Sample records for network development plan

  1. NASCOM system development plan: System description, capabilities, and plans, FY 94-2

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1994-01-01

    The Nascom System Development Plan (NSDP) for FY 94-2 contains 17 sections. It is a management document containing the approved plan for maintaining the Nascom Network System. Topics covered include an overview of Nascom systems and services, major ground communication support systems, low-speed data system, voice system, high-speed data system, Nascom support for NASA networks, Nascom planning for NASA missions, and network upgrade and advanced systems developments and plans.

  2. LavaNet—Neural network development environment in a general mine planning package

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kapageridis, Ioannis Konstantinou; Triantafyllou, A. G.

    2011-04-01

    LavaNet is a series of scripts written in Perl that gives access to a neural network simulation environment inside a general mine planning package. A well known and a very popular neural network development environment, the Stuttgart Neural Network Simulator, is used as the base for the development of neural networks. LavaNet runs inside VULCAN™—a complete mine planning package with advanced database, modelling and visualisation capabilities. LavaNet is taking advantage of VULCAN's Perl based scripting environment, Lava, to bring all the benefits of neural network development and application to geologists, mining engineers and other users of the specific mine planning package. LavaNet enables easy development of neural network training data sets using information from any of the data and model structures available, such as block models and drillhole databases. Neural networks can be trained inside VULCAN™ and the results be used to generate new models that can be visualised in 3D. Direct comparison of developed neural network models with conventional and geostatistical techniques is now possible within the same mine planning software package. LavaNet supports Radial Basis Function networks, Multi-Layer Perceptrons and Self-Organised Maps.

  3. Planning Tripoli Metro Network by the Use of Remote Sensing Imagery

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Alhusain, O.; Engedy, Gy.; Milady, A.; Paulini, L.; Soos, G.

    2012-08-01

    Tripoli, the capital city of Libya is going through significant and integrated development process, this development is expected to continue in the next few decades. The Libyan authorities have put it as their goal to develop Tripoli to an important metropolis in North Africa. To achieve this goal, they identified goals for the city's future development in all human, economic, cultural, touristic, and nonetheless infrastructure levels. On the infrastructure development level, among other things, they have identified the development of public transportation as one of the important development priorities. At present, public transportation in Tripoli is carried out by a limited capacity bus network alongside of individual transportation. However, movement in the city is characterized mainly by individual transportation with all its disadvantages such as traffic jams, significant air pollution with both carbon monoxide and dust, and lack of parking space. The Libyan authorities wisely opted for an efficient, modern, and environment friendly solution for public transportation, this was to plan a complex Metro Network as the backbone of public transportation in the city, and to develop and integrate the bus network and other means of transportation to be in harmony with the planned Metro network. The Metro network is planned to provide convenient connections to Tripoli International Airport and to the planned Railway station. They plan to build a system of Park and Ride (P+R) facilities at suitable locations along the Metro lines. This paper will present in details the planned Metro Network, some of the applied technological solutions, the importance of applying remote sensing and GIS technologies in different planning phases, and problems and benefits associated with the use of multi-temporal-, multi-format spatial data in the whole network planning phase.

  4. International Assistance for Low-Emission Development Planning: Coordinated Low Emissions Assistance Network (CLEAN) Inventory of Activities and Tools--Preliminary Trends

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

    Cox, S.; Benioff, R.

    2011-05-01

    The Coordinated Low Emissions Assistance Network (CLEAN) is a voluntary network of international practitioners supporting low-emission planning in developing countries. The network seeks to improve quality of support through sharing project information, tools, best practices and lessons, and by fostering harmonized assistance. CLEAN has developed an inventory to track and analyze international technical support and tools for low-carbon planning activities in developing countries. This paper presents a preliminary analysis of the inventory to help identify trends in assistance activities and tools available to support developing countries with low-emission planning.

  5. Designing of network planning system for small-scale manufacturing

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kapulin, D. V.; Russkikh, P. A.; Vinnichenko, M. V.

    2018-05-01

    The paper presents features of network planning in small-scale discrete production. The procedure of explosion of the production order, considering multilevel representation, is developed. The software architecture is offered. Approbation of the network planning system is carried out. This system allows carrying out dynamic updating of the production plan.

  6. Research on key technology of planning and design for AC/DC hybrid distribution network

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shen, Yu; Wu, Guilian; Zheng, Huan; Deng, Junpeng; Shi, Pengjia

    2018-04-01

    With the increasing demand of DC generation and DC load, the development of DC technology, AC and DC distribution network integrating will become an important form of future distribution network. In this paper, the key technology of planning and design for AC/DC hybrid distribution network is proposed, including the selection of AC and DC voltage series, the design of typical grid structure and the comprehensive evaluation method of planning scheme. The research results provide some ideas and directions for the future development of AC/DC hybrid distribution network.

  7. Settlement Networks in Polish Spatial Development Regional Plans

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sołtys, Jacek

    2017-10-01

    In 1999, ten years after the great political changes in Poland, 16 self-governed regions (in Polish: voivodeship) were created. According to Polish law, voivodeship spatial development plans, or regional plans in short, determine basic elements of the settlement network. No detailed regulations indicate the specific elements of the settlement network or what features of these elements should be determined. For this reason, centres as elements of the settlement network are variously named in different regions and take the form of various models. The purposes of the research described in this article are: (1) recognition and systematization of settlement network models determined in regional plans; and (2) assessment of the readability of determination in planning and its usefulness in the practice of regional policy. Six models of settlement networks in regional plans have been identified and classified into types and sub-types. Names of specific levels of centres indicate that they were classified according to two criteria: (1) level of services, which concerns only 5 voivodships; and (2) importance in development, which concerns the 11 other voivodships. The hierarchical model referring to the importance of development is less understandable than the one related to services. In the text of most plans, centres of services and centres of development are treated independently from their names. In some plans the functional types of towns and cities are indicated. In some voivodships, specifications in the plan text are too general and seem to be rather useless in the practice of regional policy. The author suggests that regional plans should determine two kinds of centres: hierarchical service centres and non-hierarchical centres of development. These centres should be further distinguished according to: (1) their role in the activation of surroundings; (2) their level of development and the necessity of action for their development; and (3) the types of actions indicated in the regional policy.

  8. A Search Algorithm for Generating Alternative Process Plans in Flexible Manufacturing System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tehrani, Hossein; Sugimura, Nobuhiro; Tanimizu, Yoshitaka; Iwamura, Koji

    Capabilities and complexity of manufacturing systems are increasing and striving for an integrated manufacturing environment. Availability of alternative process plans is a key factor for integration of design, process planning and scheduling. This paper describes an algorithm for generation of alternative process plans by extending the existing framework of the process plan networks. A class diagram is introduced for generating process plans and process plan networks from the viewpoint of the integrated process planning and scheduling systems. An incomplete search algorithm is developed for generating and searching the process plan networks. The benefit of this algorithm is that the whole process plan network does not have to be generated before the search algorithm starts. This algorithm is applicable to large and enormous process plan networks and also to search wide areas of the network based on the user requirement. The algorithm can generate alternative process plans and to select a suitable one based on the objective functions.

  9. Optimized planning methodologies of ASON implementation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, Michael M.; Tamil, Lakshman S.

    2005-02-01

    Advanced network planning concerns effective network-resource allocation for dynamic and open business environment. Planning methodologies of ASON implementation based on qualitative analysis and mathematical modeling are presented in this paper. The methodology includes method of rationalizing technology and architecture, building network and nodal models, and developing dynamic programming for multi-period deployment. The multi-layered nodal architecture proposed here can accommodate various nodal configurations for a multi-plane optical network and the network modeling presented here computes the required network elements for optimizing resource allocation.

  10. Networking Hawaii's School Libraries.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hawaii State Dept. of Education, Honolulu. Office of Instructional Services.

    This guide is designed to assist school librarians in becoming part of the planned statewide school library network in Hawaii. Approaches to the guide for librarians at all stages of planning are suggested, and an overview of the benefits, goals, steps, and historical development are provided together with a model of the networking plan. The steps…

  11. Test Plan of the Anticipatory Wirelss Sensor Network for the Critical Energy Infrastructure

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

    Carlos Rentel

    2006-09-01

    The test plan for the performance of the Anticipatory Wireless Sensor Network (A-WSN) is presented. The results of the test campaigns will be obtained after actual measurements are taken in the field with the Wireless Sensor Network developed by The Innovation Center-Eaton Corp., and the Anticipatory algorithms developed by ORNL.

  12. The Use of Multi-Criteria Evaluation and Network Analysis in the Area Development Planning Process

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-03-01

    layouts. The alternative layout scoring process, base in multi-criteria evaluation, returns a quantitative score for each alternative layout and a...The purpose of this research was to develop improvements to the area development planning process. These plans are used to improve operations within...an installation sub-section by altering the physical layout of facilities. One methodology was developed based on apply network analysis concepts to

  13. Network speech systems technology program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weinstein, C. J.

    1981-09-01

    This report documents work performed during FY 1981 on the DCA-sponsored Network Speech Systems Technology Program. The two areas of work reported are: (1) communication system studies in support of the evolving Defense Switched Network (DSN) and (2) design and implementation of satellite/terrestrial interfaces for the Experimental Integrated Switched Network (EISN). The system studies focus on the development and evaluation of economical and endurable network routing procedures. Satellite/terrestrial interface development includes circuit-switched and packet-switched connections to the experimental wideband satellite network. Efforts in planning and coordination of EISN experiments are reported in detail in a separate EISN Experiment Plan.

  14. Benefits and Challenges of Linking Green Infrastructure and Highway Planning in the United States

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marcucci, Daniel J.; Jordan, Lauren M.

    2013-01-01

    Landscape-level green infrastructure creates a network of natural and semi-natural areas that protects and enhances ecosystem services, regenerative capacities, and ecological dynamism over long timeframes. It can also enhance quality of life and certain economic activity. Highways create a network for moving goods and services efficiently, enabling commerce, and improving mobility. A fundamentally profound conflict exists between transportation planning and green infrastructure planning because they both seek to create connected, functioning networks across the same landscapes and regions, but transportation networks, especially in the form of highways, fragment and disconnect green infrastructure networks. A key opportunity has emerged in the United States during the last ten years with the promotion of measures to link transportation and environmental concerns. In this article we examined the potential benefits and challenges of linking landscape-level green infrastructure planning and implementation with integrated transportation planning and highway project development in the United States policy context. This was done by establishing a conceptual model that identified logical flow lines from planning to implementation as well as the potential interconnectors between green infrastructure and highway infrastructure. We analyzed the relationship of these activities through literature review, policy analysis, and a case study of a suburban Maryland, USA landscape. We found that regionally developed and adopted green infrastructure plans can be instrumental in creating more responsive regional transportation plans and streamlining the project environmental review process while enabling better outcomes by enabling more targeted mitigation. In order for benefits to occur, however, landscape-scale green infrastructure assessments and plans must be in place before integrated transportation planning and highway project development occurs. It is in the transportation community's interests to actively facilitate green infrastructure planning because it creates a more predictable environmental review context. On the other hand, for landscape-level green infrastructure, transportation planning and development is much more established and better funded and can provide a means of supporting green infrastructure planning and implementation, thereby enhancing conservation of ecological function.

  15. Benefits and challenges of linking green infrastructure and highway planning in the United States.

    PubMed

    Marcucci, Daniel J; Jordan, Lauren M

    2013-01-01

    Landscape-level green infrastructure creates a network of natural and semi-natural areas that protects and enhances ecosystem services, regenerative capacities, and ecological dynamism over long timeframes. It can also enhance quality of life and certain economic activity. Highways create a network for moving goods and services efficiently, enabling commerce, and improving mobility. A fundamentally profound conflict exists between transportation planning and green infrastructure planning because they both seek to create connected, functioning networks across the same landscapes and regions, but transportation networks, especially in the form of highways, fragment and disconnect green infrastructure networks. A key opportunity has emerged in the United States during the last ten years with the promotion of measures to link transportation and environmental concerns. In this article we examined the potential benefits and challenges of linking landscape-level green infrastructure planning and implementation with integrated transportation planning and highway project development in the United States policy context. This was done by establishing a conceptual model that identified logical flow lines from planning to implementation as well as the potential interconnectors between green infrastructure and highway infrastructure. We analyzed the relationship of these activities through literature review, policy analysis, and a case study of a suburban Maryland, USA landscape. We found that regionally developed and adopted green infrastructure plans can be instrumental in creating more responsive regional transportation plans and streamlining the project environmental review process while enabling better outcomes by enabling more targeted mitigation. In order for benefits to occur, however, landscape-scale green infrastructure assessments and plans must be in place before integrated transportation planning and highway project development occurs. It is in the transportation community's interests to actively facilitate green infrastructure planning because it creates a more predictable environmental review context. On the other hand, for landscape-level green infrastructure, transportation planning and development is much more established and better funded and can provide a means of supporting green infrastructure planning and implementation, thereby enhancing conservation of ecological function.

  16. Status of the NASA Micro Pulse Lidar Network (MPLNET): overview of the network and future plans, new version 3 data products, and the polarized MPL

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Welton, Ellsworth J.; Stewart, Sebastian A.; Lewis, Jasper R.; Belcher, Larry R.; Campbell, James R.; Lolli, Simone

    2018-04-01

    The NASA Micro Pulse Lidar Network (MPLNET) is a global federated network of Micro-Pulse Lidars (MPL) co-located with the NASA Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET). MPLNET began in 2000, and there are currently 17 long-term sites, numerous field campaigns, and more planned sites on the way. We have developed a new Version 3 processing system including the deployment of polarized MPLs across the network. Here we provide an overview of Version 3, the polarized MPL, and current and future plans.

  17. Intersectoral planning for city health development.

    PubMed

    Green, Geoff

    2012-04-01

    The article reviews the evolution and process of city health development planning (CHDP) in municipalities participating in the European Network of Healthy Cities organized by the European Region of the World Health Organization. The concept of CHDP combines elements from three theoretical domains: (a) health development, (b) city governance, and (c) urban planning. The setting was the 77 cities which participated in Phase IV (2003-2008) of the network. Evidence was gathered principally from a general evaluation questionnaire sent to all network cities. CHDPs are strategic documents giving direction to municipalities and partner agencies. Analysis revealed a trend away from "classic" CHDPs with a primary focus on health development towards ensuring a health dimension to other sector plans, and into the overarching strategies of city governments. Linked to the Phase IV priority themes of Healthy aging and healthy urban planning, cities further developed the concept and application of human-centered sustainability. More work is required to utilize cost-benefit analysis and health impact assessment to unmask the synergies between health and economic prosperity.

  18. PROGRESS REPORT ON THE DSSTOX DATABASE NETWORK: NEWLY LAUNCHED WEBSITE, APPLICATIONS, FUTURE PLANS

    EPA Science Inventory

    Progress Report on the DSSTox Database Network: Newly Launched Website, Applications, Future Plans

    Progress will be reported on development of the Distributed Structure-Searchable Toxicity (DSSTox) Database Network and the newly launched public website that coordinates and...

  19. National Data Program for the Marine Environment Technical Development Plan. Final Report, Volume Two.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    System Development Corp., Santa Monica, CA.

    A national data program for the marine environment is recommended. Volume 2 includes: (1) objectives, scope, and methodology; (2) summary of the technical development plan; (3) agency development plans - Great Lakes and coastal development and (4) marine data network development plans. (Author)

  20. Implementation of a Web-Based Collaborative Process Planning System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Huifen; Liu, Tingting; Qiao, Li; Huang, Shuangxi

    Under the networked manufacturing environment, all phases of product manufacturing involving design, process planning, machining and assembling may be accomplished collaboratively by different enterprises, even different manufacturing stages of the same part may be finished collaboratively by different enterprises. Based on the self-developed networked manufacturing platform eCWS(e-Cooperative Work System), a multi-agent-based system framework for collaborative process planning is proposed. In accordance with requirements of collaborative process planning, share resources provided by cooperative enterprises in the course of collaboration are classified into seven classes. Then a reconfigurable and extendable resource object model is built. Decision-making strategy is also studied in this paper. Finally a collaborative process planning system e-CAPP is developed and applied. It provides strong support for distributed designers to collaboratively plan and optimize product process though network.

  1. 77 FR 66588 - Development of the Nationwide Interoperable Public Safety Broadband Network

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-11-06

    ... architecture and applications as well as to invite input on other network design and business plan... Authority (FirstNet) as well as to invite input on other network design and business plan considerations... name and organizational affiliation of the filer. Do not submit Confidential Business Information or...

  2. Parallel plan execution with self-processing networks

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dautrechy, C. Lynne; Reggia, James A.

    1989-01-01

    A critical issue for space operations is how to develop and apply advanced automation techniques to reduce the cost and complexity of working in space. In this context, it is important to examine how recent advances in self-processing networks can be applied for planning and scheduling tasks. For this reason, the feasibility of applying self-processing network models to a variety of planning and control problems relevant to spacecraft activities is being explored. Goals are to demonstrate that self-processing methods are applicable to these problems, and that MIRRORS/II, a general purpose software environment for implementing self-processing models, is sufficiently robust to support development of a wide range of application prototypes. Using MIRRORS/II and marker passing modelling techniques, a model of the execution of a Spaceworld plan was implemented. This is a simplified model of the Voyager spacecraft which photographed Jupiter, Saturn, and their satellites. It is shown that plan execution, a task usually solved using traditional artificial intelligence (AI) techniques, can be accomplished using a self-processing network. The fact that self-processing networks were applied to other space-related tasks, in addition to the one discussed here, demonstrates the general applicability of this approach to planning and control problems relevant to spacecraft activities. It is also demonstrated that MIRRORS/II is a powerful environment for the development and evaluation of self-processing systems.

  3. Momentum: "Developing Masterful Marketing Plans."

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Meservey, Lynne D.

    1988-01-01

    Describes how directors can plan and develop a written marketing plan which can increase enrollment at child care centers. Components of successful marketing plans include parent retention; program merchandising; staff and director training; sales promotions; networking; and enrichment programs/fundraising. (NH)

  4. Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN): Preparing Families for Disaster

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Washburn, Carolyn; Saunders, Kristine

    2010-01-01

    According to the American Red Cross (n.d.), less than half of Americans have an emergency preparedness plan in place. Therefore, it is critical that the Cooperative Extension System takes a role in encouraging the development of family preparedness plans. The Extension Disaster Education Network (EDEN) has developed a family and consumer sciences…

  5. Intelligent Transportation Systems/Commercial Vehicle Operations Project Plan For Commercial Vehicle Information Systems And Networks Electronic Data Interchange Standards Development And Deployment

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1996-12-02

    THE PURPOSE OF THIS DOCUMENT IS TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ON THE PLANNING FOR THE DEVELOPMENT AND DEPLOYMENT OF EDI STANDARDS FOR COMMERCIAL VEHICLE INFORMATION SYSTEMS AND NETWORKS (CVISN). THE STATUS, PRIORITIES, AND SCHEDULES FOR THIS EFFORT ARE CONT...

  6. Plans & Policies for Technology in Education: A Compendium. A Technology Leadership Network Special Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National School Boards Association, Alexandria, VA. Inst. for the Transfer of Technology to Education.

    This document shows how education leaders nationwide--many of them part of the National School Boards Association's 345-district Technology Leadership Network--have addressed technology-related policy issues such as copyright, purchasing, network/Internet use, and ethics as well as technology planning topics including staff development, classroom…

  7. A Functional Plan for an Illinois Library Telecommunications Network. The Final Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Calabrese, Alice; And Others

    This final report describes the plan developed by the Northern Illinois Learning Resources Cooperative, a consortium of 44 community colleges and other academic institutions, which was awarded a Library Services and Construction Act (LSCA) Title III planning grant to research the requirements for a statewide electronic network that would provide…

  8. Building a pan-Canadian primary care sentinel surveillance network: initial development and moving forward.

    PubMed

    Birtwhistle, Richard; Keshavjee, Karim; Lambert-Lanning, Anita; Godwin, Marshall; Greiver, Michelle; Manca, Donna; Lagacé, Claudia

    2009-01-01

    The development of a pan-Canadian network of primary care research networks for studying issues in primary care has been the vision of Canadian primary care researchers for many years. With the opportunity for funding from the Public Health Agency of Canada and the support of the College of Family Physicians of Canada, we have planned and developed a project to assess the feasibility of a network of networks of family medicine practices that exclusively use electronic medical records. The Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network will collect longitudinal data from practices across Canada to assess the primary care epidemiology and management of 5 chronic diseases: hypertension, diabetes, depression, chronic obstructive lung disease, and osteoarthritis. This article reports on the 7-month first phase of the feasibility project of 7 regional networks in Canada to develop a business plan, including governance, mission, and vision; develop memorandum of agreements with the regional networks and their respective universities; develop and obtain approval of research ethics board applications; develop methods for data extraction, a Canadian Primary Care Sentinel Surveillance Network database, and initial assessment of the types of data that can be extracted; and recruitment of 10 practices at each network that use electronic medical records. The project will continue in phase 2 of the feasibility testing until April 2010.

  9. Bayesian network models for error detection in radiotherapy plans

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kalet, Alan M.; Gennari, John H.; Ford, Eric C.; Phillips, Mark H.

    2015-04-01

    The purpose of this study is to design and develop a probabilistic network for detecting errors in radiotherapy plans for use at the time of initial plan verification. Our group has initiated a multi-pronged approach to reduce these errors. We report on our development of Bayesian models of radiotherapy plans. Bayesian networks consist of joint probability distributions that define the probability of one event, given some set of other known information. Using the networks, we find the probability of obtaining certain radiotherapy parameters, given a set of initial clinical information. A low probability in a propagated network then corresponds to potential errors to be flagged for investigation. To build our networks we first interviewed medical physicists and other domain experts to identify the relevant radiotherapy concepts and their associated interdependencies and to construct a network topology. Next, to populate the network’s conditional probability tables, we used the Hugin Expert software to learn parameter distributions from a subset of de-identified data derived from a radiation oncology based clinical information database system. These data represent 4990 unique prescription cases over a 5 year period. Under test case scenarios with approximately 1.5% introduced error rates, network performance produced areas under the ROC curve of 0.88, 0.98, and 0.89 for the lung, brain and female breast cancer error detection networks, respectively. Comparison of the brain network to human experts performance (AUC of 0.90 ± 0.01) shows the Bayes network model performs better than domain experts under the same test conditions. Our results demonstrate the feasibility and effectiveness of comprehensive probabilistic models as part of decision support systems for improved detection of errors in initial radiotherapy plan verification procedures.

  10. 77 FR 60680 - Development of the Nationwide Interoperable Public Safety Broadband Network

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-10-04

    ... public comment on the conceptual network architecture presentation made at the FirstNet Board of... business plan considerations. NTIA also seeks comment on the general concept of how to develop applications... network based on a single, nationwide network architecture called for under the Middle Class Tax Relief...

  11. Satellites vs. fiber optics based networks and services - Road map to strategic planning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Marandi, James H. R.

    An overview of a generic telecommunications network and its components is presented, and the current developments in satellite and fiber optics technologies are discussed with an eye on the trends in industry. A baseline model is proposed, and a cost comparison of fiber- vs satellite-based networks is made. A step-by-step 'road map' to the successful strategic planning of telecommunications services and facilities is presented. This road map provides for optimization of the current and future networks and services through effective utilization of both satellites and fiber optics. The road map is then applied to different segments of the telecommunications industry and market place, to show its effectiveness for the strategic planning of executives of three types: (1) those heading telecommunications manufacturing concerns, (2) those leading communication service companies, and (3) managers of telecommunication/MIS departments of major corporations. Future networking issues, such as developments in integrated-services digital network standards and technologies, are addressed.

  12. Role of Open and Distance Education in Integrating Education with Development--Emerging Model of Networked Collaborative Learning and Net-working.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Takwale, Ram

    1998-01-01

    Discusses the evolution of the educational system in India, developments in new communication technologies, and plans by the open and distance education system to develop educational networks. Policies and programs adopted by the Distance Education Council are outlined. (AEF)

  13. Lunar-Ultraviolet Telescope Experiment (LUTE) integrated program plan

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Smith, Janice F. (Compiler); Forrest, Larry

    1993-01-01

    A detailed Lunar Ultraviolet Telescope Experiment (LUTE) program plan representing major decisions and tasks leading to those decisions for program execution are presented. The purpose of this task was to develop an integrated plan of project activities for the LUTE project, and to display the plan as an integrated network that shows the project activities, all critical interfaces, and schedules. The integrated network will provide the project manager with a frame work for strategic planning and risk management throughout the life of the project.

  14. Using Social Network Theory to Influence the Development of State and Local Primary Prevention Capacity-Building Teams

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cook-Craig, Patricia G.

    2010-01-01

    This article examines the role that social network theory and social network analysis has played in assessing and developing effective primary prevention networks across a southeastern state. In 2004 the state began an effort to develop a strategic plan for the primary prevention of violence working with local communities across the state. The…

  15. Online Learning Flight Control for Intelligent Flight Control Systems (IFCS)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Niewoehner, Kevin R.; Carter, John (Technical Monitor)

    2001-01-01

    The research accomplishments for the cooperative agreement 'Online Learning Flight Control for Intelligent Flight Control Systems (IFCS)' include the following: (1) previous IFC program data collection and analysis; (2) IFC program support site (configured IFC systems support network, configured Tornado/VxWorks OS development system, made Configuration and Documentation Management Systems Internet accessible); (3) Airborne Research Test Systems (ARTS) II Hardware (developed hardware requirements specification, developing environmental testing requirements, hardware design, and hardware design development); (4) ARTS II software development laboratory unit (procurement of lab style hardware, configured lab style hardware, and designed interface module equivalent to ARTS II faceplate); (5) program support documentation (developed software development plan, configuration management plan, and software verification and validation plan); (6) LWR algorithm analysis (performed timing and profiling on algorithm); (7) pre-trained neural network analysis; (8) Dynamic Cell Structures (DCS) Neural Network Analysis (performing timing and profiling on algorithm); and (9) conducted technical interchange and quarterly meetings to define IFC research goals.

  16. NASDA knowledge-based network planning system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yamaya, K.; Fujiwara, M.; Kosugi, S.; Yambe, M.; Ohmori, M.

    1993-01-01

    One of the SODS (space operation and data system) sub-systems, NP (network planning) was the first expert system used by NASDA (national space development agency of Japan) for tracking and control of satellite. The major responsibilities of the NP system are: first, the allocation of network and satellite control resources and, second, the generation of the network operation plan data (NOP) used in automated control of the stations and control center facilities. Up to now, the first task of network resource scheduling was done by network operators. NP system automatically generates schedules using its knowledge base, which contains information on satellite orbits, station availability, which computer is dedicated to which satellite, and how many stations must be available for a particular satellite pass or a certain time period. The NP system is introduced.

  17. Networking in Higher Education: A Statewide Plan.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Braun, Thomas G.

    The Council of Public Higher Education, Kentucky's higher education coordinating body, has developed a five-year plan to provide computing, consulting, and communication services for all of the public higher educational community, regardless of the size of the institution. The proposal includes a centralized network which provides instructional,…

  18. VLSI Based Multiprocessor Communications Networks.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1982-09-01

    year of the contract. Research plans for year three are also presented. Need for a research effort in the area of VLSI based communication networks... plans for year three of the contract. Section 4 concludes with a summary discussion of the research thus far. A number of appendices follow the main...pin constraints. We plan to investigate some -12- of these issues during the coming year in addition to developing similar models and bandwidth

  19. Tornado Preparedness Planning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (DOC), Rockville, MD. National Weather Service.

    This pamphlet contains a set of guidelines for community leaders interested in developing preparedness plans for tornadoes and severe thunderstorms. Included in the guide is a list of the types of officials and agencies which should be involved in planning meetings. A set of suggestions for developing a community communications network and…

  20. Policy measures on strengthening and developing capabilities for national tobacco control in Thailand.

    PubMed

    Kengkarnpanich, Mondha; Termsirikulchai, Lakkhana; Benjakul, Sarunya

    2012-06-01

    To assess the situation and report on a national capacity plan for tobacco control under the National Strategic Plan for Tobacco Control (NSPTC) 2010-2014. Systematic documentary review and analysis were managed by the working group. The results were discussed and provided recommendations by the sub-committee on developing the NSPTC 2010-2014. Seven meetings were organized from March 2009-January 2010. Eventually, the NSPCT 2010-2014 was approved by the National Committee for Tobacco Control, chaired by the Minister of Public Health on 22 April 2010. The major result of the present study was brought to the National Capacity in Tobacco Control Plan under the NSPTC 2010-2014. The purpose of the plan is to strengthen and develop national tobacco control capacity before 2011. Seven strategic areas for National Tobacco Control Capacity have been proposed. They are, 1) tobacco control policy and leadership development, 2) developing an organizational structure and management systems, 3) developing surveillance, monitoring and evaluation systems, 4)formulate measures to support research and knowledge management, 5) capacity building and network expansion for tobacco control in various sectors, 6) capacity building and expansion of a collaborative network for tobacco control at regional levels and 7) improving and strengthening tobacco control laws. In addition, the indicators, key players and support partners were addressed. Although the strength of the strategic plan on National Capacity in Tobacco Control is participatory planning process and result in the integrated and comprehensive capacity in tobacco control plan, but some concerns should be considers. They are infrastructure, evidence and networking and leadership.

  1. Developing an Effective Plan for Smart Sanctions: A Network Analysis Approach

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2012-10-31

    data and a network model that realistically simulates the Iranian nuclear development program. We then utilize several network analysis techniques...the Iran Watch (iranwatch.org) watchdog website. Using this data, which at first glance seems obtuse and unwieldy, we constructed network models in... model is created, nodes were evaluated using several measures of centrality. The team then analyzed this network utilizing four of the most common

  2. Microcosm to Cosmos: The Growth of a Divisional Computer Network

    PubMed Central

    Johannes, R.S.; Kahane, Stephen N.

    1987-01-01

    In 1982, we reported the deployment of a network of microcomputers in the Division of Gastroenterology[1]. This network was based upon Corvus Systems Omninet®. Corvus was one of the very first firms to offer networking products for PC's. This PC development occurred coincident with the planning phase of the Johns Hopkins Hospital's multisegment ethernet project. A rich communications infra-structure is now in place at the Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions[2,3]. Shortly after the hospital development under the direction of the Operational and Clinical Systems Division (OCS) development began, the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine began an Integrated Academic Information Management Systems (IAIMS) planning effort. We now present a model that uses aspects of all three planning efforts (PC networks, Hospital Information Systems & IAIMS) to build a divisional computing facility. This facility is viewed as a terminal leaf on then institutional network diagram. Nevertheless, it is noteworthy that this leaf, the divisional resource in the Division of Gastroenterology (GASNET), has a rich substructure and functionality of its own, perhaps revealing the recursive nature of network architecture. The current status, design and function of the GASNET computational facility is discussed. Among the major positive aspects of this design are the sharing and centralization of MS-DOS software, the high-speed DOS/Unix link that makes available most of the our institution's computing resources.

  3. Integrating Space Communication Network Capabilities via Web Portal Technologies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Johnston, Mark D.; Lee, Carlyn-Ann; Lau, Chi-Wung; Cheung, Kar-Ming; Levesque, Michael; Carruth, Butch; Coffman, Adam; Wallace, Mike

    2014-01-01

    We have developed a service portal prototype as part of an investigation into the feasibility of using Java portlet technology as a means of providing integrated access to NASA communications network services. Portal servers provide an attractive platform for this role due to the various built-in collaboration applications they can provide, combined with the possibility to develop custom inter-operating portlets to extent their functionality while preserving common presentation and behavior. This paper describes various options for integration of network services related to planning and scheduling, and results based on use of a popular open-source portal framework. Plans are underway to develop an operational SCaN Service Portal, building on the experiences reported here.

  4. The Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions' Premise Distribution Plan

    PubMed Central

    Barta, Wendy; Buckholtz, Howard; Johnston, Mark; Lenhard, Raymond; Tolchin, Stephen; Vienne, Donald

    1987-01-01

    A Premise Distribution Plan is being developed to address the growing voice and data communications needs at Johns Hopkins Medical Institutions. More specifically, the use of a rapidly expanding Ethernet computer network and a new Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN) Digital Centrex system must be planned to provide easy, reliable and cost-effective data and voice communications services. Existing Premise Distribution Systems are compared along with voice and data technologies which would use them.

  5. Cooperative Collection Development in Multitype Library Networks: A Beginning--Goals and Methods. Proceedings of the Annual Conference of the Missouri Library Association (1980).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Tompkins, Philip, Ed.

    This document presents the proceedings of a conference organized to review the cooperative collection development features of the Missouri State Network Plan and to outline specific goals, methods, and materials for facilitating cooperative collection development projects in the state's multitype library networks. An introduction provides…

  6. Cyber situational awareness and differential hardening

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dwivedi, Anurag; Tebben, Dan

    2012-06-01

    The advent of cyber threats has created a need for a new network planning, design, architecture, operations, control, situational awareness, management, and maintenance paradigms. Primary considerations include the ability to assess cyber attack resiliency of the network, and rapidly detect, isolate, and operate during deliberate simultaneous attacks against the network nodes and links. Legacy network planning relied on automatic protection of a network in the event of a single fault or a very few simultaneous faults in mesh networks, but in the future it must be augmented to include improved network resiliency and vulnerability awareness to cyber attacks. Ability to design a resilient network requires the development of methods to define, and quantify the network resiliency to attacks, and to be able to develop new optimization strategies for maintaining operations in the midst of these newly emerging cyber threats. Ways to quantify resiliency, and its use in visualizing cyber vulnerability awareness and in identifying node or link criticality, are presented in the current work, as well as a methodology of differential network hardening based on the criticality profile of cyber network components.

  7. Preliminary logging analysis system (PLANS): overview.

    Treesearch

    R.H. Twito; S.E. Reutebuch; R.J. McGaughey; C.N. Mann

    1987-01-01

    The paper previews a computer-aided design system, PLANS, that is useful for developing timber harvest and road network plans on large-scale topographic maps. Earlier planning techniques are reviewed, and the advantages are explained of using advanced planning systems like PLANS. There is a brief summary of the input, output, and function of each program in the PLANS...

  8. Programs for road network planning.

    Treesearch

    Ward W. Carson; Dennis P. Dykstra

    1978-01-01

    This paper describes four computer programs developed to assist logging engineers to plan transportation in a forest. The objective of these programs, to be used together, is to find the shortest path through a transportation network from a point of departure to a destination. Three of the programs use the digitizing and plotting capabilities of a programable desk-top...

  9. Computer network environment planning and analysis

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dalphin, John F.

    1989-01-01

    The GSFC Computer Network Environment provides a broadband RF cable between campus buildings and ethernet spines in buildings for the interlinking of Local Area Networks (LANs). This system provides terminal and computer linkage among host and user systems thereby providing E-mail services, file exchange capability, and certain distributed computing opportunities. The Environment is designed to be transparent and supports multiple protocols. Networking at Goddard has a short history and has been under coordinated control of a Network Steering Committee for slightly more than two years; network growth has been rapid with more than 1500 nodes currently addressed and greater expansion expected. A new RF cable system with a different topology is being installed during summer 1989; consideration of a fiber optics system for the future will begin soon. Summmer study was directed toward Network Steering Committee operation and planning plus consideration of Center Network Environment analysis and modeling. Biweekly Steering Committee meetings were attended to learn the background of the network and the concerns of those managing it. Suggestions for historical data gathering have been made to support future planning and modeling. Data Systems Dynamic Simulator, a simulation package developed at NASA and maintained at GSFC was studied as a possible modeling tool for the network environment. A modeling concept based on a hierarchical model was hypothesized for further development. Such a model would allow input of newly updated parameters and would provide an estimation of the behavior of the network.

  10. Identify involved agencies addressing safety when freight centers are planned and developed : project summary.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2017-01-01

    This project aimed to improve coordination and : cooperation among various entities in the : planning process for developing safer and more : efficient connections between intermodal : facilities and the highway network. Coordination : and cooperatio...

  11. Defense switched network technology and experiments program

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Weinstein, C. J.

    1983-09-01

    This report documents work performed during FY 1983 on the DCA-sponsored Defense Switched Network Technology and Experiments Program. The areas of work reported are: (1) development of routing algorithms for application in the Defense Switched Network (DSN); (2) instrumentation and integration of the Experimental Integrated Switched Network (EISN) test facility; (3) development and test of data communication techniques using DoD-standard data protocols in an integrated voice/data network; and (4) EISN system coordination and experiment planning.

  12. Countering Threat Networks

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-12-21

    PLANNING TO COUNTER THREAT NETWORKS  Joint Intelligence Preparation of the Operational Environment and Threat Networks...Army Expeditionary Forensic Facility in Afghanistan ........ E-9 E-4 Exploitation Support to Intelligence Fusion and Decision Making ......... E-10...Approach The groundwork for successful countering threat networks activities starts with information and intelligence to develop an understanding

  13. Default Network Modulation and Large-Scale Network Interactivity in Healthy Young and Old Adults

    PubMed Central

    Schacter, Daniel L.

    2012-01-01

    We investigated age-related changes in default, attention, and control network activity and their interactions in young and old adults. Brain activity during autobiographical and visuospatial planning was assessed using multivariate analysis and with intrinsic connectivity networks as regions of interest. In both groups, autobiographical planning engaged the default network while visuospatial planning engaged the attention network, consistent with a competition between the domains of internalized and externalized cognition. The control network was engaged for both planning tasks. In young subjects, the control network coupled with the default network during autobiographical planning and with the attention network during visuospatial planning. In old subjects, default-to-control network coupling was observed during both planning tasks, and old adults failed to deactivate the default network during visuospatial planning. This failure is not indicative of default network dysfunction per se, evidenced by default network engagement during autobiographical planning. Rather, a failure to modulate the default network in old adults is indicative of a lower degree of flexible network interactivity and reduced dynamic range of network modulation to changing task demands. PMID:22128194

  14. A Field Problem: Planning and Designing a Learning Exchange Network for the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Perkins, Allan Thomas

    A study was undertaken to gather data for use in planning a regional learning exchange network that would meet the learning needs of adults in three counties in the gulf coastal region of Mississippi. During the study, project-developed questionnaires were administered to representatives of agencies that would either host or sponsor the learning…

  15. Public Libraries in Bangladesh.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Khan, M. H.

    1984-01-01

    Overview of library movement in Bangladesh highlights British (1851-1947) and Pakistan periods (1947-1971), separation of Bangladesh from Pakistan, libraries in development plans (1951-1970), three important public libraries, development of national library, book resources, a library network plan, legislation, finance, leadership, library…

  16. Evolving plans for the USA National Phenology Network

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Betancourt, Julio L.; Schwartz, Mark D.; Breshears, David D.; Brewer, Carol A.; Frazer, Gary; Gross, John E.; Mazer, Susan J.; Reed, Bradley C.; Wilson, Bruce E.

    2007-01-01

    Phenology is the study of periodic plant and animal life cycle events, how these are influenced by seasonal and interannual variations in climate, and how they modulate the abundance, diversity, and interactions of organisms. The USA National Phenology Network (USA-NPN) is currently being organized to engage federal agencies, environmental networks and field stations, educational institutions, and citizen scientists. The first USA-NPN planning workshop was held August 2005, in Tucson, Ariz. (Betancourt et al. [2005]; http://www.uwm.edu/Dept/Geography/npn/; by 1 June 2007, also see http://www.usanpn.org). With sponsorship from the U.S. National Science Foundation, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and NASA, the second USA-NPN planning workshop was held at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee on 10–12 October 2006 to (1) develop lists of target species and observation protocols; (2) identify existing networks that could comprise the backbone of nationwide observations by 2008; (3) develop opportunities for education, citizen science, and outreach beginning in spring 2007; (4) design strategies for implementing the remote sensing component of USA-NPN; and (5) draft a data management and cyberinfrastructure plan.

  17. Key Issues in the Networking Field Today. Proceedings of the Library of Congress Network Advisory Committee Meeting (Washington, DC, May 6-8, 1985). Network Planning Paper No. 12.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Library of Congress, Washington, DC. Network Development Office.

    The May 1985 program session of the Library of Congress Network Advisory Committee focused on the identification of key issues in the networking field. Presentations included discussions of major network developments in the last two decades, the changing network players, the impact of technology on networks, and library networks and the law. The…

  18. Resource Allocation Algorithms for the Next Generation Cellular Networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Amzallag, David; Raz, Danny

    This chapter describes recent results addressing resource allocation problems in the context of current and future cellular technologies. We present models that capture several fundamental aspects of planning and operating these networks, and develop new approximation algorithms providing provable good solutions for the corresponding optimization problems. We mainly focus on two families of problems: cell planning and cell selection. Cell planning deals with choosing a network of base stations that can provide the required coverage of the service area with respect to the traffic requirements, available capacities, interference, and the desired QoS. Cell selection is the process of determining the cell(s) that provide service to each mobile station. Optimizing these processes is an important step towards maximizing the utilization of current and future cellular networks.

  19. Trade-off of cerebello-cortical and cortico-cortical functional networks for planning in 6-year-old children.

    PubMed

    Kipping, Judy A; Margulies, Daniel S; Eickhoff, Simon B; Lee, Annie; Qiu, Anqi

    2018-08-01

    Childhood is a critical period for the development of cognitive planning. There is a lack of knowledge on its neural mechanisms in children. This study aimed to examine cerebello-cortical and cortico-cortical functional connectivity in association with planning skills in 6-year-olds (n = 76). We identified the cerebello-cortical and cortico-cortical functional networks related to cognitive planning using activation likelihood estimation (ALE) meta-analysis on existing functional imaging studies on spatial planning, and data-driven independent component analysis (ICA) of children's resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI). We investigated associations of cerebello-cortical and cortico-cortical functional connectivity with planning ability in 6-year-olds, as assessed using the Stockings of Cambridge task. Long-range functional connectivity of two cerebellar networks (lobules VI and lateral VIIa) with the prefrontal and premotor cortex were greater in children with poorer planning ability. In contrast, cortico-cortical association networks were not associated with the performance of planning in children. These results highlighted the key contribution of the lateral cerebello-frontal functional connectivity, but not cortico-cortical association functional connectivity, for planning ability in 6-year-olds. Our results suggested that brain adaptation to the acquisition of planning ability during childhood is partially achieved through the engagement of the cerebello-cortical functional connectivity. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  20. The Community Networking Handbook.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Bajjaly, Stephen T.

    This publication outlines the complete community networking process: planning, developing partnerships, funding, marketing, content, public access, and evaluation, and discusses the variety of roles that the local public library can play in this process. Chapter One, "The Importance of Community Networking," describes the importance of community…

  1. Planning of Green Space Ecological Network in Urban Areas: An Example of Nanchang, China

    PubMed Central

    Li, Haifeng; Chen, Wenbo; He, Wei

    2015-01-01

    Green space plays an important role in sustainable urban development and ecology by virtue of multiple environmental, recreational, and economic benefits. Constructing an effective and harmonious urban ecological network and maintaining a sustainable living environment in response to rapid urbanization are the key issues required to be resolved by landscape planners. In this paper, Nanchang City, China was selected as a study area. Based on a series of landscape metrics, the landscape pattern analysis of the current (in 2005) and planned (in 2020) green space system were, respectively, conducted by using FRAGSTATS 3.3 software. Considering the actual situation of the Nanchang urban area, a “one river and two banks, north and south twin cities” ecological network was constructed by using network analysis. Moreover, the ecological network was assessed by using corridor structure analysis, and the improvement of an ecological network on the urban landscape was quantitatively assessed through a comparison between the ecological network and green space system planning. The results indicated that: (1) compared to the green space system in 2005, the planned green space system in 2020 of the Nanchang urban area will decline in both districts (Changnan and Changbei districts). Meanwhile, an increase in patch density and a decrease in mean patch size of green space patches at the landscape level implies the fragmentation of the urban green space landscape. In other words, the planned green space system does not necessarily improve the present green space system; (2) the ecological network of two districts has high corridor density, while Changnan’s ecological network has higher connectivity, but Changbei’s ecological network is more viable from an economic point of view, since it has relatively higher cost efficiency; (3) decrease in patch density, Euclidean nearest neighbor distance, and an increase in mean patch size and connectivity implied that the ecological network could improve landscape connectivity greatly, as compared with the planned green space system. That is to say, the planned ecological network would reduce landscape fragmentation, and increase the shape complexity of green space patches and landscape connectivity. As a result, the quality of the urban ecological environment would be improved. PMID:26501298

  2. Planning of Green Space Ecological Network in Urban Areas: An Example of Nanchang, China.

    PubMed

    Li, Haifeng; Chen, Wenbo; He, Wei

    2015-10-15

    Green space plays an important role in sustainable urban development and ecology by virtue of multiple environmental, recreational, and economic benefits. Constructing an effective and harmonious urban ecological network and maintaining a sustainable living environment in response to rapid urbanization are the key issues required to be resolved by landscape planners. In this paper, Nanchang City, China was selected as a study area. Based on a series of landscape metrics, the landscape pattern analysis of the current (in 2005) and planned (in 2020) green space system were, respectively, conducted by using FRAGSTATS 3.3 software. Considering the actual situation of the Nanchang urban area, a "one river and two banks, north and south twin cities" ecological network was constructed by using network analysis. Moreover, the ecological network was assessed by using corridor structure analysis, and the improvement of an ecological network on the urban landscape was quantitatively assessed through a comparison between the ecological network and green space system planning. The results indicated that: (1) compared to the green space system in 2005, the planned green space system in 2020 of the Nanchang urban area will decline in both districts (Changnan and Changbei districts). Meanwhile, an increase in patch density and a decrease in mean patch size of green space patches at the landscape level implies the fragmentation of the urban green space landscape. In other words, the planned green space system does not necessarily improve the present green space system; (2) the ecological network of two districts has high corridor density, while Changnan's ecological network has higher connectivity, but Changbei's ecological network is more viable from an economic point of view, since it has relatively higher cost efficiency; (3) decrease in patch density, Euclidean nearest neighbor distance, and an increase in mean patch size and connectivity implied that the ecological network could improve landscape connectivity greatly, as compared with the planned green space system. That is to say, the planned ecological network would reduce landscape fragmentation, and increase the shape complexity of green space patches and landscape connectivity. As a result, the quality of the urban ecological environment would be improved.

  3. Career/Life Planning for Blue Collar Workers.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Russell, Mary

    1982-01-01

    Lockheed Corporation's approach to career development for blue collar workers is based on these principles: providing accurate, current information for decision making, encouraging employees' personal and professional development, and integrating career planning into existing procedures and structures. (CPAD Network, 1190 South Bascom Avenue,…

  4. Organizational Application of Social Networking Information Technologies

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Reppert, Jeffrey R.

    2012-01-01

    The focus of this qualitative research study using the Delphi method is to provide a framework for leaders to develop their own social networks. By exploring concerns in four areas, leaders may be able to better plan, implement, and manage social networking systems in organizations. The areas addressed are: (a) social networking using…

  5. Neural networks application to divergence-based passive ranging

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Barniv, Yair

    1992-01-01

    The purpose of this report is to summarize the state of knowledge and outline the planned work in divergence-based/neural networks approach to the problem of passive ranging derived from optical flow. Work in this and closely related areas is reviewed in order to provide the necessary background for further developments. New ideas about devising a monocular passive-ranging system are then introduced. It is shown that image-plan divergence is independent of image-plan location with respect to the focus of expansion and of camera maneuvers because it directly measures the object's expansion which, in turn, is related to the time-to-collision. Thus, a divergence-based method has the potential of providing a reliable range complementing other monocular passive-ranging methods which encounter difficulties in image areas close to the focus of expansion. Image-plan divergence can be thought of as some spatial/temporal pattern. A neural network realization was chosen for this task because neural networks have generally performed well in various other pattern recognition applications. The main goal of this work is to teach a neural network to derive the divergence from the imagery.

  6. Optimal cost for strengthening or destroying a given network

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Patron, Amikam; Cohen, Reuven; Li, Daqing; Havlin, Shlomo

    2017-05-01

    Strengthening or destroying a network is a very important issue in designing resilient networks or in planning attacks against networks, including planning strategies to immunize a network against diseases, viruses, etc. Here we develop a method for strengthening or destroying a random network with a minimum cost. We assume a correlation between the cost required to strengthen or destroy a node and the degree of the node. Accordingly, we define a cost function c (k ) , which is the cost of strengthening or destroying a node with degree k . Using the degrees k in a network and the cost function c (k ) , we develop a method for defining a list of priorities of degrees and for choosing the right group of degrees to be strengthened or destroyed that minimizes the total price of strengthening or destroying the entire network. We find that the list of priorities of degrees is universal and independent of the network's degree distribution, for all kinds of random networks. The list of priorities is the same for both strengthening a network and for destroying a network with minimum cost. However, in spite of this similarity, there is a difference between their pc, the critical fraction of nodes that has to be functional to guarantee the existence of a giant component in the network.

  7. Optimal cost for strengthening or destroying a given network.

    PubMed

    Patron, Amikam; Cohen, Reuven; Li, Daqing; Havlin, Shlomo

    2017-05-01

    Strengthening or destroying a network is a very important issue in designing resilient networks or in planning attacks against networks, including planning strategies to immunize a network against diseases, viruses, etc. Here we develop a method for strengthening or destroying a random network with a minimum cost. We assume a correlation between the cost required to strengthen or destroy a node and the degree of the node. Accordingly, we define a cost function c(k), which is the cost of strengthening or destroying a node with degree k. Using the degrees k in a network and the cost function c(k), we develop a method for defining a list of priorities of degrees and for choosing the right group of degrees to be strengthened or destroyed that minimizes the total price of strengthening or destroying the entire network. We find that the list of priorities of degrees is universal and independent of the network's degree distribution, for all kinds of random networks. The list of priorities is the same for both strengthening a network and for destroying a network with minimum cost. However, in spite of this similarity, there is a difference between their p_{c}, the critical fraction of nodes that has to be functional to guarantee the existence of a giant component in the network.

  8. Critical elements in the development and implementation of Community Wildfire Protection Plans (CWPPs)

    Treesearch

    Pamela Jakes; Sam Burns; Antony Cheng; Emily Saeli; Kristen Nelson Rachel Brummel; Stephanie Grayzeck; Victoria Sturtevant; Daniel Williams

    2007-01-01

    Community wildfire protection plans (CWPPs) are being developed and implemented in communities across the United States. In a series of case studies, researchers found that the process of developing a CWPP can lead to benefits beyond those associated with fuels reduction, including enhancing social networks, developing learning communities, and building community...

  9. Basic Principles of Electrical Network Reliability Optimization in Liberalised Electricity Market

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Oleinikova, I.; Krishans, Z.; Mutule, A.

    2008-01-01

    The authors propose to select long-term solutions to the reliability problems of electrical networks in the stage of development planning. The guide lines or basic principles of such optimization are: 1) its dynamical nature; 2) development sustainability; 3) integrated solution of the problems of network development and electricity supply reliability; 4) consideration of information uncertainty; 5) concurrent consideration of the network and generation development problems; 6) application of specialized information technologies; 7) definition of requirements for independent electricity producers. In the article, the major aspects of liberalized electricity market, its functions and tasks are reviewed, with emphasis placed on the optimization of electrical network development as a significant component of sustainable management of power systems.

  10. Integrated Toolset for WSN Application Planning, Development, Commissioning and Maintenance: The WSN-DPCM ARTEMIS-JU Project.

    PubMed

    Antonopoulos, Christos; Asimogloy, Katerina; Chiti, Sarah; D'Onofrio, Luca; Gianfranceschi, Simone; He, Danping; Iodice, Antonio; Koubias, Stavros; Koulamas, Christos; Lavagno, Luciano; Lazarescu, Mihai T; Mujica, Gabriel; Papadopoulos, George; Portilla, Jorge; Redondo, Luis; Riccio, Daniele; Riesgo, Teresa; Rodriguez, Daniel; Ruello, Giuseppe; Samoladas, Vasilis; Stoyanova, Tsenka; Touliatos, Gerasimos; Valvo, Angela; Vlahoy, Georgia

    2016-06-02

    In this article we present the main results obtained in the ARTEMIS-JU WSN-DPCM project between October 2011 and September 2015. The first objective of the project was the development of an integrated toolset for Wireless sensor networks (WSN) application planning, development, commissioning and maintenance, which aims to support application domain experts, with limited WSN expertise, to efficiently develop WSN applications from planning to lifetime maintenance. The toolset is made of three main tools: one for planning, one for application development and simulation (which can include hardware nodes), and one for network commissioning and lifetime maintenance. The tools are integrated in a single platform which promotes software reuse by automatically selecting suitable library components for application synthesis and the abstraction of the underlying architecture through the use of a middleware layer. The second objective of the project was to test the effectiveness of the toolset for the development of two case studies in different domains, one for detecting the occupancy state of parking lots and one for monitoring air concentration of harmful gasses near an industrial site.

  11. Integrated Toolset for WSN Application Planning, Development, Commissioning and Maintenance: The WSN-DPCM ARTEMIS-JU Project

    PubMed Central

    Antonopoulos, Christos; Asimogloy, Katerina; Chiti, Sarah; D’Onofrio, Luca; Gianfranceschi, Simone; He, Danping; Iodice, Antonio; Koubias, Stavros; Koulamas, Christos; Lavagno, Luciano; Lazarescu, Mihai T.; Mujica, Gabriel; Papadopoulos, George; Portilla, Jorge; Redondo, Luis; Riccio, Daniele; Riesgo, Teresa; Rodriguez, Daniel; Ruello, Giuseppe; Samoladas, Vasilis; Stoyanova, Tsenka; Touliatos, Gerasimos; Valvo, Angela; Vlahoy, Georgia

    2016-01-01

    In this article we present the main results obtained in the ARTEMIS-JU WSN-DPCM project between October 2011 and September 2015. The first objective of the project was the development of an integrated toolset for Wireless sensor networks (WSN) application planning, development, commissioning and maintenance, which aims to support application domain experts, with limited WSN expertise, to efficiently develop WSN applications from planning to lifetime maintenance. The toolset is made of three main tools: one for planning, one for application development and simulation (which can include hardware nodes), and one for network commissioning and lifetime maintenance. The tools are integrated in a single platform which promotes software reuse by automatically selecting suitable library components for application synthesis and the abstraction of the underlying architecture through the use of a middleware layer. The second objective of the project was to test the effectiveness of the toolset for the development of two case studies in different domains, one for detecting the occupancy state of parking lots and one for monitoring air concentration of harmful gasses near an industrial site. PMID:27271622

  12. Toward a Common Vision in Library Networking. Proceedings of the Library of Congress Network Advisory Committee Meeting (Washington, D.C., December 9-11, 1985). Network Planning Paper No. 13.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Harriman, Sigrid G., Ed.

    The December 1985 program session of the Library of Congress Network Advisory Committee (NAC) focused on determining the effectiveness of networking, identifying a common vision or goal, and developing a strategy to accomplish that goal. The program session included remarks on the role of the regional networks in national networking by Louella V.…

  13. Scheduling language and algorithm development study. Volume 2, phase 2: Introduction to plans programming. [user guide

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cochran, D. R.; Ishikawa, M. K.; Paulson, R. E.; Ramsey, H. R.

    1975-01-01

    A user guide for the Programming Language for Allocation and Network Scheduling (PLANS) is presented. Information is included for the construction of PLANS programs. The basic philosophy of PLANS is discussed, and access and update reference techniques are described along with the use of tree structures.

  14. 0-6683 : develop a pavement project evaluation index to support the 4-year pavement management plan.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2013-08-01

    A pavement management plan (PMP) identifies : candidate maintenance and rehabilitation (M&R) : projects for a particular roadway network over a : multi-year planning period. The PMP is a living : document because projects are reevaluated and : reprio...

  15. Moving beyond the Typologies of Managed Care: The Example of Health Plan Predictors of Screening Mammography

    PubMed Central

    Tye, Sherilyn; Phillips, Kathryn A; Liang, Su-Ying; Haas, Jennifer S

    2004-01-01

    Objectives To develop a framework of factors to characterize health plans, to identify how plan characteristics were measured in a national survey, and to apply our findings to an analysis of the predictors of screening mammography. Data Source The primary data were from the 1996 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey. Study Design Women ages 40+, with private insurance, and no history of breast cancer were included in the study (N=2,909). We used multivariate logistic regression to estimate mammography utilization in the past two years relative to health plan and demographic factors. Health plan measures included whether there is a defined provider network, whether coverage is restricted to a network, use of gatekeepers, level of cost containment, copayment and deductible amounts, coinsurance rate, and breadth of benefit coverage. Principal Findings We found no significant difference in reported mammography utilization using a dichotomous comparison of individuals enrolled in managed care versus indemnity plans. However, women in health plans with a defined provider network were more likely to report having received a mammogram in the past two years than those without networks (adjusted OR=1.21, 95 percent CI=1.07–1.36), and women in gatekeeper plans were more likely to report receiving mammography than those without gatekeepers (adjusted OR=1.18, 95 percent CI=1.03–1.36). Restricted out-of-network coverage, use of cost containment, enrollee cost sharing, and breadth of benefit coverage did not appear to affect mammography use. Conclusions It is important to examine the effect of individual health plan components on the utilization of health care, rather than use the traditional broader categorizations of managed versus nonmanaged care or simple health plan typologies. PMID:14965083

  16. The LCOGT Network for Solar System Science

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lister, Tim

    2012-10-01

    Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope (LCOGT) network is a planned homogeneous network of over 35 telescopes at 6 locations in the northern and southern hemispheres. This network is versatile and designed to respond rapidly to target of opportunity events and also to do long term monitoring of slowly changing astronomical phenomena. The global coverage of the network and the apertures of telescope available make LCOGT ideal for follow-up and characterization of Solar System objects (e.g. asteroids, Kuiper Belt Objects, comets, Near-Earth Objects (NEOs)) and ultimately for the discovery of new objects. Currently LCOGT is operating the two 2m Faulkes Telescopes at Haleakala, Maui and Siding Spring Observatory, Australia and in March 2012 completed the install of the first member of the new 1m telescope network at McDonald Observatory, Texas. Further deployments of six to eight 1m telescopes to CTIO in Chile, SAAO in South Africa and Siding Spring Observatory are expected in late 2012-early 2013. I am using the growing LCOGT network to confirm newly detected NEO candidates produced by PanSTARRS (PS1) and other sky surveys and to obtain follow-up astrometry and photometry for radar-targeted objects. I have developed an automated system to retrieve new PS1 NEOs, compute orbits, plan observations and automatically schedule them for follow-up on the robotic telescopes of the LCOGT Network. In the future, LCOGT has proposed to develop a Minor Planet Investigation Project (MPIP) that will address the existing lack of resources for minor planet follow-up, takes advantage of ever-increasing new datasets, and develops a platform for broad public participation in relevant scientific exploration. We plan to produce a cloud-based Solar System investigation environment, a citizen science project (AgentNEO), and a cyberlearning environment, all under the umbrella of MPIP.

  17. Developing a Framework for Effective Network Capacity Planning

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Yaprak, Ece

    2005-01-01

    As Internet traffic continues to grow exponentially, developing a clearer understanding of, and appropriately measuring, network's performance is becoming ever more critical. An important challenge faced by the Information Resources Directorate (IRD) at the Johnson Space Center in this context remains not only monitoring and maintaining a secure network, but also better understanding the capacity and future growth potential boundaries of its network. This requires capacity planning which involves modeling and simulating different network alternatives, and incorporating changes in design as technologies, components, configurations, and applications change, to determine optimal solutions in light of IRD's goals, objectives and strategies. My primary task this summer was to address this need. I evaluated network-modeling tools from OPNET Technologies Inc. and Compuware Corporation. I generated a baseline model for Building 45 using both tools by importing "real" topology/traffic information using IRD's various network management tools. I compared each tool against the other in terms of the advantages and disadvantages of both tools to accomplish IRD's goals. I also prepared step-by-step "how to design a baseline model" tutorial for both OPNET and Compuware products.

  18. Increasing the marketability and recognition of provider network joint ventures.

    PubMed

    Sjobeck, S J

    1998-08-01

    Physicians have been developing provider network joint ventures to market their services jointly to managed care plans, employers, and other purchasers. Over the past few years, external market factors have produced a growing impact on these joint ventures. These external market factors include the Federal government's revised antitrust guidelines, National Committee for Quality Assurance activities, and state and Federal consumer protection laws. Simply responding to these forces may not increase a provider network's marketability unless the network can demonstrate its value in the terms and measurements accepted by the consumer, managed care plans, and provider networks. By doing so, a provider network can not only increase its marketability, but also increase its recognition in the market, improve its competitive advantage, and enhance its return on investment.

  19. SATWG networked quality function deployment

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Brown, Don

    1992-01-01

    The initiative of this work is to develop a cooperative process for continual evolution of an integrated, time phased avionics technology plan that involves customers, technologists, developers, and managers. This will be accomplished by demonstrating a computer network technology to augment the Quality Function Deployment (QFD). All results are presented in viewgraph format.

  20. Integrated urban systems model with multiple transportation supply agents.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-10-01

    This project demonstrates the feasibility of developing quantitative models that can forecast future networks under : current and alternative transportation planning processes. The current transportation planning process is modeled : based on empiric...

  1. Low Emission Development Strategies: The Role of Networks and Knowledge Platforms

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

    Benioff, Ron; Bazilian, Morgan; Cox, Sadie

    2013-09-01

    Considerable effort has been made to address the transition to low-carbon economy. A key focus of these efforts has been on the development of national low-emissions developments strategies (LEDS). One enabler of these plans is the existence of well-functioning national, regional and international low-emission development networks and knowledge platforms. To better understand the role of LEDS, weexamine this area in relation to network theory. We present a review of strengths and weaknesses of existing LEDS networks that builds on the findings of a study conducted by the Coordinated Low Emission Assistance Network (CLEAN). Based on the insights from theory andmore » a mapping of the climate-related network space, we identify opportunities for further refinement of LEDS networks.« less

  2. Network planning under uncertainties

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ho, Kwok Shing; Cheung, Kwok Wai

    2008-11-01

    One of the main focuses for network planning is on the optimization of network resources required to build a network under certain traffic demand projection. Traditionally, the inputs to this type of network planning problems are treated as deterministic. In reality, the varying traffic requirements and fluctuations in network resources can cause uncertainties in the decision models. The failure to include the uncertainties in the network design process can severely affect the feasibility and economics of the network. Therefore, it is essential to find a solution that can be insensitive to the uncertain conditions during the network planning process. As early as in the 1960's, a network planning problem with varying traffic requirements over time had been studied. Up to now, this kind of network planning problems is still being active researched, especially for the VPN network design. Another kind of network planning problems under uncertainties that has been studied actively in the past decade addresses the fluctuations in network resources. One such hotly pursued research topic is survivable network planning. It considers the design of a network under uncertainties brought by the fluctuations in topology to meet the requirement that the network remains intact up to a certain number of faults occurring anywhere in the network. Recently, the authors proposed a new planning methodology called Generalized Survivable Network that tackles the network design problem under both varying traffic requirements and fluctuations of topology. Although all the above network planning problems handle various kinds of uncertainties, it is hard to find a generic framework under more general uncertainty conditions that allows a more systematic way to solve the problems. With a unified framework, the seemingly diverse models and algorithms can be intimately related and possibly more insights and improvements can be brought out for solving the problem. This motivates us to seek a generic framework for solving the network planning problem under uncertainties. In addition to reviewing the various network planning problems involving uncertainties, we also propose that a unified framework based on robust optimization can be used to solve a rather large segment of network planning problem under uncertainties. Robust optimization is first introduced in the operations research literature and is a framework that incorporates information about the uncertainty sets for the parameters in the optimization model. Even though robust optimization is originated from tackling the uncertainty in the optimization process, it can serve as a comprehensive and suitable framework for tackling generic network planning problems under uncertainties. In this paper, we begin by explaining the main ideas behind the robust optimization approach. Then we demonstrate the capabilities of the proposed framework by giving out some examples of how the robust optimization framework can be applied to the current common network planning problems under uncertain environments. Next, we list some practical considerations for solving the network planning problem under uncertainties with the proposed framework. Finally, we conclude this article with some thoughts on the future directions for applying this framework to solve other network planning problems.

  3. A genomic regulatory network for development

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Davidson, Eric H.; Rast, Jonathan P.; Oliveri, Paola; Ransick, Andrew; Calestani, Cristina; Yuh, Chiou-Hwa; Minokawa, Takuya; Amore, Gabriele; Hinman, Veronica; Arenas-Mena, Cesar; hide

    2002-01-01

    Development of the body plan is controlled by large networks of regulatory genes. A gene regulatory network that controls the specification of endoderm and mesoderm in the sea urchin embryo is summarized here. The network was derived from large-scale perturbation analyses, in combination with computational methodologies, genomic data, cis-regulatory analysis, and molecular embryology. The network contains over 40 genes at present, and each node can be directly verified at the DNA sequence level by cis-regulatory analysis. Its architecture reveals specific and general aspects of development, such as how given cells generate their ordained fates in the embryo and why the process moves inexorably forward in developmental time.

  4. Development of an Asia-Pacific regional network for public health.

    PubMed

    Loos, G P

    1995-01-01

    As public health by its very nature is multi-disciplinary, it may benefit individual programs to formulate a regional network, joining researchers and academics across programs. This approach may afford extended benefits, such as the establishment of regional health surveillance systems and collaborative funding initiatives. To explore this potential, member institutions comprising the Asia-Pacific Academic Consortium for Public Health provided data to form an aggregate profile of cross-institutional expertise and resources, which was presented to Health Specialists at the Asian Development Bank. The study provided a foundation for a planned regional network. A four-pronged approach was proffered detailing concurrent aspects of development: 1) network formation and expansion, 2) research coordination, 3) cross-institutional communication and instruction, and 4) promotion of self-sufficiency. The proposed plan affords the groundwork for an improved approach to public health research and practice that builds upon the established Consortium, and encourages new horizons. Regionalization is an increasing phenomenon world wide, and should be furthered as a concept for improved public health intervention and control.

  5. Planning and cost analysis of digital radiography services for a network of hospitals (the Veterans Integrated Service Network).

    PubMed

    Duerinckx, A J; Kenagy, J J; Grant, E G

    1998-01-01

    This study analysed the design and cost of a picture archiving and communications system (PACS), computerized radiography (CR) and a wide-area network for teleradiology. The Desert Pacific Healthcare Network comprises 10 facilities, including four tertiary medical centres and one small hospital. Data were collected on radiologists' workloads, and patient and image flow within and between these medical centres. These were used to estimate the size and cash flows associated with a system-wide implementation of PACS, CR and teleradiology services. A cost analysis model was used to estimate the potential cost savings in a filmless radiology environment. ATM technology was selected as the communications medium between the medical centres. A strategic plan and business plan were successfully developed. The cost model predicted the cost-effectiveness of the proposed PACS/CR configuration within four to six years, if the base costs were kept low. The experience gained in design and cost analysis of a PACS/teleradiology network will serve as a model for similar projects.

  6. Contrasting Intermediation Practices in Various Advisory Service Networks in the Case of the French Ecophyto Plan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cerf, M.; Bail, Le; Lusson, J. M.; Omon, B.

    2017-01-01

    Purpose: To highlight the way a public policy aiming to achieve a 50% decrease of pesticides use in France reframed advice provision in public and private networks. Design/methodology/approach: We developed a framework to analyze intermediation in a public funded network, a farmers' association, and a network of co-operatives. The framework…

  7. Supply chain planning classification

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hvolby, Hans-Henrik; Trienekens, Jacques; Bonde, Hans

    2001-10-01

    Industry experience a need to shift in focus from internal production planning towards planning in the supply network. In this respect customer oriented thinking becomes almost a common good amongst companies in the supply network. An increase in the use of information technology is needed to enable companies to better tune their production planning with customers and suppliers. Information technology opportunities and supply chain planning systems facilitate companies to monitor and control their supplier network. In spite if these developments, most links in today's supply chains make individual plans, because the real demand information is not available throughout the chain. The current systems and processes of the supply chains are not designed to meet the requirements now placed upon them. For long term relationships with suppliers and customers, an integrated decision-making process is needed in order to obtain a satisfactory result for all parties. Especially when customized production and short lead-time is in focus. An effective value chain makes inventory available and visible among the value chain members, minimizes response time and optimizes total inventory value held throughout the chain. In this paper a supply chain planning classification grid is presented based current manufacturing classifications and supply chain planning initiatives.

  8. Neural Network Prototyping Package Within IRAF

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bazell, David

    1997-01-01

    The purpose of this contract was to develop a neural network package within the IRAF environment to allow users to easily understand and use different neural network algorithms the analysis of astronomical data. The package was developed for use within IRAF to allow portability to different computing environments and to provide a familiar and easy to use interface with the routines. In addition to developing the software and supporting documentation, we planned to use the system for the analysis of several sample problems to prove its viability and usefulness.

  9. DSN model for use in strategic planning

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kelly, K. C.; Lin, C. Y.; Mckenzie, M.

    1981-01-01

    A System Dynamics Model of the DSN to support strategic planning for the Network is addressed. Applications for the model are described, as well as the foundations of system dynamics and the methodology used to develop the model. Activities to date and plans for future work are also discussed.

  10. Rationale, timeline, study design, and protocol overview of the therapeutic hypothermia after pediatric cardiac arrest trials.

    PubMed

    Moler, Frank W; Silverstein, Faye S; Meert, Kathleen L; Clark, Amy E; Holubkov, Richard; Browning, Brittan; Slomine, Beth S; Christensen, James R; Dean, J Michael

    2013-09-01

    To describe the rationale, timeline, study design, and protocol overview of the Therapeutic Hypothermia after Pediatric Cardiac Arrest trials. Multicenter randomized controlled trials. Pediatric intensive care and cardiac ICUs in the United States and Canada. Children from 48 hours to 18 years old, who have return of circulation after cardiac arrest, who meet trial eligibility criteria, and whose guardians provide written consent. Therapeutic hypothermia or therapeutic normothermia. From concept inception in 2002 until trial initiation in 2009, 7 years were required to plan and operationalize the Therapeutic Hypothermia after Pediatric Cardiac Arrest trials. Two National Institute of Child Health and Human Development clinical trial planning grants (R21 and R34) supported feasibility assessment and protocol development. Two clinical research networks, Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network and Collaborative Pediatric Critical Care Research Network, provided infrastructure resources. Two National Heart Lung Blood Institute U01 awards provided funding to conduct separate trials of in-hospital and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. A pilot vanguard phase that included half the clinical sites began on March 9, 2009, and this was followed by full trial funding through 2015. Over a decade will have been required to plan, design, operationalize, and conduct the Therapeutic Hypothermia after Pediatric Cardiac Arrest trials. Details described in this report, such as participation of clinical research networks and clinical trial planning grants utilization, may be of utility for individuals who are planning investigator-initiated, federally supported clinical trials.

  11. Simulation-based modeling of building complexes construction management

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shepelev, Aleksandr; Severova, Galina; Potashova, Irina

    2018-03-01

    The study reported here examines the experience in the development and implementation of business simulation games based on network planning and management of high-rise construction. Appropriate network models of different types and levels of detail have been developed; a simulation model including 51 blocks (11 stages combined in 4 units) is proposed.

  12. An Evaluation of a Professional Learning Network for Computer Science Teachers

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cutts, Quintin; Robertson, Judy; Donaldson, Peter; O'Donnell, Laurie

    2017-01-01

    This paper describes and evaluates aspects of a professional development programme for existing CS teachers in secondary schools (PLAN C) which was designed to support teachers at a time of substantial curricular change. The paper's particular focus is on the formation of a teacher professional development network across several hundred teachers…

  13. Are You Ready for That Thing Called "Change"?

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Peters, Paul Evan

    1996-01-01

    Suggests that there is danger in focusing too much on developing new features for relatively stable Internet hardware and software platforms, and not enough attention to creating new value for networked information users. Criteria for networked information systems functions and performance factors must be developed, and it is necessary to plan and…

  14. How do NHS organisations plan research capacity development? Strategies, strengths, and opportunities for improvement.

    PubMed

    Gee, Melanie; Cooke, Jo

    2018-03-22

    Research that is integral into a 'learning healthcare system' can promote cost effective services and knowledge creation. As such, research is defined as a 'core function' in UK health service organisations, and is often planned through research and development (R&D) strategies that aim to promote research activity and research capacity development (RCD). The discussion focuses around the content of ten R&D strategies for healthcare organisations in England and Scotland, with respect to RCD. These organisations were engaged with a research interest network called ACORN (Addressing Organisational Capacity to do Research Network) that included two Scottish Health Boards, four community and mental health trusts, two provincial district hospitals, and two teaching hospitals. We undertook a thematic documentary analysis of the R&D strategies which identified 11 'core activities' of RCD. The potential for building research capacity in these 'core activities' was established by reviewing them through the lens of a RCD framework. Core activities aimed to 'hard wire' RCD into health organisations. They demonstrated a complex interplay between developing a strong internal organisational infrastructure, and supporting individual career planning and skills development, in turn enabled by organisational processes. They also included activities to build stronger inter-organisational relationships and networks. Practitioner, manager and patient involvement was a cross cutting theme. The potential to demonstrate progress was included in plans through monitoring activity across all RCD principles. Strategies were primarily aimed at research production rather than research use. Developing 'actionable dissemination' was poorly addressed in the strategies, and represents an area for improvement. We describe strengths of RCD planning activities, and opportunities for improvement. We explore how national policy and research funders can influence health systems' engagement in research.

  15. Networked sensors for the combat forces

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Klager, Gene

    2004-11-01

    Real-time and detailed information is critical to the success of ground combat forces. Current manned reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (RSTA) capabilities are not sufficient to cover battlefield intelligence gaps, provide Beyond-Line-of-Sight (BLOS) targeting, and the ambush avoidance information necessary for combat forces operating in hostile situations, complex terrain, and conducting military operations in urban terrain. This paper describes a current US Army program developing advanced networked unmanned/unattended sensor systems to survey these gaps and provide the Commander with real-time, pertinent information. Networked Sensors for the Combat Forces plans to develop and demonstrate a new generation of low cost distributed unmanned sensor systems organic to the RSTA Element. Networked unmanned sensors will provide remote monitoring of gaps, will increase a unit"s area of coverage, and will provide the commander organic assets to complete his Battlefield Situational Awareness (BSA) picture for direct and indirect fire weapons, early warning, and threat avoidance. Current efforts include developing sensor packages for unmanned ground vehicles, small unmanned aerial vehicles, and unattended ground sensors using advanced sensor technologies. These sensors will be integrated with robust networked communications and Battle Command tools for mission planning, intelligence "reachback", and sensor data management. The network architecture design is based on a model that identifies a three-part modular design: 1) standardized sensor message protocols, 2) Sensor Data Management, and 3) Service Oriented Architecture. This simple model provides maximum flexibility for data exchange, information management and distribution. Products include: Sensor suites optimized for unmanned platforms, stationary and mobile versions of the Sensor Data Management Center, Battle Command planning tools, networked communications, and sensor management software. Details of these products and recent test results will be presented.

  16. A Software Defined Integrated T1 Digital Network for Voice, Data and Video.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Hill, James R.

    The Dallas County Community College District developed and implemented a strategic plan for communications that utilizes a county-wide integrated network to carry voice, data, and video information to nine locations within the district. The network, which was installed and operational by March 1987, utilizes microwave, fiber optics, digital cross…

  17. Do network relationships matter? Comparing network and instream habitat variables to explain densities of juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) in mid-coastal Oregon, USA

    Treesearch

    Rebecca L. Flitcroft; Kelly M. Burnett; Gordon H. Reeves; Lisa M. Ganio

    2012-01-01

    Aquatic ecologists are working to develop theory and techniques for analysis of dynamic stream processes and communities of organisms. Such work is critical for the development of conservation plans that are relevant at the scale of entire ecosystems. The stream network is the foundation upon which stream systems are organized. Natural and human disturbances in streams...

  18. Marketplace Plans With Narrow Physician Networks Feature Lower Monthly Premiums Than Plans With Larger Networks.

    PubMed

    Polsky, Daniel; Cidav, Zuleyha; Swanson, Ashley

    2016-10-01

    The introduction of health insurance Marketplaces under the Affordable Care Act has been associated with growth of restricted provider networks. The value of this plan design strategy, including its association with lower premiums, is uncertain. We used data from all silver plans offered in the 2014 health insurance exchanges in the fifty states and the District of Columbia to estimate the association between the breadth of a provider network and plan premiums. We found that within a market, for plans of otherwise equivalent design and controlling for issuer-specific pricing strategy, a plan with an extra-small network had a monthly premium that was 6.7 percent less expensive than that of a plan with a large network. Because narrow networks remain an important strategy available to insurance companies to offer lower-cost plans on health insurance Marketplaces, the success of health insurance coverage expansions may be tied to the successful implementation of narrow networks. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  19. Financial Analysis of Hastily-Formed Networks

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-09-01

    well as support the goals of the new National Strategy, by developing new plans and procedures to improve the coordination, communications and...Strategy, by developing new plans and procedures to improve the coordination, communications and operations between DoD and other entities when...Strike Group xviii DoD Department of Defense DRDO Defense Research Development Organization EMT Emergency Medical Technician ESG Expeditionary

  20. Base Station Placement Algorithm for Large-Scale LTE Heterogeneous Networks.

    PubMed

    Lee, Seungseob; Lee, SuKyoung; Kim, Kyungsoo; Kim, Yoon Hyuk

    2015-01-01

    Data traffic demands in cellular networks today are increasing at an exponential rate, giving rise to the development of heterogeneous networks (HetNets), in which small cells complement traditional macro cells by extending coverage to indoor areas. However, the deployment of small cells as parts of HetNets creates a key challenge for operators' careful network planning. In particular, massive and unplanned deployment of base stations can cause high interference, resulting in highly degrading network performance. Although different mathematical modeling and optimization methods have been used to approach various problems related to this issue, most traditional network planning models are ill-equipped to deal with HetNet-specific characteristics due to their focus on classical cellular network designs. Furthermore, increased wireless data demands have driven mobile operators to roll out large-scale networks of small long term evolution (LTE) cells. Therefore, in this paper, we aim to derive an optimum network planning algorithm for large-scale LTE HetNets. Recently, attempts have been made to apply evolutionary algorithms (EAs) to the field of radio network planning, since they are characterized as global optimization methods. Yet, EA performance often deteriorates rapidly with the growth of search space dimensionality. To overcome this limitation when designing optimum network deployments for large-scale LTE HetNets, we attempt to decompose the problem and tackle its subcomponents individually. Particularly noting that some HetNet cells have strong correlations due to inter-cell interference, we propose a correlation grouping approach in which cells are grouped together according to their mutual interference. Both the simulation and analytical results indicate that the proposed solution outperforms the random-grouping based EA as well as an EA that detects interacting variables by monitoring the changes in the objective function algorithm in terms of system throughput performance.

  1. Benefits and Pitfalls: Simple Guidelines for the Use of Social Networking Tools in K-12 Education

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Huffman, Stephanie

    2013-01-01

    The article will outline a framework for the use of social networking tools in K-12 education framed around four thought provoking questions: 1) what are the benefits and pitfalls of using social networking tools in P-12 education, 2) how do we plan effectively for the use of social networking tool, 3) what role does professional development play…

  2. Co-authorship Network Analysis: A Powerful Tool for Strategic Planning of Research, Development and Capacity Building Programs on Neglected Diseases

    PubMed Central

    Morel, Carlos Medicis; Serruya, Suzanne Jacob; Penna, Gerson Oliveira; Guimarães, Reinaldo

    2009-01-01

    Background New approaches and tools were needed to support the strategic planning, implementation and management of a Program launched by the Brazilian Government to fund research, development and capacity building on neglected tropical diseases with strong focus on the North, Northeast and Center-West regions of the country where these diseases are prevalent. Methodology/Principal Findings Based on demographic, epidemiological and burden of disease data, seven diseases were selected by the Ministry of Health as targets of the initiative. Publications on these diseases by Brazilian researchers were retrieved from international databases, analyzed and processed with text-mining tools in order to standardize author- and institution's names and addresses. Co-authorship networks based on these publications were assembled, visualized and analyzed with social network analysis software packages. Network visualization and analysis generated new information, allowing better design and strategic planning of the Program, enabling decision makers to characterize network components by area of work, identify institutions as well as authors playing major roles as central hubs or located at critical network cut-points and readily detect authors or institutions participating in large international scientific collaborating networks. Conclusions/Significance Traditional criteria used to monitor and evaluate research proposals or R&D Programs, such as researchers' productivity and impact factor of scientific publications, are of limited value when addressing research areas of low productivity or involving institutions from endemic regions where human resources are limited. Network analysis was found to generate new and valuable information relevant to the strategic planning, implementation and monitoring of the Program. It afforded a more proactive role of the funding agencies in relation to public health and equity goals, to scientific capacity building objectives and a more consistent engagement of institutions and authors from endemic regions based on innovative criteria and parameters anchored on objective scientific data. PMID:19688044

  3. Is Access to Outpatient Neurosurgery Affected by Narrow Insurance Networks? Results From Statewide Analysis of Marketplace Plans in Louisiana.

    PubMed

    Dossani, Rimal H; Kalakoti, Piyush; Nanda, Anil; Guthikonda, Bharat; Tumialán, Luis M

    2018-02-06

    The main objective of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was to make health insurance affordable to all Americans while addressing the lack of coverage for 48 million people. In the face of rapidly increasing enrollment and rising demand for inexpensive plans, insurance providers are limiting in-network physicians. Provider networks offering plans with limited in-network physicians have become known as "narrow networks." To assesses the adequacy of ACA marketplace plans for outpatient neurosurgery in Louisiana. The Marketplace Public Use Files were searched for all "silver" plans. A total of 7 silver plans were identified in Louisiana. Using the plans' online directories, a search of in-network neurosurgeons in Louisiana parishes with >100 000 population was performed. The primary outcome was lack of in-network neurosurgeon(s) in silver plans within 50 miles of selected zip code for each parish with >100 000 population. Plans without in-network neurosurgeon(s) are labeled as neurosurgeon-deficient plans. Several plans in Louisiana are neurosurgeon deficient, ie no in-network neurosurgeon within 50 miles of the designated parish zip code. Company A's plan 3 is deficient in all 5 parishes, while company C and company D silver plans are deficient in 4 out of 14 (29%). Combined results from all counties and plans demonstrate that 43% (3 out of 7) of all silver plans in Louisiana are neurosurgeon deficient in at least 4 parishes with population >100 000. In Louisiana, narrow networks have limited access to neurosurgical care for those patients with ACA silver plans. Copyright © 2018 by the Congress of Neurological Surgeons

  4. Narrow Networks on the Individual Marketplace in 2017.

    PubMed

    Polski, Daniel; Weiner, Janet; Zhang, Yuehan

    2017-09-01

    This Issue Brief describes the breadth of physician networks on the ACA marketplaces in 2017. We find that the overall rate of narrow networks is 21%, which is a decline since 2014 (31%) and 2016 (25%). Narrow networks are concentrated in plans sold on state-based marketplaces, at 42%, compared to 10% of plans on federally-facilitated marketplaces. Issuers that have traditionally offered Medicaid coverage have the highest prevalence of narrow network plans at 36%, with regional/local plans and provider-based plans close behind at 27% and 30%. We also find large differences in narrow networks by state and by plan type.

  5. Developing a health information network within an integrated delivery system: a case study.

    PubMed

    Wager, K A; Heda, S; Austin, C J

    1997-05-01

    Changes in the health care environment, such as the growth of integrated delivery systems and the proliferation of managed care, are having a profound impact on the way in which health care organizations manage both clinical and financial information. Health information networks (HINs) are emerging to support the goals and internal needs of integrated delivery systems. In this environment, health care managers must assume a leadership role in planning for the development of HINs. The article provides an overview of the principal issues that should be addressed in an organization's information systems plan when a HIN is being developed and includes a case study that illustrates the key points discussed.

  6. A Navy Shore Activity Manpower Planning System for Civilians. Technical Report No. 24.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Niehaus, R. J.; Sholtz, D.

    This report describes the U.S. Navy Shore Activity Manpower Planning System (SAMPS) advanced development research project. This effort is aimed at large-scale feasibility tests of manpower models for large Naval installations. These local planning systems are integrated with Navy-wide information systems on a data-communications network accessible…

  7. Reserve networks based on richness hotspots and representation vary with scale.

    PubMed

    Shriner, Susan A; Wilson, Kenneth R; Flather, Curtis H

    2006-10-01

    While the importance of spatial scale in ecology is well established, few studies have investigated the impact of data grain on conservation planning outcomes. In this study, we compared species richness hotspot and representation networks developed at five grain sizes. We used species distribution maps for mammals and birds developed by the Arizona and New Mexico Gap Analysis Programs (GAP) to produce 1-km2, 100-kmn2, 625-km2, 2500-km2, and 10,000-km2 grid cell resolution distribution maps. We used these distribution maps to generate species richness and hotspot (95th quantile) maps for each taxon in each state. Species composition information at each grain size was used to develop two types of representation networks using the reserve selection software MARXAN. Reserve selection analyses were restricted to Arizona birds due to considerable computation requirements. We used MARXAN to create best reserve networks based on the minimum area required to represent each species at least once and equal area networks based on irreplaceability values. We also measured the median area of each species' distribution included in hotspot (mammals and birds of Arizona and New Mexico) and irreplaceability (Arizona birds) networks across all species. Mean area overlap between richness hotspot reserves identified at the five grain sizes was 29% (grand mean for four within-taxon/state comparisons), mean overlap for irreplaceability reserve networks was 32%, and mean overlap for best reserve networks was 53%. Hotspots for mammals and birds showed low overlap with a mean of 30%. Comparison of hotspots and irreplaceability networks showed very low overlap with a mean of 13%. For hotspots, median species distribution area protected within reserves declined monotonically from a high of 11% for 1-km2 networks down to 6% for 10,000-km2 networks. Irreplaceability networks showed a similar, but more variable, pattern of decline. This work clearly shows that map resolution has a profound effect on conservation planning outcomes and that hotspot and representation outcomes may be strikingly dissimilar. Thus, conservation planning is scale dependent, such that reserves developed using coarse-grained data do not subsume fine-grained reserves. Moreover, preserving both full species representation and species rich areas may require combined reserve design strategies.

  8. 40 CFR 93.107 - Relationship of transportation plan and TIP conformity with the NEPA process.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... degree of specificity required in the transportation plan and the specific travel network assumed for air... development studies. Should the NEPA process result in a project with design concept and scope significantly...

  9. Research on key technology of space laser communication network

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chang, Chengwu; Huang, Huiming; Liu, Hongyang; Gao, Shenghua; Cheng, Liyu

    2016-10-01

    Since the 21st century, Spatial laser communication has made a breakthrough development. Europe, the United States, Japan and other space powers have carried out the test of spatial laser communication technology on-orbit, and put forward a series of plans. In 2011, China made the first technology demonstration of satellite-ground laser communication carried by HY-2 satellite. Nowadays, in order to improve the transmission rate of spatial network, the topic of spatial laser communication network is becoming a research hotspot at home and abroad. This thesis, from the basic problem of spatial laser communication network to solve, analyzes the main difference between spatial network and ground network, which draws forth the key technology of spatial laser communication backbone network, and systematically introduces our research on aggregation, addressing, architecture of spatial network. From the perspective of technology development status and trends, the thesis proposes the development route of spatial laser communication network in stages. So as to provide reference about the development of spatial laser communication network in China.

  10. Planning Training Loads for the 400 M Hurdles in Three-Month Mesocycles using Artificial Neural Networks.

    PubMed

    Przednowek, Krzysztof; Iskra, Janusz; Wiktorowicz, Krzysztof; Krzeszowski, Tomasz; Maszczyk, Adam

    2017-12-01

    This paper presents a novel approach to planning training loads in hurdling using artificial neural networks. The neural models performed the task of generating loads for athletes' training for the 400 meters hurdles. All the models were calculated based on the training data of 21 Polish National Team hurdlers, aged 22.25 ± 1.96, competing between 1989 and 2012. The analysis included 144 training plans that represented different stages in the annual training cycle. The main contribution of this paper is to develop neural models for planning training loads for the entire career of a typical hurdler. In the models, 29 variables were used, where four characterized the runner and 25 described the training process. Two artificial neural networks were used: a multi-layer perceptron and a network with radial basis functions. To assess the quality of the models, the leave-one-out cross-validation method was used in which the Normalized Root Mean Squared Error was calculated. The analysis shows that the method generating the smallest error was the radial basis function network with nine neurons in the hidden layer. Most of the calculated training loads demonstrated a non-linear relationship across the entire competitive period. The resulting model can be used as a tool to assist a coach in planning training loads during a selected training period.

  11. Planning Training Loads for the 400 M Hurdles in Three-Month Mesocycles using Artificial Neural Networks

    PubMed Central

    Iskra, Janusz; Wiktorowicz, Krzysztof; Krzeszowski, Tomasz; Maszczyk, Adam

    2017-01-01

    Abstract This paper presents a novel approach to planning training loads in hurdling using artificial neural networks. The neural models performed the task of generating loads for athletes’ training for the 400 meters hurdles. All the models were calculated based on the training data of 21 Polish National Team hurdlers, aged 22.25 ± 1.96, competing between 1989 and 2012. The analysis included 144 training plans that represented different stages in the annual training cycle. The main contribution of this paper is to develop neural models for planning training loads for the entire career of a typical hurdler. In the models, 29 variables were used, where four characterized the runner and 25 described the training process. Two artificial neural networks were used: a multi-layer perceptron and a network with radial basis functions. To assess the quality of the models, the leave-one-out cross-validation method was used in which the Normalized Root Mean Squared Error was calculated. The analysis shows that the method generating the smallest error was the radial basis function network with nine neurons in the hidden layer. Most of the calculated training loads demonstrated a non-linear relationship across the entire competitive period. The resulting model can be used as a tool to assist a coach in planning training loads during a selected training period. PMID:29339998

  12. Serving our communities better. Guidelines for planning and developing integrated delivery networks.

    PubMed

    Prybil, L; Golden, P; Ballance, X

    1995-04-01

    In 1994 the Daughters of Charity National Health System-East Central (DCNHS-East Central) adopted 11 guidelines to help corporate staff and local leaders plan and develop integrated networks. Guideline 1 emphasizes needs-based strategic planning. Guideline 2 focuses on the community-based network planning process, recommending a team approach and ongoing communication with the local ordinary. In guidelines 3 through 5, the DCNHS-East Central Board of Directors spells out key issues that must be covered in proposals ultimately presented for governance action. Guideline 6 presents three core elements that should characterize all CBNs in which DCNHS-East Central institutions participate. Guideline 7 emphasizes that all CBN proposals and agreements must be clear with respect to the Catholic identity of DCNHS-East Central institutions. Guidelines 8 and 9 require that proposed changes to traditional policies and management practices be explicit in CBN proposals. The tenth guideline requires that all CBN proposals indicate an explicit evaluation function. The final guideline underscores that regardless of the strategic fit or how well a CBN is designed, it is unlikely to succeed unless both internal and external relationships are based on a solid foundation of honesty, mutual respect, and trust.

  13. A neural network prototyping package within IRAF

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Bazell, D.; Bankman, I.

    1992-01-01

    We outline our plans for incorporating a Neural Network Prototyping Package into the IRAF environment. The package we are developing will allow the user to choose between different types of networks and to specify the details of the particular architecture chosen. Neural networks consist of a highly interconnected set of simple processing units. The strengths of the connections between units are determined by weights which are adaptively set as the network 'learns'. In some cases, learning can be a separate phase of the user cycle of the network while in other cases the network learns continuously. Neural networks have been found to be very useful in pattern recognition and image processing applications. They can form very general 'decision boundaries' to differentiate between objects in pattern space and they can be used for associative recall of patterns based on partial cures and for adaptive filtering. We discuss the different architectures we plan to use and give examples of what they can do.

  14. Quantifying capability of a local seismic network in terms of locations and focal mechanism solutions of weak earthquakes

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Fojtíková, Lucia; Kristeková, Miriam; Málek, Jiří; Sokos, Efthimios; Csicsay, Kristián; Zahradník, Jiří

    2016-01-01

    Extension of permanent seismic networks is usually governed by a number of technical, economic, logistic, and other factors. Planned upgrade of the network can be justified by theoretical assessment of the network capability in terms of reliable estimation of the key earthquake parameters (e.g., location and focal mechanisms). It could be useful not only for scientific purposes but also as a concrete proof during the process of acquisition of the funding needed for upgrade and operation of the network. Moreover, the theoretical assessment can also identify the configuration where no improvement can be achieved with additional stations, establishing a tradeoff between the improvement and additional expenses. This paper presents suggestion of a combination of suitable methods and their application to the Little Carpathians local seismic network (Slovakia, Central Europe) monitoring epicentral zone important from the point of seismic hazard. Three configurations of the network are considered: 13 stations existing before 2011, 3 stations already added in 2011, and 7 new planned stations. Theoretical errors of the relative location are estimated by a new method, specifically developed in this paper. The resolvability of focal mechanisms determined by waveform inversion is analyzed by a recent approach based on 6D moment-tensor error ellipsoids. We consider potential seismic events situated anywhere in the studied region, thus enabling "mapping" of the expected errors. Results clearly demonstrate that the network extension remarkably decreases the errors, mainly in the planned 23-station configuration. The already made three-station extension of the network in 2011 allowed for a few real data examples. Free software made available by the authors enables similar application in any other existing or planned networks.

  15. Wood transportation systems-a spin-off of a computerized information and mapping technique

    Treesearch

    William W. Phillips; Thomas J. Corcoran

    1978-01-01

    A computerized mapping system originally developed for planning the control of the spruce budworm in Maine has been extended into a tool for planning road net-work development and optimizing transportation costs. A budgetary process and a mathematical linear programming routine are used interactively with the mapping and information retrieval capabilities of the system...

  16. Ready, Set, Integrate!

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McCombs, John

    2003-01-01

    Describes how the American Embassy School (AES) in New Delhi, India achieved school-wide technology integration. Discusses development of a new network; beginning to mentor; organizing the Technology Integration Plan (TIP) by software application; implementing the plan; assessing progress; and results, which overall, were positive. (AEF)

  17. Rationale, Timeline, Study Design, and Protocol Overview of the Therapeutic Hypothermia After Pediatric Cardiac Arrest Trials

    PubMed Central

    Moler, Frank W.; Silverstein, Faye S.; Meert, Kathleen L.; Clark, Amy E.; Holubkov, Richard; Browning, Brittan; Slomine, Beth S.; Christensen, James R.; Dean, Michael

    2014-01-01

    Objective To describe the rationale, timeline, study design, and protocol overview of the Therapeutic Hypothermia after Pediatric Cardiac Arrest trials. Design Multicenter randomized controlled trials. Setting Pediatric intensive care and cardiac ICUs in the United States and Canada. Patients Children from 48 hours to 18 years old, who have return of circulation after cardiac arrest, who meet trial eligibility criteria, and whose guardians provide written consent. Interventions Therapeutic hypothermia or therapeutic normothermia. Measurements and Main Results From concept inception in 2002 until trial initiation in 2009, 7 years were required to plan and operationalize the Therapeutic Hypothermia after Pediatric Cardiac Arrest trials. Two National Institute of Child Health and Human Development clinical trial planning grants (R21 and R34) supported feasibility assessment and protocol development. Two clinical research networks, Pediatric Emergency Care Applied Research Network and Collaborative Pediatric Critical Care Research Network, provided infrastructure resources. Two National Heart Lung Blood Institute U01 awards provided funding to conduct separate trials of in-hospital and out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. A pilot vanguard phase that included half the clinical sites began on March 9, 2009, and this was followed by full trial funding through 2015. Conclusions Over a decade will have been required to plan, design, operationalize, and conduct the Therapeutic Hypothermia after Pediatric Cardiac Arrest trials. Details described in this report, such as participation of clinical research networks and clinical trial planning grants utilization, may be of utility for individuals who are planning investigator-initiated, federally supported clinical trials. PMID:23842585

  18. A Planning Guide for Instructional Networks, Part I.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Daly, Kevin F.

    1994-01-01

    Discusses three phases in implementing a master plan for a school-based local area network (LAN): (1) network software selection; (2) hardware selection, network topology, and site preparation; and (3) implementation time table. Sample planning and specification worksheets and a list of planning guides are included. (Contains six references.) (KRN)

  19. Optimal Micropatterns in 2D Transport Networks and Their Relation to Image Inpainting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brancolini, Alessio; Rossmanith, Carolin; Wirth, Benedikt

    2018-04-01

    We consider two different variational models of transport networks: the so-called branched transport problem and the urban planning problem. Based on a novel relation to Mumford-Shah image inpainting and techniques developed in that field, we show for a two-dimensional situation that both highly non-convex network optimization tasks can be transformed into a convex variational problem, which may be very useful from analytical and numerical perspectives. As applications of the convex formulation, we use it to perform numerical simulations (to our knowledge this is the first numerical treatment of urban planning), and we prove a lower bound for the network cost that matches a known upper bound (in terms of how the cost scales in the model parameters) which helps better understand optimal networks and their minimal costs.

  20. Autonomous Agents for Dynamic Process Planning in the Flexible Manufacturing System

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nik Nejad, Hossein Tehrani; Sugimura, Nobuhiro; Iwamura, Koji; Tanimizu, Yoshitaka

    Rapid changes of market demands and pressures of competition require manufacturers to maintain highly flexible manufacturing systems to cope with a complex manufacturing environment. This paper deals with development of an agent-based architecture of dynamic systems for incremental process planning in the manufacturing systems. In consideration of alternative manufacturing processes and machine tools, the process plans and the schedules of the manufacturing resources are generated incrementally and dynamically. A negotiation protocol is discussed, in this paper, to generate suitable process plans for the target products real-timely and dynamically, based on the alternative manufacturing processes. The alternative manufacturing processes are presented by the process plan networks discussed in the previous paper, and the suitable process plans are searched and generated to cope with both the dynamic changes of the product specifications and the disturbances of the manufacturing resources. We initiatively combine the heuristic search algorithms of the process plan networks with the negotiation protocols, in order to generate suitable process plans in the dynamic manufacturing environment.

  1. IBM PC/IX operating system evaluation plan

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Dominick, Wayne D. (Editor); Granier, Martin; Hall, Philip P.; Triantafyllopoulos, Spiros

    1984-01-01

    An evaluation plan for the IBM PC/IX Operating System designed for IBM PC/XT computers is discussed. The evaluation plan covers the areas of performance measurement and evaluation, software facilities available, man-machine interface considerations, networking, and the suitability of PC/IX as a development environment within the University of Southwestern Louisiana NASA PC Research and Development project. In order to compare and evaluate the PC/IX system, comparisons with other available UNIX-based systems are also included.

  2. An artificial neural network model for periodic trajectory generation

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shankar, S.; Gander, R. E.; Wood, H. C.

    A neural network model based on biological systems was developed for potential robotic application. The model consists of three interconnected layers of artificial neurons or units: an input layer subdivided into state and plan units, an output layer, and a hidden layer between the two outer layers which serves to implement nonlinear mappings between the input and output activation vectors. Weighted connections are created between the three layers, and learning is effected by modifying these weights. Feedback connections between the output and the input state serve to make the network operate as a finite state machine. The activation vector of the plan units of the input layer emulates the supraspinal commands in biological central pattern generators in that different plan activation vectors correspond to different sequences or trajectories being recalled, even with different frequencies. Three trajectories were chosen for implementation, and learning was accomplished in 10,000 trials. The fault tolerant behavior, adaptiveness, and phase maintenance of the implemented network are discussed.

  3. Plan for the design, development, and implementation, and operation of the National Water Information System

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Edwards, M.D.

    1987-01-01

    The Water Resources Division of the U.S. Geological Survey is developing a National Water Information System (NWIS) that will integrate and replace its existing water data and information systems of the National Water Data Storage and Retrieval System, National Water Data Exchange, National Water-Use Information, and Water Resources Scientific Information Center programs. It will be a distributed data system operated as part of the Division 's Distributed Information System, which is a network of computers linked together through a national telecommunication network known as GEONET. The NWIS is being developed as a series of prototypes that will be integrated as they are completed to allow the development and implementation of the system in a phased manner. It also is being developed in a distributed manner using personnel who work under the coordination of a central NWIS Project Office. Work on the development of the NWIS began in 1983 and it is scheduled for completion in 1990. This document presents an overall plan for the design, development, implementation, and operation of the system. Detailed discussions are presented on each of these phases of the NWIS life cycle. The planning, quality assurance, and configuration management phases of the life cycle also are discussed. The plan is intended to be a working document for use by NWIS management and participants in its design and development and to assist offices of the Division in planning and preparing for installation and operation of the system. (Author 's abstract)

  4. The Development of a Small-World Network of Higher Education Students, Using a Large-Group Problem-Solving Method

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Sousa, Fernando Cardoso; Monteiro, Ileana Pardal; Pellissier, René

    2014-01-01

    This article presents the development of a small-world network using an adapted version of the large-group problem-solving method "Future Search." Two management classes in a higher education setting were selected and required to plan a project. The students completed a survey focused on the frequency of communications before and after…

  5. Reserve networks based on richness hotspots and representation vary with scale

    Treesearch

    Susan A. Shriner; Kenneth R. Wilson; Curtis H. Flather

    2006-01-01

    While the importance of spatial scale in ecology is well established, few studies have investigated the impact of data grain on conservation planning outcomes. In this study, we compared species richness hotspot and representation networks developed at five grain sizes. We used species distribution maps for mammals and birds developed by the Arizona and New Mexico Gap...

  6. AdaNET research project

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Digman, R. Michael

    1988-01-01

    The components necessary for the success of the commercialization of an Ada Technology Transition Network are reported in detail. The organizational plan presents the planned structure for services development and technical transition of AdaNET services to potential user communities. The Business Plan is the operational plan for the AdaNET service as a commercial venture. The Technical Plan is the plan from which the AdaNET can be designed including detailed requirements analysis. Also contained is an analysis of user fees and charges, and a proposed user fee schedule.

  7. Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Planning : Agency Roles and Workforce Development Needs.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2017-10-01

    This report is one of two NCST Research Reports produced as part of a project to evaluate the state of practice and adequacy of technical tools for resiliency and adaptation planning. A companion report, Network Requirements for Assessing Criticality...

  8. Climate Adaptation and Resiliency Planning : Agency Roles and Workforce Development Needs

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2017-10-01

    This report is one of two NCST Research Reports produced as part of a project to evaluate the state of practice and adequacy of technical tools for resiliency and adaptation planning. A companion report, Network Requirements for Assessing Criticality...

  9. Building clinical networks: a developmental evaluation framework.

    PubMed

    Carswell, Peter; Manning, Benjamin; Long, Janet; Braithwaite, Jeffrey

    2014-05-01

    Clinical networks have been designed as a cross-organisational mechanism to plan and deliver health services. With recent concerns about the effectiveness of these structures, it is timely to consider an evidence-informed approach for how they can be developed and evaluated. To document an evaluation framework for clinical networks by drawing on the network evaluation literature and a 5-year study of clinical networks. We searched literature in three domains: network evaluation, factors that aid or inhibit network development, and on robust methods to measure network characteristics. This material was used to build a framework required for effective developmental evaluation. The framework's architecture identifies three stages of clinical network development; partner selection, network design and network management. Within each stage is evidence about factors that act as facilitators and barriers to network growth. These factors can be used to measure progress via appropriate methods and tools. The framework can provide for network growth and support informed decisions about progress. For the first time in one place a framework incorporating rigorous methods and tools can identify factors known to affect the development of clinical networks. The target user group is internal stakeholders who need to conduct developmental evaluation to inform key decisions along their network's developmental pathway.

  10. Deep Space Network-Wide Portal Development: Planning Service Pilot Project

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Doneva, Silviya

    2011-01-01

    The Deep Space Network (DSN) is an international network of antennas that supports interplanetary spacecraft missions and radio and radar astronomy observations for the exploration of the solar system and the universe. DSN provides the vital two-way communications link that guides and controls planetary explorers, and brings back the images and new scientific information they collect. In an attempt to streamline operations and improve overall services provided by the Deep Space Network a DSN-wide portal is under development. The project is one step in a larger effort to centralize the data collected from current missions including user input parameters for spacecraft to be tracked. This information will be placed into a principal repository where all operations related to the DSN are stored. Furthermore, providing statistical characterization of data volumes will help identify technically feasible tracking opportunities and more precise mission planning by providing upfront scheduling proposals. Business intelligence tools are to be incorporated in the output to deliver data visualization.

  11. Using Organizational Network Analysis to Plan Cancer Screening Programs for Vulnerable Populations

    PubMed Central

    Carothers, Bobbi J.; Lofters, Aisha K.

    2014-01-01

    Objectives. We examined relationships among organizations in a cancer screening network to inform the development of interventions to improve cancer screening for South Asians living in the Peel region of Ontario. Methods. From April to July 2012, we surveyed decision-makers, program managers, and program staff in 22 organizations in the South Asian cancer screening network in the Peel region. We used a network analytic approach to evaluate density (range = 0%–100%, number of ties among organizations in the network expressed as a percentage of all possible ties), centralization (range = 0–1, the extent of variability in centrality), and node characteristics for the communication, collaboration, and referral networks. Results. Density was similar across communication (15%), collaboration (17%), and referral (19%) networks. Centralization was greater in the collaboration network (0.30) than the communication network (0.24), and degree centralization was greater in the inbound (0.42) than the outbound (0.37) referral network. Diverse organizations were central to the networks. Conclusions. Certain organizations were unexpectedly important to the South Asian cancer screening network. Program planning was informed by identifying opportunities to strengthen linkages between key organizations and to leverage existing ties. PMID:24328613

  12. Using organizational network analysis to plan cancer screening programs for vulnerable populations.

    PubMed

    Lobb, Rebecca; Carothers, Bobbi J; Lofters, Aisha K

    2014-02-01

    We examined relationships among organizations in a cancer screening network to inform the development of interventions to improve cancer screening for South Asians living in the Peel region of Ontario. From April to July 2012, we surveyed decision-makers, program managers, and program staff in 22 organizations in the South Asian cancer screening network in the Peel region. We used a network analytic approach to evaluate density (range = 0%-100%, number of ties among organizations in the network expressed as a percentage of all possible ties), centralization (range = 0-1, the extent of variability in centrality), and node characteristics for the communication, collaboration, and referral networks. Density was similar across communication (15%), collaboration (17%), and referral (19%) networks. Centralization was greater in the collaboration network (0.30) than the communication network (0.24), and degree centralization was greater in the inbound (0.42) than the outbound (0.37) referral network. Diverse organizations were central to the networks. Certain organizations were unexpectedly important to the South Asian cancer screening network. Program planning was informed by identifying opportunities to strengthen linkages between key organizations and to leverage existing ties.

  13. Type of Plan and Provider Network (Affordable Care Act)

    MedlinePlus

    ... insurance plan & network types: HMOs, PPOs, and more Health insurance plan & network types: HMOs, PPOs, and more 3 things to know before you pick a health insurance plan The 'metal' categories: Bronze, Silver, Gold & Platinum ...

  14. Go Ahead of Malware’s Infections and Controls: Towards New Techniques for Proactive Cyber Defense

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-12-08

    in SDN (such as topology poisoning attacks and data-to-control plan saturation attacks) and developed new defense for SDN (such as TopoGuard and... Poisoning Network Visibility in Software-Defined Networks: New Attacks and Countermeasures As part of our research on discovering new vulnerabilities...future network- ing paradigm. We demonstrate that this new attacks can effectively poison the network topology information, then further successfully

  15. Development of a monitoring network for lightning stokes accompanying the eruptions of the Northern group of volcanoes on Kamchatka peninsula

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mochalov, V. A.; Firstov, P. P.; Cherneva, N. V.; Sannikov, D. V.; Akbashev, R. R.; Uvarov, V. N.; Shevtsov, B. M.; Druzhin, G. I.; Mochalova, A. V.

    2017-11-01

    In the region of the Northern group of volcanoes in Kamchatka peninsula, a distributed network is being planned to monitor the VLF range electromagnetic radiation and to locate the lightning strokes. It will allow the researchers to register weaker electromagnetic pulses from lightning strokes in comparison to the World Wide Lightning Location Network. The hardware-software complex of the network under construction is presented. The capabilities of the available and the developing hardware and software to investigate natural phenomena associated with lightning activity are described.

  16. The Evolution of Gene Regulatory Networks that Define Arthropod Body Plans.

    PubMed

    Auman, Tzach; Chipman, Ariel D

    2017-09-01

    Our understanding of the genetics of arthropod body plan development originally stems from work on Drosophila melanogaster from the late 1970s and onward. In Drosophila, there is a relatively detailed model for the network of gene interactions that proceeds in a sequential-hierarchical fashion to define the main features of the body plan. Over the years, we have a growing understanding of the networks involved in defining the body plan in an increasing number of arthropod species. It is now becoming possible to tease out the conserved aspects of these networks and to try to reconstruct their evolution. In this contribution, we focus on several key nodes of these networks, starting from early patterning in which the main axes are determined and the broad morphological domains of the embryo are defined, and on to later stage wherein the growth zone network is active in sequential addition of posterior segments. The pattern of conservation of networks is very patchy, with some key aspects being highly conserved in all arthropods and others being very labile. Many aspects of early axis patterning are highly conserved, as are some aspects of sequential segment generation. In contrast, regional patterning varies among different taxa, and some networks, such as the terminal patterning network, are only found in a limited range of taxa. The growth zone segmentation network is ancient and is probably plesiomorphic to all arthropods. In some insects, it has undergone significant modification to give rise to a more hardwired network that generates individual segments separately. In other insects and in most arthropods, the sequential segmentation network has undergone a significant amount of systems drift, wherein many of the genes have changed. However, it maintains a conserved underlying logic and function. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Integrative and Comparative Biology. All rights reserved. For permissions please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  17. A Plan for Development of an Educational Telephone Network (ETN) to Extend Access to Educational Programs.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Los Angeles Community Coll. District, CA. Div. of Educational Planning and Development.

    The outreach development process described in this document is designed to provide a model for planning and implementing a program to extend access to educational opportunity for members of the community served by the Los Angeles Community College District. There are four steps required to initiate such a program: (1) Identification--each college…

  18. Veterinary Immunology Committee Toolkit Workshop 2010: progress and plans.

    PubMed

    Entrican, Gary; Lunney, Joan K

    2012-07-15

    The 3rd Veterinary Immunology Committee (VIC) Toolkit Workshop took place at the 9th International Veterinary Immunology Symposium (IVIS) in Tokyo, Japan on 18th August 2010. The Workshop built on previous Toolkit Workshops and covered various aspects of reagent development, commercialization and provision to the veterinary immunology research community. The emphasis was on open communication about current progress and future plans to avoid duplication of effort and to update priorities for reagent development. There were presentations on the major reagent development and networking projects such as the BBSRC/RERAD Immunological Toolbox (2004-2009), US Veterinary Immune Reagent Network (VIRN 2006-2010) that has just received renewal funding for 2010-2014, and EU Network for Animal Diseases Infectiology Research Facilities project (NADIR 2009-2013). There were also presentations and discussions on the use of reagents for assay development, particularly multiplexing, and how these new technologies will underpin basic research developments. Mechanisms for improved information exchange, especially though websites with VIC playing a central role, were identified. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. Complexity analysis on public transport networks of 97 large- and medium-sized cities in China

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tian, Zhanwei; Zhang, Zhuo; Wang, Hongfei; Ma, Li

    2018-04-01

    The traffic situation in Chinese urban areas is continuing to deteriorate. To make a better planning and designing of the public transport system, it is necessary to make profound research on the structure of urban public transport networks (PTNs). We investigate 97 large- and medium-sized cities’ PTNs in China, construct three types of network models — bus stop network, bus transit network and bus line network, then analyze the structural characteristics of them. It is revealed that bus stop network is small-world and scale-free, bus transit network and bus line network are both small-world. Betweenness centrality of each city’s PTN shows similar distribution pattern, although these networks’ size is various. When classifying cities according to the characteristics of PTNs or economic development level, the results are similar. It means that the development of cities’ economy and transport network has a strong correlation, PTN expands in a certain model with the development of economy.

  20. A Framework for Dynamic Constraint Reasoning Using Procedural Constraints

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jonsson, Ari K.; Frank, Jeremy D.

    1999-01-01

    Many complex real-world decision and control problems contain an underlying constraint reasoning problem. This is particularly evident in a recently developed approach to planning, where almost all planning decisions are represented by constrained variables. This translates a significant part of the planning problem into a constraint network whose consistency determines the validity of the plan candidate. Since higher-level choices about control actions can add or remove variables and constraints, the underlying constraint network is invariably highly dynamic. Arbitrary domain-dependent constraints may be added to the constraint network and the constraint reasoning mechanism must be able to handle such constraints effectively. Additionally, real problems often require handling constraints over continuous variables. These requirements present a number of significant challenges for a constraint reasoning mechanism. In this paper, we introduce a general framework for handling dynamic constraint networks with real-valued variables, by using procedures to represent and effectively reason about general constraints. The framework is based on a sound theoretical foundation, and can be proven to be sound and complete under well-defined conditions. Furthermore, the framework provides hybrid reasoning capabilities, as alternative solution methods like mathematical programming can be incorporated into the framework, in the form of procedures.

  1. Developing a culturally competent health network: a planning framework and guide.

    PubMed

    Gertner, Eric J; Sabino, Judith N; Mahady, Erica; Deitrich, Lynn M; Patton, Jarret R; Grim, Mary Kay; Geiger, James F; Salas-Lopez, Debbie

    2010-01-01

    The number of cultural competency initiatives in healthcare is increasing due to many factors, including changing demographics, quality improvement and regulatory requirements, equitable care missions, and accreditation standards. To facilitate organization-wide transformation, a hospital or healthcare system must establish strategic goals, objectives, and implementation tasks for culturally competent provision of care. This article reports the largely successful results of a cultural competency program instituted at a large system in eastern Pennsylvania. Prior to the development of its cultural competency initiative, Lehigh Valley Health Network, Allentown, Pennsylvania, saw isolated activities producing innovative solutions to diversity and culture issues in the provision of equitable care. But it took a transformational event to support an organization-wide program in cultural competency by strengthening leadership buy-in and providing a sense of urgency, excitement, and shared vision among multiple stakeholders. A multidisciplinary task force, including senior leaders and a diverse group of employees, was created with the authority and responsibility to enact changes. Through a well-organized strategic planning process, existing patient and community demographic data were reviewed to describe existing disparities, a baseline assessment was completed, a mission statement was created, and clear metrics were developed. The strategic plan, which focused on five key areas (demographics, language-appropriate services, employees, training, and education/communication), was approved by the network's chief executive officer and senior managers to demonstrate commitment prior to implementation. Strategic plan implementation proceeded through a project structure consisting of subproject teams charged with achieving the following specific objectives: develop a cultural material repository, enhance employee recruitment/retention, establish a baseline assessment, standardize data collection, provide language-appropriate services, and develop an education program. Change management and project management methodologies; defined roles and responsibilities; and specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, and time-bound goals were used in the implementation. This process has supported organizational change, thereby promoting high-quality, safe, and equitable care through widespread expectations of culturally competent care delivery across the entire network. Using this "ecologic approach" will ensure long-term success.

  2. IUS/TUG orbital operations and mission support study. Volume 4: Project planning data

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1975-01-01

    Planning data are presented for the development phases of interim upper stage (IUS) and tug systems. Major project planning requirements, major event schedules, milestones, system development and operations process networks, and relevant support research and technology requirements are included. Topics discussed include: IUS flight software; tug flight software; IUS/tug ground control center facilities, personnel, data systems, software, and equipment; IUS mission events; tug mission events; tug/spacecraft rendezvous and docking; tug/orbiter operations interface, and IUS/orbiter operations interface.

  3. Blue Ribbon Committee on Bloodborne Parasitic Diseases.

    PubMed

    2002-09-01

    In summary, the A1 recommendations are related to: developing a network (epidemiologic and demographic aspects); undertaking activities within the network; providing support for parasite research testing; developing new policies, and; preparing a Memorandum to Cabinet for submission by September 1, 2001, for funding from April 2002 over 5 years. The A recommendations deal with sustaining the network and addressing existing needs, including Public and professional education Review of current policies Business plan Development of a contribution program to meet operational needs. The B recommendation(s) will be dealt with by the future Treasury Board submission. The group identified no C recommendations.

  4. Funding and Rationale for Early Intervention Services in Nebraska's "Early Development Network" in 2004: An Evaluation Study for the Nebraska Departments of Education and Health and Human Services. Final Report

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marvin, Chris; Nugent, Gwen; Doll, Beth

    2006-01-01

    Anecdotal information has recently suggested that families of infants and toddlers with disabilities in Nebraska were seeking early intervention services from providers not affiliated with the free, state-sanctioned "Early Development Network" and children's "Individualized Family Service Plans" (IFSPs). The purpose of this…

  5. European network for health technology assessment, EUnetHTA: planning, development, and implementation of a sustainable European network for health technology assessment.

    PubMed

    Kristensen, Finn Børlum; Mäkelä, Marjukka; Neikter, Susanna Allgurin; Rehnqvist, Nina; Håheim, Lise Lund; Mørland, Berit; Milne, Ruairidh; Nielsen, Camilla Palmhøj; Busse, Reinhard; Lee-Robin, Sun Hae; Wild, Claudia; Espallargues, Mireia; Chamova, Julia

    2009-12-01

    The European network on Health Technology Assessment (EUnetHTA) aimed to produce tangible and practical results to be used in the various phases of health technology assessment and to establish a framework and processes to support this. This article presents the background, objectives, and organization of EUnetHTA, which involved a total of sixty-four partner organizations. Establishing an effective and sustainable structure for a transnational network involved many managerial, policy, and methodological tools, according to the objective of each task or Work Package. Transparency in organization, financial transactions, and decision making was a key principle in the management of the Project as was the commitment to appropriately involve stakeholders. EUnetHTA activities resulted in a clear management and governance structure, efficient partnership, and transnational cooperation. The Project developed a model for sustainable continuation of the EUnetHTA Collaboration. The EUnetHTA Project achieved its goals by producing a suite of practical tools, a strong network, and plans for continuing the work in a sustainable EUnetHTA Collaboration that facilitates and promotes the use of HTA at national and regional levels. Responsiveness to political developments in Europe should be balanced with maintaining a high level of ambition to promote independent, evidence-based information and well-tested tools for best practice based on a strong network of HTA institutions.

  6. Saver.net lidar network in southern South America

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ristori, Pablo; Otero, Lidia; Jin, Yoshitaka; Barja, Boris; Shimizu, Atsushi; Barbero, Albane; Salvador, Jacobo; Bali, Juan Lucas; Herrera, Milagros; Etala, Paula; Acquesta, Alejandro; Quel, Eduardo; Sugimoto, Nobuo; Mizuno, Akira

    2018-04-01

    The South American Environmental Risk Management Network (SAVER-Net) is an instrumentation network, mainly composed by lidars, to provide real-time information for atmospheric hazards and risk management purposes in South America. This lidar network have been developed since 2012 and all its sampling points are expected to be fully implemented by 2017. This paper describes the network's status and configuration, the data acquisition and processing scheme (protocols and data levels), as well as some aspects of the scientific networking in Latin American Lidar Network (LALINET). Similarly, the paper lays out future plans on the operation and integration to major international collaborative efforts.

  7. Information technology, Part 3. The technology hierarchy.

    PubMed

    Ruffin, M

    1996-09-01

    The era of the networked society--and medical care depending on networked intelligence--is dawning. Physicians need to plan for office practice information systems in common, with an eye to conveying data electronically between all the locations of care and all the providers involved in caring for defined populations of people. The shared database will become the most important asset of the collection of providers who make up the delivery system that creates it. This will be accomplished by layering technology on local and wide-area networks of group practices, hospitals, health plans, and payers and developing standards that make data accessible in the same format to all users, no matter where they are.

  8. Investigation of automated task learning, decomposition and scheduling

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Livingston, David L.; Serpen, Gursel; Masti, Chandrashekar L.

    1990-01-01

    The details and results of research conducted in the application of neural networks to task planning and decomposition are presented. Task planning and decomposition are operations that humans perform in a reasonably efficient manner. Without the use of good heuristics and usually much human interaction, automatic planners and decomposers generally do not perform well due to the intractable nature of the problems under consideration. The human-like performance of neural networks has shown promise for generating acceptable solutions to intractable problems such as planning and decomposition. This was the primary reasoning behind attempting the study. The basis for the work is the use of state machines to model tasks. State machine models provide a useful means for examining the structure of tasks since many formal techniques have been developed for their analysis and synthesis. It is the approach to integrate the strong algebraic foundations of state machines with the heretofore trial-and-error approach to neural network synthesis.

  9. A Framework for Dimensioning VDL-2 Air-Ground Networks

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Ribeiro, Leila Z.; Monticone, Leone C.; Snow, Richard E.; Box, Frank; Apaza, Rafel; Bretmersky, Steven

    2014-01-01

    This paper describes a framework developed at MITRE for dimensioning a Very High Frequency (VHF) Digital Link Mode 2 (VDL-2) Air-to-Ground network. This framework was developed to support the FAA's Data Communications (Data Comm) program by providing estimates of expected capacity required for the air-ground network services that will support Controller-Pilot-Data-Link Communications (CPDLC), as well as the spectrum needed to operate the system at required levels of performance. The Data Comm program is part of the FAA's NextGen initiative to implement advanced communication capabilities in the National Airspace System (NAS). The first component of the framework is the radio-frequency (RF) coverage design for the network ground stations. Then we proceed to describe the approach used to assess the aircraft geographical distribution and the data traffic demand expected in the network. The next step is the resource allocation utilizing optimization algorithms developed in MITRE's Spectrum ProspectorTM tool to propose frequency assignment solutions, and a NASA-developed VDL-2 tool to perform simulations and determine whether a proposed plan meets the desired performance requirements. The framework presented is capable of providing quantitative estimates of multiple variables related to the air-ground network, in order to satisfy established coverage, capacity and latency performance requirements. Outputs include: coverage provided at different altitudes; data capacity required in the network, aggregated or on a per ground station basis; spectrum (pool of frequencies) needed for the system to meet a target performance; optimized frequency plan for a given scenario; expected performance given spectrum available; and, estimates of throughput distributions for a given scenario. We conclude with a discussion aimed at providing insight into the tradeoffs and challenges identified with respect to radio resource management for VDL-2 air-ground networks.

  10. Electronic Information Delivery Systems. Proceedings of the Library of Congress Network Advisory Committee Meeting (Washington, D.C., April 18-20, 1984). Network Planning Paper Number 9.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Library of Congress, Washington, DC.

    The Program Session of the April 1984 meeting of the Library of Congress Network Advisory Committee (NAC) was devoted to discussion of electronic information delivery systems. Recent developments in six areas were covered: (1) electronic manuscript generation and transmission; (2) online full-text searching and retrieval; (3) online database…

  11. Integration opportunities for HIV and family planning services in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: an organizational network analysis

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background Public health resources are often deployed in developing countries by foreign governments, national governments, civil society and the private health clinics, but seldom in ways that are coordinated within a particular community or population. The lack of coordination results in inefficiencies and suboptimal results. Organizational network analysis can reveal how organizations interact with each other and provide insights into means of realizing better public health results from the resources already deployed. Our objective in this study was to identify the missed opportunities for the integration of HIV care and family planning services and to inform future network strengthening. Methods In two sub-cities of Addis Ababa, we identified each organization providing either HIV care or family planning services. We interviewed representatives of each of them about exchanges of clients with each of the others. With network analysis, we identified network characteristics in each sub-city network, such as referral density and centrality; and gaps in the referral patterns. The results were shared with representatives from the organizations. Results The two networks were of similar size (25 and 26 organizations) and had referral densities of 0.115 and 0.155 out of a possible range from 0 (none) to 1.0 (all possible connections). Two organizations in one sub-city did not refer HIV clients to a family planning organization. One organization in one sub-city and seven in the other offered few HIV services and did not refer clients to any other HIV service provider. Representatives from the networks confirmed the results reflected their experience and expressed an interest in establishing more links between organizations. Conclusions Because of organizations not working together, women in the two sub-cities were at risk of not receiving needed family planning or HIV care services. Facilitating referrals among a few organizations that are most often working in isolation could remediate the problem, but the overall referral densities suggests that improved connections throughout might benefit conditions in addition to HIV and family planning that need service integration. PMID:24438522

  12. Integration opportunities for HIV and family planning services in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia: an organizational network analysis.

    PubMed

    Thomas, James C; Reynolds, Heidi; Bevc, Christine; Tsegaye, Ademe

    2014-01-18

    Public health resources are often deployed in developing countries by foreign governments, national governments, civil society and the private health clinics, but seldom in ways that are coordinated within a particular community or population. The lack of coordination results in inefficiencies and suboptimal results. Organizational network analysis can reveal how organizations interact with each other and provide insights into means of realizing better public health results from the resources already deployed. Our objective in this study was to identify the missed opportunities for the integration of HIV care and family planning services and to inform future network strengthening. In two sub-cities of Addis Ababa, we identified each organization providing either HIV care or family planning services. We interviewed representatives of each of them about exchanges of clients with each of the others. With network analysis, we identified network characteristics in each sub-city network, such as referral density and centrality; and gaps in the referral patterns. The results were shared with representatives from the organizations. The two networks were of similar size (25 and 26 organizations) and had referral densities of 0.115 and 0.155 out of a possible range from 0 (none) to 1.0 (all possible connections). Two organizations in one sub-city did not refer HIV clients to a family planning organization. One organization in one sub-city and seven in the other offered few HIV services and did not refer clients to any other HIV service provider. Representatives from the networks confirmed the results reflected their experience and expressed an interest in establishing more links between organizations. Because of organizations not working together, women in the two sub-cities were at risk of not receiving needed family planning or HIV care services. Facilitating referrals among a few organizations that are most often working in isolation could remediate the problem, but the overall referral densities suggests that improved connections throughout might benefit conditions in addition to HIV and family planning that need service integration.

  13. Care plans and care planning in long-term conditions: a conceptual model.

    PubMed

    Burt, Jenni; Rick, Jo; Blakeman, Thomas; Protheroe, Joanne; Roland, Martin; Bower, Pete

    2014-10-01

    The prevalence and impact of long-term conditions continues to rise. Care planning for people with long-term conditions has been a policy priority for chronic disease management in a number of health-care systems. However, patients and providers appear unclear about the formulation and implementation of care planning. Further work in this area is therefore required to inform the development, implementation and evaluation of future care planning initiatives. We distinguish between 'care planning' (the process by which health-care professionals and patients discuss, agree and review an action plan to achieve the goals or behaviour change of most relevance and concern to the patient) and a 'care plan' (a written document recording the outcome of a care planning process). We propose a typology of care planning and care plans with three core dimensions: perspective (patient or professional), scope (a focus on goals or on behaviours) and networks (confined to the professional-patient dyad or extending to the entire care network). In addition, we draw on psychological models of mediation and moderation to outline potential mechanisms through which care planning and care plans may lead to improved outcomes for both patients and the wider health-care system. The proposed typology of care planning and care plans offered here, along with the model of the process by which care planning may influence outcomes, provide a useful framework for future policy developments and evaluations. Empirical work is required to explore the degree to which current care planning approaches and care plans can be described according to these dimensions, and the factors that determine which types of patients and professionals use which type of care plans.

  14. Amplifying human ability through autonomics and machine learning in IMPACT

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dzieciuch, Iryna; Reeder, John; Gutzwiller, Robert; Gustafson, Eric; Coronado, Braulio; Martinez, Luis; Croft, Bryan; Lange, Douglas S.

    2017-05-01

    Amplifying human ability for controlling complex environments featuring autonomous units can be aided by learned models of human and system performance. In developing a command and control system that allows a small number of people to control a large number of autonomous teams, we employ an autonomics framework to manage the networks that represent mission plans and the networks that are composed of human controllers and their autonomous assistants. Machine learning allows us to build models of human and system performance useful for monitoring plans and managing human attention and task loads. Machine learning also aids in the development of tactics that human supervisors can successfully monitor through the command and control system.

  15. Toward implementation of a national ground water monitoring network

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Schreiber, Robert P.; Cunningham, William L.; Copeland, Rick; Frederick, Kevin D.

    2008-01-01

    The Federal Advisory Committee on Water Information's (ACWI) Subcommittee on Ground Water (SOGW) has been working steadily to develop and encourage implementation of a nationwide, long-term ground-water quantity and quality monitoring framework. Significant progress includes the planned submission this fall of a draft framework document to the full committee. The document will include recommendations for implementation of the network and continued acknowledgment at the federal and state level of ACWI's potential role in national monitoring toward an improved assessment of the nation's water reserves. The SOGW mission includes addressing several issues regarding network design, as well as developing plans for concept testing, evaluation of costs and benefits, and encouraging the movement from pilot-test results to full-scale implementation within a reasonable time period. With the recent attention to water resource sustainability driven by severe droughts, concerns over global warming effects, and persistent water supply problems, the SOGW mission is now even more critical.

  16. AmeriFlux Network Data Activities: updates, progress and plans

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, B.; Boden, T.; Krassovski, M.; Song, X.

    2013-12-01

    The Carbon Dioxide Information Analysis Center (CDIAC) at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory serves as the long-term data repository for the AmeriFlux network. Datasets currently available include hourly or half-hourly meteorological and flux observations, biological measurement records, and synthesis data products. In this presentation, we provide an update of this network database including a comprehensive review and evaluation of the biological data from about 70 sites, development of a new product for flux uncertainty estimates, and re-formatting of Level-2 standard files. In 2013, we also provided data support to two synthesis studies --- 2012 drought synthesis and FACE synthesis. Issues related to data quality and solutions in compiling datasets for these synthesis studies will be discussed. We will also present our work plans in developing and producing other high-level products, such as derivation of phenology from the available measurements at flux sites.

  17. Robust network design for multispecies conservation

    Treesearch

    Ronan Le Bras; Bistra Dilkina; Yexiang Xue; Carla P. Gomes; Kevin S. McKelvey; Michael K. Schwartz; Claire A. Montgomery

    2013-01-01

    Our work is motivated by an important network design application in computational sustainability concerning wildlife conservation. In the face of human development and climate change, it is important that conservation plans for protecting landscape connectivity exhibit certain level of robustness. While previous work has focused on conservation strategies that result...

  18. Industry/Postsecondary Education Partnership for Faculty Development.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Zanville, Holly

    The project addressed the need for Oregon higher education faculty to receive state-of-the art information from Oregon businesses and industries in computer science, business, and engineering areas. Planning for a statewide interactive Eudcational Television Network (ED-NET) has been underway in Oregon for several years. The network will involve…

  19. ECUANET--European Corporate Academies Transnational Best Practice Network

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dealtry, Richard

    2004-01-01

    This article describes the formation and forward planning of an important and independent transnational best practice networking development project, i.e. ECUANET. ECUANET's aims are to track and disseminate the evolutions and revolutions that are taking place in the creative management of corporate universities and small and medium enterprise…

  20. Scheduling of House Development Projects with CPM and PERT Method for Time Efficiency (Case Study: House Type 36)

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kholil, Muhammad; Nurul Alfa, Bonitasari; Hariadi, Madjumsyah

    2018-04-01

    Network planning is one of the management techniques used to plan and control the implementation of a project, which shows the relationship between activities. The objective of this research is to arrange network planning on house construction project on CV. XYZ and to know the role of network planning in increasing the efficiency of time so that can be obtained the optimal project completion period. This research uses descriptive method, where the data collected by direct observation to the company, interview, and literature study. The result of this research is optimal time planning in project work. Based on the results of the research, it can be concluded that the use of the both methods in scheduling of house construction project gives very significant effect on the completion time of the project. The company’s CPM (Critical Path Method) method can complete the project with 131 days, PERT (Program Evaluation Review and Technique) Method takes 136 days. Based on PERT calculation obtained Z = -0.66 or 0,2546 (from normal distribution table), and also obtained the value of probability or probability is 74,54%. This means that the possibility of house construction project activities can be completed on time is high enough. While without using both methods the project completion time takes 173 days. So using the CPM method, the company can save time up to 42 days and has time efficiency by using network planning.

  1. History of Planning Structure Development in Irkutsk

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kulakov, A. I.; Ree, A. U.

    2017-11-01

    The development of Irkutsk was spontaneous; the first streets represented a rather complex system of streets, dead ends, lanes. Throughout the history of the city, several general plans and development projects have been implemented (but not completely). Unlike other large Siberian cities (Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk), Irkutsk managed to preserve its historical appearance, architecture and initial planning. During its history the city has passed five stages of the planning structure development. The first stage of the city’s history coincides with the formation of the Russian settlements network in Eastern Siberia from the middle of the 17th to the end of the 18th centuries. Like many other Siberian cities, Irkutsk began its evolution from a fortified stockaded town. By the end of the 17th century a trading quarter appeared outside its walls. Currently, the city is developing and growing, so, a relevant issue of the further development direction of the Irkutsk planning structure naturally arises.

  2. Adaptive Modeling and Real-Time Simulation

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1984-01-01

    34 Artificial Inteligence , Vol. 13, pp. 27-39 (1980). Describes circumscription which is just the assumption that everything that is known to have a particular... Artificial Intelligence Truth Maintenance Planning Resolution Modeling Wcrld Models ~ .. ~2.. ASSTR AT (Coninue n evrse sieIf necesaran Identfy by...represents a marriage of (1) the procedural-network st, planning technology developed in artificial intelligence with (2) the PERT/CPM technology developed in

  3. Networking and Institutional Planning.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Riggs, Donald E.

    1987-01-01

    Explores the impact of networks and shared library resources on the library planning process. Environmental scanning techniques, the need for cooperative planning, and the formulation of strategies to achieve networking goals are discussed. (CLB)

  4. Accounting for system dynamics in reserve design.

    PubMed

    Leroux, Shawn J; Schmiegelow, Fiona K A; Cumming, Steve G; Lessard, Robert B; Nagy, John

    2007-10-01

    Systematic conservation plans have only recently considered the dynamic nature of ecosystems. Methods have been developed to incorporate climate change, population dynamics, and uncertainty in reserve design, but few studies have examined how to account for natural disturbance. Considering natural disturbance in reserve design may be especially important for the world's remaining intact areas, which still experience active natural disturbance regimes. We developed a spatially explicit, dynamic simulation model, CONSERV, which simulates patch dynamics and fire, and used it to evaluate the efficacy of hypothetical reserve networks in northern Canada. We designed six networks based on conventional reserve design methods, with different conservation targets for woodland caribou habitat, high-quality wetlands, vegetation, water bodies, and relative connectedness. We input the six reserve networks into CONSERV and tracked the ability of each to maintain initial conservation targets through time under an active natural disturbance regime. None of the reserve networks maintained all initial targets, and some over-represented certain features, suggesting that both effectiveness and efficiency of reserve design could be improved through use of spatially explicit dynamic simulation during the planning process. Spatial simulation models of landscape dynamics are commonly used in natural resource management, but we provide the first illustration of their potential use for reserve design. Spatial simulation models could be used iteratively to evaluate competing reserve designs and select targets that have a higher likelihood of being maintained through time. Such models could be combined with dynamic planning techniques to develop a general theory for reserve design in an uncertain world.

  5. Narrow Networks On The Health Insurance Marketplaces: Prevalence, Pricing, And The Cost Of Network Breadth.

    PubMed

    Dafny, Leemore S; Hendel, Igal; Marone, Victoria; Ody, Christopher

    2017-09-01

    Anecdotal reports and systematic research highlight the prevalence of narrow-network plans on the Affordable Care Act's health insurance Marketplaces. At the same time, Marketplace premiums in the period 2014-16 were much lower than projected by the Congressional Budget Office in 2009. Using detailed data on the breadth of both hospital and physician networks, we studied the prevalence of narrow networks and quantified the association between network breadth and premiums. Controlling for many potentially confounding factors, we found that a plan with narrow physician and hospital networks was 16 percent cheaper than a plan with broad networks for both, and that narrowing the breadth of just one type of network was associated with a 6-9 percent decrease in premiums. Narrow-network plans also have a sizable impact on federal outlays, as they depress the premium of the second-lowest-price silver plan, to which subsidy amounts are linked. Holding all else constant, we estimate that federal subsidies would have been 10.8 percent higher in 2014 had Marketplaces required all plans to offer broad provider networks. Narrow networks are a promising source of potential savings for other segments of the commercial insurance market. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  6. Path planning in GPS-denied environments via collective intelligence of distributed sensor networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jha, Devesh K.; Chattopadhyay, Pritthi; Sarkar, Soumik; Ray, Asok

    2016-05-01

    This paper proposes a framework for reactive goal-directed navigation without global positioning facilities in unknown dynamic environments. A mobile sensor network is used for localising regions of interest for path planning of an autonomous mobile robot. The underlying theory is an extension of a generalised gossip algorithm that has been recently developed in a language-measure-theoretic setting. The algorithm has been used to propagate local decisions of target detection over a mobile sensor network and thus, it generates a belief map for the detected target over the network. In this setting, an autonomous mobile robot may communicate only with a few mobile sensing nodes in its own neighbourhood and localise itself relative to the communicating nodes with bounded uncertainties. The robot makes use of the knowledge based on the belief of the mobile sensors to generate a sequence of way-points, leading to a possible goal. The estimated way-points are used by a sampling-based motion planning algorithm to generate feasible trajectories for the robot. The proposed concept has been validated by numerical simulation on a mobile sensor network test-bed and a Dubin's car-like robot.

  7. Planning protected areas network that are relevant today and under future climate change is possible: the case of Atlantic Forest endemic birds.

    PubMed

    Vale, Mariana M; Souza, Thiago V; Alves, Maria Alice S; Crouzeilles, Renato

    2018-01-01

    A key strategy in biodiversity conservation is the establishment of protected areas. In the future, however, the redistribution of species in response to ongoing climate change is likely to affect species' representativeness in those areas. Here we quantify the effectiveness of planning protected areas network to represent 151 birds endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest hotspot, under current and future climate change conditions for 2050. We combined environmental niche modeling and systematic conservation planning using both a county and a regional level planning strategy. We recognized the conflict between biodiversity conservation and economic development, including socio-economic targets (as opposed to biological only) and using planning units that are meaningful for policy-makers. We estimated an average contraction of 29,500 km 2 in environmentally suitable areas for birds, representing 52% of currently suitable areas. Still, the most cost-effective solution represented almost all target species, requiring only ca. 10% of the Atlantic Forest counties to achieve that representativeness, independent of strategy. More than 50% of these counties were selected both in the current and future planned networks, representing >83% of the species. Our results indicate that: (i) planning protected areas network currently can be useful to represent species under climate change; (ii) the overlapped planning units in the best solution for both current and future conditions can be considered as "no regret" areas; (iii) priority counties are spread throughout the biome, providing specific guidance wherever the possibility of creating protected area arises; and (iv) decisions can occur at different administrative spheres (Federal, State or County) as we found quite similar numerical solutions using either county or regional level strategies.

  8. Planning protected areas network that are relevant today and under future climate change is possible: the case of Atlantic Forest endemic birds

    PubMed Central

    Souza, Thiago V.; Alves, Maria Alice S.; Crouzeilles, Renato

    2018-01-01

    Background A key strategy in biodiversity conservation is the establishment of protected areas. In the future, however, the redistribution of species in response to ongoing climate change is likely to affect species’ representativeness in those areas. Here we quantify the effectiveness of planning protected areas network to represent 151 birds endemic to the Brazilian Atlantic Forest hotspot, under current and future climate change conditions for 2050. Methods We combined environmental niche modeling and systematic conservation planning using both a county and a regional level planning strategy. We recognized the conflict between biodiversity conservation and economic development, including socio-economic targets (as opposed to biological only) and using planning units that are meaningful for policy-makers. Results We estimated an average contraction of 29,500 km2 in environmentally suitable areas for birds, representing 52% of currently suitable areas. Still, the most cost-effective solution represented almost all target species, requiring only ca. 10% of the Atlantic Forest counties to achieve that representativeness, independent of strategy. More than 50% of these counties were selected both in the current and future planned networks, representing >83% of the species. Discussion Our results indicate that: (i) planning protected areas network currently can be useful to represent species under climate change; (ii) the overlapped planning units in the best solution for both current and future conditions can be considered as “no regret” areas; (iii) priority counties are spread throughout the biome, providing specific guidance wherever the possibility of creating protected area arises; and (iv) decisions can occur at different administrative spheres (Federal, State or County) as we found quite similar numerical solutions using either county or regional level strategies. PMID:29844952

  9. Green infrastructure development at European Union's eastern border: Effects of road infrastructure and forest habitat loss.

    PubMed

    Angelstam, Per; Khaulyak, Olha; Yamelynets, Taras; Mozgeris, Gintautas; Naumov, Vladimir; Chmielewski, Tadeusz J; Elbakidze, Marine; Manton, Michael; Prots, Bohdan; Valasiuk, Sviataslau

    2017-05-15

    The functionality of forest patches and networks as green infrastructure may be affected negatively both by expanding road networks and forestry intensification. We assessed the effects of (1) the current and planned road infrastructure, and (2) forest loss and gain, on the remaining large forest landscape massifs as green infrastructure at the EU's eastern border region in post-socialistic transition. First, habitat patch and network functionality in 1996-98 was assessed using habitat suitability index modelling. Second, we made expert interviews about road development with planners in 10 administrative regions in Poland, Belarus and Ukraine. Third, forest loss and gain inside the forest massifs, and gain outside them during the period 2001-14 were measured. This EU cross-border region hosts four remaining forest massifs as regional green infrastructure hotspots. While Poland's road network is developing fast in terms of new freeways, city bypasses and upgrades of road quality, in Belarus and Ukraine the focus is on maintenance of existing roads, and no new corridors. We conclude that economic support from the EU, and thus rapid development of roads in Poland, is likely to reduce the permeability for wildlife of the urban and agricultural matrix around existing forest massifs. However, the four identified forest massifs themselves, forming the forest landscape green infrastructure at the EU's east border, were little affected by road development plans. In contrast, forest loss inside massifs was high, especially in Ukraine. Only in Poland forest loss was balanced by gain. Forest gain outside forest massifs was low. To conclude, pro-active and collaborative spatial planning across different sectors and countries is needed to secure functional forest green infrastructure as base for biodiversity conservation and human well-being. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  10. NCCN Mountain Lakes Monitoring Strategy: Guidelines to Resolution

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Hoffman, Robert L.; Huff, Mark H.

    2008-01-01

    The North Coast and Cascades Network (NCCN) Inventory and Monitoring Program provides funds to its Network Parks to plan and implement the goals and objectives of the National Park Services? (NPS) Inventory and Monitoring (I&M) Program. The primary purpose of the I&M program is to develop and implement a long-term monitoring program in each network. The purpose of this document is to describe the outcome of a meeting held to find solutions to obstacles inhibiting development of a unified core design and methodology for mountain lake monitoring.

  11. Integrated Dynamic Process Planning and Scheduling in Flexible Manufacturing Systems via Autonomous Agents

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nejad, Hossein Tehrani Nik; Sugimura, Nobuhiro; Iwamura, Koji; Tanimizu, Yoshitaka

    Process planning and scheduling are important manufacturing planning activities which deal with resource utilization and time span of manufacturing operations. The process plans and the schedules generated in the planning phase shall be modified in the execution phase due to the disturbances in the manufacturing systems. This paper deals with a multi-agent architecture of an integrated and dynamic system for process planning and scheduling for multi jobs. A negotiation protocol is discussed, in this paper, to generate the process plans and the schedules of the manufacturing resources and the individual jobs, dynamically and incrementally, based on the alternative manufacturing processes. The alternative manufacturing processes are presented by the process plan networks discussed in the previous paper, and the suitable process plans and schedules are searched and generated to cope with both the dynamic status and the disturbances of the manufacturing systems. We initiatively combine the heuristic search algorithms of the process plan networks with the negotiation protocols, in order to generate suitable process plans and schedules in the dynamic manufacturing environment. A simulation software has been developed to carry out case studies, aimed at verifying the performance of the proposed multi-agent architecture.

  12. Continuing Development of California State Packet Radio Project.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Brownrigg, Edwin

    1992-01-01

    Provides background on the California State Library Packet Radio project, which will use packet radios to deploy a wireless, high-speed, wide-area network of 600 nodes, including 100 libraries, in the San Francisco Bay Area. Project goals and objectives, plan of operation, equipment, and evaluation plans are summarized. (MES)

  13. Strategic Enterprise Resource Planning for Global Supply Chain Competitiveness

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nageswararao, A. V.; Sahu, Dasarathi; Mohan, V. Krishna

    2011-01-01

    Strategic Enterprise Resource planning (SERP) systems are networked and integrated information mechanisms which are developed to achieve competitive advantage for organizations operating in global scale. It plays a vital role in Integrating various stake holders and channel partners involved in day to day operations. In the present Globalized…

  14. Language Planning in Sweden.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Molde, Bertil

    1975-01-01

    This article discusses language planning in Sweden. The Swedish Academy has as its goal to develop the purity, strength and nobility of the Swedish language by means of dictionaries, grammars, and the codification of vocabulary. Sweden also has a National Language Committee, one of a network of such committees existing in the Scandinavian…

  15. Care plans and care planning in long term conditions: a conceptual model

    PubMed Central

    Burt, J; Rick, J; Blakeman, T; Protheroe, J; Roland, M; Bower, P

    2013-01-01

    The prevalence and impact of long term conditions continues to rise. Care planning for people with long term conditions has been a policy priority for chronic disease management in a number of health care systems. However, patients and providers appear unclear about the formulation and implementation of care planning. Further work in this area is therefore required to inform the development, implementation and evaluation of future care planning initiatives. We distinguish between ‘care planning’ (the process by which health care professionals and patients discuss, agree and review an action plan to achieve the goals or behaviour change of most relevance and concern to the patient) and a ‘care plan’ (a written document recording the outcome of a care planning process). We propose a typology of care planning and care plans with three core dimensions: perspective (patient or professional), scope (a focus on goals or on behaviours) and networks (confined to the professional-patient dyad or extending to the entire care network). In addition, we draw on psychological models of mediation and moderation to outline potential mechanisms through which care planning and care plans may lead to improved outcomes for both patients and the wider health care system. The proposed typology of care planning and care plans offered here, along with the model of the process by which care planning may influence outcomes, provide a useful framework for future policy developments and evaluations. Empirical work is required to explore the degree to which current care planning approaches and care plans can be described according to these dimensions, and the factors that determine which types of patients and professionals use which type of care plans. PMID:23883621

  16. Safety models incorporating graph theory based transit indicators.

    PubMed

    Quintero, Liliana; Sayed, Tarek; Wahba, Mohamed M

    2013-01-01

    There is a considerable need for tools to enable the evaluation of the safety of transit networks at the planning stage. One interesting approach for the planning of public transportation systems is the study of networks. Network techniques involve the analysis of systems by viewing them as a graph composed of a set of vertices (nodes) and edges (links). Once the transport system is visualized as a graph, various network properties can be evaluated based on the relationships between the network elements. Several indicators can be calculated including connectivity, coverage, directness and complexity, among others. The main objective of this study is to investigate the relationship between network-based transit indicators and safety. The study develops macro-level collision prediction models that explicitly incorporate transit physical and operational elements and transit network indicators as explanatory variables. Several macro-level (zonal) collision prediction models were developed using a generalized linear regression technique, assuming a negative binomial error structure. The models were grouped into four main themes: transit infrastructure, transit network topology, transit route design, and transit performance and operations. The safety models showed that collisions were significantly associated with transit network properties such as: connectivity, coverage, overlapping degree and the Local Index of Transit Availability. As well, the models showed a significant relationship between collisions and some transit physical and operational attributes such as the number of routes, frequency of routes, bus density, length of bus and 3+ priority lanes. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Organizing knowledge for tutoring fire loss prevention

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Schmoldt, Daniel L.

    1989-09-01

    The San Bernardino National Forest in southern California has recently developed a systematic approach to wildfire prevention planning. However, a comprehensive document or other mechanism for teaching this process to other prevention personnel does not exist. An intelligent tutorial expert system is being constructed to provide a means for learning the process and to assist in the creation of specific prevention plans. An intelligent tutoring system (ITS) contains two types of knowledge—domain and tutoring. The domain knowledge for wildfire prevention is structured around several foci: (1) individual concepts used in prevention planning; (2) explicitly specified interrelationships between concepts; (3) deductive methods that contain subjective judgment normally unavailable to less-experienced users; (4) analytical models of fire behavior used for identification of hazard areas; (5) how-to guidance needed for performance of planning tasks; and (6) expository information that provides a rationale for planning steps and ideas. Combining analytical, procedure, inferential, conceptual, and expositional knowledge into a tutoring environment provides the student and/or user with a multiple perspective of the subject matter. A concept network provides a unifying framework for structuring and utilizing these diverse forms of prevention planning knowledge. This network structure borrows from and combines semantic networks and frame-based knowledge representations. The flexibility of this organization facilitates an effective synthesis and organization of multiple knowledge forms.

  18. Campaign-level dynamic network modelling for spaceflight logistics for the flexible path concept

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Ho, Koki; de Weck, Olivier L.; Hoffman, Jeffrey A.; Shishko, Robert

    2016-06-01

    This paper develops a network optimization formulation for dynamic campaign-level space mission planning. Although many past space missions have been designed mainly from a mission-level perspective, a campaign-level perspective will be important for future space exploration. In order to find the optimal campaign-level space transportation architecture, a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) formulation with a generalized multi-commodity flow and a time-expanded network is developed. Particularly, a new heuristics-based method, a partially static time-expanded network, is developed to provide a solution quickly. The developed method is applied to a case study containing human exploration of a near-Earth object (NEO) and Mars, related to the concept of the Flexible Path. The numerical results show that using the specific combinations of propulsion technologies, in-situ resource utilization (ISRU), and other space infrastructure elements can reduce the initial mass in low-Earth orbit (IMLEO) significantly. In addition, the case study results also show that we can achieve large IMLEO reduction by designing NEO and Mars missions together as a campaign compared with designing them separately owing to their common space infrastructure pre-deployment. This research will be an important step toward efficient and flexible campaign-level space mission planning.

  19. The Role of State Library Agencies in the Evolving National Information Network. Proceedings of the Joint Meeting of the Library of Congress Network Advisory Committee and the Chief Officers of State Library Agencies (Washington, D.C., April 27-29, 1992). Network Planning Paper No. 23.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Library of Congress, Washington, DC. Network Development and MARC Standards Office.

    The papers in this proceedings describe similarities and differences in state libraries and examine the state library role in local, regional, and national network development and in the dissemination of information to various client segments. The papers are: (1) "The Commonalities of State Library Agencies" (Barrat Wilkins); (2)…

  20. Young People Take Their Rightful Places as Full and Contributing Members of a World Class Workforce: Philadelphia Youth Network Annual Report 2006

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Philadelphia Youth Network, 2006

    2006-01-01

    The title of this year's annual report has particular meaning for all of the staff at the Philadelphia Youth Network. The phrase derives from Philadelphia Youth Network's (PYN's) new vision statement, developed as part of its recent strategic planning process, which reads: All of our city's young people take their rightful places as full and…

  1. Adolescent pregnancy: networking and the interdisciplinary approach.

    PubMed

    Canada, M J

    1986-01-01

    The networking approach to providing needed services to pregnant and parenting teenagers has numerous merits. An historical overview of the formation of the Brooklyn Teen Pregnancy Network highlights service agency need for information and resource sharing, and improved client referral systems as key factors in the genesis of the Network. The borough-wide approach and its spread as an agency model throughout New York City's other boroughs and several other northeastern cities is also attributed to its positive client impact, including: improved family communication and cooperation; early prenatal care with its concomitant improved pregnancy outcomes; financial support for teens; continued teen education; and parenting skills development. Resource information is provided regarding networks operating in the Greater New York metropolitan area. A planned Eastern Regional network initiative is under development.

  2. California hospital networks are narrower in Marketplace than in commercial plans, but access and quality are similar.

    PubMed

    Haeder, Simon F; Weimer, David L; Mukamel, Dana B

    2015-05-01

    Do insurance plans offered through the Marketplace implemented by the State of California under the Affordable Care Act restrict consumers' access to hospitals relative to plans offered on the commercial market? And are the hospitals included in Marketplace networks of lower quality compared to those included in the commercial plans? To answer these questions, we analyzed differences in hospital networks across similar plan types offered both in the Marketplace and commercially, by region and insurer. We found that the common belief that Marketplace plans have narrower networks than their commercial counterparts appears empirically valid. However, there does not appear to be a substantive difference in geographic access as measured by the percentage of people residing in at least one hospital market area. More surprisingly, depending on the measure of hospital quality employed, the Marketplace plans have networks with comparable or even higher average quality than the networks of their commercial counterparts. Project HOPE—The People-to-People Health Foundation, Inc.

  3. U1108 performance model

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Trachta, G.

    1976-01-01

    A model of Univac 1108 work flow has been developed to assist in performance evaluation studies and configuration planning. Workload profiles and system configurations are parameterized for ease of experimental modification. Outputs include capacity estimates and performance evaluation functions. The U1108 system is conceptualized as a service network; classical queueing theory is used to evaluate network dynamics.

  4. Kansas Public Television Network (KPTN).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Lemen, Jack A.

    The plans of the Kansas Public Television Board (KPTB) for development of the Kansas Television Network are detailed for the period extending from FY 1979 to FY 1983; the proposed system is designed to serve the needs of the communities by extending existing capabilities and resources, sharing common resources, and enriching the total system.…

  5. University/City Partnerships: Creating Policy Networks for Urban Transformation in Nairobi

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Klopp, Jacqueline; Ngau, Peter; Sclar, Elliot

    2011-01-01

    This paper describes an innovative collaboration between the Center for Sustainable Urban Development at Columbia University and the Department of Urban and Regional Planning at the University of Nairobi. By bringing universities into urban policy networks, this partnership aims to re-shape pedagogy, policy and research action for sustainable…

  6. Developing the Cyber Defenders of Tomorrow with Regional Collegiate Cyber Defense Competitions (CCDC)

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Carlin, Anna; Manson, Daniel P.; Zhu, Jake

    2010-01-01

    With the projected higher demand for Network Systems Analysts and increasing computer crime, network security specialists are an organization's first line of defense. The principle function of this paper is to provide the evolution of Collegiate Cyber Defense Competitions (CCDC), event planning required, soliciting sponsors, recruiting personnel…

  7. Maps showing locations of surface water stations: catalog of information on water data

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    1968-01-01

    United States Bureau of the Budget Circular A-67, issued in 1964, calls upon the Department of the Interior to coordinate certain water-data-acquisition activities by Federal agencies. The Circular contains guidelines for coordinating Federal water-data collection from streams, lakes, reservoirs, estuaries, and ground water; it also contains guidelines for developing a national network to acquire the data. Specific responsibilities are: (1) design and operation of a national network for acquiring water data, including organizing the network data; (2) coordination of national network and specialized water-data acquisition activities, and preparation of an annual Federal plan for water-data acquisition; and (3) maintenance of a central catalog of information on water data and on Federal activities being planned or conducted to acquire such data.The Office of Water Data Coordination (OWOC) was established within the Interior Department's Geological Survey to serve as a focal point for activities in conjunction with implementation of the Circular. The "Catalog of Information on Water Data" was developed in response to item 3.

  8. IOOC Organizational Network (ION) Project

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dean, H.

    2013-12-01

    In order to meet the growing need for ocean information, research communities at the national and international levels have responded most recently by developing organizational frameworks that can help to integrate information across systems of existing networks and standardize methods of data gathering, management, and processing that facilitate integration. To address recommendations and identified challenges related to the need for a better understanding of ocean observing networks, members of the U.S. Interagency Ocean Observation Committee (IOOC) supported pursuing a project that came to be titled the IOOC Organizational Network (ION). The ION tool employs network mapping approaches which mirror approaches developed in academic literature aimed at understanding political networks. Researchers gathered data on the list of global ocean observing organizations included in the Framework for Ocean Observing (FOO), developed in 2012 by the international Task Team for an Integrated Framework for Sustained Ocean Observing. At the international scale, researchers reviewed organizational research plans and documents, websites, and formal international agreement documents. At the U.S. national scale, researchers analyzed legislation, formal inter-agency agreements, work plans, charters, and policy documents. Researchers based analysis of relationships among global organizations and national federal organizations on four broad relationship categories: Communications, Data, Infrastructure, and Human Resources. In addition to the four broad relationship categories, researchers also gathered data on relationship instrument types, strength of relationships, and (at the global level) ocean observing variables. Using network visualization software, researchers then developed a series of dynamic webpages. Researchers used the tool to address questions identified by the ocean observing community, including identifying gaps in global relationships and the types of tools used to develop networks at the U.S. national level. As the ION project goes through beta testing and is utilized to address specific questions posed by the ocean observing community, it will become more refined and more closely linked to user needs and interests.

  9. An Efficient, Hierarchical Viewpoint Planning Strategy for Terrestrial Laser Scanner Networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Jia, F.; Lichti, D. D.

    2018-05-01

    Terrestrial laser scanner (TLS) techniques have been widely adopted in a variety of applications. However, unlike in geodesy or photogrammetry, insufficient attention has been paid to the optimal TLS network design. It is valuable to develop a complete design system that can automatically provide an optimal plan, especially for high-accuracy, large-volume scanning networks. To achieve this goal, one should look at the "optimality" of the solution as well as the computational complexity in reaching it. In this paper, a hierarchical TLS viewpoint planning strategy is developed to solve the optimal scanner placement problems. If one targeted object to be scanned is simplified as discretized wall segments, any possible viewpoint can be evaluated by a score table representing its visible segments under certain scanning geometry constraints. Thus, the design goal is to find a minimum number of viewpoints that achieves complete coverage of all wall segments. The efficiency is improved by densifying viewpoints hierarchically, instead of a "brute force" search within the entire workspace. The experiment environments in this paper were simulated from two buildings located on University of Calgary campus. Compared with the "brute force" strategy in terms of the quality of the solutions and the runtime, it is shown that the proposed strategy can provide a scanning network with a compatible quality but with more than a 70 % time saving.

  10. The WATERS Network Conceptual Design

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Tarboton, D. G.; Schnoor, J. L.; Haas, C. N.; Minsker, B.; Bales, R. C.; Hooper, R. P.

    2007-12-01

    The Water and Environmental Research Systems (WATERS) Network is a collaboration between the water- related Earth science and environmental engineering communities around a series of grand-challenge and strategic research questions. The vision of WATERS Network is to transform our ability to predict the quality, quantity and use of our nation's waters. The real transformative power of the WATERS Network lies in its ability to put sustained, spatially extensive, high-frequency information in the hands of researchers, information that will resolve how natural and engineered systems respond to perturbations. This knowledge then improves process understanding, and provides better predictive capabilities. In order to do this, the WATERS Network will create a national network of observatories equipped with multimedia sensors located across a range of different climatic and geographic regions and linked together by a common cyberinfrastructure. The network will incorporate existing and new environmental and socioeconomic data at various spatial and temporal scales. Data will include physical, chemical, and biological information to characterize surface water, ground water, land, socioeconomic and behavioral information to better frame human influences. Real-time data resources will be assimilated into an information system (cyberinfrastructure) that supports analytical tools and models, networking tools, and education and outreach services. The WATERS Network is an Environmental Observatory initiative of the U.S. National Science Foundation, developed in response to community planning over the past 10 years. It is being developed for the foundation's Engineering and Geosciences Directorates to jointly propose for funding consideration through the foundation's Major Research Equipment and Facilities Construction (MREFC) account. This presentation will summarize the current status of planning for the WATERS Network.

  11. The State of Planning of Automation Projects in the Libraries of Canada.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Clement, Hope E. A.

    Library automation in Canada is complicated by the large size, dispersed population, and cultural diversity of the country. The National Library of Canada is actively planning a Canadian library network based on national bibliographic services for which the library is now developing automated systems. Canadian libraries are involved in the…

  12. FloorPlan. Courseware Evaluation for Vocational and Technical Education.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rosenfeld, Vila M.; And Others

    This courseware evaluation rates the "FloorPlan" program developed by the Learning Seed. (The program--not included in this document--allows room design and arrangement to be performed on the computer screen.) The courseware was rated by a team of home economists participating in a network for the dissemination of courseware reviews.…

  13. Global Test Range: Toward Airborne Sensor Webs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mace, Thomas H.; Freudinger, Larry; DelFrate John H.

    2008-01-01

    This viewgraph presentation reviews the planned global sensor network that will monitor the Earth's climate, and resources using airborne sensor systems. The vision is an intelligent, affordable Earth Observation System. Global Test Range is a lab developing trustworthy services for airborne instruments - a specialized Internet Service Provider. There is discussion of several current and planned missions.

  14. 75 FR 34795 - Consolidated Tape Association; Order Approving the Fifteenth Substantive Amendment to the Second...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-18

    ... Plan (``Amendments'') would amend the Plans to provide that the Participants pay the Network B Administrator a fixed annual fee in exchange for its performance of Network B administrator functions under the... CTA Plan and Section IX (``Financial Matters'') of the CQ Plan each provide that a network's Operating...

  15. Building oceanographic and atmospheric observation networks by composition: unmanned vehicles, communication networks, and planning and execution control frameworks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sousa, J. T.; Pinto, J.; Martins, R.; Costa, M.; Ferreira, F.; Gomes, R.

    2014-12-01

    The problem of developing mobile oceanographic and atmospheric observation networks (MOAO) with coordinated air and ocean vehicles is discussed in the framework of the communications and control software tool chain developed at Underwater Systems and Technologies Laboratory (LSTS) from Porto University. This is done with reference to field experiments to illustrate key capabilities and to assess future MOAO operations. First, the motivation for building MOAO by "composition" of air and ocean vehicles, communication networks, and planning and execution control frameworks is discussed - in networked vehicle systems information and commands are exchanged among multiple vehicles and operators, and the roles, relative positions, and dependencies of these vehicles and operators change during operations. Second, the planning and execution control framework developed at LSTS for multi-vehicle systems is discussed with reference to key concepts such as autonomy, mixed-initiative interactions, and layered organization. Third, the LSTS tool software tool chain is presented to show how to develop MOAO by composition. The tool chain comprises the Neptus command and control framework for mixed initiative interactions, the underlying IMC messaging protocol, and the DUNE on-board software. Fourth, selected LSTS operational deployments illustrate MOAO capability building. In 2012 we demonstrated the use of UAS to "ferry" data from UUVs located beyond line of sight (BLOS). In 2013 we demonstrated coordinated observations of coastal fronts with small UAS and UUVs, "bent" BLOS through the use of UAS as communication relays, and UAS tracking of juvenile hammer-head sharks. In 2014 we demonstrated UUV adaptive sampling with the closed loop controller of the UUV residing on a UAS; this was done with the help of a Wave Glider ASV with a communications gateway. The results from these experiments provide a background for assessing potential future UAS operations in a compositional MOAO.

  16. The Pioneering Role of the Vaccine Safety Datalink Project (VSD) to Advance Collaborative Research and Distributed Data Networks

    PubMed Central

    Fahey, Kevin R.

    2015-01-01

    Introduction: Large-scale distributed data networks consisting of diverse stakeholders including providers, patients, and payers are changing health research in terms of methods, speed and efficiency. The Vaccine Safety Datalink (VSD) set the stage for expanded involvement of health plans in collaborative research. Expanding Surveillance Capacity and Progress Toward a Learning Health System: From an initial collaboration of four integrated health systems with fewer than 10 million covered lives to 16 diverse health plans with nearly 100 million lives now in the FDA Sentinel, the expanded engagement of health plan researchers has been essential to increase the value and impact of these efforts. The collaborative structure of the VSD established a pathway toward research efforts that successfully engage all stakeholders in a cohesive rather than competitive manner. The scientific expertise and methodology developed through the VSD such as rapid cycle analysis (RCA) to conduct near real-time safety surveillance allowed for the development of the expanded surveillance systems that now exist. Building on Success and Lessons Learned: These networks have learned from and built on the knowledge base and infrastructure created by the VSD investigators. This shared technical knowledge and experience expedited the development of systems like the FDA’s Mini-Sentinel and the Patient Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI)’s PCORnet Conclusion: This narrative reviews the evolution of the VSD, its contribution to other collaborative research networks, longer-term sustainability of this type of distributed research, and how knowledge gained from the earlier efforts can contribute to a continually learning health system. PMID:26793736

  17. GGOS working group on ground networks and communications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Pearlman, M.; Altamimi, Z.; Beck, N.; Forsberg, R.; Gurtner, W.; Kenyon, S.; Behrend, D.; Lemoine, F. G.; Ma, C.; Noll, C. E.; hide

    2005-01-01

    Activities of this Working Group include the investigation of the status quo and the development of a plan for full network integration to support improvements in terrestrial reference frame establishment and maintenance, Earth orientation and gravity field monitoring, precision orbit determination, and other geodetic and gravimetric applications required for the long-term observation of global change. This integration process includes the development of a network of fundamental stations with as many co-located techniques as possible, with precisely determined intersystem vectors. This network would exploit the strengths of each technique and minimize the weaknesses where possible. This paper discusses the organization of the working group, the work done to date, and future tasks.

  18. Active distribution network planning considering linearized system loss

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Xiao; Wang, Mingqiang; Xu, Hao

    2018-02-01

    In this paper, various distribution network planning techniques with DGs are reviewed, and a new distribution network planning method is proposed. It assumes that the location of DGs and the topology of the network are fixed. The proposed model optimizes the capacities of DG and the optimal distribution line capacity simultaneously by a cost/benefit analysis and the benefit is quantified by the reduction of the expected interruption cost. Besides, the network loss is explicitly analyzed in the paper. For simplicity, the network loss is appropriately simplified as a quadratic function of difference of voltage phase angle. Then it is further piecewise linearized. In this paper, a piecewise linearization technique with different segment lengths is proposed. To validate its effectiveness and superiority, the proposed distribution network planning model with elaborate linearization technique is tested on the IEEE 33-bus distribution network system.

  19. Developing a Deep Brain Stimulation Neuromodulation Network for Parkinson Disease, Essential Tremor, and Dystonia: Report of a Quality Improvement Project

    PubMed Central

    O’Suilleabhain, Padraig E.; Sanghera, Manjit; Patel, Neepa; Khemani, Pravin; Lacritz, Laura H.; Chitnis, Shilpa; Whitworth, Louis A.; Dewey, Richard B.

    2016-01-01

    Objective To develop a process to improve patient outcomes from deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery for Parkinson disease (PD), essential tremor (ET), and dystonia. Methods We employed standard quality improvement methodology using the Plan-Do-Study-Act process to improve patient selection, surgical DBS lead implantation, postoperative programming, and ongoing assessment of patient outcomes. Results The result of this quality improvement process was the development of a neuromodulation network. The key aspect of this program is rigorous patient assessment of both motor and non-motor outcomes tracked longitudinally using a REDCap database. We describe how this information is used to identify problems and to initiate Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles to address them. Preliminary outcomes data is presented for the cohort of PD and ET patients who have received surgery since the creation of the neuromodulation network. Conclusions Careful outcomes tracking is essential to ensure quality in a complex therapeutic endeavor like DBS surgery for movement disorders. The REDCap database system is well suited to store outcomes data for the purpose of ongoing quality assurance monitoring. PMID:27711133

  20. Developing a Deep Brain Stimulation Neuromodulation Network for Parkinson Disease, Essential Tremor, and Dystonia: Report of a Quality Improvement Project.

    PubMed

    Dewey, Richard B; O'Suilleabhain, Padraig E; Sanghera, Manjit; Patel, Neepa; Khemani, Pravin; Lacritz, Laura H; Chitnis, Shilpa; Whitworth, Louis A; Dewey, Richard B

    2016-01-01

    To develop a process to improve patient outcomes from deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery for Parkinson disease (PD), essential tremor (ET), and dystonia. We employed standard quality improvement methodology using the Plan-Do-Study-Act process to improve patient selection, surgical DBS lead implantation, postoperative programming, and ongoing assessment of patient outcomes. The result of this quality improvement process was the development of a neuromodulation network. The key aspect of this program is rigorous patient assessment of both motor and non-motor outcomes tracked longitudinally using a REDCap database. We describe how this information is used to identify problems and to initiate Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles to address them. Preliminary outcomes data is presented for the cohort of PD and ET patients who have received surgery since the creation of the neuromodulation network. Careful outcomes tracking is essential to ensure quality in a complex therapeutic endeavor like DBS surgery for movement disorders. The REDCap database system is well suited to store outcomes data for the purpose of ongoing quality assurance monitoring.

  1. Planning Multitechnology Access Networks with Performance Constraints

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chamberland, Steven

    Considering the number of access network technologies and the investment needed for the “last mile” of a solution, in today’s highly competitive markets, planning tools are crucial for the service providers to optimize the network costs and accelerate the planning process. In this paper, we propose to tackle the problem of planning access networks composed of four technologies/architectures: the digital subscriber line (xDSL) technologies deployed directly from the central office (CO), the fiber-to-the-node (FTTN), the fiber-to-the-micro-node (FTTn) and the fiber-to-the-premises (FTTP). A mathematical programming model is proposed for this planning problem that is solved using a commercial implementation of the branch-and-bound algorithm. Next, a detailed access network planning example is presented followed by a systematic set of experiments designed to assess the performance of the proposed approach.

  2. Phase-synchronisation in continuous flow models of production networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Scholz-Reiter, Bernd; Tervo, Jan Topi; Freitag, Michael

    2006-04-01

    To improve their position at the market, many companies concentrate on their core competences and hence cooperate with suppliers and distributors. Thus, between many independent companies strong linkages develop and production and logistics networks emerge. These networks are characterised by permanently increasing complexity, and are nowadays forced to adapt to dynamically changing markets. This factor complicates an enterprise-spreading production planning and control enormously. Therefore, a continuous flow model for production networks will be derived regarding these special logistic problems. Furthermore, phase-synchronisation effects will be presented and their dependencies to the set of network parameters will be investigated.

  3. Critical path method applied to research project planning: Fire Economics Evaluation System (FEES)

    Treesearch

    Earl B. Anderson; R. Stanton Hales

    1986-01-01

    The critical path method (CPM) of network analysis (a) depicts precedence among the many activities in a project by a network diagram; (b) identifies critical activities by calculating their starting, finishing, and float times; and (c) displays possible schedules by constructing time charts. CPM was applied to the development of the Forest Service's Fire...

  4. Quality ILL Service in the Network of CSIC Libraries: Five Years of Progress.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Malo de Molina y Martin-Montalvo, Teresa; Quintana Martinez, Isabel

    1997-01-01

    Although Spanish interlibrary loans (ILL) have increased from 100 to 525 per 100,000 inhabitants, there are still many problems to resolve. Examines a plan developed by the Consejo Superior de Investigaciones Cientificas (CSIC) Library Network to improve ILL services. Provides a comparative analysis of ILL services from 1992-1995. Includes charts…

  5. Emerging from the Periphery: Satellite News Exchanges in the Third World.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Flournoy, Don M.

    In 1984, a group of Asian countries began exchanging television news stories via the Pacific Ocean and Intelsat satellite networks. Similar news networks are in the planning stages among other developing nations in the Middle East and Caribbean. Such exchanges give Third World countries a way to break out of the usual dominance-dependence…

  6. The Future of Operational Space Weather Observations

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Berger, T. E.

    2015-12-01

    We review the current state of operational space weather observations, the requirements for new or evolved space weather forecasting capablities, and the relevant sections of the new National strategy for space weather developed by the Space Weather Operations, Research, and Mitigation (SWORM) Task Force chartered by the Office of Science and Technology Policy of the White House. Based on this foundation, we discuss future space missions such as the NOAA space weather mission to the L1 Lagrangian point planned for the 2021 time frame and its synergy with an L5 mission planned for the same period; the space weather capabilities of the upcoming GOES-R mission, as well as GOES-Next possiblities; and the upcoming COSMIC-2 mission for ionospheric observations. We also discuss the needs for ground-based operational networks to supply mission critical and/or backup space weather observations including the NSF GONG solar optical observing network, the USAF SEON solar radio observing network, the USGS real-time magnetometer network, the USCG CORS network of GPS receivers, and the possibility of operationalizing the world-wide network of neutron monitors for real-time alerts of ground-level radiation events.

  7. Network Performance Evaluation Model for assessing the impacts of high-occupancy vehicle facilities

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

    Janson, B.N.; Zozaya-Gorostiza, C.; Southworth, F.

    1986-09-01

    A model to assess the impacts of major high-occupancy vehicle (HOV) facilities on regional levels of energy consumption and vehicle air pollution emissions in urban aeas is developed and applied. This model can be used to forecast and compare the impacts of alternative HOV facility design and operation plans on traffic patterns, travel costs, model choice, travel demand, energy consumption and vehicle emissions. The model is designed to show differences in the overall impacts of alternative HOV facility types, locations and operation plans rather than to serve as a tool for detailed engineering design and traffic planning studies. The Networkmore » Performance Evaluation Model (NETPEM) combines several urban transportation planning models within a multi-modal network equilibrium framework including modules with which to define the type, location and use policy of the HOV facility to be tested, and to assess the impacts of this facility.« less

  8. A web-based remote radiation treatment planning system using the remote desktop function of a computer operating system: a preliminary report.

    PubMed

    Suzuki, Keishiro; Hirasawa, Yukinori; Yaegashi, Yuji; Miyamoto, Hideki; Shirato, Hiroki

    2009-01-01

    We developed a web-based, remote radiation treatment planning system which allowed staff at an affiliated hospital to obtain support from a fully staffed central institution. Network security was based on a firewall and a virtual private network (VPN). Client computers were installed at a cancer centre, at a university hospital and at a staff home. We remotely operated the treatment planning computer using the Remote Desktop function built in to the Windows operating system. Except for the initial setup of the VPN router, no special knowledge was needed to operate the remote radiation treatment planning system. There was a time lag that seemed to depend on the volume of data traffic on the Internet, but it did not affect smooth operation. The initial cost and running cost of the system were reasonable.

  9. NEPTUNE Canada-status and planning

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bornhold, Brian D.

    2005-04-01

    Stage 1 of the joint Canada-U.S. NEPTUNE seafloor observatory has been funded by the Canada Foundation for Innovation and the British Columbia Knowledge Development Fund with an overall budget of $62.4 million. The network is designed to provide as close to real-time data and images as possible to be distributed to the research community, government agencies, educational institutions and the public via the Internet. Covering much of the northern segment of the Juan de Fuca Plate, this first phase of the NEPTUNE project is scheduled to be installed, with an initial suite of ``community experiments'', in 2008. As part of the planning, NEPTUNE Canada held a series of three workshops to develop the science plans for these ``community experiments'' these experiments have a budget of approximately $13 million. The experiments will cover the gamut of oceanographic science themes including various aspects of: ocean climate and marine productivity, seabed environments and biological communities, fluids at ocean ridges, gas hydrates and fluids on continental margins, plate tectonics processes, associated earthquakes and tsunamis. The next three years will be spent developing and testing the necessary instrumentation for deployment on the network.

  10. Understanding resilience in industrial symbiosis networks: insights from network analysis.

    PubMed

    Chopra, Shauhrat S; Khanna, Vikas

    2014-08-01

    Industrial symbiotic networks are based on the principles of ecological systems where waste equals food, to develop synergistic networks. For example, industrial symbiosis (IS) at Kalundborg, Denmark, creates an exchange network of waste, water, and energy among companies based on contractual dependency. Since most of the industrial symbiotic networks are based on ad-hoc opportunities rather than strategic planning, gaining insight into disruptive scenarios is pivotal for understanding the balance of resilience and sustainability and developing heuristics for designing resilient IS networks. The present work focuses on understanding resilience as an emergent property of an IS network via a network-based approach with application to the Kalundborg Industrial Symbiosis (KIS). Results from network metrics and simulated disruptive scenarios reveal Asnaes power plant as the most critical node in the system. We also observe a decrease in the vulnerability of nodes and reduction in single points of failure in the system, suggesting an increase in the overall resilience of the KIS system from 1960 to 2010. Based on our findings, we recommend design strategies, such as increasing diversity, redundancy, and multi-functionality to ensure flexibility and plasticity, to develop resilient and sustainable industrial symbiotic networks. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  11. Joint Planning Of Energy Storage and Transmission Considering Wind-Storage Combined System and Demand Side Response

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Huang, Y.; Liu, B. Z.; Wang, K. Y.; Ai, X.

    2017-12-01

    In response to the new requirements of the operation mode of wind-storage combined system and demand side response for transmission network planning, this paper presents a joint planning of energy storage and transmission considering wind-storage combined system and demand side response. Firstly, the charge-discharge strategy of energy storage system equipped at the outlet of wind farm and demand side response strategy are analysed to achieve the best comprehensive benefits through the coordination of the two. Secondly, in the general transmission network planning model with wind power, both energy storage cost and demand side response cost are added to the objective function. Not only energy storage operation constraints and but also demand side response constraints are introduced into the constraint condition. Based on the classical formulation of TEP, a new formulation is developed considering the simultaneous addition of the charge-discharge strategy of energy storage system equipped at the outlet of the wind farm and demand side response strategy, which belongs to a typical mixed integer linear programming model that can be solved by mature optimization software. The case study based on the Garver-6 bus system shows that the validity of the proposed model is verified by comparison with general transmission network planning model. Furthermore, the results demonstrate that the joint planning model can gain more economic benefits through setting up different cases.

  12. NASA Helps Design the 'Cockpit of the Future'

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2006-01-01

    One of the initiatives at Langley involved the research and development of a Small Aircraft Transportation System Network (SATS-Net), which was the communications infrastructure for NASA s SATS program.The primary goal of SATS-Net was to develop secure virtual travel portals for the Nation s general aviation airports and to offer an alternative to commercial air and ground transportation through general aviation. The secondary goals were to increase mobility, reduce door-to- door travel times, and provide air transportation to underserved markets at an affordable cost. One of the specific plans was to create a network of information about the 2,000-plus non-tower, non-radar airports in the Nation. This information would be accessible from a person s home, office, PDA, or local airport. This network provides real-time information and would be a "one-stop shop" portal with dynamic access to real-time Web cameras for weather conditions, flight planning information, local lodging, restaurants, and attraction information. SATS-Net would provide membership services much like that of AAA.

  13. Research Programs & Initiatives

    Cancer.gov

    CGH develops international initiatives and collaborates with other NCI divisions, NCI-designated Cancer Centers, and other countries to support cancer control planning, encourage capacity building, and support cancer research and research networks.

  14. European Healthy City Network Phase V: patterns emerging for healthy urban planning.

    PubMed

    Grant, Marcus

    2015-06-01

    There is a tradition of planning cities and their infrastructure to successfully tackle communicable disease arising from urban development. Non-communicable disease follows a different course. Development brings in its wake a basket of adverse health and health equity outcomes that are proving difficult to tackle. In response, within Phase V of the European Healthy Cities Network, municipalities have implemented a range of policy and physical interventions using a settings approach. Owing to the time lag between physical interventions and health outcomes, this research interrogates city activity itself to develop better understanding. Self-reported city case studies and questionnaire data were analysed to reveal patterns using an inductive approach. Findings indicate that some categories of intervention, such as whole city planning and transport, have a systemic impact across the wider determinants of health. Addressing transferability and stakeholder understanding helped cities create conditions for successful outcomes. Cities had varying urban development approaches for tackling climate change. Improvements to current practice are discussed, including; a distinction between supply side and demand side in healthy urban planning; valuing co-benefits and developing integrative approaches to the evidence-base. This evaluative article is important for cities wanting to learn how to maximize benefits to public health through urban development and for researchers exploring, with a systemic approach, the experiences of European cities acting at the interface of urban development and public health. This article also provides recommendations for future phases of the WHO European Healthy Cities programme, posing questions to better address governance and equity in spatial planning. © The Author 2015. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  15. Optimizing decentralized production-distribution planning problem in a multi-period supply chain network under uncertainty

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Nourifar, Raheleh; Mahdavi, Iraj; Mahdavi-Amiri, Nezam; Paydar, Mohammad Mahdi

    2017-09-01

    Decentralized supply chain management is found to be significantly relevant in today's competitive markets. Production and distribution planning is posed as an important optimization problem in supply chain networks. Here, we propose a multi-period decentralized supply chain network model with uncertainty. The imprecision related to uncertain parameters like demand and price of the final product is appropriated with stochastic and fuzzy numbers. We provide mathematical formulation of the problem as a bi-level mixed integer linear programming model. Due to problem's convolution, a structure to solve is developed that incorporates a novel heuristic algorithm based on Kth-best algorithm, fuzzy approach and chance constraint approach. Ultimately, a numerical example is constructed and worked through to demonstrate applicability of the optimization model. A sensitivity analysis is also made.

  16. Joint Operations 2030 - Phase III Report: The JO 2030 Capability Set (Operations interarmees 2030 - Rapport Phase III: L’ensemble capacitaire JO 2030)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2011-04-01

    a ‘strategy as process’ manner to develop capabilities that are flexible, adaptable and robust. 3.4 Future structures The need for agile...to develop models of the future security environment 3.4.10 Planning Under Deep Uncertainty Future structures The need for agile, flexible and... Organisation NEC Network Enabled Capability NGO Non Government Organisation NII Networking and Information Infrastructure PVO Private Voluntary

  17. Visualization, documentation, analysis, and communication of large scale gene regulatory networks

    PubMed Central

    Longabaugh, William J.R.; Davidson, Eric H.; Bolouri, Hamid

    2009-01-01

    Summary Genetic regulatory networks (GRNs) are complex, large-scale, and spatially and temporally distributed. These characteristics impose challenging demands on computational GRN modeling tools, and there is a need for custom modeling tools. In this paper, we report on our ongoing development of BioTapestry, an open source, freely available computational tool designed specifically for GRN modeling. We also outline our future development plans, and give some examples of current applications of BioTapestry. PMID:18757046

  18. 42 CFR 403.814 - Special rules concerning Part C organizations and Medicare cost plans and their enrollees.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... network requirement in § 403.806(f)(3) if its pharmacy network is not limited to mail-order pharmacies and is equivalent to the pharmacy network used in its Medicare managed care plan and such pharmacy network has been approved by the Secretary, or, if its Medicare managed care plan does not use a pharmacy...

  19. MX Resident Engineer Networking Guide.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1982-04-01

    FIGURES 6 INTRODUCTION ............................................................ 11 Background Approach Purpose Scope 2 SYSTEM OVERVIEW...RESIDENT ENGINEER NETWORKING GUIDE 1 INTRODUCTION Background The Network Analysis System (NAS) is not a new planning method. It has been used for more than...DEVELOPMENT RUN DATE 19MAY7’ 2359MRS S U M M A R I P A Y N L N T S S T A I I M E N I PROJECT START jAUG ?? PROJECT EXR 4 L1 SAMPLE PNOPLEM *ACTIVITT-YN

  20. Managing Information Technology as a Catalyst of Change. Track V: Optimizing the Infrastructure.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    CAUSE, Boulder, CO.

    This track of the 1993 CAUSE Conference presents eight papers on developments in computer network infrastructure and the challenges for those who plan for, implement, and manage it in colleges and universities. Papers include: (1) "Where Do We Go from Here: Summative Assessment of a Five-Year Strategic Plan for Linking and Integrating…

  1. The Politics of City Planning Simulations.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kolson, Kenneth

    This research paper presents an analysis of the computer simulation, SimCity, used for an urban city planning class. The data were gathered by actual use of the simulation and an electronic mail network was employed to secure impressions from users of the simulation. SimCity (developed by Maxis) provides the player with rules of human factors,…

  2. Visualization maps for the evolution of research hotspots in the field of regional health information networks.

    PubMed

    Wang, Yanjun; Zheng, Jianzhong; Zhang, Ailian; Zhou, Wei; Dong, Haiyuan

    2018-03-01

    The aim of this study was to reveal research hotspots in the field of regional health information networks (RHINs) and use visualization techniques to explore their evolution over time and differences between countries. We conducted a literature review for a 50-year period and compared the prevalence of certain index terms during the periods 1963-1993 and 1994-2014 and in six countries. We applied keyword frequency analysis, keyword co-occurrence analysis, multidimensional scaling analysis, and network visualization technology. The total number of keywords was found to increase with time. From 1994 to 2014, the research priorities shifted from hospital planning to community health planning. The number of keywords reflecting information-based research increased. The density of the knowledge network increased significantly, and partial keywords condensed into knowledge groups. All six countries focus on keywords including Information Systems; Telemedicine; Information Service; Medical Records Systems, Computerized; Internet; etc.; however, the level of development and some research priorities are different. RHIN research has generally increased in popularity over the past 50 years. The research hotspots are evolving and are at different levels of development in different countries. Knowledge network mapping and perceptual maps provide useful information for scholars, managers, and policy-makers.

  3. A linguistic geometry for 3D strategic planning

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Stilman, Boris

    1995-01-01

    This paper is a new step in the development and application of the Linguistic Geometry. This formal theory is intended to discover the inner properties of human expert heuristics, which have been successful in a certain class of complex control systems, and apply them to different systems. In this paper we investigate heuristics extracted in the form of hierarchical networks of planning paths of autonomous agents. Employing Linguistic Geometry tools the dynamic hierarchy of networks is represented as a hierarchy of formal attribute languages. The main ideas of this methodology are shown in this paper on the new pilot example of the solution of the extremely complex 3D optimization problem of strategic planning for the space combat of autonomous vehicles. This example demonstrates deep and highly selective search in comparison with conventional search algorithms.

  4. Unattended network operations technology assessment study. Technical support for defining advanced satellite systems concepts

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Price, Kent M.; Holdridge, Mark; Odubiyi, Jide; Jaworski, Allan; Morgan, Herbert K.

    1991-01-01

    The results are summarized of an unattended network operations technology assessment study for the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI). The scope of the work included: (1) identified possible enhancements due to the proposed Mars communications network; (2) identified network operations on Mars; (3) performed a technology assessment of possible supporting technologies based on current and future approaches to network operations; and (4) developed a plan for the testing and development of these technologies. The most important results obtained are as follows: (1) addition of a third Mars Relay Satellite (MRS) and MRS cross link capabilities will enhance the network's fault tolerance capabilities through improved connectivity; (2) network functions can be divided into the six basic ISO network functional groups; (3) distributed artificial intelligence technologies will augment more traditional network management technologies to form the technological infrastructure of a virtually unattended network; and (4) a great effort is required to bring the current network technology levels for manned space communications up to the level needed for an automated fault tolerance Mars communications network.

  5. Evaluation of components, subsystems, and networks for high rate, high frequency space communications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kerczewski, Robert J.; Ivancic, William D.; Zuzek, John E.

    1991-01-01

    The development of new space communications technologies by NASA has included both commercial applications and space science requirements. NASA's Systems Integration, Test and Evaluation (SITE) Space Communication System Simulator is a hardware based laboratory simulator for evaluating space communications technologies at the component, subsystem, system, and network level, geared toward high frequency, high data rate systems. The SITE facility is well-suited for evaluation of the new technologies required for the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) and advanced commercial systems. Described here are the technology developments and evaluation requirements for current and planned commercial and space science programs. Also examined are the capabilities of SITE, the past, present and planned future configurations of the SITE facility, and applications of SITE to evaluation of SEI technology.

  6. Improving effectiveness of systematic conservation planning with density data.

    PubMed

    Veloz, Samuel; Salas, Leonardo; Altman, Bob; Alexander, John; Jongsomjit, Dennis; Elliott, Nathan; Ballard, Grant

    2015-08-01

    Systematic conservation planning aims to design networks of protected areas that meet conservation goals across large landscapes. The optimal design of these conservation networks is most frequently based on the modeled habitat suitability or probability of occurrence of species, despite evidence that model predictions may not be highly correlated with species density. We hypothesized that conservation networks designed using species density distributions more efficiently conserve populations of all species considered than networks designed using probability of occurrence models. To test this hypothesis, we used the Zonation conservation prioritization algorithm to evaluate conservation network designs based on probability of occurrence versus density models for 26 land bird species in the U.S. Pacific Northwest. We assessed the efficacy of each conservation network based on predicted species densities and predicted species diversity. High-density model Zonation rankings protected more individuals per species when networks protected the highest priority 10-40% of the landscape. Compared with density-based models, the occurrence-based models protected more individuals in the lowest 50% priority areas of the landscape. The 2 approaches conserved species diversity in similar ways: predicted diversity was higher in higher priority locations in both conservation networks. We conclude that both density and probability of occurrence models can be useful for setting conservation priorities but that density-based models are best suited for identifying the highest priority areas. Developing methods to aggregate species count data from unrelated monitoring efforts and making these data widely available through ecoinformatics portals such as the Avian Knowledge Network will enable species count data to be more widely incorporated into systematic conservation planning efforts. © 2015, Society for Conservation Biology.

  7. SU-E-T-419: Workflow and FMEA in a New Proton Therapy (PT) Facility

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

    Cheng, C; Wessels, B; Hamilton, H

    2014-06-01

    Purpose: Workflow is an important component in the operational planning of a new proton facility. By integrating the concept of failure mode and effect analysis (FMEA) and traditional QA requirements, a workflow for a proton therapy treatment course is set up. This workflow serves as the blue print for the planning of computer hardware/software requirements and network flow. A slight modification of the workflow generates a process map(PM) for FMEA and the planning of QA program in PT. Methods: A flowchart is first developed outlining the sequence of processes involved in a PT treatment course. Each process consists of amore » number of sub-processes to encompass a broad scope of treatment and QA procedures. For each subprocess, the personnel involved, the equipment needed and the computer hardware/software as well as network requirements are defined by a team of clinical staff, administrators and IT personnel. Results: Eleven intermediate processes with a total of 70 sub-processes involved in a PT treatment course are identified. The number of sub-processes varies, ranging from 2-12. The sub-processes within each process are used for the operational planning. For example, in the CT-Sim process, there are 12 sub-processes: three involve data entry/retrieval from a record-and-verify system, two controlled by the CT computer, two require department/hospital network, and the other five are setup procedures. IT then decides the number of computers needed and the software and network requirement. By removing the traditional QA procedures from the workflow, a PM is generated for FMEA analysis to design a QA program for PT. Conclusion: Significant efforts are involved in the development of the workflow in a PT treatment course. Our hybrid model of combining FMEA and traditional QA program serves a duo purpose of efficient operational planning and designing of a QA program in PT.« less

  8. 42 CFR 422.2 - Definitions.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ...— Arrangement means a written agreement between an MA organization and a provider or provider network, under which— (1) The provider or provider network agrees to furnish for a specific MA plan(s) specified... organization (PPO) that serves one or more entire regions. An MA regional plan must have a network of...

  9. Principles for Health System Capacity Planning: Insights for Healthcare Leaders.

    PubMed

    Shaw, James; Wong, Ivy; Griffin, Bailey; Robertson, Michael; Bhatia, R Sacha

    2017-01-01

    Jurisdictions across Canada and around the world face the challenge of planning high-performing and sustainable health systems in response to growing healthcare demands. In this paper, we report on the process of developing principles for health system capacity planning by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care in Ontario. Integrating the results of a literature review on health system planning and a symposium with representatives from local health integration networks, we describe the following six principles in detail: (1) develop an aspirational vision, (2) establish clear leadership, (3) commit to stakeholder engagement, (4) engage patients and the public, (5) build analytics infrastructure and (6) revise policy when necessary.

  10. Evaluation of components, subsystems, and networks for high rate, high frequency space communications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Kerczewski, Robert J.; Ivancic, William D.; Zuzek, John E.

    1991-01-01

    The development of new space communications technologies by NASA has included both commercial applications and space science requirements. At NASA's Lewis Research Center, methods and facilities have been developed for evaluating these new technologies in the laboratory. NASA's Systems Integration, Test and Evaluation (SITE) Space Communication System Simulator is a hardware-based laboratory simulator for evaluating space communications technologies at the component, subsystem, system, and network level, geared toward high frequency, high data rate systems. The SITE facility is well-suited for evaluation of the new technologies required for the Space Exploration Initiative (SEI) and advanced commercial systems. This paper describes the technology developments and evaluation requirements for current and planned commercial and space science programs. Also examined are the capabilities of SITE, the past, present, and planned future configurations of the SITE facility, and applications of SITE to evaluation of SEI technology.

  11. Performance evaluation of the NASA/KSC CAD/CAE and office automation LAN's

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zobrist, George W.

    1994-01-01

    This study's objective is the performance evaluation of the existing CAD/CAE (Computer Aided Design/Computer Aided Engineering) network at NASA/KSC. This evaluation also includes a similar study of the Office Automation network, since it is being planned to integrate this network into the CAD/CAE network. The Microsoft mail facility which is presently on the CAD/CAE network was monitored to determine its present usage. This performance evaluation of the various networks will aid the NASA/KSC network managers in planning for the integration of future workload requirements into the CAD/CAE network and determining the effectiveness of the planned FDDI (Fiber Distributed Data Interface) migration.

  12. 40 CFR 58.10 - Annual monitoring network plan and periodic network assessment.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 5 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Annual monitoring network plan and periodic network assessment. 58.10 Section 58.10 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) AMBIENT AIR QUALITY SURVEILLANCE Monitoring Network § 58.10 Annual...

  13. 40 CFR 58.10 - Annual monitoring network plan and periodic network assessment.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-07-01

    ... 40 Protection of Environment 5 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Annual monitoring network plan and periodic network assessment. 58.10 Section 58.10 Protection of Environment ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY (CONTINUED) AIR PROGRAMS (CONTINUED) AMBIENT AIR QUALITY SURVEILLANCE Monitoring Network § 58.10 Annual...

  14. [Study on network architecture of a tele-medical information sharing platform].

    PubMed

    Pan, Lin; Yu, Lun; Chen, Jin-xiong

    2006-07-01

    In the article,a plan of network construction which satisfies the demand of applications for a telemedical information sharing platform is proposed. We choice network access plans in view of user actual situation, through the analysis of the service demand and many kinds of network access technologies. Hospital servers that locate in LAN link sharing platform with node servers, should separate from the broadband network of sharing platform in order to ensure the security of the internal hospital network and the administration management. We use the VPN technology to realize the safe transmission of information in the platform network. Preliminary experiments have proved the plan is practicable.

  15. Recent developments in photonic networking components for space applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Parkerson, James P.; Gorman, Lanitia; Thamer, Robert; Chalfant, Charles H.; Hull, Anthony; Orlando, Fred J., Jr.

    2003-07-01

    Industrial, NASA, and DoD spacecraft designers have recognized the advantages of using fiber optic components and networks for their internal satellite data handling needs. Among the benefits are the total elimination of cable-to-cable and box-to-box EMI; significant size, weight and power reduction; greater on-orbit and integration and test flexibility and significantly lower integration and test costs. Additionally, intra-satellite data rates of 1 to 10 Gbps appear to be an absolute requirement for a number of advanced systems planned for development in the next few years. The only practical way to support these data rates is with fiber optics. Space Photonics and the University of Arkansas have developed fiber optic components (FireFiberTM) and networks that are designed specifically to meet these on-board, high data rate needs using NASA approved materials, packaging processes, and approved radiation tolerant devices. This paper will discuss recent developments in photonic components for spaceborne networks.

  16. Tracking and data systems support for the Helios project. Volume 2: DSN support of Project Helios April 1975 - May 1976

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Goodwin, P. S.; Traxler, M. R.; Meeks, W. G.; Flanagan, F. M.

    1977-01-01

    Deep Space Network activities in the development of the Helios B mission from planning through entry of Helios 2 into first superior conjunction (end of Mission Phase II) are summarized. Network operational support activities for Helios 1 from first superior conjunction through entry into third superior conjunction are included.

  17. Ground data systems resource allocation process

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Berner, Carol A.; Durham, Ralph; Reilly, Norman B.

    1989-01-01

    The Ground Data Systems Resource Allocation Process at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory provides medium- and long-range planning for the use of Deep Space Network and Mission Control and Computing Center resources in support of NASA's deep space missions and Earth-based science. Resources consist of radio antenna complexes and associated data processing and control computer networks. A semi-automated system was developed that allows operations personnel to interactively generate, edit, and revise allocation plans spanning periods of up to ten years (as opposed to only two or three weeks under the manual system) based on the relative merit of mission events. It also enhances scientific data return. A software system known as the Resource Allocation and Planning Helper (RALPH) merges the conventional methods of operations research, rule-based knowledge engineering, and advanced data base structures. RALPH employs a generic, highly modular architecture capable of solving a wide variety of scheduling and resource sequencing problems. The rule-based RALPH system has saved significant labor in resource allocation. Its successful use affirms the importance of establishing and applying event priorities based on scientific merit, and the benefit of continuity in planning provided by knowledge-based engineering. The RALPH system exhibits a strong potential for minimizing development cycles of resource and payload planning systems throughout NASA and the private sector.

  18. Development of the Social Network-Based Intervention “Powerful Together with Diabetes” Using Intervention Mapping

    PubMed Central

    Vissenberg, Charlotte; Nierkens, Vera; Uitewaal, Paul J. M.; Middelkoop, Barend J. C.; Nijpels, Giel; Stronks, Karien

    2017-01-01

    This article describes the development of the social network-based intervention Powerful Together with Diabetes which aims to improve diabetes self-management (DSM) among patients with type 2 diabetes living in socioeconomically deprived neighborhoods by stimulating social support for DSM and diminishing social influences hindering DSM (e.g., peer pressure and social norms). The intervention was specifically developed for patients with Dutch, Turkish, Moroccan, and Surinamese backgrounds. The intervention was developed according to Intervention Mapping. This article describes the first four steps of Intervention Mapping: (1) the needs assessment; (2) development of performance and change objectives; (3) selection of theory-based methods and strategies; and (4) the translation of these into an organized program. These four steps resulted in Powerful Together with Diabetes, a 10-month group-based intervention consisting of 24 meetings, 6 meetings for significant others, and 2 meetings for participants and their spouses. The IM method resulted in a tailored approach with a specific focus on the social networks of its participants. This article concludes that the IM method helped our planning team to tailor the intervention to the needs of our target population and facilitated our evaluation design. However, in hindsight, the intervention could have been improved by investing more in participatory planning and community involvement. PMID:29326916

  19. Development of the Social Network-Based Intervention "Powerful Together with Diabetes" Using Intervention Mapping.

    PubMed

    Vissenberg, Charlotte; Nierkens, Vera; Uitewaal, Paul J M; Middelkoop, Barend J C; Nijpels, Giel; Stronks, Karien

    2017-01-01

    This article describes the development of the social network-based intervention Powerful Together with Diabetes which aims to improve diabetes self-management (DSM) among patients with type 2 diabetes living in socioeconomically deprived neighborhoods by stimulating social support for DSM and diminishing social influences hindering DSM (e.g., peer pressure and social norms). The intervention was specifically developed for patients with Dutch, Turkish, Moroccan, and Surinamese backgrounds. The intervention was developed according to Intervention Mapping. This article describes the first four steps of Intervention Mapping: (1) the needs assessment; (2) development of performance and change objectives; (3) selection of theory-based methods and strategies; and (4) the translation of these into an organized program. These four steps resulted in Powerful Together with Diabetes , a 10-month group-based intervention consisting of 24 meetings, 6 meetings for significant others, and 2 meetings for participants and their spouses. The IM method resulted in a tailored approach with a specific focus on the social networks of its participants. This article concludes that the IM method helped our planning team to tailor the intervention to the needs of our target population and facilitated our evaluation design. However, in hindsight, the intervention could have been improved by investing more in participatory planning and community involvement.

  20. A DICOM based radiotherapy plan database for research collaboration and reporting

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Westberg, J.; Krogh, S.; Brink, C.; Vogelius, I. R.

    2014-03-01

    Purpose: To create a central radiotherapy (RT) plan database for dose analysis and reporting, capable of calculating and presenting statistics on user defined patient groups. The goal is to facilitate multi-center research studies with easy and secure access to RT plans and statistics on protocol compliance. Methods: RT institutions are able to send data to the central database using DICOM communications on a secure computer network. The central system is composed of a number of DICOM servers, an SQL database and in-house developed software services to process the incoming data. A web site within the secure network allows the user to manage their submitted data. Results: The RT plan database has been developed in Microsoft .NET and users are able to send DICOM data between RT centers in Denmark. Dose-volume histogram (DVH) calculations performed by the system are comparable to those of conventional RT software. A permission system was implemented to ensure access control and easy, yet secure, data sharing across centers. The reports contain DVH statistics for structures in user defined patient groups. The system currently contains over 2200 patients in 14 collaborations. Conclusions: A central RT plan repository for use in multi-center trials and quality assurance was created. The system provides an attractive alternative to dummy runs by enabling continuous monitoring of protocol conformity and plan metrics in a trial.

  1. Federal, provincial and territorial public health response plan for biological events.

    PubMed

    McNeill, R; Topping, J

    2018-01-04

    The Federal/Provincial/Territorial (FPT) Public Health Response Plan for Biological Events was developed for the Public Health Network Council (PHNC). This plan outlines how the national response to public health events caused by biological agents will be conducted and coordinated, with a focus on implementation of responses led by senior-level FPT public health decision-makers. The plan was developed by an expert task group and was approved by PHNC in October, 2017. The plan describes roles, responsibilities and authorities of FPT governments for public health and emergency management, a concept of operations outlining four scalable response levels and a governance structure that aims to facilitate an efficient, timely, evidence-informed and consistent approach across jurisdictions. Improving effective engagement amongst public health, health care delivery and health emergency management authorities is a key objective of the plan.

  2. Federal, provincial and territorial public health response plan for biological events

    PubMed Central

    McNeill, R; Topping, J

    2018-01-01

    The Federal/Provincial/Territorial (FPT) Public Health Response Plan for Biological Events was developed for the Public Health Network Council (PHNC). This plan outlines how the national response to public health events caused by biological agents will be conducted and coordinated, with a focus on implementation of responses led by senior-level FPT public health decision-makers. The plan was developed by an expert task group and was approved by PHNC in October, 2017. The plan describes roles, responsibilities and authorities of FPT governments for public health and emergency management, a concept of operations outlining four scalable response levels and a governance structure that aims to facilitate an efficient, timely, evidence-informed and consistent approach across jurisdictions. Improving effective engagement amongst public health, health care delivery and health emergency management authorities is a key objective of the plan. PMID:29770090

  3. Configuration development for ROMENET

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Rhue, Lawrence

    1989-10-01

    A plan prepared by RJO Enterprises and BBN Communications Corporation (BBNCC) for the design of ROMENET, a DDN-like testbed for the Rome Air Development Center (RADC) Wide Area Networks (WAN) laboratory is presented. The ROMENET is intended to provide RADC with the ability to test and evaluate the performance and vulnerability of the Defense Data Network (DDN) technologies in support of specific Major Command programs and activities at RADC. It will also support experimentation with packet switched network technologies and includes facilities to analytically evaluate the performance of the network and its associated equipment and media. In addition, ROMENET will provide a simulation vehicle for controlled interference or jamming into the media for vulnerability assessment. Through interfaces with the RADC Battle Management Laboratory (BML), ROMENET will allow the Air Force to assess the restorative and performance characteristics of the network under stressed conditions. The closed environment of ROMENET makes it ideal for creating and testing routing algorithms and network control protocols.

  4. The US Network of Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Centers: Development, Progress, and Next Steps.

    PubMed

    Casper, T Charles; Rose, John W; Roalstad, Shelly; Waubant, Emmanuelle; Aaen, Gregory; Belman, Anita; Chitnis, Tanuja; Gorman, Mark; Krupp, Lauren; Lotze, Timothy E; Ness, Jayne; Patterson, Marc; Rodriguez, Moses; Weinstock-Guttman, Bianca; Browning, Brittan; Graves, Jennifer; Tillema, Jan-Mendelt; Benson, Leslie; Harris, Yolanda

    2015-09-01

    Multiple sclerosis and other demyelinating diseases in the pediatric population have received an increasing level of attention by clinicians and researchers. The low incidence of these diseases in children creates a need for the involvement of multiple clinical centers in research efforts. The Network of Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Centers was created initially in 2006 to improve the diagnosis and care of children with demyelinating diseases. In 2010, the Network shifted its focus to multicenter research while continuing to advance the care of patients. The Network has obtained support from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Guthy-Jackson Charitable Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health. The Network will continue to serve as a platform for conducting impactful research in pediatric demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system. This article provides a description of the history and development, organization, mission, research priorities, current studies, and future plans of the Network. © The Author(s) 2014.

  5. The US Network of Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Centers: Development, Progress, and Next Steps

    PubMed Central

    Casper, T. Charles; Rose, John W.; Roalstad, Shelly; Waubant, Emmanuelle; Aaen, Gregory; Belman, Anita; Chitnis, Tanuja; Gorman, Mark; Krupp, Lauren; Lotze, Timothy E.; Ness, Jayne; Patterson, Marc; Rodriguez, Moses; Weinstock-Guttman, Bianca; Browning, Brittan; Graves, Jennifer; Tillema, Jan-Mendelt; Benson, Leslie; Harris, Yolanda

    2014-01-01

    Multiple sclerosis and other demyelinating diseases in the pediatric population have received an increasing level of attention by clinicians and researchers. The low incidence of these diseases in children creates a need for the involvement of multiple clinical centers in research efforts. The Network of Pediatric Multiple Sclerosis Centers was created initially in 2006 to improve the diagnosis and care of children with demyelinating diseases. In 2010, the Network shifted its focus to multicenter research while continuing to advance the care of patients. The Network has obtained support from the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, the Guthy-Jackson Charitable Foundation, and the National Institutes of Health. The Network will continue to serve as a platform for conducting impactful research in pediatric demyelinating diseases of the central nervous system. This article provides a description of the history and development, organization, mission, research priorities, current studies, and future plans of the Network. PMID:25270659

  6. A global network for the control of snail-borne disease using satellite surveillance and geographic information systems.

    PubMed

    Malone, J B; Bergquist, N R; Huh, O K; Bavia, M E; Bernardi, M; El Bahy, M M; Fuentes, M V; Kristensen, T K; McCarroll, J C; Yilma, J M; Zhou, X N

    2001-04-27

    At a team residency sponsored by the Rockefeller Foundation in Bellagio, Italy, 10-14 April 2000 an organizational plan was conceived to create a global network of collaborating health workers and earth scientists dedicated to the development of computer-based models that can be used for improved control programs for schistosomiasis and other snail-borne diseases of medical and veterinary importance. The models will be assembled using GIS methods, global climate model data, sensor data from earth observing satellites, disease prevalence data, the distribution and abundance of snail hosts, and digital maps of key environmental factors that affect development and propagation of snail-borne disease agents. A work plan was developed for research collaboration and data sharing, recruitment of new contributing researchers, and means of access of other medical scientists and national control program managers to GIS models that may be used for more effective control of snail-borne disease. Agreement was reached on the use of compatible GIS formats, software, methods and data resources, including the definition of a 'minimum medical database' to enable seamless incorporation of results from each regional GIS project into a global model. The collaboration plan calls for linking a 'central resource group' at the World Health Organization, the Food and Agriculture Organization, Louisiana State University and the Danish Bilharziasis Laboratory with regional GIS networks to be initiated in Eastern Africa, Southern Africa, West Africa, Latin America and Southern Asia. An Internet site, www.gnosisGIS.org, (GIS Network On Snail-borne Infections with special reference to Schistosomiasis), has been initiated to allow interaction of team members as a 'virtual research group'. When completed, the site will point users to a toolbox of common resources resident on computers at member organizations, provide assistance on routine use of GIS health maps in selected national disease control programs and provide a forum for development of GIS models to predict the health impacts of water development projects and climate variation.

  7. Convergent occurrence of the developmental hourglass in plant and animal embryogenesis?

    PubMed

    Cridge, Andrew G; Dearden, Peter K; Brownfield, Lynette R

    2016-04-01

    The remarkable similarity of animal embryos at particular stages of development led to the proposal of a developmental hourglass. In this model, early events in development are less conserved across species but lead to a highly conserved 'phylotypic period'. Beyond this stage, the model suggests that development once again becomes less conserved, leading to the diversity of forms. Recent comparative studies of gene expression in animal groups have provided strong support for the hourglass model. How and why might such an hourglass pattern be generated? More importantly, how might early acting events in development evolve while still maintaining a later conserved stage? The discovery that an hourglass pattern may also exist in the embryogenesis of plants provides comparative data that may help us explain this phenomenon. Whether the developmental hourglass occurs in plants, and what this means for our understanding of embryogenesis in plants and animals is discussed. Models by which conserved early-acting genes might change their functional role in the evolution of gene networks, how networks buffer these changes, and how that might constrain, or confer diversity, of the body plan are also discused. Evidence of a morphological and molecular hourglass in plant and animal embryogenesis suggests convergent evolution. This convergence is likely due to developmental constraints imposed upon embryogenesis by the need to produce a viable embryo with an established body plan, controlled by the architecture of the underlying gene regulatory networks. As the body plan is largely laid down during the middle phases of embryo development in plants and animals, then it is perhaps not surprising this stage represents the narrow waist of the hourglass where the gene regulatory networks are the oldest and most robust and integrated, limiting species diversity and constraining morphological space. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Annals of Botany Company.

  8. 75 FR 6229 - Consolidated Tape Association; Notice of Filing of the Fifteenth Substantive Amendment to the...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-02-08

    ... Plan (``Amendments'') would amend the Plans to provide that the Participants pay the Network B Administrator a fixed annual fee in exchange for its performance of Network B administrator functions under the... Amendments Network Administrator Fees under the Plans. Section XII (``Financial Matters'') of the CTA and...

  9. Operability engineering in the Deep Space Network

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Wilkinson, Belinda

    1993-01-01

    Many operability problems exist at the three Deep Space Communications Complexes (DSCC's) of the Deep Space Network (DSN). Four years ago, the position of DSN Operability Engineer was created to provide the opportunity for someone to take a system-level approach to solving these problems. Since that time, a process has been developed for personnel and development engineers and for enforcing user interface standards in software designed for the DSCC's. Plans are for the participation of operations personnel in the product life-cycle to expand in the future.

  10. Telestroke network fundamentals.

    PubMed

    Meyer, Brett C; Demaerschalk, Bart M

    2012-10-01

    The objectives of this manuscript are to identify key components to maintaining the logistic and/or operational sustainability of a telestroke network, to identify best practices to be considered for assessment and management of acute stroke when planning for and developing a telestroke network, to show practical steps to enable progress toward implementing a telestroke solution for optimizing acute stroke care, to incorporate evidence-based practice guidelines and care pathways into a telestroke network, to emphasize technology variables and options, and to propose metrics to use when determining the performance, outcomes, and quality of a telestroke network. Copyright © 2012 National Stroke Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  11. A Guide to Networking for K-12 Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Northwest Regional Educational Lab., Portland, OR.

    The purpose of this guide is to provide basic networking information and planning assistance for technology coordinators and others involved in building networks for K-12 schools. The information in this guide focuses on the first few steps in the networking process. It reviews planning considerations and network design issues facing educators who…

  12. Using a Service Planning Approach to Improve the Impact of Earth Observations in the Developing World

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Irwin, D.; Frankel-Reed, J.

    2017-12-01

    SERVIR is joint development initiative of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), working in partnership with leading regional organizations around the world to help developing countries use information provided by Earth observing satellites and geospatial technologies to empower decision-makers with tools, products, and services to better address critical issues related to food security, water resources, natural disasters, and land use. Since its launch in 2005, SERVIR has grown into a global network of four active hubs that are improving awareness, increasing access to information, and supporting analysis to help people in Africa, Hindu Kush Himalaya, and the Lower Mekong regions better manage today's complex environmental challenges. To help improve the impact of SERVIR activities throughout the global network, a Service Planning Approach was developed with three main steps that involve: 1) consultation and needs assessment, 2) service design and 3) service delivery. To successfully accomplish these steps, SERVIR has created a series of capacity building tools that focus on specific activities to better engage stakeholders, design a more successful service, and to conduct end-to-end monitoring, evaluation, and learning. Currently, all four SERVIR hubs in different regions of the world are implementing this Service Planning Approach and helping to improve it by providing feedback based on their implementation. This presentation will describe the SERVIR Service Planning Approach and discuss the various tools, which ultimately can empower remote sensing scientists and application developers to obtain a greater impact from the Earth Observation products they develop.

  13. An Overview of the Distributed Space Exploration Simulation (DSES) Project

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Crues, Edwin Z.; Chung, Victoria I.; Blum, Michael G.; Bowman, James D.

    2007-01-01

    This paper describes the Distributed Space Exploration Simulation (DSES) Project, a research and development collaboration between NASA centers which investigates technologies, and processes related to integrated, distributed simulation of complex space systems in support of NASA's Exploration Initiative. In particular, it describes the three major components of DSES: network infrastructure, software infrastructure and simulation development. With regard to network infrastructure, DSES is developing a Distributed Simulation Network for use by all NASA centers. With regard to software, DSES is developing software models, tools and procedures that streamline distributed simulation development and provide an interoperable infrastructure for agency-wide integrated simulation. Finally, with regard to simulation development, DSES is developing an integrated end-to-end simulation capability to support NASA development of new exploration spacecraft and missions. This paper presents the current status and plans for these three areas, including examples of specific simulations.

  14. An optimization model for the US Air-Traffic System

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Mulvey, J. M.

    1986-01-01

    A systematic approach for monitoring U.S. air traffic was developed in the context of system-wide planning and control. Towards this end, a network optimization model with nonlinear objectives was chosen as the central element in the planning/control system. The network representation was selected because: (1) it provides a comprehensive structure for depicting essential aspects of the air traffic system, (2) it can be solved efficiently for large scale problems, and (3) the design can be easily communicated to non-technical users through computer graphics. Briefly, the network planning models consider the flow of traffic through a graph as the basic structure. Nodes depict locations and time periods for either individual planes or for aggregated groups of airplanes. Arcs define variables as actual airplanes flying through space or as delays across time periods. As such, a special case of the network can be used to model the so called flow control problem. Due to the large number of interacting variables and the difficulty in subdividing the problem into relatively independent subproblems, an integrated model was designed which will depict the entire high level (above 29000 feet) jet route system for the 48 contiguous states in the U.S. As a first step in demonstrating the concept's feasibility a nonlinear risk/cost model was developed for the Indianapolis Airspace. The nonlinear network program --NLPNETG-- was employed in solving the resulting test cases. This optimization program uses the Truncated-Newton method (quadratic approximation) for determining the search direction at each iteration in the nonlinear algorithm. It was shown that aircraft could be re-routed in an optimal fashion whenever traffic congestion increased beyond an acceptable level, as measured by the nonlinear risk function.

  15. Report of the Interagency Optical Network Testbeds Workshop 2, NASA Ames Research Center, September 12-14, 2005

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2005-01-01

    The Optical Network Testbeds Workshop 2 (ONT2), held on September 12-14, 2005, was cosponsored by the Department of Energy Office of Science (DOE/SC) and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), in cooperation with the Joint Engineering Team (JET) of the Federal Networking and Information Technology Research and Development (NITRD) Program's Large Scale Networking (LSN) Coordinating Group. The ONT2 workshop was a follow-on to an August 2004 Workshop on Optical Network Testbeds (ONT1). ONT1 recommended actions by the Federal agencies to assure timely development and implementation of optical networking technologies and infrastructure. Hosted by the NASA Ames Research Center in Mountain View, California, the ONT2 workshop brought together representatives of the U.S. advanced research and education (R&E) networks, regional optical networks (RONs), service providers, international networking organizations, and senior engineering and R&D managers from Federal agencies and national research laboratories. Its purpose was to develop a common vision of the optical network technologies, services, infrastructure, and organizations needed to enable widespread use of optical networks; recommend activities for transitioning the optical networking research community and its current infrastructure to leading-edge optical networks over the next three to five years; and present information enabling commercial network infrastructure providers to plan for and use leading-edge optical network services in that time frame.

  16. Building leadership capacity through peer career coaching: a case study.

    PubMed

    Sabo, Kathy; Duff, Margaret; Purdy, Brendan

    2008-01-01

    Today's demanding healthcare environment requires resiliency, creativity and innovation in delivery of patient care and service. Hospitals must create a workplace where staff are supported to develop professionally as knowledge workers. In 2003, University Health Network (UHN) partnered with donnerwheeler, career planning and development consultants, to provide a program for its 2,700 registered nurses. One component of this project, a peer coaching program called Coach Mastery, is profiled in this case study, which describes how it was implemented and the successes, challenges and outcomes in building internal leadership capacity and supporting staff development through career planning and development.

  17. Resilience of Self-Organised and Top-Down Planned Cities—A Case Study on London and Beijing Street Networks

    PubMed Central

    Wang, Jiaqiu

    2015-01-01

    The success or failure of the street network depends on its reliability. In this article, using resilience analysis, the author studies how the shape and appearance of street networks in self-organised and top-down planned cities influences urban transport. Considering London and Beijing as proxies for self-organised and top-down planned cities, the structural properties of London and Beijing networks first are investigated based on their primal and dual representations of planar graphs. The robustness of street networks then is evaluated in primal space and dual space by deactivating road links under random and intentional attack scenarios. The results show that the reliability of London street network differs from that of Beijing, which seems to rely more on its architecture and connectivity. It is found that top-down planned Beijing with its higher average degree in the dual space and assortativity in the primal space is more robust than self-organised London using the measures of maximum and second largest cluster size and network efficiency. The article offers an insight, from a network perspective, into the reliability of street patterns in self-organised and top-down planned city systems. PMID:26682551

  18. Future Mission Trends and their Implications for the Deep Space Network

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Abraham, Douglas S.

    2006-01-01

    Planning for the upgrade and/or replacement of Deep Space Network (DSN) assets that typically operate for forty or more years necessitates understanding potential customer needs as far into the future as possible. This paper describes the methodology Deep Space Network (DSN) planners use to develop this understanding, some key future mission trends that have emerged from application of this methodology, and the implications of the trends for the DSN's future evolution. For NASA's current plans out to 2030, these trends suggest the need to accommodate: three times as many communication links, downlink rates two orders of magnitude greater than today's, uplink rates some four orders of magnitude greater, and end-to-end link difficulties two-to-three orders of magnitude greater. To meet these challenges, both DSN capacity and capability will need to increase.

  19. Impacts of a road network on a semiarid grassland

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    An unprecedented amount of road, trail, and other infrastructure development is currently occurring or planned for many arid and semiarid ecosystems nationally. This is due to a variety of factors, including energy resources development (oil, gas, wind, solar, coaled methane, and others), recreation...

  20. Developing AJN Network: phase two. An information resource for nurses.

    PubMed Central

    Rizzolo, M. A.; DuBois, K.

    1995-01-01

    In September of 1993 the American Journal of Nursing Company was awarded a three-year Special Projects Grant from the Division of Nursing, Department of Health and Human Services to develop a national information service that would provide a variety of formal and informal continuing education services to nurses in medically underserved communities. AJN Network went "live" in March 1994 and our progress in our first year of operation was presented at SCAMC in 1994. During the first year of operation, AJN Network was available through a dial in service. In September 1994 we became an Internet node. This presentation will detail our progress in Year 2 of the grant period, describing expansion of user base and content, new content offerings, initial stages of WEB development and plans for future development. PMID:8563246

  1. Dengue research networks: building evidence for policy and planning in Brazil.

    PubMed

    de Paula Fonseca E Fonseca, Bruna; Zicker, Fabio

    2016-11-08

    The analysis of scientific networks has been applied in health research to map and measure relationships between researchers and institutions, describing collaboration structures, individual roles, and research outputs, and helping the identification of knowledge gaps and cooperation opportunities. Driven by dengue continued expansion in Brazil, we explore the contribution, dynamics and consolidation of dengue scientific networks that could ultimately inform the prioritisation of research, financial investments and health policy. Social network analysis (SNA) was used to produce a 20-year (1995-2014) retrospective longitudinal evaluation of dengue research networks within Brazil and with its partners abroad, with special interest in describing institutional collaboration and their research outputs. The analysis of institutional co-authorship showed a significant expansion of collaboration over the years, increased international involvement, and ensured a shift from public health research toward vector control and basic biomedical research, probably as a reflection of the expansion of transmission, high burden and increasing research funds from the Brazilian government. The analysis identified leading national organisations that maintained the research network connectivity, facilitated knowledge exchange and reduced network vulnerability. SNA proved to be a valuable tool that, along with other indicators, can strengthen a knowledge platform to inform future policy, planning and funding decisions. The paper provides relevant information to policy and planning for dengue research as it reveals: (1) the effectiveness of the research network in knowledge generation, sharing and diffusion; (2) the near-absence of collaboration with the private sector; and (3) the key central organisations that can support strategic decisions on investments, development and implementation of innovations. In addition, the increase in research activities and collaboration has not yet significantly affected dengue transmission, suggesting a limited translation of research efforts into public health solutions.

  2. 42 CFR 422.50 - Eligibility to elect an MA plan.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

    2010-10-01

    ... § 422.112 are met for that individual through the MA plan's established provider network. The MA...; (4) Has been a member of an Employer Group Health Plan (EGHP) that includes the elected MA plan, even... are met for that individual through the MA plan's established provider network. The MA organization...

  3. Vital signs monitoring plan for the Klamath Network: Phase I report

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Sarr, Daniel; Odion, Dennis; Truitt, Robert E.; Beever, Erik A.; Shafer, Sarah; Duff, Andrew; Smith, Sean B.; Bunn, Windy; Rocchio, Judy; Sarnat, Eli; Alexander, John; Jessup, Steve

    2004-01-01

    This report chronicles the Phase 1 stage of the vital signs monitoring program for the Klamath Network. It consists of two chapters and eleven appendixes. The purposes of Chapter One are to 1) describe the network administrative structure and approach to planning; 2) introduce the Klamath Network parks, their resources, and environmental settings; 3) explain the need for monitoring changes in resources and supporting environments; 4) identify key information gaps that limit understanding of how to best achieve these monitoring goals. The purpose of Chapter Two is to develop the descriptive information provided in Chapter One into a conceptual basis for vital signs monitoring and to present the Network’s initial suite of conceptual models. The Report Appendices provide in-depth information on a variety of topics researched in preparation of the report, including: detailed natural resource profiles for each park, supporting policies and guidelines, regional fire regimes, vegetation types of the parks, exotic species threats, interagency monitoring programs, air issues, water quality (Phase 1 Report), Network vital signs (Scoping Summary Report), rare species, and rare habitats of the parks.

  4. Establishing a program of global initiatives for nursing education.

    PubMed

    Kulage, Kristine M; Hickey, Kathleen T; Honig, Judy C; Johnson, Mary P; Larson, Elaine L

    2014-07-01

    In the global nursing community, schools of nursing are increasingly developing initiatives and networks across national boundaries. This article describes the process undertaken at a school of nursing to determine its global health priorities and develop a program of global initiatives for nursing education. A series of meetings were held to determine faculty global activities and gauge interest in designing a 5-year strategic plan for the program. A volunteer Strategic Planning Work-group was convened to formalize a mission, vision, and strategic plan for the program, which were presented to, refined by, and vetted by an advisory board and the faculty at large. We recommend this process to schools committed to developing or expanding a program dedicated to global initiatives and a global perspective in educational planning. Involving stakeholders, building on current strengths, and aligning with mission and vision are essential elements for developing a meaningful program of global initiatives for nursing education. Copyright 2014, SLACK Incorporated.

  5. Future Plans for NASA's Deep Space Network

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Deutsch, Leslie J.; Preston, Robert A.; Geldzahler, Barry J.

    2008-01-01

    This slide presentation reviews the importance of NASA's Deep Space Network (DSN) to space exploration, and future planned improvements to the communication capabilities that the network allows, in terms of precision, and communication power.

  6. EIA application in China's expressway infrastructure: clarifying the decision-making hierarchy.

    PubMed

    Zhou, Kai-Yi; Sheate, William R

    2011-06-01

    China's EIA Law came into effect in 2003 and formally requires road transport infrastructure development actions to be subject to Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). EIAs (including project EIA and plan EIA, or strategic environmental impact assessment, SEA) have been being widely applied in the expressway infrastructure planning field. Among those applications, SEA is applied to provincial level expressway network (PLEI) plans, and project EIA is applied to expressway infrastructure development 'projects' under PLEI plans. Three case studies (one expressway project EIA and two PLEI plan SEAs) were examined to understand currently how EIAs are applied to expressway infrastructure development planning. Through the studies, a number of problems that significantly influence the quality of EIA application in the field were identified. The reasons causing those problems are analyzed and possible solutions are suggested aimed at enhancing EIA practice, helping deliver better decision-making and ultimately improving the environmental performance of expressway infrastructure. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Architectures and Design for Next-Generation Hybrid Circuit/Packet Networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vadrevu, Sree Krishna Chaitanya

    Internet traffic is increasing rapidly at an annual growth rate of 35% with aggregate traffic exceeding several Exabyte's per month. The traffic is also becoming heterogeneous in bandwidth and quality-of-service (QoS) requirements with growing popularity of cloud computing, video-on-demand (VoD), e-science, etc. Hybrid circuit/packet networks which can jointly support circuit and packet services along with the adoption of high-bit-rate transmission systems form an attractive solution to address the traffic growth. 10 Gbps and 40 Gbps transmission systems are widely deployed in telecom backbone networks such as Comcast, AT&T, etc., and network operators are considering migration to 100 Gbps and beyond. This dissertation proposes robust architectures, capacity migration strategies, and novel service frameworks for next-generation hybrid circuit/packet architectures. In this dissertation, we study two types of hybrid circuit/packet networks: a) IP-over-WDM networks, in which the packet (IP) network is overlaid on top of the circuit (optical WDM) network and b) Hybrid networks in which the circuit and packet networks are deployed side by side such as US DoE's ESnet. We investigate techniques to dynamically migrate capacity between the circuit and packet sections by exploiting traffic variations over a day, and our methods show that significant bandwidth savings can be obtained with improved reliability of services. Specifically, we investigate how idle backup circuit capacity can be used to support packet services in IP-over-WDM networks, and similarly, excess capacity in packet network to support circuit services in ESnet. Control schemes that enable our mechanisms are also discussed. In IP-over-WDM networks, with upcoming 100 Gbps and beyond, dedicated protection will induce significant under-utilization of backup resources. We investigate design strategies to loan idle circuit backup capacity to support IP/packet services. However, failure of backup circuits will preempt IP services routed over them, and thus it is important to ensure IP topology survivability to successfully re-route preempted IP services. Integer-linear-program (ILP) and heuristic solutions have been developed and network cost reduction up to 60% has been observed. In ESnet, we study loaning packet links to support circuit services. Mixed-line-rate (MLR) networks supporting 10/40/100 Gbps on the same fiber are becoming increasingly popular. Services that accept degradation in bandwidth, latency, jitter, etc. under failure scenarios for lower cost are known as degraded services. We study degradation in bandwidth for lower cost under failure scenarios, a concept called partial protection, in the context of MLR networks. We notice partial protection enables significant cost savings compared to full protection. To cope with traffic growth, network operators need to deploy equipment at periodic time intervals, and this is known as the multi-period planning and upgrade problem. We study three important multi-period planning approaches, namely incremental planning, all-period planning, and two-period planning with mixed line rates. Our approaches predict the network equipment that needs to be deployed optimally at which nodes and at which time periods in the network to meet QoS requirements.

  8. Development of a methodology to coordinate and prioritize multimodal investment networks.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2005-01-01

    Across the nation, there are opportunities to improve coordination among transportation modal agencies, including aviation, transit, ports, highway, rail, pedestrian, and bicycle modes. Virginia's statewide multimodal transportation planning effort V...

  9. Regional payment systems partnership action plan : executive summary.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2000-09-25

    Advanced electronic payment system technologies are creating new business opportunities : for transportation service providers to partner and develop a truly seamless regional : transportation network for their customers. The ability to use a s...

  10. Pervasive community care platform: Ambient Intelligence leveraging sensor networks and mobile agents

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Su, Chuan-Jun; Chiang, Chang-Yu

    2014-04-01

    Several powerful trends are contributing to an aging of much of the world's population, especially in economically developed countries. To mitigate the negative effects of rapidly ageing populations, societies must act early to plan for the welfare, medical care and residential arrangements of their senior citizens, and for the manpower and associated training needed to execute these plans. This paper describes the development of an Ambient Intelligent Community Care Platform (AICCP), which creates an environment of Ambient Intelligence through the use of sensor network and mobile agent (MA) technologies. The AICCP allows caregivers to quickly and accurately locate their charges; access, update and share critical treatment and wellness data; and automatically archive all records. The AICCP presented in this paper is expected to enable caregivers and communities to offer pervasive, accurate and context-aware care services.

  11. Interactive Planning under Uncertainty with Casual Modeling and Analysis

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2006-01-01

    Tool ( CAT ), a system for creating and analyzing causal models similar to Bayes networks. In order to use CAT as a tool for planning, users go through...an iterative process in which they use CAT to create and an- alyze alternative plans. One of the biggest difficulties is that the number of possible...Causal Analysis Tool ( CAT ), which is a tool for representing and analyzing causal networks sim- ilar to Bayesian networks. In order to represent plans

  12. To Improve the Academy: Resources for Student, Faculty, and Institutional Development, 1987.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Kurfiss, Joanne, Ed.; And Others

    This collection of papers, the sixth in an annual series, presents the views of members of the Professional and Organizational Development Network in Higher Education on improving research, career development, conceptual models for program planning, and teaching and learning. Articles and authors are as follows: "The Need for Classroom Research"…

  13. Characterizing species at risk. II: Using Bayesian belief networks as decision support tools to determine species conservation categories under the Northwest Forest Plan.

    Treesearch

    B.G. Marcot; P.A. Hohenlohe; S. Morey; R. Holmes; R. Molina; M.C. Turley; M.H. Huff; J.A. Laurence

    2006-01-01

    We developed decision-aiding models as Bayesian belief networks (BBNs) that represented evaluation guidelines used to determine the appropriate conservation of hundreds of potentially rare species on federally-administered lands in the Pacific Northwest United States. The models were used in a structured assessment and paneling procedure as part of an adaptive...

  14. Summary Report of the Title VI-G Network Third Annual Conference. (Minneapolis, Minnesota, December 5-8, 1977).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Network of Innovative Schools, Inc., Andover, MA.

    Presented is the summary report of the Third Annual Conference of the Title VI-G Network which was designed to update learning disability (LD) professionals on pertinent program and education developments, to inform them of future trends and plans, and to offer concrete help in their present work. Introductory sections provide a schedule of the…

  15. 78 FR 73202 - Review and Revision of the National Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience (NCISR...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-12-05

    ...This Request for Information (RFI) notice informs the public that the Department of Homeland Security's (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is currently developing a National Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience Research and Development Plan (NCISR R&D Plan) to conform to the requirements of Presidential Policy Directive 21, Critical Infrastructure Security and Resilience. As part of a comprehensive national review process, DHS solicits public comment on issues or language in the NCISR R&D Plan that need to be included. Critical infrastructure includes both cyber and physical components, systems, and networks for the sixteen established ``critical infrastructures''.

  16. Reserve network planning for fishes in the middle and lower Yangtze River basin by systematic conservation approaches.

    PubMed

    Huang, Xinyi; Li, Fan; Chen, Jiakuan

    2016-03-01

    Although China has established more than 600 wetland nature reserves, conservation gaps still exist for many species, especially for freshwater fishes. Underlying this problem is the fact that top-level planning is missing in the construction of nature reserves. To promote the development of nature reserves for fishes, this study took the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River basin (MLYRB) as an example to carry out top-level reserve network planning for fishes using approaches of systematic conservation planning. Typical fish species living in freshwater habitats were defined and considered in the planning. Based on sample data collected from large quantities of literatures, continuous distribution patterns of 142 fishes were obtained with species distribution modeling and subsequent processing, and the distributions of another eleven species were artificially designated. With the distribution pattern of species, Marxan was used to carry out conservation planning. To obtain ideal solutions with representativeness, persistence, and efficiency, parameters were set with careful consideration regarding existing wetland reserves, human disturbances, hydrological connectivity, and representation targets of species. Marxan produced the selection frequency of planning units (PUs) and a best solution. Selection frequency indicates the relative protection importance of a PU. The best solution is a representative of ideal fish reserve networks. Both of the PUs with high selection frequency and those in the best solution have low proportions included in existing wetland nature reserves, suggesting that there are significant conservation gaps for fish species in MLYRB. The best solution could serve as a reference for establishing a fish reserve network in the MLYRB. There is great flexibility for replacing selected PUs in the solution, and such flexibility facilitates the implementation of the solution in reality in case of unexpected obstacles. Further, we suggested adopting a freshwater management framework in the implementation of such solution.

  17. Autobiographical Planning and the Brain: Activation and Its Modulation by Qualitative Features.

    PubMed

    Spreng, R Nathan; Gerlach, Kathy D; Turner, Gary R; Schacter, Daniel L

    2015-11-01

    To engage in purposeful behavior, it is important to make plans, which organize subsequent actions. Most studies of planning involve "look-ahead" puzzle tasks that are unrelated to personal goals. We developed a task to assess autobiographical planning, which involves the formulation of personal plans in response to real-world goals, and examined autobiographical planning in 63 adults during fMRI scanning. Autobiographical planning was found to engage the default network, including medial-temporal lobe and midline structures, and executive control regions in lateral pFC and parietal cortex and caudate. To examine how specific qualitative features of autobiographical plans modulate neural activity, we performed parametric modulation analyses. Ratings of plan detail, novelty, temporal distance, ease of plan formulation, difficulty in goal completion, and confidence in goal accomplishment were used as covariates in six hierarchical linear regression models. This modeling procedure removed shared variance among the ratings, allowing us to determine the independent relationship between ratings of interest and trial-wise BOLD signal. We found that specific autobiographical planning, describing a detailed, achievable, and actionable planning process for attaining a clearly envisioned future, recruited both default and frontoparietal brain regions. In contrast, abstract autobiographical planning, plans that were constructed from more generalized semantic or affective representations of a less tangible and distant future, involved interactions among default, sensory perceptual, and limbic brain structures. Specific qualities of autobiographical plans are important predictors of default and frontoparietal control network engagement during plan formation and reflect the contribution of mnemonic and executive control processes to autobiographical planning.

  18. Development of a remote sensing network for time-sensitive detection of fine scale damage to transportation infrastructure : [final report].

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2015-09-23

    This research project aimed to develop a remote sensing system capable of rapidly identifying fine-scale damage to critical transportation infrastructure following hazard events. Such a system must be pre-planned for rapid deployment, automate proces...

  19. Community Psychology in Search of a New Focus.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Vassaf, Gunduz Y. H.

    1983-01-01

    In the West, the community movement emphasizes grass roots control. In developing countries, however, community movements often reinforce the centralizing tendencies of the emerging nation-states. These third world movements must become independent of plans imposed by national governments, and instead, develop networks of ties with other…

  20. A Wireless Communications Laboratory on Cellular Network Planning

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Dawy, Z.; Husseini, A.; Yaacoub, E.; Al-Kanj, L.

    2010-01-01

    The field of radio network planning and optimization (RNPO) is central for wireless cellular network design, deployment, and enhancement. Wireless cellular operators invest huge sums of capital on deploying, launching, and maintaining their networks in order to ensure competitive performance and high user satisfaction. This work presents a lab…

  1. Performance evaluation of NASA/KSC CAD/CAE graphics local area network

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Zobrist, George

    1988-01-01

    This study had as an objective the performance evaluation of the existing CAD/CAE graphics network at NASA/KSC. This evaluation will also aid in projecting planned expansions, such as the Space Station project on the existing CAD/CAE network. The objectives were achieved by collecting packet traffic on the various integrated sub-networks. This included items, such as total number of packets on the various subnetworks, source/destination of packets, percent utilization of network capacity, peak traffic rates, and packet size distribution. The NASA/KSC LAN was stressed to determine the useable bandwidth of the Ethernet network and an average design station workload was used to project the increased traffic on the existing network and the planned T1 link. This performance evaluation of the network will aid the NASA/KSC network managers in planning for the integration of future workload requirements into the existing network.

  2. Interdependent Network Recovery Games.

    PubMed

    Smith, Andrew M; González, Andrés D; Dueñas-Osorio, Leonardo; D'Souza, Raissa M

    2017-10-30

    Recovery of interdependent infrastructure networks in the presence of catastrophic failure is crucial to the economy and welfare of society. Recently, centralized methods have been developed to address optimal resource allocation in postdisaster recovery scenarios of interdependent infrastructure systems that minimize total cost. In real-world systems, however, multiple independent, possibly noncooperative, utility network controllers are responsible for making recovery decisions, resulting in suboptimal decentralized processes. With the goal of minimizing recovery cost, a best-case decentralized model allows controllers to develop a full recovery plan and negotiate until all parties are satisfied (an equilibrium is reached). Such a model is computationally intensive for planning and negotiating, and time is a crucial resource in postdisaster recovery scenarios. Furthermore, in this work, we prove this best-case decentralized negotiation process could continue indefinitely under certain conditions. Accounting for network controllers' urgency in repairing their system, we propose an ad hoc sequential game-theoretic model of interdependent infrastructure network recovery represented as a discrete time noncooperative game between network controllers that is guaranteed to converge to an equilibrium. We further reduce the computation time needed to find a solution by applying a best-response heuristic and prove bounds on ε-Nash equilibrium, where ε depends on problem inputs. We compare best-case and ad hoc models on an empirical interdependent infrastructure network in the presence of simulated earthquakes to demonstrate the extent of the tradeoff between optimality and computational efficiency. Our method provides a foundation for modeling sociotechnical systems in a way that mirrors restoration processes in practice. © 2017 Society for Risk Analysis.

  3. The Relationship between Health Plan Performance Measures and Physician Network Overlap: Implications for Measuring Plan Quality

    PubMed Central

    Maeng, Daniel D; Scanlon, Dennis P; Chernew, Michael E; Gronniger, Tim; Wodchis, Walter P; McLaughlin, Catherine G

    2010-01-01

    Objective To examine the extent to which health plan quality measures capture physician practice patterns rather than plan characteristics. Data Source We gathered and merged secondary data from the following four sources: a private firm that collected information on individual physicians and their health plan affiliations, The National Committee for Quality Assurance, InterStudy, and the Dartmouth Atlas. Study Design We constructed two measures of physician network overlap for all health plans in our sample and linked them to selected measures of plan performance. Two linear regression models were estimated to assess the relationship between the measures of physician network overlap and the plan performance measures. Principal Findings The results indicate that in the presence of a higher degree of provider network overlap, plan performance measures tend to converge to a lower level of quality. Conclusions Standard health plan performance measures reflect physician practice patterns rather than plans' effort to improve quality. This implies that more provider-oriented measurement, such as would be possible with accountable care organizations or medical homes, may facilitate patient decision making and provide further incentives to improve performance. PMID:20403064

  4. The HSP, the QCN, and the Dragon: Developing inquiry-based QCN instructional modules in Taiwan

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chen, K. H.; Liang, W.; Chang, C.; Yen, E.; Lin, C.; Lin, G.

    2012-12-01

    High Scope Program (HSP) is a long-term project funded by NSC in Taiwan since 2006. It is designed to elevate the quality of science education by means of incorporating emerging science and technology into the traditional curricula in senior high schools. Quake-Catcher Network (QCN), a distributed computing project initiated by Stanford University and UC Riverside, encourages the volunteers to install the low-cost, novel sensors at home and school to build a seismic network. To meet both needs, we have developed a model curriculum that introduces QCN, earthquake science, and cloud computing into high school classrooms. Through professional development workshops, Taiwan cloud-based earthquake science learning platform, and QCN club on Facebook, we have worked closely with Lan-Yang Girl's Senior High School teachers' team to design workable teaching plans through a practical operation of seismic monitoring at home or school. However, some obstacles to learning appear including QCN installation/maintain problems, high self-noise of the sensor, difficulty of introducing earthquake sciences for high school teachers. The challenges of QCN outreach in Taiwan bring out our future plans: (1) development of easy, frequently updated, physics-based QCN-experiments for high school teachers, and (2) design of an interactive learning platform with social networking function for students.

  5. The application of connectionism to query planning/scheduling in intelligent user interfaces

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Short, Nicholas, Jr.; Shastri, Lokendra

    1990-01-01

    In the mid nineties, the Earth Observing System (EOS) will generate an estimated 10 terabytes of data per day. This enormous amount of data will require the use of sophisticated technologies from real time distributed Artificial Intelligence (AI) and data management. Without regard to the overall problems in distributed AI, efficient models were developed for doing query planning and/or scheduling in intelligent user interfaces that reside in a network environment. Before intelligent query/planning can be done, a model for real time AI planning and/or scheduling must be developed. As Connectionist Models (CM) have shown promise in increasing run times, a connectionist approach to AI planning and/or scheduling is proposed. The solution involves merging a CM rule based system to a general spreading activation model for the generation and selection of plans. The system was implemented in the Rochester Connectionist Simulator and runs on a Sun 3/260.

  6. Preliminary Results from a Model-Driven Architecture Methodology for Development of an Event-Driven Space Communications Service Concept

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Roberts, Christopher J.; Morgenstern, Robert M.; Israel, David J.; Borky, John M.; Bradley, Thomas H.

    2017-01-01

    NASA's next generation space communications network will involve dynamic and autonomous services analogous to services provided by current terrestrial wireless networks. This architecture concept, known as the Space Mobile Network (SMN), is enabled by several technologies now in development. A pillar of the SMN architecture is the establishment and utilization of a continuous bidirectional control plane space link channel and a new User Initiated Service (UIS) protocol to enable more dynamic and autonomous mission operations concepts, reduced user space communications planning burden, and more efficient and effective provider network resource utilization. This paper provides preliminary results from the application of model driven architecture methodology to develop UIS. Such an approach is necessary to ensure systematic investigation of several open questions concerning the efficiency, robustness, interoperability, scalability and security of the control plane space link and UIS protocol.

  7. Concurrent enterprise: a conceptual framework for enterprise supply-chain network activities

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Addo-Tenkorang, Richard; Helo, Petri T.; Kantola, Jussi

    2017-04-01

    Supply-chain management (SCM) in manufacturing industries has evolved significantly over the years. Recently, a lot more relevant research has picked up on the development of integrated solutions. Thus, seeking a collaborative optimisation of geographical, just-in-time (JIT), quality (customer demand/satisfaction) and return-on-investment (profits), aspects of organisational management and planning through 'best practice' business-process management - concepts and application; employing system tools such as certain applications/aspects of enterprise resource planning (ERP) - SCM systems information technology (IT) enablers to enhance enterprise integrated product development/concurrent engineering principles. This article assumed three main organisation theory applications in positioning its assumptions. Thus, proposing a feasible industry-specific framework not currently included within the SCOR model's level four (4) implementation level, as well as other existing SCM integration reference models such as in the MIT process handbook's - Process Interchange Format (PIF), the TOVE project, etc. which could also be replicated in other SCs. However, the wider focus of this paper's contribution will be concentrated on a complimentary proposed framework to the SCC's SCOR reference model. Quantitative empirical closed-ended questionnaires in addition to the main data collected from a qualitative empirical real-life industrial-based pilot case study were used: To propose a conceptual concurrent enterprise framework for SCM network activities. This research adopts a design structure matrix simulation approach analysis to propose an optimal enterprise SCM-networked value-adding, customised master data-management platform/portal for efficient SCM network information exchange and an effective supply-chain (SC) network systems-design teams' structure. Furthermore, social network theory analysis will be employed in a triangulation approach with statistical correlation analysis to assess the scale/level of frequency, importance, level of collaborative-ness, mutual trust as well as roles and responsibility among the enterprise SCM network for systems product development (PD) design teams' technical communication network as well as extensive literature reviews.

  8. Development of the network architecture of the Canadian MSAT system

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Davies, N. George; Shoamanesh, Alireza; Leung, Victor C. M.

    1988-01-01

    A description is given of the present concept for the Canadian Mobile Satellite (MSAT) System and the development of the network architecture which will accommodate the planned family of three categories of service: a mobile radio service (MRS), a mobile telephone service (MTS), and a mobile data service (MDS). The MSAT satellite will have cross-strapped L-band and Ku-band transponders to provide communications services between L-band mobile terminals and fixed base stations supporting dispatcher-type MRS, gateway stations supporting MTS interconnections to the public telephone network, data hub stations supporting the MDS, and the network control center. The currently perceived centralized architecture with demand assignment multiple access for the circuit switched MRS, MTS and permanently assigned channels for the packet switched MDS is discussed.

  9. Development of the network architecture of the Canadian MSAT system

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Davies, N. George; Shoamanesh, Alireza; Leung, Victor C. M.

    1988-05-01

    A description is given of the present concept for the Canadian Mobile Satellite (MSAT) System and the development of the network architecture which will accommodate the planned family of three categories of service: a mobile radio service (MRS), a mobile telephone service (MTS), and a mobile data service (MDS). The MSAT satellite will have cross-strapped L-band and Ku-band transponders to provide communications services between L-band mobile terminals and fixed base stations supporting dispatcher-type MRS, gateway stations supporting MTS interconnections to the public telephone network, data hub stations supporting the MDS, and the network control center. The currently perceived centralized architecture with demand assignment multiple access for the circuit switched MRS, MTS and permanently assigned channels for the packet switched MDS is discussed.

  10. A Model for Physician Leadership Development and Succession Planning.

    PubMed

    Dubinsky, Isser; Feerasta, Nadia; Lash, Rick

    2015-01-01

    Although the presence of physicians in formal leadership positions has often been limited to roles of department chiefs, MAC chairs, etc., a growing number of organizations are recruiting physicians to other leadership positions (e.g., VP, CEO) where their involvement is being genuinely sought and valued. While physicians have traditionally risen to leadership positions based on clinical excellence or on a rotational basis, truly effective physician leadership that includes competencies such as strategic planning, budgeting, mentoring, network development, etc., is essential to support organizational goals, improve performance and overall efficiency as well as ensuring the quality of care. In this context, the authors have developed a physician leader development and succession planning matrix and supporting toolkit to assist hospitals in identifying and nurturing the next generation of physician leaders.

  11. Central Alaska Network vital signs monitoring plan

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    MacCluskie, Margaret C.; Oakley, Karen L.; McDonald, Trent; Wilder, Doug

    2005-01-01

    Denali National Park and Preserve, Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, and Yukon-Charley Rivers National Preserve have been organized into the Central Alaska Network (CAKN) for the purposes of carrying out ecological monitoring activities under the National Park Services’ Vital Signs Monitoring program. The Phase III Report is the initial draft of the Vital Signs Monitoring Plan for the Central Alaska Network. It includes updated material from the Phase I and II documents. This report, and draft protocols for 11 of the network’s Vital Signs, were peer reviewed early in 2005. Review comments were incorporated into the document bringing the network to the final stage of having a Vital Signs Monitoring Plan. Implementation of the program will formally begin in FY 2006. The broad goals of the CAKN monitoring program are to: (1) better understand the dynamic nature and condition of park ecosystems; and (2) provide reference points for comparisons with other, altered environments. The focus of the CAKN program will be to monitor ecosystems in order to detect change in ecological components and in the relationships among the components. Water quality monitoring is fully integrated within the CAKN monitoring program. A monitoring program for lentic (non-moving water) has been determined, and the program for lotic systems (moving water) is under development.

  12. New Directions in Statewide Computer Planning and Cooperation.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Norris, Donald M.; St. John, Edward P.

    1981-01-01

    In the 1960s and early 1970s, statewide planning efforts usually resulted in plans for centralized hardware networks. The focus of statewide planning has shifted to the issue of improved computer financing, information sharing, and enhanced utilization in instruction, administration. A "facilitating network" concept and Missouri efforts…

  13. What we were asked to do

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1991-01-01

    Recommendations are made after 32 interviews, lesson identification, lesson analysis, and mission characteristics identification. The major recommendations are as follows: (1) to develop end-to-end planning and scheduling operations concepts by mission class and to ensure their consideration in system life cycle documentation; (2) to create an organizational infrastructure at the Code 500 level, supported by a Directorate level steering committee with project representation, responsible for systems engineering of end-to-end planning and scheduling systems; (3) to develop and refine mission capabilities to assess impacts of early mission design decisions on planning and scheduling; and (4) to emphasize operational flexibility in the development of the Advanced Space Network, other institutional resources, external (e.g., project) capabilities and resources, operational software and support tools.

  14. Development of a Dynamic Operational Scheduling Algorithm for an Independent Micro-Grid with Renewable Energy

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Obara, Shin'ya

    A micro-grid with the capacity for sustainable energy is expected to be a distributed energy system that exhibits quite a small environmental impact. In an independent micro-grid, “green energy,” which is typically thought of as unstable, can be utilized effectively by introducing a battery. In the past study, the production-of-electricity prediction algorithm (PAS) of the solar cell was developed. In PAS, a layered neural network is made to learn based on past weather data and the operation plan of the compound system of a solar cell and other energy systems was examined using this prediction algorithm. In this paper, a dynamic operational scheduling algorithm is developed using a neural network (PAS) and a genetic algorithm (GA) to provide predictions for solar cell power output. We also do a case study analysis in which we use this algorithm to plan the operation of a system that connects nine houses in Sapporo to a micro-grid composed of power equipment and a polycrystalline silicon solar cell. In this work, the relationship between the accuracy of output prediction of the solar cell and the operation plan of the micro-grid was clarified. Moreover, we found that operating the micro-grid according to the plan derived with PAS was far superior, in terms of equipment hours of operation, to that using past average weather data.

  15. Statewide Transportation Plan - Intermodalism ... Bringing Transportation Together

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1995-05-01

    Georgia has benefited from a comprehensive multimodal transportation network. The availability of road, air, rail and port transportation facilities has been a magnet for business development and economic activity. The ability to connect goods to mar...

  16. Validating the performance of vehicle classification stations.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2012-05-01

    Vehicle classification is used in many transportation applications, e.g., infrastructure management and planning. Typical of most : developed countries, every state in the US maintains a network of vehicle classification stations to explicitly sort v...

  17. Overview of NASA communications infrastructure

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Arnold, Ray J.; Fuechsel, Charles

    1991-01-01

    The infrastructure of NASA communications systems for effecting coordination across NASA offices and with the national and international research and technological communities is discussed. The offices and networks of the communication system include the Office of Space Science and Applications (OSSA), which manages all NASA missions, and the Office of Space Operations, which furnishes communication support through the NASCOM, the mission critical communications support network, and the Program Support Communications network. The NASA Science Internet was established by OSSA to centrally manage, develop, and operate an integrated computer network service dedicated to NASA's space science and application research. Planned for the future is the National Research and Education Network, which will provide communications infrastructure to enhance science resources at a national level.

  18. Collaborative Manufacturing Management in Networked Supply Chains

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Pouly, Michel; Naciri, Souleiman; Berthold, Sébastien

    ERP systems provide information management and analysis to industrial companies and support their planning activities. They are currently mostly based on theoretical values (averages) of parameters and not on the actual, real shop floor data, leading to disturbance of the planning algorithms. On the other hand, sharing data between manufacturers, suppliers and customers becomes very important to ensure reactivity towards markets variability. This paper proposes software solutions to address these requirements and methods to automatically capture the necessary corresponding shop floor information. In order to share data produced by different legacy systems along the collaborative networked supply chain, we propose to use the Generic Product Model developed by Hitachi to extract, translate and store heterogeneous ERP data.

  19. Numerical aerodynamic simulation program long haul communications prototype

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cmaylo, Bohden K.; Foo, Lee

    1987-01-01

    This document is a report of the Numerical Aerodynamic Simulation (NAS) Long Haul Communications Prototype (LHCP). It describes the accomplishments of the LHCP group, presents the results from all LHCP experiments and testing activities, makes recommendations for present and future LHCP activities, and evaluates the remote workstation accesses from Langley Research Center, Lewis Research Center, and Colorado State University to Ames Research Center. The report is the final effort of the Long Haul (Wideband) Communications Prototype Plan (PT-1133-02-N00), 3 October 1985, which defined the requirements for the development, test, and operation of the LHCP network and was the plan used to evaluate the remote user bandwidth requirements for the Numerical Aerodynamic Simulation Processing System Network.

  20. Hyper-Spectral Communications, Networking and ATM as Foundation for Safe and Efficient Future Flight: Transcending Aviation Operational Limitations with Diverse and Secure Multi-Band, Multi-Mode, and mmWave Wireless Links: Project Overview, Aviation Communications and New Signaling

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Matolak, David W.

    2017-01-01

    NASA's Aeronautics Research Mission Directorate (ARMD) has recently solicited proposals and awarded funds for research and development to achieve and exceed the goals envisioned in the ARMD Strategic Implementation Plan (SIP). The Hyper-Spectral Communications and Networking for Air Traffic Management (ATM) (HSCNA) project is the only University Leadership Initiative (ULI) program to address communications and networking (and to a degree, navigation and surveillance). This paper will provide an overview of the HSCNA project, and specifically describe two of the project's technical challenges: comprehensive aviation communications and networking assessment, and proposed multi-band and multimode communications and networking. The primary goals will be described, as will be research and development aimed to achieve and exceed these goals. Some example initial results are also provided.

  1. A logic model framework for evaluation and planning in a primary care practice-based research network (PBRN)

    PubMed Central

    Hayes, Holly; Parchman, Michael L.; Howard, Ray

    2012-01-01

    Evaluating effective growth and development of a Practice-Based Research Network (PBRN) can be challenging. The purpose of this article is to describe the development of a logic model and how the framework has been used for planning and evaluation in a primary care PBRN. An evaluation team was formed consisting of the PBRN directors, staff and its board members. After the mission and the target audience were determined, facilitated meetings and discussions were held with stakeholders to identify the assumptions, inputs, activities, outputs, outcomes and outcome indicators. The long-term outcomes outlined in the final logic model are two-fold: 1.) Improved health outcomes of patients served by PBRN community clinicians; and 2.) Community clinicians are recognized leaders of quality research projects. The Logic Model proved useful in identifying stakeholder interests and dissemination activities as an area that required more attention in the PBRN. The logic model approach is a useful planning tool and project management resource that increases the probability that the PBRN mission will be successfully implemented. PMID:21900441

  2. Comparison of School Food Allergy Emergency Plans to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network's Standard Plan

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Powers, Jill; Bergren, Martha Dewey; Finnegan, Lorna

    2007-01-01

    Eighty-four percent of children with food allergies have a reaction in school, and 25% of first food reactions occur in schools. An evaluation was conducted comparing food allergy emergency plans to the Food Allergy and Anaphylaxis Network's (FAAN) Food Allergy Action Plan. Of the 94 respondents, 60 provided food allergy emergency plans for…

  3. Development of a queue warning system utilizing ATM infrastructure system development and field-testing : final report.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2017-06-13

    MnDOT has already deployed an extensive infrastructure for Active Traffic Management (ATM) on I-35W and I-94 with plans to expand on other segments of the Twin Cities freeway network. The ATM system includes intelligent lane control signals (ILCS) sp...

  4. Connecting to the Messy Reality

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Teitel, Lee

    2009-01-01

    The Massachusetts story is about persistence. Instead of jumping from one fad to the next, the Massachusetts Association of School Superintendents (MASS) developed a comprehensive and focused plan and stuck to it for several years. It is clearly a story about people--the trust and connections that developed among networks of superintendents that…

  5. A Rolling Evaluation Gathers No Moss.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Burrough, Lee Anne; Beaumont, Lorrie; Schaller, David; Cannon, Ethalinda

    Continuous, formative evaluation, from inception to completion, with rapid revisions, was key to the successful development of Kids Design Network(KDN) by the DuPage Children's Museum (DCM). Although a thorough evaluation plan was developed at the beginning of the project, it soon became apparent that additional strategies were necessary to insure…

  6. Beyond the Revitalizing High School Libraries Initiative

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Marczynski, Paula Townsend

    2009-01-01

    In 2003 the Public Education Network developed the pilot Revitalizing High School Libraries (RHSL) initiative, funded by The New York Life Foundation. Based on the Library Power Program, it included many of the same features--collaborative planning, flexible scheduling, collection development, and facility renovation--with a focus on how this…

  7. Dynamic Data Driven Applications Systems (DDDAS)

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2013-03-06

    INS •  Chip-scale atomic clocks •  Ad hoc networks •  Polymorphic networks •  Agile networks •  Laser communications •  Frequency-agile RF...atomi clocks •  Ad hoc networks •  Polymorphic networks •  Agile networks •  Laser co munications •  Frequency-agile RF systems...Real-Time Doppler Wind Wind field Sensor observations Energy Estimation Atmospheric Models for On-line Planning Planning and Control

  8. Appropriateness of elective caesarean deliveries in a perinatal network: a cross-sectional study

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Background The overall caesarean rate in France has increased from 14.3% in 1994–1996 to 21.0% in 2010. This increased rate is a concern in all developed countries: delivery by caesarean induces both short- and long-term maternal complications, and its use requires careful reflection. The principal objective of this work was to describe the global appropriateness of indications for caesareans among a selected sample of planned caesareans performed within the Auvergne perinatal health network. The secondary objectives were to describe the inappropriate planned caesarean risk according to the maternity unit level and the impact of this medical assessment on the global caesarean rate in this network. Methods This audit among maternity units belonging to the Auvergne perinatal network in France included women who had a planned caesarean at term, were nulliparous or primiparous, and had a singleton pregnancy in cephalic presentation or a twin pregnancy with twin 1 in cephalic presentation. We used the French guidelines issued from 1998 through 2010 as our benchmark for appropriateness. Result We analysed 192 cases (100% of the records eligible for the audit). The rate of appropriate caesareans among these planned caesareans was 65.6%. Among the inappropriate caesareans, the rate of “maternal-preference” caesareans was 12.0% and the rate of “provider-preference” caesareans 22.4%. The risk of an inappropriate caesarean did not differ statistically between the level I and level II maternity wards, each compared to the level III hospital. The overall caesarean rate in our entire network decreased from 20.5% to 18.5% (p < 0.001) in the year after the audit. It also decreased in 8 of the network’s 10 maternity units, although the difference was statistically significant only in 2. Conclusions About one third of planned caesareans were inappropriate in our sample and our audit appeared to have some effect on medical practice in the short run. PMID:24716672

  9. Campus Network Strategies: A Small College Perspective.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Moberg, Thomas

    1999-01-01

    Offers advice to administrators and faculty in small colleges on planning, building, and managing campus computer networks. Also included are observations about the network as a strategic asset, funding and staffing issues, and planning for unexpected results. (Author/MSE)

  10. Findings from a mixed-methods study of an interprofessional faculty development program.

    PubMed

    Abu-Rish Blakeney, Erin; Pfeifle, Andrea; Jones, Mandy; Hall, Leslie Walter; Zierler, Brenda K

    2016-01-01

    Forty faculty members from eight schools participated in a year-long National Faculty Development Program (NFDP) conducted in 2012-2013, aimed at developing faculty knowledge and skills for interprofessional education (IPE). The NFDP included two live conferences. Between conferences, faculty teams implemented self-selected IPE projects at their home institutions and participated in coaching and peer-support conference calls. This paper describes program outcomes. A mixed methods approach was adopted. Data were gathered through online surveys and semi-structured interviews. The study explored whether faculty were satisfied with the program, believed the program was effective in developing knowledge and skills in designing, implementing, and evaluating IPE, and planned to continue newly-implemented IPE and faculty development (FD). Peer support and networking were two of the greatest perceived benefits. Further, this multi-institutional program appears to have facilitated early organizational change by bringing greater contextual understanding to assumptions made at the local level that in turn could influence hidden curricula and networking. These findings may guide program planning for future FD to support IPE.

  11. Collaboration and Development of Radio Astronomy in Australasia and South-Pacific Region: New Zealand Perspectives

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gulyaev, S.; Natusch, T.

    2006-08-01

    Radio telescopes in the Asia-Pacific region form a natural network for VLBI observations, similar to the very successful networks in North America (Network Users Group) and Europe (European VLBI Network). New Zealand's VLBI facility, which we are developing since 2005, has the potential to strengthen the Asian-Pacific VLBI network and its role in astronomy, geodesy and geoscience. It will positively influence regional and international activities in geoscience and geodesy that advance New Zealand's national interests. A self-contained radio astronomy system for VLBI, including a 1.658 GHz (centre frequency), 16 MHz bandwidth RF system (feed and downconversion system locked to a Rubidium maser and GPS clock), an 8-bit sampler/digitisation system, and a disk-based recording system built around a commodity PC was developed in New Zealand Centre for Radiophysics and Space Research. This was designed as a portable system for use on various radio telescopes. A number of Trans-Tasman tests has been conducted in 2005-2006 between the CRSR system installed on a 6 metre dish located in Auckland and the Australia Telescope Compact Array in Narrabri, Australia. This work has been successful, with fringes located from the recorded data and high resolution image of the quasar PKS1921-231 obtained. Experiments were recently conducted with Japan; new tests are planned with Korea and Fiji. Plans have been made to build a new 16.5 m antenna in New Zealand's North Island and to upgrade an 11 m dish in the South Island. A possible future of New Zealand's participation in the SKA is being discussed.

  12. Workshop on promotion of reproductive health and family planning held.

    PubMed

    1997-09-01

    Two reproductive health advocacy networks have been established in two districts in eastern Africa to help promote family planning and reproductive health among the people in this area. The districts are the Suhum-Kraboa-Coaltar and the New Juaben Municipality. To enhance the performance of the network, a 4-day workshop was held at Koforidua for the members to prepare an action plan for their advocacy and map out areas of collaboration between the public and the private sector group. The workshop, organized by the Futures Group International based in the US with support from the USAID, was attended by 30 participants from nongovernmental organizations and public offices. In an address, Ms. Patience Adow, the Regional Minister observed that through the idea of family planning has been promoted in the country over the past two decades, the country continues to experience a population growth rate of about 2.8%. She expressed the hope that the workshop will equip the participants with the relevant skills to develop and implement their advocacy strategy effectively. Dr. J. E. Taylor, Medical Administrator of the Koforidua Central Hospital, who chaired the function in a bid to improve the health of women and the quality of life of the people. The Ministry of Health as part of its medium term strategic plan has developed the national reproductive health and service policy.

  13. Neural nets for aligning optical components in harsh environments: Beam smoothing spatial filter as an example

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Decker, Arthur J.; Krasowski, Michael J.

    1991-01-01

    The goal is to develop an approach to automating the alignment and adjustment of optical measurement, visualization, inspection, and control systems. Classical controls, expert systems, and neural networks are three approaches to automating the alignment of an optical system. Neural networks were chosen for this project and the judgements that led to this decision are presented. Neural networks were used to automate the alignment of the ubiquitous laser-beam-smoothing spatial filter. The results and future plans of the project are presented.

  14. Genetic Regulatory Networks in Embryogenesis and Evolution

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    1998-01-01

    The article introduces a series of papers that were originally presented at a workshop titled Genetic Regulatory Network in Embryogenesis and Evaluation. Contents include the following: evolution of cleavage programs in relationship to axial specification and body plan evolution, changes in cell lineage specification elucidate evolutionary relations in spiralia, axial patterning in the leech: developmental mechanisms and evolutionary implications, hox genes in arthropod development and evolution, heterochronic genes in development and evolution, a common theme for LIM homeobox gene function across phylogeny, and mechanisms of specification in ascidian embryos.

  15. Study on Rural Ecological Conservation and Health Care Plan to Respond Aging Population

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhao, Jing Yu; Fu, Fei

    2018-05-01

    The problem of aging is a problem that the society must face now. Under the rapid development and expansion of modern cities, the traditional village which is the back garden of the city depends on its advantages and characteristics of the farmland water network ecological infrastructure to develop the health planning. It is an important way to develop economic and ecological protection. However, the study of this direction is still in its infancy in china. This paper attempts to establish an adaptive POE evaluation model for elderly open space through the investigation and analysis, and further explore the physiological and psychological needs of the elderly for the environment. Based on the above survey data, this paper studies the planning and planning strategy of the health industry in the natural villages in the suburbs of Dujiangyan. From the point of view of sustainable development, it is more effective to protect and develop the ecological infrastructure of villages.

  16. AllAboard: Visual Exploration of Cellphone Mobility Data to Optimise Public Transport.

    PubMed

    Di Lorenzo, G; Sbodio, M; Calabrese, F; Berlingerio, M; Pinelli, F; Nair, R

    2016-02-01

    The deep penetration of mobile phones offers cities the ability to opportunistically monitor citizens' mobility and use data-driven insights to better plan and manage services. With large scale data on mobility patterns, operators can move away from the costly, mostly survey based, transportation planning processes, to a more data-centric view, that places the instrumented user at the center of development. In this framework, using mobile phone data to perform transit analysis and optimization represents a new frontier with significant societal impact, especially in developing countries. In this paper we present AllAboard, an intelligent tool that analyses cellphone data to help city authorities in visually exploring urban mobility and optimizing public transport. This is performed within a self contained tool, as opposed to the current solutions which rely on a combination of several distinct tools for analysis, reporting, optimisation and planning. An interactive user interface allows transit operators to visually explore the travel demand in both space and time, correlate it with the transit network, and evaluate the quality of service that a transit network provides to the citizens at very fine grain. Operators can visually test scenarios for transit network improvements, and compare the expected impact on the travellers' experience. The system has been tested using real telecommunication data for the city of Abidjan, Ivory Coast, and evaluated from a data mining, optimisation and user prospective.

  17. An evaluation of county comprehensive plans in Virginia.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2006-01-01

    This study evaluated the comprehensive plans of 59 Virginia counties to determine if the transportation elements of the plans had an inventory of the transportation network in the county, an assessment of the network, and recommendations to address t...

  18. [The challenges and perspectives of collaborative networking].

    PubMed

    Houver, Jacques

    2013-01-01

    The mental health action plan for Europe dates back to 2005 and sets out the terms for drawing up, implementing and strengthening global mental health policies in all European countries. While in the area of psychiatry, the advantages of working in a network must be emphasised, it can be developed on the level of the local community, the health care territory or the department as well as on a regional basis.

  19. Development and Demonstration of a Statistical Data Base System for Library and Network Planning and Evaluation. Fourth Quarterly Report.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jones, Dennis; And Others

    The National Center for Higher Education Management Systems (NCHEMS) has completed the development and demonstration of a library statistical data base. The data base, or management information system, was developed for administrators of public and academic libraries. The system provides administrators with a framework of information and…

  20. Modification Propagation in Complex Networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Mouronte, Mary Luz; Vargas, María Luisa; Moyano, Luis Gregorio; Algarra, Francisco Javier García; Del Pozo, Luis Salvador

    To keep up with rapidly changing conditions, business systems and their associated networks are growing increasingly intricate as never before. By doing this, network management and operation costs not only rise, but are difficult even to measure. This fact must be regarded as a major constraint to system optimization initiatives, as well as a setback to derived economic benefits. In this work we introduce a simple model in order to estimate the relative cost associated to modification propagation in complex architectures. Our model can be used to anticipate costs caused by network evolution, as well as for planning and evaluating future architecture development while providing benefit optimization.

  1. U.S. Geological Survey Global Seismographic Network - Five-Year Plan 2006-2010

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Leith, William S.; Gee, Lind S.; Hutt, Charles R.

    2009-01-01

    The Global Seismographic Network provides data for earthquake alerting, tsunami warning, nuclear treaty verification, and Earth science research. The system consists of nearly 150 permanent digital stations, distributed across the globe, connected by a modern telecommunications network. It serves as a multi-use scientific facility and societal resource for monitoring, research, and education, by providing nearly uniform, worldwide monitoring of the Earth. The network was developed and is operated through a partnership among the National Science Foundation (http://www.nsf.gov), the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (http://www.iris.edu/hq/programs/gsn), and the U.S. Geological Survey (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/gsn).

  2. Improving nutrition surveillance and public health research in Central and Eastern Europe/Balkan Countries using the Balkan Food Platform and dietary tools.

    PubMed

    Gurinović, Mirjana; Milešević, Jelena; Novaković, Romana; Kadvan, Agnes; Djekić-Ivanković, Marija; Šatalić, Zvonimir; Korošec, Mojca; Spiroski, Igor; Ranić, Marija; Dupouy, Eleonora; Oshaug, Arne; Finglas, Paul; Glibetić, Maria

    2016-02-15

    The objective of this paper is to share experience and provide updated information on Capacity Development in the Central and Eastern Europe/Balkan Countries (CEE/BC) region relevant to public health nutrition, particularly in creation of food composition databases (FCDBs), applying dietary intake assessment and monitoring tools, and harmonizing methodology for nutrition surveillance. Balkan Food Platform was established by a Memorandum of Understanding among EuroFIR AISBL, Institute for Medical Research, Belgrade, Capacity Development Network in Nutrition in CEE - CAPNUTRA and institutions from nine countries in the region. Inventory on FCDB status identified lack of harmonized and standardized research tools. To strengthen harmonization in CEE/BC in line with European research trends, the Network members collaborated in development of a Regional FCDB, using web-based food composition data base management software following EuroFIR standards. Comprehensive nutrition assessment and planning tool - DIET ASSESS & PLAN could enable synchronization of nutrition surveillance across countries. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Six Information Technology Services Contracts for the Defense Intelligence Community

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2000-04-24

    This category covers Defense Intelligence Community organizations whose mission is to provide for the planning, development, deployment, operation ... management , and oversight of global information networks and infrastructure supporting intelligence producers. • Information Systems. This category

  4. A bicycle network analysis tool for planning applications in small communities.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2015-05-01

    Non-motorized transportation modes such as bicycles constitute an important part of a : communitys transportation system; they are vital to the success of transit-oriented developments : (TODs). However, bicycles were often ignored in transportati...

  5. Modeling regional freight flow assignment through intermodal terminals

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2005-03-01

    An analytical model is developed to assign regional freight across a multimodal highway and railway network using geographic information systems. As part of the regional planning process, the model is an iterative procedure that assigns multimodal fr...

  6. A look at the ASEAN-NDI: building a regional health R&D innovation network.

    PubMed

    Montoya, Jaime C; Rebulanan, Carina L; Parungao, Nico Angelo C; Ramirez, Bernadette

    2014-01-01

    Globally, there are growing efforts to address diseases through the advancement in health research and development (R&D), strengthening of regional cooperation in science and technology (particularly on product discovery and development), and implementation of the World Health Assembly Resolution 61.21 (WHA61.21) on the Global Strategy and Plan of Action on Public Health, Innovation, and Intellectual Property (GSPA-PHI). As such, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is responding to this through the establishment of the ASEAN-Network for Drugs, Diagnostics, Vaccines, and Traditional Medicines Innovation (ASEAN-NDI). This is important in the ASEAN considering that infectious tropical diseases remain prevalent, emerging, and reemerging in the region. This paper looks into the evolution of the ASEAN-NDI from its inception in 2009, to how it is at present, and its plans to mitigate public health problems regionally and even globally.

  7. An evaluation of a professional learning network for computer science teachers

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cutts, Quintin; Robertson, Judy; Donaldson, Peter; O'Donnell, Laurie

    2017-01-01

    This paper describes and evaluates aspects of a professional development programme for existing CS teachers in secondary schools (PLAN C) which was designed to support teachers at a time of substantial curricular change. The paper's particular focus is on the formation of a teacher professional development network across several hundred teachers and a wide geographical area. Evidence from a series of observations and teacher surveys over a two-year period is analysed with respect to the project's programme theory in order to illustrate not only whether it worked as intended, by why. Results indicate that the PLAN C design has been successful in increasing teachers' professional confidence and appears to have catalysed powerful change in attitudes to learning. Presentation of challenging pedagogical content knowledge and conceptual frameworks, high-quality teacher-led professional dialogue, along with the space for reflection and classroom trials, triggered examination of the teachers' own current practices.

  8. A look at the ASEAN-NDI: building a regional health R&D innovation network

    PubMed Central

    2014-01-01

    Globally, there are growing efforts to address diseases through the advancement in health research and development (R&D), strengthening of regional cooperation in science and technology (particularly on product discovery and development), and implementation of the World Health Assembly Resolution 61.21 (WHA61.21) on the Global Strategy and Plan of Action on Public Health, Innovation, and Intellectual Property (GSPA-PHI). As such, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) is responding to this through the establishment of the ASEAN-Network for Drugs, Diagnostics, Vaccines, and Traditional Medicines Innovation (ASEAN-NDI). This is important in the ASEAN considering that infectious tropical diseases remain prevalent, emerging, and reemerging in the region. This paper looks into the evolution of the ASEAN-NDI from its inception in 2009, to how it is at present, and its plans to mitigate public health problems regionally and even globally. PMID:24834349

  9. Effects of the distribution density of a biomass combined heat and power plant network on heat utilisation efficiency in village-town systems.

    PubMed

    Zhang, Yifei; Kang, Jian

    2017-11-01

    The building of biomass combined heat and power (CHP) plants is an effective means of developing biomass energy because they can satisfy demands for winter heating and electricity consumption. The purpose of this study was to analyse the effect of the distribution density of a biomass CHP plant network on heat utilisation efficiency in a village-town system. The distribution density is determined based on the heat transmission threshold, and the heat utilisation efficiency is determined based on the heat demand distribution, heat output efficiency, and heat transmission loss. The objective of this study was to ascertain the optimal value for the heat transmission threshold using a multi-scheme comparison based on an analysis of these factors. To this end, a model of a biomass CHP plant network was built using geographic information system tools to simulate and generate three planning schemes with different heat transmission thresholds (6, 8, and 10 km) according to the heat demand distribution. The heat utilisation efficiencies of these planning schemes were then compared by calculating the gross power, heat output efficiency, and heat transmission loss of the biomass CHP plant for each scenario. This multi-scheme comparison yielded the following results: when the heat transmission threshold was low, the distribution density of the biomass CHP plant network was high and the biomass CHP plants tended to be relatively small. In contrast, when the heat transmission threshold was high, the distribution density of the network was low and the biomass CHP plants tended to be relatively large. When the heat transmission threshold was 8 km, the distribution density of the biomass CHP plant network was optimised for efficient heat utilisation. To promote the development of renewable energy sources, a planning scheme for a biomass CHP plant network that maximises heat utilisation efficiency can be obtained using the optimal heat transmission threshold and the nonlinearity coefficient for local roads. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. The Distributed Space Exploration Simulation (DSES)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Crues, Edwin Z.; Chung, Victoria I.; Blum, Mike G.; Bowman, James D.

    2007-01-01

    The paper describes the Distributed Space Exploration Simulation (DSES) Project, a research and development collaboration between NASA centers which focuses on the investigation and development of technologies, processes and integrated simulations related to the collaborative distributed simulation of complex space systems in support of NASA's Exploration Initiative. This paper describes the three major components of DSES: network infrastructure, software infrastructure and simulation development. In the network work area, DSES is developing a Distributed Simulation Network that will provide agency wide support for distributed simulation between all NASA centers. In the software work area, DSES is developing a collection of software models, tool and procedures that ease the burden of developing distributed simulations and provides a consistent interoperability infrastructure for agency wide participation in integrated simulation. Finally, for simulation development, DSES is developing an integrated end-to-end simulation capability to support NASA development of new exploration spacecraft and missions. This paper will present current status and plans for each of these work areas with specific examples of simulations that support NASA's exploration initiatives.

  11. Ocean Environmental Assessment and Adaptive Resource Management within the Framework of IOOS and CLEANER

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bonner, J.; Brezonik, P.; Clesceri, N.; Gouldman, C.; Jamail, R.; Zilkoski, D.

    2006-12-01

    The Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS), established through the efforts of the National Office for Integrated and Sustained Ocean Observations (Oceans.US) provides quality controlled data and information on a routine and continuous basis regarding current and future states of the oceans and Great Lakes at scales from global ocean basins to coastal ecosystems. The seven societal goals of IOOS are outlined in this paper. The Engineering and Geosciences Directorates at the National Science Foundation (NSF) are collaborating in planning the WATERS (WATer Environmental Research System) Network, an outgrowth of earlier, separate initiatives of the two directorates: CLEANER (Collaborative Large-scale Engineering Analysis Network for Environmental Research) and Hydrologic Observatories. WATERS Network is being developed by engineers and scientists in the academic community who recognize the need for an observation and research network to enable better understanding of human-dominated water-environments, their stressors, and the links between them. The WATERS Network model is based on a research framework anchored in a distributed, cyber-based network supporting: 1) data collection; 2) data aggregation; 3) analytical and exploratory tools; and 4) a computational environment supporting predictive modeling and policy analysis on water resource systems. Within IOOS, the U.S. coastal margin is divided into Regional Associations (RAs), organizational units that are conceptually linked through planned data collection and analysis activities for resolving fundamental coastal margin ecosystem questions and addressing RA concerns. Under the WATERS Network scheme, a Coastal Margin Regional Environmental System (RES) for coastal areas would be defined conceptually based on geomorphologic considerations of four major water bodies; Atlantic and Pacific Oceans, Gulf of Mexico, and Laurentian Great Lakes. Within this framework, each coastal margin would operate one or more local environmental field facilities (or observatories). Mutual coordination and collaboration would exist among these coasts through RES interactions based on a cyberinfrastructure supporting all aspects of quantitative analysis. Because the U.S. Ocean Action Plan refers to the creation of a National Water Quality Monitoring Network, a close liaison between IOOS and WATERS Network could be mutually advantageous considering the shared visions, goals and objectives. A focus on activities and initiatives involving sensor and sensor networks for coastal margin observation and assessment would be a specific instance of this liaison, leveraging the infrastructural base of both organizations to maximize resource allocation. This coordinated venture with intelligent environmental systems would include new specialized coastal monitoring networks, and management of near-real-time data, including data assimilation models. An ongoing NSF planning grant aimed at environmental observatory design for coastal margins is a component of the broader WATERS Network planning for collaborative research to support adaptive and sustainable environmental management. We propose a collaborative framework between IOOS and WATERS Network wherein collaborative research will be enabled by cybernetworks to support adaptive and sustainable management of the coastal regions.

  12. Forecasting PM10 in metropolitan areas: Efficacy of neural networks.

    PubMed

    Fernando, H J S; Mammarella, M C; Grandoni, G; Fedele, P; Di Marco, R; Dimitrova, R; Hyde, P

    2012-04-01

    Deterministic photochemical air quality models are commonly used for regulatory management and planning of urban airsheds. These models are complex, computer intensive, and hence are prohibitively expensive for routine air quality predictions. Stochastic methods are becoming increasingly popular as an alternative, which relegate decision making to artificial intelligence based on Neural Networks that are made of artificial neurons or 'nodes' capable of 'learning through training' via historic data. A Neural Network was used to predict particulate matter concentration at a regulatory monitoring site in Phoenix, Arizona; its development, efficacy as a predictive tool and performance vis-à-vis a commonly used regulatory photochemical model are described in this paper. It is concluded that Neural Networks are much easier, quicker and economical to implement without compromising the accuracy of predictions. Neural Networks can be used to develop rapid air quality warning systems based on a network of automated monitoring stations. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Restoration of services in disrupted infrastructure systems: A network science approach.

    PubMed

    Ulusan, Aybike; Ergun, Ozlem

    2018-01-01

    Due to the ubiquitous nature of disruptive extreme events, functionality of the critical infrastructure systems (CIS) is constantly at risk. In case of a disruption, in order to minimize the negative impact to the society, service networks operating on the CIS should be restored as quickly as possible. In this paper, we introduce a novel network science inspired measure to quantify the criticality of components within a disrupted service network and develop a restoration heuristic (Cent-Restore) that prioritizes restoration efforts based on this measure. As an illustrative case study, we consider a road network blocked by debris in the aftermath of a natural disaster. The debris obstructs the flow of relief aid and search-and-rescue teams between critical facilities and disaster sites, debilitating the emergency service network. In this context, the problem is defined as finding a schedule to clear the roads with the limited resources. First, we develop a mixed-integer programming model for the problem. Then we validate the efficiency and accuracy of the Cent-Restore heuristic on randomly generated instances by comparing it to the model. Furthermore, we use Cent-Restore to recommend real-time restoration plans for disrupted road networks of Boston and Manhattan and analyze the performance of the plans over time through resilience curves. We compare Cent-Restore to the current restoration guidelines proposed by FEMA and other strategies that prioritize the restoration efforts based on different measures. As a result we confirm the importance of including specific post-disruption attributes of the networks to create effective restoration strategies. Moreover, we explore the relationship between a service network's resilience and its topological and operational characteristics under different disruption scenarios. The methods and insights provided in this work can be extended to other disrupted large-scale critical infrastructure systems in which the ultimate goal is to enable the functions of the overlaying service networks.

  14. A network approach to policy framing: A case study of the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan.

    PubMed

    Browne, Jennifer; de Leeuw, Evelyne; Gleeson, Deborah; Adams, Karen; Atkinson, Petah; Hayes, Rick

    2017-01-01

    Aboriginal health policy in Australia represents a unique policy subsystem comprising a diverse network of Aboriginal-specific and "mainstream" organisations, often with competing interests. This paper describes the network structure of organisations attempting to influence national Aboriginal health policy and examines how the different subgroups within the network approached the policy discourse. Public submissions made as part of a policy development process for the National Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Plan were analysed using a novel combination of network analysis and qualitative framing analysis. Other organisational actors in the network in each submission were identified, and relationships between them determined; these were used to generate a network map depicting the ties between actors. A qualitative framing analysis was undertaken, using inductive coding of the policy discourses in the submissions. The frames were overlaid with the network map to identify the relationship between the structure of the network and the way in which organisations framed Aboriginal health problems. Aboriginal organisations were central to the network and strongly connected with each other. The network consisted of several densely connected subgroups, whose central nodes were closely connected to one another. Each subgroup deployed a particular policy frame, with a frame of "system dysfunction" also adopted by all but one subgroup. Analysis of submissions revealed that many of the stakeholders in Aboriginal health policy actors are connected to one another. These connections help to drive the policy discourse. The combination of network and framing analysis illuminates competing interests within a network, and can assist advocacy organisations to identify which network members are most influential. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  15. An ecological approach to seeking and utilising the views of young people with intellectual disabilities in transition planning.

    PubMed

    Small, Neil; Raghavan, Raghu; Pawson, Nicole

    2013-12-01

    Transition planning using a person-centred approach has, in the main, failed to shape service provision. We offer an alternative based on an ecological understanding of human development linked to public health approaches that prioritise whole system planning. A total of 43 young people with intellectual disabilities, in Bradford, England, who were approaching transition from school or college were recruited to a qualitative study. Their ethnic breakdown was as follows: 16 white British, 24 Pakistani, 2 Bangladeshi and 1 Black African. Each young person was interviewed twice, at recruitment and a year later, to observe any changes in their social networks during transition. Interviews were undertaken with a semi-structured interview schedule and with the pictorial approach of Talking Mats. Both the networks the young people live within, and their sense of what the future might hold for them, are described and linked to Bronfenbrenner's ecological model of human development. The importance of the family and school is emphasised, as is the absence of engagement in leisure activities and work. Transition planning needs to start with mapping the systems individuals live within, areas of strength should be supported and parts of the system, which are not fit for purpose for these young people, should be prioritised for interventions.

  16. Access to Accredited Cancer Hospitals Within Federal Exchange Plans Under the Affordable Care Act

    PubMed Central

    Liao, Kai-Ping; Krause, Trudy M.; Giordano, Sharon H.

    2017-01-01

    Purpose The Affordable Care Act expanded access to health insurance in the United States, but concerns have arisen about access to specialized cancer care within narrow provider networks. To characterize the scope and potential impact of this problem, we assessed rates of inclusion of Commission on Cancer (CoC) –accredited hospitals and National Cancer Institute (NCI) –designated cancer centers within federal exchange networks. Methods We downloaded publicly available machine-readable network data and public use files for individual federal exchange plans from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services for the 2016 enrollment year. We linked this information to National Provider Identifier data, identified a set of distinct provider networks, and assessed the rates of inclusion of CoC-accredited hospitals and NCI-designated centers. We measured variation in these rates according to geography, plan type, and metal level. Results Of 4,058 unique individual plans, network data were available for 3,637 (90%); hospital information was available for 3,531 (87%). Provider lists for these plans reduced into 295 unique networks for analysis. Ninety-five percent of networks included at least one CoC-accredited hospital, but just 41% of networks included NCI-designated centers. States and counties each varied substantially in the proportion of networks listed that included NCI-designated centers (range, 0% to 100%). The proportion of networks that included NCI-designated centers also varied by plan type (range, 31% for health maintenance organizations to 49% for preferred provider organizations; P = .04) but not by metal level. Conclusion A large majority of federal exchange networks contain CoC-accredited hospitals, but most do not contain NCI-designated cancer centers. These results will inform policy regarding access to cancer care, and they reinforce the importance of promoting access to clinical trials and specialized care through community sites. PMID:28068172

  17. Medan City: Informality and the Historical Global City

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Sudarmadji, N.; Tyaghita, B.; Astuti, P. T.; Etleen, D.

    2018-05-01

    As projected by UN that two-thirds of Indonesia’s population will live in urban areas by 2050, rapid urbanization is happening in Indonesian cities. Initial research on eight Indonesian Cities (which includes Medan, Jatinegara, Bandung, Surakarta, Yogyakarta, Surabaya, Balikpapan, and Manado) by Tunas Nusa Foundation since 2012 shows that urbanization of each city has happened throughout history creating cultural, economic, and environmental networks that are distinct from one city to another. While the networks remain until today and continuously shapes the urban agglomeration pattern, not all parts of the city could undergo subsequent development that confirms the existing pattern, leading to the creation informality. Nor could it make future planning that comprehends the nature of its integrated urban dynamic beyond its current administrative authority. In this paper, we would like to share our study for Medan, North Sumatra as it shows a portrait of a city with a long relationship to a global network since the Maritime trade era. Medan has become home to many ethnic groups which have sailed and migrated as part of a global economic agenda creating a strong economic network between port cities along the Malacca Strait. The city has kept its role in the global economic network until today, to name a few, becoming the frontier for the Indonesia-Malaysia-Thailand Growth Triangle. While we celebrate Medan’s potential to become a global city with major infrastructure development as well as cultural assets as its advantage in the future, we argue that microscale cohesion supported by government policy in agreed planning documents are fundamental for the city to thrive amidst the challenges it is facing. Yet, these cultural assets, as well as micro scale cohesion in Medan City today, are still undermined. Thus, informality in Medan exists as result of ignorance and marginalization of certain socio-cultural groups, abandoning places and identity, as well as the marginalization of small economic and transactions. The hypothesis is that the informality within an urban network and the agglomeration pattern in Medan today are evidence of external stimulation in combination with limited micro scale cohesion built throughout history. Using historical timeline analysis, we would like to identify the informality in an urban network and its relation to history. The aim is to understand the fabric of Medan city made by the trans-cultural-economical and environmental network. This study is expected to give the foundation of Medan’s character as the basis of her peoples’ livelihood and for a better planning/development in the future.

  18. TRANSMISSION NETWORK PLANNING METHOD FOR COMPARATIVE STUDIES (JOURNAL VERSION)

    EPA Science Inventory

    An automated transmission network planning method for comparative studies is presented. This method employs logical steps that may closely parallel those taken in practice by the planning engineers. Use is made of a sensitivity matrix to simulate the engineers' experience in sele...

  19. From multifunctionality to multiple ecosystem services? A conceptual framework for multifunctionality in green infrastructure planning for urban areas.

    PubMed

    Hansen, Rieke; Pauleit, Stephan

    2014-05-01

    Green infrastructure (GI) and ecosystem services (ES) are promoted as concepts that have potential to improve environmental planning in urban areas based on a more holistic understanding of the complex interrelations and dynamics of social-ecological systems. However, the scientific discourses around both concepts still lack application-oriented frameworks that consider such a holistic perspective and are suitable to mainstream GI and ES in planning practice. This literature review explores how multifunctionality as one important principle of GI planning can be operationalized by approaches developed and tested in ES research. Specifically, approaches developed in ES research can help to assess the integrity of GI networks, balance ES supply and demand, and consider trade-offs. A conceptual framework for the assessment of multifunctionality from a social-ecological perspective is proposed that can inform the design of planning processes and support stronger exchange between GI and ES research.

  20. Improving chronic care delivery and outcomes: the impact of the cystic fibrosis Care Center Network.

    PubMed

    Mogayzel, Peter J; Dunitz, Jordan; Marrow, Laura C; Hazle, Leslie A

    2014-04-01

    Cystic fibrosis (CF) is a multisystem, life-shortening genetic disease that requires complex care. To facilitate this expert, multidisciplinary care, the CF Foundation established a Care Center Network and accredited the first care centres in 1961. This model of care brings together physicians and specialists from other disciplines to provide care, facilitate basic and clinical research, and educate the next generation of providers. Although the Care Center Network has been invaluable in achieving substantial gains in survival and quality of life, additional opportunities for improvements in CF care exist. In 1999, analysis of data from the CF Foundation's Patient Registry detected variation in care practices and outcomes across centres, identifying opportunities for improvement. In 2002, the CF Foundation launched a comprehensive quality improvement (QI) initiative to enhance care by assembling national experts to develop a strategic plan to disseminate QI training and processes throughout the Care Center Network. The QI strategies included developing leadership (nationally and within each care centre), identifying best CF care practices, and incorporating people with CF and their families into improvement efforts. The goal was to improve the care for every person with CF in the USA. Multiple tactics were undertaken to implement the strategic plan and disseminate QI training and tools throughout the Care Center Network. In addition, strategies to foster collaboration between care centre staff and individuals with CF and their families became a cornerstone of QI efforts. Today it is clear that the application of QI principles within the CF Care Center Network has improved adherence to clinical guidelines and achievement of important health outcomes.

  1. Building a Governance Strategy for CER: The Patient Outcomes Research to Advance Learning (PORTAL) Network Experience

    PubMed Central

    Paolino, Andrea R.; McGlynn, Elizabeth A.; Lieu, Tracy; Nelson, Andrew F.; Prausnitz, Stephanie; Horberg, Michael A.; Arterburn, David E.; Gould, Michael K.; Laws, Reesa L.; Steiner, John F.

    2016-01-01

    Introduction: The Patient Outcomes Research to Advance Learning (PORTAL) Network was established with funding from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) in 2014. The PORTAL team adapted governance structures and processes from past research network collaborations. We will review and outline the structures and processes of the PORTAL governance approach and describe how proactively focusing on priority areas helped us to facilitate an ambitious research agenda. Background: For years a variety of funders have supported large-scale infrastructure grants to promote the use of clinical datasets to answer important comparative effectiveness research (CER) questions. These awards have provided the impetus for health care systems to join forces in creating clinical data research networks. Often, these scientific networks do not develop governance processes proactively or systematically, and address issues only as problems arise. Even if network leaders and collaborators foresee the need to develop governance approaches, they may underestimate the time and effort required to develop sound processes. The resulting delays can impede research progress. Innovation: Because the PORTAL sites had built trust and a foundation of collaboration by participating with one another in past research networks, essential elements of effective governance such as guiding principles, decision making processes, project governance, data governance, and stakeholders in governance were familiar to PORTAL investigators. This trust and familiarity enabled the network to rapidly prioritize areas that required sound governance approaches: responding to new research opportunities, creating a culture of trust and collaboration, conducting individual studies, within the broader network, assigning responsibility and credit to scientific investigators, sharing data while protecting privacy/security, and allocating resources. The PORTAL Governance Document, complete with a Toolkit of Appendices is included for reference and for adaptation by other networks. Credibility: As a result of identifying project-based governance priorities (IRB approval, subcontracting, selection of new research including lead PI and participating sites, and authorship) and data governance priorities (reciprocal data use agreement, analytic plan procedures, and other tools for data governance), PORTAL established most of its governance structure by Month 6 of the 18 month project. This allowed science to progress and collaborators to experience first-hand how the structures and procedures functioned in the remaining 12 months of the project, leaving ample time to refine them and to develop new structures or processes as necessary. Discussion: The use of procedures and processes with which participating investigators and their home institutions were already familiar allowed project and regulatory requirements to be established quickly to protect patients, their data, and the health care systems that act as stewards for both. As the project progressed, PORTAL was able to test and adjust the structures it put place, and to make substantive revisions by Month 17. As a result, priority processes have been predictable, transparent and effective. Conclusion/Next steps: Strong governance practices are a stewardship responsibility of research networks to justify the trust of patients, health plan members, health care delivery organizations, and other stakeholders. Well-planned governance can reduce the time necessary to initiate the scientific activities of a network, a particular concern when the time frame to complete research is short. Effective network and data governance structures protect patient and institutional data as well as the interests of investigators and their institutions, and assures that the network has built an environment to meet the goals of the research. PMID:27141524

  2. Building a Governance Strategy for CER: The Patient Outcomes Research to Advance Learning (PORTAL) Network Experience.

    PubMed

    Paolino, Andrea R; McGlynn, Elizabeth A; Lieu, Tracy; Nelson, Andrew F; Prausnitz, Stephanie; Horberg, Michael A; Arterburn, David E; Gould, Michael K; Laws, Reesa L; Steiner, John F

    2016-01-01

    The Patient Outcomes Research to Advance Learning (PORTAL) Network was established with funding from the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) in 2014. The PORTAL team adapted governance structures and processes from past research network collaborations. We will review and outline the structures and processes of the PORTAL governance approach and describe how proactively focusing on priority areas helped us to facilitate an ambitious research agenda. For years a variety of funders have supported large-scale infrastructure grants to promote the use of clinical datasets to answer important comparative effectiveness research (CER) questions. These awards have provided the impetus for health care systems to join forces in creating clinical data research networks. Often, these scientific networks do not develop governance processes proactively or systematically, and address issues only as problems arise. Even if network leaders and collaborators foresee the need to develop governance approaches, they may underestimate the time and effort required to develop sound processes. The resulting delays can impede research progress. Because the PORTAL sites had built trust and a foundation of collaboration by participating with one another in past research networks, essential elements of effective governance such as guiding principles, decision making processes, project governance, data governance, and stakeholders in governance were familiar to PORTAL investigators. This trust and familiarity enabled the network to rapidly prioritize areas that required sound governance approaches: responding to new research opportunities, creating a culture of trust and collaboration, conducting individual studies, within the broader network, assigning responsibility and credit to scientific investigators, sharing data while protecting privacy/security, and allocating resources. The PORTAL Governance Document, complete with a Toolkit of Appendices is included for reference and for adaptation by other networks. As a result of identifying project-based governance priorities (IRB approval, subcontracting, selection of new research including lead PI and participating sites, and authorship) and data governance priorities (reciprocal data use agreement, analytic plan procedures, and other tools for data governance), PORTAL established most of its governance structure by Month 6 of the 18 month project. This allowed science to progress and collaborators to experience first-hand how the structures and procedures functioned in the remaining 12 months of the project, leaving ample time to refine them and to develop new structures or processes as necessary. The use of procedures and processes with which participating investigators and their home institutions were already familiar allowed project and regulatory requirements to be established quickly to protect patients, their data, and the health care systems that act as stewards for both. As the project progressed, PORTAL was able to test and adjust the structures it put place, and to make substantive revisions by Month 17. As a result, priority processes have been predictable, transparent and effective. Strong governance practices are a stewardship responsibility of research networks to justify the trust of patients, health plan members, health care delivery organizations, and other stakeholders. Well-planned governance can reduce the time necessary to initiate the scientific activities of a network, a particular concern when the time frame to complete research is short. Effective network and data governance structures protect patient and institutional data as well as the interests of investigators and their institutions, and assures that the network has built an environment to meet the goals of the research.

  3. United States National seismograph network

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Masse, R.P.; Filson, J.R.; Murphy, A.

    1989-01-01

    The USGS National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) has planned and is developing a broadband digital seismograph network for the United States. The network will consist of approximately 150 seismograph stations distributed across the contiguous 48 states and across Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands. Data transmission will be via two-way satellite telemetry from the network sites to a central recording facility at the NEIC in Golden, Colorado. The design goal for the network is the on-scale recording by at least five well-distributed stations of any seismic event of magnitude 2.5 or greater in all areas of the United States except possibly part of Alaska. All event data from the network will be distributed to the scientific community on compact disc with read-only memory (CD-ROM). ?? 1989.

  4. A Planning Guide for Instructional Networks, Part II.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Daly, Kevin F.

    1994-01-01

    This second in a series of articles on planning for instructional computer networks focuses on site preparation, installation, service, and support. Highlights include an implementation schedule; classroom and computer lab layouts; electrical power needs; workstations; network cable; telephones; furniture; climate control; and security. (LRW)

  5. Mapping a sensory-motor network onto a structural and functional ground plan in the hindbrain.

    PubMed

    Koyama, Minoru; Kinkhabwala, Amina; Satou, Chie; Higashijima, Shin-ichi; Fetcho, Joseph

    2011-01-18

    The hindbrain of larval zebrafish contains a relatively simple ground plan in which the neurons throughout it are arranged into stripes that represent broad neuronal classes that differ in transmitter identity, morphology, and transcription factor expression. Within the stripes, neurons are stacked continuously according to age as well as structural and functional properties, such as axonal extent, input resistance, and the speed at which they are recruited during movements. Here we address the question of how particular networks among the many different sensory-motor networks in hindbrain arise from such an orderly plan. We use a combination of transgenic lines and pairwise patch recording to identify excitatory and inhibitory interneurons in the hindbrain network for escape behaviors initiated by the Mauthner cell. We map this network onto the ground plan to show that an individual hindbrain network is built by drawing components in predictable ways from the underlying broad patterning of cell types stacked within stripes according to their age and structural and functional properties. Many different specialized hindbrain networks may arise similarly from a simple early patterning.

  6. Integration of Hierarchical Goal Network Planning and Autonomous Path Planning

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2016-03-01

    Conference on Robotics and Automation (ICRA); 2010 May 3– 7; Anchorage, AK. p. 2902–2908. 4. Ayan NF, Kuter U, Yaman F, Goldman RP. Hotride...DISTRIBUTION/AVAILABILITY STATEMENT Approved for public release; distribution unlimited. 13. SUPPLEMENTARY NOTES 14. ABSTRACT Automated planning has...world robotic systems. This report documents work to integrate a hierarchical goal network planning algorithm with low-level path planning. The system

  7. Regional approach to building operational level capacity for disaster planning: the case of the Eastern Africa region.

    PubMed

    Bazeyo, W; Mayega, R W; Orach, G C; Kiguli, J; Mamuya, S; Tabu, J S; Sena, L; Rugigana, E; Mapatano, M; Lewy, D; Mock, N; Burnham, G; Keim, M; Killewo, J

    2013-06-01

    The Eastern Africa region is regularly affected by a variety of disasters ranging from drought, to human conflict and population displacement. The magnitude of emergencies and response capacities is similar across the region. In order to strengthen public health disaster management capacities at the operational level in six countries of the Eastern Africa region, the USAID-funded leadership project worked through the HEALTH Alliance, a network of seven schools of public health from six countries in the region to train district-level teams. To develop a sustainable regional approach to building operational level capacity for disaster planning. This project was implemented through a higher education leadership initiative. Project activities were spear-headed by a network of Deans and Directors of public health schools within local universities in the Eastern Africa region. The leadership team envisioned a district-oriented systems change strategy. Pre-service and in-service curricula were developed regionally and district teams were formed to attend short training courses. Project activities began with a situational analysis of the disaster management capacity at national and operational levels. The next steps were chronologically the formation of country training teams and training of trainers, the development of a regional disaster management training curriculum and training materials, the cascading of training activities in the region, and the incorporation of emerging issues into the training curriculum. An evaluation model included the analysis of preparedness impact of the training program. The output from the district teams was the creation of individual district-level disaster plans and their implementation. This 4-year project focused on building operational level public health emergency response capacity, which had not previously been part of any national program. Use of the all-hazard approach rather than a scenario-based contingency planning led to the development of a standardized curriculum for training both in-service and pre-service personnel. Materials developed during the implementation phases of the project have been incorporated into public health graduate curricula in the seven schools. This systems-based strategy resulted in demonstrable outcomes related to district preparedness and university engagement in disaster management. University partnerships are an effective method to build district-level disaster planning capacity. Use of a regional network created a standardized approach across six countries.

  8. Acquisition Planning at the Defense Communications Agency.

    DTIC Science & Technology

    1984-04-01

    guidelines for interaction are developed under the leadership of DCA agencywide integrators with the participation of personnel from DCA, the Services...Communications System DCSO - Defense Communications System Organizatin . DDN - Defense Data Network DEC - Decision Making DG - Defense Guidance DIA - Defense

  9. Annual Progress Report, 1975. Southern Rural Development Center, Mississippi State University. SRDC Series Publication No. 10.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Southern Rural Development Center, State College, MS.

    Included in this second annual report on the Southern Rural Development Center's (SRDC) 1974-75 plan of work are data re: orientation visits; regional workshops; technical consultants; liaison with regional agencies and organizations; information dissemination; annual evaluation; functional networks in the areas of land use issues, citizen…

  10. Development of Mobile Communications in Slovenia: Looking to the Future Global Information (Mobile/Internet) Society.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Simonic, Tomaz; Mlinar, Tomi

    2000-01-01

    Discusses the planning and provision of mobile communications in Slovenia and suggests areas that will be developed in the future. Topics include the global mobile market; digital mobile networks; evolution from voice to multimedia services; wireless application protocol; the Internet; general packet radio service; and universal mobile…

  11. Organizing Self-Employment Programs: A Guide for Development Organizations.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Rinehart, Eric L., Ed.; Lamb, Melissa, Ed.

    This resource guide is intended to help communities that want to implement an entrepreneurship training program. Chapters I and II contain general advice for the planning process, such as how to assess need and community support, assess current services for entrepreneurs, select target clientele, develop a community support network, and identify…

  12. POLARIS: Agent-based modeling framework development and implementation for integrated travel demand and network and operations simulations

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

    Auld, Joshua; Hope, Michael; Ley, Hubert

    This paper discusses the development of an agent-based modelling software development kit, and the implementation and validation of a model using it that integrates dynamic simulation of travel demand, network supply and network operations. A description is given of the core utilities in the kit: a parallel discrete event engine, interprocess exchange engine, and memory allocator, as well as a number of ancillary utilities: visualization library, database IO library, and scenario manager. The overall framework emphasizes the design goals of: generality, code agility, and high performance. This framework allows the modeling of several aspects of transportation system that are typicallymore » done with separate stand-alone software applications, in a high-performance and extensible manner. The issue of integrating such models as dynamic traffic assignment and disaggregate demand models has been a long standing issue for transportation modelers. The integrated approach shows a possible way to resolve this difficulty. The simulation model built from the POLARIS framework is a single, shared-memory process for handling all aspects of the integrated urban simulation. The resulting gains in computational efficiency and performance allow planning models to be extended to include previously separate aspects of the urban system, enhancing the utility of such models from the planning perspective. Initial tests with case studies involving traffic management center impacts on various network events such as accidents, congestion and weather events, show the potential of the system.« less

  13. Transportation Network Role for Central Italy Macroregion Development in a Territorial Frames Model Based

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Di Ludovico, Donato; D'Ovidio, Gino

    2017-10-01

    This paper refers to an interdisciplinary planning research approach that aims to combine urban aspects related to a territorial spatial development with transport requirements connected to an efficiency and sustainable mobility. The proposed research method is based on “Territorial Frames” (TFs) model that derived from an original interpretation of the local context divided into a summation of territorial settlement fabrics characterized in terms of spatial tile, morphology and mobility axes. The TFs, with their own autonomous, different size and structure, are used as the main plot, able to assemble the settlement systems and their posturbane forms. With a view to polycentric and spatial development, the research method allows us to analyse the completeness of the TFs and their connective potential, in order to locate the missing/inefficient elements of the transportation network and planning other TFs essential to support economic and social development processes of the most isolated and disadvantaged inland areas. Finally, a case study of the Italian Median Macroregion configuration based on TFs model approach is proposed, analysed and discussed.

  14. Impact Factors and Risk Analysis of Tropical Cyclones on a Highway Network.

    PubMed

    Yang, Saini; Hu, Fuyu; Jaeger, Carlo

    2016-02-01

    Coastal areas typically have high social and economic development and are likely to suffer huge losses due to tropical cyclones. These cyclones have a great impact on the transportation network, but there have been a limited number of studies about tropical-cyclone-induced transportation network functional damages, especially in Asia. This study develops an innovative measurement and analytical tool for highway network functional damage and risk in the context of a tropical cyclone, with which we explored the critical spatial characteristics of tropical cyclones with regard to functional damage to a highway network by developing linear regression models to quantify their relationship. Furthermore, we assessed the network's functional risk and calculated the return periods under different damage levels. In our analyses, we consider the real-world highway network of Hainan province, China. Our results illustrate that the most important spatial characteristics were location (in particular, the midlands), travel distance, landfalling status, and origin coordinates. However, the trajectory direction did not obviously affect the results. Our analyses indicate that the highway network of Hainan province may suffer from a 90% functional damage scenario every 4.28 years. These results have critical policy implications for the transport sector in reference to emergency planning and disaster reduction. © 2015 Society for Risk Analysis.

  15. Evaluating the balanced scorecard at the University Health Network: an impact assessment.

    PubMed

    Young, Justin; Bell, Robert; Khalfan, Adil; Lindquist, Evert

    2008-01-01

    The balanced scorecard (BSC) has become increasing popular in healthcare organizations. A recent study conducted at the University Health Network in Toronto explored the extent to which the BSC has focused and aligned various organizational units and departments around shared goals and objectives. The evaluation also assessed the BSC's impact on front-line staff and how the development and rollout of the BSC should be modified in the next planning iteration.

  16. Computer graphics testbed to simulate and test vision systems for space applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cheatham, John B.

    1991-01-01

    Artificial intelligence concepts are applied to robotics. Artificial neural networks, expert systems and laser imaging techniques for autonomous space robots are being studied. A computer graphics laser range finder simulator developed by Wu has been used by Weiland and Norwood to study use of artificial neural networks for path planning and obstacle avoidance. Interest is expressed in applications of CLIPS, NETS, and Fuzzy Control. These applications are applied to robot navigation.

  17. Comparative analysis of the application of different Low Power Wide Area Network technologies in power grid

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Wang, Hao; Sui, Hong; Liao, Xing; Li, Junhao

    2018-03-01

    Low Power Wide Area Network (LPWAN) technologies developed rapidly in recent years, but the application principle of different LPWAN technologies in power grid is still not clear. This paper gives a comparative analysis of two mainstream LPWAN technologies including NB-IoT and LoRa, and gives an application suggestion of these two LPWAN technologies, which can guide the planning and construction of LPWAN in power grid.

  18. The EMBRACE Magnetometer Network in South America: Network Description and Firsts Results

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Denardini, Clezio Marcos

    We present the new EMBRACE Magnetometer Network in South America, which so far is planned to cover most of the Easter Southern American longitudinal sector deploying magnetometer in several locations. We discuss the purpose and scientific goals of the network, associated with the Low- and Mid-Latitude Ionospheric Currents and Space Weather. We provide details on the instrumentation, the inter-calibration procedure, and installations of equipments already installed. In addition, we present and discuss details on the data storage, near-real time display and availability. Finally, we provide some of the first results we already achieved from this network, including the development of new real time magnetic regional indices for South America. Contacting Author: C. M. Denardini (clezio.denardin@inpe.br)

  19. Passenger flow analysis of Beijing urban rail transit network using fractal approach

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Xiaohong; Chen, Peiwen; Chen, Feng; Wang, Zijia

    2018-04-01

    To quantify the spatiotemporal distribution of passenger flow and the characteristics of an urban rail transit network, we introduce four radius fractal dimensions and two branch fractal dimensions by combining a fractal approach with passenger flow assignment model. These fractal dimensions can numerically describe the complexity of passenger flow in the urban rail transit network and its change characteristics. Based on it, we establish a fractal quantification method to measure the fractal characteristics of passenger follow in the rail transit network. Finally, we validate the reasonability of our proposed method by using the actual data of Beijing subway network. It has been shown that our proposed method can effectively measure the scale-free range of the urban rail transit network, network development and the fractal characteristics of time-varying passenger flow, which further provides a reference for network planning and analysis of passenger flow.

  20. The Effects of a Dynamic Spectrum Access Overlay in LTE-Advanced Networks

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

    Juan D. Deaton; Ryan E. lrwin; Luiz A. DaSilva

    As early as 2014, wireless network operators spectral capacity will be overwhelmed by a data tsunami brought on by new devices and applications. To augment spectral capacity, operators could deploy a Dynamic Spectrum Access (DSA) overlay. In the light of the many planned Long Term Evolution (LTE) network deployments, the affects of a DSA overlay have not been fully considered into the existing LTE standards. Coalescing many different aspects of DSA, this paper develops the Spectrum Accountability (SA) framework. The SA framework defines specific network element functionality, protocol interfaces, and signaling flow diagrams for LTE to support service requests andmore » enforce rights of responsibilities of primary and secondary users, respectively. We also include a network simulation to quantify the benefits of using DSA channels to augment capacity. Based on our simulation we show that, network operators can benefit up to %40 increase in operating capacity when sharing DSA bands to augment spectral capacity. With our framework, this paper could serve as an guide in developing future LTE network standards that include DSA.« less

  1. The Development of the National Library System on the Basis of the German Democratic Republic's Social Development.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schumann, Wolfgang; Schwarz, Gerhard

    This historical review considers the rise of the German Democratic Republic's (GDR) system of libraries since its inception in 1945. Sections detail the following: (1) background; (2) tasks of the state organs in the development of the library network, with attention to legislation, planning, and management of the system; (3) role of the GDR…

  2. Integration of Watershed Model AnnAGNPS and Stream Network Model CCHE1D for the Development of a New GIS-Based BMP Planning Tool

    USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

    This paper presents a new GIS-based Best Management Practice (BMP) Tool developed for watershed managers to assist in the decision making process by simulating various scenarios using various combinations of Best Management Practices (BMPs). The development of this BMPTool is based on the integratio...

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

    Hurlbut, David; Zhou, Ella; Bird, Lori

    A strategically planned transmission network is an important source of flexibility for the integration of large-scale renewable energy (RE). Such a network can offer access to a broad geographic diversity of resources, which can reduce flexibility needs and facilitate sharing between neighboring balancing areas. This report builds on two previous NREL technical reports - Advancing System Flexibility for High Penetration Renewable Integration (Milligan et al. 2015) and 'Renewables-Friendly' Grid Development Strategies (Hurlbut et al. 2015) - which discuss various flexibility options and provide an overview of U.S. market models and grid planning. This report focuses on addressing issues with cross-regional/provincialmore » transmission in China with the aim of integrating renewable resources that are concentrated in remote areas and require inter-regional/provincial power exchange.« less

  4. The development and implementation of MOSAIQ Integration Platform (MIP) based on the radiotherapy workflow

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yang, Xin; He, Zhen-yu; Jiang, Xiao-bo; Lin, Mao-sheng; Zhong, Ning-shan; Hu, Jiang; Qi, Zhen-yu; Bao, Yong; Li, Qiao-qiao; Li, Bao-yue; Hu, Lian-ying; Lin, Cheng-guang; Gao, Yuan-hong; Liu, Hui; Huang, Xiao-yan; Deng, Xiao-wu; Xia, Yun-fei; Liu, Meng-zhong; Sun, Ying

    2017-03-01

    To meet the special demands in China and the particular needs for the radiotherapy department, a MOSAIQ Integration Platform CHN (MIP) based on the workflow of radiation therapy (RT) has been developed, as a supplement system to the Elekta MOSAIQ. The MIP adopts C/S (client-server) structure mode, and its database is based on the Treatment Planning System (TPS) and MOSAIQ SQL Server 2008, running on the hospital local network. Five network servers, as a core hardware, supply data storage and network service based on the cloud services. The core software, using C# programming language, is developed based on Microsoft Visual Studio Platform. The MIP server could offer network service, including entry, query, statistics and print information for about 200 workstations at the same time. The MIP was implemented in the past one and a half years, and some practical patient-oriented functions were developed. And now the MIP is almost covering the whole workflow of radiation therapy. There are 15 function modules, such as: Notice, Appointment, Billing, Document Management (application/execution), System Management, and so on. By June of 2016, recorded data in the MIP are as following: 13546 patients, 13533 plan application, 15475 RT records, 14656 RT summaries, 567048 billing records and 506612 workload records, etc. The MIP based on the RT workflow has been successfully developed and clinically implemented with real-time performance, data security, stable operation. And it is demonstrated to be user-friendly and is proven to significantly improve the efficiency of the department. It is a key to facilitate the information sharing and department management. More functions can be added or modified for further enhancement its potentials in research and clinical practice.

  5. Location and Size Planning of Distributed Photovoltaic Generation in Distribution network System Based on K-means Clustering Analysis

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lu, Siqi; Wang, Xiaorong; Wu, Junyong

    2018-01-01

    The paper presents a method to generate the planning scenarios, which is based on K-means clustering analysis algorithm driven by data, for the location and size planning of distributed photovoltaic (PV) units in the network. Taken the power losses of the network, the installation and maintenance costs of distributed PV, the profit of distributed PV and the voltage offset as objectives and the locations and sizes of distributed PV as decision variables, Pareto optimal front is obtained through the self-adaptive genetic algorithm (GA) and solutions are ranked by a method called technique for order preference by similarity to an ideal solution (TOPSIS). Finally, select the planning schemes at the top of the ranking list based on different planning emphasis after the analysis in detail. The proposed method is applied to a 10-kV distribution network in Gansu Province, China and the results are discussed.

  6. Design and architecture of the Mars relay network planning and analysis framework

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cheung, K. M.; Lee, C. H.

    2002-01-01

    In this paper we describe the design and architecture of the Mars Network planning and analysis framework that supports generation and validation of efficient planning and scheduling strategy. The goals are to minimize the transmitting time, minimize the delaying time, and/or maximize the network throughputs. The proposed framework would require (1) a client-server architecture to support interactive, batch, WEB, and distributed analysis and planning applications for the relay network analysis scheme, (2) a high-fidelity modeling and simulation environment that expresses link capabilities between spacecraft to spacecraft and spacecraft to Earth stations as time-varying resources, and spacecraft activities, link priority, Solar System dynamic events, the laws of orbital mechanics, and other limiting factors as spacecraft power and thermal constraints, (3) an optimization methodology that casts the resource and constraint models into a standard linear and nonlinear constrained optimization problem that lends itself to commercial off-the-shelf (COTS)planning and scheduling algorithms.

  7. Low-Cost, Robust, Threat-Aware Wireless Sensor Network for Assuring the Nation's Energy Infrastructure

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

    Carols H. Rentel

    2007-03-31

    Eaton, in partnership with Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) has completed a project that applies a combination of wireless sensor network (WSN) technology, anticipatory theory, and a near-term value proposition based on diagnostics and process uptime to ensure the security and reliability of critical electrical power infrastructure. Representatives of several Eaton business units have been engaged to ensure a viable commercialization plan. Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), American Electric Power (AEP), PEPCO, and Commonwealth Edison were recruited as partners to confirm and refine the requirements definition from the perspective of the utilities that actually operatemore » the facilities to be protected. Those utilities have cooperated with on-site field tests as the project proceeds. Accomplishments of this project included: (1) the design, modeling, and simulation of the anticipatory wireless sensor network (A-WSN) that will be used to gather field information for the anticipatory application, (2) the design and implementation of hardware and software prototypes for laboratory and field experimentation, (3) stack and application integration, (4) develop installation and test plan, and (5) refinement of the commercialization plan.« less

  8. 78 FR 21648 - Consolidated Tape Association; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness of the Seventeenth...

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2013-04-11

    ... subscribers pay for Network B last sale information under the CTA Plan and for Network B quotation information under the CQ Plan into one monthly fee of $24.00 per device for both last sale information and quotation... both Plans was in 1995. The CTA Plan, pursuant to which markets collect and disseminate last sale price...

  9. Restoration of services in disrupted infrastructure systems: A network science approach

    PubMed Central

    Ergun, Ozlem

    2018-01-01

    Due to the ubiquitous nature of disruptive extreme events, functionality of the critical infrastructure systems (CIS) is constantly at risk. In case of a disruption, in order to minimize the negative impact to the society, service networks operating on the CIS should be restored as quickly as possible. In this paper, we introduce a novel network science inspired measure to quantify the criticality of components within a disrupted service network and develop a restoration heuristic (Cent-Restore) that prioritizes restoration efforts based on this measure. As an illustrative case study, we consider a road network blocked by debris in the aftermath of a natural disaster. The debris obstructs the flow of relief aid and search-and-rescue teams between critical facilities and disaster sites, debilitating the emergency service network. In this context, the problem is defined as finding a schedule to clear the roads with the limited resources. First, we develop a mixed-integer programming model for the problem. Then we validate the efficiency and accuracy of the Cent-Restore heuristic on randomly generated instances by comparing it to the model. Furthermore, we use Cent-Restore to recommend real-time restoration plans for disrupted road networks of Boston and Manhattan and analyze the performance of the plans over time through resilience curves. We compare Cent-Restore to the current restoration guidelines proposed by FEMA and other strategies that prioritize the restoration efforts based on different measures. As a result we confirm the importance of including specific post-disruption attributes of the networks to create effective restoration strategies. Moreover, we explore the relationship between a service network’s resilience and its topological and operational characteristics under different disruption scenarios. The methods and insights provided in this work can be extended to other disrupted large-scale critical infrastructure systems in which the ultimate goal is to enable the functions of the overlaying service networks. PMID:29444191

  10. Strategies on the Implementation of China's Logistics Information Network

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Dong, Yahui; Li, Wei; Guo, Xuwen

    The economic globalization and trend of e-commerce network have determined that the logistics industry will be rapidly developed in the 21st century. In order to achieve the optimal allocation of resources, a worldwide rapid and sound customer service system should be established. The establishment of a corresponding modern logistics system is the inevitable choice of this requirement. It is also the inevitable choice for the development of modern logistics industry in China. The perfect combination of modern logistics and information network can better promote the development of the logistics industry. Through the analysis of Status of Logistics Industry in China, this paper summed up the domestic logistics enterprise logistics information system in the building of some common problems. According to logistics information systems planning methods and principles set out logistics information system to optimize the management model.

  11. Implementation of medical monitor system based on networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Yu, Hui; Cao, Yuzhen; Zhang, Lixin; Ding, Mingshi

    2006-11-01

    In this paper, the development trend of medical monitor system is analyzed and portable trend and network function become more and more popular among all kinds of medical monitor devices. The architecture of medical network monitor system solution is provided and design and implementation details of medical monitor terminal, monitor center software, distributed medical database and two kind of medical information terminal are especially discussed. Rabbit3000 system is used in medical monitor terminal to implement security administration of data transfer on network, human-machine interface, power management and DSP interface while DSP chip TMS5402 is used in signal analysis and data compression. Distributed medical database is designed for hospital center according to DICOM information model and HL7 standard. Pocket medical information terminal based on ARM9 embedded platform is also developed to interactive with center database on networks. Two kernels based on WINCE are customized and corresponding terminal software are developed for nurse's routine care and doctor's auxiliary diagnosis. Now invention patent of the monitor terminal is approved and manufacture and clinic test plans are scheduled. Applications for invention patent are also arranged for two medical information terminals.

  12. Bandwidth, Broadband, and Planning for Public Access

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Blowers, Helene

    2012-01-01

    Broadband and bandwidth allocation is an essential technology planning activity that libraries should address on a continual basis. There are five key factors that will impact your network's performance: 1. infrastructure, 2. network load, 3. workstation performance, 4. prioritization of services, and 5. network management. The author thinks it's…

  13. Distributed micro-releases of bioterror pathogens : threat characterizations and epidemiology from uncertain patient observables.

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

    Wolf, Michael M.; Marzouk, Youssef M.; Adams, Brian M.

    2008-10-01

    Terrorist attacks using an aerosolized pathogen preparation have gained credibility as a national security concern since the anthrax attacks of 2001. The ability to characterize the parameters of such attacks, i.e., to estimate the number of people infected, the time of infection, the average dose received, and the rate of disease spread in contemporary American society (for contagious diseases), is important when planning a medical response. For non-contagious diseases, we address the characterization problem by formulating a Bayesian inverse problem predicated on a short time-series of diagnosed patients exhibiting symptoms. To keep the approach relevant for response planning, we limitmore » ourselves to 3.5 days of data. In computational tests performed for anthrax, we usually find these observation windows sufficient, especially if the outbreak model employed in the inverse problem is accurate. For contagious diseases, we formulated a Bayesian inversion technique to infer both pathogenic transmissibility and the social network from outbreak observations, ensuring that the two determinants of spreading are identified separately. We tested this technique on data collected from a 1967 smallpox epidemic in Abakaliki, Nigeria. We inferred, probabilistically, different transmissibilities in the structured Abakaliki population, the social network, and the chain of transmission. Finally, we developed an individual-based epidemic model to realistically simulate the spread of a rare (or eradicated) disease in a modern society. This model incorporates the mixing patterns observed in an (American) urban setting and accepts, as model input, pathogenic transmissibilities estimated from historical outbreaks that may have occurred in socio-economic environments with little resemblance to contemporary society. Techniques were also developed to simulate disease spread on static and sampled network reductions of the dynamic social networks originally in the individual-based model, yielding faster, though approximate, network-based epidemic models. These reduced-order models are useful in scenario analysis for medical response planning, as well as in computationally intensive inverse problems.« less

  14. Episodic Memory, Semantic Memory, and Fluency.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Schaefer, Carl F.

    1980-01-01

    Suggests that creating a second-language semantic network can be conceived as developing a plan for retrieving second-language word forms. Characteristics of linguistic performance which will promote fluency are discussed in light of the distinction between episodic and semantic memory. (AMH)

  15. School Counselors: Untapped Resources for Safe Schools.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Callahan, Connie J.

    2000-01-01

    Principals should consider redirecting school counselors' responsibilities to include directing safe-school teams; establishing networks to identify at-risk students and violent behavior signs; developing conflict-resolution activities; assessing and counseling misbehaving students; devising crisis- management plans; and helping staff predict and…

  16. Reverse logistics system planning for recycling computers hardware: A case study

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Januri, Siti Sarah; Zulkipli, Faridah; Zahari, Siti Meriam; Shamsuri, Siti Hajar

    2014-09-01

    This paper describes modeling and simulation of reverse logistics networks for collection of used computers in one of the company in Selangor. The study focuses on design of reverse logistics network for used computers recycling operation. Simulation modeling, presented in this work allows the user to analyze the future performance of the network and to understand the complex relationship between the parties involved. The findings from the simulation suggest that the model calculates processing time and resource utilization in a predictable manner. In this study, the simulation model was developed by using Arena simulation package.

  17. Quality-assurance plan for groundwater activities, U.S. Geological Survey, Washington Water Science Center

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Kozar, Mark D.; Kahle, Sue C.

    2013-01-01

    This report documents the standard procedures, policies, and field methods used by the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Washington Water Science Center staff for activities related to the collection, processing, analysis, storage, and publication of groundwater data. This groundwater quality-assurance plan changes through time to accommodate new methods and requirements developed by the Washington Water Science Center and the USGS Office of Groundwater. The plan is based largely on requirements and guidelines provided by the USGS Office of Groundwater, or the USGS Water Mission Area. Regular updates to this plan represent an integral part of the quality-assurance process. Because numerous policy memoranda have been issued by the Office of Groundwater since the previous groundwater quality assurance plan was written, this report is a substantial revision of the previous report, supplants it, and contains significant additional policies not covered in the previous report. This updated plan includes information related to the organization and responsibilities of USGS Washington Water Science Center staff, training, safety, project proposal development, project review procedures, data collection activities, data processing activities, report review procedures, and archiving of field data and interpretative information pertaining to groundwater flow models, borehole aquifer tests, and aquifer tests. Important updates from the previous groundwater quality assurance plan include: (1) procedures for documenting and archiving of groundwater flow models; (2) revisions to procedures and policies for the creation of sites in the Groundwater Site Inventory database; (3) adoption of new water-level forms to be used within the USGS Washington Water Science Center; (4) procedures for future creation of borehole geophysics, surface geophysics, and aquifer-test archives; and (5) use of the USGS Multi Optional Network Key Entry System software for entry of routine water-level data collected as part of long-term water-level monitoring networks.

  18. Artificial Neural Network Based Mission Planning Mechanism for Spacecraft

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Li, Zhaoyu; Xu, Rui; Cui, Pingyuan; Zhu, Shengying

    2018-04-01

    The ability to plan and react fast in dynamic space environments is central to intelligent behavior of spacecraft. For space and robotic applications, many planners have been used. But it is difficult to encode the domain knowledge and directly use existing techniques such as heuristic to improve the performance of the application systems. Therefore, regarding planning as an advanced control problem, this paper first proposes an autonomous mission planning and action selection mechanism through a multiple layer perceptron neural network approach to select actions in planning process and improve efficiency. To prove the availability and effectiveness, we use autonomous mission planning problems of the spacecraft, which is a sophisticated system with complex subsystems and constraints as an example. Simulation results have shown that artificial neural networks (ANNs) are usable for planning problems. Compared with the existing planning method in EUROPA, the mechanism using ANNs is more efficient and can guarantee stable performance. Therefore, the mechanism proposed in this paper is more suitable for planning problems of spacecraft that require real time and stability.

  19. Enhancing response coordination through the assessment of response network structural dynamics.

    PubMed

    Abbasi, Alireza; Sadeghi-Niaraki, Abolghasem; Jalili, Mahdi; Choi, Soo-Mi

    2018-01-01

    Preparing for intensifying threats of emergencies in unexpected, dangerous, and serious natural or man-made events, and consequent management of the situation, is highly demanding in terms of coordinating the personnel and resources to support human lives and the environment. This necessitates prompt action to manage the uncertainties and risks imposed by such extreme events, which requires collaborative operation among different stakeholders (i.e., the personnel from both the state and local communities). This research aims to find a way to enhance the coordination of multi-organizational response operations. To do so, this manuscript investigates the role of participants in the formed coordination response network and also the emergence and temporal dynamics of the network. By analyzing an inter-personal response coordination operation to an extreme bushfire event, the networks' and participants' structural change is evaluated during the evolution of the operation network over four time durations. The results reveal that the coordination response network becomes more decentralized over time due to the high volume of communication required to exchange information. New emerging communication structures often do not fit the developed plans, which stress the need for coordination by feedback in addition to by plan. In addition, we find that the participant's brokering role in the response operation network identifies a formal and informal coordination role. This is useful for comparison of network structures to examine whether what really happens during response operations complies with the initial policy.

  20. The Use of Underground Research Laboratories to Support Repository Development Programs. A Roadmap for the Underground Research Facilities Network.

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

    MacKinnon, Robert J.

    2015-10-26

    Under the auspices of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), nationally developed underground research laboratories (URLs) and associated research institutions are being offered for use by other nations. These facilities form an Underground Research Facilities (URF) Network for training in and demonstration of waste disposal technologies and the sharing of knowledge and experience related to geologic repository development, research, and engineering. In order to achieve its objectives, the URF Network regularly sponsors workshops and training events related to the knowledge base that is transferable between existing URL programs and to nations with an interest in developing a new URL. Thismore » report describes the role of URLs in the context of a general timeline for repository development. This description includes identification of key phases and activities that contribute to repository development as a repository program evolves from an early research and development phase to later phases such as construction, operations, and closure. This information is cast in the form of a matrix with the entries in this matrix forming the basis of the URF Network roadmap that will be used to identify and plan future workshops and training events.« less

  1. Interworking evolution of mobile satellite and terrestrial networks

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Matyas, R.; Kelleher, P.; Moller, P.; Jones, T.

    1993-01-01

    There is considerable interest among mobile satellite service providers in interworking with terrestrial networks to provide a universal global network. With such interworking, subscribers may be provided a common set of services such as those planned for the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN), the Integrated Services Digital Network (ISDN), and future Intelligent Networks (IN's). This paper first reviews issues in satellite interworking. Next the status and interworking plans of terrestrial mobile communications service providers are examined with early examples of mobile satellite interworking including a discussion of the anticipated evolution towards full interworking between mobile satellite and both fixed and mobile terrestrial networks.

  2. Effect of planning for connectivity on linear reserve networks.

    PubMed

    Lentini, Pia E; Gibbons, Philip; Carwardine, Josie; Fischer, Joern; Drielsma, Michael; Martin, Tara G

    2013-08-01

    Although the concept of connectivity is decades old, it remains poorly understood and defined, and some argue that habitat quality and area should take precedence in conservation planning instead. However, fragmented landscapes are often characterized by linear features that are inherently connected, such as streams and hedgerows. For these, both representation and connectivity targets may be met with little effect on the cost, area, or quality of the reserve network. We assessed how connectivity approaches affect planning outcomes for linear habitat networks by using the stock-route network of Australia as a case study. With the objective of representing vegetation communities across the network at a minimal cost, we ran scenarios with a range of representation targets (10%, 30%, 50%, and 70%) and used 3 approaches to account for connectivity (boundary length modifier, Euclidean distance, and landscape-value [LV]). We found that decisions regarding the target and connectivity approach used affected the spatial allocation of reserve systems. At targets ≥50%, networks designed with the Euclidean distance and LV approaches consisted of a greater number of small reserves. Hence, by maximizing both representation and connectivity, these networks compromised on larger contiguous areas. However, targets this high are rarely used in real-world conservation planning. Approaches for incorporating connectivity into the planning of linear reserve networks that account for both the spatial arrangement of reserves and the characteristics of the intervening matrix highlight important sections that link the landscape and that may otherwise be overlooked. © 2013 Society for Conservation Biology.

  3. PLUS highway network analysis: Case of in-coming traffic burden in 2013

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Asrah, Norhaidah Mohd; Djauhari, Maman Abdurachman; Mohamad, Ismail

    2017-05-01

    PLUS highway is the largest concessionary in Malaysia. The study on PLUS highway development, in order to overcome the demand for efficient road transportation, is crucial. If the highways have better interconnected network, it will help the economic activities such as trade to increase. If economic activities are increasing, the benefit will come to the people and state. In its turn, it will help the leaders to plan and conduct national development program. In this paper, network analysis approach will be used to study the in-coming traffic burden during the year of 2013. The highway network linking all the toll plazas is a dynamic network. The objective of this study is to learn and understand about highway network in terms of the in-coming traffic burden entering to each toll plazas along PLUS highway. For this purpose, the filtered network topology based on the forest of all possible minimum spanning trees is used. The in-coming traffic burden of a city is represented by the number of cars passing through the corresponding toll plaza. To interpret the filtered network, centrality measures such as degree centrality, betweenness centrality, closeness centrality, eigenvector centrality are used. An overall centrality will be proposed if those four measures are assumed to have the same role. Based on the results, some suggestions and recommendations for PLUS highway network development will be delivered to PLUS highway management.

  4. Planning and Scheduling for Environmental Sensor Networks

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Frank, J. D.

    2005-12-01

    Environmental Sensor Networks are a new way of monitoring the environment. They comprise autonomous sensor nodes in the environment that record real-time data, which is retrieved, analyzed, integrated with other data sets (e.g. satellite images, GIS, process models) and ultimately lead to scientific discoveries. Sensor networks must operate within time and resource constraints. Sensors have limited onboard memory, energy, computational power, communications windows and communications bandwidth. The value of data will depend on when, where and how it was collected, how detailed the data is, how long it takes to integrate the data, and how important the data was to the original scientific question. Planning and scheduling of sensor networks is necessary for effective, safe operations in the face of these constraints. For example, power bus limitations may preclude sensors from simultaneously collecting data and communicating without damaging the sensor; planners and schedulers can ensure these operations are ordered so that they do not happen simultaneously. Planning and scheduling can also ensure best use of the sensor network to maximize the value of collected science data. For example, if data is best recorded using a particular camera angle but it is costly in time and energy to achieve this, planners and schedulers can search for times when time and energy are available to achieve the optimal camera angle. Planning and scheduling can handle uncertainty in the problem specification; planners can be re-run when new information is made available, or can generate plans that include contingencies. For example, if bad weather may prevent the collection of data, a contingent plan can check lighting conditions and turn off data collection to save resources if lighting is not ideal. Both mobile and immobile sensors can benefit from planning and scheduling. For example, data collection on otherwise passive sensors can be halted to preserve limited power and memory resources and to reduce the costs of communication. Planning and scheduling is generally a heavy consumer of time, memory and energy resources. This means careful thought must be given to how much planning and scheduling should be done on the sensors themselves, and how much to do elsewhere. The difficulty of planning and scheduling is exacerbated when reasoning about uncertainty. More time, memory and energy is needed to solve such problems, leading either to more expensive sensors, or suboptimal plans. For example, scientifically interesting events may happen at random times, making it difficult to ensure that sufficient resources are availanble. Since uncertainty is usually lowest in proximity to the sensors themselves, this argues for planning and scheduling onboard the sensors. However, cost minimization dictates sensors be kept as simple as possible, reducing the amount of planning and scheduling they can do themselves. Furthermore, coordinating each sensor's independent plans can be difficult. In the full presentation, we will critically review the planning and scheduling systems used by previously fielded sensor networks. We do so primarily from the perspective of the computational sciences, with a focus on taming computational complexity when operating sensor networks. The case studies are derived from sensor networks based on UAVs, satellites, and planetary rovers. Planning and scheduling considerations include multi-sensor coordination, optimizing science value, onboard power management, onboard memory, planning movement actions to acquire data, and managing communications.These case studies offer lessons for future designs of environmental sensor networks.

  5. The interactive use of networking multimedia--innovative education resource for professionals and patients.

    PubMed

    Matthies, H K; Walter, G F; Brandis, A; Stan, A C; Ammann, A; von Jan, U; Porth, A J

    1999-01-01

    The combination of new and rapidly developing interactive multimedia computers and applications with electronic networks will require a restructuring of our traditional approach to strategic planning and organizational structure. Worldwide telecommunication networks (using satellites, cable) are now facilitating the global pooling of healthcare information and medical knowledge independent of location. The development of multimedia information and communication systems demands cooperative working teams of authors, who are able to master several areas of medical knowledge as well as the presentation of these in different multimedia forms. The assemblage of telematics and services offers a base for multimedia applications, for example teleteaching, telelearning, telepublishing, teleconsulting, teleconferencing, telemedicine etc. The expansion of the internet will also lead to the formation of interdisciplinary "Global Education Networks". The theory and practice of education are undergoing dramatic changes. Lifelong learning and adaptation of medical practice to new knowledge and new techniques will be even more important in the future.

  6. Following the Fourth World Conference on Women -- Let's Expand Grass-Roots Networking! Proceedings of the International Forum on Intercultural Exchange (Saitama, Japan, November 15-17, 1995).

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    National Women's Education Centre, Saitama (Japan).

    Based on the success of the Fourth World Conference on Women, the National Women's Education Centre of Japan planned and carried out the 1995 International Forum on Intercultural Exchange to search for an up-to-date understanding of the problems of women and ways to solve them and to develop a network of already existing groups. This Forum focused…

  7. Dual-Polarization Observations of Precipitation: State of the Art in Operational and Research Applications

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Chandra, C. V.; Moisseev, D. N.; Baldini, L.; Bechini, R.; Cremonini, R.; Wolff, D. B.; Petersen, W. A.; Junyent, F.; Chen, H.; Beauchamp, R.

    2016-12-01

    Dual-polarization weather radars have been widely used for rainfall measurement applications and studies of the microphysical characteristics of precipitation. Ground-based, dual-polarization radar systems form the cornerstones of national severe weather warning and forecasting infrastructure in many developed countries. As a result of the improved performance of dual-polarization radars for these applications, large scale dual-polarization upgrades are being planned for India and China. In addition to national forecast and warning operations, dual-polarization radars have also been used for satellite ground validation activities. The operational Dual-Polarization radars in the US are mostly S band systems whereas in Europe are mostly C band systems. In addition a third class of systems is emerging in urban regions where networks of X band systems are being deployed operationally. There are successful networks planned or already deployed in big cities such as Dallas Fort Worth, Tokyo or Beijing. These X band networks are developing their own operational domain. In summary a large infrastructure in terms of user specified products and dual use of operational research applications are also emerging in these systems. This paper will discuss some of the innovative uses of the operational dual-polarization radar networks for research purposes, with references to calibration, hydrometeor classification and quantitative precipitation estimation. Additional application to the study of precipitation processes will also be discussed.

  8. [Assessment of 10 years of memory consultations in the Franche-Comté: Description and analysis of the RAPID regional database].

    PubMed

    Bereau, M; Sylvestre, G; Mauny, F; Puyraveau, M; Baudier, F; Magnin, E; Berger, E; Vandel, P; Galmiche, J; Chopard, G

    2015-09-01

    The aim of this study was to evaluate the impact, on a regional scale (Franche-Comté), of 3 National Alzheimer care plans, particularly concerning the development of the offer of care management by clinicians as well as the panel of diagnoses concerned. Data on sociodemographic, neuropsychological and diagnostic characteristics were retrieved from the RAPID regional database between 1st January 2003 and 31st December 2012. These analyses focused exclusively on patients who had an initial consultation (n=12,017) during the same period. The existence of a previously established health network capable of carrying out governmental health plans has produced an effective interface between regional administrative structures responsible for the implementation of these plans and health professionals responsible for carrying out them out. This network study, the use of a battery of tests and a common software database have enabled the development of patient care management throughout the Franche-Comté region. It also showed the diversification of diagnoses mentioned over the past years as well as changes in clinical practices on how to address the issue of cognitive impairment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

  9. Designing clinical trials to address the needs of childhood and adult asthma: the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute's AsthmaNet.

    PubMed

    Sutherland, E Rand; Busse, William W

    2014-01-01

    In 2008, the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute announced its intent to support a new asthma network known as AsthmaNet. This clinical trials consortium, now in its fifth year, has been charged with developing and executing clinical trials to address the most important asthma management questions and identify new treatment approaches in pediatric and adult patients. This review will discuss the organization of AsthmaNet and the scientific context in which the network was developed and began its work, report the results of an internal priority-setting exercise designed to guide the network's scientific strategy, and highlight the portfolio of clinical trials, proof-of-concept studies, and mechanistic studies planned for the 7-year period of the network to update the global asthma community regarding the progress and processes of the network. Copyright © 2013 American Academy of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.

  10. Investigating the Potential Impacts of Energy Production in the Marcellus Shale Region Using the Shale Network Database

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Brantley, S.; Brazil, L.

    2017-12-01

    The Shale Network's extensive database of water quality observations enables educational experiences about the potential impacts of resource extraction with real data. Through tools that are open source and free to use, researchers, educators, and citizens can access and analyze the very same data that the Shale Network team has used in peer-reviewed publications about the potential impacts of hydraulic fracturing on water. The development of the Shale Network database has been made possible through efforts led by an academic team and involving numerous individuals from government agencies, citizen science organizations, and private industry. Thus far, these tools and data have been used to engage high school students, university undergraduate and graduate students, as well as citizens so that all can discover how energy production impacts the Marcellus Shale region, which includes Pennsylvania and other nearby states. This presentation will describe these data tools, how the Shale Network has used them in developing lesson plans, and the resources available to learn more.

  11. The ADVANCE network: accelerating data value across a national community health center network

    PubMed Central

    DeVoe, Jennifer E; Gold, Rachel; Cottrell, Erika; Bauer, Vance; Brickman, Andrew; Puro, Jon; Nelson, Christine; Mayer, Kenneth H; Sears, Abigail; Burdick, Tim; Merrell, Jonathan; Matthews, Paul; Fields, Scott

    2014-01-01

    The ADVANCE (Accelerating Data Value Across a National Community Health Center Network) clinical data research network (CDRN) is led by the OCHIN Community Health Information Network in partnership with Health Choice Network and Fenway Health. The ADVANCE CDRN will ‘horizontally’ integrate outpatient electronic health record data for over one million federally qualified health center patients, and ‘vertically’ integrate hospital, health plan, and community data for these patients, often under-represented in research studies. Patient investigators, community investigators, and academic investigators with diverse expertise will work together to meet project goals related to data integration, patient engagement and recruitment, and the development of streamlined regulatory policies. By enhancing the data and research infrastructure of participating organizations, the ADVANCE CDRN will serve as a ‘community laboratory’ for including disadvantaged and vulnerable patients in patient-centered outcomes research that is aligned with the priorities of patients, clinics, and communities in our network. PMID:24821740

  12. Assessing the Climate Resilience of Transport Infrastructure Investments in Tanzania

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hall, J. W.; Pant, R.; Koks, E.; Thacker, S.; Russell, T.

    2017-12-01

    Whilst there is an urgent need for infrastructure investment in developing countries, there is a risk that poorly planned and built infrastructure will introduce new vulnerabilities. As climate change increases the magnitudes and frequency of natural hazard events, incidence of disruptive infrastructure failures are likely to become more frequent. Therefore, it is important that infrastructure planning and investment is underpinned by climate risk assessment that can inform adaptation planning. Tanzania's rapid economic growth is placing considerable strain on the country's transportation infrastructure (roads, railways, shipping and aviation); especially at the port of Dar es Salaam and its linking transport corridors. A growing number of natural hazard events, in particular flooding, are impacting the reliability of this already over-used network. Here we report on new methodology to analyse vulnerabilities and risks due to failures of key locations in the intermodal transport network of Tanzania, including strategic connectivity to neighboring countries. To perform the national-scale risk analysis we will utilize a system-of-systems methodology. The main components of this general risk assessment, when applied to transportation systems, include: (1) Assembling data on: spatially coherent extreme hazards and intermodal transportation networks; (2) Intersecting hazards with transport network models to initiate failure conditions that trigger failure propagation across interdependent networks; (3) Quantifying failure outcomes in terms of social impacts (customers/passengers disrupted) and/or macroeconomic consequences (across multiple sectors); and (4) Simulating, testing and collecting multiple failure scenarios to perform an exhaustive risk assessment in terms of probabilities and consequences. The methodology is being used to pinpoint vulnerability and reduce climate risks to transport infrastructure investments.

  13. Framework for Quality Professional Development for Practitioners Working with Adult English Language Learners. Revised

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Center for Adult English Language Acquisition, 2010

    2010-01-01

    The Center for Adult English Language Acquisition (CAELA) Network, under contract with the Office of Vocational and Adult Education (OVAE), has created a framework that can be used to plan, implement, and evaluate professional development for practitioners working with adult English language learners at the state, regional, and program levels. The…

  14. Homesteading on the Web: The Queensland Department of Education Virtual Library.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Cram, Jennifer; Allison, Myrl

    1996-01-01

    The Queensland Department of Education (Australia) developed a homesteading model as an alternative to the urban-built environment model of large multi-purpose networks. This resulted in the in-house development of a low-cost, stand-alone server and homepage. The charette technique was used to plan and design the Queensland Department of Education…

  15. A New Network Modeling Tool for the Ground-based Nuclear Explosion Monitoring Community

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Merchant, B. J.; Chael, E. P.; Young, C. J.

    2013-12-01

    Network simulations have long been used to assess the performance of monitoring networks to detect events for such purposes as planning station deployments and network resilience to outages. The standard tool has been the SAIC-developed NetSim package. With correct parameters, NetSim can produce useful simulations; however, the package has several shortcomings: an older language (FORTRAN), an emphasis on seismic monitoring with limited support for other technologies, limited documentation, and a limited parameter set. Thus, we are developing NetMOD (Network Monitoring for Optimal Detection), a Java-based tool designed to assess the performance of ground-based networks. NetMOD's advantages include: coded in a modern language that is multi-platform, utilizes modern computing performance (e.g. multi-core processors), incorporates monitoring technologies other than seismic, and includes a well-validated default parameter set for the IMS stations. NetMOD is designed to be extendable through a plugin infrastructure, so new phenomenological models can be added. Development of the Seismic Detection Plugin is being pursued first. Seismic location and infrasound and hydroacoustic detection plugins will follow. By making NetMOD an open-release package, it can hopefully provide a common tool that the monitoring community can use to produce assessments of monitoring networks and to verify assessments made by others.

  16. Travel demand forecasting models: a comparison of EMME/2 and QUR II using a real-world network.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2000-10-01

    In order to automate the travel demand forecasting process in urban transportation planning, a number of : commercial computer based travel demand forecasting models have been developed, which have provided : transportation planners with powerful and...

  17. Putting It All Together.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    McNamara, Elizabeth T.; Grant, Cathy Miles; Wasser, Judith Davidson

    1998-01-01

    Discusses the parallel between the rapid increase in the acquisition of computer technology and electronic networks by schools and systemic reform movements. Provides some insight on building a school and the community planning process to support technology implementation, connecting content to technology, professional development, and training…

  18. Inquiring Minds

    Science.gov Websites

    Proposed Projects and Experiments Fermilab's Tevatron Questions for the Universe Theory Computing High -performance Computing Grid Computing Networking Mass Storage Plan for the Future State of the Laboratory Homeland Security Industry Computing Sciences Workforce Development A Growing List Historic Results

  19. Optimizing snow plowing operations in urban road networks : final research report.

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2015-01-01

    Due to the disruptive effect of snowstorms on cities, both in terms of : mobility and safety, the faster the streets can be cleared the better. Yet in : most cities (including Pittsburgh), static plans for snowplowing are : developed using simple all...

  20. 75 FR 35508 - Draft Regulatory Guide: Issuance, Availability

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2010-06-22

    ... Systems and Networks,'' requires licensees to develop cyber-security plans and programs to protect critical digital assets, including digital safety systems, from malicious cyber attacks. Regulatory Guide 5.71, ``Cyber Security Programs for Nuclear Facilities,'' provides guidance to meet the requirements of...

  1. A new intrusion prevention model using planning knowledge graph

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Cai, Zengyu; Feng, Yuan; Liu, Shuru; Gan, Yong

    2013-03-01

    Intelligent plan is a very important research in artificial intelligence, which has applied in network security. This paper proposes a new intrusion prevention model base on planning knowledge graph and discuses the system architecture and characteristics of this model. The Intrusion Prevention based on plan knowledge graph is completed by plan recognition based on planning knowledge graph, and the Intrusion response strategies and actions are completed by the hierarchical task network (HTN) planner in this paper. Intrusion prevention system has the advantages of intelligent planning, which has the advantage of the knowledge-sharing, the response focused, learning autonomy and protective ability.

  2. Ten years of the Immune Tolerance Network: an integrated clinical research organization.

    PubMed

    Bluestone, Jeffrey A; Krensky, Alan M; Turka, Laurence A; Rotrosen, Daniel; Matthews, Jeffrey B

    2010-02-17

    The U.S. National Institutes of Health Roadmap and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's Critical Path Initiative have endorsed the establishment of large academic clinical research networks as part of the solution to the growing divide between increased R&D spending and the lagging number of new drugs making it to market. Clearly, the role of these networks as translational science incubators that complement industry-sponsored programs is laudable and much-needed. However, the path to success for such organizations is less clear. Here, drawing on the experiences of the Immune Tolerance Network, a multidisciplinary clinical research network founded in 1999, we discuss some of the barriers inherent in developing such consortia and offer firsthand insight into the planning, resources, and organizational infrastructure required for a successful research program.

  3. Behavioral networks as a model for intelligent agents

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Sliwa, Nancy E.

    1990-01-01

    On-going work at NASA Langley Research Center in the development and demonstration of a paradigm called behavioral networks as an architecture for intelligent agents is described. This work focuses on the need to identify a methodology for smoothly integrating the characteristics of low-level robotic behavior, including actuation and sensing, with intelligent activities such as planning, scheduling, and learning. This work assumes that all these needs can be met within a single methodology, and attempts to formalize this methodology in a connectionist architecture called behavioral networks. Behavioral networks are networks of task processes arranged in a task decomposition hierarchy. These processes are connected by both command/feedback data flow, and by the forward and reverse propagation of weights which measure the dynamic utility of actions and beliefs.

  4. Targeting climate diversity in conservation planning to build resilience to climate change

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Heller, Nicole E.; Kreitler, Jason R.; Ackerly, David; Weiss, Stuart; Recinos, Amanda; Branciforte, Ryan; Flint, Lorraine E.; Flint, Alan L.; Micheli, Elisabeth

    2015-01-01

    Climate change is raising challenging concerns for systematic conservation planning. Are methods based on the current spatial patterns of biodiversity effective given long-term climate change? Some conservation scientists argue that planning should focus on protecting the abiotic diversity in the landscape, which drives patterns of biological diversity, rather than focusing on the distribution of focal species, which shift in response to climate change. Climate is one important abiotic driver of biodiversity patterns, as different climates host different biological communities and genetic pools. We propose conservation networks that capture the full range of climatic diversity in a region will improve the resilience of biotic communities to climate change compared to networks that do not. In this study we used historical and future hydro-climate projections from the high resolution Basin Characterization Model to explore the utility of directly targeting climatic diversity in planning. Using the spatial planning tool, Marxan, we designed conservation networks to capture the diversity of climate types, at the regional and sub-regional scale, and compared them to networks we designed to capture the diversity of vegetation types. By focusing on the Conservation Lands Network (CLN) of the San Francisco Bay Area as a real-world case study, we compared the potential resilience of networks by examining two factors: the range of climate space captured, and climatic stability to 18 future climates, reflecting different emission scenarios and global climate models. We found that the climate-based network planned at the sub-regional scale captured a greater range of climate space and showed higher climatic stability than the vegetation and regional based-networks. At the same time, differences among network scenarios are small relative to the variance in climate stability across global climate models. Across different projected futures, topographically heterogeneous areas consistently show greater climate stability than homogenous areas. The analysis suggests that utilizing high-resolution climate and hydrological data in conservation planning improves the likely resilience of biodiversity to climate change. We used these analyses to suggest new conservation priorities for the San Francisco Bay Area.

  5. The CEOS International Directory Network: Progress and Plans, Spring, 1999

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Olsen, Lola M.

    1999-01-01

    The Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) serves as the software development hub for the Committee on Earth observation Satellites' (CEOS) International Directory Network (IDN). The GCMD has upgraded the software for the IDN nodes as Version 7 of the GCMD: MD7-Oracle and MD7-Isite, as well as three other MD7 experimental interfaces. The contribution by DLR representatives (Germany) of the DLR Thesaurus will be demonstrated as an educational tool for use with MD7-Isite. The software will be installed at twelve nodes around the world: Brazil, Argentina, the Netherlands, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, and several sites in the United States. Representing NASA for the International Directory Network and the CEOS Data Access Subgroup, NASA's contribution to this international interoperability effort will be updated. Discussion will include interoperability with the CEOS Interoperability Protocol (CIP), features of the latest version of the software, including upgraded capabilities for distributed input by the IDN nodes, installation logistics, "mirroring", population objectives, and future plans.

  6. The CEOS International Directory Network Progress and Plans: Spring, 1999

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Olsen, Lola M.

    1999-01-01

    The Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) serves as the software development hub for the Committee on Earth Observation Satellites' (CEOS) International Directory Network (IDN). The GCMD has upgraded the software for the IDN nodes as Version 7 of the GCMD: MD7-Oracle and MD7-Isite, as well as three other MD7 experimental interfaces. The contribution by DLR representatives (Germany) of the DLR Thesaurus will be demonstrated as an educational tool for use with MD7-Isite. The software will be installed at twelve nodes around the world: Brazil, Argentina, the Netherlands, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Australia, New Zealand, Switzerland, and several sites in the United States. Representing NASA for the International Directory Network and the CEOS Data Access Subgroup, NASA's contribution to this international interoperability effort will be updated. Discussion will include interoperability with the CEOS Interoperability Protocol (CIP), features of the latest version of the software, including upgraded capabilities for distributed input by the IDN nodes, installation logistics, "mirroring', population objectives, and future plans.

  7. Integrated Hydrologic Science and Environmental Engineering Observatory: CLEANER's Vision for the WATERS Network

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Montgomery, J. L.; Minsker, B. S.; Schnoor, J.; Haas, C.; Bonner, J.; Driscoll, C.; Eschenbach, E.; Finholt, T.; Glass, J.; Harmon, T.; Johnson, J.; Krupnik, A.; Reible, D.; Sanderson, A.; Small, M.; van Briesen, J.

    2006-05-01

    With increasing population and urban development, societies grow more and more concerned over balancing the need to maintain adequate water supplies with that of ensuring the quality of surface and groundwater resources. For example, multiple stressors such as overfishing, runoff of nutrients from agricultural fields and confined animal feeding lots, and pathogens in urban stormwater can often overwhelm a single water body. Mitigating just one of these problems often depends on understanding how it relates to others and how stressors can vary in temporal and spatial scales. Researchers are now in a position to answer questions about multiscale, spatiotemporally distributed hydrologic and environmental phenomena through the use of remote and embedded networked sensing technologies. It is now possible for data streaming from sensor networks to be integrated by a rich cyberinfrastructure encompassing the innovative computing, visualization, and information archiving strategies needed to cope with the anticipated onslaught of data, and to turn that data around in the form of real-time water quantity and quality forecasting. Recognizing this potential, NSF awarded $2 million to a coalition of 12 institutions in July 2005 to establish the CLEANER Project Office (Collaborative Large-Scale Engineering Analysis Network for Environmental Research; http://cleaner.ncsa.uiuc.edu). Over the next two years the project office, in coordination with CUAHSI (Consortium of Universities for the Advancement of Hydrologic Science, Inc.; http://www.cuahsi.org), will work together to develop a plan for a WATer and Environmental Research Systems Network (WATERS Network), which is envisioned to be a collaborative scientific exploration and engineering analysis network, using high performance tools and infrastructure, to transform our scientific understanding of how water quantity, quality, and related earth system processes are affected by natural and human-induced changes to the environment. This presentation will give an overview of the draft CLEANER program plans for the WATERS Network and next steps.

  8. Field-based evaluation of two herbaceous plant community composition sampling methods for long-term monitoring in Northern Great Plains National Parks

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Symstad, Amy J.; Wienk, Cody L.; Thorstenson, Andy

    2006-01-01

    The Northern Great Plains Inventory & Monitoring (I&M) Network (Network) of the National Park Service (NPS) consists of 13 NPS units in North Dakota, South Dakota, Nebraska, and eastern Wyoming. The Network is in the planning phase of a long-term program to monitor the health of park ecosystems. Plant community composition is one of the 'Vital Signs,' or indicators, that will be monitored as part of this program for three main reasons. First, plant community composition is information-rich; a single sampling protocol can provide information on the diversity of native and non-native species, the abundance of individual dominant species, and the abundance of groups of plants. Second, plant community composition is of specific management concern. The abundance and diversity of exotic plants, both absolute and relative to native species, is one of the greatest management concerns in almost all Network parks (Symstad 2004). Finally, plant community composition reflects the effects of a variety of current or anticipated stressors on ecosystem health in the Network parks including invasive exotic plants, large ungulate grazing, lack of fire in a fire-adapted system, chemical exotic plant control, nitrogen deposition, increased atmospheric carbon dioxide concentrations, and climate change. Before the Network begins its Vital Signs monitoring, a detailed plan describing specific protocols used for each of the Vital Signs must go through rigorous development and review. The pilot study on which we report here is one of the components of this protocol development. The goal of the work we report on here was to determine a specific method to use for monitoring plant community composition of the herb layer (< 2 m tall).

  9. Reference hydrologic networks I. The status and potential future directions of national reference hydrologic networks for detecting trends

    USGS Publications Warehouse

    Whitfield, Paul H.; Burn, Donald H.; Hannaford, Jamie; Higgins, Hélène; Hodgkins, Glenn A.; Marsh, Terry; Looser, Ulrich

    2012-01-01

    Identifying climate-driven trends in river flows on a global basis is hampered by a lack of long, quality time series data for rivers with relatively undisturbed regimes. This is a global problem compounded by the lack of support for essential long-term monitoring. Experience demonstrates that, with clear strategic objectives, and the support of sponsoring organizations, reference hydrologic networks can constitute an exceptionally valuable data source to effectively identify, quantify and interpret hydrological change—the speed and magnitude of which is expected to a be a primary driver of water management and flood alleviation strategies through the future—and for additional applications. Reference hydrologic networks have been developed in many countries in the past few decades. These collections of streamflow gauging stations, that are maintained and operated with the intention of observing how the hydrology of watersheds responds to variations in climate, are described. The status of networks under development is summarized. We suggest a plan of actions to make more effective use of this collection of networks.

  10. Development of NASA's Space Communications and Navigation Test Bed Aboard ISS to Investigate SDR, On-Board Networking and Navigation Technologies

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Reinhart, Richard C.; Kacpura, Thomas J.; Johnson, Sandra K.; Lux, James P.

    2010-01-01

    NASA is developing an experimental flight payload (referred to as the Space Communication and Navigation (SCAN) Test Bed) to investigate software defined radio (SDR), networking, and navigation technologies, operationally in the space environment. The payload consists of three software defined radios each compliant to NASA s Space Telecommunications Radio System Architecture, a common software interface description standard for software defined radios. The software defined radios are new technology developments underway by NASA and industry partners. Planned for launch in early 2012, the payload will be externally mounted to the International Space Station truss and conduct experiments representative of future mission capability.

  11. Automatic data processing and analysis system for monitoring region around a planned nuclear power plant

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kortström, Jari; Tiira, Timo; Kaisko, Outi

    2016-03-01

    The Institute of Seismology of University of Helsinki is building a new local seismic network, called OBF network, around planned nuclear power plant in Northern Ostrobothnia, Finland. The network will consist of nine new stations and one existing station. The network should be dense enough to provide azimuthal coverage better than 180° and automatic detection capability down to ML -0.1 within a radius of 25 km from the site.The network construction work began in 2012 and the first four stations started operation at the end of May 2013. We applied an automatic seismic signal detection and event location system to a network of 13 stations consisting of the four new stations and the nearest stations of Finnish and Swedish national seismic networks. Between the end of May and December 2013 the network detected 214 events inside the predefined area of 50 km radius surrounding the planned nuclear power plant site. Of those detections, 120 were identified as spurious events. A total of 74 events were associated with known quarries and mining areas. The average location error, calculated as a difference between the announced location from environment authorities and companies and the automatic location, was 2.9 km. During the same time period eight earthquakes between magnitude range 0.1-1.0 occurred within the area. Of these seven could be automatically detected. The results from the phase 1 stations of the OBF network indicates that the planned network can achieve its goals.

  12. Assessment of a Bayesian Belief Network-GIS framework as a practical tool to support marine planning.

    PubMed

    Stelzenmüller, V; Lee, J; Garnacho, E; Rogers, S I

    2010-10-01

    For the UK continental shelf we developed a Bayesian Belief Network-GIS framework to visualise relationships between cumulative human pressures, sensitive marine landscapes and landscape vulnerability, to assess the consequences of potential marine planning objectives, and to map uncertainty-related changes in management measures. Results revealed that the spatial assessment of footprints and intensities of human activities had more influence on landscape vulnerabilities than the type of landscape sensitivity measure used. We addressed questions regarding consequences of potential planning targets, and necessary management measures with spatially-explicit assessment of their consequences. We conclude that the BN-GIS framework is a practical tool allowing for the visualisation of relationships, the spatial assessment of uncertainty related to spatial management scenarios, the engagement of different stakeholder views, and enables a quick update of new spatial data and relationships. Ultimately, such BN-GIS based tools can support the decision-making process used in adaptive marine management. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  13. Inclusion of attentional networks in the pre-surgical neuroimaging assessment of a large deep hemispheric cavernous malformation: an FMRI case report.

    PubMed

    Mickleborough, Marla J S; Kelly, Michael E; Gould, Layla; Ekstrand, Chelsea; Lorentz, Eric; Ellchuk, Tasha; Babyn, Paul; Borowsky, Ron

    2015-01-01

    Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a noninvasive and reliable tool for mapping eloquent cortex in patients prior to brain surgery. Ensuring intact perceptual and cognitive processing is a key goal for neurosurgeons, and recent research has indicated the value of including attentional network processing in pre-surgical fMRI in order to help preserve such abilities, including reading, after surgery. We report a 42-year-old patient with a large cavernous malformation, near the left basal ganglia. The lesion measured 3.8 × 1.7 × 1.8 cm. In consultation with the patient and the multidisciplinary cerebrovascular team, the decision was made to offer the patient surgical resection. The surgical resection involved planned access via the left superior parietal lobule using stereotactic location. The patient declined an awake craniotomy; therefore, direct electrocortical stimulation (ECS) could not be used for intraoperative language localization in this case. Pre-surgical planning included fMRI localization of language, motor, sensory, and attentional processing. The key finding was that both reading and attention-processing tasks revealed consistent activation of the left superior parietal lobule, part of the attentional control network, and the site of the planned surgical access. Given this information, surgical access was adjusted to avoid interference with the attentional control network. The lesion was removed via the left inferior parietal lobule. The patient had no new neurologic deficits postoperatively but did develop mild neuropathic pain in the left hand. This case report supports recent research that indicates the value of including fMRI maps of attentional tasks along with traditional language-processing tasks in preoperative planning in patients undergoing neurosurgery procedures. © 2015 S. Karger AG, Basel.

  14. China launched a pilot project to improve its rare disease healthcare levels.

    PubMed

    Cui, Yazhou; Zhou, Xiaoyan; Han, Jinxiang

    2014-01-27

    China is facing the great challenge of serving the world's largest rare disease population. It is necessary to develop a specific medical plan to increase the levels of optimal prevention, diagnosis and treatment of rare diseases under the existing clinical service structures in China. In 2013, China launched its first pilot project focused on 20 representative rare diseases. A national network including approximately 100 provincial or municipal medical centers has been established to enable collaboration on rare diseases across China. The main objectives for this project are to develop and apply medical guidelines and clinical pathways for rare diseases, to establish a rare disease patient registry and data repository system, and to promote molecular testing for rare genetic disorders. This project also emphasizes building close links among the collaborative network, clinicians on the frontlines in basic medical services institutions and rare disease patient organizations. Primarily, this project expects to develop an actionable medical services plan to increase the delivery of quality healthcare for individuals and families living with rare diseases in China within five years.

  15. Network access to PCDS (SPAN, ESN, SESNET, ARPANET)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Green, J.

    1986-01-01

    One of the major goals of the National Space Science Data Center is to increase access to NASA data systems by enhancing networking activities. The activities are centered around three basic networking systems: the Space Physics Analysis Network (SPAN); the Earth Science Network (ESN); and the NASA Packet Switched System (NPSS). Each system is described, linkages among systems are explained, and future plans are announced. The inclusion of several new climate nodes on SPAN or ESN are also mentioned. Presently, the Pilot Climate Data System is accessible through SPAN and will be accessible through NPSS by summer and ESN by the end of 1986. Ambitious plans for implementation are underway. The implementation of these plans will represent a major advance in the utilization and accessibility of data worldwide.

  16. Collaborating for Climate Education - A Look at Strategic Partnerships

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bozuwa, J.; Lewis, C.

    2015-12-01

    Collaborating for Climate Education WeekEarth Day Network (EDN) developed Climate Education Week toolkit, a turnkey online resource for grades K-12 that provided teachers with everything they needed to deliver lessons, activities, contests, and service learning projects that related to climate science during Climate Education Week (April 18-25). EDN assembled an Advisory Group to develop the survey, lesson plans and activities, and resources. The Advisory Group consisted of experts and partners in environmental education, including representatives from other government and non-governmental organizations working with the White House on Climate Education, as well as educators in our Educator's Network. EDN's Climate Education Week Advisory Board brought together top academics and major stakeholders in climate education throughout the development and outreach processes. The Advisory Board included representatives from the Alliance for Climate Education (ACE), The CLEAN Network, NOAA, The Department of Energy, and NASA. The representatives from the board helped to identify and streamline the most effective and necessary lesson plans, strategic themes to maintain throughout the toolkit, and avenues for increased outreach. EDN also partnered with Connect4Climate, PBS's Plum Landing, Young Voices of Climate Change, FEMA, and The Wild Center to develop content and to broaden the reach of the toolkit. Each of the seven days had a different theme that addressed a specific climate education topic, with highlighted activities and resources for elementary, middle and high school levels. The toolkit provided educators with a comprehensive view of climate change—beginning with the science, the anthropogenic causes, and societal impacts and then providing solutions, ways to take action, and the green economy transition. This online resource connected educators to a network of effective resources from our partners, all of which saw a significant uptick in their online viewership. Using the highly recognized Earth Day platform, the high level of involvement from partners and Advisory Board members, and EDN's ever-growing network, EDN had the ability to reach thousands of educators and students, and further the climate conversation.

  17. [Development of a clinical pathway for the attention of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in a regional network. ALS Assistance Network-Comunidad de Madrid].

    PubMed

    Rodríguez de Rivera, F J; Grande, M; García-Caballero, J; Muñoz-Blanco, J; Mora, J; Esteban, J; Guerrero, A; Matias-Guiu, J; de Andrés-Colsa, R; Buey, C; Díez-Tejedor, E

    2007-01-01

    Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) requires complex multidisciplinary attention. Clinical pathways are assistance plans for certain diseases with a predictable course. These plans are established in isolated centers, not in multicenter regions. The aim is to develop a clinical pathway capable of organizing and homogenizing assistance given in ALS Assistance Network-Comunidad de Madrid which is made up of five hospitals, from the beginning until the end of the disease. In successive meetings, neurologists of these hospitals and members of the Madrid Health Service evaluated published therapeutic guidelines and other documents used in ALS assistance. A clinical pathway was developed adapting this information to social-health care conditions in the Comunidad de Madrid following the FOCUS-PDCA model. A clinical pathway was created consisting of a scientist-technical framework which arranges the attention in relationship to the diagnosis and treatment, according to the degree of disease progression and a chronogram. This is accompanied by several patient information documents on the disease and the tests that are required, and a patient assistance evaluation form. The standards are established to reach and to promote 354 constant improvement in patient care. Clinical pathway for the ALS assistance in a regional network organizes the attention and cares that the patients must receive from the beginning to the end of the disease. This arrangement and homogenization of the attention improves the quality of patient care, diminishes variability and rationalizes the use of the health care resources.

  18. Costs of Urbanisation in Poland, Based on the Example of Wrocław

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Hełdak, Maria; Płuciennik, Monika

    2017-10-01

    The paper deals with the issue of charging communes with the costs of realisation of the provisions contained in local spatial development plans. When such local spatial development plan enters into force, it leads to economic consequences. In Poland, these consequences are specified in the forecast of the financial impact, which contains a prognosis of own revenues as well as of costs incurred by the budget of the commune. The research consisted in the analysis of the costs of urbanisation of land located in Wrocław, in the southern part of the Krzyki district (Poland). This area is undeveloped to a major extent, consisting mainly of agricultural land, and its development requires the construction of technological and social infrastructure facilities. The expected costs of the realisation of local spatial development plans that are binding for the southern part of Wrocław demonstrate significant costs of the construction of sewage network and municipal roads. The planned development of residential districts is not supported by the existing infrastructure. Additionally, the development of new areas will require the city of Wrocław to take over the real properties on which public goals are planned to be realised. The estimated costs of land acquisition for the realisation of public goals amount to EUR 3 728 500.

  19. Empowering health personnel for decentralized health planning in India: The Public Health Resource Network.

    PubMed

    Kalita, Anuska; Zaidi, Sarover; Prasad, Vandana; Raman, V R

    2009-07-20

    The Public Health Resource Network is an innovative distance-learning course in training, motivating, empowering and building a network of health personnel from government and civil society groups. Its aim is to build human resource capacity for strengthening decentralized health planning, especially at the district level, to improve accountability of health systems, elicit community participation for health, ensure equitable and accessible health facilities and to bring about convergence in programmes and services. The question confronting health systems in India is how best to reform, revitalize and resource primary health systems to deliver different levels of service aligned to local realities, ensuring universal coverage, equitable access, efficiency and effectiveness, through an empowered cadre of health personnel. To achieve these outcomes it is essential that health planning be decentralized. Districts vary widely according to the specific needs of their population, and even more so in terms of existing interventions and available resources. Strategies, therefore, have to be district-specific, not only because health needs vary, but also because people's perceptions and capacities to intervene and implement programmes vary. In centrally designed plans there is little scope for such adaptation and contextualization, and hence decentralized planning becomes crucial. To undertake these initiatives, there is a strong need for trained, motivated, empowered and networked health personnel. It is precisely at this level that a lack of technical knowledge and skills and the absence of a supportive network or adequate educational opportunities impede personnel from making improvements. The absence of in-service training and of training curricula that reflect field realities also adds to this, discouraging health workers from pursuing effective strategies. The Public Health Resource Network is thus an attempt to reach out to motivated though often isolated health workers. It interacts with, and works to empower, health personnel within the government health system as well as civil society, to meaningfully participate in and strengthen decentralized planning processes and outcomes. Structured as an innovative distance-learning course spread over 12 to 18 months of coursework and contact programmes, the Public Health Resource Network comprises 14 core modules and five optional courses. The technical content and contact programmes have been specifically developed to build perspectives and technical knowledge of participants and provide them with a variety of options that can be immediately put into practice within their work environments and everyday roles. The thematic areas of the course modules range from technical knowledge related to maternal and child health and communicable and noncommunicable diseases; programmatic and systemic knowledge related to health planning, convergence, health management and public-private partnerships; to perspective-building knowledge related to mainstreaming gender issues and community participation. Currently the Public Health Resource Network has been launched in four states of India--Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar and Orissa--in its first phase, and reaches out to more than 500 participants with diverse backgrounds. The initiative has received valuable support from central and state government departments of health, state training institutes, the National Rural Health Mission--the current comprehensive health policy in the country--and leading civil society organizations.

  20. Empowering health personnel for decentralized health planning in India: The Public Health Resource Network

    PubMed Central

    Kalita, Anuska; Zaidi, Sarover; Prasad, Vandana; Raman, VR

    2009-01-01

    The Public Health Resource Network is an innovative distance-learning course in training, motivating, empowering and building a network of health personnel from government and civil society groups. Its aim is to build human resource capacity for strengthening decentralized health planning, especially at the district level, to improve accountability of health systems, elicit community participation for health, ensure equitable and accessible health facilities and to bring about convergence in programmes and services. The question confronting health systems in India is how best to reform, revitalize and resource primary health systems to deliver different levels of service aligned to local realities, ensuring universal coverage, equitable access, efficiency and effectiveness, through an empowered cadre of health personnel. To achieve these outcomes it is essential that health planning be decentralized. Districts vary widely according to the specific needs of their population, and even more so in terms of existing interventions and available resources. Strategies, therefore, have to be district-specific, not only because health needs vary, but also because people's perceptions and capacities to intervene and implement programmes vary. In centrally designed plans there is little scope for such adaptation and contextualization, and hence decentralized planning becomes crucial. To undertake these initiatives, there is a strong need for trained, motivated, empowered and networked health personnel. It is precisely at this level that a lack of technical knowledge and skills and the absence of a supportive network or adequate educational opportunities impede personnel from making improvements. The absence of in-service training and of training curricula that reflect field realities also adds to this, discouraging health workers from pursuing effective strategies. The Public Health Resource Network is thus an attempt to reach out to motivated though often isolated health workers. It interacts with, and works to empower, health personnel within the government health system as well as civil society, to meaningfully participate in and strengthen decentralized planning processes and outcomes. Structured as an innovative distance-learning course spread over 12 to 18 months of coursework and contact programmes, the Public Health Resource Network comprises 14 core modules and five optional courses. The technical content and contact programmes have been specifically developed to build perspectives and technical knowledge of participants and provide them with a variety of options that can be immediately put into practice within their work environments and everyday roles. The thematic areas of the course modules range from technical knowledge related to maternal and child health and communicable and noncommunicable diseases; programmatic and systemic knowledge related to health planning, convergence, health management and public-private partnerships; to perspective-building knowledge related to mainstreaming gender issues and community participation. Currently the Public Health Resource Network has been launched in four states of India – Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, Bihar and Orissa – in its first phase, and reaches out to more than 500 participants with diverse backgrounds. The initiative has received valuable support from central and state government departments of health, state training institutes, the National Rural Health Mission – the current comprehensive health policy in the country – and leading civil society organizations. PMID:19615106

  1. IP Infrastructure Geolocation

    DTIC Science & Technology

    2015-03-01

    unlimited 13. ABSTRACT (maximum 200 words) Physical network maps are important to critical infrastructure defense and planning. Current state-of...the-art network infrastructure geolocation relies on Domain Name System (DNS) inferences. However, not only is using the DNS relatively inaccurate for...INTENTIONALLY LEFT BLANK iv ABSTRACT Physical network maps are important to critical infrastructure defense and planning. Cur- rent state-of-the-art

  2. Enhancing response coordination through the assessment of response network structural dynamics

    PubMed Central

    Jalili, Mahdi; Choi, Soo-Mi

    2018-01-01

    Preparing for intensifying threats of emergencies in unexpected, dangerous, and serious natural or man-made events, and consequent management of the situation, is highly demanding in terms of coordinating the personnel and resources to support human lives and the environment. This necessitates prompt action to manage the uncertainties and risks imposed by such extreme events, which requires collaborative operation among different stakeholders (i.e., the personnel from both the state and local communities). This research aims to find a way to enhance the coordination of multi-organizational response operations. To do so, this manuscript investigates the role of participants in the formed coordination response network and also the emergence and temporal dynamics of the network. By analyzing an inter-personal response coordination operation to an extreme bushfire event, the networks’ and participants’ structural change is evaluated during the evolution of the operation network over four time durations. The results reveal that the coordination response network becomes more decentralized over time due to the high volume of communication required to exchange information. New emerging communication structures often do not fit the developed plans, which stress the need for coordination by feedback in addition to by plan. In addition, we find that the participant’s brokering role in the response operation network identifies a formal and informal coordination role. This is useful for comparison of network structures to examine whether what really happens during response operations complies with the initial policy. PMID:29447192

  3. Linking Climate Risk, Policy Networks and Adaptation Planning in Public Lands

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lubell, M.; Schwartz, M.; Peters, C.

    2014-12-01

    Federal public land management agencies in the United States have engaged a variety of planning efforts to address climate adaptation. A major goal of these efforts is to build policy networks that enable land managers to access information and expertise needed for responding to local climate risks. This paper investigates whether the perceived and modeled climate risk faced by different land managers is leading to larger networks or more participating in climate adaptation. In theory, the benefits of climate planning networks are larger when land managers are facing more potential changes. The basic hypothesis is tested with a survey of public land managers from hundreds of local and regional public lands management units in the Southwestern United States, as well as other stakeholders involved with climate adaptation planning. All survey respondents report their perceptions of climate risk along a variety of dimensions, as well as their participation in climate adaptation planning and information sharing networks. For a subset of respondents, we have spatially explicity GIS data about their location, which will be linked with downscaled climate model data. With the focus on climate change, the analysis is a subset of the overall idea of linking social and ecological systems.

  4. Data mining tools for the support of traffic signal timing plan development in arterial networks

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2001-05-01

    Intelligent transportation systems (ITS) include large numbers of traffic sensors that collect enormous quantities of data. The data provided by ITS is necessary for advanced forms of control; however, basic forms of control, primarily time-of-day (T...

  5. Star Struck.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    The Bookmark, 1991

    1991-01-01

    The professional journal of the British Columbia Teacher-Librarians' Association (BCTLA), The Bookmark is intended to: (1) serve as a communication vehicle for ideas, trends, and new developments in the field; (2) support a professional network of teacher-librarians who are committed to resource-based learning and cooperative planning and…

  6. Airborne Oceanographic Lidar (AOL) (Global Carbon Cycle)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    2003-01-01

    This bimonthly contractor progress report covers the operation, maintenance and data management of the Airborne Oceanographic Lidar and the Airborne Topographic Mapper. Monthly activities included: mission planning, sensor operation and calibration, data processing, data analysis, network development and maintenance and instrument maintenance engineering and fabrication.

  7. Report on Higher Education Technology.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    New Jersey State Commission on Higher Education.

    Recognizing the rapid development of telecommunications and networking technologies and their growing importance to higher education and New Jersey's overall economic competitiveness, New Jersey's Plan for Higher Education called for the Commission on Higher Education and the Presidents' Council to appoint a Higher Education Technology Task Force…

  8. Protecting Public-Access Computers in Libraries.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    King, Monica

    1999-01-01

    Describes one public library's development of a computer-security plan, along with helpful products used. Discussion includes Internet policy, physical protection of hardware, basic protection of the operating system and software on the network, browser dilemmas and maintenance, creating clear intuitive interface, and administering fair use and…

  9. A deep convolutional neural network-based automatic delineation strategy for multiple brain metastases stereotactic radiosurgery.

    PubMed

    Liu, Yan; Stojadinovic, Strahinja; Hrycushko, Brian; Wardak, Zabi; Lau, Steven; Lu, Weiguo; Yan, Yulong; Jiang, Steve B; Zhen, Xin; Timmerman, Robert; Nedzi, Lucien; Gu, Xuejun

    2017-01-01

    Accurate and automatic brain metastases target delineation is a key step for efficient and effective stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) treatment planning. In this work, we developed a deep learning convolutional neural network (CNN) algorithm for segmenting brain metastases on contrast-enhanced T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) datasets. We integrated the CNN-based algorithm into an automatic brain metastases segmentation workflow and validated on both Multimodal Brain Tumor Image Segmentation challenge (BRATS) data and clinical patients' data. Validation on BRATS data yielded average DICE coefficients (DCs) of 0.75±0.07 in the tumor core and 0.81±0.04 in the enhancing tumor, which outperformed most techniques in the 2015 BRATS challenge. Segmentation results of patient cases showed an average of DCs 0.67±0.03 and achieved an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.98±0.01. The developed automatic segmentation strategy surpasses current benchmark levels and offers a promising tool for SRS treatment planning for multiple brain metastases.

  10. The Telecommunications and Data Acquisition Report

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Posner, E. C. (Editor)

    1990-01-01

    Archival reports on developments in programs managed by the Jet Propulsion Laboratory's (JPL) Office of Telecommunications and Data Acquisition (TDA) are given. Space communications, radio navigation, radio science, and ground-based radio and radar astronomy, activities of the Deep Space Network (DSN) and its associated Ground Communications Facility (GCF) in planning, supporting research and technology, implementation, and operations are reported. Also included is TDA-funded activity at JPL on data and information systems and reimbursable Deep Space Network (DSN) work performed for other space agencies through NASA.

  11. An overview of LIGO and Virgo -- status and plans

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Miller, John

    2014-06-01

    Interferometric gravitational-wave detectors, the most sensitive position meters ever operated, aim to detect the motion of massive bodies throughout the universe by pushing precision measurement to the standard quantum limit and beyond. A global network of these detectors is currently under construction, promising unprecedented sensitivity and the ability to determine the sky position of any detected signals. I will describe the current status and expected performance of this network with a focus on limiting noise sources and the techniques currently being developed to combat them.

  12. Vector neural network signal integration for radar application

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bierman, Gregory S.

    1994-07-01

    The Litton Data Systems Vector Neural Network (VNN) is a unique multi-scan integration algorithm currently in development. The target of interest is a low-flying cruise missile. Current tactical radar cannot detect and track the missile in ground clutter at tactically useful ranges. The VNN solves this problem by integrating the energy from multiple frames to effectively increase the target's signal-to-noise ratio. The implementation plan is addressing the APG-63 radar. Real-time results will be available by March 1994.

  13. Region 7 States Air Quality Monitoring Plans - Iowa

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) - Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska; Annual Monitoring Network Plans, Five-Year Monitoring Network Assessments, and approval documentation. Each year, states are required to submit an annual monitoring netwo

  14. Region 7 States Air Quality Monitoring Plans - Missouri

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) - Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska; Annual Monitoring Network Plans, Five-Year Monitoring Network Assessments, and approval documentation. Each year, states are required to submit an annual monitoring netwo

  15. Region 7 States Air Quality Monitoring Plans - Nebraska

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) - Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska; Annual Monitoring Network Plans, Five-Year Monitoring Network Assessments, and approval documentation. Each year, states are required to submit an annual monitoring netwo

  16. Region 7 States Air Quality Monitoring Plans - Kansas

    EPA Pesticide Factsheets

    National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) - Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska; Annual Monitoring Network Plans, Five-Year Monitoring Network Assessments, and approval documentation. Each year, states are required to submit an annual monitoring netwo

  17. The LCOGT NEO Follow-up Network

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Lister, Tim; Greenstreet, Sarah; Gomez, Edward; Christensen, Eric J.; Larson, Stephen M.

    2016-10-01

    The LCOGT NEO Follow-up Network is using the telescopes of the Las Cumbres Observatory Global Telescope Network (LCOGT) and a web-based target selection, scheduling and data reduction system to confirm NEO candidates and characterize radar-targeted known NEOs. Starting in July 2014, the LCOGT NEO Follow-up Network has observed over 3,500 targets and reported more than 16,000 astrometric and photometric measurements to the Minor Planet Center (MPC).The LCOGT NEO Follow-up Network's main aims are to perform confirming follow-up of the large number of NEO candidates and to perform characterization measurements of radar targets to obtain light curves and rotation rates. The NEO candidates come from the NEO surveys such as Catalina, PanSTARRS, ATLAS, NEOWISE and others. In particular, we are targeting objects in the Southern Hemisphere, where the LCOGT NEO Follow-up Network is the largest resource for NEO observations.LCOGT has completed the first phase of the deployment with the installation and commissioning of the nine 1-meter telescopes at McDonald Observatory (Texas), Cerro Tololo (Chile), SAAO (South Africa) and Siding Spring Observatory (Australia). The telescope network has been fully operational since 2014 May, and observations are being executed remotely and robotically. Future expansion to a site at Ali Observatory, Tibet is planned for 2017-2018.We have developed web-based software called NEOexchange which automatically downloads and aggregates NEO candidates from the Minor Planet Center's NEO Confirmation Page, the Arecibo and Goldstone radar target lists and the NASA ARM list. NEOexchange allows the planning and scheduling of observations on the LCOGT Telescope Network and the tracking of the resulting blocks and generated data. We have recently extended the NEOexchange software to include automated data reduction to re-compute the astrometric solution, determine the photometric zeropoint and find moving objects and present these results to the user via the website.We will present results from the LCOGT NEO Follow-up Network and from the development of the NEOexchange software which is used to schedule, analyze and report observations taken with the LCOGT Network.

  18. Sustaining Research Networks: the Twenty-Year Experience of the HMO Research Network

    PubMed Central

    Steiner, John F.; Paolino, Andrea R.; Thompson, Ella E.; Larson, Eric B.

    2014-01-01

    Purpose: As multi-institutional research networks assume a central role in clinical research, they must address the challenge of sustainability. Despite its importance, the concept of network sustainability has received little attention in the literature, and the sustainability strategies of durable scientific networks have not been described. Innovation: The Health Maintenance Organization Research Network (HMORN) is a consortium of 18 research departments in integrated health care delivery systems with over 15 million members in the United States and Israel. The HMORN has coordinated federally funded scientific networks and studies since 1994. This case study describes the HMORN approach to sustainability, proposes an operational definition of network sustainability, and identifies 10 essential elements that can enhance sustainability. Credibility: The sustainability framework proposed here is drawn from prior publications on organizational issues by HMORN investigators and from the experience of recent HMORN leaders and senior staff. Conclusion and Discussion: Network sustainability can be defined as (1) the development and enhancement of shared research assets to facilitate a sequence of research studies in a specific content area or multiple areas, and (2) a community of researchers and other stakeholders who reuse and develop those assets. Essential elements needed to develop the shared assets of a network include: network governance; trustworthy data and processes for sharing data; shared knowledge about research tools; administrative efficiency; physical infrastructure; and infrastructure funding. The community of researchers within a network is enhanced by: a clearly defined mission, vision and values; protection of human subjects; a culture of collaboration; and strong relationships with host organizations. While the importance of these elements varies based on the membership and goals of a network, this framework for sustainability can enhance strategic planning within the network and can guide relationships with external stakeholders. PMID:25848605

  19. Landscape ecological assessment: a tool for integrating biodiversity issues in strategic environmental assessment and planning.

    PubMed

    Mörtberg, U M; Balfors, B; Knol, W C

    2007-03-01

    To achieve a sustainable development, impacts on biodiversity of urbanisation, new infrastructure projects and other land use changes must be considered on landscape and regional scales. This requires that important decisions are made after a systematic evaluation of environmental impacts. Landscape ecology can provide a conceptual framework for the assessment of consequences of long-term development processes like urbanisation on biodiversity components, and for evaluating and visualising the impacts of alternative planning scenarios. The aim of this paper was to develop methods for integrating biodiversity issues in planning and strategic environmental assessment in an urbanising environment, on landscape and regional levels. In order to test developed methods, a case study was conducted in the region of Stockholm, the capital of Sweden, and the study area embraced the city centre, suburbs and peri-urban areas. Focal species were tested as indicators of habitat quality, quantity and connectivity in the landscape. Predictive modelling of habitat distribution in geographic information systems involved the modelling of focal species occurrences based on empirical data, incorporated in a landscape ecological decision support system. When habitat models were retrieved, they were applied on future planning scenarios in order to predict and assess the impacts on focal species. The scenario involving a diffuse exploitation pattern had the greatest negative impacts on the habitat networks of focal species. The scenarios with concentrated exploitation also had negative impacts, although they were possible to mitigate quite easily. The predictions of the impacts on habitats networks of focal species made it possible to quantify, integrate and visualise the effects of urbanisation scenarios on aspects of biodiversity on a landscape level.

  20. 2015-2018 Regional Prevention Plan of Lombardy (Northern Italy) and sedentary prevention: a cross-sectional strategy to develop evidence-based programmes.

    PubMed

    Coppola, Liliana; Ripamonti, Ennio; Cereda, Danilo; Gelmi, Giusi; Pirrone, Lucia; Rebecchi, Andrea

    2016-01-01

    Cross-sector, life-course, and setting approaches are identified in the 2015-2018 Regional Prevention Plan (PRP) of Lombardy Region (Northern Italy) as valuable strategies to ensure the efficacy and sustainable prevention of the non-communicable disease (NCDs). The involvement of non-health sectors in health promotion activities represents a suitable strategy to affect on social, economic, and political determinants and to change environmental factors that could cause NCDs. A dialogue among communities, urban planning, and prevention know-how is a prerequisite to develop a system of policies suitable to promote healthy lifestyle in general and, specifically, active lifestyles. The 2015-2018 Lombardy PRP pursues its aims of health promotion and behavioural risk factors for NCDs prevention through programmes that implement their own setting networks (Health Promoting Schools - SPS; Workplace Health Promotion - WHP) and develop new networks. Sedentary lifestyle prevention and active lifestyle promotion are performed through the approach promoted by the Healthy Cities Programme (WHO), encouraging two main processes: 1. creating integrated capacity-building among health and social prevention services, academic research, and local stakeholders on different urban planning and design issues; 2. promoting community empowerment through active citizens participation. Through this process, Lombardy Region aims to orient its services developing evidence-based programmes and enhancing advocacy and mediating capacity skills in order to create a profitable partnership with non-health sectors. This paper reports the main impact data: 26,000 children that reach school by foot thanks to walking buses, 57% of 145 companies joining WHP are involved in promoting physical activity, 18,891 citizens who attend local walking groups.

  1. An expert-based approach to forest road network planning by combining Delphi and spatial multi-criteria evaluation.

    PubMed

    Hayati, Elyas; Majnounian, Baris; Abdi, Ehsan; Sessions, John; Makhdoum, Majid

    2013-02-01

    Changes in forest landscapes resulting from road construction have increased remarkably in the last few years. On the other hand, the sustainable management of forest resources can only be achieved through a well-organized road network. In order to minimize the environmental impacts of forest roads, forest road managers must design the road network efficiently and environmentally as well. Efficient planning methodologies can assist forest road managers in considering the technical, economic, and environmental factors that affect forest road planning. This paper describes a three-stage methodology using the Delphi method for selecting the important criteria, the Analytic Hierarchy Process for obtaining the relative importance of the criteria, and finally, a spatial multi-criteria evaluation in a geographic information system (GIS) environment for identifying the lowest-impact road network alternative. Results of the Delphi method revealed that ground slope, lithology, distance from stream network, distance from faults, landslide susceptibility, erosion susceptibility, geology, and soil texture are the most important criteria for forest road planning in the study area. The suitability map for road planning was then obtained by combining the fuzzy map layers of these criteria with respect to their weights. Nine road network alternatives were designed using PEGGER, an ArcView GIS extension, and finally, their values were extracted from the suitability map. Results showed that the methodology was useful for identifying road that met environmental and cost considerations. Based on this work, we suggest future work in forest road planning using multi-criteria evaluation and decision making be considered in other regions and that the road planning criteria identified in this study may be useful.

  2. Promoting and developing a trail network across suburban, rural, and urban communities.

    PubMed

    Schasberger, Michele G; Hussa, Carol S; Polgar, Michael F; McMonagle, Julie A; Burke, Sharon J; Gegaris, Andrew J

    2009-12-01

    The Wyoming Valley Wellness Trails Partnership received an Active Living by Design grant late in 2003 for a project centered on a growing trail network linking urban, suburban, and rural communities in northeast Pennsylvania, a former coal region, in order to increase physical activity among residents. The partnership conducted research, collected information, created promotional documents, worked with partners on events and programs, and participated in trail planning. Local trail organizations continued planning and construction toward developing a trail network. Other partners spearheaded policy change in schools and worksites and worked toward downtown revitalization. The partnership assisted these efforts by providing a forum in which organizations could meet. The partnership became a central resource for information about local parks, trails, and outdoor recreational activities. The partnership increased awareness and use of recreational facilities. Trail partners constructed 22 miles of walking and biking trails. The partnership took advantage of an allied effort that created organizational capacity for wellness in schools and worksites. Messages promoting social and entertainment benefits of physical activity were more successful than those promoting health benefits. The existence of multiple small, independent trail organizations can help advance trail development through concurrent development efforts. Urban, suburban, and rural residents' conceptions of walkability may differ. Trails provide options for recreational and transportation-related physical activity across urban, suburban, and rural landscapes that are supported by all constituents. Trail builders can be strong allies in bringing active living to suburban and rural places.

  3. Planning assistance for the NASA 30/20 GHz program. Network control architecture study.

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Inukai, T.; Bonnelycke, B.; Strickland, S.

    1982-01-01

    Network Control Architecture for a 30/20 GHz flight experiment system operating in the Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) was studied. Architecture development, identification of processing functions, and performance requirements for the Master Control Station (MCS), diversity trunking stations, and Customer Premises Service (CPS) stations are covered. Preliminary hardware and software processing requirements as well as budgetary cost estimates for the network control system are given. For the trunking system control, areas covered include on board SS-TDMA switch organization, frame structure, acquisition and synchronization, channel assignment, fade detection and adaptive power control, on board oscillator control, and terrestrial network timing. For the CPS control, they include on board processing and adaptive forward error correction control.

  4. ESA's satellite communications programme

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Bartholome, P.

    1985-02-01

    The developmental history, current status, and future plans of the ESA satellite-communications programs are discussed in a general survey and illustrated with network diagrams and maps. Consideration is given to the parallel development of national and European direct-broadcast systems and telecommunications networks, the position of the European space and electronics industries in the growing world market, the impact of technological improvements (both in satellite systems and in ground-based networks), and the technological and commercial advantages of integrated space-terrestrial networks. The needs for a European definition of the precise national and international roles of satellite communications, for maximum speed in implementing such decisions (before the technology becomes obsolete), and for increased cooperation and standardization to assure European equipment manufacturers a reasonable share of the market are stressed.

  5. Food security issues--a potential comprehensive plan.

    PubMed

    Norton, R A

    2003-06-01

    The need for a comprehensive plan to protect the food production system has emerged as a critical issue over the last several years. To address this need, a comprehensive food security plan has been developed at Auburn University. The proposed program, entitled the Consolidated American Network for Agriculture Resource Intelligence (CANARI) system is one of several systems being proposed to deal with potential agricultural bioterrorism or agroterrorism events. Unlike other systems, which hastily emerged in many agencies after the tragedy of September 11, 2001, the system has been planned over the last 5 yr with the input of the agricultural industries, is comprehensive in its conception, and is designed to coordinate all components (existing and planned) necessary to prevent, detect, and respond to potential agroterrorism events. The plan uses the principle that the first line of defense must be within the states and agricultural companies for the detection of agroterrorism incidents to be rapid and the response effective, organized, and timely. CANARI is designed to integrate the previously disparate elements by fostering a cooperative network of local, state, and federal agencies as well as commodity entities and interested non-governmental organizations. Using a market-driven approach, the system encourages commodity membership and cooperation through positive incentives rather than regulatory duress. A centralized command structure is envisioned, which would be provided through the creation of a National Agroterrorism Defense Center. The responsibility of this Center would be to coordinate all of the activities presently available in components at the local, state, and federal levels and develop and manage new and emerging activities provided by the stakeholders. CANARI offers a new paradigm by which all of its constituent members act collectively and cooperatively to lessen the risk of an attack and better ensure the continued availability of a safe, abundant, and economical food supply.

  6. A View from Japan. Citizenship for the 21st Century: The Role of the Social Studies. Fourth in a Series.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Nakayama, Shuichi

    1989-01-01

    Points out problems in planning a social studies curriculum that will prepare Japanese society for the 21st Century. Claiming that the current curricula is ethnocentric, looks at objectives and teaching strategies for developing a global approach. Recommends development of a global information network to increase awareness of the interrelatedness…

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

    Koniges, A.E.

    The author describes the new T3D parallel computer at NERSC. The adaptive mesh ICF3D code is one of the current applications being ported and developed for use on the T3D. It has been stressed in other papers in this proceedings that the development environment and tools available on the parallel computer is similar to any planned for the future including networks of workstations.

  8. YOUTH DEVELOPMENT DEMONSTRATION PROJECT OF THE COMMUNITY HEALTH AND WELFARE COUNCEIL OF HENNEPIN COUNTY, INC. SUMMARY REPORT.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    HARRIS, LARRY; AND OTHERS

    THE COUNCIL WAS AWARDED A 2-YEAR PLANNING GRANT OF NEARLY $150,000 TO DEVELOP A COMPREHENSIVE NETWORK OF PROGRAMS AND SERVICES FOR CULTURALLY DEPRIVED CHILDREN IN MINNEAPOLIS, TO AID STABILITY, AND TO RETARD DELINQUENCY. A COMMITTEE COMPOSED OF REPRESENTATIVES FROM SCHOOLS, SOCIAL AGENCIES, CITY, COUNTY, AND STATE GOVERNMENTS, BUSINESS, LABOR, AND…

  9. Intelligent manipulation technique for multi-branch robotic systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Chen, Alexander Y. K.; Chen, Eugene Y. S.

    1990-01-01

    New analytical development in kinematics planning is reported. The INtelligent KInematics Planner (INKIP) consists of the kinematics spline theory and the adaptive logic annealing process. Also, a novel framework of robot learning mechanism is introduced. The FUzzy LOgic Self Organized Neural Networks (FULOSONN) integrates fuzzy logic in commands, control, searching, and reasoning, the embedded expert system for nominal robotics knowledge implementation, and the self organized neural networks for the dynamic knowledge evolutionary process. Progress on the mechanical construction of SRA Advanced Robotic System (SRAARS) and the real time robot vision system is also reported. A decision was made to incorporate the Local Area Network (LAN) technology in the overall communication system.

  10. Choosing Objectives in Over-Subscription Planning

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Smith, David E.

    2003-01-01

    Many NASA planning problems are over-subscription problems - that is, there are a large number of possible goals of differing value, and the planning system must choose a subset &it car! be accomplished within the limited time and resources available. Examples include planning for telescopes like Hubble, SIRTF, and SOFIA; scheduling for the Deep Space Network; and planning science experiments for a Mars rover. Unfortunately, existing planning systems are not designed to deal with problems like this - they expect a well-defined conjunctive goal and terminate in failure unless the entire goal is achieved. In this paper we develop techniques for over-subscription problems that assist a classical planner in choosing which goals to achieve, and the order in which to achieve them. These techniques use plan graph cost-estimation techniques to construct an orienteering problem, which is then used to provide heuristic advice on the goals and goal order that should considered by a planner.

  11. Expansion of Surveillance for Vaccine-preventable Diseases: Building on the Global Polio Laboratory Network and the Global Measles and Rubella Laboratory Network Platforms.

    PubMed

    Mulders, Mick N; Serhan, Fatima; Goodson, James L; Icenogle, Joseph; Johnson, Barbara W; Rota, Paul A

    2017-07-01

    Laboratory networks were established to provide accurate and timely laboratory confirmation of infections, an essential component of disease surveillance systems. The World Health Organization (WHO) coordinates global laboratory surveillance of vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs), including polio, measles and rubella, yellow fever, Japanese encephalitis, rotavirus, and invasive bacterial diseases. In addition to providing high-quality laboratory surveillance data to help guide disease control, elimination, and eradication programs, these global networks provide capacity-building and an infrastructure for public health laboratories. There are major challenges with sustaining and expanding the global laboratory surveillance capacity: limited resources and the need for expansion to meet programmatic goals. Here, we describe the WHO-coordinated laboratory networks supporting VPD surveillance and present a plan for the further development of these networks. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press for the Infectious Diseases Society of America.

  12. Hopfield networks for solving Tower of Hanoi problems

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Kaplan, G. B.; Güzeliş, Cüneyt

    2001-08-01

    In this paper, Hopfield neural networks have been considered in solving the Tower of Hanoi test which is used in the determining of deficit of planning capability of the human prefrontal cortex. The main difference between this paper and the ones in the literature which use neural networks is that the Tower of Hanoi problem has been formulated here as a special shortest-path problem. In the literature, some Hopfield networks are developed for solving the shortest path problem which is a combinatorial optimization problem having a diverse field of application. The approach given in this paper gives the possibility of solving the Tower of Hanoi problem using these Hopfield networks. Also, the paper proposes new Hopfield network models for the shortest path and hence the Tower of Hanoi problems and compares them to the available ones in terms of the memory and time (number of steps) needed in the simulations.

  13. Development Roadmap of an Evolvable and Extensible Multi-Mission Telecom Planning and Analysis Framework

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Cheung, Kar-Ming; Tung, Ramona H.; Lee, Charles H.

    2003-01-01

    In this paper, we describe the development roadmap and discuss the various challenges of an evolvable and extensible multi-mission telecom planning and analysis framework. Our long-term goal is to develop a set of powerful flexible telecommunications analysis tools that can be easily adapted to different missions while maintain the common Deep Space Communication requirements. The ability of re-using the DSN ground models and the common software utilities in our adaptations has contributed significantly to our development efforts measured in terms of consistency, accuracy, and minimal effort redundancy, which can translate into shorter development time and major cost savings for the individual missions. In our roadmap, we will address the design principles, technical achievements and the associated challenges for following telecom analysis tools (i) Telecom Forecaster Predictor - TFP (ii) Unified Telecom Predictor - UTP (iii) Generalized Telecom Predictor - GTP (iv) Generic TFP (v) Web-based TFP (vi) Application Program Interface - API (vii) Mars Relay Network Planning Tool - MRNPT.

  14. Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Network Simulation Tool Development and Its Use Cases

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Jennings, Esther; Borgen, Richard; Nguyen, Sam; Segui, John; Stoenescu, Tudor; Wang, Shin-Ywan; Woo, Simon; Barritt, Brian; Chevalier, Christine; Eddy, Wesley

    2009-01-01

    In this work, we focus on the development of a simulation tool to assist in analysis of current and future (proposed) network architectures for NASA. Specifically, the Space Communications and Navigation (SCaN) Network is being architected as an integrated set of new assets and a federation of upgraded legacy systems. The SCaN architecture for the initial missions for returning humans to the moon and beyond will include the Space Network (SN) and the Near-Earth Network (NEN). In addition to SCaN, the initial mission scenario involves a Crew Exploration Vehicle (CEV), the International Space Station (ISS) and NASA Integrated Services Network (NISN). We call the tool being developed the SCaN Network Integration and Engineering (SCaN NI&E) Simulator. The intended uses of such a simulator are: (1) to characterize performance of particular protocols and configurations in mission planning phases; (2) to optimize system configurations by testing a larger parameter space than may be feasible in either production networks or an emulated environment; (3) to test solutions in order to find issues/risks before committing more significant resources needed to produce real hardware or flight software systems. We describe two use cases of the tool: (1) standalone simulation of CEV to ISS baseline scenario to determine network performance, (2) participation in Distributed Simulation Integration Laboratory (DSIL) tests to perform function testing and verify interface and interoperability of geographically dispersed simulations/emulations.

  15. Dynamic Task Assignment and Path Planning of Multi-AUV System Based on an Improved Self-Organizing Map and Velocity Synthesis Method in Three-Dimensional Underwater Workspace.

    PubMed

    Zhu, Daqi; Huang, Huan; Yang, S X

    2013-04-01

    For a 3-D underwater workspace with a variable ocean current, an integrated multiple autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) dynamic task assignment and path planning algorithm is proposed by combing the improved self-organizing map (SOM) neural network and a novel velocity synthesis approach. The goal is to control a team of AUVs to reach all appointed target locations for only one time on the premise of workload balance and energy sufficiency while guaranteeing the least total and individual consumption in the presence of the variable ocean current. First, the SOM neuron network is developed to assign a team of AUVs to achieve multiple target locations in 3-D ocean environment. The working process involves special definition of the initial neural weights of the SOM network, the rule to select the winner, the computation of the neighborhood function, and the method to update weights. Then, the velocity synthesis approach is applied to plan the shortest path for each AUV to visit the corresponding target in a dynamic environment subject to the ocean current being variable and targets being movable. Lastly, to demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed approach, simulation results are given in this paper.

  16. To connect or not to connect? Modelling the optimal degree of centralisation for wastewater infrastructures.

    PubMed

    Eggimann, Sven; Truffer, Bernhard; Maurer, Max

    2015-11-01

    The strong reliance of most utility services on centralised network infrastructures is becoming increasingly challenged by new technological advances in decentralised alternatives. However, not enough effort has been made to develop planning tools designed to address the implications of these new opportunities and to determine the optimal degree of centralisation of these infrastructures. We introduce a planning tool for sustainable network infrastructure planning (SNIP), a two-step techno-economic heuristic modelling approach based on shortest path-finding and hierarchical-agglomerative clustering algorithms to determine the optimal degree of centralisation in the field of wastewater management. This SNIP model optimises the distribution of wastewater treatment plants and the sewer network outlay relative to several cost and sewer-design parameters. Moreover, it allows us to construct alternative optimal wastewater system designs taking into account topography, economies of scale as well as the full size range of wastewater treatment plants. We quantify and confirm that the optimal degree of centralisation decreases with increasing terrain complexity and settlement dispersion while showing that the effect of the latter exceeds that of topography. Case study results for a Swiss community indicate that the calculated optimal degree of centralisation is substantially lower than the current level. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  17. Aggregation in Network Models for Transportation Planning

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    1978-02-01

    This report documents research performed on techniques of aggregation applied to network models used in transportation planning. The central objective of this research has been to identify, extend, and evaluate methods of aggregation so as to improve...

  18. Intelligent control and adaptive systems; Proceedings of the Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, Nov. 7, 8, 1989

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Rodriguez, Guillermo (Editor)

    1990-01-01

    Various papers on intelligent control and adaptive systems are presented. Individual topics addressed include: control architecture for a Mars walking vehicle, representation for error detection and recovery in robot task plans, real-time operating system for robots, execution monitoring of a mobile robot system, statistical mechanics models for motion and force planning, global kinematics for manipulator planning and control, exploration of unknown mechanical assemblies through manipulation, low-level representations for robot vision, harmonic functions for robot path construction, simulation of dual behavior of an autonomous system. Also discussed are: control framework for hand-arm coordination, neural network approach to multivehicle navigation, electronic neural networks for global optimization, neural network for L1 norm linear regression, planning for assembly with robot hands, neural networks in dynamical systems, control design with iterative learning, improved fuzzy process control of spacecraft autonomous rendezvous using a genetic algorithm.

  19. An empty toolbox? Changes in health plans' approaches for managing costs and care.

    PubMed

    Mays, Glen P; Hurley, Robert E; Grossman, Joy M

    2003-02-01

    To examine how health plans have changed their approaches for managing costs and utilization in the wake of the recent backlash against managed care. Semistructured interviews with health plan executives, employers, providers, and other health care decision makers in 12 metropolitan areas that were randomly selected to be nationally representative of communities with more than 200,000 residents. Longitudinal data were collected as part of the Community Tracking Study during three rounds of site visits in 1996-1997, 1998-1999, and 2000-2001. Interviews probed about changes in the design and operation of health insurance products--including provider contracting and network development, benefit packages, and utilization management processes--and about the rationale and perceived impact of these changes. Data from more than 850 interviews were coded, extracted, and analyzed using computerized text analysis software. Health plans have begun to scale back or abandon their use of selected managed care tools in most communities, with selective contracting and risk contracting practices fading most rapidly and completely. In turn, plans increasingly have sought cost savings by shifting costs to consumers. Some plans have begun to experiment with new provider networks, payment systems, and referral practices designed to lower costs and improve service delivery. These changes promise to lighten administrative and financial burdens for physicians and hospitals, but they also threaten to increase consumers' financial burdens.

  20. Program status

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Smith, P.

    1986-01-01

    The Pilot Climate Data System (PCDS) was designed to support a variety of users that have been arbitrarily categorized into four groups: researchers, data producers, occasional users, and management. The expanding capabilities of the system are attracting the attention of both academic and other scientific institutions worldwide. Highlighted by progress in networking capabilities, hardware acquisitions, software developments, data set additions, and tutorial developments, exciting advances have taken place since the First PCDS Workshop. In the plans for the 1986 fiscal year, recommendations from an ad hoc users' group meeting in May 1985 and from the First PCDS workshop are apparent. This year's plans are listed, along with comments made at the users' group meeting. Although the PCDS is presently considered to be in a developmental phase, plans for making the transition to an operational phase are being implemented.

  1. Mobil`s Energy Management Program

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

    Schoeneborn, F.C.

    1997-06-01

    Mobil`s Facilities Management Network sponsored a cross-divisional team to reduce energy costs. This team developed an Energy Management Plan to reduce energy costs by $25 million annually throughout all Mobil divisions over the next five years (total of $125 million committed savings). The core of this plan is the belief that energy costs are controllable and should be managed with the expertise that Mobil manages other parts of the business. Areas of focus are economic procurement, efficient consumption, and expertise sharing.

  2. Rapid weather information dissemination in Florida

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Martsolf, J. D.; Heinemann, P. H.; Gerber, J. F.; Crosby, F. L.; Smith, D. L.

    1984-01-01

    The development of the Florida Agricultural Services and Technology (FAST) plan to provide ports for users to call for weather information is described. FAST is based on the Satellite Frost Forecast System, which makes a broad base of weather data available to its users. The methods used for acquisition and dissemination of data from various networks under the FAST plan are examined. The system provides color coded IR or thermal maps, precipitation maps, and textural forecast information. A diagram of the system is provided.

  3. NOAA data service

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Beginning this month, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has a new source of information for scientists seeking information on environmental assessment and impact studies, facility site planning, research program planning, project data tracking and management, and new data.The agency's new National Environmental Data Referral Service (NEDRES) is an electronic catalog that identifies the existence, location, characteristics, and availability of conditions of environmental data. NOAA expects NEDRES to develop into a national network serving federal, state, and private organizations. NEDRES now contains about 13,000 data files.

  4. Enhancing the Delivery of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Education through Geographic Information Systems

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Stone, Matthew

    2011-01-01

    The Network for a Healthy California (Network) employs a Geographic Information System (GIS) to identify the target audience and plan program activities because GIS is a powerful tool for assisting in data integration and planning. This paper describes common uses of GIS by Network contractors as well as demonstrating the possibilities of GIS as a…

  5. Jumpstarting Academic Careers: A Workshop and Tools for Career Development in Anesthesiology.

    PubMed

    Yanofsky, Samuel D; Voytko, Mary Lou; Tobin, Joseph R; Nyquist, Julie G

    2011-01-01

    Career development is essential and has the potential to assist in building a sustained faculty within academic departments of Anesthesiology. Career development is essential for growth in academic medicine. Close attention to the details involved in career management, goal setting as part of career planning, and professional networking are key elements. This article examines the specific educational strategies involved in a 120 minute workshop divided into four 25 minute segments with 20 minutes at the end for discussion for training junior faculty in career development. The teaching methods include 1) brief didactic presentations, 2) pre-workshop completion of two professional development tools, 3) facilitated small group discussion using trained facilitators and 4) use of a commitment to change format. Three major learning tools were utilized in conjunction with the above methods: a professional network survey, a career planning and development form and a commitment to change form. Forty one participants from 2009 reported 80 projected changes in their practice behaviors in relation to career management: Build or enhance professional network and professional mentoring (36.3%); Set career goals, make a plan, follow though, collaborate, publish (35.1%); Increase visibility locally or nationally (10.0%); Building core skills, such as clinical, teaching, leading (36.3%); Identify the criteria for promotion in own institution (5.0%); Improved methods of documentation (2.5%). Over the past two years, the workshop has been very well received by junior faculty, with over 95% marking each of the following items as excellent or good (presentation, content, audiovisuals and objectives met). The challenge for continuing development and promotion of academic anesthesiologists lies in the explicit training of faculty for career advancement. Designing workshops using educational tools to promote a reflective process of the faculty member is the one method to meet this challenge. We believe that this national workshop has initiated an increasing awareness of a core of junior faculty nationally having now delivered the material to almost 200 junior faculty and having trained seven facilitators in the usage of these materials.

  6. Collaborative research networks in health: a pragmatic scoping study for the development of an imaging network.

    PubMed

    Robinson, Tracy Elizabeth; Rankin, Nicole; Janssen, Anna; Mcgregor, Deborah; Grieve, Stuart; Shaw, Timothy

    2015-12-09

    Collaborative research networks are often touted as a solution for enhancing the translation of knowledge, but questions remain about how to evaluate their impact on health service delivery. This pragmatic scoping study explored the enabling factors for developing and supporting a collaborative imaging network in a metropolitan university in Australia. An advisory group was established to provide governance and to identify key informants and participants. Focus group discussions (n = 2) and semi-structured interviews (n = 22) were facilitated with representatives from a broad range of disciplines. In addition, a survey, a review of relevant websites (n = 15) and a broad review of the literature were undertaken to elicit information on collaborative research networks and perceived needs and factors that would support their involvement in a multi-disciplinary collaborative research network. Findings were de-identified and broad themes were identified. Participants identified human factors as having priority for developing and sustaining a collaborative research network. In particular, leadership, a shared vision and a communication plan that includes social media were identified as crucial for sustaining an imaging network in health research. It is important to develop metrics that map relationships between network members and the role that communication tools can contribute to this process. This study confirms that human factors remain significant across a range of collaborative endeavours. The use of focus group discussions, interviews, and literature and website reviews means we can now strongly recommend the primacy of human factors. More work is needed to identify how the network operates and what specific indicators or metrics help build the capacity of clinicians and scientists to participate in translational research.

  7. Tomorrow Is Today at Silver Ridge.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Wise, B. J.

    1994-01-01

    Describes a Washington State school's efforts to forego factory-model education for a boldly restructured curriculum dependent on new technologies, such as computer networks, two-year classrooms, ongoing staff development and planning sessions, and an innovative onsite day-care program for staff and students. The school has succeeded in…

  8. 5 strategies for combating market uncertainty to deliver value.

    PubMed

    Hegwer, Laura Ramos

    2014-10-01

    To strengthen their market share and balance sheets in preparation for greater financial and regulatory pressures, middle-market hospitals are: Merging when it makes sense. Building strategic partnerships. Developing clinically integrated networks. Making their health plans exchange-ready. Focusing on patient satisfaction and employee engagement.

  9. Development of a Traffic Management Decision Support Tool for Freeway Incident Traffic Management (FITM) Plan Deployment

    DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

    2017-12-01

    Traffic incidents have long been recognized as the main contributor to congestion in highway networks. Thus, contending with non-recurrent congestion has been a priority task for most highway agencies over the past decades. Under most incident scenar...

  10. The National Information Infrastructure: Agenda for Action.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Department of Commerce, Washington, DC. Information Infrastructure Task Force.

    The National Information Infrastructure (NII) is planned as a web of communications networks, computers, databases, and consumer electronics that will put vast amounts of information at the users' fingertips. Private sector firms are beginning to develop this infrastructure, but essential roles remain for the Federal Government. The National…

  11. Multipurpose exciter with low phase noise

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Conroy, B.; Le, D.

    1989-01-01

    Results of an effort to develop a lower-cost exciter with high stability, low phase noise, and controllable phase and frequency for use in Deep Space Network and Goldstone Solar System Radar applications are discussed. Included is a discussion of the basic concept, test results, plans, and concerns.

  12. Educational and Communal Centres in Hungary.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Jenney, L.

    In Hungary, the National Settlement Network Development Plan determines, to a great extent, the long-range organizational framework of public education and cultural affairs. In the capital, the educational center might easily become the pedagogical, cultural, communal, and sports center of the residential district. In the provinces, the basic…

  13. Interactive Distance Learning in Connecticut.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Pietras, Jesse John; Murphy, Robert J.

    This paper provides an overview of distance learning activities in Connecticut and addresses the feasibility of such activities. Distance education programs have evolved from the one dimensional electronic mail systems to the use of sophisticated digital fiber networks. The Middlesex Distance Learning Consortium has developed a long-range plan to…

  14. Reengineering the picture archiving and communication system (PACS) process for digital imaging networks PACS.

    PubMed

    Horton, M C; Lewis, T E; Kinsey, T V

    1999-05-01

    Prior to June 1997, military picture archiving and communications systems (PACS) were planned, procured, and installed with key decisions on the system, equipment, and even funding sources made through a research and development office called Medical Diagnostic Imaging Systems (MDIS). Beginning in June 1997, the Joint Imaging Technology Project Office (JITPO) initiated a collaborative and consultative process for planning and implementing PACS into military treatment facilities through a new Department of Defense (DoD) contract vehicle called digital imaging networks (DIN)-PACS. The JITPO reengineered this process incorporating multiple organizations and politics. The reengineered PACS process administered through the JITPO transformed the decision process and accountability from a single office to a consultative method that increased end-user knowledge, responsibility, and ownership in PACS. The JITPO continues to provide information and services that assist multiple groups and users in rendering PACS planning and implementation decisions. Local site project managers are involved from the outset and this end-user collaboration has made the sometimes difficult transition to PACS an easier and more acceptable process for all involved. Corporately, this process saved DoD sites millions by having PACS plans developed within the government and proposed to vendors second, and then having vendors respond specifically to those plans. The integrity and efficiency of the process have reduced the opportunity for implementing nonstandard systems while sharing resources and reducing wasted government dollars. This presentation will describe the chronology of changes, encountered obstacles, and lessons learned within the reengineering of the PACS process for DIN-PACS.

  15. Assessing needs and assets for building a regional network infrastructure to reduce cancer related health disparities.

    PubMed

    Wells, Kristen J; Lima, Diana S; Meade, Cathy D; Muñoz-Antonia, Teresita; Scarinci, Isabel; McGuire, Allison; Gwede, Clement K; Pledger, W Jack; Partridge, Edward; Lipscomb, Joseph; Matthews, Roland; Matta, Jaime; Flores, Idhaliz; Weiner, Roy; Turner, Timothy; Miele, Lucio; Wiese, Thomas E; Fouad, Mona; Moreno, Carlos S; Lacey, Michelle; Christie, Debra W; Price-Haywood, Eboni G; Quinn, Gwendolyn P; Coppola, Domenico; Sodeke, Stephen O; Green, B Lee; Lichtveld, Maureen Y

    2014-06-01

    Significant cancer health disparities exist in the United States and Puerto Rico. While numerous initiatives have been implemented to reduce cancer disparities, regional coordination of these efforts between institutions is often limited. To address cancer health disparities nation-wide, a series of regional transdisciplinary networks through the Geographic Management Program (GMaP) and the Minority Biospecimen/Biobanking Geographic Management Program (BMaP) were established in six regions across the country. This paper describes the development of the Region 3 GMaP/BMaP network composed of over 100 investigators from nine institutions in five Southeastern states and Puerto Rico to develop a state-of-the-art network for cancer health disparities research and training. We describe a series of partnership activities that led to the formation of the infrastructure for this network, recount the participatory processes utilized to develop and implement a needs and assets assessment and implementation plan, and describe our approach to data collection. Completion, by all nine institutions, of the needs and assets assessment resulted in several beneficial outcomes for Region 3 GMaP/BMaP. This network entails ongoing commitment from the institutions and institutional leaders, continuous participatory and engagement activities, and effective coordination and communication centered on team science goals. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  16. Assessing Needs and Assets for Building a Regional Network Infrastructure to Reduce Cancer Related Health Disparities

    PubMed Central

    Wells, Kristen J.; Lima, Diana S.; Meade, Cathy D.; Muñoz-Antonia, Teresita; Scarinci, Isabel; McGuire, Allison; Gwede, Clement K.; Pledger, W. Jack; Partridge, Edward; Lipscomb, Joseph; Matthews, Roland; Matta, Jaime; Flores, Idhaliz; Weiner, Roy; Turner, Timothy; Miele, Lucio; Wiese, Thomas E.; Fouad, Mona; Moreno, Carlos S.; Lacey, Michelle; Christie, Debra W.; Price-Haywood, Eboni G.; Quinn, Gwendolyn P.; Coppola, Domenico; Sodeke, Stephen O.; Green, B. Lee; Lichtveld, Maureen Y.

    2015-01-01

    Significant cancer health disparities exist in the United States and Puerto Rico. While numerous initiatives have been implemented to reduce cancer disparities, regional coordination of these efforts between institutions is often limited. To address cancer health disparities nationwide, a series of regional transdisciplinary networks through the Geographic Management Program (GMaP) and the Minority Biospecimen/Biobanking Geographic Management Program (BMaP) were established in six regions across the country. This paper describes the development of the Region 3 GMaP/BMaP network composed of over 100 investigators from nine institutions in five Southeastern states and Puerto Rico to develop a state-of-the-art network for cancer health disparities research and training. We describe a series of partnership activities that led to the formation of the infrastructure for this network, recount the participatory processes utilized to develop and implement a needs and assets assessment and implementation plan, and describe our approach to data collection. Completion, by all nine institutions, of the needs and assets assessment resulted in several beneficial outcomes for Region 3 GMaP/BMaP. This network entails ongoing commitment from the institutions and institutional leaders, continuous participatory and engagement activities, and effective coordination and communication centered on team science goals. PMID:24486917

  17. Comprehensive evaluation of impacts of distributed generation integration in distribution network

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Peng, Sujiang; Zhou, Erbiao; Ji, Fengkun; Cao, Xinhui; Liu, Lingshuang; Liu, Zifa; Wang, Xuyang; Cai, Xiaoyu

    2018-04-01

    All Distributed generation (DG) as the supplement to renewable energy centralized utilization, is becoming the focus of development direction of renewable energy utilization. With the increasing proportion of DG in distribution network, the network power structure, power flow distribution, operation plans and protection are affected to some extent. According to the main impacts of DG, a comprehensive evaluation model of distributed network with DG is proposed in this paper. A comprehensive evaluation index system including 7 aspects, along with their corresponding index calculation method is established for quantitative analysis. The indices under different access capacity of DG in distribution network are calculated based on the IEEE RBTS-Bus 6 system and the evaluation result is calculated by analytic hierarchy process (AHP). The proposed model and method are verified effective and validity through case study.

  18. The New Face of FLUXNET: Redesigning the Web Site and Data Organization to Enhance the User Experience

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Shanafield, Harold; Shamblin, Stephanie; Devarakonda, Ranjeet; McMurry, Ben; Walker Beaty, Tammy; Wilson, Bruce; Cook, Robert B.

    2011-02-01

    The FLUXNET global network of regional flux tower networks serves to coordinate the regional and global analysis of eddy covariance based CO2, water vapor and energy flux measurements taken at more than 500 sites in continuous long-term operation. The FLUXNET database presently contains information about the location, characteristics, and data availability of each of these sites. To facilitate the coordination and distribution of this information, we redesigned the underlying database and associated web site. We chose the PostgreSQL database as a platform based on its performance, stability and GIS extensions. PostreSQL allows us to enhance our search and presentation capabilities, which will in turn provide increased functionality for users seeking to understand the FLUXNET data. The redesigned database will also significantly decrease the burden of managing such highly varied data. The website is being developed using the Drupal content management system, which provides many community-developed modules and a robust framework for custom feature development. In parallel, we are working with the regional networks to ensure that the information in the FLUXNET database is identical to that in the regional networks. Going forward, we also plan to develop an automated way to synchronize information with the regional networks.

  19. The HOME network: an Australian national initiative for home therapies.

    PubMed

    Chow, Josephine; Fortnum, Debbie; Moodie, Jo-Anne; Simmonds, Rosemary; Tomlins, Melinda

    2013-01-01

    Longer, more frequent dialysis at home can improve life expectancy for patients with chronic kidney disease. Increased use of home dialysis therapies also benefits the hospital system, allowing for more efficient allocation of clinic resources. However, the Australian and New Zealand Data Registry statistics highlight the low uptake of home haemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis across Australia. In August 2009, the Australia's HOME Network was established as a national initiative to engage and empower healthcare professionals working in the home dialysis specialty. The aim was to develop solutions to advocate for and ultimately increase the use of home therapies. This paper describes the development, achievement and future plan of the Australian HOME Network. Achievements to date include: a survey of HOME Network members to assess the current state of patient and healthcare professional-targeted education resources; development of two patient case studies and activities addressing how to overcome the financial burden experienced by patients on home dialysis. Future projects aim to improve patient and healthcare professional education, and advocacy for home dialysis therapies. The HOME Network is supporting healthcare professionals working in the home dialysis specialty to develop solutions and tools that will help to facilitate greater utilisation of home dialysis therapies. © 2013 European Dialysis and Transplant Nurses Association/European Renal Care Association.

  20. The future of managed care organization.

    PubMed

    Robinson, J C

    1999-01-01

    This paper analyzes the transformation of the central organization in the managed care system: the multiproduct, multimarket health plan. It examines vertical disintegration, the shift from ownership to contractual linkages between plans and provider organizations, and horizontal integration--the consolidation of erstwhile indemnity carriers, Blue Cross plans, health maintenance organizations (HMOs), and specialty networks. Health care consumers differ widely in their preferences and willingness to pay for particular products and network characteristics, while providers differ widely in their willingness to adopt particular organization and financing structures. This heterogeneity creates an enduring role for health plans that are diversified into multiple networks, benefit products, distribution channels, and geographic regions. Diversification now is driving health plans toward being national, full-service corporations and away from being local, single-product organizations linked to particular providers and selling to particular consumer niches.

  1. Web Design for Space Operations: An Overview of the Challenges and New Technologies Used in Developing and Operating Web-Based Applications in Real-Time Operational Support Onboard the International Space Station, in Astronaut Mission Planning and Mission Control Operations

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Khan, Ahmed

    2010-01-01

    The International Space Station (ISS) Operations Planning Team, Mission Control Centre and Mission Automation Support Network (MAS) have all evolved over the years to use commercial web-based technologies to create a configurable electronic infrastructure to manage the complex network of real-time planning, crew scheduling, resource and activity management as well as onboard document and procedure management required to co-ordinate ISS assembly, daily operations and mission support. While these Web technologies are classified as non-critical in nature, their use is part of an essential backbone of daily operations on the ISS and allows the crew to operate the ISS as a functioning science laboratory. The rapid evolution of the internet from 1998 (when ISS assembly began) to today, along with the nature of continuous manned operations in space, have presented a unique challenge in terms of software engineering and system development. In addition, the use of a wide array of competing internet technologies (including commercial technologies such as .NET and JAVA ) and the special requirements of having to support this network, both nationally among various control centres for International Partners (IPs), as well as onboard the station itself, have created special challenges for the MCC Web Tools Development Team, software engineers and flight controllers, who implement and maintain this system. This paper presents an overview of some of these operational challenges, and the evolving nature of the solutions and the future use of COTS based rich internet technologies in manned space flight operations. In particular this paper will focus on the use of Microsoft.s .NET API to develop Web-Based Operational tools, the use of XML based service oriented architectures (SOA) that needed to be customized to support Mission operations, the maintenance of a Microsoft IIS web server onboard the ISS, The OpsLan, functional-oriented Web Design with AJAX

  2. Improving Cyber-Security of Smart Grid Systems via Anomaly Detection and Linguistic Domain Knowledge

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

    Ondrej Linda; Todd Vollmer; Milos Manic

    The planned large scale deployment of smart grid network devices will generate a large amount of information exchanged over various types of communication networks. The implementation of these critical systems will require appropriate cyber-security measures. A network anomaly detection solution is considered in this work. In common network architectures multiple communications streams are simultaneously present, making it difficult to build an anomaly detection solution for the entire system. In addition, common anomaly detection algorithms require specification of a sensitivity threshold, which inevitably leads to a tradeoff between false positives and false negatives rates. In order to alleviate these issues, thismore » paper proposes a novel anomaly detection architecture. The designed system applies the previously developed network security cyber-sensor method to individual selected communication streams allowing for learning accurate normal network behavior models. Furthermore, the developed system dynamically adjusts the sensitivity threshold of each anomaly detection algorithm based on domain knowledge about the specific network system. It is proposed to model this domain knowledge using Interval Type-2 Fuzzy Logic rules, which linguistically describe the relationship between various features of the network communication and the possibility of a cyber attack. The proposed method was tested on experimental smart grid system demonstrating enhanced cyber-security.« less

  3. Development of Geospatial Map Based Portal for New Delhi Municipal Council

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Gupta, A. Kumar Chandra; Kumar, P.; Sharma, P. Kumar

    2017-09-01

    The Geospatial Delhi Limited (GSDL), a Govt. of NCT of Delhi Company formed in order to provide the geospatial information of National Capital Territory of Delhi (NCTD) to the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD) and its organs such as DDA, MCD, DJB, State Election Department, DMRC etc., for the benefit of all citizens of Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD). This paper describes the development of Geospatial Map based Portal (GMP) for New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) of NCT of Delhi. The GMP has been developed as a map based spatial decision support system (SDSS) for planning and development of NDMC area to the NDMC department and It's heaving the inbuilt information searching tools (identifying of location, nearest utilities locations, distance measurement etc.) for the citizens of NCTD. The GMP is based on Client-Server architecture model. It has been developed using Arc GIS Server 10.0 with .NET (pronounced dot net) technology. The GMP is scalable to enterprise SDSS with enterprise Geo Database & Virtual Private Network (VPN) connectivity. Spatial data to GMP includes Circle, Division, Sub-division boundaries of department pertaining to New Delhi Municipal Council, Parcels of residential, commercial, and government buildings, basic amenities (Police Stations, Hospitals, Schools, Banks, ATMs and Fire Stations etc.), Over-ground and Underground utility network lines, Roads, Railway features. GMP could help achieve not only the desired transparency and easiness in planning process but also facilitates through efficient & effective tools for development and management of MCD area. It enables a faster response to the changing ground realities in the development planning, owing to its in-built scientific approach and open-ended design.

  4. PlanWorks: A Debugging Environment for Constraint Based Planning Systems

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Daley, Patrick; Frank, Jeremy; Iatauro, Michael; McGann, Conor; Taylor, Will

    2005-01-01

    Numerous planning and scheduling systems employ underlying constraint reasoning systems. Debugging such systems involves the search for errors in model rules, constraint reasoning algorithms, search heuristics, and the problem instance (initial state and goals). In order to effectively find such problems, users must see why each state or action is in a plan by tracking causal chains back to part of the initial problem instance. They must be able to visualize complex relationships among many different entities and distinguish between those entities easily. For example, a variable can be in the scope of several constraints, as well as part of a state or activity in a plan; the activity can arise as a consequence of another activity and a model rule. Finally, they must be able to track each logical inference made during planning. We have developed PlanWorks, a comprehensive system for debugging constraint-based planning and scheduling systems. PlanWorks assumes a strong transaction model of the entire planning process, including adding and removing parts of the constraint network, variable assignment, and constraint propagation. A planner logs all transactions to a relational database that is tailored to support queries for of specialized views to display different forms of data (e.g. constraints, activities, resources, and causal links). PlanWorks was specifically developed for the Extensible Universal Remote Operations Planning Architecture (EUROPA(sub 2)) developed at NASA, but the underlying principles behind PlanWorks make it useful for many constraint-based planning systems. The paper is organized as follows. We first describe some fundamentals of EUROPA(sub 2). We then describe PlanWorks' principal components. We then discuss each component in detail, and then describe inter-component navigation features. We close with a discussion of how PlanWorks is used to find model flaws.

  5. Ethernet for Space Flight Applications

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Webb, Evan; Day, John H. (Technical Monitor)

    2002-01-01

    NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) is adapting current data networking technologies to fly on future spaceflight missions. The benefits of using commercially based networking standards and protocols have been widely discussed and are expected to include reduction in overall mission cost, shortened integration and test (I&T) schedules, increased operations flexibility, and hardware and software upgradeability/scalability with developments ongoing in the commercial world. The networking effort is a comprehensive one encompassing missions ranging from small University Explorer (UNEX) class spacecraft to large observatories such as the Next Generation Space Telescope (NGST). Mission aspects such as flight hardware and software, ground station hardware and software, operations, RF communications, and security (physical and electronic) are all being addressed to ensure a complete end-to-end system solution. One of the current networking development efforts at GSFC is the SpaceLAN (Spacecraft Local Area Network) project, development of a space-qualifiable Ethernet network. To this end we have purchased an IEEE 802.3-compatible 10/100/1000 Media Access Control (MAC) layer Intellectual Property (IP) core and are designing a network node interface (NNI) and associated network components such as a switch. These systems will ultimately allow the replacement of the typical MIL-STD-1553/1773 and custom interfaces that inhabit most spacecraft. In this paper we will describe our current Ethernet NNI development along with a novel new space qualified physical layer that will be used in place of the standard interfaces. We will outline our plans for development of space qualified network components that will allow future spacecraft to operate in significant radiation environments while using a single onboard network for reliable commanding and data transfer. There will be a brief discussion of some issues surrounding system implications of a flight Ethernet. Finally, we will show an onboard network architecture for a proposed new mission using Ethernet for science data transport.

  6. Research on the information security system in electrical gis system in mobile application

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Zhou, Chao; Feng, Renjun; Jiang, Haitao; Huang, Wei; Zhu, Daohua

    2017-05-01

    With the rapid development of social informatization process, the demands of government, enterprise, and individuals for spatial information becomes larger. In addition, the combination of wireless network technology and spatial information technology promotes the generation and development of mobile technologies. In today’s rapidly developed information technology field, network technology and mobile communication have become the two pillar industries by leaps and bounds. They almost absorbed and adopted all the latest information, communication, computer, electronics and so on new technologies. Concomitantly, the network coverage is more and more big, the transmission rate is faster and faster, the volume of user’s terminal is smaller and smaller. What’s more, from LAN to WAN, from wired network to wireless network, from wired access to mobile wireless access, people’s demand for communication technology is increasingly higher. As a result, mobile communication technology is facing unprecedented challenges as well as unprecedented opportunities. When combined with the existing mobile communication network, it led to the development of leaps and bounds. However, due to the inherent dependence of the system on the existing computer communication network, information security problems cannot be ignored. Today’s information security has penetrated into all aspects of life. Information system is a complex computer system, and it’s physical, operational and management vulnerabilities constitute the security vulnerability of the system. Firstly, this paper analyzes the composition of mobile enterprise network and information security threat. Secondly, this paper puts forward the security planning and measures, and constructs the information security structure.

  7. Managing biotechnology in a network-model health plan: a U.S. private payer perspective.

    PubMed

    Watkins, John B; Choudhury, Sanchita Roy; Wong, Ed; Sullivan, Sean D

    2006-01-01

    Emerging biotechnology poses challenges to payers, including access, coverage, reimbursement, patient selection, and affordability. Premera Blue Cross, a private regional health plan, developed an integrated cross-functional approach to managing biologics, built around a robust formulary process that is fast, flexible, fair, and transparent to stakeholders. Results are monitored by cost and use reporting from merged pharmacy and medical claims. Utilization management and case management strategies will integrate with specialty pharmacy programs to improve outcomes and cost-effectiveness. Creative approaches to provider reimbursement can align providers' incentives with those of the plan. Redesign of member benefits can also encourage appropriate use of biotechnology.

  8. A Simulation Based Approach for Contingency Planning for Aircraft Turnaround Operation System Activities in Airline Hubs

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Adeleye, Sanya; Chung, Christopher

    2006-01-01

    Commercial aircraft undergo a significant number of maintenance and logistical activities during the turnaround operation at the departure gate. By analyzing the sequencing of these activities, more effective turnaround contingency plans may be developed for logistical and maintenance disruptions. Turnaround contingency plans are particularly important as any kind of delay in a hub based system may cascade into further delays with subsequent connections. The contingency sequencing of the maintenance and logistical turnaround activities were analyzed using a combined network and computer simulation modeling approach. Experimental analysis of both current and alternative policies provides a framework to aid in more effective tactical decision making.

  9. Plan execution monitoring with distributed intelligent agents for battle command

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Allen, James P.; Barry, Kevin P.; McCormick, John M.; Paul, Ross A.

    2004-07-01

    As military tactics evolve toward execution centric operations the ability to analyze vast amounts of mission relevant data is essential to command and control decision making. To maintain operational tempo and achieve information superiority we have developed Vigilant Advisor, a mobile agent-based distributed Plan Execution Monitoring system. It provides military commanders with continuous contingency monitoring tailored to their preferences while overcoming the network bandwidth problem often associated with traditional remote data querying. This paper presents an overview of Plan Execution Monitoring as well as a detailed view of the Vigilant Advisor system including key features and statistical analysis of resource savings provided by its mobile agent-based approach.

  10. E-SMART system for in-situ detection of environmental contaminants. Quarterly technical progress report, July--September 1996

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

    NONE

    1996-10-01

    General Atomics (GA) leads a team of industrial, academic, and government organizations to develop the Environmental Systems Management, Analysis and Reporting neTwork (E-SMART) for the Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA), by way of this Technology Reinvestment Project (TRP). E-SMART defines a standard by which networks of smart sensing, sampling, and control devices can interoperate. E-SMART is intended to be an open standard, available to any equipment manufacturer. The user will be provided a standard platform on which a site-specific monitoring plan can be implemented using sensors and actuators from various manufacturers and upgraded as new monitoring devices become commerciallymore » available. This project will further develop and advance the E-SMART standardized network protocol to include new sensors, sampling systems, and graphical user interfaces.« less

  11. Assessing Requirements Volatility and Risk Using Bayesian Networks

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Russell, Michael S.

    2010-01-01

    There are many factors that affect the level of requirements volatility a system experiences over its lifecycle and the risk that volatility imparts. Improper requirements generation, undocumented user expectations, conflicting design decisions, and anticipated / unanticipated world states are representative of these volatility factors. Combined, these volatility factors can increase programmatic risk and adversely affect successful system development. This paper proposes that a Bayesian Network can be used to support reasonable judgments concerning the most likely sources and types of requirements volatility a developing system will experience prior to starting development and by doing so it is possible to predict the level of requirements volatility the system will experience over its lifecycle. This assessment offers valuable insight to the system's developers, particularly by providing a starting point for risk mitigation planning and execution.

  12. 42 CFR 403.814 - Special rules concerning Part C organizations and Medicare cost plans and their enrollees.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

    2014-10-01

    ... requirements listed in § 403.806 as follows: (i) An exclusive card sponsor is deemed to meet the pharmacy network requirement in § 403.806(f)(3) if its pharmacy network is not limited to mail-order pharmacies and is equivalent to the pharmacy network used in its Medicare managed care plan and such pharmacy...

  13. 42 CFR 403.814 - Special rules concerning Part C organizations and Medicare cost plans and their enrollees.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

    2012-10-01

    ... requirements listed in § 403.806 as follows: (i) An exclusive card sponsor is deemed to meet the pharmacy network requirement in § 403.806(f)(3) if its pharmacy network is not limited to mail-order pharmacies and is equivalent to the pharmacy network used in its Medicare managed care plan and such pharmacy...

  14. 42 CFR 403.814 - Special rules concerning Part C organizations and Medicare cost plans and their enrollees.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

    2013-10-01

    ... requirements listed in § 403.806 as follows: (i) An exclusive card sponsor is deemed to meet the pharmacy network requirement in § 403.806(f)(3) if its pharmacy network is not limited to mail-order pharmacies and is equivalent to the pharmacy network used in its Medicare managed care plan and such pharmacy...

  15. 42 CFR 403.814 - Special rules concerning Part C organizations and Medicare cost plans and their enrollees.

    Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

    2011-10-01

    ... requirements listed in § 403.806 as follows: (i) An exclusive card sponsor is deemed to meet the pharmacy network requirement in § 403.806(f)(3) if its pharmacy network is not limited to mail-order pharmacies and is equivalent to the pharmacy network used in its Medicare managed care plan and such pharmacy...

  16. Transmission Challenges and Best Practices for Cost-Effective Renewable Energy Delivery across State and Provincial Boundaries

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

    Zhou, Shengru; Hurlbut, David J.; Bird, Lori A.

    A strategically planned transmission network is an important source of flexibility for the integration of large-scale renewable energy (RE). Such a network can offer access to a broad geographic diversity of resources, which can reduce flexibility needs and facilitate sharing between neighboring balancing areas. This report builds on two previous NREL technical reports - Advancing System Flexibility for High Penetration Renewable Integration (Milligan et al. 2015) and 'Renewables-Friendly' Grid Development Strategies (Hurlbut et al. 2015) - which discuss various flexibility options and provide an overview of U.S. market models and grid planning. This report focuses on addressing issues with cross-regional/provincialmore » transmission in China with the aim of integrating renewable resources that are concentrated in remote areas and require inter-regional/provincial power exchange.« less

  17. A Bayesian Belief Network approach to assess the potential of non wood forest products for small scale forest owners

    NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

    Vacik, Harald; Huber, Patrick; Hujala, Teppo; Kurtilla, Mikko; Wolfslehner, Bernhard

    2015-04-01

    It is an integral element of the European understanding of sustainable forest management to foster the design and marketing of forest products, non-wood forest products (NWFPs) and services that go beyond the production of timber. Despite the relevance of NWFPs in Europe, forest management and planning methods have been traditionally tailored towards wood and wood products, because most forest management models and silviculture techniques were developed to ensure a sustained production of timber. Although several approaches exist which explicitly consider NWFPs as management objectives in forest planning, specific models are needed for the assessment of their production potential in different environmental contexts and for different management regimes. Empirical data supporting a comprehensive assessment of the potential of NWFPs are rare, thus making development of statistical models particularly problematic. However, the complex causal relationships between the sustained production of NWFPs, the available ecological resources, as well as the organizational and the market potential of forest management regimes are well suited for knowledge-based expert models. Bayesian belief networks (BBNs) are a kind of probabilistic graphical model that have become very popular to practitioners and scientists mainly due to the powerful probability theory involved, which makes BBNs suitable to deal with a wide range of environmental problems. In this contribution we present the development of a Bayesian belief network to assess the potential of NWFPs for small scale forest owners. A three stage iterative process with stakeholder and expert participation was used to develop the Bayesian Network within the frame of the StarTree Project. The group of participants varied in the stages of the modelling process. A core team, consisting of one technical expert and two domain experts was responsible for the entire modelling process as well as for the first prototype of the network structure, including nodes and relationships. A top-level causal network, was further decomposed to sub level networks. Stakeholder participation including a group of experts from different related subject areas was used in model verification and validation. We demonstrate that BBNs can be used to transfer expert knowledge from science to practice and thus have the ability to contribute to improved problem understanding of non-expert decision makers for a sustainable production of NWFPs.

  18. Campus Nets for the Nineties.

    ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

    Neff, Raymond K.

    1994-01-01

    Describes present and future plans for the campuswide communications network at Case Western Reserve University (Ohio). Highlights include upgrading from baseband to broadband technologies; ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode)-based networks that allow simultaneous voice, video, and data transmission; strategic planning goals; implications for…

  19. Network Operations Support Plan for the Spot 2 mission (revision 1)

    NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

    Werbitzky, Victor

    1989-01-01

    The purpose of this Network Operations Support Plan (NOSP) is to indicate operational procedures and ground equipment configurations for the SPOT 2 mission. The provisions in this document take precedence over procedures or configurations in other documents.

  20. 77 FR 29369 - Notice of Entering Into a Compact With the Republic of Zambia

    Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

    2012-05-17

    ... separate comprehensive urban development plan funded by Japanese International Cooperation Agency. All... conduct better maintenance and environmental management for the city's drainage network. Further, support..., representing less than four percent of the country's population. The city of Lusaka currently has a population...

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