISION 2020 goals. We recommend that all VISION 2020 process indicators are evaluated simultaneously as these are not individually useful for monitoring progress. PMID:24575919

The Ozark Highlands

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ethridge, Max

2009-01-01

The Ozark Highlands include diverse topographic, geologic, soil, and hydrologic conditions that support a broad range of habitat types. The landscape features rugged uplands - some peaks higher than 2,500 feet above sea level - with exposed rock and varying soil depths and includes extensive areas of karst terrain. The Highlands are characterized by extreme biological diversity and high endemism (uniqueness of species). Vegetation communities are dominated by open oak-hickory and shortleaf pine woodlands and forests. Included in this vegetation matrix is an assemblage of various types of fens, forests, wetlands, fluvial features, and carbonate and siliceous glades. An ever-growing human population in the Ozark Highlands has become very dependent on reservoirs constructed on major rivers in the region and, in some cases, groundwater for household and public water supply. Because of human population growth in the Highlands and increases in industrial and agricultural activities, not only is adequate water quantity an issue, but maintaining good water quality is also a challenge. Point and nonpoint sources of excessive nutrients are an issue. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) partnership programs to monitor water quality and develop simulation tools to help stakeholders better understand strategies to protect the quality of water and the environment are extremely important. The USGS collects relevant data, conducts interpretive studies, and develops simulation tools to help stakeholders understand resource availability and sustainability issues. Stakeholders dependent on these resources are interested in and benefit greatly from evolving these simulation tools (models) into decision support systems that can be used for adaptive management of water and ecological resources. The interaction of unique and high-quality biological and hydrologic resources and the effects of stresses from human activities can be evaluated best by using a multidisciplinary approach that the USGS can provide. Information varying from defining baseline resource conditions to developing simulation models will help resource managers and users understand the human impact on resource sustainability. Varied expertise and experience in biological and water-resources activities across the entire Highlands make the USGS a valued collaborator in studies of Ozark ecosystems, streams, reservoirs, and groundwater. A large part of future success will depend on the involvement and active participation of key partners.

Biological Diversity in the Patent System

PubMed Central

Oldham, Paul; Hall, Stephen; Forero, Oscar

2013-01-01

Biological diversity in the patent system is an enduring focus of controversy but empirical analysis of the presence of biodiversity in the patent system has been limited. To address this problem we text mined 11 million patent documents for 6 million Latin species names from the Global Names Index (GNI) established by the Global Biodiversity Information Facility (GBIF) and Encyclopedia of Life (EOL). We identified 76,274 full Latin species names from 23,882 genera in 767,955 patent documents. 25,595 species appeared in the claims section of 136,880 patent documents. This reveals that human innovative activity involving biodiversity in the patent system focuses on approximately 4% of taxonomically described species and between 0.8–1% of predicted global species. In this article we identify the major features of the patent landscape for biological diversity by focusing on key areas including pharmaceuticals, neglected diseases, traditional medicines, genetic engineering, foods, biocides, marine genetic resources and Antarctica. We conclude that the narrow focus of human innovative activity and ownership of genetic resources is unlikely to be in the long term interest of humanity. We argue that a broader spectrum of biodiversity needs to be opened up to research and development based on the principles of equitable benefit-sharing, respect for the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity, human rights and ethics. Finally, we argue that alternative models of innovation, such as open source and commons models, are required to open up biodiversity for research that addresses actual and neglected areas of human need. The research aims to inform the implementation of the 2010 Nagoya Protocol on Access to Genetic Resources and the Equitable Sharing of Benefits Arising from their Utilization and international debates directed to the governance of genetic resources. Our research also aims to inform debates under the Intergovernmental Committee on Intellectual Property and Genetic Resources, Traditional Knowledge and Folklore at the World Intellectual Property Organization. PMID:24265714

The United States Culture Collection Network (USCCN): Enhancing Microbial Genomics Research through Living Microbe Culture Collections

DOE PAGES

Boundy-Mills, Kyria; Hess, Matthias; Bennett, A. Rick; ...

2015-06-19

The mission of the United States Culture Collection Network (USCCN;http://usccn.org) is “to facilitate the safe and responsible utilization of microbial resources for research, education, industry, medicine, and agriculture for the betterment of human kind.” Microbial culture collections are a key component of life science research, biotechnology, and emerging global biobased economies. Here, representatives and users of several microbial culture collections from the United States and Europe gathered at the University of California, Davis, to discuss how collections of microorganisms can better serve users and stakeholders and to showcase existing resources available in public culture collections.

Considerations Regarding the Development of an Environmental Control and Life Support System for Lunar Surface Applications

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Bagdigian, Robert M.

2008-01-01

NASA is engaged in early architectural analyses and trade studies aimed at identifying requirements, predicting performance and resource needs, characterizing mission constraints and sensitivities, and guiding technology development planning needed to conduct a successful human exploration campaign of the lunar surface. Conceptual designs and resource estimates for environmental control and life support systems (ECLSS) within pressurized lunar surface habitats and rovers have been considered and compared in order to support these lunar campaign studies. This paper will summarize those concepts and some of the more noteworthy considerations that will likely remain as key drivers in the evolution of the lunar surface ECLSS architecture.

Impact of Hydrologic Variability on Ecosystem Dynamics and the Sustainable Use of Soil and Water Resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Porporato, A. M.

2013-05-01

We discuss the key processes by which hydrologic variability affects the probabilistic structure of soil moisture dynamics in water-controlled ecosystems. These in turn impact biogeochemical cycling and ecosystem structure through plant productivity and biodiversity as well as nitrogen availability and soil conditions. Once the long-term probabilistic structure of these processes is quantified, the results become useful to understand the impact of climatic changes and human activities on ecosystem services, and can be used to find optimal strategies of water and soil resources management under unpredictable hydro-climatic fluctuations. Particular applications regard soil salinization, phytoremediation and optimal stochastic irrigation.

The United States Culture Collection Network (USCCN): Enhancing Microbial Genomics Research through Living Microbe Culture Collections

PubMed Central

Boundy-Mills, Kyria; Hess, Matthias; Bennett, A. Rick; Ryan, Matthew; Kang, Seogchan; Nobles, David; Eisen, Jonathan A.; Inderbitzin, Patrik; Sitepu, Irnayuli R.; Torok, Tamas; Brown, Daniel R.; Cho, Juliana; Wertz, John E.; Mukherjee, Supratim; Cady, Sherry L.

2015-01-01

The mission of the United States Culture Collection Network (USCCN; http://usccn.org) is “to facilitate the safe and responsible utilization of microbial resources for research, education, industry, medicine, and agriculture for the betterment of human kind.” Microbial culture collections are a key component of life science research, biotechnology, and emerging global biobased economies. Representatives and users of several microbial culture collections from the United States and Europe gathered at the University of California, Davis, to discuss how collections of microorganisms can better serve users and stakeholders and to showcase existing resources available in public culture collections. PMID:26092453

In-situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) and Lunar Surface Systems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sanders, Jerry; Larson, Bill; Sacksteder, Kurt

2007-01-01

This viewgraph presentation reviews the benefits of In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU) on the surface of the moon. Included in this review is the commercialization of Lunar ISRU. ISRU will strongly influence architecture and critical technologies. ISRU is a critical capability and key implementation of the Vision for Space Exploration (VSE). ISRU will strongly effects lunar outpost logistics, design and crew safety. ISRU will strongly effect outpost critical technologies. ISRU mass investment is minimal compared to immediate and long-term architecture delivery mass and reuse capabilities provided. Therefore, investment in ISRU constitutes a commitment to the mid and long term future of human exploration.

The United States Culture Collection Network (USCCN): Enhancing Microbial Genomics Research through Living Microbe Culture Collections

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

Boundy-Mills, Kyria; Hess, Matthias; Bennett, A. Rick

The mission of the United States Culture Collection Network (USCCN;http://usccn.org) is “to facilitate the safe and responsible utilization of microbial resources for research, education, industry, medicine, and agriculture for the betterment of human kind.” Microbial culture collections are a key component of life science research, biotechnology, and emerging global biobased economies. Here, representatives and users of several microbial culture collections from the United States and Europe gathered at the University of California, Davis, to discuss how collections of microorganisms can better serve users and stakeholders and to showcase existing resources available in public culture collections.

The United States Culture Collection Network (USCCN): Enhancing Microbial Genomics Research through Living Microbe Culture Collections

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

Boundy-Mills, K.; Hess, Matthias; Bennett, A. R.

The mission of the United States Culture Collection Network (USCCN; http://usccn.org) is "to facilitate the safe and responsible utilization of microbial resources for research, education, industry, medicine, and agriculture for the betterment of human kind." Microbial culture collections are a key component of life science research, biotechnology, and emerging global biobased economies. Representatives and users of several microbial culture collections from the United States and Europe gathered at the University of California, Davis, to discuss how collections of microorganisms can better serve users and stakeholders and to showcase existing resources available in public culture collections.

Evolution of hemispheric specialisation of antagonistic systems of management of the body's energy resources.

PubMed

Braun, Claude M J

2007-09-01

Excellent and rich reviews of lateralised behaviour in animals have recently been published indexing renewed interest in biological theorising about hemispheric specialisation and yielding rich theory. The present review proposes a new account of the evolution of hemispheric specialisation, a primitive system of "management of the body's energy resources". This model is distinct from traditionally evoked cognitive science categories such as verbal/spatial, analytic/holistic, etc., or the current dominant neuroethological model proposing that the key is approach/avoidance behaviour. Specifically, I show that autonomic, immune, psychomotor, motivational, perceptual, and memory systems are similarly and coherently specialised in the brain hemispheres in rodents and man. This energy resource management model, extended to human neuropsychology, is termed here the "psychic tonus" model of hemispheric specialisation.

A National Approach to Quantify and Map Biodiversity ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Ecosystem services, i.e., "services provided to humans from natural systems," have become a key issue of this century in resource management, conservation planning, human well-being, and environmental decision analysis. Mapping and quantifying ecosystem services have become strategic national interests for integrating ecology with economics to help understand the effects of human policies and actions and their subsequent impacts on both ecosystem function and human welfare. The degradation of natural ecosystems and climate variation impact the environment and society by affecting ecological integrity and ecosystems’ capacity to provide critical services (i.e., the contributions of ecosystems to human well-being). These challenges will require complex management decisions that can often involve significant trade-offs between societal desires and environmental needs. Evaluating trade-offs in terms of ecosystem services and human well-being provides an intuitive and comprehensive way to assess the broad implications of our decisions and to help shape policies that enhance environmental and social sustainability. In answer to this challenge, the U.S. government has created a partnership among the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, other Federal agencies, academic institutions, and, Non-Governmental Organizations to develop the EnviroAtlas, an online Decision Support Tool that allows users (e.g., planners, policy-makers, resource managers, NGOs, private indu

Secure key storage and distribution

DOEpatents

Agrawal, Punit

2015-06-02

This disclosure describes a distributed, fault-tolerant security system that enables the secure storage and distribution of private keys. In one implementation, the security system includes a plurality of computing resources that independently store private keys provided by publishers and encrypted using a single security system public key. To protect against malicious activity, the security system private key necessary to decrypt the publication private keys is not stored at any of the computing resources. Rather portions, or shares of the security system private key are stored at each of the computing resources within the security system and multiple security systems must communicate and share partial decryptions in order to decrypt the stored private key.

Evolving water science in the Anthropocene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Savenije, H. H. G.; Hoekstra, A. Y.; van der Zaag, P.

2013-06-01

This paper reviews the changing relation between man and water since the industrial revolution, the period that has been called the Anthropocene because of the unprecedented scale at which humans have altered the planet. We show how the rapidly changing reality urges us to continuously improve our understanding of the complex interactions between man and the water system. The paper starts with demonstrating that hydrology and the science of water resources management have played key roles in human and economic development throughout history; yet these roles have often been marginalised or obscured. Knowledge on hydrology and water resources engineering and management helped to transform the landscape, and thus also the very hydrology within catchments itself. It is only fairly recent that water experts have become self-conscious of such mechanisms, exemplified by several concepts that try to internalise them (integrated water resources management, eco-hydrology, socio-hydrology). We have reached a stage where a more systemic understanding of scale interdependencies can inform the sustainable governance of water systems, using new concepts like precipitationsheds, virtual water transfers, water footprint and water value flow.

Sustainable Human Presence on the Moon using In Situ Resources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McLemore, Carol A.; Fikes, John C.; McCarley, Kevin S.; Darby, Charles A.; Curreri, Peter A.; Kennedy, James P.; Good, James E.; Gilley, Scott D.

2008-01-01

New capabilities, technologies and infrastructure must be developed to enable a sustained human presence on the moon and beyond. The key to having this permanent presence is the utilization of in situ resources. To this end, NASA is investigating how in situ resources can be utilized to improve mission success by reducing up-mass, improving safety, reducing risk, and bringing down costs for the overall mission. To ensure that this capability is available when needed, technology development is required now. NASA/Marshall Space Flight Center (MSFC) is supporting this endeavor, along with other NASA centers, by exploring how lunar regolith can be mined for uses such as construction, life support, propulsion, power, and fabrication. Efforts at MSFC include development of lunar regolith simulant for hardware testing and development, extraction of oxygen and other materials from the lunar regolith, production of parts and tools on the moon from local materials or from provisioned feedstocks, and capabilities to show that produced parts are "ready for use". This paper discusses the lunar regolith, how the regolith is being replicated in the development of simulants and possible uses of the regolith.

Potential Impact of Dietary Choices on Phosphorus Recycling and Global Phosphorus Footprints: The Case of the Average Australian City

PubMed Central

Metson, Geneviève S.; Cordell, Dana; Ridoutt, Brad

2016-01-01

Changes in human diets, population increases, farming practices, and globalized food chains have led to dramatic increases in the demand for phosphorus fertilizers. Long-term food security and water quality are, however, threatened by such increased phosphorus consumption, because the world’s main source, phosphate rock, is an increasingly scarce resource. At the same time, losses of phosphorus from farms and cities have caused widespread water pollution. As one of the major factors contributing to increased phosphorus demand, dietary choices can play a key role in changing our resource consumption pathway. Importantly, the effects of dietary choices on phosphorus management are twofold: First, dietary choices affect a person or region’s “phosphorus footprint” – the magnitude of mined phosphate required to meet food demand. Second, dietary choices affect the magnitude of phosphorus content in human excreta and hence the recycling- and pollution-potential of phosphorus in sanitation systems. When considering options and impacts of interventions at the city scale (e.g., potential for recycling), dietary changes may be undervalued as a solution toward phosphorus sustainability. For example, in an average Australian city, a vegetable-based diet could marginally increase phosphorus in human excreta (an 8% increase). However, such a shift could simultaneously dramatically decrease the mined phosphate required to meet the city resident’s annual food demand by 72%. Taking a multi-scalar perspective is therefore key to fully exploring dietary choices as one of the tools for sustainable phosphorus management. PMID:27617261

Queer Genes: Realism, Sexuality and Science

PubMed Central

Griffiths, David Andrew

2016-01-01

What are ‘gay genes’ and are they real? This article looks at key research into these hypothesized gay genes, made possible, in part, by the Human Genome Project. I argue that the complexity of both genetics and human sexuality demands a truly critical approach: one that takes into account feminist epistemologies of science and queer approaches to the body, while putting into conversation resources from agential realism and critical realism. This approach is able to maintain the agential complexity of genetic materiality, while also critically challenging the seemingly stable relationships between sex, gender and sexuality. PMID:28058037

Pathology as the enabler of human research.

PubMed

Crawford, James M; Tykocinski, Mark L

2005-09-01

Academic Pathology is a key player in human molecular science and in the powerful initiatives of the National Institutes of Health. Pathologists generate data crucial to virtually every molecular study of human tissue, and have the necessary skills and authority to oversee processing of human tissues for research analysis. We advocate that Academic Pathology is optimally positioned to drive the molecular revolution in study of human disease, through human tissue collection, analysis, and databasing. This can be achieved through playing a major role in human tissue procurement and management; establishing high-quality 'Pathology Resource Laboratories'; providing the scientific expertise for pathology data sharing; and recruiting and training physician scientists. Pathology should position itself to be the local institutional driver of technology implementation and development, by operating the resource laboratories, providing the expertise for technical and conceptual design of research projects, maintaining the databases that link molecular and morphological information on human tissues with the requisite clinical databases, providing education and mentorship of technology users, and nurturing new research through the development of preliminary data. We also consider that outstanding pathology journals are available for the publication of research emanating from such studies, to the benefit of the pathology profession as an academic enterprise. It is our earnest hope that Academic Pathology can play a leading role in the remarkable advances to be made as the 21st century unfolds.

The Perceived Influence of Industry-Sponsored Credentials in the Information Technology Industry. In Essence: Key Findings from the National Research Center for Career and Technical Education No. 2.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Naylor, Michele

The perceptions of human resource (HR) managers and information technology (IT) professionals regarding the influence of industry-sponsored credentials (ISCs) on recruitment, training, career development, and selected organizational outcomes were examined. Data were collected from 33 (66%) of 50 HR executives surveyed and from a Web-based survey…

Civilian Workforce Planning in the Department of Defense. Different Levels, Different Roles

DTIC Science & Technology

2006-01-01

other government agencies. This research was sponsored by the Office of the Under Secretary of Defense for Program Integration and was conducted...the Office of Management and Budget circular that specifies the procedures that the federal government must follow when it competitively sources a...state governments have a statewide workforce-planning office or human resources office that plays three key roles: developing and maintaining a data

On inclusion of water resource management in Earth system models - Part 1: Problem definition and representation of water demand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nazemi, A.; Wheater, H. S.

2015-01-01

Human activities have caused various changes to the Earth system, and hence the interconnections between human activities and the Earth system should be recognized and reflected in models that simulate Earth system processes. One key anthropogenic activity is water resource management, which determines the dynamics of human-water interactions in time and space and controls human livelihoods and economy, including energy and food production. There are immediate needs to include water resource management in Earth system models. First, the extent of human water requirements is increasing rapidly at the global scale and it is crucial to analyze the possible imbalance between water demands and supply under various scenarios of climate change and across various temporal and spatial scales. Second, recent observations show that human-water interactions, manifested through water resource management, can substantially alter the terrestrial water cycle, affect land-atmospheric feedbacks and may further interact with climate and contribute to sea-level change. Due to the importance of water resource management in determining the future of the global water and climate cycles, the World Climate Research Program's Global Energy and Water Exchanges project (WRCP-GEWEX) has recently identified gaps in describing human-water interactions as one of the grand challenges in Earth system modeling (GEWEX, 2012). Here, we divide water resource management into two interdependent elements, related firstly to water demand and secondly to water supply and allocation. In this paper, we survey the current literature on how various components of water demand have been included in large-scale models, in particular land surface and global hydrological models. Issues of water supply and allocation are addressed in a companion paper. The available algorithms to represent the dominant demands are classified based on the demand type, mode of simulation and underlying modeling assumptions. We discuss the pros and cons of available algorithms, address various sources of uncertainty and highlight limitations in current applications. We conclude that current capability of large-scale models to represent human water demands is rather limited, particularly with respect to future projections and coupled land-atmospheric simulations. To fill these gaps, the available models, algorithms and data for representing various water demands should be systematically tested, intercompared and improved. In particular, human water demands should be considered in conjunction with water supply and allocation, particularly in the face of water scarcity and unknown future climate.

Asteroid Redirect Mission Concept: A Bold Approach for Utilizing Space Resources

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Mazanek, Daniel D.; Merrill, Raymond G.; Brophy, John R.; Mueller, Robert P.

2014-01-01

The utilization of natural resources from asteroids is an idea that is older than the Space Age. The technologies are now available to transform this endeavour from an idea into reality. The Asteroid Redirect Mission (ARM) is a mission concept which includes the goal of robotically returning a small Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) or a multi-ton boulder from a large NEA to cislunar space in the mid 2020's using an advanced Solar Electric Propulsion (SEP) vehicle and currently available technologies. The paradigm shift enabled by the ARM concept would allow in-situ resource utilization (ISRU) to be used at the human mission departure location (i.e., cislunar space) versus exclusively at the deep-space mission destination. This approach drastically reduces the barriers associated with utilizing ISRU for human deep-space missions. The successful testing of ISRU techniques and associated equipment could enable large-scale commercial ISRU operations to become a reality and enable a future space-based economy utilizing processed asteroidal materials. This paper provides an overview of the ARM concept and discusses the mission objectives, key technologies, and capabilities associated with the mission, as well as how the ARM and associated operations would benefit humanity's quest for the exploration and settlement of space.

Developing theological tools for a strategic engagement with Human Enhancement.

PubMed

Tomkins, Justin

2014-01-01

The literature on Human Enhancement may indeed have reached a critical mass yet theological engagement with the subject is still thin. Human Enhancement has already been established as a key topic within research and captivating visions of the future have been allied with a depth of philosophical analysis. Some Transhumanists have pointed to a theological dimension to their position and some who have warned against enhancement might be seen as having done so from a perspective shaped by a Judeo-Christian worldview. Nonetheless, in neither of these cases has theology been central to engagement with the enhancement quest.Christian theologians who have begun to open up such an engagement with Human Enhancement include Brent Waters, Robert Song and Celia Deane-Drummond. The work they have already carried out is insightful and important yet due to the scale of the possible engagement, the wealth of Christian theology which might be applied to Human Enhancement remains largely untapped. This paper explores how three key aspects of Christian theology, eschatology, love of God and love of neighbour, provide valuable tools for a theological engagement with Human Enhancement. It is proposed that such theological tools need to be applied to Human Enhancement if the debate is to be resourced with the Christian theological perspective of what it means to be human in our contemporary technological context and if society is to have the choice of maintaining its Christian foundations.

Countries at Risk: Heightened Human Security Risk to States With Transboundary Water Resources and Instability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Veilleux, J. C.; Sullivan, G. S.; Paola, C.; Starget, A.; Watson, J. E.; Hwang, Y. J.; Picucci, J. A.; Choi, C. S.

2014-12-01

The Countries at Risk project is a global assessment of countries with transboundary water resources that are at risk for conflict because of high human security instability. Building upon Basins at Risk (BAR) research, our team used updated Transboundary Freshwater Dispute Database georeferenced social and environmental data, quantitative data from global indices, and qualitative data from news media sources. Our assessment considered a combination of analyzing 15 global indices related to water or human security to identify which countries scored as highest risk in each index. From this information, we were able to assess the highest risk countries' human security risk by using a new human security measurement tool, as well as comparing this analysis to the World Bank's Fragile States Index and the experimental Human Security Index. In addition, we identified which countries have the highest number of shared basins, the highest percentage of territory covered by a transboundary basin, and the highest dependency of withdrawal from transboundary waters from outside their country boundaries. By synthesizing these social and environmental data assessments, we identified five countries to analyze as case studies. These five countries are Afghanistan, China, Iraq, Moldova, and Sudan. We created a series of 30 maps to spatial analyze the relationship between the transboundary basins and social and environmental parameters to include population, institutional capacity, and physical geography by country. Finally, we synthesized our spatial analysis, Human Security Key scores, and current events scored by using the BAR scale to determine what aspects and which basins are most at risk with each country in our case studies and how this concerns future global water resources.

Human resource development for a community-based health extension program: a case study from Ethiopia.

PubMed

Teklehaimanot, Hailay D; Teklehaimanot, Awash

2013-08-20

Ethiopia is one of the sub-Saharan countries most affected by high disease burden, aggravated by a shortage and imbalance of human resources, geographical distance, and socioeconomic factors. In 2004, the government introduced the Health Extension Program (HEP), a primary care delivery strategy, to address the challenges and achieve the World Health Organization Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) within a context of limited resources. The health system was reformed to create a platform for integration and institutionalization of the HEP with appropriate human capacity, infrastructure, and management structures. Human resources were developed through training of female health workers recruited from their prospective villages, designed to limit the high staff turnover and address gender, social and cultural factors in order to provide services acceptable to each community. The service delivery modalities include household, community and health facility care. Thus, the most basic health post infrastructure, designed to rapidly and cost-effectively scale up HEP, was built in each village. In line with the country's decentralized management system, the HEP service delivery is under the jurisdiction of the district authorities. The nationwide implementation of HEP progressed in line with its target goals. In all, 40 training institutions were established, and over 30,000 Health Extension Workers have been trained and deployed to approximately 15,000 villages. The potential health service coverage reached 92.1% in 2011, up from 64% in 2004. While most health indicators have improved, performance in skilled delivery and postnatal care has not been satisfactory. While HEP is considered the most important institutional framework for achieving the health MDGs in Ethiopia, quality of service, utilization rate, access and referral linkage to emergency obstetric care, management, and evaluation of the program are the key challenges that need immediate attention. This article describes the strategies, human resource developments, service delivery modalities, progress in service coverage, and the challenges in the implementation of the HEP. The Ethiopian approach of revitalization of primary care through innovative, locally appropriate and acceptable strategies will provide important lessons to other poorly resourced countries. It is hoped that the approaches and strategies described in this paper will aid in that process.

Pharmaceutical companies' role in state vaccination policymaking: the case of human papillomavirus vaccination.

PubMed

Mello, Michelle M; Abiola, Sara; Colgrove, James

2012-05-01

We sought to investigate roles that Merck & Co Inc played in state human papillomavirus (HPV) immunization policymaking, to elicit key stakeholders' perceptions of the appropriateness of these activities, and to explore implications for relationships between health policymakers and industry. We used a series of state case studies combining data from key informant interviews with analysis of media reports and archival materials. We interviewed 73 key informants in 6 states that were actively engaged in HPV vaccine policy deliberations. Merck promoted school-entry mandate legislation by serving as an information resource, lobbying legislators, drafting legislation, mobilizing female legislators and physician organizations, conducting consumer marketing campaigns, and filling gaps in access to the vaccine. Legislators relied heavily on Merck for scientific information. Most stakeholders found lobbying by vaccine manufacturers acceptable in principle, but perceived that Merck had acted too aggressively and nontransparently in this case. Although policymakers acknowledge the utility of manufacturers' involvement in vaccination policymaking, industry lobbying that is overly aggressive, not fully transparent, or not divorced from financial contributions to lawmakers risks undermining the prospects for legislation to foster uptake of new vaccines.

Challenges of human resource management in the institutions for care of elderly people

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lepir, Lj; Šćepović, D.; Radonjić, A. R.

2017-05-01

Human resources are the most important resources of any work organization or institution. They are the bearers of the work process and are key in determining the quality of a product or service. The staff employed in an institution contributes with their work to its business success which is why the institution management should pay close attention to human resources management. Functionally, the successful management of social protection institutions implies the attainment of balance in the process of satisfying interests of beneficiaries, interests of the institution management (founder-owner), and interests of the employees (service providers to elderly people). Interests of beneficiaries (elderly people) who are placed in residential care are reflected in the need for high quality and accessible services. Interests of the institution management are recognized as the need to achieve economically sustainable and profitable institution. An interest of direct service providers (employed caregivers, social workers, etc.) is in the safe premises and good working conditions. The term “human resources” in institutions of social protection implies overall knowledge, skills, abilities, creative capabilities, motivation, loyalty and personal characteristics owned by employees in the institution. It is the overall intellectual and emotional energy of employees that the management can count on and that can be engaged to achieving the objectives of the institution. The objectives of human resource management in social protection institutions are related to providing capability with job demands, fulfillment of professional and optimal number of competent workers, improving socio-economic status of employees, ensuring full time engagement of workers, improving the quality of work conditions and work environment, creating and maintaining a flexible and adaptive potential of employees, reducing resistance and increasing the sensitivity of employees to changes in the institution. The activities carried out in pursuit of the objectives of human resource management in institutions for the elderly are analysis and planning of working positions, recruitment and selection of candidates, socialization, training and professional development of workers, performance assessment and evaluation, reward and motivation, the determination of salaries, information, development of interpersonal relations, supervision and support to employees (prevention of “professional burnout”), ensuring the realization of the legal rights (regularity of salaries and contributions, affairs and records related to employment, health and safety at work etc.) The absence of these activities or lack of attention to achieving the objectives of human resources management calls in question the basic sense of existence of institutions for care of the elderly, and this is to provide a decent life to an elderly person.

Oncogenic impact of human papilloma virus in head and neck cancer.

PubMed

Heffernan, C B; O'Neill, J P; Timon, C

2010-09-01

There is considerable debate within the literature about the significance of human papilloma virus in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, and its potential influence on the prevention, diagnosis, grading, treatment and prognosis of these cancers. Cigarette smoking and alcohol consumption have traditionally been cited as the main risk factors for head and neck cancers. However, human papilloma virus, normally associated with cervical and other genital carcinomas, has emerged as a possible key aetiological factor in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma, especially oropharyngeal cancers. These cancers pose a significant financial burden on health resources and are increasing in incidence. The recent introduction of vaccines targeted against human papilloma virus types 16 and 18, to prevent cervical cancer, has highlighted the need for ongoing research into the importance of human papilloma virus in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Dynamical aspects of behavior generation under constraints

PubMed Central

Harter, Derek; Achunala, Srinivas

2007-01-01

Dynamic adaptation is a key feature of brains helping to maintain the quality of their performance in the face of increasingly difficult constraints. How to achieve high-quality performance under demanding real-time conditions is an important question in the study of cognitive behaviors. Animals and humans are embedded in and constrained by their environments. Our goal is to improve the understanding of the dynamics of the interacting brain–environment system by studying human behaviors when completing constrained tasks and by modeling the observed behavior. In this article we present results of experiments with humans performing tasks on the computer under variable time and resource constraints. We compare various models of behavior generation in order to describe the observed human performance. Finally we speculate on mechanisms how chaotic neurodynamics can contribute to the generation of flexible human behaviors under constraints. PMID:19003514

Transformational adaptation when incremental adaptations to climate change are insufficient.

PubMed

Kates, Robert W; Travis, William R; Wilbanks, Thomas J

2012-05-08

All human-environment systems adapt to climate and its natural variation. Adaptation to human-induced change in climate has largely been envisioned as increments of these adaptations intended to avoid disruptions of systems at their current locations. In some places, for some systems, however, vulnerabilities and risks may be so sizeable that they require transformational rather than incremental adaptations. Three classes of transformational adaptations are those that are adopted at a much larger scale, that are truly new to a particular region or resource system, and that transform places and shift locations. We illustrate these with examples drawn from Africa, Europe, and North America. Two conditions set the stage for transformational adaptation to climate change: large vulnerability in certain regions, populations, or resource systems; and severe climate change that overwhelms even robust human use systems. However, anticipatory transformational adaptation may be difficult to implement because of uncertainties about climate change risks and adaptation benefits, the high costs of transformational actions, and institutional and behavioral actions that tend to maintain existing resource systems and policies. Implementing transformational adaptation requires effort to initiate it and then to sustain the effort over time. In initiating transformational adaptation focusing events and multiple stresses are important, combined with local leadership. In sustaining transformational adaptation, it seems likely that supportive social contexts and the availability of acceptable options and resources for actions are key enabling factors. Early steps would include incorporating transformation adaptation into risk management and initiating research to expand the menu of innovative transformational adaptations.

Distribution of selected healthcare resources for influenza pandemic response in Cambodia

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Introduction Human influenza infection poses a serious public health threat in Cambodia, a country at risk for the emergence and spread of novel influenza viruses with pandemic potential. Prior pandemics demonstrated the adverse impact of influenza on poor communities in developing countries. Investigation of healthcare resource distribution can inform decisions regarding resource mobilization and investment for pandemic mitigation. Methods A health facility survey performed across Cambodia obtained data on availability of healthcare resources important for pandemic influenza response. Focusing on five key resources considered most necessary for treating severe influenza (inpatient beds, doctors, nurses, oseltamivir, and ventilators), resource distributions were analyzed at the Operational District (OD) and Province levels, refining data analysis from earlier studies. Resources were stratified by respondent type (hospital vs. District Health Office [DHO]). A summary index of distribution inequality was calculated using the Gini coefficient. Indices for local spatial autocorrelation were measured at the OD level using geographical information system (GIS) analysis. Finally, a potential link between socioeconomic status and resource distribution was explored by mapping resource densities against poverty rates. Results Gini coefficient calculation revealed variable inequality in distribution of the five key resources at the Province and OD levels. A greater percentage of the population resides in areas of relative under-supply (28.5%) than over-supply (21.3%). Areas with more resources per capita showed significant clustering in central Cambodia while areas with fewer resources clustered in the northern and western provinces. Hospital-based inpatient beds, doctors, and nurses were most heavily concentrated in areas of the country with the lowest poverty rates; however, beds and nurses in Non-Hospital Medical Facilities (NHMF) showed increasing concentrations at higher levels of poverty. Conclusions There is considerable heterogeneity in healthcare resource distribution across Cambodia. Distribution mapping at the local level can inform policy decisions on where to stockpile resources in advance of and for reallocation in the event of a pandemic. These findings will be useful in determining future health resource investment, both for pandemic preparedness and for general health system strengthening, and provide a foundation for future analyses of equity in health services provision for pandemic mitigation planning in Cambodia. PMID:24090286

Distribution of selected healthcare resources for influenza pandemic response in Cambodia.

PubMed

Schwanke Khilji, Sara U; Rudge, James W; Drake, Tom; Chavez, Irwin; Borin, Khieu; Touch, Sok; Coker, Richard

2013-10-04

Human influenza infection poses a serious public health threat in Cambodia, a country at risk for the emergence and spread of novel influenza viruses with pandemic potential. Prior pandemics demonstrated the adverse impact of influenza on poor communities in developing countries. Investigation of healthcare resource distribution can inform decisions regarding resource mobilization and investment for pandemic mitigation. A health facility survey performed across Cambodia obtained data on availability of healthcare resources important for pandemic influenza response. Focusing on five key resources considered most necessary for treating severe influenza (inpatient beds, doctors, nurses, oseltamivir, and ventilators), resource distributions were analyzed at the Operational District (OD) and Province levels, refining data analysis from earlier studies. Resources were stratified by respondent type (hospital vs. District Health Office [DHO]). A summary index of distribution inequality was calculated using the Gini coefficient. Indices for local spatial autocorrelation were measured at the OD level using geographical information system (GIS) analysis. Finally, a potential link between socioeconomic status and resource distribution was explored by mapping resource densities against poverty rates. Gini coefficient calculation revealed variable inequality in distribution of the five key resources at the Province and OD levels. A greater percentage of the population resides in areas of relative under-supply (28.5%) than over-supply (21.3%). Areas with more resources per capita showed significant clustering in central Cambodia while areas with fewer resources clustered in the northern and western provinces. Hospital-based inpatient beds, doctors, and nurses were most heavily concentrated in areas of the country with the lowest poverty rates; however, beds and nurses in Non-Hospital Medical Facilities (NHMF) showed increasing concentrations at higher levels of poverty. There is considerable heterogeneity in healthcare resource distribution across Cambodia. Distribution mapping at the local level can inform policy decisions on where to stockpile resources in advance of and for reallocation in the event of a pandemic. These findings will be useful in determining future health resource investment, both for pandemic preparedness and for general health system strengthening, and provide a foundation for future analyses of equity in health services provision for pandemic mitigation planning in Cambodia.

OverView of Space Applications for Environment (SAFE) initiative

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamamoto, Ko; Fukuda, Toru; Tajima, Yoshimitsu; Takeuchi, Wataru; Sobue, Shinichi; Nukui, Tomoyuki

2014-06-01

Climate change and human activities have a direc or indirect influence on the acceleration of environmental problems and natural hazards such as forest fires, draughts and floods in the Asia-Pacific countries. Satellite technology has become one of the key information sources in assessment, monitoring and mitigation of these disasters and related phenomenon. However, there are still gaps between science and application of satellite technology in real-world usage. Asia-Pacific Regional Space Agency Forum (APRSAF) recommended to initiate the Space Applications for Environment (SAFE) proposal providing opportunity to potential user agencies in the Asia Pacific region to develop prototype applications of satellite technology for number of key issues including forest resources management, coastal monitoring and management, agriculture and food security, water resource management and development user-friendly tools for application of satellite technology. This paper describes the overview of SAFE initiative and outcomes of two selected prototypes; agricultural drought monitoring in Indonesia and coastal management in Sri Lanka, as well as the current status of on-going prototypes.

A random-key encoded harmony search approach for energy-efficient production scheduling with shared resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garcia-Santiago, C. A.; Del Ser, J.; Upton, C.; Quilligan, F.; Gil-Lopez, S.; Salcedo-Sanz, S.

2015-11-01

When seeking near-optimal solutions for complex scheduling problems, meta-heuristics demonstrate good performance with affordable computational effort. This has resulted in a gravitation towards these approaches when researching industrial use-cases such as energy-efficient production planning. However, much of the previous research makes assumptions about softer constraints that affect planning strategies and about how human planners interact with the algorithm in a live production environment. This article describes a job-shop problem that focuses on minimizing energy consumption across a production facility of shared resources. The application scenario is based on real facilities made available by the Irish Center for Manufacturing Research. The formulated problem is tackled via harmony search heuristics with random keys encoding. Simulation results are compared to a genetic algorithm, a simulated annealing approach and a first-come-first-served scheduling. The superior performance obtained by the proposed scheduler paves the way towards its practical implementation over industrial production chains.

Public Health 3.0: A Call to Action for Public Health to Meet the Challenges of the 21st Century

PubMed Central

Wang, Y. Claire; Harris, Andrea; Auerbach, John; Koo, Denise; O’Carroll, Patrick

2017-01-01

Public health is what we do together as a society to ensure the conditions in which everyone can be healthy. Although many sectors play key roles, governmental public health is an essential component. Recent stressors on public health are driving many local governments to pioneer a new Public Health 3.0 model in which leaders serve as Chief Health Strategists, partnering across multiple sectors and leveraging data and resources to address social, environmental, and economic conditions that affect health and health equity. In 2016, the US Department of Health and Human Services launched the Public Health 3.0 initiative and hosted listening sessions across the country. Local leaders and community members shared successes and provided insight on actions that would ensure a more supportive policy and resource environment to spread and scale this model. This article summarizes the key findings from those listening sessions and recommendations to achieve Public Health 3.0. PMID:28880837

Public Health 3.0: A Call to Action for Public Health to Meet the Challenges of the 21st Century.

PubMed

DeSalvo, Karen B; Wang, Y Claire; Harris, Andrea; Auerbach, John; Koo, Denise; O'Carroll, Patrick

2017-09-07

Public health is what we do together as a society to ensure the conditions in which everyone can be healthy. Although many sectors play key roles, governmental public health is an essential component. Recent stressors on public health are driving many local governments to pioneer a new Public Health 3.0 model in which leaders serve as Chief Health Strategists, partnering across multiple sectors and leveraging data and resources to address social, environmental, and economic conditions that affect health and health equity. In 2016, the US Department of Health and Human Services launched the Public Health 3.0 initiative and hosted listening sessions across the country. Local leaders and community members shared successes and provided insight on actions that would ensure a more supportive policy and resource environment to spread and scale this model. This article summarizes the key findings from those listening sessions and recommendations to achieve Public Health 3.0.

Moving towards Universal Health Coverage through the Development of Integrated Service Delivery Packages for Primary Health Care in the Solomon Islands

PubMed Central

Whiting, Stephen; Postma, Sjoerd; Jamshaid de Lorenzo, Ayesha; Aumua, Audrey

2016-01-01

The Solomon Islands Government is pursuing integrated care with the goal of improving the quality of health service delivery to rural populations. Under the auspices of Universal Health Coverage, integrated service delivery packages were developed which defined the clinical and public health services that should be provided at different levels of the health system. The process of developing integrated service delivery packages helped to identify key policy decisions the government needed to make in order to improve service quality and efficiency. The integrated service delivery packages have instigated the revision of job descriptions and are feeding into the development of a human resource plan for health. They are also being used to guide infrastructure development and health system planning and should lead to better management of resources. The integrated service delivery packages have become a key tool to operationalise the government’s policy to move towards a more efficient, equitable, quality and sustainable health system. PMID:28321177

Energy for lunar resource exploitation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glaser, Peter E.

1992-02-01

Humanity stands at the threshold of exploiting the known lunar resources that have opened up with the access to space. America's role in the future exploitation of space, and specifically of lunar resources, may well determine the level of achievement in technology development and global economic competition. Space activities during the coming decades will significantly influence the events on Earth. The 'shifting of history's tectonic plates' is a process that will be hastened by the increasingly insistent demands for higher living standards of the exponentially growing global population. Key to the achievement of a peaceful world in the 21st century, will be the development of a mix of energy resources at a societally acceptable and affordable cost within a realistic planning horizon. This must be the theme for the globally applicable energy sources that are compatible with the Earth's ecology. It is in this context that lunar resources development should be a primary goal for science missions to the Moon, and for establishing an expanding human presence. The economic viability and commercial business potential of mining, extracting, manufacturing, and transporting lunar resource based materials to Earth, Earth orbits, and to undertake macroengineering projects on the Moon remains to be demonstrated. These extensive activities will be supportive of the realization of the potential of space energy sources for use on Earth. These may include generating electricity for use on Earth based on beaming power from Earth orbits and from the Moon to the Earth, and for the production of helium 3 as a fuel for advanced fusion reactors.

Energy for lunar resource exploitation

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Glaser, Peter E.

1992-01-01

Humanity stands at the threshold of exploiting the known lunar resources that have opened up with the access to space. America's role in the future exploitation of space, and specifically of lunar resources, may well determine the level of achievement in technology development and global economic competition. Space activities during the coming decades will significantly influence the events on Earth. The 'shifting of history's tectonic plates' is a process that will be hastened by the increasingly insistent demands for higher living standards of the exponentially growing global population. Key to the achievement of a peaceful world in the 21st century, will be the development of a mix of energy resources at a societally acceptable and affordable cost within a realistic planning horizon. This must be the theme for the globally applicable energy sources that are compatible with the Earth's ecology. It is in this context that lunar resources development should be a primary goal for science missions to the Moon, and for establishing an expanding human presence. The economic viability and commercial business potential of mining, extracting, manufacturing, and transporting lunar resource based materials to Earth, Earth orbits, and to undertake macroengineering projects on the Moon remains to be demonstrated. These extensive activities will be supportive of the realization of the potential of space energy sources for use on Earth. These may include generating electricity for use on Earth based on beaming power from Earth orbits and from the Moon to the Earth, and for the production of helium 3 as a fuel for advanced fusion reactors.

Priorities for research into human resources for health in low- and middle-income countries

PubMed Central

Chopra, Mickey; Atkins, Salla; Dal Poz, Mario Roberto; Bennett, Sara

2010-01-01

Abstract Objective To identify the human resources for health (HRH) policy concerns and research priorities of key stakeholders in low- and middle-income countries; to assess the extent to which existing HRH research addresses these concerns and priorities; and to develop a prioritized list of core research questions requiring immediate attention to facilitate policy development and implementation. Methods The study involved interviews with key informants, including health policy-makers, researchers and community and civil society representatives, in 24 low- and middle-income countries in four regions, a literature search for relevant reviews of research completed to date, and the assessment of interview and literature search findings at a consultative multinational workshop, during which research questions were prioritized. Findings Twenty-one research questions emerged from the key informant interviews, many of which had received little or no attention in the reviewed literature. The questions ranked as most important at the consultative workshop were: (i) To what extent do incentives work in attracting and retaining qualified health workers in underserviced areas? (ii) What is the impact of dual practice and multiple employment? and (iii) How can incentives be used to optimize efficiency and the quality of health care? Conclusion There was a clear consensus about the type of HRH policy problems faced by different countries and the nature of evidence needed to tackle them. Coordinated action to support and implement research into the highest priority questions identified here could have a major impact on health worker policies and, ultimately, on the health of the poor. PMID:20539857

Water Quality Standards for Coral Reef Protection | Science ...

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

The U.S. Clean Water Act provides a legal framework to protect coastal biological resources such as coral reefs, mangrove forests, and seagrass meadows from the damaging effects of human activities. Even though many resources are protected under this authority, water quality standards have not been effectively applied to coral reefs. The Environmental Protection Agency is promoting biocriteria and other water quality standards through collaborative development of bioassessment procedures, indicators and monitoring strategies. To support regulatory action, bioassessment indicators must be biologically meaningful, relevant to management, responsive to human disturbance, and relatively immune to natural variability. A rapid bioassessment protocol for reef-building stony corals was developed and tested for regulatory applicability. Preliminary testing in the Florida Keys found indicators had sufficient precision and provided information relevant to coral reef management. Sensitivity to human disturbance was demonstrated in the U.S. Virgin Islands for five of eight indicators tested. Once established, monitoring programs using these indicators can provide valuable, long-term records of coral condition and regulatory compliance. Development of a rapid bioassement protocol for reef-building stony corals was tested for regulatory applicability.

Unraveling the Dynamics of the Human Vaginal Microbiome.

PubMed

Nunn, Kenetta L; Forney, Larry J

2016-09-01

Four Lactobacillus species, namely L. crispatus , L. iners , L. gasseri , and L. jensenii , commonly dominate the vaginal communities of most reproductive-age women. It is unclear why these particular species, and not others, are so prevalent. Historically, estrogen-induced glycogen production by the vaginal epithelium has been proffered as being key to supporting the proliferation of vaginal lactobacilli. However, the 'fly in the ointment' (that has been largely ignored) is that the species of Lactobacillus commonly found in the human vagina cannot directly metabolize glycogen. It would appear that this riddle has been solved as studies have demonstrated that vaginal lactobacilli can metabolize the products of glycogen depolymerization by α-amylase, and fortunately, amylase activity is found in vaginal secretions. These amylases are presumed to be host-derived, but we suggest that other bacterial populations in vaginal communities could also be sources of amylase in addition to (or instead of) the host. Here we briefly review what is known about human vaginal bacterial communities and discuss how glycogen-derived resources and resource competition might shape the composition and structure of these communities.

Unraveling the Dynamics of the Human Vaginal Microbiome

PubMed Central

Nunn, Kenetta L.; Forney, Larry J.

2016-01-01

Four Lactobacillus species, namely L. crispatus, L. iners, L. gasseri, and L. jensenii, commonly dominate the vaginal communities of most reproductive-age women. It is unclear why these particular species, and not others, are so prevalent. Historically, estrogen-induced glycogen production by the vaginal epithelium has been proffered as being key to supporting the proliferation of vaginal lactobacilli. However, the ‘fly in the ointment’ (that has been largely ignored) is that the species of Lactobacillus commonly found in the human vagina cannot directly metabolize glycogen. It would appear that this riddle has been solved as studies have demonstrated that vaginal lactobacilli can metabolize the products of glycogen depolymerization by α-amylase, and fortunately, amylase activity is found in vaginal secretions. These amylases are presumed to be host-derived, but we suggest that other bacterial populations in vaginal communities could also be sources of amylase in addition to (or instead of) the host. Here we briefly review what is known about human vaginal bacterial communities and discuss how glycogen-derived resources and resource competition might shape the composition and structure of these communities. PMID:27698617

Interactions of social, terrestrial, and marine sub-systems in the Galapagos Islands, Ecuador.

PubMed

Walsh, Stephen J; Mena, Carlos F

2016-12-20

Galapagos is often cited as an example of the conflicts that are emerging between resource conservation and economic development in island ecosystems, as the pressures associated with tourism threaten nature, including the iconic and emblematic species, unique terrestrial landscapes, and special marine environments. In this paper, two projects are described that rely upon dynamic systems models and agent-based models to examine human-environment interactions. We use a theoretical context rooted in complexity theory to guide the development of our models that are linked to social-ecological dynamics. The goal of this paper is to describe key elements, relationships, and processes to inform and enhance our understanding of human-environment interactions in the Galapagos Islands of Ecuador. By formalizing our knowledge of how systems operate and the manner in which key elements are linked in coupled human-natural systems, we specify rules, relationships, and rates of exchange between social and ecological features derived through statistical functions and/or functions specified in theory or practice. The processes described in our models also have practical applications in that they emphasize how political policies generate different human responses and model outcomes, many detrimental to the social-ecological sustainability of the Galapagos Islands.

Creating High-Quality Health Care Workplaces. A Background Paper for Canadian Policy Research Networks' National Roundtable (Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, October 29, 2001). CPRN Work Network Discussion Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koehoorn, Mieke; Lowe, Graham S.; Rondeau, Kent V.; Schellenberg, Grant; Wagar, Terry H.

Insights from a variety of research streams were synthesized to identify the key ingredients of a high-quality work environment in Canada's health care sector and ways of achieving high-quality workplaces in the sector. The following sets of interacting factors were considered: (1) the work environment and the human resource practices that shape…

Student Loan Defaults. Department of Education Limitations in Sanctioning Problem Schools. Report to the Ranking Minority Member, Subcommittee on Human Resources and Intergovernmental Relations, Committee on Government Reform and Oversight, House of Representatives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blanchette, Cornelia M.

This report examines the effectiveness of recent federal government efforts through amendments to the Higher Education Act (1993) to reduce student loan defaults. Key measures to curb defaults had been to make schools with high student loan default rates ineligible for federal student loan programs. However, many institutions have challenged…

Retention of health workers in Malawi: perspectives of health workers and district management

PubMed Central

Manafa, Ogenna; McAuliffe, Eilish; Maseko, Fresier; Bowie, Cameron; MacLachlan, Malcolm; Normand, Charles

2009-01-01

Background Shortage of human resources is a major problem facing Malawi, where more than 50% of the population lives in rural areas. Most of the district health services are provided by clinical health officers specially trained to provide services that would normally be provided by fully qualified doctors or specialists. As this cadre and the cadre of enrolled nurses are the mainstay of the Malawian health service at the district level, it is important that they are supported and motivated to deliver a good standard of service to the population. This study explores how these cadres are managed and motivated and the impact this has on their performance. Methods A quantitative survey measured health workers' job satisfaction, perceptions of the work environment and sense of justice in the workplace, and was reported elsewhere. It emerged that health workers were particularly dissatisfied with what they perceived as unfair access to continuous education and career advancement opportunities, as well as inadequate supervision. These issues and their contribution to demotivation, from the perspective of both management and health workers, were further explored by means of qualitative techniques. Focus group discussions were held with health workers, and key-informant interviews were conducted with members of district health management teams and human resource officers in the Ministry of Health. The focus groups used convenience sampling that included all the different cadres of health workers available and willing to participate on the day the research team visited the health facility. The interviews targeted district health management teams in three districts and the human resources personnel in the Ministry of Health, also sampling those who were available and agreed to participate. Results The results showed that health workers consider continuous education and career progression strategies to be inadequate. Standard human resource management practices such as performance appraisal and the provision of job descriptions were not present in many cases. Health workers felt that they were inadequately supervised, with no feedback on performance. In contrast to health workers, managers did not perceive these human resources management deficiencies in the system as having an impact on motivation. Conclusion A strong human resource management function operating at the district level is likely to improve worker motivation and performance. PMID:19638222

Retention of health workers in Malawi: perspectives of health workers and district management.

PubMed

Manafa, Ogenna; McAuliffe, Eilish; Maseko, Fresier; Bowie, Cameron; MacLachlan, Malcolm; Normand, Charles

2009-07-28

Shortage of human resources is a major problem facing Malawi, where more than 50% of the population lives in rural areas. Most of the district health services are provided by clinical health officers specially trained to provide services that would normally be provided by fully qualified doctors or specialists. As this cadre and the cadre of enrolled nurses are the mainstay of the Malawian health service at the district level, it is important that they are supported and motivated to deliver a good standard of service to the population. This study explores how these cadres are managed and motivated and the impact this has on their performance. A quantitative survey measured health workers' job satisfaction, perceptions of the work environment and sense of justice in the workplace, and was reported elsewhere. It emerged that health workers were particularly dissatisfied with what they perceived as unfair access to continuous education and career advancement opportunities, as well as inadequate supervision. These issues and their contribution to demotivation, from the perspective of both management and health workers, were further explored by means of qualitative techniques.Focus group discussions were held with health workers, and key-informant interviews were conducted with members of district health management teams and human resource officers in the Ministry of Health. The focus groups used convenience sampling that included all the different cadres of health workers available and willing to participate on the day the research team visited the health facility. The interviews targeted district health management teams in three districts and the human resources personnel in the Ministry of Health, also sampling those who were available and agreed to participate. The results showed that health workers consider continuous education and career progression strategies to be inadequate. Standard human resource management practices such as performance appraisal and the provision of job descriptions were not present in many cases. Health workers felt that they were inadequately supervised, with no feedback on performance. In contrast to health workers, managers did not perceive these human resources management deficiencies in the system as having an impact on motivation. A strong human resource management function operating at the district level is likely to improve worker motivation and performance.

Managing water resources infrastructure in the face of different values

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mostert, Erik

Water resources infrastructure (WRI) plays a key role in water management. It can serve or negatively affect some seven to ten different and sometimes conflicting values. WRI management is therefore not a purely technical issue. Economic analyses can help to some extent, but only for values related to current human use. Multi-criteria analysis can cover all values, but in the end WRI management is not an analytical issue, but a governance issue. Different governance paradigms exist: markets, hierarchies and “third alternatives”, such as common pool resources management and network management. This article presents social learning as the most promising paradigm. Positive experiences with social learning have been described and guidance on putting social learning into practice exists. Nonetheless, there are no magic solutions for managing WRI in the face of different values.

Does Arctic governance hold the key to achieving climate policy targets?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Forbis, Robert, Jr.; Hayhoe, Katharine

2018-02-01

Arctic feedbacks are increasingly viewed as the wild card in the climate system; but their most unpredictable and potentially dangerous aspect may lie in the human, rather than the physical, response to a warming climate. If Arctic policy is driven by agendas based on domestic resource development, the ensuing oil and gas extraction will ensure the failure of the Paris Agreement. If Arctic energy policy can be framed by the Arctic Council, however, its environmental agenda and fragmented governance structure offers the scientific community a fighting chance to determine the region’s energy future. Connecting Arctic climate science to resource economics via its unique governance structure is one of the most powerful ways the scientific community can protect the Arctic region’s environmental, cultural, and scientific resources, and influence international energy and climate policy.

Human resources in health research institutions in sub-Saharan African countries: results of a questionnaire-based survey.

PubMed

Kebede, Derege; Zielinski, Chris; Mbondji, Peter Ebongue; Sanou, Issa; Kouvividila, Wenceslas; Lusamba-Dikassa, Paul-Samson

2014-05-01

To describe human capacity and staff movement in national health research institutions in 42 sub-Saharan African countries. A structured questionnaire was used to solicit information on governance and stewardship from health research institutions. Eight hundred and forty-seven health research institutions in 42 sub-Saharan African countries. Key informants from 847 health research institutions. The availability, mix and quality of human resources in health research institutions. On average, there were 122 females employed per respondent health research institution, compared with 159 males. For researchers, the equivalent figures were nine females to 17 males. The average annual gross salary of researchers varied between US$ 12,260 for staff with 5-10 years of experience and US$ 14,772 for the institution head. Of those researchers who had joined the institution in the previous 12 months, 55% were employed on a full-time basis. Of the researchers who left the institutions in the same period, 71% had a full-time contract. Among all those who left, those who left to a non-research sector and to another country accounted for two-thirds. The study revealed significant gaps in the area of human capacity development for research in Africa. The results showed a serious shortage of qualified staff engaged in health research, with a dearth of staff that held at least a master's degree or doctoral degree. Major efforts will be required to strengthen human resource capacity, including addressing the lack of motivation or time for research on the part of existing capable staff. © The Royal Society of Medicine.

Multiple R&D projects scheduling optimization with improved particle swarm algorithm.

PubMed

Liu, Mengqi; Shan, Miyuan; Wu, Juan

2014-01-01

For most enterprises, in order to win the initiative in the fierce competition of market, a key step is to improve their R&D ability to meet the various demands of customers more timely and less costly. This paper discusses the features of multiple R&D environments in large make-to-order enterprises under constrained human resource and budget, and puts forward a multi-project scheduling model during a certain period. Furthermore, we make some improvements to existed particle swarm algorithm and apply the one developed here to the resource-constrained multi-project scheduling model for a simulation experiment. Simultaneously, the feasibility of model and the validity of algorithm are proved in the experiment.

The United States Culture Collection Network (USCCN): Enhancing Microbial Genomics Research through Living Microbe Culture Collections.

PubMed

Boundy-Mills, Kyria; Hess, Matthias; Bennett, A Rick; Ryan, Matthew; Kang, Seogchan; Nobles, David; Eisen, Jonathan A; Inderbitzin, Patrik; Sitepu, Irnayuli R; Torok, Tamas; Brown, Daniel R; Cho, Juliana; Wertz, John E; Mukherjee, Supratim; Cady, Sherry L; McCluskey, Kevin

2015-09-01

The mission of the United States Culture Collection Network (USCCN; http://usccn.org) is "to facilitate the safe and responsible utilization of microbial resources for research, education, industry, medicine, and agriculture for the betterment of human kind." Microbial culture collections are a key component of life science research, biotechnology, and emerging global biobased economies. Representatives and users of several microbial culture collections from the United States and Europe gathered at the University of California, Davis, to discuss how collections of microorganisms can better serve users and stakeholders and to showcase existing resources available in public culture collections. Copyright © 2015, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Social accountability and nursing education in South Africa.

PubMed

Armstrong, Susan J; Rispel, Laetitia C

2015-01-01

There is global emphasis on transforming health workforce education in support of universal health coverage. This paper uses a social accountability framework, specifically the World Health Organization's six building blocks for transformative education, to explore key informants' perspectives on nursing education in South Africa. Using a snowballing sampling technique, 44 key informants were selected purposively on the basis of their expertise or knowledge of the research area. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the key informants after informed consent had been obtained. The interviews were analysed using template analysis. South Africa has strategic plans on human resources for health and nursing education, training, and practice and has a well-established system of regulation and accreditation of nursing education through the South African Nursing Council (SANC). Key informants criticised the following: the lack of national staffing norms; sub-optimal governance by both the SANC and the Department of Health; outdated curricula that are unresponsive to population and health system needs; lack of preparedness of nurse educators; and the unsuitability of the majority of nursing students. These problems are exacerbated by a perceived lack of prioritisation of nursing, resource constraints in both the nursing education institutions and the health training facilities, and general implementation inertia. Social accountability, which is an essential component of transformative education, necessitates that attention be paid to the issues of governance, responsive curricula, educator preparedness, and appropriate student recruitment and selection.

A qualitative exploration of the human resource policy implications of voluntary counselling and testing scale-up in Kenya: applying a model for policy analysis

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Kenya experienced rapid scale up of HIV testing and counselling services in government health services from 2001. We set out to examine the human resource policy implications of scaling up HIV testing and counselling in Kenya and to analyse the resultant policy against a recognised theoretical framework of health policy reform (policy analysis triangle). Methods Qualitative methods were used to gain in-depth insights from policy makers who shaped scale up. This included 22 in-depth interviews with Voluntary Counselling and Testing (VCT) task force members, critical analysis of 53 sets of minutes and diary notes. We explore points of consensus and conflict amongst policymakers in Kenya and analyse this content to assess who favoured and resisted new policies, how scale up was achieved and the importance of the local context in which scale up occurred. Results The scale up of VCT in Kenya had a number of human resource policy implications resulting from the introduction of lay counsellors and their authorisation to conduct rapid HIV testing using newly introduced rapid testing technologies. Our findings indicate that three key groups of actors were critical: laboratory professionals, counselling associations and the Ministry of Health. Strategic alliances between donors, NGOs and these three key groups underpinned the process. The process of reaching consensus required compromise and time commitment but was critical to a unified nationwide approach. Policies around quality assurance were integral in ensuring standardisation of content and approach. Conclusion The introduction and scale up of new health service initiatives such as HIV voluntary counselling and testing necessitates changes to existing health systems and modification of entrenched interests around professional counselling and laboratory testing. Our methodological approach enabled exploration of complexities of scale up of HIV testing and counselling in Kenya. We argue that a better understanding of the diverse actors, the context and the process, is required to mitigate risks and maximise impact. PMID:22008721

Microwaving human faecal sludge as a viable sanitation technology option for treatment and value recovery - A critical review.

PubMed

Afolabi, Oluwasola O D; Sohail, M

2017-02-01

The prolonged challenges and terrible consequences of poor sanitation, especially in developing economies, call for the exploration of new sustainable sanitation technologies. Such technologies must be: capable of effectively treating human faecal wastes without any health or environmental impacts; scalable to address rapid increases in population and urbanization; capable of meeting environmental regulations and standards for faecal management; and competitive with existing strategies. Further and importantly, despite its noxiousness and pathogenic load, the chemical composition of human faecal sludge indicates that it could be considered a potentially valuable, nutrient-rich renewable resource, rather than a problematic waste product. New approaches to faecal sludge management must consequently seek to incorporate a 'valuable resource recovery' approach, compatible with stringent treatment requirements. This review intends to advance the understanding of human faecal sludge as a sustainable organic-rich resource that is typically high in moisture (up to 97 per cent), making it a suitable candidate for dielectric heating, i.e. microwave irradiation, to promote faecal treatment, while also recovering value-added products such as ammonia liquor concentrate (suitable for fertilizers) and chars (suitable for fuel) - which can provide an economic base to sustain the technology. Additionally, microwaving human faecal sludge represents a thermally effective approach that can destroy pathogens, eradicate the foul odour associated human faecal sludge, while also preventing hazardous product formations and/or emissions, aside from other benefits such as improved dewaterability and heavy metals recovery. Key technological parameters crucial for scaling the technology as a complementary solution to the challenges of onsite sanitation are also discussed. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improving the use of economics in animal health - Challenges in research, policy and education.

PubMed

Rushton, Jonathan

2017-02-01

The way that an economist and an animal health professional use economics differs and creates frustrations. The economist is in search of optimizing resource allocation in the management of animal health and disease problems with metrics associated with the productivity of key societal resources of labour and capital. The animal health professional have a strong belief that productivity can be improved with the removal of pathogens. These differences restrict how well economics is used in animal health, and the question posed is whether this matters. The paper explores the question by looking at the changing role of animals in society and the associated change of the animal health professional's activities. It then questions if the current allocation of scarce resources for animal health are adequately allocated for societies and whether currently available data are sufficient for good allocation. A rapid review of the data on disease impacts - production losses and costs of human reaction - indicate that the data are sparse collected in different times and geographical regions. This limits what can be understood on the productivity of the economic resources used for animal health and this needs to be addressed with more systematic collection of data on disease losses and costs of animal health systems. Ideally such a process should learn lessons from the way that human health has made estimates of the burden of diseases and their capture of data on the costs of human health systems. Once available data on the global burden of animal diseases and the costs of animal health systems would allow assessments of individual disease management processes and the productivity of wider productivity change. This utopia should be aimed at if animal health is to continue to attract and maintain adequate resources. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evolutionary traps as keys to understanding behavioral maladaptation

USGS Publications Warehouse

Robertson, Bruce A.; Chalfoun, Anna

2016-01-01

Evolutionary traps are severe cases of behavioral maladaptation that occur when, due to human activity, the cues animals use to guide their behavior become uncoupled from their fitness consequences. The result is that animals can prefer the most dangerous resources or behaviors, even when better options are available. Traps are increasingly common and represent a significant wildlife conservation problem. Understanding of the more proximate sensory-cognitive mechanisms underpinning traps remains poor, which highlights the need for interdisciplinary and collaborative approaches to investigating traps. Key to advancing basic trap theory and its conservation applications will be the development of appropriate and tractable model systems to investigate the mechanisms that cause traps within species, and how mechanisms vary across species.

A step-by-step methodology for enterprise interoperability projects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chalmeta, Ricardo; Pazos, Verónica

2015-05-01

Enterprise interoperability is one of the key factors for enhancing enterprise competitiveness. Achieving enterprise interoperability is an extremely complex process which involves different technological, human and organisational elements. In this paper we present a framework to help enterprise interoperability. The framework has been developed taking into account the three domains of interoperability: Enterprise Modelling, Architecture and Platform and Ontologies. The main novelty of the framework in comparison to existing ones is that it includes a step-by-step methodology that explains how to carry out an enterprise interoperability project taking into account different interoperability views, like business, process, human resources, technology, knowledge and semantics.

Potential future scenarios for Australia's native biodiversity given on-going increases in human population.

PubMed

Pepper, D A; Lada, Hania; Thomson, James R; Bakar, K Shuvo; Lake, P S; Mac Nally, Ralph

2017-01-15

Most natural assets, including native biodiversity (our focus), are under increasing threat from direct (loss of habitat, hunting) and indirect (climate change) human actions. Most human impacts arise from increasing human populations coupled with rises in per capita resource use. The rates of change of human actions generally outpace those to which the biota can respond or adapt. If we are to maintain native biodiversity, then we must develop ways to envisage how the biota may be affected over the next several decades to guide management and policy responses. We consider the future for Australia's native biodiversity in the context of two assumptions. First, the human population in Australia will be 40million by 2050, which has been mooted by federal government agencies. Second, greenhouse gas emissions will track the highest rates considered by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The scenarios are based on major drivers of change, which were constructed from seven key drivers of change pertinent to native biodiversity. Five scenarios deal with differing distributions of the human population driven by uncertainties in climate change and in the human responses to climate change. Other scenarios are governed largely by global change and explore different rates of resource use, unprecedented rates of technological change, capabilities and societal values. A narrative for each scenario is provided. The set of scenarios spans a wide range of possible future paths for Australia, with different implications for the future of native biodiversity. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Martian resource locations: Identification and optimization

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chamitoff, Gregory; James, George; Barker, Donald; Dershowitz, Adam

2005-04-01

The identification and utilization of in situ Martian natural resources is the key to enable cost-effective long-duration missions and permanent human settlements on Mars. This paper presents a powerful software tool for analyzing Martian data from all sources, and for optimizing mission site selection based on resource collocation. This program, called Planetary Resource Optimization and Mapping Tool (PROMT), provides a wide range of analysis and display functions that can be applied to raw data or imagery. Thresholds, contours, custom algorithms, and graphical editing are some of the various methods that can be used to process data. Output maps can be created to identify surface regions on Mars that meet any specific criteria. The use of this tool for analyzing data, generating maps, and collocating features is demonstrated using data from the Mars Global Surveyor and the Odyssey spacecraft. The overall mission design objective is to maximize a combination of scientific return and self-sufficiency based on utilization of local materials. Landing site optimization involves maximizing accessibility to collocated science and resource features within a given mission radius. Mission types are categorized according to duration, energy resources, and in situ resource utilization. Preliminary optimization results are shown for a number of mission scenarios.

Defense Human Resources Activity > PERSEREC

Science.gov Websites

Skip to main content (Press Enter). Toggle navigation Defense Human Resources Activity Search Search Defense Human Resources Activity: Search Search Defense Human Resources Activity: Search Defense Human Resources Activity U.S. Department of Defense Defense Human Resources Activity Overview

Problem formulation for risk assessment of combined exposures to chemicals and other stressors in humans.

PubMed

Solomon, Keith R; Wilks, Martin F; Bachman, Ammie; Boobis, Alan; Moretto, Angelo; Pastoor, Timothy P; Phillips, Richard; Embry, Michelle R

2016-11-01

When the human health risk assessment/risk management paradigm was developed, it did not explicitly include a "problem formulation" phase. The concept of problem formulation was first introduced in the context of ecological risk assessment (ERA) for the pragmatic reason to constrain and focus ERAs on the key questions. However, this need also exists for human health risk assessment, particularly for cumulative risk assessment (CRA), because of its complexity. CRA encompasses the combined threats to health from exposure via all relevant routes to multiple stressors, including biological, chemical, physical and psychosocial stressors. As part of the HESI Risk Assessment in the 21st Century (RISK21) Project, a framework for CRA was developed in which problem formulation plays a critical role. The focus of this effort is primarily on a chemical CRA (i.e., two or more chemicals) with subsequent consideration of non-chemical stressors, defined as "modulating factors" (ModFs). Problem formulation is a systematic approach that identifies all factors critical to a specific risk assessment and considers the purpose of the assessment, scope and depth of the necessary analysis, analytical approach, available resources and outcomes, and overall risk management goal. There are numerous considerations that are specific to multiple stressors, and proper problem formulation can help to focus a CRA to the key factors in order to optimize resources. As part of the problem formulation, conceptual models for exposures and responses can be developed that address these factors, such as temporal relationships between stressors and consideration of the appropriate ModFs.

Results from the NASA Capability Roadmap Team for In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sanders, Gerald B.; Romig, Kris A.; Larson, William E.; Johnson, Robert; Rapp, Don; Johnson, Ken R.; Sacksteder, Kurt; Linne, Diane; Curreri, Peter; Duke, Michael;

Towards human exploration of space: the THESEUS review series on neurophysiology research priorities.

PubMed

White, Olivier; Clément, Gilles; Fortrat, Jacques-Olivier; Pavy-LeTraon, Anne; Thonnard, Jean-Louis; Blanc, Stéphane; Wuyts, Floris L; Paloski, William H

2016-01-01

The THESEUS project (Towards Human Exploration of Space: a European Strategy), initiated within the seventh Framework Programme by the European Commission, aimed at providing a cross-cutting, life-science-based roadmap for Europe's strategy towards human exploration of long space missions, and its relevance to applications on Earth. This topic was investigated by experts in the field, in the framework of the THESEUS project whose aim was to develop an integrated life sciences research roadmap regarding human space exploration. In particular, decades of research have shown that altered gravity impairs neurological responses at large, such as perception, sleep, motor control, and cognitive factors. International experts established a list of key issues that should be addressed in that context and provided several recommendations such as a maximal exploitation of currently available resources on Earth and in space.

Content Analysis of Major Textbooks and Online Resources Used in Responsible Conduct of Research Instruction

PubMed Central

Kon, Alexander A.; Schilling, Debie A.; Heitman, Elizabeth; Steneck, Nicholas H.; DuBois, James M.

2011-01-01

Instruction in the responsible conduct of research (RCR) is required for all trainees funded by the National Institues of Health (NIH) or National Science Foundation (NSF). A recent Delphi study identified 53 key topics in 7 core areas that RCR education experts felt should be included in this instruction, which is required of many trainees in clinical and translational research. We performed a content analysis of major textbooks and online resources used in RCR instruction to determine the extent to which the 53 key topics identified in the Delphi study are covered by these resources. Textbooks and online resources used in RCR education at Clinical and Translational Science Award institutions were identified via survey. These resources were subjected to a content analysis. The 53 key topics identified in the Delphi study formed the basis of these analyses. We identified 10 textbooks and 1 online resource currently in use. Of the 53 key topics, only 4 were included in all 11 resources, and another 12 were included in 10. Twenty-three topics were covered in fewer than 65% of the resources, and two topics were absent from nearly all. Educators in clinical and translational research should be aware of key topics that are not covered in the RCR textbooks and online resources they may use and should consider augmenting discussion of such topics with other materials. PMID:21766046

The global one health paradigm: challenges and opportunities for tackling infectious diseases at the human, animal, and environment interface in low-resource settings.

PubMed

Gebreyes, Wondwossen A; Dupouy-Camet, Jean; Newport, Melanie J; Oliveira, Celso J B; Schlesinger, Larry S; Saif, Yehia M; Kariuki, Samuel; Saif, Linda J; Saville, William; Wittum, Thomas; Hoet, Armando; Quessy, Sylvain; Kazwala, Rudovick; Tekola, Berhe; Shryock, Thomas; Bisesi, Michael; Patchanee, Prapas; Boonmar, Sumalee; King, Lonnie J

2014-01-01

Zoonotic infectious diseases have been an important concern to humankind for more than 10,000 years. Today, approximately 75% of newly emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are zoonoses that result from various anthropogenic, genetic, ecologic, socioeconomic, and climatic factors. These interrelated driving forces make it difficult to predict and to prevent zoonotic EIDs. Although significant improvements in environmental and medical surveillance, clinical diagnostic methods, and medical practices have been achieved in the recent years, zoonotic EIDs remain a major global concern, and such threats are expanding, especially in less developed regions. The current Ebola epidemic in West Africa is an extreme stark reminder of the role animal reservoirs play in public health and reinforces the urgent need for globally operationalizing a One Health approach. The complex nature of zoonotic diseases and the limited resources in developing countries are a reminder that the need for implementation of Global One Health in low-resource settings is crucial. The Veterinary Public Health and Biotechnology (VPH-Biotec) Global Consortium launched the International Congress on Pathogens at the Human-Animal Interface (ICOPHAI) in order to address important challenges and needs for capacity building. The inaugural ICOPHAI (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2011) and the second congress (Porto de Galinhas, Brazil, 2013) were unique opportunities to share and discuss issues related to zoonotic infectious diseases worldwide. In addition to strong scientific reports in eight thematic areas that necessitate One Health implementation, the congress identified four key capacity-building needs: (1) development of adequate science-based risk management policies, (2) skilled-personnel capacity building, (3) accredited veterinary and public health diagnostic laboratories with a shared database, and (4) improved use of existing natural resources and implementation. The aim of this review is to highlight advances in key zoonotic disease areas and the One Health capacity needs.

The Global One Health Paradigm: Challenges and Opportunities for Tackling Infectious Diseases at the Human, Animal, and Environment Interface in Low-Resource Settings

PubMed Central

Gebreyes, Wondwossen A.; Dupouy-Camet, Jean; Newport, Melanie J.; Oliveira, Celso J. B.; Schlesinger, Larry S.; Saif, Yehia M.; Kariuki, Samuel; Saif, Linda J.; Saville, William; Wittum, Thomas; Hoet, Armando; Quessy, Sylvain; Kazwala, Rudovick; Tekola, Berhe; Shryock, Thomas; Bisesi, Michael; Patchanee, Prapas; Boonmar, Sumalee; King, Lonnie J.

2014-01-01

Zoonotic infectious diseases have been an important concern to humankind for more than 10,000 years. Today, approximately 75% of newly emerging infectious diseases (EIDs) are zoonoses that result from various anthropogenic, genetic, ecologic, socioeconomic, and climatic factors. These interrelated driving forces make it difficult to predict and to prevent zoonotic EIDs. Although significant improvements in environmental and medical surveillance, clinical diagnostic methods, and medical practices have been achieved in the recent years, zoonotic EIDs remain a major global concern, and such threats are expanding, especially in less developed regions. The current Ebola epidemic in West Africa is an extreme stark reminder of the role animal reservoirs play in public health and reinforces the urgent need for globally operationalizing a One Health approach. The complex nature of zoonotic diseases and the limited resources in developing countries are a reminder that the need for implementation of Global One Health in low-resource settings is crucial. The Veterinary Public Health and Biotechnology (VPH-Biotec) Global Consortium launched the International Congress on Pathogens at the Human-Animal Interface (ICOPHAI) in order to address important challenges and needs for capacity building. The inaugural ICOPHAI (Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, 2011) and the second congress (Porto de Galinhas, Brazil, 2013) were unique opportunities to share and discuss issues related to zoonotic infectious diseases worldwide. In addition to strong scientific reports in eight thematic areas that necessitate One Health implementation, the congress identified four key capacity-building needs: (1) development of adequate science-based risk management policies, (2) skilled-personnel capacity building, (3) accredited veterinary and public health diagnostic laboratories with a shared database, and (4) improved use of existing natural resources and implementation. The aim of this review is to highlight advances in key zoonotic disease areas and the One Health capacity needs. PMID:25393303

The gendered health workforce: mixed methods analysis from four fragile and post-conflict contexts.

PubMed

Witter, Sophie; Namakula, Justine; Wurie, Haja; Chirwa, Yotamu; So, Sovanarith; Vong, Sreytouch; Ros, Bandeth; Buzuzi, Stephen; Theobald, Sally

2017-12-01

It is well known that the health workforce composition is influenced by gender relations. However, little research has been done which examines the experiences of health workers through a gender lens, especially in fragile and post-conflict states. In these contexts, there may not only be opportunities to (re)shape occupational norms and responsibilities in the light of challenges in the health workforce, but also threats that put pressure on resources and undermine gender balance, diversity and gender responsive human resources for health (HRH). We present mixed method research on HRH in four fragile and post-conflict contexts (Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, northern Uganda and Cambodia) with different histories to understand how gender influences the health workforce. We apply a gender analysis framework to explore access to resources, occupations, values, decision-making and power. We draw largely on life histories with male and female health workers to explore their lived experiences, but complement the analysis with evidence from surveys, document reviews, key informant interviews, human resource data and stakeholder mapping. Our findings shed light on patterns of employment: in all contexts women predominate in nursing and midwifery cadres, are under-represented in management positions and are clustered in lower paying positions. Gendered power relations shaped by caring responsibilities at the household level, affect attitudes to rural deployment and women in all contexts face challenges in accessing both pre- and in-service training. Coping strategies within conflict emerged as a key theme, with experiences here shaped by gender, poverty and household structure. Most HRH regulatory frameworks did not sufficiently address gender concerns. Unless these are proactively addressed post-crisis, health workforces will remain too few, poorly distributed and unable to meet the health needs of vulnerable populations. Practical steps need to be taken to identify gender barriers proactively and engage staff and communities on best approaches for change. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

The gendered health workforce: mixed methods analysis from four fragile and post-conflict contexts

PubMed Central

Witter, Sophie; Namakula, Justine; Wurie, Haja; Chirwa, Yotamu; So, Sovanarith; Vong, Sreytouch; Ros, Bandeth; Buzuzi, Stephen; Theobald, Sally

2017-01-01

Abstract It is well known that the health workforce composition is influenced by gender relations. However, little research has been done which examines the experiences of health workers through a gender lens, especially in fragile and post-conflict states. In these contexts, there may not only be opportunities to (re)shape occupational norms and responsibilities in the light of challenges in the health workforce, but also threats that put pressure on resources and undermine gender balance, diversity and gender responsive human resources for health (HRH). We present mixed method research on HRH in four fragile and post-conflict contexts (Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, northern Uganda and Cambodia) with different histories to understand how gender influences the health workforce. We apply a gender analysis framework to explore access to resources, occupations, values, decision-making and power. We draw largely on life histories with male and female health workers to explore their lived experiences, but complement the analysis with evidence from surveys, document reviews, key informant interviews, human resource data and stakeholder mapping. Our findings shed light on patterns of employment: in all contexts women predominate in nursing and midwifery cadres, are under-represented in management positions and are clustered in lower paying positions. Gendered power relations shaped by caring responsibilities at the household level, affect attitudes to rural deployment and women in all contexts face challenges in accessing both pre- and in-service training. Coping strategies within conflict emerged as a key theme, with experiences here shaped by gender, poverty and household structure. Most HRH regulatory frameworks did not sufficiently address gender concerns. Unless these are proactively addressed post-crisis, health workforces will remain too few, poorly distributed and unable to meet the health needs of vulnerable populations. Practical steps need to be taken to identify gender barriers proactively and engage staff and communities on best approaches for change. PMID:29244105

OERL: A Tool For Geoscience Education Evaluators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zalles, D. R.

2002-12-01

The Online Evaluation Resource Library (OERL) is a Web-based set of resources for improving the evaluation of projects funded by the Directorate for Education and Human Resources (EHR) of the National Science Foundation (NSF). OERL provides prospective project developers and evaluators with material that they can use to design, conduct, document, and review evaluations. OERL helps evaluators tackle the challenges of seeing if a project is meeting its implementation and outcome-related goals. Within OERL is a collection of exemplary plans, instruments, and reports from evaluations of EHR-funded projects in the geosciences and in other areas of science and mathematics. In addition, OERL contains criteria about good evaluation practices, professional development modules about evaluation design and questionnaire development, a dictionary of key evaluation terms, and links to evaluation standards. Scenarios illustrate how the resources can be used or adapted. Currently housed in OERL are 137 instruments, and full or excerpted versions of 38 plans and 60 reports. 143 science and math projects have contributed to the collection so far. OERL's search tool permits the launching of precise searches based on key attributes of resources such as their subject area and the name of the sponsoring university or research institute. OERL's goals are to 1) meet the needs for continuous professional development of evaluators and principal investigators, 2) complement traditional vehicles of learning about evaluation, 3) utilize the affordances of current technologies (e.g., Web-based digital libraries, relational databases, and electronic performance support systems) for improving evaluation practice, 4) provide anytime/anyplace access to update-able resources that support evaluators' needs, and 5) provide a forum by which professionals can interact on evaluation issues and practices. Geoscientists can search the collection of resources from geoscience education projects that have been funded by NSF to carry out curriculum development, teacher education, faculty development, and increased access, retention, and preparation of under-represented student populations in science. Over the next two years, additional plans, instruments, and reports from other projects will be added to the OERL collection. Also to be added are more professional development modules and online coaches for constructing key evaluation documents. The presentation overviews the structure of OERL, describes some of the geoscience projects in the collection, and provides some examples of how its resources can be used and adapted for other geoscience education evaluations.

Program Management for Tank Crewman Skills Training Program.

DTIC Science & Technology

1979-11-01

RESEARCH PRODUCT 79-16 PROGRAM MANAGEMENT FOR TANK CREWMAN SKILLS TRAINING PROGRAM ARI Field Unit at Fort Knox, Kentucky f hadocumr-e r- has~ bean a4...40121, and monitored by Donald F . Haggard, Chief, ARI Field I - -Unit-Fort Knox. It. KEY WORDS (Continue on reverse side If necessary end identify by...TRAINING PROGRAM Richard E. O’Brien William J. Crum Human Resources Research Organization (HumRRO) Submitted by-. Donald F . Haggard, Chief ARI Field

Reforming Military Retirement: Analysis in Support of the Military Compensation and Retirement Modernization Commission

DTIC Science & Technology

2015-01-01

of the Actuary cheerfully provided key input for our analysis, no matter the time pressure. We also thank our RAND colleagues David Knapp and... Science Board Task Force on Human Resources Strategy (Defense Science Board, 2000), the Defense Advisory Committee on Mili- tary Compensation (2006...DoD Actuary . The final task was to analyze the cost savings and change in government outlays during the transition to the steady state, including

So many, yet few: Human resources for health in India.

PubMed

Rao, Krishna D; Bhatnagar, Aarushi; Berman, Peter

2012-08-13

In many developing countries, such as India, information on human resources in the health sector is incomplete and unreliable. This prevents effective workforce planning and management. This paper aims to address this deficit by producing a more complete picture of India's health workforce. Both the Census of India and nationally representative household surveys collect data on self-reported occupations. A representative sample drawn from the 2001 census was used to estimate key workforce indicators. Nationally representative household survey data and official estimates were used to compare and supplement census results. India faces a substantial overall deficit of health workers; the density of doctors, nurses and midwifes is a quarter of the 2.3/1000 population World Health Organization benchmark. Importantly, a substantial portion of the doctors (37%), particularly in rural areas (63%) appears to be unqualified. The workforce is composed of at least as many doctors as nurses making for an inefficient skill-mix. Women comprise only one-third of the workforce. Most workers are located in urban areas and in the private sector. States with poorer health and service use outcomes have a lower health worker density. Among the important human resources challenges that India faces is increasing the presence of qualified health workers in underserved areas and a more efficient skill mix. An important first step is to ensure the availability of reliable and comprehensive workforce information through live workforce registers.

Understanding human resource management practices in Botswana's public health sector.

PubMed

Seitio-Kgokgwe, Onalenna Stannie; Gauld, Robin; Hill, Philip C; Barnett, Pauline

2016-11-21

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to assess the management of the public sector health workforce in Botswana. Using institutional frameworks it aims to document and analyse human resource management (HRM) practices, and make recommendations to improve employee and health system outcomes. Design/methodology/approach The paper draws from a large study that used a mixed methods approach to assess performance of Botswana's Ministry of Health (MOH). It uses data collected through document analysis and in-depth interviews of 54 key informants comprising policy makers, senior staff of the MOH and its stakeholder organizations. Findings Public health sector HRM in Botswana has experienced inadequate planning, poor deployment and underutilization of staff. Lack of comprehensive retention strategies and poor working conditions contributed to the failure to attract and retain skilled personnel. Relationships with both formal and informal environments affected HRM performance. Research limitations/implications While document review was a major source of data for this paper, the weaknesses in the human resource information system limited availability of data. Practical implications This paper presents an argument for the need for consideration of formal and informal environments in developing effective HRM strategies. Originality/value This research provides a rare system-wide approach to health HRM in a Sub-Saharan African country. It contributes to the literature and evidence needed to guide HRM policy decisions and practices.

Unfolding epidemiological stories: how the WHO made frozen blood into a flexible resource for the future.

PubMed

Radin, Joanna

2014-09-01

In the decades after World War II, the World Health Organization (WHO) played an important role in managing the process of stabilizing collections of variable blood samples as a fundamentally unstable, protean, and unfolding biomedical resource. In this system, known and as yet unknown constituents of blood were positioned as relevant to the work of multiple constituencies including human population geneticists, physical anthropologists, and immunologists. To facilitate serving these and other constituencies, it was crucial to standardize practices of collecting and preserving samples of blood from globally distributed human populations. The WHO achieved this by linking its administrative infrastructure-comprised of expert advisory groups and technical reports-to key laboratories, which served as sites for demonstrating and also for disseminating standards for working with variable blood samples. The practices that were articulated in making blood samples into a flexible resource contributes to emerging histories of global health that highlight the centrality of new institutions, like the WHO, new forms of expertise, like population genetics and serological epidemiology, and new kinds of research materials, like frozen blood. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

BBMRI-ERIC as a resource for pharmaceutical and life science industries: the development of biobank-based Expert Centres.

PubMed

van Ommen, Gert-Jan B; Törnwall, Outi; Bréchot, Christian; Dagher, Georges; Galli, Joakim; Hveem, Kristian; Landegren, Ulf; Luchinat, Claudio; Metspalu, Andres; Nilsson, Cecilia; Solesvik, Ove V; Perola, Markus; Litton, Jan-Eric; Zatloukal, Kurt

2015-07-01

Biological resources (cells, tissues, bodily fluids or biomolecules) are considered essential raw material for the advancement of health-related biotechnology, for research and development in life sciences, and for ultimately improving human health. Stored in local biobanks, access to the human biological samples and related medical data for transnational research is often limited, in particular for the international life science industry. The recently established pan-European Biobanking and BioMolecular resources Research Infrastructure-European Research Infrastructure Consortium (BBMRI-ERIC) aims to improve accessibility and interoperability between academic and industrial parties to benefit personalized medicine, disease prevention to promote development of new diagnostics, devices and medicines. BBMRI-ERIC is developing the concept of Expert Centre as public-private partnerships in the precompetitive, not-for-profit field to provide a new structure to perform research projects that would face difficulties under currently established models of academic-industry collaboration. By definition, Expert Centres are key intermediaries between public and private sectors performing the analysis of biological samples under internationally standardized conditions. This paper presents the rationale behind the Expert Centres and illustrates the novel concept with model examples.

Trade-offs Between Socio-economic Development and Ecosystem Health under Changing Water Availability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nazemi, A.; Hassanzadeh, E.; Elshorbagy, A. A.; Wheater, H. S.; Gober, P.; Jardine, T.; Lindenschmidt, K. E.

2017-12-01

Natural and human water systems at regional scales are often developed around key characteristics of streamflow. As a result, changes in streamflow regime can affect both socio-economic activities and freshwater ecosystems. In addition to natural variability and/or climate change, extensive water resource management to support socio-economic growth has also changed streamflow regimes. This study aims at understanding the trade-offs between agricultural expansion in the province of Saskatchewan, Canada, and alterations in the ecohydrological characteristics of the Saskatchewan River Delta (SRD) located downstream. Changes in climate along with extensive water resource management have altered the upstream flow regime. Moreover, Saskatchewan is investigating the possible expansion of irrigated agriculture to boost the provincial economy. To evaluate trade-offs across a range of possible scenarios for streamflow changes, the potential increase in provincial net benefit versus potential vulnerability of the SRD was assessed using perturbed flow realizations along with scenarios of irrigation expansion as input to an integrated water resource system model. This study sheds light on the potential variability in trade-offs between economic benefits and ecosystem health under a range of streamflow conditions, with the aim of informing decisions that can benefit both natural and human water systems.

BBMRI-ERIC as a resource for pharmaceutical and life science industries: the development of biobank-based Expert Centres

PubMed Central

van Ommen, Gert-Jan B; Törnwall, Outi; Bréchot, Christian; Dagher, Georges; Galli, Joakim; Hveem, Kristian; Landegren, Ulf; Luchinat, Claudio; Metspalu, Andres; Nilsson, Cecilia; Solesvik, Ove V; Perola, Markus; Litton, Jan-Eric; Zatloukal, Kurt

2015-01-01

Biological resources (cells, tissues, bodily fluids or biomolecules) are considered essential raw material for the advancement of health-related biotechnology, for research and development in life sciences, and for ultimately improving human health. Stored in local biobanks, access to the human biological samples and related medical data for transnational research is often limited, in particular for the international life science industry. The recently established pan-European Biobanking and BioMolecular resources Research Infrastructure-European Research Infrastructure Consortium (BBMRI-ERIC) aims to improve accessibility and interoperability between academic and industrial parties to benefit personalized medicine, disease prevention to promote development of new diagnostics, devices and medicines. BBMRI-ERIC is developing the concept of Expert Centre as public–private partnerships in the precompetitive, not-for-profit field to provide a new structure to perform research projects that would face difficulties under currently established models of academic–industry collaboration. By definition, Expert Centres are key intermediaries between public and private sectors performing the analysis of biological samples under internationally standardized conditions. This paper presents the rationale behind the Expert Centres and illustrates the novel concept with model examples. PMID:25407005

Illegal use of natural resources in federal protected areas of the Brazilian Amazon

PubMed Central

Silva, Jose M.C.; Michalski, Fernanda

2017-01-01

Background The Brazilian Amazon is the world’s largest rainforest regions and plays a key role in biodiversity conservation as well as climate adaptation and mitigation. The government has created a network of protected areas (PAs) to ensure long-term conservation of the region. However, despite the importance of and positive advances in the establishment of PAs, natural resource depletion in the Brazilian Amazon is pervasive. Methods We evaluated a total of 4,243 official law enforcement records generated between 2010 and 2015 to understand the geographical distribution of the illegal use of resources in federal PAs in the Brazilian Amazon. We classified illegal activities into ten categories and used generalized additive models (GAMs) to evaluate the relationship between illegal use of natural resources inside PAs with management type, age of PAs, population density, and accessibility. Results We found 27 types of illegal use of natural resources that were grouped into 10 categories of illegal activities. Most infractions were related to suppression and degradation of vegetation (37.40%), followed by illegal fishing (27.30%) and hunting activities (18.20%). The explanatory power of the GAMs was low for all categories of illegal activity, with a maximum explained variation of 41.2% for illegal activities as a whole, and a minimum of 14.6% for hunting activities. Discussion These findings demonstrate that even though PAs are fundamental for nature conservation in the Brazilian Amazon, the pressures and threats posed by human activities include a broad range of illegal uses of natural resources. Population density up to 50 km from a PA is a key variable, influencing illegal activities. These threats endanger long-term conservation and many efforts are still needed to maintain PAs that are large enough and sufficiently intact to maintain ecosystem functions and protect biodiversity. PMID:29038758

Illegal use of natural resources in federal protected areas of the Brazilian Amazon.

PubMed

Kauano, Érico E; Silva, Jose M C; Michalski, Fernanda

2017-01-01

The Brazilian Amazon is the world's largest rainforest regions and plays a key role in biodiversity conservation as well as climate adaptation and mitigation. The government has created a network of protected areas (PAs) to ensure long-term conservation of the region. However, despite the importance of and positive advances in the establishment of PAs, natural resource depletion in the Brazilian Amazon is pervasive. We evaluated a total of 4,243 official law enforcement records generated between 2010 and 2015 to understand the geographical distribution of the illegal use of resources in federal PAs in the Brazilian Amazon. We classified illegal activities into ten categories and used generalized additive models (GAMs) to evaluate the relationship between illegal use of natural resources inside PAs with management type, age of PAs, population density, and accessibility. We found 27 types of illegal use of natural resources that were grouped into 10 categories of illegal activities. Most infractions were related to suppression and degradation of vegetation (37.40%), followed by illegal fishing (27.30%) and hunting activities (18.20%). The explanatory power of the GAMs was low for all categories of illegal activity, with a maximum explained variation of 41.2% for illegal activities as a whole, and a minimum of 14.6% for hunting activities. These findings demonstrate that even though PAs are fundamental for nature conservation in the Brazilian Amazon, the pressures and threats posed by human activities include a broad range of illegal uses of natural resources. Population density up to 50 km from a PA is a key variable, influencing illegal activities. These threats endanger long-term conservation and many efforts are still needed to maintain PAs that are large enough and sufficiently intact to maintain ecosystem functions and protect biodiversity.

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

Kirk, Bernadette Lugue; Eipeldauer, Mary D; Whitaker, J Michael

In 2007, the Department of Energy's National Nuclear Security Administration (DOE/NNSA) Office of Nonproliferation and International Security (NA-24) completed a comprehensive review of the current and potential future challenges facing the international safeguards system. The review examined trends and events impacting the mission of international safeguards and the implications of expanding and evolving mission requirements on the legal authorities and institutions that serve as the foundation of the international safeguards system, as well as the technological, financial, and human resources required for effective safeguards implementation. The review's findings and recommendations were summarized in the report, 'International Safeguards: Challenges and Opportunitiesmore » for the 21st Century (October 2007)'. One of the report's key recommendations was for DOE/NNSA to launch a major new program to revitalize the international safeguards technology and human resource base. In 2007, at the International Atomic Energy Agency's General Conference, then Secretary of Energy Samuel W. Bodman announced the newly created Next Generation Safeguards Initiative (NGSI). NGSI consists of five program elements: (1) Policy development and outreach; (2) Concepts and approaches; (3) Technology and analytical methodologies; (4) Human resource development; and (5) Infrastructure development. The ensuing report addresses the 'Human Resource Development (HRD)' component of NGSI. The goal of the HRD as defined in the NNSA Program Plan (November 2008) is 'to revitalize and expand the international safeguards human capital base by attracting and training a new generation of talent.' One of the major objectives listed in the HRD goal includes education and training, outreach to universities, professional societies, postdoctoral appointments, and summer internships at national laboratories. ORNL is a participant in the NGSI program, together with several DOE laboratories such as Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL), and Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). In particular, ORNL's participation encompasses student internships, postdoctoral appointments, collaboration with universities in safeguards curriculum development, workshops, and outreach to professional societies through career fairs.« less

Human resources for health and universal health coverage: fostering equity and effective coverage.

PubMed

Campbell, James; Buchan, James; Cometto, Giorgio; David, Benedict; Dussault, Gilles; Fogstad, Helga; Fronteira, Inês; Lozano, Rafael; Nyonator, Frank; Pablos-Méndez, Ariel; Quain, Estelle E; Starrs, Ann; Tangcharoensathien, Viroj

2013-11-01

Achieving universal health coverage (UHC) involves distributing resources, especially human resources for health (HRH), to match population needs. This paper explores the policy lessons on HRH from four countries that have achieved sustained improvements in UHC: Brazil, Ghana, Mexico and Thailand. Its purpose is to inform global policy and financial commitments on HRH in support of UHC. The paper reports on country experiences using an analytical framework that examines effective coverage in relation to the availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality (AAAQ) of HRH. The AAAQ dimensions make it possible to perform tracing analysis on HRH policy actions since 1990 in the four countries of interest in relation to national trends in workforce numbers and population mortality rates. The findings inform key principles for evidence-based decision-making on HRH in support of UHC. First, HRH are critical to the expansion of health service coverage and the package of benefits; second, HRH strategies in each of the AAAQ dimensions collectively support achievements in effective coverage; and third, success is achieved through partnerships involving health and non-health actors. Facing the unprecedented health and development challenges that affect all countries and transforming HRH evidence into policy and practice must be at the heart of UHC and the post-2015 development agenda. It is a political imperative requiring national commitment and leadership to maximize the impact of available financial and human resources, and improve healthy life expectancy, with the recognition that improvements in health care are enabled by a health workforce that is fit for purpose.

Human resources for health and universal health coverage: fostering equity and effective coverage

PubMed Central

Buchan, James; Cometto, Giorgio; David, Benedict; Dussault, Gilles; Fogstad, Helga; Fronteira, Inês; Lozano, Rafael; Nyonator, Frank; Pablos-Méndez, Ariel; Quain, Estelle E; Starrs, Ann; Tangcharoensathien, Viroj

2013-01-01

Abstract Achieving universal health coverage (UHC) involves distributing resources, especially human resources for health (HRH), to match population needs. This paper explores the policy lessons on HRH from four countries that have achieved sustained improvements in UHC: Brazil, Ghana, Mexico and Thailand. Its purpose is to inform global policy and financial commitments on HRH in support of UHC. The paper reports on country experiences using an analytical framework that examines effective coverage in relation to the availability, accessibility, acceptability and quality (AAAQ) of HRH. The AAAQ dimensions make it possible to perform tracing analysis on HRH policy actions since 1990 in the four countries of interest in relation to national trends in workforce numbers and population mortality rates. The findings inform key principles for evidence-based decision-making on HRH in support of UHC. First, HRH are critical to the expansion of health service coverage and the package of benefits; second, HRH strategies in each of the AAAQ dimensions collectively support achievements in effective coverage; and third, success is achieved through partnerships involving health and non-health actors. Facing the unprecedented health and development challenges that affect all countries and transforming HRH evidence into policy and practice must be at the heart of UHC and the post-2015 development agenda. It is a political imperative requiring national commitment and leadership to maximize the impact of available financial and human resources, and improve healthy life expectancy, with the recognition that improvements in health care are enabled by a health workforce that is fit for purpose. PMID:24347710

Natural Selection on Female Life-History Traits in Relation to Socio-Economic Class in Pre-Industrial Human Populations

PubMed Central

Pettay, Jenni E.; Helle, Samuli; Jokela, Jukka; Lummaa, Virpi

2007-01-01

Life-history theory predicts that resource scarcity constrains individual optimal reproductive strategies and shapes the evolution of life-history traits. In species where the inherited structure of social class may lead to consistent resource differences among family lines, between-class variation in resource availability should select for divergence in optimal reproductive strategies. Evaluating this prediction requires information on the phenotypic selection and quantitative genetics of life-history trait variation in relation to individual lifetime access to resources. Here, we show using path analysis how resource availability, measured as the wealth class of the family, affected the opportunity and intensity of phenotypic selection on the key life-history traits of women living in pre-industrial Finland during the 1800s and 1900s. We found the highest opportunity for total selection and the strongest selection on earlier age at first reproduction in women of the poorest wealth class, whereas selection favoured older age at reproductive cessation in mothers of the wealthier classes. We also found clear differences in female life-history traits across wealth classes: the poorest women had the lowest age-specific survival throughout their lives, they started reproduction later, delivered fewer offspring during their lifetime, ceased reproduction younger, had poorer offspring survival to adulthood and, hence, had lower fitness compared to the wealthier women. Our results show that the amount of wealth affected the selection pressure on female life-history in a pre-industrial human population. PMID:17622351

Hunger games: fluctuations in blood glucose levels influence support for social welfare.

PubMed

Aarøe, Lene; Petersen, Michael Bang

2013-12-01

Social-welfare policies are a modern instantiation of a phenomenon that has pervaded human evolutionary history: resource sharing. Ancestrally, food was a key shared resource in situations of temporary hunger. If evolved human psychology continues to shape how individuals think about current, evolutionarily novel conditions, this invites the prediction that attitudes regarding welfare politics are influenced by short-term fluctuations in hunger. Using blood glucose levels as a physiological indicator of hunger, we tested this prediction in a study in which participants were randomly assigned to conditions in which they consumed soft drinks containing either carbohydrates or an artificial sweetener. Analyses showed that participants with experimentally induced low blood glucose levels expressed stronger support for social welfare. Using an incentivized measure of actual sharing behavior (the dictator game), we further demonstrated that this increased support for social welfare does not translate into genuinely increased sharing motivations. Rather, we suggest that it is "cheap talk" aimed at increasing the sharing efforts of other individuals.

A LEAN approach toward automated analysis and data processing of polymers using proton NMR spectroscopy.

PubMed

de Brouwer, Hans; Stegeman, Gerrit

2011-02-01

To maximize utilization of expensive laboratory instruments and to make most effective use of skilled human resources, the entire chain of data processing, calculation, and reporting that is needed to transform raw NMR data into meaningful results was automated. The LEAN process improvement tools were used to identify non-value-added steps in the existing process. These steps were eliminated using an in-house developed software package, which allowed us to meet the key requirement of improving quality and reliability compared with the existing process while freeing up valuable human resources and increasing productivity. Reliability and quality were improved by the consistent data treatment as performed by the software and the uniform administration of results. Automating a single NMR spectrophotometer led to a reduction in operator time of 35%, doubling of the annual sample throughput from 1400 to 2800, and reducing the turn around time from 6 days to less than 2. Copyright © 2011 Society for Laboratory Automation and Screening. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Emerging methods for the study of coastal ecosystem landscape structure and change

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brock, John C.; Danielson, Jeffrey J.; Purkis, Sam

2013-01-01

Coastal landscapes are heterogeneous, dynamic, and evolve over a range of time scales due to intertwined climatic, geologic, hydrologic, biologic, and meteorological processes, and are also heavily impacted by human development, commercial activities, and resource extraction. A diversity of complex coastal systems around the globe, spanning glaciated shorelines to tropical atolls, wetlands, and barrier islands are responding to multiple human and natural drivers. Interdisciplinary research based on remote-sensing observations linked to process studies and models is required to understand coastal ecosystem landscape structure and change. Moreover, new techniques for coastal mapping and monitoring are increasingly serving the needs of policy-makers and resource managers across local, regional, and national scales. Emerging remote-sensing methods associated with a diversity of instruments and platforms are a key enabling element of integrated coastal ecosystem studies. These investigations require both targeted and synoptic mapping, and involve the monitoring of formative processes such as hydrodynamics, sediment transport, erosion, accretion, flooding, habitat modification, land-cover change, and biogeochemical fluxes.

Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM).

PubMed

Hamosh, A; Scott, A F; Amberger, J; Valle, D; McKusick, V A

2000-01-01

Online Mendelian Inheritance In Man (OMIM) is a public database of bibliographic information about human genes and genetic disorders. Begun by Dr. Victor McKusick as the authoritative reference Mendelian Inheritance in Man, it is now distributed electronically by the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Material in OMIM is derived from the biomedical literature and is written by Dr. McKusick and his colleagues at Johns Hopkins University and elsewhere. Each OMIM entry has a full text summary of a genetic phenotype and/or gene and has copious links to other genetic resources such as DNA and protein sequence, PubMed references, mutation databases, approved gene nomenclature, and more. In addition, NCBI's neighboring feature allows users to identify related articles from PubMed selected on the basis of key words in the OMIM entry. Through its many features, OMIM is increasingly becoming a major gateway for clinicians, students, and basic researchers to the ever-growing literature and resources of human genetics. Copyright 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

A coupled human-water system from a systems dynamics perspective

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kuil, Linda; Blöschl, Günter; Carr, Gemma

2013-04-01

Traditionally, models used in hydrological studies have frequently assumed stationarity. Moreover, human-induced water resources management activities are often included as external forcings in water cycle dynamics. However, considering humans' current impact on the water cycle in terms of a growing population, river basins increasingly being managed and a climate considerably changing, it has recently been questioned whether this is still correct. Furthermore, research directed at the evolution of water resources and society has shown that the components constituting the human-water system are changing interdependently. Goal of this study is therefore to approach water cycle dynamics from an integrated perspective in which humans are considered as endogenous forces to the system. The method used to model a coupled, urban human-water system is system dynamics. In system dynamics, particular emphasis is placed on feedback loops resulting in dynamic behavior. Time delays and non-linearity can relatively easily be included, making the method appropriate for studying complex systems that change over time. The approach of this study is as follows. First, a conceptual model is created incorporating the key components of the urban human-water system. Subsequently, only those components are selected that are both relevant and show causal loop behavior. Lastly, the causal narratives are translated into mathematical relationships. The outcome will be a simple model that shows only those characteristics with which we are able to explore the two-way coupling between the societal behavior and the water system we depend on.

Cancer care management through a mobile phone health approach: key considerations.

PubMed

Mohammadzadeh, Niloofar; Safdari, Reza; Rahimi, Azin

2013-01-01

Greater use of mobile phone devices seems inevitable because the health industry and cancer care are facing challenges such as resource constraints, rising care costs, the need for immediate access to healthcare data of types such as audio video texts for early detection and treatment of patients and increasing remote aids in telemedicine. Physicians, in order to study the causes of cancer, detect cancer earlier, act in prevention measures, determine the effectiveness of treatment and specify the reasons for the treatment ineffectiveness, need to access accurate, comprehensive and timely cancer data. Mobile devices provide opportunities and can play an important role in consulting, diagnosis, treatment, and quick access to health information. There easy carriage make them perfect tools for healthcare providers in cancer care management. Key factors in cancer care management systems through a mobile phone health approach must be considered such as human resources, confidentiality and privacy, legal and ethical issues, appropriate ICT and provider infrastructure and costs in general aspects and interoperability, human relationships, types of mobile devices and telecommunication related points in specific aspects. The successful implementation of mobile-based systems in cancer care management will constantly face many challenges. Hence, in applying mobile cancer care, involvement of users and considering their needs in all phases of project, providing adequate bandwidth, preparation of standard tools that provide maximum mobility and flexibility for users, decreasing obstacles to interrupt network communications, and using suitable communication protocols are essential. It is obvious that identifying and reducing barriers and strengthening the positive points will have a significant role in appropriate planning and promoting the achievements of mobile cancer care systems. The aim of this article is to explain key points which should be considered in designing appropriate mobile health systems in cancer care as an approach for improving cancer care management.

Barriers and facilitators to establishing a national public health observatory.

PubMed

Pooransingh, Shalini; Misir, Akenath; Ramdath, Dan; Ramsewak, Samuel; Jaglal, Susan; Cameron, Cathy; Goel, Vivek

2015-11-01

To determine what stakeholders perceive as barriers and facilitators to creating a national public health observatory (PHO) in Trinidad and Tobago. A descriptive study was conducted based on 15 key informant interviews carried out from April to September 2013. The key informants worked within the health care sector in Trinidad and Tobago. Using a semi-structured interview guide, information was collected on knowledge, attitudes, and beliefs about creating a PHO; barriers and facilitators to creating and sustaining a PHO; legal considerations; and human resource and information technology requirements. Common themes of the responses were identified. The majority of participants supported the development of a national PHO, recognized its value in informing their work, and indicated that a national PHO could 1) provide information to support evidence-informed decision-making for health policy and strategic planning; 2) facilitate data management by establishing data policies, procedures, and standards; 3) increase the use of data by synthesizing and disseminating information; and 4) provide data for benchmarking. However, a number of barriers were identified, including 1) the perception that data collection is not valued; 2) untimely availability of data; 3) limited data synthesis, dissemination, and utilization to inform decision-making; and 4) challenges related to the allocation of human resources and existing information technology. Key informants support the development of a national PHO in Trinidad and Tobago. The findings align well within the components of the conceptual framework for establishing national health observatories. A stepwise approach to establishing a national PHO in Trinidad and Tobago, beginning with structural components and followed by functional components, is recommended. A national PHO in Trinidad and Tobago could serve as a model for other countries in the Caribbean.

Pharmaceutical Companies’ Role in State Vaccination Policymaking: The Case of Human Papillomavirus Vaccination

PubMed Central

Abiola, Sara; Colgrove, James

2012-01-01

Objectives. We sought to investigate roles that Merck & Co Inc played in state human papillomavirus (HPV) immunization policymaking, to elicit key stakeholders’ perceptions of the appropriateness of these activities, and to explore implications for relationships between health policymakers and industry. Methods. We used a series of state case studies combining data from key informant interviews with analysis of media reports and archival materials. We interviewed 73 key informants in 6 states that were actively engaged in HPV vaccine policy deliberations. Results. Merck promoted school-entry mandate legislation by serving as an information resource, lobbying legislators, drafting legislation, mobilizing female legislators and physician organizations, conducting consumer marketing campaigns, and filling gaps in access to the vaccine. Legislators relied heavily on Merck for scientific information. Most stakeholders found lobbying by vaccine manufacturers acceptable in principle, but perceived that Merck had acted too aggressively and nontransparently in this case. Conclusions. Although policymakers acknowledge the utility of manufacturers’ involvement in vaccination policymaking, industry lobbying that is overly aggressive, not fully transparent, or not divorced from financial contributions to lawmakers risks undermining the prospects for legislation to foster uptake of new vaccines. PMID:22420796

Aviation and healthcare: a comparative review with implications for patient safety.

PubMed

Kapur, Narinder; Parand, Anam; Soukup, Tayana; Reader, Tom; Sevdalis, Nick

2016-01-01

Safety in aviation has often been compared with safety in healthcare. Following a recent article in this journal, the UK government set up an Independent Patient Safety Investigation Service, to emulate a similar well-established body in aviation. On the basis of a detailed review of relevant publications that examine patient safety in the context of aviation practice, we have drawn up a table of comparative features and a conceptual framework for patient safety. Convergence and divergence of safety-related behaviours across aviation and healthcare were derived and documented. Key safety-related domains that emerged included Checklists, Training, Crew Resource Management, Sterile Cockpit, Investigation and Reporting of Incidents and Organisational Culture. We conclude that whilst healthcare has much to learn from aviation in certain key domains, the transfer of lessons from aviation to healthcare needs to be nuanced, with the specific characteristics and needs of healthcare borne in mind. On the basis of this review, it is recommended that healthcare should emulate aviation in its resourcing of staff who specialise in human factors and related psychological aspects of patient safety and staff wellbeing. Professional and post-qualification staff training could specifically include Cognitive Bias Avoidance Training, as this appears to play a key part in many errors relating to patient safety and staff wellbeing.

Aviation and healthcare: a comparative review with implications for patient safety

PubMed Central

Parand, Anam; Soukup, Tayana; Reader, Tom; Sevdalis, Nick

2015-01-01

Safety in aviation has often been compared with safety in healthcare. Following a recent article in this journal, the UK government set up an Independent Patient Safety Investigation Service, to emulate a similar well-established body in aviation. On the basis of a detailed review of relevant publications that examine patient safety in the context of aviation practice, we have drawn up a table of comparative features and a conceptual framework for patient safety. Convergence and divergence of safety-related behaviours across aviation and healthcare were derived and documented. Key safety-related domains that emerged included Checklists, Training, Crew Resource Management, Sterile Cockpit, Investigation and Reporting of Incidents and Organisational Culture. We conclude that whilst healthcare has much to learn from aviation in certain key domains, the transfer of lessons from aviation to healthcare needs to be nuanced, with the specific characteristics and needs of healthcare borne in mind. On the basis of this review, it is recommended that healthcare should emulate aviation in its resourcing of staff who specialise in human factors and related psychological aspects of patient safety and staff wellbeing. Professional and post-qualification staff training could specifically include Cognitive Bias Avoidance Training, as this appears to play a key part in many errors relating to patient safety and staff wellbeing. PMID:26770817

The Resource-Based View and Value: The Customer-Based View of the Firm

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clulow, Val; Barry, Carol; Gerstman, Julie

2007-01-01

Purpose: The resource-based view (RBV) explores the role of key resources, identified as intangible assets and capabilities, in creating competitive advantage and superior performance. To a great extent the conceptual analysis and empirical research within the RBV has focused on the firm's perspective of key resources and the value to the firm of…

15 CFR 922.160 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... MARINE SANCTUARY PROGRAM REGULATIONS Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary § 922.160 Purpose. (a) The... Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary by regulating activities affecting the resources of the Sanctuary... primary objective of resource protection all public and private uses of the resources of the Sanctuary not...

15 CFR 922.160 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... MARINE SANCTUARY PROGRAM REGULATIONS Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary § 922.160 Purpose. (a) The... Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary by regulating activities affecting the resources of the Sanctuary... primary objective of resource protection all public and private uses of the resources of the Sanctuary not...

15 CFR 922.160 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... MARINE SANCTUARY PROGRAM REGULATIONS Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary § 922.160 Purpose. (a) The... Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary by regulating activities affecting the resources of the Sanctuary... primary objective of resource protection all public and private uses of the resources of the Sanctuary not...

15 CFR 922.160 - Purpose.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... MARINE SANCTUARY PROGRAM REGULATIONS Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary § 922.160 Purpose. (a) The... Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary by regulating activities affecting the resources of the Sanctuary... primary objective of resource protection all public and private uses of the resources of the Sanctuary not...

Higher Resolution for Water Resources Studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dumenil-Gates, L.

2009-12-01

The Earth system science community is providing an increasing range of science results for the benefit of achieving the Millennium Development Goals. In addressing questions such as reducing poverty and hunger, achieving sustainable global development, or by defining adaptation strategies for climate change, one of the key issues will be the quantitative description and understanding of the global water cycle, which will allow useful projections of available future water resources for several decades ahead. The quantities of global water cycle elements that we observe today - and deal with in hydrologic and atmospheric modeling - are already very different from the natural flows as human influence on the water cycle by storage, consumption and edifice has been going on for millennia, and climate change is expected to add more uncertainty. In this case Tony Blair’s comment that perhaps the most worrying problem is climate change does not cover the full story. We shall also have to quantify how the human demand for water resources and alterations of the various elements of the water cycle may proceed in the future: will there be enough of the precious water resource to sustain current and future demands by the various sectors involved? The topics that stakeholders and decision makers concerned with managing water resources are interested in cover a variety of human uses such as agriculture, energy production, ecological flow requirements to sustain biodiversity and ecosystem services, or human cultural aspects, recreation and human well-being - all typically most relevant at the regional or local scales, this being quite different from the relatively large-scale that the IPCC assessment addresses. Halfway through the Millennium process, the knowledge base of the global water cycle is still limited. The sustainability of regional water resources is best assessed through a research program that combines high-resolution climate and hydrologic models for expected future scenarios (as in the IPCC ensembles) with appropriate observational data under current conditions in order to benchmark the models’ accuracy. Expected future changes in water availability could then be characterized and appropriate adaptation action designed in co-operation with the water use community. In situ observations of water cycle variables can also be used and developed together with remote sensing data from space to provide initial data for global seasonal or decadal forecasting and monitoring of global change in less well observed regions of the world.

Social Return on Investment (SROI): An Innovative Approach to Sustainable Development Goals for Sexual and Reproductive Health Programming in sub-Saharan Africa.

PubMed

Kumar, Shubha R; Banke-Thomas, Aduragbemi

2016-09-01

Despite efforts, sub-Saharan Africa did not achieve many key Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) targets under the Millennium Development Goals. In the post 2015 era, the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) will frame decisions on donor priorities and resource allocations. Successfully addressing SRH challenges in sub-Saharan Africa have been blunted due to fragmentation of SRH interventions in planning and implementation, lack of coherence between policies and program implementation, resulting in poor program performance and lack of accountability. We suggest the Social Return on Investment (SROI) framework offers a strategic approach for sub-Saharan Africa in support of the implementation, monitoring and evaluation of SRH programs given its capacity to capture social and economic impacts, stakeholder participation, and sensitivity towards key human rights concerns relevant to SRH. SROI disrupts a -business as usual‖ approach for one that is systematic, participatory, and supportive of economic and human rights needs for success in the SDG era.

Cumulative human impacts on marine predators.

PubMed

Maxwell, Sara M; Hazen, Elliott L; Bograd, Steven J; Halpern, Benjamin S; Breed, Greg A; Nickel, Barry; Teutschel, Nicole M; Crowder, Larry B; Benson, Scott; Dutton, Peter H; Bailey, Helen; Kappes, Michelle A; Kuhn, Carey E; Weise, Michael J; Mate, Bruce; Shaffer, Scott A; Hassrick, Jason L; Henry, Robert W; Irvine, Ladd; McDonald, Birgitte I; Robinson, Patrick W; Block, Barbara A; Costa, Daniel P

2013-01-01

Stressors associated with human activities interact in complex ways to affect marine ecosystems, yet we lack spatially explicit assessments of cumulative impacts on ecologically and economically key components such as marine predators. Here we develop a metric of cumulative utilization and impact (CUI) on marine predators by combining electronic tracking data of eight protected predator species (n=685 individuals) in the California Current Ecosystem with data on 24 anthropogenic stressors. We show significant variation in CUI with some of the highest impacts within US National Marine Sanctuaries. High variation in underlying species and cumulative impact distributions means that neither alone is sufficient for effective spatial management. Instead, comprehensive management approaches accounting for both cumulative human impacts and trade-offs among multiple stressors must be applied in planning the use of marine resources.

Anthropogenic impacts on hydrology of Karkheh River Basin

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashraf, B.; Aghakouchak, A.; Alizadeh, A.; Mousavi Baygi, M.

2015-12-01

The Karkheh River Basin (KRB) in southwest Iran is a key region for agriculture and energy production. KRB has high human-induced water demand and suffers from low water productivity. The future of the KRB and its growth clearly relies on sustainable water resources and hence, requires a holistic, basin-wide management and monitoring of natural resources (water, soil, vegetation, livestock, etc.). The KRB has dry regions in which water scarcity is a major challenge. In this study, we investigate changes in the hydrology of the basin during the past three decades including human-induced alterations of the system. We evaluate climatic variability, agricultural water use, land cover change and agriculture production. In this reaserch, we have developed a simple indicator for quantifying human influence on the hydrologic cycle. The results show that KRB's hydrology is significantly dominated by human activities. The anthropogenic water demand has increased substantially caused by growth in agriculture industry. In fact, the main reason for water scarcity in the region appears to be due to the increased anthropogenic water demand resulting from substantial socio-economic growth in the past three decades. Our results show that continued growth in the region is not sustainable without considering major changes in water use efficiency, land cover management and water productivity.

Concepts and Benefits of Lunar Core Drilling

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

McNamara, K. M.; Bogard, D. D.; Derkowski, B. J.; George, J. A.; Askew, R. S.; Lindsay, J. F.

2007-01-01

Understanding lunar material at depth is critical to nearly every aspect of NASA s Vision and Strategic Plan. As we consider sending human s back to the Moon for brief and extended periods, we will need to utilize lunar materials in construction, for resource extraction, and for radiation shielding and protection. In each case, we will be working with materials at some depth beneath the surface. Understanding the properties of that material is critical, thus the need for Lunar core drilling capability. Of course, the science benefit from returning core samples and operating down-hole autonomous experiments is a key element of Lunar missions as defined by NASA s Exploration Systems Architecture Study. Lunar missions will be targeted to answer specific questions concerning lunar science and re-sources.

Enabling technologies for transition to utilization of space-based resources and operations

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sadin, S. R.; Litty, J. D.

1985-01-01

This article explores a potential scenario for the further development of space infrastructure resources and operations management. It is a scenario that transitions from the current ground-based system to an architecture that is predominantly space-based by exploiting key mission systems in an operational support role. If this view is accurate, an examination of the range of potential infrastructure elements and how they might interact in a maximally productive space-based operations complex is needed, innovative technologies beyond the current Shuttle and Space Station legacy need to be identified, and research programs pursued. Development of technologies within the areas of telerobotics, machine autonomy, human autonomy, in-space manufacturing and construction, propulsion and energy is discussed.

Which Patients First? Setting Priorities for Antiretroviral Therapy Where Resources Are Limited

PubMed Central

McGough, Laura J.; Reynolds, Steven J.; Quinn, Thomas C.; Zenilman, Jonathan M.

2005-01-01

The availability of limited funds from international agencies for the purchase of antiretroviral (ARV) treatment in developing countries presents challenges, especially in prioritizing who should receive therapy. Public input and the protection of human rights are crucial in making treatment programs equitable and accountable. By examining historical precedents of resource allocation, we aim to provoke and inform debate about current ARV programs. Through a critical review of the published literature, we evaluate 4 precedents for key lessons: the discovery of insulin for diabetes in 1922, the release of penicillin for civilian use in 1943, the development of chronic hemodialysis programs in 1961, and current allocation of liver transplants. We then describe current rationing mechanisms for ARVs. PMID:15983271

Resource selection and space use by sea ducks during the non-breeding season: Implications for habitat conservation planning in urbanized estuaries

USGS Publications Warehouse

De La Cruz, Susan E. W.; Eadie, John M.; Miles, A. Keith; Yee, Julie; Spragens, Kyle A.; Palm, Eric C.; Takekawa, John Y.

2014-01-01

Wide-ranging marine birds rely on multiple habitats for wintering, breeding, and migrating, and their conservation may be dependent on protecting networks of key areas. Urbanized estuaries are critical wintering and stopover areas for many declining sea ducks in North America; however, conservation measures within estuaries are difficult to establish given lack of knowledge about habitat use by these species and the variety of competing human interests. We applied hierarchical modeling to evaluate resource selection of sea ducks (surf scoters, Melanitta perspicillata) wintering in San Francisco Bay, California, USA, a large and highly urbanized estuary. We also examined their distribution, home range, and movements with respect to key habitat features and regions within the estuary. Herring roe was the strongest predictor of bird locations; however, eelgrass, water depth and salinity were also highly-ranked, with sea ducks using deeper areas of higher salinity associated with herring roe and eelgrass presence during mid-winter. Sea ducks were also strongly associated with ferry routes, suggesting these areas may contain resources that are too important to avoid and emphasizing the need to better understand water traffic effects. Movements and home range size differed between males and females in early winter but became more similar in late winter. Birds traveled farther and used several sub-bays in early winter compared to mid-winter when herring roe availability peaked in the Central Bay. Our findings identified key environmental variables, highlighted core use areas, and documented critical periods for consideration when developing conservation plans for sea ducks in urbanized estuaries.

Energy efficiency as a unifying principle for human, environmental, and global health

PubMed Central

Fontana, Luigi; Atella, Vincenzo; Kammen, Daniel M

2013-01-01

A strong analogy exists between over/under consumption of energy at the level of the human body and of the industrial metabolism of humanity. Both forms of energy consumption have profound implications for human, environmental, and global health. Globally, excessive fossil-fuel consumption, and individually, excessive food energy consumption are both responsible for a series of interrelated detrimental effects, including global warming, extreme weather conditions, damage to ecosystems, loss of biodiversity, widespread pollution, obesity, cancer, chronic respiratory disease, and other lethal chronic diseases. In contrast, data show that the efficient use of energy—in the form of food as well as fossil fuels and other resources—is vital for promoting human, environmental, and planetary health and sustainable economic development. While it is not new to highlight how efficient use of energy and food can address some of the key problems our world is facing, little research and no unifying framework exists to harmonize these concepts of sustainable system management across diverse scientific fields into a single theoretical body. Insights beyond reductionist views of efficiency are needed to encourage integrated changes in the use of the world’s natural resources, with the aim of achieving a wiser use of energy, better farming systems, and healthier dietary habits. This perspective highlights a range of scientific-based opportunities for cost-effective pro-growth and pro-health policies while using less energy and natural resources. PMID:24555053

Morphological variation in Homo erectus and the origins of developmental plasticity

PubMed Central

Antón, Susan C.; Taboada, Hannah G.; Middleton, Emily R.; Rainwater, Christopher W.; Taylor, Andrea B.; Turner, Trudy R.; Turnquist, Jean E.; Weinstein, Karen J.; Williams, Scott A.

2016-01-01

Homo erectus was the first hominin to exhibit extensive range expansion. This extraordinary departure from Africa, especially into more temperate climates of Eurasia, has been variously related to technological, energetic and foraging shifts. The temporal and regional anatomical variation in H. erectus suggests that a high level of developmental plasticity, a key factor in the ability of H. sapiens to occupy a variety of habitats, may also have been present in H. erectus. Developmental plasticity, the ability to modify development in response to environmental conditions, results in differences in size, shape and dimorphism across populations that relate in part to levels of resource sufficiency and extrinsic mortality. These differences predict not only regional variations but also overall smaller adult sizes and lower levels of dimorphism in instances of resource scarcity and high predator load. We consider the metric variation in 35 human and non-human primate ‘populations’ from known environmental contexts and 14 time- and space-restricted paleodemes of H. erectus and other fossil Homo. Human and non-human primates exhibit more similar patterns of variation than expected, with plasticity evident, but in differing patterns by sex across populations. The fossil samples show less evidence of variation than expected, although H. erectus varies more than Neandertals. This article is part of the themed issue ‘Major transitions in human evolution’. PMID:27298467

Achieving competitive advantage through strategic human resource management.

PubMed

Fottler, M D; Phillips, R L; Blair, J D; Duran, C A

1990-01-01

The framework presented here challenges health care executives to manage human resources strategically as an integral part of the strategic planning process. Health care executives should consciously formulate human resource strategies and practices that are linked to and reinforce the broader strategic posture of the organization. This article provides a framework for (1) determining and focusing on desired strategic outcomes, (2) identifying and implementing essential human resource management actions, and (3) maintaining or enhancing competitive advantage. The strategic approach to human resource management includes assessing the organization's environment and mission; formulating the organization's business strategy; assessing the human resources requirements based on the intended strategy; comparing the current inventory of human resources in terms of numbers, characteristics, and human resource management practices with respect to the strategic requirements of the organization and its services or product lines; formulating the human resource strategy based on the differences between the assessed requirements and the current inventory; and implementing the appropriate human resource practices to reinforce the strategy and attain competitive advantage.

Minimizing the Human Capital Aspect of Productivity Disruption During Implementation of an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-06-01

world’s largest corporations following suite. Coca - Cola , for example, has a single instance of SAP ERP that binds together 15,000 users in 45 countries...communications, but the team was not sure they would ever actually deploy so they did not advertise . Likewise, European plant locals did not believe it was...Key dates were advertised as implementation got close and milestones and training dates were published. However, most communication stopped at the

Optimizing nursing human resource planning in British Columbia.

PubMed

Lavieri, Mariel S; Puterman, Martin L

2009-06-01

This paper describes a linear programming hierarchical planning model that determines the optimal number of nurses to train, promote to management and recruit over a 20 year planning horizon to achieve specified workforce levels. Age dynamics and attrition rates of the nursing workforce are key model components. The model was developed to help policy makers plan a sustainable nursing workforce for British Columbia, Canada. An easy to use interface and considerable flexibility makes it ideal for scenario and "What-If?" analyses.

Human and Robotic Space Mission Use Cases for High-Performance Spaceflight Computing

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Doyle, Richard; Bergman, Larry; Some, Raphael; Whitaker, William; Powell, Wesley; Johnson, Michael; Goforth, Montgomery; Lowry, Michael

2013-01-01

Spaceflight computing is a key resource in NASA space missions and a core determining factor of spacecraft capability, with ripple effects throughout the spacecraft, end-to-end system, and the mission; it can be aptly viewed as a "technology multiplier" in that advances in onboard computing provide dramatic improvements in flight functions and capabilities across the NASA mission classes, and will enable new flight capabilities and mission scenarios, increasing science and exploration return per mission-dollar.

Make your small practice thrive. Physicians moving from big practices to small must know the business side of medicine.

PubMed

Cowan, D

2001-01-01

Trying to gain a measure of control over their working lives, some physicians are abandoning large group practices for smaller groups. Large groups enjoy whole teams of people performing vital business tasks. Small practices rely on one or two key physicians and managers to tackle everything from customer service to marketing, medical records to human resources. Learn valuable tips for thriving in a small environment and using that extra control to achieve job satisfaction.

Pollution Permanent Monitoring PANEL--2013 Annual Report

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Everett, Lorne G.

2014-07-01

The following sections are included: * POLLUTION PANEL ACTIVITIES 2013 * NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES 2013 * MTBE NEW HAMPSHIRE LITIGATION--APRIL 12, 2013 * ALTERNATIVES FOR MANAGING THE NATION's COMPLEX CONTAMINATED GROUNDWATER SITES--NATIONAL ACADEMY OF SCIENCES, 2013 * HUMAN HEALTH EFFECTS OF TRICHLOROETHYLENE: KEY FINDINGS AND SCIENTIFIC ISSUES. MARCH 1, 2013 REVIEWS * BAROMETRIC PRESSURE DRIVES SOIL-GAS CONCENTRATIONS * WATER RESOURCES--TERRORISM TARGETS * WITH A LITTLE INGENUITY THE PROBLEM IS NOT INSOLUBLE * HIGH RISE BUILDINGS * TERRORIST MATERIAL MAY DESTROY WATER TRANSMISSION INFRASTRUCTURE * WATER THREAT CONCLUSIONS * MULTINATIONAL REPOSITORIES

Staffing Systems of Care for Children and Families: A Report of the Southern Human Resource Development Consortium for Mental Health on Workforce Issues Related to Community-Based Service Delivery for Children and Adolescents with Serious Emotional Disturbance/Mental Illness and Their Families.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Pires, Sheila A.

This report describes the results of a regional needs assessment of workforce issues related to the delivery of community-based services for children and adolescents with serious emotional disturbance or mental illness and their families in a region comprising 12 southern states. The assessment involved a survey of key stakeholders, principally…

Game theory.

PubMed

Dufwenberg, Martin

2011-03-01

Game theory is a toolkit for examining situations where decision makers influence each other. I discuss the nature of game-theoretic analysis, the history of game theory, why game theory is useful for understanding human psychology, and why game theory has played a key role in the recent explosion of interest in the field of behavioral economics. WIREs Cogni Sci 2011 2 167-173 DOI: 10.1002/wcs.119 For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Were Rivers Flowing across the Sahara During the Last Interglacial? Implications for Human Migration through Africa

PubMed Central

Coulthard, Tom J.; Ramirez, Jorge A.; Barton, Nick; Rogerson, Mike; Brücher, Tim

2013-01-01

Human migration north through Africa is contentious. This paper uses a novel palaeohydrological and hydraulic modelling approach to test the hypothesis that under wetter climates c.100,000 years ago major river systems ran north across the Sahara to the Mediterranean, creating viable migration routes. We confirm that three of these now buried palaeo river systems could have been active at the key time of human migration across the Sahara. Unexpectedly, it is the most western of these three rivers, the Irharhar river, that represents the most likely route for human migration. The Irharhar river flows directly south to north, uniquely linking the mountain areas experiencing monsoon climates at these times to temperate Mediterranean environments where food and resources would have been abundant. The findings have major implications for our understanding of how humans migrated north through Africa, for the first time providing a quantitative perspective on the probabilities that these routes were viable for human habitation at these times. PMID:24040347

Social accountability and nursing education in South Africa

PubMed Central

Armstrong, Susan J.; Rispel, Laetitia C.

2015-01-01

Background There is global emphasis on transforming health workforce education in support of universal health coverage. Objective This paper uses a social accountability framework, specifically the World Health Organization's six building blocks for transformative education, to explore key informants’ perspectives on nursing education in South Africa. Methods Using a snowballing sampling technique, 44 key informants were selected purposively on the basis of their expertise or knowledge of the research area. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with the key informants after informed consent had been obtained. The interviews were analysed using template analysis. Results South Africa has strategic plans on human resources for health and nursing education, training, and practice and has a well-established system of regulation and accreditation of nursing education through the South African Nursing Council (SANC). Key informants criticised the following: the lack of national staffing norms; sub-optimal governance by both the SANC and the Department of Health; outdated curricula that are unresponsive to population and health system needs; lack of preparedness of nurse educators; and the unsuitability of the majority of nursing students. These problems are exacerbated by a perceived lack of prioritisation of nursing, resource constraints in both the nursing education institutions and the health training facilities, and general implementation inertia. Conclusion Social accountability, which is an essential component of transformative education, necessitates that attention be paid to the issues of governance, responsive curricula, educator preparedness, and appropriate student recruitment and selection. PMID:25971402

Optimization of System Maturity and Equivalent System Mass for Exploration Systems Development Planning

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Magnaye, Romulo; Tan, Weiping; Ramirez-Marquez, Jose; Sauser, Bruce

2010-01-01

The Exploration Systems Mission Directorate of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is currently pursuing the development of the next generation of human spacecraft and exploration systems throughout the Constellation Program. This includes, among others, habitation technologies for supporting lunar and Mars exploration. The key to these systems is the Exploration Life Support (ELS) system that composes several technology development projects related to atmosphere revitalization, water recovery, waste management and habitation. The proper functioning of these technologies is meant to produce sufficient and balanced resources of water, air, and food to maintain a safe and comfortable environment for long-term human habitation and exploration of space.

Coastal impacts, adaptation, and vulnerabilities: a technical input to the 2013 National Climate Assessment

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burkett, Virginia; Davidson, Margaret; Burkett, Virginia; Davidson, Margaret

2012-01-01

The coast has long provided communities with a multitude of benefits including an abundance of natural resources that sustain economies, societies, and ecosystems. Coasts provide natural harbors for commerce, trade, and transportation; beaches and shorelines that attract residents and tourists; and wetlands and estuaries that are critical for fisheries and water resources. Coastal ecosystems provide critical functions to cycle and move nutrients, store carbon, detoxify wastes, and purify air and water. These areas also mitigate floods and buffer against coastal storms that bring high winds and salt water inland and erode the shore. Coastal regions are critical in the development, transportation, and processing of oil and natural gas resources and, more recently, are being explored as a source of energy captured from wind and waves. The many benefits and opportunities provided in coastal areas have strengthened our economic reliance on coastal resources. Consequently, the high demands placed on the coastal environment will increase commensurately with human activity. Because 35 U.S. states, commonwealths, and territories have coastlines that border the oceans or Great Lakes, impacts to coastline systems will reverberate through social, economic, and natural systems across the U.S. Impacts on coastal systems are among the most costly and most certain consequences of a warming climate (Nicholls et al., 2007). The warming atmosphere is expected to accelerate sea-level rise as a result of the decline of glaciers and ice sheets and the thermal expansion of sea water. As mean sea level rises, coastal shorelines will retreat and low-lying areas will tend to be inundated more frequently, if not permanently, by the advancing sea. As atmospheric temperature increases and rainfall patterns change, soil moisture and runoff to the coast are likely to be altered. An increase in the intensity of climatic extremes such as storms and heat spells, coupled with other impacts of climate change and the effects of human development, could affect the sustainability of many existing coastal communities and natural resources. This report, one of a series of technical inputs for the third NCA conducted under the auspices of the U.S. Global Change Research Program, examines the known effects and relationships of climate change variables on the coasts of the U.S. It describes the impacts on natural and human systems, including several major sectors of the U.S. economy, and the progress and challenges to planning and implementing adaptation options. Below we present the key findings from each chapter of the report, beginning with the following key findings from Chapter 1: Introduction and Context.

TEAD and YAP regulate the enhancer network of human embryonic pancreatic progenitors.

PubMed

Cebola, Inês; Rodríguez-Seguí, Santiago A; Cho, Candy H-H; Bessa, José; Rovira, Meritxell; Luengo, Mario; Chhatriwala, Mariya; Berry, Andrew; Ponsa-Cobas, Joan; Maestro, Miguel Angel; Jennings, Rachel E; Pasquali, Lorenzo; Morán, Ignasi; Castro, Natalia; Hanley, Neil A; Gomez-Skarmeta, Jose Luis; Vallier, Ludovic; Ferrer, Jorge

2015-05-01

The genomic regulatory programmes that underlie human organogenesis are poorly understood. Pancreas development, in particular, has pivotal implications for pancreatic regeneration, cancer and diabetes. We have now characterized the regulatory landscape of embryonic multipotent progenitor cells that give rise to all pancreatic epithelial lineages. Using human embryonic pancreas and embryonic-stem-cell-derived progenitors we identify stage-specific transcripts and associated enhancers, many of which are co-occupied by transcription factors that are essential for pancreas development. We further show that TEAD1, a Hippo signalling effector, is an integral component of the transcription factor combinatorial code of pancreatic progenitor enhancers. TEAD and its coactivator YAP activate key pancreatic signalling mediators and transcription factors, and regulate the expansion of pancreatic progenitors. This work therefore uncovers a central role for TEAD and YAP as signal-responsive regulators of multipotent pancreatic progenitors, and provides a resource for the study of embryonic development of the human pancreas.

Towards human exploration of space: the THESEUS review series on neurophysiology research priorities

PubMed Central

White, Olivier; Clément, Gilles; Fortrat, Jacques-Olivier; Pavy-LeTraon, Anne; Thonnard, Jean-Louis; Blanc, Stéphane; Wuyts, Floris L; Paloski, William H

2016-01-01

The THESEUS project (Towards Human Exploration of Space: a European Strategy), initiated within the seventh Framework Programme by the European Commission, aimed at providing a cross-cutting, life-science-based roadmap for Europe’s strategy towards human exploration of long space missions, and its relevance to applications on Earth. This topic was investigated by experts in the field, in the framework of the THESEUS project whose aim was to develop an integrated life sciences research roadmap regarding human space exploration. In particular, decades of research have shown that altered gravity impairs neurological responses at large, such as perception, sleep, motor control, and cognitive factors. International experts established a list of key issues that should be addressed in that context and provided several recommendations such as a maximal exploitation of currently available resources on Earth and in space. PMID:28725734

16 CFR 1000.22 - Office of Human Resources Management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Office of Human Resources Management. 1000... ORGANIZATION AND FUNCTIONS § 1000.22 Office of Human Resources Management. The Office of Human Resources Management, which is managed by the Director of the Office, provides human resources management support to...

16 CFR 1000.22 - Office of Human Resources Management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Office of Human Resources Management. 1000... ORGANIZATION AND FUNCTIONS § 1000.22 Office of Human Resources Management. The Office of Human Resources Management, which is managed by the Director of the Office, provides human resources management support to...

16 CFR 1000.22 - Office of Human Resources Management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Office of Human Resources Management. 1000... ORGANIZATION AND FUNCTIONS § 1000.22 Office of Human Resources Management. The Office of Human Resources Management, which is managed by the Director of the Office, provides human resources management support to...

16 CFR 1000.22 - Office of Human Resources Management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Office of Human Resources Management. 1000... ORGANIZATION AND FUNCTIONS § 1000.22 Office of Human Resources Management. The Office of Human Resources Management, which is managed by the Director of the Office, provides human resources management support to...

Water Resource Impacts Embedded in the Western US Electrical Energy Trade; Current Patterns and Adaptation to Future Drought

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adams, E. A.; Herron, S.; Qiu, Y.; Tidwell, V. C.; Ruddell, B. L.

2013-12-01

Water resources are a key element in the global coupled natural-human (CNH) system, because they are tightly coupled with the world's social, environmental, and economic subsystems, and because water resources are under increasing pressure worldwide. A fundamental adaptive tool used especially by cities to overcome local water resource scarcity is the outsourcing of water resource impacts through substitutionary economic trade. This is generally understood as the indirect component of a water footprint, and as ';virtual water' trade. This work employs generalized CNH methods to reveal the trade in water resource impacts embedded in electrical energy within the Western US power grid, and utilizes a general equilibrium economic trade model combined with drought and demand growth constraints to estimate the future status of this trade. Trade in embedded water resource impacts currently increases total water used for electricity production in the Western US and shifts water use to more water-limited States. Extreme drought and large increases in electrical energy demand increase the need for embedded water resource impact trade, while motivating a shift to more water-efficient generation technologies and more water-abundant generating locations. Cities are the largest users of electrical energy, and in the 21st Century will outsource a larger fraction of their water resource impacts through trade. This trade exposes cities to risks associated with disruption of long-distance transmission and distant hydrological droughts.

Livelihood diversification in tropical coastal communities: a network-based approach to analyzing 'livelihood landscapes'.

PubMed

Cinner, Joshua E; Bodin, Orjan

2010-08-11

Diverse livelihood portfolios are frequently viewed as a critical component of household economies in developing countries. Within the context of natural resources governance in particular, the capacity of individual households to engage in multiple occupations has been shown to influence important issues such as whether fishers would exit a declining fishery, how people react to policy, the types of resource management systems that may be applicable, and other decisions about natural resource use. This paper uses network analysis to provide a novel methodological framework for detailed systemic analysis of household livelihood portfolios. Paying particular attention to the role of natural resource-based occupations such as fisheries, we use network analyses to map occupations and their interrelationships- what we refer to as 'livelihood landscapes'. This network approach allows for the visualization of complex information about dependence on natural resources that can be aggregated at different scales. We then examine how the role of natural resource-based occupations changes along spectra of socioeconomic development and population density in 27 communities in 5 western Indian Ocean countries. Network statistics, including in- and out-degree centrality, the density of the network, and the level of network centralization are compared along a multivariate index of community-level socioeconomic development and a gradient of human population density. The combination of network analyses suggests an increase in household-level specialization with development for most occupational sectors, including fishing and farming, but that at the community-level, economies remained diversified. The novel modeling approach introduced here provides for various types of livelihood portfolio analyses at different scales of social aggregation. Our livelihood landscapes approach provides insights into communities' dependencies and usages of natural resources, and shows how patterns of occupational interrelationships relate to socioeconomic development and population density. A key question for future analysis is how the reduction of household occupational diversity, but maintenance of community diversity we see with increasing socioeconomic development influences key aspects of societies' vulnerability to environmental change or disasters.

Dependencies of Europe's economy on water resources outside its borders and its vulnerability to weather extremes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chico Zamanillo, Daniel; Chapagain, Ashok; Ercin, Ertug

2017-04-01

Europe's economy is dependent on water resources elsewhere in the world since many of the goods consumed in the EU are not produced domestically, but abroad. Reliance on food, energy and goods produced in regions outside of the EU may impose water related risks on different economic sectors within the EU due to vulnerability of water resources used in their production to hydrological extremes and climate change. IMPREX project addresses this economic dependency and water resources vulnerability to hydrological extremes and climate change under WP12 "Water Economy". This study presents the results of the first task of WP12, mapping current dependencies of European economy on water resources outside its borders and their vulnerability to drought and water scarcity. In our assessment, we have used water footprint, which is a measure of the appropriation of freshwater resources for human activities, and is comprised of three components - green (consumption of rainfall), blue (consumption of surface and groundwater) and grey (refers to water pollution). We first calculated virtual water import, the amount of water consumed in producing products imported to the EU, and we identified key products - those making up the largest virtual water inflows to the EU. After mapping the dependencies, we assessed water scarcity and drought severity in producing locations. Coupling this with the water footprint enabled us to map the EU's external water dependencies and to identify when and where vulnerabilities may lie, in terms of blue water scarcity and drought. Overall, external green water resources account for 41% of the total green water footprint of the EU's economy. Soybean, cocoa, coffee, oil palm, sunflower, maize and olives are identified as key products from the perspective of green virtual water import to the EU. Soybean is the crop with the largest virtual water import volume to the EU with imports coming from Argentina, Brazil and USA. Europe relies on soybean import to meet demand for meat and dairy products. Although around 99.5% of the green virtual water import to the EU related to soybean comes from locations with low drought risk, this is likely to change due to disruption of rainfall patterns under climate change in coming years. The vulnerability of 91% of the green virtual water import related to other key products is determined as "low". Thirty percent of the blue water resources consumed in production fueling Europe's economy come from external sources. The key products identified for blue virtual water import are rice, sugar cane, cotton, almonds, pistachios, grapes and soybean. These key products are sourced from areas under significant or severe water scarcity, thus making most blue water imports highly vulnerable. For example, 91% of almond and 74% of rice blue virtual water import to the EU are categorized as highly vulnerable. The results of this study and future tasks of WP12 will help governments, European policies and companies in their mid- and long-term planning for sustainable development in light of climate change, population growth and increased demand for products and services.

16 CFR § 1000.22 - Office of Human Resources Management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 16 Commercial Practices 2 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Office of Human Resources Management. Â... ORGANIZATION AND FUNCTIONS § 1000.22 Office of Human Resources Management. The Office of Human Resources Management, which is managed by the Director of the Office, provides human resources management support to...

[Key content and formulation of national Chinese materia medica resources survey at county level].

PubMed

Lu, Jian-Wei; Zhang, Xiao-Bo; Li, Hai-Tao; Guo, Lan-Ping; Zhao, Run-Huai; Zhang, Ben-Gang; Sun, Li-Ying; Huang, Lu-Qi

2013-08-01

According to National Census for Water, National Population Census, National Land and Resources Survey, and work experience of experimental measures for national Chinese materia medica resources(CMMR) survey,the national CMMR survey at the county level is the key point of whole survey, that includes organization and management, field survey, sorting data three key links. Organization and management works of national CMMR survey needs to finish four key contents, there are definite goals and tasks, practicable crew, preparation directory, and security assurance. Field survey works of the national CMMR survey needs to finish five key contents, there are preparation works for field survey, the choice of the key survey area (samples), fill in the questionnaire, video data collection, specimen and other physical collection. Sorting data works of the national CMMR survey needs to finish tree key contents, there are data, specimen and census results.

How human resource organization can enhance space information acquisition and processing: the experience of the VENESAT-1 ground segment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Acevedo, Romina; Orihuela, Nuris; Blanco, Rafael; Varela, Francisco; Camacho, Enrique; Urbina, Marianela; Aponte, Luis Gabriel; Vallenilla, Leopoldo; Acuña, Liana; Becerra, Roberto; Tabare, Terepaima; Recaredo, Erica

2009-12-01

Built in cooperation with the P.R of China, in October 29th of 2008, the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela launched its first Telecommunication Satellite, the so called VENESAT-1 (Simón Bolívar Satellite), which operates in C (covering Center America, The Caribbean Region and most of South America), Ku (Bolivia, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Haiti, Paraguay, Uruguay, Venezuela) and Ka bands (Venezuela). The launch of VENESAT-1 represents the starting point for Venezuela as an active player in the field of space science and technology. In order to fulfill mission requirements and to guarantee the satellite's health, local professionals must provide continuous monitoring, orbit calculation, maneuvers preparation and execution, data preparation and processing, as well as data base management at the VENESAT-1 Ground Segment, which includes both a primary and backup site. In summary, data processing and real time data management are part of the daily activities performed by the personnel at the ground segment. Using published and unpublished information, this paper presents how human resource organization can enhance space information acquisition and processing, by analyzing the proposed organizational structure for the VENESAT-1 Ground Segment. We have found that the proposed units within the organizational structure reflect 3 key issues for mission management: Satellite Operations, Ground Operations, and Site Maintenance. The proposed organization is simple (3 hierarchical levels and 7 units), and communication channels seem efficient in terms of facilitating information acquisition, processing, storage, flow and exchange. Furthermore, the proposal includes a manual containing the full description of personnel responsibilities and profile, which efficiently allocates the management and operation of key software for satellite operation such as the Real-time Data Transaction Software (RDTS), Data Management Software (DMS), and Carrier Spectrum Monitoring Software (CSM) within the different organizational units. In all this process, the international cooperation has played a key role for the consolidation of its space capabilities, especially through the continuous and arduous exchange of information, documentation and expertise between Chinese and Venezuelan personnel at the ground stations. Based on the principles of technology transfer and human training, since 1999 the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela has shown an increasing interest in developing local space capabilities for peaceful purposes. According to the analysis we have performed, the proposed organizational structure of the VENESAT-1 ground segment will allow the country to face the challenges imposed by the operation of complex technologies. By enhancing human resource organization, this proposal will help to fulfill mission requirements, and to facilitate the safe access, processing and storage of satellite data across the organization, during both nominal and potential contingency situations.

Technical and scale efficiency in the delivery of child health services in Zambia: results from data envelopment analysis

PubMed Central

Achoki, Tom; Hovels, Anke; Masiye, Felix; Lesego, Abaleng; Leufkens, Hubert; Kinfu, Yohannes

2017-01-01

Objective Despite tremendous efforts to scale up key maternal and child health interventions in Zambia, progress has not been uniform across the country. This raises fundamental health system performance questions that require further investigation. Our study investigates technical and scale efficiency (SE) in the delivery of maternal and child health services in the country. Setting The study focused on all 72 health districts of Zambia. Methods We compiled a district-level database comprising health outcomes (measured by the probability of survival to 5 years of age), health outputs (measured by coverage of key health interventions) and a set of health system inputs, namely, financial resources and human resources for health, for the year 2010. We used data envelopment analysis to assess the performance of subnational units across Zambia with respect to technical and SE, controlling for environmental factors that are beyond the control of health system decision makers. Results Nationally, average technical efficiency with respect to improving child survival was 61.5% (95% CI 58.2% to 64.8%), which suggests that there is a huge inefficiency in resource use in the country and the potential to expand services without injecting additional resources into the system. Districts that were more urbanised and had a higher proportion of educated women were more technically efficient. Improved cooking methods and donor funding had no significant effect on efficiency. Conclusions With the pressing need to accelerate progress in population health, decision makers must seek efficient ways to deliver services to achieve universal health coverage. Understanding the factors that drive performance and seeking ways to enhance efficiency offer a practical pathway through which low-income countries could improve population health without necessarily seeking additional resources. PMID:28057650

Success criteria for electronic medical record implementations in low-resource settings: a systematic review.

PubMed

Fritz, Fleur; Tilahun, Binyam; Dugas, Martin

2015-03-01

Electronic medical record (EMR) systems have the potential of supporting clinical work by providing the right information at the right time to the right people and thus make efficient use of resources. This is especially important in low-resource settings where reliable data are also needed to support public health and local supporting organizations. In this systematic literature review, our objectives are to identify and collect literature about success criteria of EMR implementations in low-resource settings and to summarize them into recommendations. Our search strategy relied on PubMed queries and manual bibliography reviews. Studies were included if EMR implementations in low-resource settings were described. The extracted success criteria and measurements were summarized into 7 categories: ethical, financial, functionality, organizational, political, technical, and training. We collected 381 success criteria with 229 measurements from 47 articles out of 223 articles. Most papers were evaluations or lessons learned from African countries, published from 1999 to 2013. Almost half of the EMR systems served a specific disease area like human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The majority of criteria that were reported dealt with the functionality, followed by organizational issues, and technical infrastructures. Sufficient training and skilled personnel were mentioned in roughly 10%. Political, ethical, and financial considerations did not play a predominant role. More evaluations based on reliable frameworks are needed. Highly reliable data handling methods, human resources and effective project management, as well as technical architecture and infrastructure are all key factors for successful EMR implementation. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the American Medical Informatics Association. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

A strategic approach to workforce development for local public health.

PubMed

Bryant, Beverley; Ward, Megan

2017-11-09

In 2009, Peel Public Health set a vision to transform the work of public health from efficient delivery of public health services as defined by provincial mandate to the robust analysis of the health status of the local population and selection and implementation of programming to achieve best health outcomes. A strategic approach to the workforce was a key enabler. PPH is a public health unit in Ontario that serves 1.4 million people. An organization-wide strategic workforce development program was instituted. It is theory-based, evidence-informed and data-driven. A first step was a conceptual framework, followed by interventions in workforce planning, human resources management, and capacity development. The program was built on evidence reviews, theory, and public health core competencies. Interventions spread across the employee work-life span. Capacity development based on the public health core competencies is a main focus, particularly analytical capacity to support decision-making. Employees gain skill and knowledge in comprehensive population health. Leadership evolves as work shifts to the analysis of health status and development of interventions. Effective human resource processes ensure appropriate job design, recruitment and orientation. Analysis of the workforce leads to vigorous employee development to ensure a strong pool of potential leadership successors. Theory, research evidence, and data provide a robust foundation for workforce development. Competencies are important inputs to job descriptions, recruitment, training, and human resource processes. A comprehensive workforce development strategy enables the development of a skilled workforce capable of responding to the needs of the population it serves.

Impact of euthanasia rates, euthanasia practices, and human resource practices on employee turnover in animal shelters.

PubMed

Rogelberg, Steven G; Reeve, Charlie L; Spitzmüller, Christiane; DiGiacomo, Natalie; Clark, Olga L; Teeter, Lisa; Walker, Alan G; Starling, Paula G; Carter, Nathan T

2007-03-01

To examine the effects of euthanasia rates, euthanasia practices, and human resource practices on the turnover rate among employees with euthanasia responsibilities at animal shelters. Cross-sectional original study. 36 shelters across the United States that employed at least 5 full-time employees and performed euthanasia on site. By mail, 1 survey was sent to each shelter. Surveys were completed by a senior member of management and were returned by mail. Questions assessed characteristics (eg, euthanasia rates) and practices of the animal shelter, along with employee turnover rates. By use of correlation coefficients and stepwise regression analyses, key predictors of turnover rates among employees with euthanasia responsibilities were investigated. Employee turnover rates were positively related to euthanasia rate. Practices that were associated with decreased turnover rates included provision of a designated euthanasia room, exclusion of other live animals from vicinity during euthanasia, and removal of euthanized animals from a room prior to entry of another animal to be euthanized. Making decisions regarding euthanasia of animals on the basis of factors other than behavior and health reasons was related to increased personnel turnover. With regard to human resources practices, shelters that used a systematic personnel selection procedure (eg, standardized testing) had comparatively lower employee turnover. Data obtained may suggest several specific avenues that can be pursued to mitigate turnover among employees with euthanasia responsibilities at animal shelters and animal control or veterinary medical organizations.

Civilian Human Resources

Science.gov Websites

open the menu (new window). Open Menu Navigate Up This page location is: Civilian Human Resources Pages Default BrowseTab 1 of 2. PageTab 2 of 2. Sign In You are leaving the Civilian Human Resources Website LinkedIn Search this site... Search Civilian Human Resources Top Link Bar Civilian Human Resources Home

Agri-Environmental Resource Management by Large-Scale Collective Action: Determining KEY Success Factors

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Uetake, Tetsuya

2015-01-01

Purpose: Large-scale collective action is necessary when managing agricultural natural resources such as biodiversity and water quality. This paper determines the key factors to the success of such action. Design/Methodology/Approach: This paper analyses four large-scale collective actions used to manage agri-environmental resources in Canada and…

Eight habitats, 38 threats and 55 experts: Assessing ecological risk in a multi-use marine region

PubMed Central

Jones, Alice R.; Deveney, Marty R.; Ward, Tim M.; Gillanders, Bronwyn M.

2017-01-01

Identifying the relative risk human activities pose to a habitat, and the ecosystem services they provide, can guide management prioritisation and resource allocation. Using a combination of expert elicitation to assess the probable effect of a threat and existing data to assess the level of threat exposure, we conducted a risk assessment for 38 human-mediated threats to eight marine habitats (totalling 304 threat-habitat combinations) in Spencer Gulf, Australia. We developed a score-based survey to collate expert opinion and assess the relative effect of each threat to each habitat, as well as a novel and independent measure of knowledge-based uncertainty. Fifty-five experts representing multiple sectors and institutions participated in the study, with 6 to 15 survey responses per habitat (n = 81 surveys). We identified key threats specific to each habitat; overall, climate change threats received the highest risk rankings, with nutrient discharge identified as a key local-scale stressor. Invasive species and most fishing-related threats, which are commonly identified as major threats to the marine environment, were ranked as low-tier threats to Spencer Gulf, emphasising the importance of regionally-relevant assessments. Further, we identified critical knowledge gaps and quantified uncertainty scores for each risk. Our approach will facilitate prioritisation of resource allocation in a region of increasing social, economic and environmental importance, and can be applied to marine regions where empirical data are lacking. PMID:28489912

Risk and the evolution of human exchange.

PubMed

Kaplan, Hillard S; Schniter, Eric; Smith, Vernon L; Wilson, Bart J

2012-08-07

Compared with other species, exchange among non-kin is a hallmark of human sociality in both the breadth of individuals and total resources involved. One hypothesis is that extensive exchange evolved to buffer the risks associated with hominid dietary specialization on calorie dense, large packages, especially from hunting. 'Lucky' individuals share food with 'unlucky' individuals with the expectation of reciprocity when roles are reversed. Cross-cultural data provide prima facie evidence of pair-wise reciprocity and an almost universal association of high-variance (HV) resources with greater exchange. However, such evidence is not definitive; an alternative hypothesis is that food sharing is really 'tolerated theft', in which individuals possessing more food allow others to steal from them, owing to the threat of violence from hungry individuals. Pair-wise correlations may reflect proximity providing greater opportunities for mutual theft of food. We report a laboratory experiment of foraging and food consumption in a virtual world, designed to test the risk-reduction hypothesis by determining whether people form reciprocal relationships in response to variance of resource acquisition, even when there is no external enforcement of any transfer agreements that might emerge. Individuals can forage in a high-mean, HV patch or a low-mean, low-variance (LV) patch. The key feature of the experimental design is that individuals can transfer resources to others. We find that sharing hardly occurs after LV foraging, but among HV foragers sharing increases dramatically over time. The results provide strong support for the hypothesis that people are pre-disposed to evaluate gains from exchange and respond to unsynchronized variance in resource availability through endogenous reciprocal trading relationships.

Creating stories for learning about the neonatal care experience through the eyes of student nurses: An interpretive, narrative study.

PubMed

Petty, Julia

2017-01-01

Storytelling is an increasingly well recognised and valued platform to learn about the human experience within healthcare. Little is known however about how stories can enhance understanding in neonatal care, a specialised field offering rich opportunities for learning. This study focuses on the creation of stories based on the experiences of student nurses to inform teaching and learning strategies in the neonatal field. The study aimed to create stories from the narratives of student nurses working within the neonatal field and identify what key themes for learning emerged in order to develop a storytelling resource to share experiences with their peers. An interpretive, constructivist approach was used to collect, analyse and create stories from student nurse's experiences, in line with narrative inquiry. Six pre-registration children's nursing students were selected by purposive sampling. Interviews were undertaken within six weeks following placement completion in an agreed location. Narratives were obtained by semi-structured interviews. Narrative analysis and core story creation was undertaken to construct stories and key learning themes emerged which provided the pedagogical basis for subsequent digital resource development. Key themes emerged relating to the insight and observances of student nurses and the neonatal journey they had experienced, including the nature of neonatal care, experiences of the neonate and parents, the environment and their own learning transition. Preliminary peer evaluation of the storytelling resource revealed storytelling as an interesting and novel approach to teaching & learning, learning from ones' peers, preparation for practice and a valuable insight into a new specialist area. The study has value to teaching and learning by enabling an appreciation of how narrative can be used to portray the experiences of learners. Findings also support an approach to analysing narrative to create stories for learning and inform subsequent digital resource development. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Multiscale Modeling of Human-Water Interactions: The Role of Time-Scales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bloeschl, G.; Sivapalan, M.

2015-12-01

Much of the interest in hydrological modeling in the past decades revolved around resolving spatial variability. With the rapid changes brought about by human impacts on the hydrologic cycle, there is now an increasing need to refocus on time dependency. We present a co-evolutionary view of hydrologic systems, in which every part of the system including human systems, co-evolve, albeit at different rates. The resulting coupled human-nature system is framed as a dynamical system, characterized by interactions of fast and slow time scales and feedbacks between environmental and social processes. This gives rise to emergent phenomena such as the levee effect, adaptation to change and system collapse due to resource depletion. Changing human values play a key role in the emergence of these phenomena and should therefore be considered as internal to the system in a dynamic way. The co-evolutionary approach differs from the traditional view of water resource systems analysis as it allows for path dependence, multiple equilibria, lock-in situations and emergent phenomena. The approach may assist strategic water management for long time scales through facilitating stakeholder participation, exploring the possibility space of alternative futures, and helping to synthesise the observed dynamics of different case studies. Future research opportunities include the study of how changes in human values are connected to human-water interactions, historical analyses of trajectories of system co-evolution in individual places and comparative analyses of contrasting human-water systems in different climate and socio-economic settings. Reference Sivapalan, M. and G. Blöschl (2015) Time Scale Interactions and the Co-evolution of Humans and Water. Water Resour. Res., 51, in press.

Robotic Reconnaissance Missions to Small Bodies and Their Potential Contributions to Human Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Abell, P. A.; Rivkin, A. S.

2015-01-01

Introduction: Robotic reconnaissance missions to small bodies will directly address aspects of NASA's Asteroid Initiative and will contribute to future human exploration. The NASA Asteroid Initiative is comprised of two major components: the Grand Challenge and the Asteroid Mission. The first component, the Grand Challenge, focuses on protecting Earth's population from asteroid impacts by detecting potentially hazardous objects with enough warning time to either prevent them from impacting the planet, or to implement civil defense procedures. The Asteroid Mission involves sending astronauts to study and sample a near- Earth asteroid (NEA) prior to conducting exploration missions of the Martian system, which includes Phobos and Deimos. The science and technical data obtained from robotic precursor missions that investigate the surface and interior physical characteristics of an object will help identify the pertinent physical properties that will maximize operational efficiency and reduce mission risk for both robotic assets and crew operating in close proximity to, or at the surface of, a small body. These data will help fill crucial strategic knowledge gaps (SKGs) concerning asteroid physical characteristics that are relevant for human exploration considerations at similar small body destinations. Small Body Strategic Knowledge Gaps: For the past several years NASA has been interested in identifying the key SKGs related to future human destinations. These SKGs highlight the various unknowns and/or data gaps of targets that the science and engineering communities would like to have filled in prior to committing crews to explore the Solar System. An action team from the Small Bodies Assessment Group (SBAG) was formed specifically to identify the small body SKGs under the direction of the Human Exploration and Operations Missions Directorate (HEOMD), given NASA's recent interest in NEAs and the Martian moons as potential human destinations [1]. The action team organized the SKGs into four broad themes: 1) Identify human mission targets; 2) Understand how to work on and interact with the small body surface; 3) Understand the small body environment and its potential risk/benefit to crew, systems, and operational assets; and 4) Understand the small body resource potential. Each of these themes were then further subdivided into categories to address specific SKG issues. Robotic Precursor Contributions to SKGs: Robotic reconnaissance missions should be able to address specific aspects related to SKG themes 1 through 4. Theme 1 deals with the identification of human mission targets within the NEA population. The current guideline indicates that human missions to fastspinning, tumbling, or binary asteroids may be too risky to conduct successfully from an operational perspective. However, no spacecraft mission has been to any of these types of NEAs before. Theme 2 addresses the concerns about interacting on the small body surface under microgravity conditions, and how the surface and/or sub-surface properties affect or restrict the interaction for human exploration. The combination of remote sensing instruments and in situ payloads will provide good insight into the asteroid's surface and subsurface properties. SKG theme 3 deals with the environment in and around the small body that may present a nuisance or hazard to any assets operating in close proximity. Impact and surface experiments will help address issues related to particle size, particle longevity, internal structure, and the near-surface mechanical stability of the asteroid. Understanding or constraining these physical characteristics are important for mission planning. Theme 4 addresses the resource potential of the small body. This is a particularly important aspect of human exploration since the identification and utilization of resources is a key aspect for deep space mission architectures to the Martian system (i.e., Phobos and Deimos). Conclusions: Robotic reconnaissance of small bodies can provide a wealth of information relevant to the science and planetary defense of NEAs. However, such missions to investigate NEAs can also provide key insights into small body strategic knowledge gaps and contribute to the overall success for human exploration missions to asteroids.

Observations of severe and lethal coalitionary attacks in wild mountain gorillas

PubMed Central

Rosenbaum, Stacy; Vecellio, Veronica; Stoinski, Tara

2016-01-01

In humans and chimpanzees, most intraspecific killing occurs during coalitionary intergroup conflict. In the closely related genus Gorilla, such behavior has not been described. We report three cases of multi-male, multi-female wild mountain gorilla (G. beringei) groups attacking extra-group males. The behavior was strikingly similar to reports in chimpanzees, but was never observed in gorillas until after a demographic transition left ~25% of the population living in large social groups with multiple (3+) males. Resource competition is generally considered a motivator of great apes’ (including humans) violent intergroup conflict, but mountain gorillas are non-territorial herbivores with low feeding competition. While adult male gorillas have a defensible resource (i.e. females) and nursing/pregnant females are likely motivated to drive off potentially infanticidal intruders, the participation of others (e.g. juveniles, sub-adults, cycling females) is harder to explain. We speculate that the potential for severe group disruption when current alpha males are severely injured or killed may provide sufficient motivation when the costs to participants are low. These observations suggest that the gorilla population’s recent increase in multi-male groups facilitated the emergence of such behavior, and indicates social structure is a key predictor of coalitionary aggression even in the absence of meaningful resource stress. PMID:27849056

Biocultural approaches to well-being and sustainability indicators across scales.

PubMed

Sterling, Eleanor J; Filardi, Christopher; Toomey, Anne; Sigouin, Amanda; Betley, Erin; Gazit, Nadav; Newell, Jennifer; Albert, Simon; Alvira, Diana; Bergamini, Nadia; Blair, Mary; Boseto, David; Burrows, Kate; Bynum, Nora; Caillon, Sophie; Caselle, Jennifer E; Claudet, Joachim; Cullman, Georgina; Dacks, Rachel; Eyzaguirre, Pablo B; Gray, Steven; Herrera, James; Kenilorea, Peter; Kinney, Kealohanuiopuna; Kurashima, Natalie; Macey, Suzanne; Malone, Cynthia; Mauli, Senoveva; McCarter, Joe; McMillen, Heather; Pascua, Pua'ala; Pikacha, Patrick; Porzecanski, Ana L; de Robert, Pascale; Salpeteur, Matthieu; Sirikolo, Myknee; Stege, Mark H; Stege, Kristina; Ticktin, Tamara; Vave, Ron; Wali, Alaka; West, Paige; Winter, Kawika B; Jupiter, Stacy D

2017-12-01

Monitoring and evaluation are central to ensuring that innovative, multi-scale, and interdisciplinary approaches to sustainability are effective. The development of relevant indicators for local sustainable management outcomes, and the ability to link these to broader national and international policy targets, are key challenges for resource managers, policymakers, and scientists. Sets of indicators that capture both ecological and social-cultural factors, and the feedbacks between them, can underpin cross-scale linkages that help bridge local and global scale initiatives to increase resilience of both humans and ecosystems. Here we argue that biocultural approaches, in combination with methods for synthesizing across evidence from multiple sources, are critical to developing metrics that facilitate linkages across scales and dimensions. Biocultural approaches explicitly start with and build on local cultural perspectives - encompassing values, knowledges, and needs - and recognize feedbacks between ecosystems and human well-being. Adoption of these approaches can encourage exchange between local and global actors, and facilitate identification of crucial problems and solutions that are missing from many regional and international framings of sustainability. Resource managers, scientists, and policymakers need to be thoughtful about not only what kinds of indicators are measured, but also how indicators are designed, implemented, measured, and ultimately combined to evaluate resource use and well-being. We conclude by providing suggestions for translating between local and global indicator efforts.

Quantum key distribution with finite resources: Secret key rates via Renyi entropies

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

Abruzzo, Silvestre; Kampermann, Hermann; Mertz, Markus

A realistic quantum key distribution (QKD) protocol necessarily deals with finite resources, such as the number of signals exchanged by the two parties. We derive a bound on the secret key rate which is expressed as an optimization problem over Renyi entropies. Under the assumption of collective attacks by an eavesdropper, a computable estimate of our bound for the six-state protocol is provided. This bound leads to improved key rates in comparison to previous results.

Unexplored therapeutic opportunities in the human genome.

PubMed

Oprea, Tudor I; Bologa, Cristian G; Brunak, Søren; Campbell, Allen; Gan, Gregory N; Gaulton, Anna; Gomez, Shawn M; Guha, Rajarshi; Hersey, Anne; Holmes, Jayme; Jadhav, Ajit; Jensen, Lars Juhl; Johnson, Gary L; Karlson, Anneli; Leach, Andrew R; Ma'ayan, Avi; Malovannaya, Anna; Mani, Subramani; Mathias, Stephen L; McManus, Michael T; Meehan, Terrence F; von Mering, Christian; Muthas, Daniel; Nguyen, Dac-Trung; Overington, John P; Papadatos, George; Qin, Jun; Reich, Christian; Roth, Bryan L; Schürer, Stephan C; Simeonov, Anton; Sklar, Larry A; Southall, Noel; Tomita, Susumu; Tudose, Ilinca; Ursu, Oleg; Vidovic, Dušica; Waller, Anna; Westergaard, David; Yang, Jeremy J; Zahoránszky-Köhalmi, Gergely

2018-05-01

A large proportion of biomedical research and the development of therapeutics is focused on a small fraction of the human genome. In a strategic effort to map the knowledge gaps around proteins encoded by the human genome and to promote the exploration of currently understudied, but potentially druggable, proteins, the US National Institutes of Health launched the Illuminating the Druggable Genome (IDG) initiative in 2014. In this article, we discuss how the systematic collection and processing of a wide array of genomic, proteomic, chemical and disease-related resource data by the IDG Knowledge Management Center have enabled the development of evidence-based criteria for tracking the target development level (TDL) of human proteins, which indicates a substantial knowledge deficit for approximately one out of three proteins in the human proteome. We then present spotlights on the TDL categories as well as key drug target classes, including G protein-coupled receptors, protein kinases and ion channels, which illustrate the nature of the unexplored opportunities for biomedical research and therapeutic development.

Common In-Situ Consumable Production Plant for Robotic Mars Exploration

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sanders, G. B.; Trevathan, J. R.; Peters, T. A.; Baird, R. S.

2000-01-01

Utilization of extraterrestrial resources, or In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), is viewed by the Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) Enterprise as an enabling technology for the exploration and commercial development of space. A key subset of ISRU which has significant cost, mass, and risk reduction benefits for robotic and human exploration, and which requires a minimum of infrastructure, is In-Situ Consumable Production (ISCP). ISCP involves acquiring, manufacturing, and storing mission consumables from in situ resources, such as propellants, fuel cell reagents, and gases for crew and life support, inflation, science and pneumatic equipment. One of the four long-term goals for the Space Science Enterprise (SSE) is to 'pursue space science programs that enable and are enabled by future human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit - a goal exploiting the synergy with the human exploration of space'. Adequate power and propulsion capabilities are critical for both robotic and human exploration missions. Minimizing the mass and volume of these systems can reduce mission cost or enhance the mission by enabling the incorporation of new science or mission-relevant equipment. Studies have shown that in-situ production of oxygen and methane propellants can enhance sample return missions by enabling larger samples to be returned to Earth or by performing Direct Earth Return (DER) sample return missions instead of requiring a Mars Orbit Rendezvous (MOR). Recent NASA and Department of Energy (DOE) work on oxygen and hydrocarbon-based fuel cell power systems shows the potential of using fuel cell power systems instead of solar arrays and batteries for future rovers and science equipment. The development and use of a common oxygen/methane ISCP plant for propulsion and power generation can extend and enhance the scientific exploration of Mars while supporting the development and demonstration of critical technologies and systems for the human exploration of Mars.

Common In-Situ Consumable Production Plant for Robotic Mars Exploration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanders, G. B.; Trevathan, J. R.; Peters, T. A.; Baird, R. S.

2000-07-01

Utilization of extraterrestrial resources, or In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU), is viewed by the Human Exploration and Development of Space (HEDS) Enterprise as an enabling technology for the exploration and commercial development of space. A key subset of ISRU which has significant cost, mass, and risk reduction benefits for robotic and human exploration, and which requires a minimum of infrastructure, is In-Situ Consumable Production (ISCP). ISCP involves acquiring, manufacturing, and storing mission consumables from in situ resources, such as propellants, fuel cell reagents, and gases for crew and life support, inflation, science and pneumatic equipment. One of the four long-term goals for the Space Science Enterprise (SSE) is to 'pursue space science programs that enable and are enabled by future human exploration beyond low-Earth orbit - a goal exploiting the synergy with the human exploration of space'. Adequate power and propulsion capabilities are critical for both robotic and human exploration missions. Minimizing the mass and volume of these systems can reduce mission cost or enhance the mission by enabling the incorporation of new science or mission-relevant equipment. Studies have shown that in-situ production of oxygen and methane propellants can enhance sample return missions by enabling larger samples to be returned to Earth or by performing Direct Earth Return (DER) sample return missions instead of requiring a Mars Orbit Rendezvous (MOR). Recent NASA and Department of Energy (DOE) work on oxygen and hydrocarbon-based fuel cell power systems shows the potential of using fuel cell power systems instead of solar arrays and batteries for future rovers and science equipment. The development and use of a common oxygen/methane ISCP plant for propulsion and power generation can extend and enhance the scientific exploration of Mars while supporting the development and demonstration of critical technologies and systems for the human exploration of Mars.

District health managers' perceptions of supervision in Malawi and Tanzania.

PubMed

Bradley, Susan; Kamwendo, Francis; Masanja, Honorati; de Pinho, Helen; Waxman, Rachel; Boostrom, Camille; McAuliffe, Eilish

2013-09-05

Mid-level cadres are being used to address human resource shortages in many African contexts, but insufficient and ineffective human resource management is compromising their performance. Supervision plays a key role in performance and motivation, but is frequently characterised by periodic inspection and control, rather than support and feedback to improve performance. This paper explores the perceptions of district health management teams in Tanzania and Malawi on their role as supervisors and on the challenges to effective supervision at the district level. This qualitative study took place as part of a broader project, "Health Systems Strengthening for Equity: The Power and Potential of Mid-Level Providers". Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 district health management team personnel in Malawi and 37 council health team members in Tanzania. The interviews covered a range of human resource management issues, including supervision and performance assessment, staff job descriptions and roles, motivation and working conditions. Participants displayed varying attitudes to the nature and purpose of the supervision process. Much of the discourse in Malawi centred on inspection and control, while interviewees in Tanzania were more likely to articulate a paradigm characterised by support and improvement. In both countries, facility level performance metrics dominated. The lack of competency-based indicators or clear standards to assess individual health worker performance were considered problematic. Shortages of staff, at both district and facility level, were described as a major impediment to carrying out regular supervisory visits. Other challenges included conflicting and multiple responsibilities of district health team staff and financial constraints. Supervision is a central component of effective human resource management. Policy level attention is crucial to ensure a systematic, structured process that is based on common understandings of the role and purpose of supervision. This is particularly important in a context where the majority of staff are mid-level cadres for whom regulation and guidelines may not be as formalised or well-developed as for traditional cadres, such as registered nurses and medical doctors. Supervision needs to be adequately resourced and supported in order to improve performance and retention at the district level.

District health managers’ perceptions of supervision in Malawi and Tanzania

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Mid-level cadres are being used to address human resource shortages in many African contexts, but insufficient and ineffective human resource management is compromising their performance. Supervision plays a key role in performance and motivation, but is frequently characterised by periodic inspection and control, rather than support and feedback to improve performance. This paper explores the perceptions of district health management teams in Tanzania and Malawi on their role as supervisors and on the challenges to effective supervision at the district level. Methods This qualitative study took place as part of a broader project, “Health Systems Strengthening for Equity: The Power and Potential of Mid-Level Providers”. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 district health management team personnel in Malawi and 37 council health team members in Tanzania. The interviews covered a range of human resource management issues, including supervision and performance assessment, staff job descriptions and roles, motivation and working conditions. Results Participants displayed varying attitudes to the nature and purpose of the supervision process. Much of the discourse in Malawi centred on inspection and control, while interviewees in Tanzania were more likely to articulate a paradigm characterised by support and improvement. In both countries, facility level performance metrics dominated. The lack of competency-based indicators or clear standards to assess individual health worker performance were considered problematic. Shortages of staff, at both district and facility level, were described as a major impediment to carrying out regular supervisory visits. Other challenges included conflicting and multiple responsibilities of district health team staff and financial constraints. Conclusion Supervision is a central component of effective human resource management. Policy level attention is crucial to ensure a systematic, structured process that is based on common understandings of the role and purpose of supervision. This is particularly important in a context where the majority of staff are mid-level cadres for whom regulation and guidelines may not be as formalised or well-developed as for traditional cadres, such as registered nurses and medical doctors. Supervision needs to be adequately resourced and supported in order to improve performance and retention at the district level. PMID:24007354

Brachypodium distachyon genomics for sustainable food and fuel production.

PubMed

Bevan, Michael W; Garvin, David F; Vogel, John P

2010-04-01

Grass crops are the most important sources of human nutrition, and their improvement is centrally important for meeting the challenges of sustainable agriculture, for feeding the world's population and for developing renewable supplies of fuel and industrial products. We describe the complete sequence of the compact genome of Brachypodium distachyon (Brachypodium) the first pooid grass to be sequenced. We demonstrate the many favorable characteristics of Brachypodium as an experimental system and show how it can be used to navigate the large and complex genomes of closely related grasses. The functional genomics and other experimental resources that are being developed will provide a key resource for improving food and forage crops, in particular wheat, barley and forage grasses, and for establishing new grass crops for sustainable energy production. Copyright 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Improving the Product Documentation Process of a Small Software Company

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Valtanen, Anu; Ahonen, Jarmo J.; Savolainen, Paula

Documentation is an important part of the software process, even though it is often neglected in software companies. The eternal question is how much documentation is enough. In this article, we present a practical implementation of lightweight product documentation process resulting from SPI efforts in a small company. Small companies’ financial and human resources are often limited. The documentation process described here, offers a template for creating adequate documentation consuming minimal amount of resources. The key element of the documentation process is an open source web-based bugtracking system that was customized to be used as a documentation tool. The use of the tool enables iterative and well structured documentation. The solution best serves the needs of a small company with off-the-shelf software products and striving for SPI.

The work of the Village: creating a new world for children with hearing loss and their families.

PubMed

Yoshinaga-Itano, Christine; Thomson, Vickie

2008-01-01

Though the health and economic issues in developing countries may create situations in which the development of early hearing detection and intervention (EHDI) programs could seem insurmountable, developing countries have some resources that are not easily available to those in the developed world. Developing countries often have well-organized communities in which members work together for the benefit of the individuals within their communities as well as a willingness to learn strategies that can improve the lives of individuals in their communities. Paradoxically, there also exists societal intolerance for disabilities that can result in stigmatization and ultimate isolation of affected families. Hopefully, education within these communities can begin to overcome historical intolerance. While some might argue that sufficient financial resources are the key to the development of an EHDI system, the Colorado system, although grateful for all financial resources, is dependent, first and foremost upon the human resources. This article provides information about the history of the Colorado system in the hopes that lessons learned will provide valuable input to others facing similar challenges.

The Pacific Northwest's Climate Impacts Group: Climate Science in the Public Interest

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mantua, N.; Snover, A.

2006-12-01

Since its inception in 1995, the University of Washington's Climate Impacts Group (CIG) (funded under NOAA's Regional Integrated Science and Assessments (RISA) Program) has become the leader in exploring the impacts of climate variability and climate change on natural and human systems in the U.S. Pacific Northwest (PNW), specifically climate impacts on water, forest, fish and coastal resource systems. The CIG's research provides PNW planners, decision makers, resource managers, local media, and the general public with valuable knowledge of ways in which the region's key natural resources are vulnerable to changes in climate, and how this vulnerability can be reduced. The CIG engages in climate science in the public interest, conducting original research on the causes and consequences of climate variability and change for the PNW and developing forecasts and decision support tools to support the use of this information in federal, state, local, tribal, and private sector resource management decisions. The CIG's focus on the intersection of climate science and public policy has placed the CIG nationally at the forefront of regional climate impacts assessment and integrated analysis.

Water security - Nation state and international security implications

USGS Publications Warehouse

Tindall, James A.; Andrew A. Campbell,

2009-01-01

A terrorist attack such as poisoning and sabotage of the national water supply and water-quality infrastructure of the continental United States or any country, could disrupt the delivery of vital human services, threaten both public health and the environment, potentially cause mass casualties and pose grave public concern for homeland security. Most significantly, an attack on water resources would weaken social cohesion and trust in government. A threat to continuity of services is a potential threat to continuity of government since both are necessary for continuity of operations. Water infrastructure is difficult to protect, as it extends over vast areas across the U.S. and for which ownership is overwhelmingly nonfederal (approximately 85 percent). Since the 9111 attacks, federal dam operators and water and wastewater utilities have established counter measures. Similar measures have been taken in countries around the world. These include enhanced physical security, improved coordination between corporate ownership, Department of Homeland Security, and local law enforcement, and research into risk assessment and vulnerability analysis to ensure greater system safety. A key issue is the proportionate additional resources directed at public and private sector specific priorities. Agencies that have the scientific and technological ability to leverage resources, exploit integrated science approaches, focus on interdisciplinary practices, utilize informatics expertise and employ a wide use of evolving technologies should play a key role in water security and related issues.

The human resource implications of improving financial risk protection for mothers and newborns in Zimbabwe

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background A paradigm shift in global health policy on user fees has been evident in the last decade with a growing consensus that user fees undermine equitable access to essential health care in many low and middle income countries. Changes to fees have major implications for human resources for health (HRH), though the linkages are rarely explicitly examined. This study aimed to examine the inter-linkages in Zimbabwe in order to generate lessons for HRH and fee policies, with particular respect to reproductive, maternal and newborn health (RMNH). Methods The study used secondary data and small-scale qualitative fieldwork (key informant interview and focus group discussions) at national level and in one district in 2011. Results The past decades have seen a shift in the burden of payments onto households. Implementation of the complex rules on exemptions is patchy and confused. RMNH services are seen as hard for families to afford, even in the absence of complications. Human resources are constrained in managing current demand and any growth in demand by high external and internal migration, and low remuneration, amongst other factors. We find that nurses and midwives are evenly distributed across the country (at least in the public sector), though doctors are not. This means that for four provinces, there are not enough doctors to provide more complex care, and only three provinces could provide cover in the event of all deliveries taking place in facilities. Conclusions This analysis suggests that there is a strong case for reducing the financial burden on clients of RMNH services and also a pressing need to improve the terms and conditions of key health staff. Numbers need to grow, and distribution is also a challenge, suggesting the need for differentiated policies in relation to rural areas, especially for doctors and specialists. The management of user fees should also be reviewed, particularly for non-Ministry facilities, which do not retain their revenues, and receive limited investment in return from the municipalities and district councils. Overall public investment in health needs to grow. PMID:23714143

The human resource implications of improving financial risk protection for mothers and newborns in Zimbabwe.

PubMed

Chirwa, Yotamu; Witter, Sophie; Munjoma, Malvern; Mashange, Wilson; Ensor, Tim; McPake, Barbara; Munyati, Shungu

2013-05-28

A paradigm shift in global health policy on user fees has been evident in the last decade with a growing consensus that user fees undermine equitable access to essential health care in many low and middle income countries. Changes to fees have major implications for human resources for health (HRH), though the linkages are rarely explicitly examined. This study aimed to examine the inter-linkages in Zimbabwe in order to generate lessons for HRH and fee policies, with particular respect to reproductive, maternal and newborn health (RMNH). The study used secondary data and small-scale qualitative fieldwork (key informant interview and focus group discussions) at national level and in one district in 2011. The past decades have seen a shift in the burden of payments onto households. Implementation of the complex rules on exemptions is patchy and confused. RMNH services are seen as hard for families to afford, even in the absence of complications. Human resources are constrained in managing current demand and any growth in demand by high external and internal migration, and low remuneration, amongst other factors. We find that nurses and midwives are evenly distributed across the country (at least in the public sector), though doctors are not. This means that for four provinces, there are not enough doctors to provide more complex care, and only three provinces could provide cover in the event of all deliveries taking place in facilities. This analysis suggests that there is a strong case for reducing the financial burden on clients of RMNH services and also a pressing need to improve the terms and conditions of key health staff. Numbers need to grow, and distribution is also a challenge, suggesting the need for differentiated policies in relation to rural areas, especially for doctors and specialists. The management of user fees should also be reviewed, particularly for non-Ministry facilities, which do not retain their revenues, and receive limited investment in return from the municipalities and district councils. Overall public investment in health needs to grow.

Human resources for maternal health: multi-purpose or specialists?

PubMed Central

Fauveau, Vincent; Sherratt, Della R; de Bernis, Luc

2008-01-01

A crucial question in the aim to attain MDG5 is whether it can be achieved faster with the scaling up of multi-purpose health workers operating in the community or with the scaling up of professional skilled birth attendants working in health facilities. Most advisers concerned with maternal mortality reduction concur to promote births in facilities with professional attendants as the ultimate strategy. The evidence, however, is scarce on what it takes to progress in this path, and on the 'interim solutions' for situations where the majority of women still deliver at home. These questions are particularly relevant as we have reached the twentieth anniversary of the safe motherhood initiative without much progress made. In this paper we review the current situation of human resources for maternal health as well as the problems that they face. We propose seven key areas of work that must be addressed when planning for scaling up human resources for maternal health in light of MDG5, and finally we indicate some advances recently made in selected countries and the lessons learned from these experiences. Whilst the focus of this paper is on maternal health, it is acknowledged that the interventions to reduce maternal mortality will also contribute to significantly reducing newborn mortality. Addressing each of the seven key areas of work – recommended by the first International Forum on 'Midwifery in the Community', Tunis, December 2006 – is essential for the success of any MDG5 programme. We hypothesize that a great deal of the stagnation of maternal health programmes has been the result of confusion and careless choices in scaling up between a limited number of truly skilled birth attendants and large quantities of multi-purpose workers with short training, fewer skills, limited authority and no career pathways. We conclude from the lessons learnt that no significant progress in maternal mortality reduction can be achieved without a strong political decision to empower midwives and others with midwifery skills, and a substantial strengthening of health systems with a focus on quality of care rather than on numbers, to give them the means to respond to the challenge. PMID:18826600

Humans on the International Space Station-How Research, Operations, and International Collaboration are Leading to New Understanding of Human Physiology and Performance in Microgravity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ronbinson, Julie A.; Harm, Deborah L.

2009-01-01

As the International Space Station (ISS) nears completion, and full international utilization is achieved, we are at a scientific crossroads. ISS is the premier location for research aimed at understanding the effects of microgravity on the human body. For applications to future human exploration, it is key for validation, quantification, and mitigation of a wide variety of spaceflight risks to health and human performance. Understanding and mitigating these risks is the focus of NASA s Human Research Program. However, NASA s approach to defining human research objectives is only one of many approaches within the ISS international partnership (including Roscosmos, the European Space Agency, the Canadian Space Agency, and the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency). Each of these agencies selects and implements their own ISS research, with independent but related objectives for human and life sciences research. Because the science itself is also international and collaborative, investigations that are led by one ISS partner also often include cooperative scientists from around the world. The operation of the ISS generates significant additional data that is not directly linked to specific investigations. Such data comes from medical monitoring of crew members, life support and radiation monitoring, and from the systems that have been implemented to protect the health of the crew (such as exercise hardware). We provide examples of these international synergies in human research on ISS and highlight key early accomplishments that derive from these broad interfaces. Taken as a whole, the combination of diverse research objectives, operational data, international sharing of research resources on ISS, and scientific collaboration provide a robust research approach and capability that no one partner could achieve alone.

Modular System to Enable Extravehicular Activity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Sargusingh, Miriam J.

2011-01-01

The ability to perform extravehicular activity (EVA), both human and robotic, has been identified as a key component to space missions to support such operations as assembly and maintenance of space system (e.g. construction and maintenance of the International Space Station), and unscheduled activities to repair an element of the transportation and habitation systems that can only be accessed externally and via unpressurized areas. In order to make human transportation beyond lower earth orbit (BLEO) practical, efficiencies must be incorporated into the integrated transportation systems to reduce system mass and operational complexity. Affordability is also a key aspect to be considered in space system development; this could be achieved through commonality, modularity and component reuse. Another key aspect identified for the EVA system was the ability to produce flight worthy hardware quickly to support early missions and near Earth technology demonstrations. This paper details a conceptual architecture for a modular extravehicular activity system (MEVAS) that would meet these stated needs for EVA capability that is affordable, and that could be produced relatively quickly. Operational concepts were developed to elaborate on the defined needs and define the key capabilities, operational and design constraints, and general timelines. The operational concept lead to a high level design concept for a module that interfaces with various space transportation elements and contains the hardware and systems required to support human and telerobotic EVA; the module would not be self-propelled and would rely on an interfacing element for consumable resources. The conceptual architecture was then compared to EVA Systems used in the Shuttle Orbiter, on the International Space Station to develop high level design concepts that incorporate opportunities for cost savings through hardware reuse, and quick production through the use of existing technologies and hardware designs. An upgrade option was included to make use of the developing suitport technologies.

Ocean Drilling Program: TAMRF Administrative Services: Human Resources

Science.gov Websites

/TAMRF Human Resources For updated policies and forms, see the IODP-USIO Human Resources web site. For additional information contact: Kim Johnson Supervisor of Human Resources and Insurance Services Ocean

The role of personal and key resources in the family-to-work enrichment process.

PubMed

Tement, Sara

2014-10-01

Based on the work-home resources model, the aim of the present research was to test a process model of family-to-work enrichment by examining whether self-efficacy (i.e., personal resource) mediates the relationship between support from one's family and work engagement. Further, it was assumed that positive affectivity (i.e., key resource) moderates the relation between family support and self-efficacy. Using an occupationally heterogeneous sample of Slovenian employees (n = 738), we found support for a mediating effect of self-efficacy as well as for the moderating role of positive affectivity. In general, our results broaden the understanding of work-family enrichment processes and provide support for the work-home resources model. In addition, they point to the relevant role of personal and key resources in work-family interactions. © 2014 Scandinavian Psychological Associations and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

ARkStorm@Tahoe: Stakeholder perspectives on vulnerabilities and preparedness for an extreme storm event in the greater Lake Tahoe, Reno, and Carson City region

USGS Publications Warehouse

Albano, Christine M.; Cox, Dale A.; Dettinger, Michael; Shaller, Kevin; Welborn, Toby L.; McCarthy, Maureen

2014-01-01

Atmospheric rivers (ARs) are strongly linked to extreme winter precipitation events in the Western U.S., accounting for 80 percent of extreme floods in the Sierra Nevada and surrounding lowlands. In 2010, the U.S. Geological Survey developed the ARkStorm extreme storm scenario for California to quantify risks from extreme winter storms and to allow stakeholders to better explore and mitigate potential impacts. To explore impacts on natural resources and communities in montane and adjacent environments, we downscaled the scenario to the greater Lake Tahoe, Reno and Carson City region of northern Nevada and California. This ArkStorm@Tahoe scenario was presented at six stakeholder meetings, each with a different geographic and subject matter focus. Discussions were facilitated by the ARkStorm@Tahoe team to identify social and ecological vulnerabilities to extreme winter storms, science and information needs, and proactive measures that might minimize impacts from this type of event. Information collected in these meetings was used to develop a tabletop emergency response exercise and set of recommendations for increasing resilience to extreme winter storm events in both Tahoe and the downstream communities of Northern Nevada.Over 300 individuals participated in ARkStorm@Tahoe stakeholder meetings and the emergency response exercise, including representatives from emergency response, natural resource and ecosystem management, health and human services, public utilities, and businesses. Interruption of transportation, communications, and lack of power and backup fuel supplies were identified as the most likely and primary points of failure across multiple sectors and geographies, as these interruptions have cascading effects on natural and human systems by impeding emergency response efforts. Other key issues that arose in discussions included contamination risks to water supplies and aquatic ecosystems, especially in the Tahoe Basin and Pyramid Lake, interagency coordination, credentialing, flood management, and coordination of health and human services during such an event. Mitigation options were identified for each of the key issues. Several science needs were identified, particularly the need for improved flood inundation maps. Finally, key lessons learned were identified and may help to increase preparedness, response and recovery from extreme storms in the future.

Design and implementation of a secure wireless mote-based medical sensor network.

PubMed

Malasri, Kriangsiri; Wang, Lan

2009-01-01

A medical sensor network can wirelessly monitor vital signs of humans, making it useful for long-term health care without sacrificing patient comfort and mobility. For such a network to be viable, its design must protect data privacy and authenticity given that medical data are highly sensitive. We identify the unique security challenges of such a sensor network and propose a set of resource-efficient mechanisms to address these challenges. Our solution includes (1) a novel two-tier scheme for verifying the authenticity of patient data, (2) a secure key agreement protocol to set up shared keys between sensor nodes and base stations, and (3) symmetric encryption/decryption for protecting data confidentiality and integrity. We have implemented the proposed mechanisms on a wireless mote platform, and our results confirm their feasibility.

The Energy Education Bibliography. An Annotated Bibliography of Key Resources for Energy and Conservation Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Scherner, Sharon; And Others

The annotated bibliography lists approximately 180 energy and conservation education resources. The bibliography is intended to aid K-12 classroom teachers and curriculum developers identify key resources as they develop and implement energy education programs. Sample topics in the works listed deal with the story of natural gas, living with…

Penny Burton - Chief Human Resources Officer | NREL

Science.gov Websites

Penny Burton - Chief Human Resources Officer Penny Burton - Chief Human Resources Officer A photo of Penny Burton. As chief human resources officer, Penny Burton is responsible for development of a human capital management system to more effectively manage NREL's workforce, all while achieving

Innovative human resource practices in U.S. hospitals: an empirical study.

PubMed

Platonova, Elena A; Hernandez, S Robert

2013-01-01

Contemporary organizations increasingly recognize human resource (HR) capabilities as a source of sustained competitive advantage; about 80% of an organization's value is attributable to intangible assets, including human assets and capital. Some scholars consider effective human resource management (HRM) the single most important factor affecting organizational performance. This study examined (1) the extent to which HRM strategies were included in organizational strategic planning and (2) the association between the involvement of senior HR professionals in strategic planning and the use of innovative HR practices in U.S. hospitals employing strategic HRM theory. A survey was administered to 168 chief executive officers and HR executives from 85 hospitals during spring 2005. Binary logistic regression was conducted to determine whether HRM involvement was associated with the use of innovative HRM strategies in the hospitals. We found significant associations between HRM strategy inclusion in the strategic planning process and senior HR professionals' involvement in organizational strategic planning and in three innovative HR activities: finding talent in advance for key job openings (odds ratio [OR] = 4.61, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.10-7.38), stressing organizational culture and values in the selection process (OR = 3.97, 95% CI: 1.01-3.97), and basing individual or team compensation on goal-oriented results (OR = 6.17, 95% CI: 1.17-3.37). Our data indicate that innovative HR practices were underused in some U.S. hospitals despite their potential to improve overall hospital performance. Hospitals that emphasized effective HRM were more likely to use some of the innovative HR approaches. In this article, we discuss this research and the practical implications of the findings.

ClinicalKey: a point-of-care search engine.

PubMed

Vardell, Emily

2013-01-01

ClinicalKey is a new point-of-care resource for health care professionals. Through controlled vocabulary, ClinicalKey offers a cross section of resources on diseases and procedures, from journals to e-books and practice guidelines to patient education. A sample search was conducted to demonstrate the features of the database, and a comparison with similar tools is presented.

Moving from awareness to action: Advancing climate change vulnerability assessments and adaptation planning for Idaho and Montana National Forests

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kershner, Jessi; Woodward, Andrea; Torregrosa, Alicia

2016-01-01

The rugged landscapes of northern Idaho and western Montana support biodiverse ecosystems, and provide a variety of natural resources and services for human communities. However, the benefits provided by these ecosystems may be at risk as changing climate magnifies existing stressors and allows new stressors to emerge. Preparation for and response to these potential changes can be most effectively addressed through multi-stakeholder partnerships, evaluating vulnerability of important resources to climate change, and developing response and preparation strategies for managing key natural resources in a changing world. This project will support climate-smart conservation and management across forests of northern Idaho and western Montana through three main components: (1) fostering partnerships among scientists, land managers, regional landowners, conservation practitioners, and the public; (2) assessing the vulnerability of a suite of regionally important resources to climate change and other stressors; and (3) creating a portfolio of adaptation strategies and actions to help resource managers prepare for and respond to the likely impacts of climate change. The results of this project will be used to inform the upcoming land management plan revisions for national forests, helping ensure that the most effective and robust conservation and management strategies are implemented to preserve our natural resources.

Transformational adaptation when incremental adaptations to climate change are insufficient

PubMed Central

Kates, Robert W.; Travis, William R.; Wilbanks, Thomas J.

2012-01-01

All human–environment systems adapt to climate and its natural variation. Adaptation to human-induced change in climate has largely been envisioned as increments of these adaptations intended to avoid disruptions of systems at their current locations. In some places, for some systems, however, vulnerabilities and risks may be so sizeable that they require transformational rather than incremental adaptations. Three classes of transformational adaptations are those that are adopted at a much larger scale, that are truly new to a particular region or resource system, and that transform places and shift locations. We illustrate these with examples drawn from Africa, Europe, and North America. Two conditions set the stage for transformational adaptation to climate change: large vulnerability in certain regions, populations, or resource systems; and severe climate change that overwhelms even robust human use systems. However, anticipatory transformational adaptation may be difficult to implement because of uncertainties about climate change risks and adaptation benefits, the high costs of transformational actions, and institutional and behavioral actions that tend to maintain existing resource systems and policies. Implementing transformational adaptation requires effort to initiate it and then to sustain the effort over time. In initiating transformational adaptation focusing events and multiple stresses are important, combined with local leadership. In sustaining transformational adaptation, it seems likely that supportive social contexts and the availability of acceptable options and resources for actions are key enabling factors. Early steps would include incorporating transformation adaptation into risk management and initiating research to expand the menu of innovative transformational adaptations. PMID:22509036

Strengthening human resources for health through information, coordination and accountability mechanisms: the case of the Sudan.

PubMed

Badr, Elsheikh; Mohamed, Nazar A; Afzal, Muhammad Mahmood; Bile, Khalif Mohamud

2013-11-01

Human resources for health (HRH) in the Sudan were limited by shortages and the maldistribution of health workers, poor management, service fragmentation, poor retention of health workers in rural areas, and a weak health information system. A "country coordination and facilitation" process was implemented to strengthen the national HRH observatory, provide a coordination platform for key stakeholders, catalyse policy support and HRH planning, harmonize the mobilization of resources, strengthen HRH managerial structures, establish new training institutions and scale up the training of community health workers. The national government of the Sudan sanctioned state-level governance of the health system but many states lacked coherent HRH plans and policies. A paucity of training institutions constrained HRH production and the adequate and equitable deployment of health workers in rural areas. The country coordination and facilitation process prompted the establishment of a robust HRH information system and the development of the technical capacities and tools necessary for data analysis and evidence-based participatory decision-making and action. The success of the country coordination and facilitation process was substantiated by the stakeholders' coordinated support, which was built on solid evidence of the challenges in HRH and shared accountability in the planning and implementation of responses to those challenges. The support led to political commitment and the mobilization of resources for HRH. The leadership that was promoted and the educational institutions that were opened should facilitate the training, deployment and retention of the health workers needed to achieve universal health coverage.

Our Children: Parental Decisions - How Much to Invest in Your Offspring

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shenk, Mary K.

Reproduction is the most fundamental of evolutionary behaviors, yet human parents face especially complex tradeoffs when deciding how many children to have and how much to invest in each of them. This chapter reviews parental investment theory, including both the key concepts and some important questions to which they have been applied in humans. Written primarily from the perspective of human behavioral ecology, this chapter also discusses how evolutionary social scientists have approached cross-cultural variation in parenting behavior. The chapter begins with an overview of life history theory and the concept of reproductive tradeoffs, focusing especially on the tradeoffs between current vs. future reproduction and quantity vs. quality of offspring. Discussing the critical question of who invests in offspring, I next compare motivations for investment between mothers and fathers, and explore the roles of many types of kin in investment, while considering whether humans can be viewed as cooperative breeders. I then explore the role of parent-offspring conflict and sibling conflict in parental investment and inheritance systems, followed by an exploration of sex biases in investment, including the Trivers-Willard effect local resource competition, and local resource enhancement. In conclusion, I argue that parental investment has been one of the most active areas of enquiry among evolutionary researchers over the last twenty years, and is likely to remain one of the mainstays of the field during the coming decades.

The Ecology of Seamounts: Structure, Function, and Human Impacts

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Clark, Malcolm R.; Rowden, Ashley A.; Schlacher, Thomas; Williams, Alan; Consalvey, Mireille; Stocks, Karen I.; Rogers, Alex D.; O'Hara, Timothy D.; White, Martin; Shank, Timothy M.; Hall-Spencer, Jason M.

2010-01-01

In this review of seamount ecology, we address a number of key scientific issues concerning the structure and function of benthic communities, human impacts, and seamount management and conservation. We consider whether community composition and diversity differ between seamounts and continental slopes, how important dispersal capabilities are in seamount connectivity, what environmental factors drive species composition and diversity, whether seamounts are centers of enhanced biological productivity, and whether they have unique trophic architecture. We discuss how vulnerable seamount communities are to fishing and mining, and how we can balance exploitation of resources and conservation of habitat. Despite considerable advances in recent years, there remain many questions about seamount ecosystems that need closer integration of molecular, oceanographic, and ecological research.

Biogeoengineering for the Anthropocene

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peacock, K.

2015-12-01

There is an increasing awareness within ecology that all organisms are "engineers" of their own ecosystems. Humans are no exception; indeed, the human impact on the earth system is so massive that it is said to define a new geological epoch, the Anthropocene. Our impact is largely deleterious in the precise sense that it undermines the very ecological conditions that enabled human survival and flourishing in the first place; it is thus ultimately self-defeating. The current crises of biodiversity loss and anthropogenic climate change are only the most dramatic and urgent manifestations of the fact that humanity has not contrived a self-sustaining modality of existence on this planet. As ecologist Eugene Odum put it, "The present concept of 'unlimited exploitation of resources' [must] give way to 'unlimited ingenuity in perpetuating a cyclic abundance of resources' ". While some steps that can be taken to resolve the climate crisis (such as the development of more efficient photovoltaics) are not necessarily biological, an essential component of any effective and sustainable mitigation of global carbonization must include what can be called biogeoengineering, the application of human ingenuity to the support and restoration of the life support systems of the planet. This would include such measures as massive re- and afforestation, the preservation and creation of wildlife corridors and reserves, and soil building. Such steps would play key roles in drawing down atmospheric carbon, but they would have a larger aim: human ingenuity, both social and technological, must be directed to crafting an essentially symbiotic working relationship with the earth system, such that human activities would tend to support the 'ecosystem services' that in turn support humanity. This presentation will outline the theoretical basis for such a possibility, and discuss some of the means that could bring it into being.

The Role of Time-Scales in Socio-hydrology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Blöschl, Günter; Sivapalan, Murugesu

2016-04-01

Much of the interest in hydrological modeling in the past decades revolved around resolving spatial variability. With the rapid changes brought about by human impacts on the hydrologic cycle, there is now an increasing need to refocus on time dependency. We present a co-evolutionary view of hydrologic systems, in which every part of the system including human systems, co-evolve, albeit at different rates. The resulting coupled human-nature system is framed as a dynamical system, characterized by interactions of fast and slow time scales and feedbacks between environmental and social processes. This gives rise to emergent phenomena such as the levee effect, adaptation to change and system collapse due to resource depletion. Changing human values play a key role in the emergence of these phenomena and should therefore be considered as internal to the system in a dynamic way. The co-evolutionary approach differs from the traditional view of water resource systems analysis as it allows for path dependence, multiple equilibria, lock-in situations and emergent phenomena. The approach may assist strategic water management for long time scales through facilitating stakeholder participation, exploring the possibility space of alternative futures, and helping to synthesise the observed dynamics of different case studies. Future research opportunities include the study of how changes in human values are connected to human-water interactions, historical analyses of trajectories of system co-evolution in individual places and comparative analyses of contrasting human-water systems in different climate and socio-economic settings. Reference Sivapalan, M. and G. Blöschl (2015) Time scale interactions and the coevolution of humans and water. Water Resour. Res., 51, 6988-7022, doi:10.1002/2015WR017896.

Using the Stop Transmission of Polio (STOP) Program to Develop a South Sudan Expanded Program on Immunization Workforce.

PubMed

Tchoualeu, Dieula D; Hercules, Margaret A; Mbabazi, William B; Kirbak, Anthony L; Usman, Abdulmumini; Bizuneh, Ketema; Sandhu, Hardeep S

2017-07-01

In 2009, the international Stop Transmission of Polio (STOP) program began supporting the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in the Republic of South Sudan to address shortages of human resources and strengthen acute flaccid paralysis surveillance. Workforce capacity support is provided to the South Sudan Expanded Program on Immunization by STOP volunteers, implementing partners, and non-governmental organizations. In 2013, the Polio Technical Advisory Group recommended that South Sudan transition key technical support from external partners to national staff as part of the Polio Eradication and Endgame Strategic Plan, 2013-2018. To assist in this transition, the South Sudan Expanded Program on Immunization human resources development project was launched in 2015. This 3-year project aims to build national workforce capacity as a legacy of the STOP program by training 56 South Sudanese at national and state levels with the intent that participants would become Ministry of Health staff on their successful completion of the project. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

[Social determinants of health associated to the human immunodeficiency virus of indigenous women in north Oaxaca, México].

PubMed

Juan-Martínez, Berenice; Castillo-Arcos, Lubia Del Carmen

2016-01-01

The vulnerability to the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection may increase based on specific social determinants of health, which can also affect the lack of adherence to a safe sexual behavior and access to antiretroviral treatment in indigenous women. Consequently, it is necessary to review, through a documentary study, what are those determinants in the case of a group of indigenous women from the North of Oaxaca and how these aspects affect those women, as well as the important role of nursing for the best approach. Social determinants are classified into 3 levels: macro (socioeconomic status, income, migration and education), meso (culture, gender and access to health services) and micro (lifestyles and adoption of safe sex). Indigenous women with limited resources become easy targets of HIV by engaging in risky sexual behaviors inadvertently. The nurse is a key professional who can influence behaviors of women through effective interventions that help foster self-confidence and empowerment, using the resources that the person possesses. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

[Diagnosis of the productive capacity of the IMSS regarding health technologies].

PubMed

Figueroa-Lara, Alejandro; López-Fernández, Fátima Itzel; López-Domínguez, Adriana; Fajardo-Dolci, German

To quantify the production capacity and performance in research and technological developments of the Mexican Social Security Institute (IMSS). We identified and analyzed information of the legislation, human and financial resources, and infrastructure addressed for research and technological development of IMSS. We analyzed whether the information on the legal framework contained key features to boost research and technological development. Information on the human, financial, and infrastructure resources were obtained from official sources. The research productivity was identified by a bibliometric analysis in 2014; productivity in technological developments was identified by intellectual products. The legal framework of the IMSS has several areas for improvement to boost research and technological development, especially the guidelines for technology transfer. The IMSS has 438 researchers, 39 research units, and a budget of US$ 37.4 million for research and technological development. The rate of articles published per 10 researchers was 4.8; while rate patients was 1.8. The IMSS has a great potential to translate research into technological developments, it is only necessary to make some changes to the legal framework.

Effects of Human Resource Audit on Employee Performance in Secondary Schools in Kenya; a Case of Non Teaching Staff in Secondary Schools in Nyamache Sub County

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moke, Oeri Lydia; Muturi, Willy

2015-01-01

Human Resources Audit measures human resource outputs and effectiveness under the given circumstances and the degree of utilization of human resource skills. The purpose of the study was to assess the effect of Human resource Audit on employee performance in secondary schools in Nyamache Sub County. The specific objectives for the study included…

Resource acquisition, distribution and end-use efficiencies and the growth of industrial society

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jarvis, A.; Jarvis, S.; Hewitt, N.

2015-01-01

A key feature of the growth of industrial society is the acquisition of increasing quantities of resources from the environment and their distribution for end use. With respect to energy, growth has been near exponential for the last 160 years. We attempt to show that the global distribution of resources that underpins this growth may be facilitated by the continual development and expansion of near optimal directed networks. If so, the distribution efficiencies of these networks must decline as they expand due to path lengths becoming longer and more tortuous. To maintain long-term exponential growth the physical limits placed on the distribution networks appear to be counteracted by innovations deployed elsewhere in the system: namely at the points of acquisition and end use. We postulate that the maintenance of growth at the specific rate of ~2.4% yr-1 stems from an implicit desire to optimise patterns of energy use over human working lifetimes.

Further Characterization of CELSS Wastes: A Review of Solid Wastes Present to Support Potential Secondary Biomass Production

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Muller, Matthew S.

1996-01-01

Controlled ecological life support systems (CELSS) may one day play an essential role in extraterrestrial colonies. Key to the success of any CELSS will be the system's ability to approach a self-supporting status through recovery and reuse of basic resources. Primary CELSS solid wastes with potential to support secondary biomass production will be inedible plant biomass and metabolic human wastes. Solid waste production is summarized and reported as 765 g N per day per person, including 300 g C and 37 g N per day per person. One Resource Recovery configuration using the bioprocessing of solid wastes into a Tilapia feed stream is examined. Based on estimated conversion efficiencies, 12 g of protein per day per person is produced as a nutrition supplement. The unique tissue composition of crops produced at the Kennedy Space Center CELSS Program highlights the need to evaluate Resource Recovery components with data generated in the CELSS environment.

Engineering sustainable development

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

Prendergast, J.

1993-10-01

This article discusses sustainable development, a policy which attempts to balance environmental preservation and economic growth, and promises a way to provide a decent life for Earth's human inhabitants without destroying the global ecosystem. Sustainable development is an effort to use technology to help clean up the mess it helped make, and engineers will be central players in its success or failure. Key aspects include more efficient energy use through conservation measures and switching to renewable sources, waste minimization, much greater recycling and reuse of materials, more comprehensive economic/environmental assessments employing life-cycle analyses, and better management of resources.

The makeover of the Lakeshore General Hospital laboratories.

PubMed

Estioko-Taimuri, Teresa

2006-01-31

This article describes the expansion and reorganization of a moderate-sized Canadian laboratory from Day One to "Live Day." The key factors to the success of this project were organized planning by the laboratory staff and the introduction of core lab theories, team building, and organized training sessions. The successful makeover resulted in improved turnaround time for STAT tests, especially those coming from the Emergency Unit. The efforts of the laboratory personnel toward the improvement of laboratory services, in spite of budget, human resources constraints, and resistance to change, are addressed.

Human capital flight challenges within an equitable health system.

PubMed

Udonwa, N E

2007-01-01

The issue of human capital flight has been discussed at different forums with a consensus opinion that it has its merits and demerits to equitable health system. Most often one nation becomes a substantial net exporter of talent, leaving the provider nation at risk of depleting its natural supply of talent. This paper looks into the historical perspective of human capital flight or "brain drain", and its burden. It attempts to elucidate the various causes and suggested solutions. The paper's objective is to educate colleagues on the conceptual and contextual imperatives of the issue. Using a convenient sample of key informants who were medical colleagues in Nigeria relevant information was sourced from these colleagues, documents from the postgraduate medical college of Nigeria and the internet on maters relating to human capital flight and brain drain. Every year, thousands of qualified doctors, and other professionals leave Nigeria tempted by significantly higher wages, brighter prospects for employment and education, stability, food security. It appears that the potential exposure to different working conditions, resources and professional environments can be of advantage to the country, should Nigeria be able to recall these professionals. It also appears that necessary economic reforms that make staying at home rewarding, that is--good leadership, and policy planning that seriously looks into rural development, among other issues, are keys ingredients to reversing the trend in order to ensure a more equitable health system.

Building capacity in health facility management: guiding principles for skills transfer in Liberia.

PubMed

Rowe, Laura A; Brillant, Sister Barbara; Cleveland, Emily; Dahn, Bernice T; Ramanadhan, Shoba; Podesta, Mae; Bradley, Elizabeth H

2010-03-18

Management training is fundamental to developing human resources for health. Particularly as Liberia revives its health delivery system, facility and county health team managers are central to progress. Nevertheless, such management skills are rarely prioritized in health training, and sustained capacity building in this area is limited. We describe a health management delivery program in which a north and south institution collaborated to integrate classroom and field-based training in health management and to transfer the capacity for sustained management development in Liberia. We developed and implemented a 6-month training program in health management skills (i.e. strategic problem solving, financial management, human resource management and leadership) delivered by Yale University and Mother Patern College from Liberia, with support from the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative. Over three 6-month cycles, responsibility for course instruction was transferred from the north institution to the south institution. A self-administered survey was conducted of all participants completing the course to measure changes in self-rated management skills, the degree to which the course was helpful and met its stated objectives, and faculty members' responsiveness to participant needs as the transfer process occurred. Respondents (n=93, response rate 95.9%) reported substantial improvement in self-reported management skills, and rated the helpfulness of the course and the degree to which the course met its objectives highly. Levels of improvement and course ratings were similar over the three cohorts as the course was transferred to the south institution. We suggest a framework of five elements for implementing successful management training programs that can be transferred and sustained in resource-limited settings, including: 1) use a short-course format focusing on four key skill areas with practical tools; 2) include didactic training, on-site projects, and on-site mentoring; 3) collaborate with an in-country academic institution, willing and able to scale-up and maintain the training; 4) provide training for the in-country academic faculty; and 5) secure Ministry-level support to ensure participation. Our findings demonstrate key elements for scaling up and replicating educational initiatives that address management skills essential for long-term health systems strengthening in resource-poor settings.

Postgraduate career intentions of medical students and recent graduates in Malawi: a qualitative interview study.

PubMed

Bailey, Nicola; Mandeville, Kate L; Rhodes, Tim; Mipando, Mwapatsa; Muula, Adamson S

2012-09-14

In 2004, the Malawian Ministry of Health declared a human resource crisis and launched a six year Emergency Human Resources Programme. This included salary supplements for key health workers and a tripling of doctors in training. By 2010, the number of medical graduates had doubled and significantly more doctors were working in rural district hospitals. Yet there has been little research into the views of this next generation of doctors in Malawi, who are crucial to the continuing success of the programme. The aim of this study was to explore the factors influencing the career plans of medical students and recent graduates with regard to four policy-relevant aspects: emigration outside Malawi; working at district level; private sector employment and postgraduate specialisation. Twelve semi-structured interviews were conducted with fourth year medical students and first year graduates, recruited through purposive and snowball sampling. Key informant interviews were also carried out with medical school faculty. Recordings were transcribed and analysed using a framework approach. Opportunities for postgraduate training emerged as the most important factor in participants' career choices, with specialisation seen as vital to career progression. All participants intended to work in Malawi in the long term, after a period of time outside the country. For nearly all participants, this was in the pursuit of postgraduate study rather than higher salaries. In general, medical students and young doctors were enthusiastic about working at district level, although this is curtailed by their desire for specialist training and frustration with resource shortages. There is currently little intention to move into the private sector. Future resourcing of postgraduate training opportunities is crucial to preventing emigration as graduate numbers increase. The lesser importance put on salary by younger doctors may be an indicator of the success of salary supplements. In order to retain doctors at district levels for longer, consideration should be given to the introduction of general practice/family medicine as a specialty. Returning specialists should be encouraged to engage with younger colleagues as role models and mentors.

Collaborating on global priorities: science education for everyone—any time and everywhere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tobin, Kenneth

2016-03-01

Building on the key ideas from Dana Zeidler's paper I expand the conversation from the standpoint that the challenges facing humanity and the capacity of Earth to support life suggest that changes in human lifestyles are a priority. Accordingly, there is an urgent need to educate all humans about some of the science-related grand challenges, such as global warming and wellness. The key is to enact programs that have relevance to all citizens, irrespective of: age, location, language proficiency, economic resources, religion, gender, sexual preference, and level of prior education. Since significant changes are needed in human lifestyles the current emphasis on preK-12 science education needs to be expanded to cover all humans and the places in which education occurs should be everywhere. I explore the use of a multilogical framework to conceptualize science and thereby transform science education in ways that better relate to priorities of wellness and harmony in the ecosystems that sustain life on Earth. I illustrate the potential of multilogicality in a context of complementary medicine, using three frameworks: Jin Shin Jyutsu, an ancient system of medicine; a diet to reduce inflammation; and iridology. Use of a multilogical framework to conceptualize science provides opportunities for science education to focus on education for literate citizenry (birth-death) and responsible action, connect to the massive challenges of the present, and select content that has high relevance to sustainability, wellness, and well-being at local, national, and global levels.

Genetic and Chemical Screenings Identify HDAC3 as a Key Regulator in Hepatic Differentiation of Human Pluripotent Stem Cells.

PubMed

Li, Shuang; Li, Mushan; Liu, Xiaojian; Yang, Yuanyuan; Wei, Yuda; Chen, Yanhao; Qiu, Yan; Zhou, Tingting; Feng, Zhuanghui; Ma, Danjun; Fang, Jing; Ying, Hao; Wang, Hui; Musunuru, Kiran; Shao, Zhen; Zhao, Yongxu; Ding, Qiurong

2018-05-24

Hepatocyte-like cells (HLCs) derived from human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) offer a promising cell resource for disease modeling and transplantation. However, differentiated HLCs exhibit an immature phenotype and comprise a heterogeneous population. Thus, a better understanding of HLC differentiation will improve the likelihood of future application. Here, by taking advantage of CRISPR-Cas9-based genome-wide screening technology and a high-throughput hPSC screening platform with a reporter readout, we identified several potential genetic regulators of HLC differentiation. By using a chemical screening approach within our platform, we also identified compounds that can further promote HLC differentiation and preserve the characteristics of in vitro cultured primary hepatocytes. Remarkably, both screenings identified histone deacetylase 3 (HDAC3) as a key regulator in hepatic differentiation. Mechanistically, HDAC3 formed a complex with liver transcriptional factors, e.g., HNF4, and co-regulated the transcriptional program during hepatic differentiation. This study highlights a broadly useful approach for studying and optimizing hPSC differentiation. Copyright © 2018 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Neglected wild life: Parasitic biodiversity as a conservation target☆

PubMed Central

Gómez, Andrés; Nichols, Elizabeth

2013-01-01

Parasites appropriate host resources to feed and/or to reproduce, and lower host fitness to varying degrees. As a consequence, they can negatively impact human and animal health, food production, economic trade, and biodiversity conservation. They can also be difficult to study and have historically been regarded as having little influence on ecosystem organization and function. Not surprisingly, parasitic biodiversity has to date not been the focus of much positive attention from the conservation community. However, a growing body of evidence demonstrates that parasites are extremely diverse, have key roles in ecological and evolutionary processes, and that infection may paradoxically result in ecosystem services of direct human relevance. Here we argue that wildlife parasites should be considered meaningful conservation targets no less relevant than their hosts. We discuss their numerical and functional importance, current conservation status, and outline a series of non-trivial challenges to consider before incorporating parasite biodiversity in conservation strategies. We also suggest that addressing the key knowledge gaps and communication deficiencies that currently impede broad discussions about parasite conservation requires input from wildlife parasitologists. PMID:24533340

Systematic mapping of bedrock and habitats along the Florida reef tract: central Key Largo to Halfmoon Shoal (Gulf of Mexico)

USGS Publications Warehouse

Lidz, Barbara H.; Reich, Christopher D.; Shinn, Eugene A.

2007-01-01

The fragile coral reefs of the Florida Keys form the largest living coral reef ecosystem in the continental United States. Lining the shallow outer shelf approximately 5 to 7 km seaward of the keys, the reefs have national aesthetic and resource value. As recently as the 1970s, the coral reefs were the heart of a vibrant ecosystem. Since then, the health of all ecosystem components has declined markedly due to a variety of environmental stressors . Corals are succumbing to bleaching and diseases. Species that are the building blocks of solid reef framework are increasingly being replaced by species that do not construct reef framework. Algal proliferation is increasing competition for space and hard surfaces needed by coral larvae for settlement. Decline of the coral reef ecosystem has significant negative implications for economic vitality of the region, ranging from viability of the tourism industry attracted by the aesthetics to commercial fisheries drawn by the resources. At risk of loss are biologic habitats and reef resources, including interconnected habitats for endangered species in shoreline mangroves, productive nearshore marine and wetland nurseries, and economic offshore fisheries. In 1997, the U.S. Geological Survey's Coastal and Marine Geology Program undertook a comprehensive 7-year-long mission to consolidate, synthesize, and map new (1997) and existing geologic and biologic information into a digitized regional database and one-volume reference source on the geologic history of the Florida Keys reef tract (this report). The project was conducted in cooperation with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Sanctuary Program. The purpose was to examine the natural evolution and demise of several coral reef ecosystems over the past 325,000 years, with an eye toward gaining a better understanding of the cause of the reef decline observed today. Scientific data and datasets presented in this report are intended for use by others in ongoing efforts to delineate which components of reef decline in the Florida Keys may be natural and which may be a result of human activities. Beyond scientific baseline datasets, this report also incorporates environmental, social, and historical aspects of the Florida Keys, including the impact of exploratory oil wells on benthic habitats off Florida.

Human Resource Management in Virtual Organizations. Research in Human Resource Management Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heneman, Robert L., Ed.; Greenberger, David B., Ed.

This document contains 14 papers on human resources (HR) and human resource management (HRM) in virtual organizations. The following papers are included: "Series Preface" (Rodger Griffeth); "Volume Preface" (Robert L. Heneman, David B. Greenberger); "The Virtual Organization: Definition, Description, and…

New insights into broad spectrum communities of the Early Holocene Near East: The birds of Hallan Çemi

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zeder, Melinda A.; Spitzer, Megan D.

2016-11-01

The Early Holocene in Near East was a pivotal transitional period that witnessed dramatic changes in climate and environment, human settlement, major changes in subsistence strategies focusing on a broad range of different plant and animal resources, and a radical restructuring of social relations. The remarkable corpus of avifauna from the Early Holocene site of Hallan Çemi in southeastern Turkey sheds new light on key issues about this dynamic period that has been termed the ;Broad Spectrum Revolution;. The avifauna from this important site demonstrate how Hallan Çemi occupants took advantage of the site's strategic location at the junction of multiple environmental zones by extracting a diverse range of seasonally available resources from both near-by and more distant eco-zones to cobble together a stable subsistence economy capable of supporting this small community throughout the year. They give testimony to the impacts of resource utilization over time, especially on species unable to rebound from sustained human hunting. At the same time, they show how Hallan Çemi residents mitigated these impacts by replacing depleted resources with alternative, more resilient ones that could be more sustainably harvested. They open a window onto the growing investment in feasting and ritual activity that helped bind this community together. In so doing they provide a means of empirically evaluating the efficacy of contrasting explanatory frameworks for the Broad Spectrum Revolution that gave rise to the subsequent domestication of plant and animals in the Near East. Contrary to frameworks that cast these developments as responses to resource depression, lessons learned from the Hallan Çemi avifauna lend support to frameworks that emphasize the human capacity to strategically target, capitalize, and improve upon circumscribed resource rich environments in a way that permits more permanent occupation of these niches. And they underscore the degree to which social and ritual activities work together with ecological and economic facets of the lives of these people to both perpetuate and reshape these communities on the threshold of domestication and the emergence of agriculture.

Human Mars Mission Overview and Dust Storm Impacts on Site Selection

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Hoffman, S. J.

2017-01-01

NASA has begun a process to identify and discuss candidate locations where humans could land, live and work on the martian surface. This process is being carried out as a cooperative effort by NASA's Human Exploration and Operations Mission Directorate (HEOMD), responsible for future human mission preparations, and the Science Mission Directorate (SMD), responsible for the on-going Mars Exploration Program of robotic vehicles in orbit and on the surface of Mars. Both of these Directorates have a significant interest in this process, as these candidate locations will be used by NASA as part of a multi-year effort to determine where and how humans could explore Mars. In the near term this process includes: (a) identifying locations that would maximize the potential science return from future human exploration missions, (b) identifying locations with the potential for resources required to support humans, (c) developing concepts and engineering systems needed by future human crews to conduct operations within a candidate location, and (d) identifying key characteristics of the proposed candidate locations that cannot be evaluated using existing data sets, thus helping to define precursor measurements needed in advance of human missions.

Human Resource Management and Human Resource Development: Evolution and Contributions

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Richman, Nicole

2015-01-01

Research agrees that a high performance organization (HPO) cannot exist without an elevated value placed on human resource management (HRM) and human resource development (HRD). However, a complementary pairing of HRM and HRD has not always existed. The evolution of HRD from its roots in human knowledge transference to HRM and present day HRD…

Beijing Lunar Declaration 2010: B) Technology and Resources; Infrastructures and Human Aspects; Moon, Space and Society

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Arvidson, R.; Foing, B. H.; Plescial, J.; Cohen, B.; Blamont, J. E.

2010-01-01

We report on the Beijing Lunar Declaration endorsed by the delegates of the Global Lunar Conference/11th ILEWG Conference on Exploration and Utilisation of the Moon, held at Beijing on 30 May- 3 June 2010. Specifically we focus on Part B:Technologies and resources; Infrastructures and human aspects; Moon, Space, Society and Young Explorers. We recommend continued and enhanced development and implementation of sessions about lunar exploration, manned and robotic, at key scientific and engineering meetings. A number of robotic missions to the Moon are now undertaken independently by various nations, with a degree of exchange of information and coordination. That should increase towards real cooperation, still allowing areas of competition for keeping the process active, cost-effective and faster. - Lunar landers, pressurized lunar rover projects as presented from Europe, Asia and America are important steps that can create opportunities for international collaboration, within a coordinated village of robotic precursors and assistants to crew missions. - We have to think about development, modernization of existing navigation capabilities, and provision of lunar positioning, navigation and data relay assets to support future robotic and human exploration. New concepts and new methods for transportation have attracted much attention and are of great potential.

The collapse of the Maya: Effects of natural and human-induced drought

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

Oglesby, Robert J; Erickson III, David J

2010-02-01

The collapse of the Maya civilization during the ninth century A.D. is a major conundrum in the history of mankind. This civilization reached a spectacular peak but then almost completely collapsed in the space of a few decades. While numerous explanations have been put forth to explain this collapse, in recent years, drought has gained favor. This is because water resources were a key for the Maya, especially to ensure their survival during the lengthy dry season that occurs where they lived. Natural drought is a known, recurring feature of this region, as evidenced by observational data, reconstructions of pastmore » times, and global climate model output. Results from simulations with a regional climate model demonstrate that deforestation by the Maya also likely induced warmer, drier, drought-like conditions. It is therefore hypothesized that the drought conditions devastating the Maya resulted from a combination of natural variability and human activities. Neither the natural drought or the human-induced effects alone were sufficient to cause the collapse, but the combination created a situation the Maya could not recover from. These results may have sobering implications for the present and future state of climate and water resources in Mesoamerica as ongoing massive deforestation is again occurring.« less

Cultural resource management and the necessity of cultural and natural resource collaboration

Treesearch

Roderick Kevin Donald; Kara Kusche; Collin Gaines

2005-01-01

Cultural Resource Specialists function as interpreters of past and present human behavior through the analysis of cultural/natural resources vital to human ecological sustainability. When developing short and long-term preservation strategies for cultural resources, it is more current and innovative for Cultural Resource Specialists to think of past human populations...

Mental health in Zimbabwe: a health systems analysis.

PubMed

Kidia, Khameer; Machando, Debra; Mangezi, Walter; Hendler, Reuben; Crooks, Megan; Abas, Melanie; Chibanda, Dixon; Thornicroft, Graham; Semrau, Maya; Jack, Helen

2017-11-01

There has been little external analysis of Zimbabwe's mental health system. We did a systems analysis to identify bottlenecks and opportunities for mental health service improvement in Zimbabwe and to generate cost-effective, policy-relevant solutions. We combined in-depth interviews with a range of key stakeholders in health and mental health, analysis of mental health laws and policies, and publicly available data about mental health. Five themes are key to mental health service delivery in Zimbabwe: policy and law; financing and resources; criminal justice; workforce, training, and research; and beliefs about mental illness. We identified human resources, rehabilitation facilities, psychotropic medication, and community mental health as funding priorities. Moreover, we found that researchers should prioritise measuring the economic impact of mental health and exploring substance use, forensic care, and mental health integration. Our study highlights forensic services as a central component of the mental health system, which has been a neglected concept. We also describe a tailored process for mental health systems that is transferable to other low-income settings and that garners political will, builds capacity, and raises the profile of mental health. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of a shared vision for groundwater management to protect and sustain baseflows of the Upper San Pedro River, Arizona, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Richter, Holly E.; Gungle, Bruce; Lacher, Laurel J.; Turner, Dale S.; Bushman, Brooke M.

2014-01-01

Groundwater pumping along portions of the binational San Pedro River has depleted aquifer storage that supports baseflow in the San Pedro River. A consortium of 23 agencies, business interests, and non-governmental organizations pooled their collective resources to develop the scientific understanding and technical tools required to optimize the management of this complex, interconnected groundwater-surface water system. A paradigm shift occurred as stakeholders first collaboratively developed, and then later applied, several key hydrologic simulation and monitoring tools. Water resources planning and management transitioned from a traditional water budget-based approach to a more strategic and spatially-explicit optimization process. After groundwater modeling results suggested that strategic near-stream recharge could reasonably sustain baseflows at or above 2003 levels until the year 2100, even in the presence of continued groundwater development, a group of collaborators worked for four years to acquire 2250 hectares of land in key locations along 34 kilometers of the river specifically for this purpose. These actions reflect an evolved common vision that considers the multiple water demands of both humans and the riparian ecosystem associated with the San Pedro River.

CELLPEDIA: a repository for human cell information for cell studies and differentiation analyses.

PubMed

Hatano, Akiko; Chiba, Hirokazu; Moesa, Harry Amri; Taniguchi, Takeaki; Nagaie, Satoshi; Yamanegi, Koji; Takai-Igarashi, Takako; Tanaka, Hiroshi; Fujibuchi, Wataru

2011-01-01

CELLPEDIA is a repository database for current knowledge about human cells. It contains various types of information, such as cell morphologies, gene expression and literature references. The major role of CELLPEDIA is to provide a digital dictionary of human cells for the biomedical field, including support for the characterization of artificially generated cells in regenerative medicine. CELLPEDIA features (i) its own cell classification scheme, in which whole human cells are classified by their physical locations in addition to conventional taxonomy; and (ii) cell differentiation pathways compiled from biomedical textbooks and journal papers. Currently, human differentiated cells and stem cells are classified into 2260 and 66 cell taxonomy keys, respectively, from which 934 parent-child relationships reported in cell differentiation or transdifferentiation pathways are retrievable. As far as we know, this is the first attempt to develop a digital cell bank to function as a public resource for the accumulation of current knowledge about human cells. The CELLPEDIA homepage is freely accessible except for the data submission pages that require authentication (please send a password request to cell-info@cbrc.jp). Database URL: http://cellpedia.cbrc.jp/

Understanding a successful obesity prevention initiative in children under 5 from a systems perspective.

PubMed

Owen, Brynle; Brown, Andrew D; Kuhlberg, Jill; Millar, Lynne; Nichols, Melanie; Economos, Christina; Allender, Steven

2018-01-01

Systems thinking represents an innovative and logical approach to understanding complexity in community-based obesity prevention interventions. We report on an approach to apply systems thinking to understand the complexity of a successful obesity prevention intervention in early childhood (children aged up to 5 years) conducted in a regional city in Victoria, Australia. A causal loop diagram (CLD) was developed to represent system elements related to a successful childhood obesity prevention intervention in early childhood. Key stakeholder interviews (n = 16) were examined retrospectively to generate purposive text data, create microstructures, and form a CLD. A CLD representing key stakeholder perceptions of a successful intervention comprised six key feedback loops explaining changes in project implementation over time. The loops described the dynamics of collaboration, network formation, community awareness, human resources, project clarity, and innovation. The CLD developed provides a replicable means to capture, evaluate and disseminate a description of the dynamic elements of a successful obesity prevention intervention in early childhood.

7 CFR 2.92 - Director, Office of Human Resources Management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Director, Office of Human Resources Management. 2.92... Secretary for Administration § 2.92 Director, Office of Human Resources Management. (a) Delegations... Human Resources Management: (1) Formulate and issue Department policy, standards, rules and regulations...

Decision insight into stakeholder conflict for ERN.

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

Siirola, John; Tidwell, Vincent Carroll; Benz, Zachary O.

Participatory modeling has become an important tool in facilitating resource decision making and dispute resolution. Approaches to modeling that are commonly used in this context often do not adequately account for important human factors. Current techniques provide insights into how certain human activities and variables affect resource outcomes; however, they do not directly simulate the complex variables that shape how, why, and under what conditions different human agents behave in ways that affect resources and human interactions related to them. Current approaches also do not adequately reveal how the effects of individual decisions scale up to have systemic level effectsmore » in complex resource systems. This lack of integration prevents the development of more robust models to support decision making and dispute resolution processes. Development of integrated tools is further hampered by the fact that collection of primary data for decision-making modeling is costly and time consuming. This project seeks to develop a new approach to resource modeling that incorporates both technical and behavioral modeling techniques into a single decision-making architecture. The modeling platform is enhanced by use of traditional and advanced processes and tools for expedited data capture. Specific objectives of the project are: (1) Develop a proof of concept for a new technical approach to resource modeling that combines the computational techniques of system dynamics and agent based modeling, (2) Develop an iterative, participatory modeling process supported with traditional and advance data capture techniques that may be utilized to facilitate decision making, dispute resolution, and collaborative learning processes, and (3) Examine potential applications of this technology and process. The development of this decision support architecture included both the engineering of the technology and the development of a participatory method to build and apply the technology. Stakeholder interaction with the model and associated data capture was facilitated through two very different modes of engagement, one a standard interface involving radio buttons, slider bars, graphs and plots, while the other utilized an immersive serious gaming interface. The decision support architecture developed through this project was piloted in the Middle Rio Grande Basin to examine how these tools might be utilized to promote enhanced understanding and decision-making in the context of complex water resource management issues. Potential applications of this architecture and its capacity to lead to enhanced understanding and decision-making was assessed through qualitative interviews with study participants who represented key stakeholders in the basin.« less

The macroecology of sustainability

USGS Publications Warehouse

Burger, Joseph R.; Allen, Craig D.; Brown, James H.; Burnside, William R.; Davidson, Ana D.; Fristoe, Trevor S.; Hamilton, Marcus J.; Mercado-Silva, Norman; Nekola, Jeffrey C.; Okie, Jordan G.; Zuo, Wenyun

2012-01-01

The discipline of sustainability science has emerged in response to concerns of natural and social scientists, policymakers, and lay people about whether the Earth can continue to support human population growth and economic prosperity. Yet, sustainability science has developed largely independently from and with little reference to key ecological principles that govern life on Earth. A macroecological perspective highlights three principles that should be integral to sustainability science: 1) physical conservation laws govern the flows of energy and materials between human systems and the environment, 2) smaller systems are connected by these flows to larger systems in which they are embedded, and 3) global constraints ultimately limit flows at smaller scales. Over the past few decades, decreasing per capita rates of consumption of petroleum, phosphate, agricultural land, fresh water, fish, and wood indicate that the growing human population has surpassed the capacity of the Earth to supply enough of these essential resources to sustain even the current population and level of socioeconomic development.

The Relevancy of Graduate Curriculum to Human Resource Professionals' Electronic Communication.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoell, Robert C.; Henry, Gordon O.

2003-01-01

Electronic communications of human resource professionals and the content of 23 university human resource management courses were categorized using the Human Resource Certification Institute's body of knowledge. Differences between proportion of topics discussed and topics covered in curricula suggest some topics are over- or undertaught.…

The Answer Is Blowing in the Wind. Investment in Training from a Human Resource Accounting Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johanson, Ulf

1998-01-01

Presents components of human resource accounting (HRA)--description of human resource costs, estimation of return on investment, estimation of human resource values. Reviews research on the influence of HRA on decision making, concluding that a number of factors inhibit its effective use. (SK)

7 CFR 2.91 - Director, Office of Human Resources Management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... decisions in any human resources matter so redelegated. (22) Related to Ethics. Provide administrative... 7 Agriculture 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Director, Office of Human Resources Management. 2.91... Secretary for Administration § 2.91 Director, Office of Human Resources Management. (a) Delegations...

The Human Resource Cycle as Basis of Human Resource Development System.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jereb, Janez

The primary aim of human-resource-development systems in companies is to improve organizational performance through satisfying the development needs of individual employees. This paper presents findings of a study that looked at how human-resource-development systems worked in practice, in particular, how performance management, selection,…

7 CFR 2.91 - Director, Office of Human Resources Management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Director, Office of Human Resources Management. 2.91... Secretary for Administration § 2.91 Director, Office of Human Resources Management. (a) Delegations... Assistant Secretary for Administration to the Director, Office of Human Resources Management: (1) Formulate...

7 CFR 2.91 - Director, Office of Human Resources Management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 1 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Director, Office of Human Resources Management. 2.91... Secretary for Administration § 2.91 Director, Office of Human Resources Management. (a) Delegations... Assistant Secretary for Administration to the Director, Office of Human Resources Management: (1) Formulate...

7 CFR 2.91 - Director, Office of Human Resources Management.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 1 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Director, Office of Human Resources Management. 2.91... Secretary for Administration § 2.91 Director, Office of Human Resources Management. (a) Delegations... Assistant Secretary for Administration to the Director, Office of Human Resources Management: (1) Formulate...

76 FR 60933 - Proposal Review Panel for Human Resource Development; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-30

... NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Proposal Review Panel for Human Resource Development; Notice of..., Proposal Review Panel Human Resource Development ( 1199). Date/Time: October 17, 2011; 5 p.m. to 10 p.m... Meeting: Part-Open. Contact Person: Kelly Mack, Division of Human Resource Development, Room 815, National...

78 FR 43258 - Privacy Act; System of Records: Human Resources Records, State-31

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-19

... DEPARTMENT OF STATE [Public Notice 8384] Privacy Act; System of Records: Human Resources Records... system of records, Human Resources Records, State- 31, pursuant to the provisions of the Privacy Act of... State proposes that the current system will retain the name ``Human Resources Records'' (previously...

76 FR 60934 - Proposal Review Panel for Human Resource Development; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-30

... NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Proposal Review Panel for Human Resource Development; Notice of...; Proposal Review Panel Human Resource Development ( 1199). Date/Time: November 1, 2011; 5 p.m. to 10 p.m...: Part-Open. Contact Person: Kelly Mack, Division of Human Resource Development, Room 815, National...

78 FR 61400 - Advisory Committee for Education and Human Resources; Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-03

... NATIONAL SCIENCE FOUNDATION Advisory Committee for Education and Human Resources; Notice of...) education and human resources programming. Agenda November 6, 2013 Remarks by the Committee Chair and NSF Assistant Director for Education and Human Resources (EHR) Brief updates on EHR and Committee of Visitor...

Human Resources Management: Issues for the 1980s.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Devanna, Mary Anne; And Others

This collection of five articles examines the role and influence of human resources management (HRM) in strategic planning in major American companies. The first article, "Human Resources Management: A Strategic Perspective," by Mary Anne Devanna, Charles Fombrun, and Noel Tichy, describes how to conduct a human resource management audit to assess…

Baseline Suitability Analysis

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-07-18

VA) • DFAS • Human Resources - HR Shared Services (Indianapolis, IN) • Personnel Security - HR Shared Services (Indianapolis, IN) DHRA...Security (Camp Lejeune) No Yes Yes AAFES Human Resources No No No Force Protection Yes Yes Yes DFAS Human Resources - HR Shared Services No...No No Personnel Security - HR Shared Services Yes Yes Yes DLA Human Resources No No Yes Personnel Security Yes Yes Yes DoDEA Human

Health service resilience in Yobe state, Nigeria in the context of the Boko Haram insurgency: a systems dynamics analysis using group model building.

PubMed

Ager, Alastair K; Lembani, Martina; Mohammed, Abdulaziz; Mohammed Ashir, Garba; Abdulwahab, Ahmad; de Pinho, Helen; Delobelle, Peter; Zarowsky, Christina

2015-01-01

Yobe State has faced severe disruption of its health service as a result of the Boko Haram insurgency. A systems dynamics analysis was conducted to identify key pathways of threat to provision and emerging pathways of response and adaptation. Structured interviews were conducted with 39 stakeholders from three local government areas selected to represent the diversity of conflict experience across the state: Damaturu, Fune and Nguru, and with four officers of the PRRINN-MNCH program providing technical assistance for primary care development in the state. A group model building session was convened with 11 senior stakeholders, which used participatory scripts to review thematic analysis of interviews and develop a preliminary systems model linking identified variables. Population migration and transport restrictions have substantially impacted access to health provision. The human resource for health capability of the state has been severely diminished through the outward migration of (especially non-indigenous) health workers and the suspension of programmes providing external technical assistance. The political will of the Yobe State government to strengthen health provision - through lifting a moratorium on recruitment and providing incentives for retention and support of staff - has supported a recovery of health systems functioning. Policies of free-drug provision and decentralized drug supply appear to have been protective of the operation of the health system. Community resources and cohesion have been significant assets in combatting the impacts of the insurgency on service utilization and quality. Staff commitment and motivation - particularly amongst staff indigenous to the state - has protected health care quality and enabled flexibility of human resource deployment. A systems analysis using participatory group model building provided a mechanism to identify key pathways of threat and adaptation with regard to health service functioning. Generalizable systems characteristics supportive of resilience are suggested, and linked to wider discussion of the role of factors such as diversity, self-regulation and integration.

Opportunities, challenges and systems requirements for developing post-abortion family planning services: Perceptions of service stakeholders in China

PubMed Central

Richards, Esther; Zhang, Weihong; Hu, Lina; Wu, Shangchun; Tolhurst, Rachel

2017-01-01

Post-abortion family planning (PAFP) has been proposed as a key strategy to decrease unintended pregnancy and repeat induced abortions. However, the accessibility and quality of PAFP services remain a challenge in many countries including China where more than 10 million unintended pregnancies occur each year. Most of these unwanted pregnancies end in repeated induced abortions. This paper aims to explore service providers’ perceptions of the current situation regarding family planning and abortion service needs, provision, utilization, and the feasibility and acceptability of high quality PAFP in the future. Qualitative methods, including in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, were used with family planning policy makers, health managers, and service providers. Three provinces—Zhejiang, Hubei and Yunnan—were purposively selected, representing high, medium and relatively undeveloped areas of China. A total of fifty-three in-depth interviews and ten focus-group discussions were conducted and analysed thematically. Increased numbers of abortions among young, unmarried women were perceived as a major reason for high numbers of abortions. Participants attributed this to increasing socio-cultural acceptability of premarital sex, and simultaneously, lack of understanding or awareness of contraception among young people. The majority of service stakeholders acknowledged that free family planning services were neither targeted at, nor accessible to unmarried people. The extent of PAFP provision is variable and limited. However, service providers expressed willingness and enthusiasm towards providing PAFP services in the future. Three main considerations were expressed regarding the feasibility of developing and implementing PAFP services: policy support, human resources, and financial resources. The study indicated that key service stakeholders show demand for and perceive considerable opportunities to develop PAFP in China. However, changes are needed to enable the systematic development of high quality PAFP, including actively targeting young and unmarried people in service provision, obtaining policy support and increasing the investment of human and financial resources. PMID:29045434

Approaches to developing the capacity of health policy analysis institutes: a comparative case study.

PubMed

Bennett, Sara; Corluka, Adrijana; Doherty, Jane; Tangcharoensathien, Viroj

2012-03-05

To review and assess (i) the factors that facilitate the development of sustainable health policy analysis institutes in low and middle income countries and (ii) the nature of external support for capacity development provided to such institutes. Comparative case studies of six health policy analysis institutes (3 from Asia and 3 from Africa) were conducted. In each region an NGO institute, an institute linked to government and a university based institute were included. Data collection comprised document review, semi-structured interviews with stakeholders and discussion of preliminary findings with institute staff. The findings are organized around four key themes: (i) Financial resources: three of the institutes had received substantial external grants at start-up, however two of these institutes subsequently collapsed. At all but one institute, reliance upon short term, donor funding, created high administrative costs and unpredictability. (ii) Human resources: the retention of skilled human resources was perceived to be key to institute success but was problematic at all but one institute. In particular staff often moved to better paid positions elsewhere once having acquired necessary skills and experience, leaving remaining senior staff with heavy workloads. (iii) Governance and management: board structures and roles varied according to the nature of institute ownership. Boards made important contributions to organizational capacity through promoting continuity, independence and fund raising. Routine management systems were typically perceived to be strong. (iv) Networks: linkages to policy makers helped promote policy influences. External networks with other research organizations, particularly where these were longer term institutional collaborations helped promote capacity. The development of strong in-country analytical and research capacity to guide health policy development is critical, yet many health policy analysis institutes remain very fragile. A combination of more strategic planning, active recruitment and retention strategies, and longer term, flexible funding, for example through endowments, needs to be promoted. Specific recommendations to funders and institutes are provided.

Coherence between health policy and human resource strategy: lessons from maternal health in Vietnam, India and China.

PubMed

Martineau, Tim; Mirzoev, Tolib; Pearson, Stephen; Ha, Bui Thi Thu; Xu, Qian; Ramani, K V; Liu, Xiaoyun

2015-02-01

The failure to meet health goals such as the Millennium Development Goals (MDG) is partly due to the lack of appropriate resources for the effective implementation of health policies. The lack of coherence between the health policies and human resource (HR) strategy is one of the major causes. This article explores the relationship and the degree of coherence between health policy--in this case maternal health policy--processes and HR strategy in Vietnam, China and India in the period 2005-09. Four maternal health policy case studies were explored [skilled birth attendance (SBA), adolescent and sexual reproductive health, domestic violence and medical termination of pregnancy] across three countries through interviews with key respondents, document analysis and stakeholder meetings. Analysis for coherence between health policy and HR strategy was informed by a typology covering 'separation', 'fit' and 'dialogue'. Regarding coherence we found examples of complete separation between health policy and HR strategy, a good fit with the SBA policy though modified through 'dialogue' in Vietnam, and in one case a good fit between policy and strategy was developed through successive evaluations. Three key influences on coherence between health policy and HR strategy emerge from our findings: (1) health as the lead sector, (2) the nature of the policy instrument and (3) the presence of 'HR champions'. Finally, we present a simple algorithm to ensure that appropriate HR related actors are involved; HR is considered at the policy development stage with the option of modifying the policy if it cannot be adequately supported by the available health workforce; and ensuring that HR strategies are monitored to ensure continued coherence with the health policy. This approach will ensure that the health workforce contributes more effectively to meeting the MDGs and future health goals. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine © The Author 2013; all rights reserved.

Opportunities, challenges and systems requirements for developing post-abortion family planning services: Perceptions of service stakeholders in China.

PubMed

Jiang, Hong; Xu, Jieshuang; Richards, Esther; Qian, Xu; Zhang, Weihong; Hu, Lina; Wu, Shangchun; Tolhurst, Rachel

2017-01-01

Post-abortion family planning (PAFP) has been proposed as a key strategy to decrease unintended pregnancy and repeat induced abortions. However, the accessibility and quality of PAFP services remain a challenge in many countries including China where more than 10 million unintended pregnancies occur each year. Most of these unwanted pregnancies end in repeated induced abortions. This paper aims to explore service providers' perceptions of the current situation regarding family planning and abortion service needs, provision, utilization, and the feasibility and acceptability of high quality PAFP in the future. Qualitative methods, including in-depth interviews and focus group discussions, were used with family planning policy makers, health managers, and service providers. Three provinces-Zhejiang, Hubei and Yunnan-were purposively selected, representing high, medium and relatively undeveloped areas of China. A total of fifty-three in-depth interviews and ten focus-group discussions were conducted and analysed thematically. Increased numbers of abortions among young, unmarried women were perceived as a major reason for high numbers of abortions. Participants attributed this to increasing socio-cultural acceptability of premarital sex, and simultaneously, lack of understanding or awareness of contraception among young people. The majority of service stakeholders acknowledged that free family planning services were neither targeted at, nor accessible to unmarried people. The extent of PAFP provision is variable and limited. However, service providers expressed willingness and enthusiasm towards providing PAFP services in the future. Three main considerations were expressed regarding the feasibility of developing and implementing PAFP services: policy support, human resources, and financial resources. The study indicated that key service stakeholders show demand for and perceive considerable opportunities to develop PAFP in China. However, changes are needed to enable the systematic development of high quality PAFP, including actively targeting young and unmarried people in service provision, obtaining policy support and increasing the investment of human and financial resources.

Assessing Undergraduate University Students' Level of Knowledge, Attitudes and Behaviour Towards Biodiversity: A case study in Cyprus

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nisiforou, Olympia; Charalambides, Alexandros George

2012-05-01

Biodiversity is a key resource as it provides both goods and services to society. However, humans value these resources differently, especially when biodiversity is exploited for its economic potential; a destruction on a scale rarely seen before. In order to decrease the threats that biodiversity is facing due to human activity, globally (climate change) and locally (economic development), individuals must have fundamental knowledge and exhibit appropriate behaviour towards biodiversity and its values. Nevertheless, the effect of human's knowledge, policies and attitudes towards biodiversity's protection are often limited by insufficient education and public support. A balance between the use of resources and technology, reconciling economic development and the need to maintain biodiversity is a challenge. The current paper looks into the knowledge level, attitudes and behaviour of university students of the Department of Environmental Science and Technology at the Cyprus University of Technology towards biodiversity. The investigation was carried out using a closed format questionnaire on a sample of first- and second-year university students (n = 44), in order to access their perceptions and attitudes towards environmental issues regarding biodiversity. The questionnaire was derived from relevant literature. The test results showed that there are significant differences with regard to the level of knowledge about biodiversity between the two groups. However, no significant differences were found on attitudes and behaviour towards biodiversity. The results have also shown that all students have a positive attitude towards biodiversity, while on the other hand, they find themselves, most of the time, unwilling to engage in environmental behaviour.

Water Intelligence and the Cyber-Infrastructure Revolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cline, D. W.

2015-12-01

As an intrinsic factor in national security, the global economy, food and energy production, and human and ecological health, fresh water resources are increasingly being considered by an ever-widening array of stakeholders. The U.S. intelligence community has identified water as a key factor in the Nation's security risk profile. Water industries are growing rapidly, and seek to revolutionize the role of water in the global economy, making water an economic value rather than a limitation on operations. Recent increased focus on the complex interrelationships and interdependencies between water, food, and energy signal a renewed effort to move towards integrated water resource management. Throughout all of this, hydrologic extremes continue to wreak havoc on communities and regions around the world, in some cases threatening long-term economic stability. This increased attention on water coincides with the "second IT revolution" of cyber-infrastructure (CI). The CI concept is a convergence of technology, data, applications and human resources, all coalescing into a tightly integrated global grid of computing, information, networking and sensor resources, and ultimately serving as an engine of change for collaboration, education and scientific discovery and innovation. In the water arena, we have unprecedented opportunities to apply the CI concept to help address complex water challenges and shape the future world of water resources - on both science and socio-economic application fronts. Providing actionable local "water intelligence" nationally or globally is now becoming feasible through high-performance computing, data technologies, and advanced hydrologic modeling. Further development on all of these fronts appears likely and will help advance this much-needed capability. Lagging behind are water observation systems, especially in situ networks, which need significant innovation to keep pace with and help fuel rapid advancements in water intelligence.

Risk and the evolution of human exchange

PubMed Central

Kaplan, Hillard S.; Schniter, Eric; Smith, Vernon L.; Wilson, Bart J.

2012-01-01

Compared with other species, exchange among non-kin is a hallmark of human sociality in both the breadth of individuals and total resources involved. One hypothesis is that extensive exchange evolved to buffer the risks associated with hominid dietary specialization on calorie dense, large packages, especially from hunting. ‘Lucky’ individuals share food with ‘unlucky’ individuals with the expectation of reciprocity when roles are reversed. Cross-cultural data provide prima facie evidence of pair-wise reciprocity and an almost universal association of high-variance (HV) resources with greater exchange. However, such evidence is not definitive; an alternative hypothesis is that food sharing is really ‘tolerated theft’, in which individuals possessing more food allow others to steal from them, owing to the threat of violence from hungry individuals. Pair-wise correlations may reflect proximity providing greater opportunities for mutual theft of food. We report a laboratory experiment of foraging and food consumption in a virtual world, designed to test the risk-reduction hypothesis by determining whether people form reciprocal relationships in response to variance of resource acquisition, even when there is no external enforcement of any transfer agreements that might emerge. Individuals can forage in a high-mean, HV patch or a low-mean, low-variance (LV) patch. The key feature of the experimental design is that individuals can transfer resources to others. We find that sharing hardly occurs after LV foraging, but among HV foragers sharing increases dramatically over time. The results provide strong support for the hypothesis that people are pre-disposed to evaluate gains from exchange and respond to unsynchronized variance in resource availability through endogenous reciprocal trading relationships. PMID:22513855

Annotated Bibliography of the Air Force Human Resources Laboratory Technical Reports - 1979.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-05-01

Force Human Resources Laboratory, March 1980. (Covers all AFHRL projects.) NTIS. This document provides the academic and industrial R&D community with...D-AI02 04𔃾 AIR FORCE HUMAN RESOURCES LAB BROOKS AF TX F/G 5/2 ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE AIR FORCE HUMAN RESOURCES LABORAT--ETC(U) MAY 81 E M...OF THE AIR FORCE HUMAN RESOURCES LABORATORY TECHNICAL REPORTS - 1979U M By M Esther M. Barlow A N TECHNICAL SERVICES DIVISION Brooks Air Force Base

Public access management as an adaptive wildlife management tool

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ouren, Douglas S.; Watts, Raymond D.

2005-01-01

One key issue in the Black Mesa – Black Canyon area is the interaction between motorized vehicles and. The working hypothesis for this study is that early season elk movement onto private lands and the National Park is precipitated by increased use of Off Highway Vehicles (OHV’s). Data on intensity of motorized use is extremely limited. In this study, we monitor intensity of motorized vehicle and trail use on elk movements and habitat usage and analyze interactions. If management agencies decide to alter accessibility, we will monitor wildlife responses to changes in the human-use regime. This provides a unique opportunity for adaptive management experimentation based on coordinated research and monitoring. The products from this project will provide natural resource managers across the nation with tools and information to better meet these resource challenges.

Distinct polyadenylation landscapes of diverse human tissues revealed by a modified PA-seq strategy

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Polyadenylation is a key regulatory step in eukaryotic gene expression and one of the major contributors of transcriptome diversity. Aberrant polyadenylation often associates with expression defects and leads to human diseases. Results To better understand global polyadenylation regulation, we have developed a polyadenylation sequencing (PA-seq) approach. By profiling polyadenylation events in 13 human tissues, we found that alternative cleavage and polyadenylation (APA) is prevalent in both protein-coding and noncoding genes. In addition, APA usage, similar to gene expression profiling, exhibits tissue-specific signatures and is sufficient for determining tissue origin. A 3′ untranslated region shortening index (USI) was further developed for genes with tandem APA sites. Strikingly, the results showed that different tissues exhibit distinct patterns of shortening and/or lengthening of 3′ untranslated regions, suggesting the intimate involvement of APA in establishing tissue or cell identity. Conclusions This study provides a comprehensive resource to uncover regulated polyadenylation events in human tissues and to characterize the underlying regulatory mechanism. PMID:24025092

75 FR 72872 - Performance Review Board Members

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-26

..., 2010. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dadrian Brown, Human Resources Specialist, Corporate Senior..., Assistant Secretary for Human Resources and Administration (Chairperson). Fernando Rivera, Acting Network... Resources Management. Patricia C. Adams, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy, Civilian Human Resources...

36 CFR 261.3 - Interfering with a Forest officer, volunteer, or human resource program enrollee or giving false...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... officer, volunteer, or human resource program enrollee or giving false report to a Forest officer. 261.3... General Prohibitions § 261.3 Interfering with a Forest officer, volunteer, or human resource program..., intimidating, or intentionally interfering with any Forest officer, volunteer, or human resource program...

36 CFR 261.3 - Interfering with a Forest officer, volunteer, or human resource program enrollee or giving false...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... officer, volunteer, or human resource program enrollee or giving false report to a Forest officer. 261.3... General Prohibitions § 261.3 Interfering with a Forest officer, volunteer, or human resource program..., intimidating, or intentionally interfering with any Forest officer, volunteer, or human resource program...

36 CFR 261.3 - Interfering with a Forest officer, volunteer, or human resource program enrollee or giving false...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... officer, volunteer, or human resource program enrollee or giving false report to a Forest officer. 261.3... General Prohibitions § 261.3 Interfering with a Forest officer, volunteer, or human resource program..., intimidating, or intentionally interfering with any Forest officer, volunteer, or human resource program...

36 CFR 261.3 - Interfering with a Forest officer, volunteer, or human resource program enrollee or giving false...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... officer, volunteer, or human resource program enrollee or giving false report to a Forest officer. 261.3... General Prohibitions § 261.3 Interfering with a Forest officer, volunteer, or human resource program..., intimidating, or intentionally interfering with any Forest officer, volunteer, or human resource program...

20 CFR 628.215 - State Human Resource Investment Council.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false State Human Resource Investment Council. 628... PROGRAMS UNDER TITLE II OF THE JOB TRAINING PARTNERSHIP ACT State Planning § 628.215 State Human Resource..., 702, and 703 of the Act, establish a State Human Resource Investment Council (HRIC). The HRIC's...

20 CFR 628.215 - State Human Resource Investment Council.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false State Human Resource Investment Council. 628... PROGRAMS UNDER TITLE II OF THE JOB TRAINING PARTNERSHIP ACT State Planning § 628.215 State Human Resource..., 702, and 703 of the Act, establish a State Human Resource Investment Council (HRIC). The HRIC's...

Toward Strategic Human Resource Management in the Central Office

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mosley Linhardt, Heather LeAnn

2011-01-01

The purpose of this study was to identify and explore how human resources are managed, what human resource management can look like, and what organizational issues, tensions, and ambiguities are likely to surface as a district central office moves toward being more strategic with their human resources. The research design was an exploratory case…

36 CFR 261.3 - Interfering with a Forest officer, volunteer, or human resource program enrollee or giving false...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... officer, volunteer, or human resource program enrollee or giving false report to a Forest officer. 261.3... General Prohibitions § 261.3 Interfering with a Forest officer, volunteer, or human resource program..., intimidating, or intentionally interfering with any Forest officer, volunteer, or human resource program...

20 CFR 628.215 - State Human Resource Investment Council.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 20 Employees' Benefits 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false State Human Resource Investment Council. 628... PROGRAMS UNDER TITLE II OF THE JOB TRAINING PARTNERSHIP ACT State Planning § 628.215 State Human Resource..., 702, and 703 of the Act, establish a State Human Resource Investment Council (HRIC). The HRIC's...

Cryogenics and the Human Exploration of Mars

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Salerno, Louis J.; Kittel, Peter; Rasky, Daniel J. (Technical Monitor)

1997-01-01

Current plans within NASA involve extending the human exploration of space from low earth orbit into the solar system, with the first human exploration of Mars presently planned in 2011. Integral to all hum Mars mission phases is cryogenic fluid management. Cryogenic fluids will be required both as propellant and for In-Situ Resource Utilization (ISRU). Without safe and efficient cryogen storage human Mars missions will not be possible. Effective control and handling of cryogenic fluids is the key to affordable Mars missions, and advancing active thermal control technology is synergistic with all of NASA's exploration initiatives and with existing and future instrument cooling programs, including MTPE and Origins. Present mission scenarios for human exploration require cryogenic propellant storage for up to 1700 days and for up to 60 metric tons. These requirements represent increases of an order of magnitude over previous storage masses and lifetimes. The key cryogenic terminology areas to be addressed in human Mars missions are long-term propellant storage, cryogenic refrigeration, cryogenic liquefaction, and zero gravity fluid management. Long-term storage for the thermal control of cryogenic propellants is best accomplished with a mix of passive and active technologies. Passive technologies such as advanced multilayer insulation (MLI) concepts will be combined with the development of active coolers (cryogenic refrigerators). Candidates for long-life active cooling applications include Reverse Turbo-Brayton, Stirling, and Pulse-Tube coolers. The integration of passive and active technologies will form a hybrid system optimized to minimize the launch mass while preserving the cryogenic propellants. Since cryogenic propellants are the largest mass that Mars missions must launch from earth, even a modest reduction in the percentage of propellant carried results in a significant weight saving. This paper will present a brief overview of cryogenic fluid management technology as it applies to the current human Mars mission scenarios.

Design and Implementation of a Secure Wireless Mote-Based Medical Sensor Network

PubMed Central

Malasri, Kriangsiri; Wang, Lan

2009-01-01

A medical sensor network can wirelessly monitor vital signs of humans, making it useful for long-term health care without sacrificing patient comfort and mobility. For such a network to be viable, its design must protect data privacy and authenticity given that medical data are highly sensitive. We identify the unique security challenges of such a sensor network and propose a set of resource-efficient mechanisms to address these challenges. Our solution includes (1) a novel two-tier scheme for verifying the authenticity of patient data, (2) a secure key agreement protocol to set up shared keys between sensor nodes and base stations, and (3) symmetric encryption/decryption for protecting data confidentiality and integrity. We have implemented the proposed mechanisms on a wireless mote platform, and our results confirm their feasibility. PMID:22454585

On System Engineering a Barter-Based Re-allocation of Space System Key Development Resources

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kosmann, William J.

NASA has had a decades-long problem with cost growth during the development of space science missions. Numerous agency-sponsored studies have produced average mission level development cost growths ranging from 23 to 77%. A new study of 26 historical NASA science instrument set developments using expert judgment to re-allocate key development resources has an average cost growth of 73.77%. Twice in history, during the Cassini and EOS-Terra science instrument developments, a barter-based mechanism has been used to re-allocate key development resources. The mean instrument set development cost growth was -1.55%. Performing a bivariate inference on the means of these two distributions, there is statistical evidence to support the claim that using a barter-based mechanism to re-allocate key instrument development resources will result in a lower expected cost growth than using the expert judgment approach. Agent-based discrete event simulation is the natural way to model a trade environment. A NetLogo agent-based barter-based simulation of science instrument development was created. The agent-based model was validated against the Cassini historical example, as the starting and ending instrument development conditions are available. The resulting validated agent-based barter-based science instrument resource re-allocation simulation was used to perform 300 instrument development simulations, using barter to re-allocate development resources. The mean cost growth was -3.365%. A bivariate inference on the means was performed to determine that additional significant statistical evidence exists to support a claim that using barter-based resource re-allocation will result in lower expected cost growth, with respect to the historical expert judgment approach. Barter-based key development resource re-allocation should work on science spacecraft development as well as it has worked on science instrument development. A new study of 28 historical NASA science spacecraft developments has an average cost growth of 46.04%. As barter-based key development resource re-allocation has never been tried in a spacecraft development, no historical results exist, and an inference on the means test is not possible. A simulation of using barter-based resource re-allocation should be developed. The NetLogo instrument development simulation should be modified to account for spacecraft development market participant differences. The resulting agent-based barter-based spacecraft resource re-allocation simulation would then be used to determine if significant statistical evidence exists to prove a claim that using barter-based resource re-allocation will result in lower expected cost growth.

76 FR 80965 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Proposed collection: Applicant Questionnaire: Race...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-27

... notice. The Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Human Resources Division will be..., Human Resources Specialist (Special Projects/Policy), Human Capital Planning Section (HCPS), Human... collection: Form 3-873, Sponsor: Human Resources Division, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Department of...

Emerging tools for continuous nutrient monitoring networks: Sensors advancing science and water resources protection

USGS Publications Warehouse

Pellerin, Brian; Stauffer, Beth A; Young, Dwane A; Sullivan, Daniel J.; Bricker, Suzanne B.; Walbridge, Mark R; Clyde, Gerard A; Shaw, Denice M

2016-01-01

Sensors and enabling technologies are becoming increasingly important tools for water quality monitoring and associated water resource management decisions. In particular, nutrient sensors are of interest because of the well-known adverse effects of nutrient enrichment on coastal hypoxia, harmful algal blooms, and impacts to human health. Accurate and timely information on nutrient concentrations and loads is integral to strategies designed to minimize risk to humans and manage the underlying drivers of water quality impairment. Using nitrate sensors as an example, we highlight the types of applications in freshwater and coastal environments that are likely to benefit from continuous, real-time nutrient data. The concurrent emergence of new tools to integrate, manage and share large data sets is critical to the successful use of nutrient sensors and has made it possible for the field of continuous nutrient monitoring to rapidly move forward. We highlight several near-term opportunities for Federal agencies, as well as the broader scientific and management community, that will help accelerate sensor development, build and leverage sites within a national network, and develop open data standards and data management protocols that are key to realizing the benefits of a large-scale, integrated monitoring network. Investing in these opportunities will provide new information to guide management and policies designed to protect and restore our nation’s water resources.

Implications of climate change for northern Canada: freshwater, marine, and terrestrial ecosystems.

PubMed

Prowse, Terry D; Furgal, Chris; Wrona, Fred J; Reist, James D

2009-07-01

Climate variability and change is projected to have significant effects on the physical, chemical, and biological components of northern Canadian marine, terrestrial, and freshwater systems. As the climate continues to change, there will be consequences for biodiversity shifts and for the ranges and distribution of many species with resulting effects on availability, accessibility, and quality of resources upon which human populations rely. This will have implications for the protection and management of wildlife, fish, and fisheries resources; protected areas; and forests. The northward migration of species and the disruption and competition from invading species are already occurring and will continue to affect marine, terrestrial, and freshwater communities. Shifting environmental conditions will likely introduce new animal-transmitted diseases and redistribute some existing diseases, affecting key economic resources and some human populations. Stress on populations of iconic wildlife species, such as the polar bear, ringed seals, and whales, will continue as a result of changes in critical sea-ice habitat interactions. Where these stresses affect economically and culturally important species, they will have significant effects on people and regional economies. Further integrated, field-based monitoring and research programs, and the development of predictive models are required to allow for more detailed and comprehensive projections of change to be made, and to inform the development and implementation of appropriate adaptation, wildlife, and habitat conservation and protection strategies.

Review of Emerging Resources: U.S. Shale Gas and Shale Oil Plays

EIA Publications

2011-01-01

To gain a better understanding of the potential U.S. domestic shale gas and shale oil resources, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) commissioned INTEK, Inc. to develop an assessment of onshore lower 48 states technically recoverable shale gas and shale oil resources. This paper briefly describes the scope, methodology, and key results of the report and discusses the key assumptions that underlie the results.

Exponential Arithmetic Based Self-Healing Group Key Distribution Scheme with Backward Secrecy under the Resource-Constrained Wireless Networks

PubMed Central

Guo, Hua; Zheng, Yandong; Zhang, Xiyong; Li, Zhoujun

2016-01-01

In resource-constrained wireless networks, resources such as storage space and communication bandwidth are limited. To guarantee secure communication in resource-constrained wireless networks, group keys should be distributed to users. The self-healing group key distribution (SGKD) scheme is a promising cryptographic tool, which can be used to distribute and update the group key for the secure group communication over unreliable wireless networks. Among all known SGKD schemes, exponential arithmetic based SGKD (E-SGKD) schemes reduce the storage overhead to constant, thus is suitable for the the resource-constrained wireless networks. In this paper, we provide a new mechanism to achieve E-SGKD schemes with backward secrecy. We first propose a basic E-SGKD scheme based on a known polynomial-based SGKD, where it has optimal storage overhead while having no backward secrecy. To obtain the backward secrecy and reduce the communication overhead, we introduce a novel approach for message broadcasting and self-healing. Compared with other E-SGKD schemes, our new E-SGKD scheme has the optimal storage overhead, high communication efficiency and satisfactory security. The simulation results in Zigbee-based networks show that the proposed scheme is suitable for the resource-restrained wireless networks. Finally, we show the application of our proposed scheme. PMID:27136550

Educational Planning and Human Resources Development with Reference to Arab Countries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Galaleldin, Mohamed Al Awad

Human resources development sees human beings as the means to socioeconomic development. This differs from human development which sees human beings as the immediate and ultimate goals and ends of socio-economic development. Arab states have tended to utilize the human resources development approach as part of their forecasting of manpower…