Alcohol outlet densities and alcohol price: the British Columbia experiment in the partial privatization of alcohol sales off-premise.

PubMed

Treno, Andrew J; Ponicki, William R; Stockwell, Tim; Macdonald, Scott; Gruenewald, Paul J; Zhao, Jinhui; Martin, Gina; Greer, Alissa

2013-05-01

Alcohol beverage prices or taxes have been shown to be related to alcohol sales and use and related problems. What is not clear are the mechanisms underlying these relationships. This study examines the relationship between alcohol outlet density under conditions of the partial privatization of off-premise consumption in British Columbia (BC) occurring over the past decade. Two hypotheses are tested. First, reflecting basic supply-demand principles, greater geographic densities of alcohol outlets will be directly related to reductions in beverage prices in response to greater competition. Second, reflecting the effects of niche marketing and resulting market stratification, increased densities of private liquor stores will be especially related to reductions in beverage prices within this outlet category. Data were collected from: (i) a survey of BC private store prices and practices, (ii) alcohol outlet location information, and (iii) data on demographic characteristics. Multilevel models examine the relationships between prices at individual private liquor stores and the densities of government liquor stores, private liquor stores, bars, and restaurants, controlling for background demographics and geographic unit level effects. Spatial dependencies were also examined. Increased densities of private liquor stores were associated with lower mean prices of beer and all alcohol aggregated across brands at the store level. There appeared to be no outlet level effect on discounting patterns, however, with the mean price differences apparently reflecting differences in the quality of brands carried rather than unequal prices for any given brand. Increased densities of private off-sale alcohol outlets appear to result in lower prices charged at said establishments independently of other types of alcohol outlets suggesting that they represent an emerging marketing niche in the context of off-sale outlet privatization. Copyright © 2012 by the Research Society on Alcoholism.

Private School Graduation and College Attendance: Patterns of Transition. ASHE Annual Meeting 1981 Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hammack, Floyd Morgan

The college designations of over 5,800 recent graduates of 60 private secondary schools and the relationships between characteristics of these schools and the average selectivity of the colleges attended for each school were investigated. Aggregating all graduates, the data show considerable success in gaining admission to selective, prestigious…

Study of information dissemination by satellite, volume 1

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Connell, S.; Champness, B. G.; Stapley, B.; Winsbury, R.

1985-05-01

Western European demand for satellite information dissemination in the late 1990's was assessed. The major market opportunity lies in intra-organizational video communications. Broadcast satellites could be used to facilitate dispersal of newspaper printing sites and the development of regionalized or local editions. Examples would include the publication of editions of north European newspapers in Mediterranean holiday resorts. Data broadcasting services could use VBI or full channel teletext or other formats. The most promising area for data dissemination by satellite is the aggregation of a number of services which are themselves small, but in total could generate substantial demand. Examples of such services include dissemination of private company data to dispersed branches (pricing, stock levels, etc.).

EPPRD: An Efficient Privacy-Preserving Power Requirement and Distribution Aggregation Scheme for a Smart Grid.

PubMed

Zhang, Lei; Zhang, Jing

2017-08-07

A Smart Grid (SG) facilitates bidirectional demand-response communication between individual users and power providers with high computation and communication performance but also brings about the risk of leaking users' private information. Therefore, improving the individual power requirement and distribution efficiency to ensure communication reliability while preserving user privacy is a new challenge for SG. Based on this issue, we propose an efficient and privacy-preserving power requirement and distribution aggregation scheme (EPPRD) based on a hierarchical communication architecture. In the proposed scheme, an efficient encryption and authentication mechanism is proposed for better fit to each individual demand-response situation. Through extensive analysis and experiment, we demonstrate how the EPPRD resists various security threats and preserves user privacy while satisfying the individual requirement in a semi-honest model; it involves less communication overhead and computation time than the existing competing schemes.

EPPRD: An Efficient Privacy-Preserving Power Requirement and Distribution Aggregation Scheme for a Smart Grid

PubMed Central

Zhang, Lei; Zhang, Jing

2017-01-01

A Smart Grid (SG) facilitates bidirectional demand-response communication between individual users and power providers with high computation and communication performance but also brings about the risk of leaking users’ private information. Therefore, improving the individual power requirement and distribution efficiency to ensure communication reliability while preserving user privacy is a new challenge for SG. Based on this issue, we propose an efficient and privacy-preserving power requirement and distribution aggregation scheme (EPPRD) based on a hierarchical communication architecture. In the proposed scheme, an efficient encryption and authentication mechanism is proposed for better fit to each individual demand-response situation. Through extensive analysis and experiment, we demonstrate how the EPPRD resists various security threats and preserves user privacy while satisfying the individual requirement in a semi-honest model; it involves less communication overhead and computation time than the existing competing schemes. PMID:28783122

76 FR 15316 - Medicaid Program; State Allotments for Payment of Medicare Part B Premiums for Qualifying...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-21

... expenditure in any one year by State, local, or tribal governments, in the aggregate, or by the private sector... private sector. Executive Order 13132 establishes certain requirements that an agency must meet when it... allotments available to pay the Medicare Part B premiums for Qualifying Individuals (QIs) for the Federal...

Scalable privacy-preserving data sharing methodology for genome-wide association studies.

PubMed

Yu, Fei; Fienberg, Stephen E; Slavković, Aleksandra B; Uhler, Caroline

2014-08-01

The protection of privacy of individual-level information in genome-wide association study (GWAS) databases has been a major concern of researchers following the publication of "an attack" on GWAS data by Homer et al. (2008). Traditional statistical methods for confidentiality and privacy protection of statistical databases do not scale well to deal with GWAS data, especially in terms of guarantees regarding protection from linkage to external information. The more recent concept of differential privacy, introduced by the cryptographic community, is an approach that provides a rigorous definition of privacy with meaningful privacy guarantees in the presence of arbitrary external information, although the guarantees may come at a serious price in terms of data utility. Building on such notions, Uhler et al. (2013) proposed new methods to release aggregate GWAS data without compromising an individual's privacy. We extend the methods developed in Uhler et al. (2013) for releasing differentially-private χ(2)-statistics by allowing for arbitrary number of cases and controls, and for releasing differentially-private allelic test statistics. We also provide a new interpretation by assuming the controls' data are known, which is a realistic assumption because some GWAS use publicly available data as controls. We assess the performance of the proposed methods through a risk-utility analysis on a real data set consisting of DNA samples collected by the Wellcome Trust Case Control Consortium and compare the methods with the differentially-private release mechanism proposed by Johnson and Shmatikov (2013). Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Medicaid program; revision to Medicaid upper payment limit requirements for hospital services, nursing facility services, intermediate care facility services for the mentally retarded, and clinic services. Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA), HHS. Final rule.

PubMed

2001-01-12

This final rule modifies the Medicaid upper payment limits for inpatient hospital services, outpatient hospital services, nursing facility services, intermediate care facility services for the mentally retarded, and clinic services. For each type of Medicaid inpatient service, existing regulations place an upper limit on overall aggregate payments to all facilities and a separate aggregate upper limit on payments made to State-operated facilities. This final rule establishes an aggregate upper limit that applies to payments made to government facilities that are not State government-owned or operated, and a separate aggregate upper limit on payments made to privately-owned and operated facilities. This rule also eliminates the overall aggregate upper limit that had applied to these services. With respect to outpatient hospital and clinic services, this final rule establishes an aggregate upper limit on payments made to State government-owned or operated facilities, an aggregate upper limit on payments made to government facilities that are not State government-owned or operated, and an aggregate upper limit on payments made to privately-owned and operated facilities. These separate upper limits are necessary to ensure State Medicaid payment systems promote economy and efficiency. We are allowing a higher upper limit for payment to non-State public hospitals to recognize the higher costs of inpatient and outpatient services in public hospitals. In addition, to ensure continued beneficiary access to care and the ability of States to adjust to the changes in the upper payment limits, the final rule includes a transition period for States with approved rate enhancement State plan amendments.

New threats to health data privacy.

PubMed

Li, Fengjun; Zou, Xukai; Liu, Peng; Chen, Jake Y

2011-11-24

Along with the rapid digitalization of health data (e.g. Electronic Health Records), there is an increasing concern on maintaining data privacy while garnering the benefits, especially when the data are required to be published for secondary use. Most of the current research on protecting health data privacy is centered around data de-identification and data anonymization, which removes the identifiable information from the published health data to prevent an adversary from reasoning about the privacy of the patients. However, published health data is not the only source that the adversaries can count on: with a large amount of information that people voluntarily share on the Web, sophisticated attacks that join disparate information pieces from multiple sources against health data privacy become practical. Limited efforts have been devoted to studying these attacks yet. We study how patient privacy could be compromised with the help of today's information technologies. In particular, we show that private healthcare information could be collected by aggregating and associating disparate pieces of information from multiple online data sources including online social networks, public records and search engine results. We demonstrate a real-world case study to show user identity and privacy are highly vulnerable to the attribution, inference and aggregation attacks. We also show that people are highly identifiable to adversaries even with inaccurate information pieces about the target, with real data analysis. We claim that too much information has been made available electronic and available online that people are very vulnerable without effective privacy protection.

New threats to health data privacy

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background Along with the rapid digitalization of health data (e.g. Electronic Health Records), there is an increasing concern on maintaining data privacy while garnering the benefits, especially when the data are required to be published for secondary use. Most of the current research on protecting health data privacy is centered around data de-identification and data anonymization, which removes the identifiable information from the published health data to prevent an adversary from reasoning about the privacy of the patients. However, published health data is not the only source that the adversaries can count on: with a large amount of information that people voluntarily share on the Web, sophisticated attacks that join disparate information pieces from multiple sources against health data privacy become practical. Limited efforts have been devoted to studying these attacks yet. Results We study how patient privacy could be compromised with the help of today’s information technologies. In particular, we show that private healthcare information could be collected by aggregating and associating disparate pieces of information from multiple online data sources including online social networks, public records and search engine results. We demonstrate a real-world case study to show user identity and privacy are highly vulnerable to the attribution, inference and aggregation attacks. We also show that people are highly identifiable to adversaries even with inaccurate information pieces about the target, with real data analysis. Conclusion We claim that too much information has been made available electronic and available online that people are very vulnerable without effective privacy protection. PMID:22168526

The influence of (public) health expenditure on longevity.

PubMed

Aísa, Rosa; Clemente, Jesús; Pueyo, Fernando

2014-10-01

We report new evidence on the contribution of health expenditure to increasing life expectancy in OECD countries, differentiating the effects of public and private health expenditures. A theoretical model is presented and estimated though a cross-country fixed effects multiple regression analysis for a sample of OECD countries over the period 1980-2000. Although the effect of aggregate health expenditure is not conclusive, public health expenditure plays a significant role in enhancing longevity. However, its influence diminishes as the size of the public health sector on GDP expands, reaching a maximum around the 8 %. With the influence of public health expenditure being positive, the ambiguous effect of the aggregate expenditure suggests that the weight of public and private health sectors matters, the second having a lower impact on longevity. This might explain the poor evolution of the life expectancy in countries with a high amount of private resources devoted to health. In such cases, an extension of public services could give rise to a better outcome from the overall health investment.

Consequences of the Use of Private Coaching System to Enter Universities: A Study in Sri Lanka

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Siyambalapitiya, Sarath B.

2005-01-01

University admissions for professional degree programmes has become very competitive in many countries in the world. While students have to score high aggregate of marks at the university entrance examinations, other criteria may also have to be met. As a result, additional private coaching outside the normal high school system is being sought by…

Aggregate Effects in Local Labor Markets of Supply and Demand Shocks. Upjohn Institute Staff Working Paper No. 99-57.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bartik, Timothy J.

A study estimated the aggregate effects of antipoverty policies on wages and unemployment of different groups. The context was one in which emphasis was on labor supply policies, such as welfare reform or job training, and not on policies to increase labor demand for the poor, such as public employment or subsidizing private employers to hire the…

CTSA‐IP: A Solution to Identifying and Aggregating Intellectual Property across the NIH Clinical Translational Science Award (CTSA) Consortium of Biomedical Research Institutes

PubMed Central

Hazard, Mike; Steele, Scott; Wang, Dongwen; Pearson, Thomas; Scheideler, Mark; Dewhurst, Steve

2011-01-01

Abstract  One of the objectives of the Consortium of Institutions with Clinical and Translational Science Awards (CTSAs) is to enhance technology transfer among the CTSAs and with public and private sector partners. Clinical and Translational Sciences Award Intellectual Property (CTSA‐IP; http://www.CTSAIP.org) is a web‐based, open access IP search tool that aggregates and promotes technologies from member institutions of the National Institutes of Health’s (NIH) CTSAs consortium. Its ultimate aim is to stimulate collaborative research activity by encouraging the formation of public‐private partnerships with CTSA institutions and the NIH. First launched in 2009, CTSA‐IP has grown rapidly and met its first objectives of developing wide member institution participation and site usage. This communication will discuss the strategy employed in the initiative of aggregating IP across institutional boundaries, the promise that lies therein, as well as the challenges encountered and lessons learned in promoting CTSA‐wide engagement. Clin Trans Sci 2011; Volume 4: 328–331 PMID:22029803

On the international stability of health care expenditure functions: are government and private functions similar?

PubMed

Clemente, Jesús; Marcuello, Carmen; Montañés, Antonio; Pueyo, Fernando

2004-05-01

This paper studies the stability of health care expenditure functions in a sample of OECD countries. We adopt the cointegration approach and the results show that there is a long-term relationship between total health care expenditure (HCE) and gross domestic product (GDP). However, the existence of cointegration is only shown when we admit the presence of some changes in the elasticities of the model. Our results also provide evidence against the existence of a unique relationship between health and GDP for the sample. Thus, we can conclude that the differences in health systems may cause differences in the aggregate functions. Additionally, we examine aggregate health functions for government (GHCE) and private expenditures (PHCE), again finding evidence of different patterns of behaviour. Finally, we open a discussion on the character of health as a necessary or luxury good. In this context, we find differences between the government and the private function. In order to illustrate these findings, we propose a theoretical model as an example of the influence of political decisions on income elasticity. Copyright 2003 Elsevier B.V.

Commodity durability, trader specialization, and market performance

PubMed Central

Dickhaut, John; Lin, Shengle; Porter, David; Smith, Vernon

2012-01-01

The original double auction studies of supply and demand markets established their strong efficiency and equilibrium convergence behavior using economically unsophisticated and untrained subjects. The results were unexpected because all individual costs and values were private and dependent entirely on the market trading process to aggregate the dispersed information into socially desirable outcomes. The exchange environment, however, corresponded to that of perishable, and not re-traded goods in which participants were specialized as buyers or sellers. We report experiments in repeated single-period markets where tradability, and buyer-seller role specialization, is varied by imposing or relaxing a restriction on re-trade within each period. In re-trade markets scope is given to speculative motives unavailable where goods perish on purchase. We observe greatly increased trade volume and decreased efficiency but subject experience increases efficiency. Observed speculation slows convergence by impeding the process whereby individuals learn from the market whether their private circumstances lead them to specialize as buyers or sellers. PMID:22307595

How does private finance affect public health care systems? Marshaling the evidence from OECD nations.

PubMed

Tuohy, Carolyn Hughes; Flood, Colleen M; Stabile, Mark

2004-06-01

The impact of private finance on publicly funded health care systems depends on how the relationship between public and private finance is structured. This essay first reviews the experience in five nations that exemplify different ways of drawing the public/private boundary to address the particular questions raised by each model. This review is then used to interpret aggregate empirical analyses of the dynamic effects between public and private finance in OECD nations over time. Our findings suggest that while increases in the private share of health spending substitute in part for public finance (and vice versa), this is the result of a complex mix of factors having as much to do with cross-sectoral shifts as with deliberate policy decisions within sectors and that these effects are mediated by the different dynamics of distinctive national models. On balance, we argue that a resort to private finance is more likely to harm than to help publicly financed systems, although the effects will vary depending on the form of private finance.

State parity laws and access to treatment for substance use disorder in the United States: implications for federal parity legislation.

PubMed

Wen, Hefei; Cummings, Janet R; Hockenberry, Jason M; Gaydos, Laura M; Druss, Benjamin G

2013-12-01

The passage of the 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act and the 2010 Affordable Care Act incorporated parity for substance use disorder (SUD) treatment into federal legislation. However, prior research provides us with scant evidence as to whether federal parity legislation will hold the potential for improving access to SUD treatment. To examine the effect of state-level SUD parity laws on state-aggregate SUD treatment rates and to shed light on the impact of the recent federal SUD parity legislation. We conducted a quasi-experimental study using a 2-way (state and year) fixed-effect method. We included all known specialty SUD treatment facilities in the United States and examined treatment rates from October 1, 2000, through March 31, 2008. Our main source of data was the National Survey of Substance Abuse Treatment Services, which provides facility-level information on specialty SUD treatment. State-level SUD parity laws during the study period. State-aggregate SUD treatment rates in (1) all specialty SUD treatment facilities and (2) specialty SUD treatment facilities accepting private insurance. The implementation of any SUD parity law increased the treatment rate by 9% (P < .001) in all specialty SUD treatment facilities and by 15% (P = .02) in facilities accepting private insurance. Full parity and parity only if SUD coverage is offered increased the SUD treatment rate by 13% (P = .02) and 8% (P = .04), respectively, in all facilities and by 21% (P = .03) and 10% (P = .04), respectively, in facilities accepting private insurance. We found a positive effect of the implementation of state SUD parity legislation on access to specialty SUD treatment. Furthermore, the positive association is more pronounced in states with more comprehensive parity laws. Our findings suggest that federal parity legislation holds the potential to improve access to SUD treatment.

Exploring sustainability transitions in households: insights from real-life experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baedeker, Carolin; Buhl, Johannes; Greiff, Kathrin; Hasselkuß, Marco; Liedtke, Christa; Lukas, Melanie

2016-04-01

Societal transformation towards sustainable consumption and production, especially in urban areas, is a key challenge. The design and implementation of sustainable product service systems (PSS) might be the initial point, in which private households play a major role. The Sustainable LivingLab research infrastructure was developed as an experimental setting for investigating consumption and production patterns in private households, especially to explore socio-technical innovations which are helpful to guide sustainability transitions. The suggested presentation describes results of several real-life experiments conducted in German households, e.g. the project SusLabNRW (North-Rhine Westphalia as part of the European SusLabNWE-Project), the EnerTransRuhr project as well as the PATHWAYS project that explore patterns of action, time use, social practices and the related resource use in private households. The presentation gives an overview of the employed methods and analysed data (qualitative interviews, social network analysis, survey on household activities and inventories and a sustainability assessment (resource profiles - MIPS household analysis). Households' resource consumption was calculated in all fields of activity to analyse social practices' impact. The presentation illustrates how aggregated data can inform scenario analysis and concludes with an outlook onto transition pathways at household level and socio-technical innovations in the fields of housing, nutrition and mobility.

Partitioning-based mechanisms under personalized differential privacy.

PubMed

Li, Haoran; Xiong, Li; Ji, Zhanglong; Jiang, Xiaoqian

2017-05-01

Differential privacy has recently emerged in private statistical aggregate analysis as one of the strongest privacy guarantees. A limitation of the model is that it provides the same privacy protection for all individuals in the database. However, it is common that data owners may have different privacy preferences for their data. Consequently, a global differential privacy parameter may provide excessive privacy protection for some users, while insufficient for others. In this paper, we propose two partitioning-based mechanisms, privacy-aware and utility-based partitioning, to handle personalized differential privacy parameters for each individual in a dataset while maximizing utility of the differentially private computation. The privacy-aware partitioning is to minimize the privacy budget waste, while utility-based partitioning is to maximize the utility for a given aggregate analysis. We also develop a t -round partitioning to take full advantage of remaining privacy budgets. Extensive experiments using real datasets show the effectiveness of our partitioning mechanisms.

Partitioning-based mechanisms under personalized differential privacy

PubMed Central

Li, Haoran; Xiong, Li; Ji, Zhanglong; Jiang, Xiaoqian

2017-01-01

Differential privacy has recently emerged in private statistical aggregate analysis as one of the strongest privacy guarantees. A limitation of the model is that it provides the same privacy protection for all individuals in the database. However, it is common that data owners may have different privacy preferences for their data. Consequently, a global differential privacy parameter may provide excessive privacy protection for some users, while insufficient for others. In this paper, we propose two partitioning-based mechanisms, privacy-aware and utility-based partitioning, to handle personalized differential privacy parameters for each individual in a dataset while maximizing utility of the differentially private computation. The privacy-aware partitioning is to minimize the privacy budget waste, while utility-based partitioning is to maximize the utility for a given aggregate analysis. We also develop a t-round partitioning to take full advantage of remaining privacy budgets. Extensive experiments using real datasets show the effectiveness of our partitioning mechanisms. PMID:28932827

Engagement of public and private medical facilities in tuberculosis care in Myanmar: contributions and trends over an eight-year period.

PubMed

Nwe, Thin Thin; Saw, Saw; Le Win, Le; Mon, Myo Myo; van Griensven, Johan; Zhou, Shuisen; Chinnakali, Palanivel; Shah, Safieh; Thein, Saw; Aung, Si Thu

2017-09-01

As part of the WHO End TB strategy, national tuberculosis (TB) programs increasingly aim to engage all private and public TB care providers. Engagement of communities, civil society organizations and public and private care provider is the second pillar of the End TB strategy. In Myanmar, this entails the public-public and public-private mix (PPM) approach. The public-public mix refers to public hospital TB services, with reporting to the national TB program (NTP). The public-private mix refers to private general practitioners providing TB services including TB diagnosis, treatment and reporting to NTP. The aim of this study was to assess whether PPM activities can be scaled-up nationally and can be sustained over time. Using 2007-2014 aggregated program data, we collected information from NTP and non-NTP actors on 1) the number of TB cases detected and their relative contribution to the national case load; 2) the type of TB cases detected; 3) their treatment outcomes. The total number of TB cases detected per year nationally increased from 133,547 in 2007 to 142,587 in 2014. The contribution of private practitioners increased from 11% in 2007 to 18% in 2014, and from 1.8% to 4.6% for public hospitals. The NTP contribution decreased from 87% in 2007 to 77% in 2014. A similar pattern was seen in the number of new smear (+) TB cases (31% of all TB cases) and retreatment cases, which represented 7.8% of all TB cases. For new smear (+) TB cases, adverse outcomes were more common in public hospitals, with more patients dying, lost to follow up or not having their treatment outcome evaluated. Patients treated by private practitioners were more frequently lost to follow up (8%). Adverse treatment outcomes in retreatment cases were particularly common (59%) in public hospitals for various reasons, predominantly due to patients dying (26%) or not being evaluated (10%). In private clinics, treatment failure tended to be more common (8%). The contribution of non-NTP actors to TB detection at the national level increased over time, with the largest contribution by private practitioners involved in PPM. Treatment outcomes were fair. Our findings confirm the role of PPM in national TB programs. To achieve the End TB targets, further expansion of PPM to engage all public and private medical facilities should be targeted.

a Cultural Landscape Information System Developed with Open Source Tools

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chudyk, C.; Müller, H.; Uhler, M.; Würriehausen, F.

2013-07-01

Since 2010, the state of Rhineland-Palatinate in Germany has developed a cultural landscape information system as a process to secure and further enrich aggregate data about its cultural assets. In an open dialogue between governing authorities and citizens, the intention of the project is an active cooperation of public and private actors. A cultural landscape information system called KuLIS was designed as a web platform, combining semantic wiki software with a geographic information system. Based on data sets from public administrations, the information about cultural assets can be extended and enhanced by interested participants. The developed infrastructure facilitates local information accumulation through a crowdsourcing approach. This capability offers new possibilities for e-governance and open data developments. The collaborative approach allows governing authorities to manage and supervise official data, while public participation enables affordable information acquisition. Gathered cultural heritage information can provide incentives for touristic valorisation of communities or concepts for strengthening regional identification. It can also influence political decisions in defining significant cultural regions worth of protecting from industrial influences. The presented cultural landscape information allows citizens to influence the statewide development of cultural landscapes in a democratic way.

[Using modern information technology in the practice of the sanitary-epidemiological surveiliance during the XXII Olympic Winter Games and XI Paralympic Winter Games in Sochi].

PubMed

Popova, A Yu; Kuzkin, B P; Demina, Yu V; Dubyansky, V M; Kulichenko, A N; Maletskaya, O V; Shayakhmetov, O Kh; Semenko, O V; Nazarenko, Yu V; Agapitov, D S; Mezentsev, V M; Kharchenko, T V; Efremenko, D V; Oroby, V G; Klindukhov, V P; Grechanaya, T V; Nikolaevich, P N; Tesheva, S Ch; Rafeenko, G K

2015-01-01

To improve the sanitary and epidemiological surveillance at the Olympic Games has developed a system of GIS for monitoring objects and situations in the region of Sochi. The system is based on software package ArcGIS, version 10.2 server, with Web-java.lang. Object, Web-server Apach, and software developed in language java. During th execution of the tasks are solved: the stratification of the region of the Olympic Games for the private and aggregate epidemiological risk OCI various eti- ologies, ranking epidemiologically important facilities for the sanitary and hygienic conditions, monitoring of infectious diseases (in real time according to the preliminary diagnosis). GIS monitoring has shown its effectiveness: Information received from various sources, but focused on one portal. Information was available in real time all the specialists involved in ensuring epidemiological well-being and use at work during the Olympic Games in Sochi.

47 CFR 90.1213 - Band plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 5 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Band plan. 90.1213 Section 90.1213 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) SAFETY AND SPECIAL RADIO SERVICES PRIVATE LAND... § 90.1213 Band plan. The following channel center frequencies are permitted to be aggregated for...

Accounting for the richness of daily activities.

PubMed

White, Mathew P; Dolan, Paul

2009-08-01

Serious consideration is being given to the impact of private behavior and public policies on people's subjective well-being (SWB). A new approach to measuring well-being, the day reconstruction method (DRM), weights the affective component of daily activities by their duration in order to construct temporal aggregates. However, the DRM neglects the potentially important role of thoughts. By adapting this method to include thoughts as well as feelings, we provide perhaps the most comprehensive measure of SWB to date. We show that some activities relatively low in pleasure (e.g., work and time with children) are nonetheless thought of as rewarding and therefore contribute to overall SWB. Such information may be important to policymakers wishing to promote behaviors that are conducive to a broader conception of SWB.

Impact of public transit market share and other transportation variables on GHG emissions : developing statistical models for aggregate predictions.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-01-01

Policies that encourage reduced travel, such as traveling shorter distances, and increased use of : more efficient transportation modes, such as public transportation and high-occupancy private : automobiles, are often considered one of several possi...

[On the issues of private-public partnership in health care: the case of organization of optometric service)].

PubMed

2011-01-01

The article deals with the issue of private-public partnership in health care. It is demonstrated that in many countries health care system condition is characterized by increase of problems in organization, financing and provision of medical sanitary care. The exponent up growth of aggregate costs of health care, medical services financing occurs. The system of public and municipal health care has no adequate resources to efficiently function without interaction with private organizations. The reason is that most of the suppliers of medical services are not public or municipal belonging. It is necessary to provide inter-financing of curative preventive care at the expense of funds of public and private economic sectors within a framework of full-scale implementation health care the mechanisms of private-public partnership. The studies in this field are to be organized on the example of organizational specificity of optometric service which is positioned concurrently in public and private sectors. This approach makes it possible to reveal feasible ways of implementation of the private-public partnership institution to enhance quality and accessibility of medical care to population in the conditions of concurrent model of health care and globalization challenges.

Managing more than the mean: Using quantile regression to identify factors related to large elk groups

USGS Publications Warehouse

Brennan, Angela K.; Cross, Paul C.; Creely, Scott

2015-01-01

Synthesis and applications. Our analysis of elk group size distributions using quantile regression suggests that private land, irrigation, open habitat, elk density and wolf abundance can affect large elk group sizes. Thus, to manage larger groups by removal or dispersal of individuals, we recommend incentivizing hunting on private land (particularly if irrigated) during the regular and late hunting seasons, promoting tolerance of wolves on private land (if elk aggregate in these areas to avoid wolves) and creating more winter range and varied habitats. Relationships to the variables of interest also differed by quantile, highlighting the importance of using quantile regression to examine response variables more completely to uncover relationships important to conservation and management.

Sharing the Knowledge: Government-Private Sector Partnerships to Enhance Information Security

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-05-01

private sector . However, substantial barriers threaten to block information exchanges between the government and private sector . These barriers include concerns over release of sensitive material under Freedom of Information Act requests, antitrust actions, protection of business confidential and other private material, possible liability due to shared information, disclosure of classified information, and burdens entailed with cooperating with law enforcement agencies. There is good cause to believe that the government and private

Optimal policies for aggregate recycling from decommissioned forest roads.

PubMed

Thompson, Matthew; Sessions, John

2008-08-01

To mitigate the adverse environmental impact of forest roads, especially degradation of endangered salmonid habitat, many public and private land managers in the western United States are actively decommissioning roads where practical and affordable. Road decommissioning is associated with reduced long-term environmental impact. When decommissioning a road, it may be possible to recover some aggregate (crushed rock) from the road surface. Aggregate is used on many low volume forest roads to reduce wheel stresses transferred to the subgrade, reduce erosion, reduce maintenance costs, and improve driver comfort. Previous studies have demonstrated the potential for aggregate to be recovered and used elsewhere on the road network, at a reduced cost compared to purchasing aggregate from a quarry. This article investigates the potential for aggregate recycling to provide an economic incentive to decommission additional roads by reducing transport distance and aggregate procurement costs for other actively used roads. Decommissioning additional roads may, in turn, result in improved aquatic habitat. We present real-world examples of aggregate recycling and discuss the advantages of doing so. Further, we present mixed integer formulations to determine optimal levels of aggregate recycling under economic and environmental objectives. Tested on an example road network, incorporation of aggregate recycling demonstrates substantial cost-savings relative to a baseline scenario without recycling, increasing the likelihood of road decommissioning and reduced habitat degradation. We find that aggregate recycling can result in up to 24% in cost savings (economic objective) and up to 890% in additional length of roads decommissioned (environmental objective).

Improving life sciences information retrieval using semantic web technology.

PubMed

Quan, Dennis

2007-05-01

The ability to retrieve relevant information is at the heart of every aspect of research and development in the life sciences industry. Information is often distributed across multiple systems and recorded in a way that makes it difficult to piece together the complete picture. Differences in data formats, naming schemes and network protocols amongst information sources, both public and private, must be overcome, and user interfaces not only need to be able to tap into these diverse information sources but must also assist users in filtering out extraneous information and highlighting the key relationships hidden within an aggregated set of information. The Semantic Web community has made great strides in proposing solutions to these problems, and many efforts are underway to apply Semantic Web techniques to the problem of information retrieval in the life sciences space. This article gives an overview of the principles underlying a Semantic Web-enabled information retrieval system: creating a unified abstraction for knowledge using the RDF semantic network model; designing semantic lenses that extract contextually relevant subsets of information; and assembling semantic lenses into powerful information displays. Furthermore, concrete examples of how these principles can be applied to life science problems including a scenario involving a drug discovery dashboard prototype called BioDash are provided.

23 CFR 752.8 - Privately operated information centers and systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 23 Highways 1 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Privately operated information centers and systems. 752... may permit privately operated information centers and systems which conform with the standards of this... AND ENVIRONMENT LANDSCAPE AND ROADSIDE DEVELOPMENT § 752.8 Privately operated information centers and...

23 CFR 752.8 - Privately operated information centers and systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-04-01

... 23 Highways 1 2011-04-01 2011-04-01 false Privately operated information centers and systems. 752... may permit privately operated information centers and systems which conform with the standards of this... AND ENVIRONMENT LANDSCAPE AND ROADSIDE DEVELOPMENT § 752.8 Privately operated information centers and...

23 CFR 752.8 - Privately operated information centers and systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... 23 Highways 1 2013-04-01 2013-04-01 false Privately operated information centers and systems. 752... may permit privately operated information centers and systems which conform with the standards of this... AND ENVIRONMENT LANDSCAPE AND ROADSIDE DEVELOPMENT § 752.8 Privately operated information centers and...

23 CFR 752.8 - Privately operated information centers and systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... 23 Highways 1 2012-04-01 2012-04-01 false Privately operated information centers and systems. 752... may permit privately operated information centers and systems which conform with the standards of this... AND ENVIRONMENT LANDSCAPE AND ROADSIDE DEVELOPMENT § 752.8 Privately operated information centers and...

23 CFR 752.8 - Privately operated information centers and systems.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... 23 Highways 1 2014-04-01 2014-04-01 false Privately operated information centers and systems. 752... may permit privately operated information centers and systems which conform with the standards of this... AND ENVIRONMENT LANDSCAPE AND ROADSIDE DEVELOPMENT § 752.8 Privately operated information centers and...

34 CFR 75.119 - Information needed if private school students participate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... 34 Education 1 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Information needed if private school students... PROGRAMS How To Apply for a Grant Application Contents § 75.119 Information needed if private school... students enrolled in private schools, the application must include the information required of subgrantees...

34 CFR 75.119 - Information needed if private school students participate.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 34 Education 1 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Information needed if private school students... PROGRAMS How To Apply for a Grant Application Contents § 75.119 Information needed if private school... students enrolled in private schools, the application must include the information required of subgrantees...

National Health Accounts development: lessons from Thailand.

PubMed

Tangcharoensathien, V; Laixuthai, A; Vasavit, J; Tantigate, N A; Prajuabmoh-Ruffolo, W; Vimolkit, D; Lertiendumrong, J

1999-12-01

National Health Accounts (NHA) are an important tool to demonstrate how a country's health resources are spent, on what services, and who pays for them. NHA are used by policy-makers for monitoring health expenditure patterns; policy instruments to re-orientate the pattern can then be further introduced. The National Economic and Social Development Board (NESDB) of Thailand produces aggregate health expenditure data but its estimation methods have several limitations. This has led to the research and development of an NHA prototype in 1994, through an agreed definition of health expenditure and methodology, in consultation with peer and other stakeholders. This is an initiative by local researchers without external support, with an emphasis on putting the system into place. It involves two steps: firstly, the flow of funds from ultimate sources of finance to financing agencies; and secondly, the use of funds by financing agencies. Five ultimate sources and 12 financing agencies (seven public and five private) were identified. Use of consumption expenditures was listed under four main categories and 32 sub-categories. Using 1994 figures, we estimated a total health expenditure of 128,305.11 million Baht; 84.07% consumption and 15.93% capital formation. Of total consumption expenditure, 36.14% was spent on purchasing care from public providers, with 32.35% on private providers, 5.93% on administration and 9.65% on all other public health programmes. Public sources of finance were responsible for 48.79% and private 51.21% of the total 1994 health expenditure. Total health expenditure accounted for 3.56% of GDP (consumption expenditure at 3.00% of GDP and capital formation at 0.57% of GDP). The NESDB consumption expenditure estimate in 1994 was 180,516 million Baht or 5.01% of GDP, of which private sources were dominant (82.17%) and public sources played a minor role (17.83%). The discrepancy of consumption expenditure between the two estimates is 2.01% of GDP. There is also a large difference in the public and private proportion of consumption expenses, at 46:54 in NHA and 18:82 in NESDB. Future NHA sustainable development is proposed. Firstly, we need more accurate aggregate and disaggregated data, especially from households, who take the lion's share of total expenditure, based on amended questionnaires in the National Statistical Office Household Socio-Economic Survey. Secondly, partnership building with NESDB and other financing agencies is needed in the further development of the financial information system to suit the biennial NHA report. Thirdly, expenditures need breaking down into ambulatory and inpatient care for monitoring and the proper introduction of policy instruments. We also suggest that in a pluralistic health care system, the breakdown of spending on public and private providers is important. Finally, a sustainable NHA development and utilization of NHA for planning and policy development is the prime objective. International comparisons through collaborative efforts in standardizing definition and methodology will be a useful by-product when developing countries are able to sustain their NHA reports.

Forest tenure and sustainable forest management

Treesearch

J.P. Siry; K. McGinley; F.W. Cubbage; P. Bettinger

2015-01-01

We reviewed the principles and key literature related to forest tenure and sustainable forest management, and then examined the status of sustainable forestry and land ownership at the aggregate national level for major forested countries. The institutional design principles suggested by Ostrom are well accepted for applications to public, communal, and private lands....

75 FR 63106 - Correction of Administrative Errors

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-14

... million or more by state, local, and tribal governments, in the aggregate, or by the private sector... contains notices to the public of #0;the proposed issuance of rules and regulations. The purpose of these... was established by the Federal Employees' Retirement System Act of 1986 (FERSA), Public Law 99-335...

A Simple Estimation Method for Aggregate Government Outsourcing

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minicucci, Stephen; Donahue, John D.

2004-01-01

The scholarly and popular debate on the delegation to the private sector of governmental tasks rests on an inadequate empirical foundation, as no systematic data are collected on direct versus indirect service delivery. We offer a simple method for approximating levels of service outsourcing, based on relatively straightforward combinations of and…

50 CFR 600.330 - National Standard 5-Efficiency.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... as labor, capital, interest, and fuel. Efficiency in terms of aggregate costs then becomes a... techniques or the creation of redundant fishing capacity contributes to the attainment of other social or... investment in private sector fishing capital and labor. (c) Limited access. A “system for limiting access...

The Affordable Care Act's plan for consumer assistance with insurance moves states forward but remains a work in progress.

PubMed

Grob, Rachel; Schlesinger, Mark; Davis, Sarah; Cohen, Deborah; Lapps, Joshua

2013-02-01

The Affordable Care Act provides support for state-run consumer assistance programs to help privately insured consumers who experience problems with their coverage. Its provisions signify the first national commitment to such assistance and to using cases aggregated by these state programs to inform policy. We interviewed state-level administrators and analyzed program documents to assess whether federal support for state-run consumer assistance programs achieved certain goals. We found that some federally supported programs made substantial progress in supporting and empowering patients by reorienting state agencies to become active advocates for their citizens. Yet progress across the country was inconsistent, and there was little evidence that programs addressed systemic problems experienced by consumers. On balance, the consumer assistance provisions of health care reform do not yet ensure protection for all privately insured Americans because of uneven implementation-a problem likely to be of further concern as coverage is expanded and health insurance exchanges come on line in 2014. At the same time, the demonstrated impact of consumer assistance programs in the most innovative states is arguably a useful "proof of concept" for this young federal program.

Influence of race, insurance status, and geographic access to plastic surgeons on immediate breast reconstruction rates.

PubMed

Butler, Paris D; Familusi, Olatomide; Serletti, Joseph M; Fox, Justin P

2018-06-01

This study evaluates the rates of immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) among racial and insurance status subgroups, in the setting of a changing plastic surgeon workforce. Using state level inpatient and ambulatory surgery data, we identified discharges for adult women who underwent mastectomy for breast cancer. This information was supplemented with plastic surgeon workforce data and aggregated to the health service area-level (HSA). Hierarchical linear models were used to risk standardized IBR rates for 8 race-payer subgroups. The final cohort included 65,246 women treated across 67 HSAs. The plastic surgeon density per 100,000 population directly related to the IBR rate. While all subgroups saw a modest increase in IBR rates, Caucasian women with private insurance realized the largest absolute increase (46%) while African-American and Asian women with public insurance saw the smallest increase (6%). Significant disparities persist in the provision of IBR according to the form of insurance a patient possesses. Of heightened concern is the novel finding that even within privately insured patients, women of color have significantly lower IBR rates compared to Caucasian women. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review of US medical school finances, 1996-1997.

PubMed

Jones, R F; Ganem, J L; Williams, D J; Krakower, J Y

1998-09-02

Based on data from the Annual Medical School Questionnaire of the Liaison Committee on Medical Education, to which 100% of schools responded, the revenues that supported the programs and activities of the 125 accredited medical schools in the United States totaled $34897 million in 1996-1997. A large proportion (78.9%) of these revenues was derived from 3 sources: practice plans, grants and contracts, and hospital support. Both public and private medical schools, in aggregate, have continued to experience growth throughout the last decade but at a progressively slower rate, primarily because of a slowing in the growth of practice plan revenues. Federal revenues supporting research in public and private medical schools since 1992-1993 have grown at annualized, constant-dollar rates of 5.6% and 4%, respectively. Growth in state and local appropriations to public medical schools has tended to lag behind inflation. Growth in reported revenues from endowments that are used to support programs at private medical schools is on the rise. The aggregate numbers mask considerable variation among schools with regard to changes in financing. A small, but appreciable, number of schools have witnessed a constant-dollar decline in their total practice plan revenues since 1992-1993. The financial data reviewed in this report demonstrate the continued dependence of medical schools on faculty-generated sources of revenue and confirm the perception that medical schools, as a group, are experiencing constraints on the growth of their enterprises.

78 FR 12832 - Request for Information: Public-Private Collaborations in Pain Research

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-25

... DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS Request for Information: Public-Private Collaborations in Pain... Veterans Affairs (VA) publishes this Request for Information (RFI) on public-private collaborations in pain...-private collaborations in pain research with the intent of developing novel therapies that will benefit...

Private Information and Insurance Rejections

PubMed Central

Hendren, Nathaniel

2013-01-01

Across a wide set of non-group insurance markets, applicants are rejected based on observable, often high-risk, characteristics. This paper argues that private information, held by the potential applicant pool, explains rejections. I formulate this argument by developing and testing a model in which agents may have private information about their risk. I first derive a new no-trade result that theoretically explains how private information could cause rejections. I then develop a new empirical methodology to test whether this no-trade condition can explain rejections. The methodology uses subjective probability elicitations as noisy measures of agents beliefs. I apply this approach to three non-group markets: long-term care, disability, and life insurance. Consistent with the predictions of the theory, in all three settings I find significant amounts of private information held by those who would be rejected; I find generally more private information for those who would be rejected relative to those who can purchase insurance; and I show it is enough private information to explain a complete absence of trade for those who would be rejected. The results suggest private information prevents the existence of large segments of these three major insurance markets. PMID:24187381

Neural correlates of informational cascades: brain mechanisms of social influence on belief updating

PubMed Central

Klucharev, Vasily; Rieskamp, Jörg

2015-01-01

Informational cascades can occur when rationally acting individuals decide independently of their private information and follow the decisions of preceding decision-makers. In the process of updating beliefs, differences in the weighting of private and publicly available social information may modulate the probability that a cascade starts in a decisive way. By using functional magnetic resonance imaging, we examined neural activity while participants updated their beliefs based on the decisions of two fictitious stock market traders and their own private information, which led to a final decision of buying one of two stocks. Computational modeling of the behavioral data showed that a majority of participants overweighted private information. Overweighting was negatively correlated with the probability of starting an informational cascade in trials especially prone to conformity. Belief updating by private information was related to activity in the inferior frontal gyrus/anterior insula, the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex and the parietal cortex; the more a participant overweighted private information, the higher the activity in the inferior frontal gyrus/anterior insula and the lower in the parietal-temporal cortex. This study explores the neural correlates of overweighting of private information, which underlies the tendency to start an informational cascade. PMID:24974396

Does extending health insurance coverage to the uninsured improve population health outcomes?

PubMed

Thornton, James A; Rice, Jennifer L

2008-01-01

An ongoing debate exists about whether the US should adopt a universal health insurance programme. Much of the debate has focused on programme implementation and cost, with relatively little attention to benefits for social welfare. To estimate the effect on US population health outcomes, measured by mortality, of extending private health insurance to the uninsured, and to obtain a rough estimate of the aggregate economic benefits of extending insurance coverage to the uninsured. We use state-level panel data for all 50 states for the period 1990-2000 to estimate a health insurance augmented, aggregate health production function for the US. An instrumental variables fixed-effects estimator is used to account for confounding variables and reverse causation from health status to insurance coverage. Several observed factors, such as income, education, unemployment, cigarette and alcohol consumption and population demographic characteristics are included to control for potential confounding variables that vary across both states and time. The results indicate a negative relationship between private insurance and mortality, thus suggesting that extending insurance to the uninsured population would result in an improvement in population health outcomes. The estimate of the marginal effect of insurance coverage indicates that a 10% increase in the population-insured rate of a state reduces mortality by 1.69-1.92%. Using data for the year 2003, we calculate that extending private insurance coverage to the entire uninsured population in the US would save over 75 000 lives annually and may yield annual net benefits to the nation in excess of $US400 billion. This analysis suggests that extending health insurance coverage through the private market to the 46 million Americans without health insurance may well produce large social economic benefits for the nation as a whole.

College Crowd-In: How Private Donations Positively Affect Alumni Giving

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gottfried, Michael A.

2008-01-01

The issue of donor behavior and crowding out has been pertinent in the economics literature, both theoretically and empirically. Aggregate research has not been decisive, nor have many studies analyzed education institutions. I begin with a theoretical model of crowding-out versus crowding-in donor behavior. I then employ a fixed effects…

75 FR 41691 - Nonprocurement Debarment and Suspension

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-19

..., whichever is lesser. EAC is also providing covered individuals a right to request a reconsideration of a... governments, in aggregate, or by the private sector of $100 million or more in any one year. [[Page 41692... procedures must I follow? Subpart A--General 5800.137 Who at the Commission may grant an exception to let an...

24 CFR 570.705 - Loan requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... year in an aggregate amount equal to 50 percent of the amount approved in an appropriation act for that... with the private sector financing of the debt obligations. Such costs are payable out of the guaranteed... the public entity would thereby exceed an amount equal to five times the amount of the most recent...

Nursing and Nursing Education: Public Policies and Private Actions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Institute of Medicine (NAS), Washington, DC.

Results are presented of a study of nursing and nursing education that focused on the need for continued federal support of nursing education, ways to attract nurses to medically underserved areas, and approaches to encourage nurses to stay in the profession. Findings are presented on whether the aggregate supply of generalist nurses will be…

12 CFR 225.174 - What aggregate thresholds apply to merchant banking investments?

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... banking investments held by the financial holding company under this subpart exceeds: (1) 30 percent of the Tier 1 capital of the financial holding company; or (2) After excluding interests in private equity funds, 20 percent of the Tier 1 capital of the financial holding company. (b) How do these...

The Role of the Community College in Baccalaureate Attainment at a Private Liberal Arts College.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cejda, Brent D.

1999-01-01

The different roles that community colleges play in baccalaureate attainment are defined. Data is presented on 577 baccalaureate graduates who used credits earned at a community college toward their four-year degree. The findings support the contention that aggregate data masks community college contributions to baccalaureate education. Contains…

76 FR 3650 - Renewal and Revision of Information Collection, OMB Control Number 1004-0009

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-20

... collection of information from individuals, State and local governments, and the private sector in... governments, 286 typical responses from the private sector, and 10 complex responses from the private sector... typical responses from the private sector, and 1,200 hours for complex responses from the private sector...

A cut above the rest? Private anthropometrics in marriage markets.

PubMed

Wilson, Nicholas; Janicki, Martha

2016-12-01

A large body of economic research suggests that publicly observable anthropometric characteristics affect labor and marriage market outcomes. Private anthropometrics may not affect these outcomes. We examine male circumcision in marriage markets in Zambia. Our analysis reveals substantial variation across local marriage markets in circumcision prevalence relative to preference for circumcised partners, as well as excess aggregate demand for circumcised males. Regression estimates suggest a marriage market premium of approximately one-half to one year of additional schooling for matching with a partner of preferred anthropometric type in a local marriage market with excess demand for that anthropometric characteristic. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

77 FR 70780 - Federal Acquisition Regulation; Submission for OMB Review; Contractors Performing Private...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-27

...; Submission for OMB Review; Contractors Performing Private Security Functions Outside the United States... new information collection requirement concerning Contractors Performing Private Security Functions... identified by Information Collection 9000- 0184, Contractors Performing Private Security Functions Outside...

Analyzing Differences Between Public and Private Sector Information Resource Management: Chief Information Officer Challenges and Critical Technologies

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-01-01

Private sector organizations have a valuable knowledge base from their CIO office implementation efforts and subsequent operations. This private sector knowledge could offer public sector CIOs invaluable insight into successful information resource management practices. However, public and private managers must take great care in deciphering which IRM prescriptions are relevant to their organizational situation. The goal of this research is to discover if public and private sector CIOs are faced with the same challenges and view

Uncertainties in predicting energy consumption in houses

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

Penz, A.J.; Yasky, Y.

1979-01-01

Many efforts are underway to develop public and private sector programs to encourage energy conservation in existing housing. The effectiveness of these programs, which range from public persuasion to implementation of building-performance codes, depends on the ability of their designers to identify at an aggregate level energy-conservation techniques that are economically viable on an individual-household level. Whereas information on average energy consumption per household forms the basis for many conservation programs, variations in household energy consumption threaten to weaken the impact of programs that are too general. Differences in weather, house site conditions, house design and condition, and household behaviormore » are all likely to influence the benefits derived from conservation actions. This paper focuses on sources of variance in household energy consumption and their impact on the effectiveness of various energy-conservation strategies. 45 references.« less

Rescaling the Local: Multi-Academy Trusts, Private Monopoly and Statecraft in England

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wilkins, Andrew

2017-01-01

For the past six years successive UK governments in England have introduced reforms intended to usher in less aggregated, top-down, bureaucratically overloaded models of service delivery. Yet the "hollowing out" of local government has not resulted in less bureaucracy on the ground or less regulation from above, nor has it diminished…

75 FR 63714 - Security Zone: Passenger Vessels, Sector Southeastern New England Captain of the Port Zone

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-18

..., in the aggregate, or by the private sector of $100,000,000 (adjusted for inflation) or more in any... Security Zone: Passenger Vessels, Sector Southeastern New England Captain of the Port Zone AGENCY: Coast... moving security zones around passenger vessels in the Sector Southeastern New England Captain of the Port...

77 FR 60044 - Safety Zone; DeStefano Wedding Fireworks Display, Patchogue Bay, Patchogue, NY

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-02

... tribal government, in the aggregate, or by the private sector of $100,000,000 (adjusted for inflation) or... authorized by the Captain of the Port (COTP) Sector Long Island Sound. DATES: This rule is effective from... rule, call or email Petty Officer Joseph Graun, Prevention Department, Coast Guard Sector Long Island...

78 FR 53083 - Leasing of Osage Reservation Lands for Oil and Gas Mining

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-08-28

... simplification to make one new definition of ``raw natural gas'' or ``gas''; Adds new definitions for ``avoidably... aggregate, or by the private sector, of $100 million or more in any one year. The rule's requirements will... subject to the NEPA process either collectively or case by case.'' No extraordinary circumstances exist...

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

Coleman, Jody Rustyn; Poland, Richard W.

A system and method for the secure storage and transmission of data is provided. A data aggregate device can be configured to receive secure data from a data source, such as a sensor, and encrypt the secure data using a suitable encryption technique, such as a shared private key technique, a public key encryption technique, a Diffie-Hellman key exchange technique, or other suitable encryption technique. The encrypted secure data can be provided from the data aggregate device to different remote devices over a plurality of segregated or isolated data paths. Each of the isolated data paths can include an optoisolatormore » that is configured to provide one-way transmission of the encrypted secure data from the data aggregate device over the isolated data path. External data can be received through a secure data filter which, by validating the external data, allows for key exchange and other various adjustments from an external source.« less

Authenticated sensor interface device

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

Coleman, Jody Rustyn; Poland, Richard W.

A system and method for the secure storage and transmission of data is provided. A data aggregate device can be configured to receive secure data from a data source, such as a sensor, and encrypt the secure data using a suitable encryption technique, such as a shared private key technique, a public key encryption technique, a Diffie-Hellman key exchange technique, or other suitable encryption technique. The encrypted secure data can be provided from the data aggregate device to different remote devices over a plurality of segregated or isolated data paths. Each of the isolated data paths can include an optoisolatormore » that is configured to provide one-way transmission of the encrypted secure data from the data aggregate device over the isolated data path. External data can be received through a secure data filter which, by validating the external data, allows for key exchange and other various adjustments from an external source.« less

Public-private partnerships in practice: collaborating to improve health finance policy in Ghana and Kenya.

PubMed

Suchman, Lauren; Hart, Elizabeth; Montagu, Dominic

2018-06-13

Social health insurance (SHI), one mechanism for achieving universal health coverage, has become increasingly important in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs) as they work to achieve this goal. Although small private providers supply a significant proportion of healthcare in LMICs, integrating these providers into SHI systems is often challenging. Public-private partnerships in health are one way to address these challenges, but we know little about how these collaborations work, how effectively, and why. Drawing on semi-structured interviews conducted with National Health Insurance (NHI) officials in Kenya and Ghana, as well as with staff from several international NGOs (INGOs) representing social franchise networks that are partnering to increase private provider accreditation into the NHIs, this article examines one example of public-private collaboration in practice. We found that interviewees initially had incomplete knowledge about the potential for cross-sector synergy, but both sides were motivated to work together around shared goals and the potential for mutual benefit. The public-private relationship then evolved over time through regular face-to-face interactions, reciprocal feedback, and iterative workplan development. This process led to a collegial relationship that also has given small private providers more voice in the health system. In order to sustain this relationship, we recommend that both public and private sector representatives develop formalized protocols for working together, as well as less formal open channels for communication. Models for aggregating small private providers and delivering them to government programmes as a package have potential to facilitate public-private partnerships as well, but there is little evidence on how these models work in LMICs thus far.

Energy Efficiency Finance Programs: Use Case Analysis to Define Data Needs and Guidelines

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

Thompson, Peter; Larsen, Peter; Kramer, Chris

There are over 200 energy efficiency loan programs—across 49 U.S. states—administered by utilities, state/local government agencies, or private lenders.1 This distributed model has led to significant variation in program design and implementation practices including how data is collected and used. The challenge of consolidating and aggregating data across independently administered programs has been illustrated by a recent pilot of an open source database for energy efficiency financing program data. This project was led by the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), the Investor Confidence Project, the Clean Energy Finance Center (CEFC), and the University of Chicago. This partnership discussed data collection practicesmore » with a number of existing energy efficiency loan programs and identified four programs that were suitable and willing to participate in the pilot database (Diamond 2014).2 The partnership collected information related to ~12,000 loans with an aggregate value of ~$100M across the four programs. Of the 95 data fields collected across the four programs, 30 fields were common between two or more programs and only seven data fields were common across all programs. The results of that pilot study illustrate the inconsistencies in current data definition and collection practices among energy efficiency finance programs and may contribute to certain barriers.« less

Social learning strategies and predation risk: minnows copy only when using private information would be costly

PubMed Central

Webster, M.M; Laland, K.N

2008-01-01

Animals can acquire information from the environment privately, by sampling it directly, or socially, through learning from others. Generally, private information is more accurate, but expensive to acquire, while social information is cheaper but less reliable. Accordingly, the ‘costly information hypothesis’ predicts that individuals will use private information when the costs associated with doing so are low, but that they should increasingly use social information as the costs of using private information rise. While consistent with considerable data, this theory has yet to be directly tested in a satisfactory manner. We tested this hypothesis by giving minnows (Phoxinus phoxinus) a choice between socially demonstrated and non-demonstrated prey patches under conditions of low, indirect and high simulated predation risk. Subjects had no experience (experiment 1) or prior private information that conflicted with the social information provided by the demonstrators (experiment 2). In both experiments, subjects spent more time in the demonstrated patch than in the non-demonstrated patch, and in experiment 1 made fewer switches between patches, when risk was high compared with when it was low. These findings are consistent with the predictions of the costly information hypothesis, and imply that minnows adopt a ‘copy-when-asocial-learning-is-costly’ learning strategy. PMID:18755676

Conditional Use of Social and Private Information Guides House-Hunting Ants

PubMed Central

Cronin, Adam L.

2013-01-01

Social animals can use both social and private information to guide decision making. While social information can be relatively economical to acquire, it can lead to maladaptive information cascades if attention to environmental cues is supplanted by unconditional copying. Ants frequently employ pheromone trails, a form of social information, to guide collective processes, and this can include consensus decisions made when choosing a place to live. In this study, I examine how house-hunting ants balance social and private information when these information sources conflict to different degrees. Social information, in the form of pre-established pheromone trails, strongly influenced the decision process in choices between equivalent nests, and lead to a reduced relocation time. When trails lead to non-preferred types of nest, however, social information had less influence when this preference was weak and no influence when the preference was strong. These results suggest that social information is vetted against private information during the house-hunting process in this species. Private information is favoured in cases of conflict and this may help insure colonies against costly wrong decisions. PMID:23741364

Conditional use of social and private information guides house-hunting ants.

PubMed

Cronin, Adam L

2013-01-01

Social animals can use both social and private information to guide decision making. While social information can be relatively economical to acquire, it can lead to maladaptive information cascades if attention to environmental cues is supplanted by unconditional copying. Ants frequently employ pheromone trails, a form of social information, to guide collective processes, and this can include consensus decisions made when choosing a place to live. In this study, I examine how house-hunting ants balance social and private information when these information sources conflict to different degrees. Social information, in the form of pre-established pheromone trails, strongly influenced the decision process in choices between equivalent nests, and lead to a reduced relocation time. When trails lead to non-preferred types of nest, however, social information had less influence when this preference was weak and no influence when the preference was strong. These results suggest that social information is vetted against private information during the house-hunting process in this species. Private information is favoured in cases of conflict and this may help insure colonies against costly wrong decisions.

Discounting Report, 2012: Growth in Discounting Slows as Economy Improves. Ninth Annual Comparative Research Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Noel-Levitz, Inc, 2012

2012-01-01

This annual report summarizes the previous fall's outcomes and long-term trends for a sizable sample of private colleges and universities across the United States. The report is based on the annually aggregated freshman data of institutions that are currently partnering with Noel-Levitz to strategically manage more than $2 billion in institutional…

Rethinking the Relation between Government Spending and Economic Growth: A Composition Approach to Fiscal Policy Instruction for Principles Students

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Goldsmith, Arthur H.

2008-01-01

Standard introductory textbook authors assert that an increase in government spending expands aggregate demand in the short run but also raises the interest rate and, thus, crowds out private investment in the long run. Because the decrease in investment results in a smaller capital stock, potential output or production capacity decreases. The…

75 FR 33506 - Safety and Security Zones; Tall Ships Challenge 2010, Great Lakes, Cleveland, OH, Bay City, MI...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-14

..., Federalism, if it has a substantial direct effect on State or local governments and would either preempt... a State, local, or tribal government, in the aggregate, or by the private sector of $100,000,000 or... as proposed. Indian Tribal Governments This rule does not have tribal implications under Executive...

77 FR 73310 - Technical Amendment to List of User Fee Airports: Addition of Bozeman Yellowstone International...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-10

..., local, and tribal governments, in the aggregate, or by the private sector, of $100 million or more in... that landing rights airport. Section 236 of Public Law 98-573 (the Trade and Tariff Act of 1984... airport and shall be in the amount equal to the expenses incurred by the Commissioner of CBP in providing...

7 CFR 1.12 - Handling information from a private business.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 1 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Handling information from a private business. 1.12 Section 1.12 Agriculture Office of the Secretary of Agriculture ADMINISTRATIVE REGULATIONS Official Records § 1.12 Handling information from a private business. Each USDA agency is responsible for making...

76 FR 71329 - Request for Information Regarding Private Education Loans and Private Educational Lenders

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-17

... Regarding Private Education Loans and Private Educational Lenders AGENCY: Bureau of Consumer Financial... Justice and the Federal Trade Commission, to prepare a Report on Private Education Loans and Private... Justice and the Federal Trade Commission, to prepare a Report on Private Education Loans and Private...

32 CFR 2001.36 - Classified information in the custody of private organizations or individuals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... information by a private organization or individual provided that all access and safeguarding requirements of... 32 National Defense 6 2010-07-01 2010-07-01 false Classified information in the custody of private organizations or individuals. 2001.36 Section 2001.36 National Defense Other Regulations Relating to National...

32 CFR 2001.36 - Classified information in the custody of private organizations or individuals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... information by a private organization or individual provided that all access and safeguarding requirements of... 32 National Defense 6 2012-07-01 2012-07-01 false Classified information in the custody of private organizations or individuals. 2001.36 Section 2001.36 National Defense Other Regulations Relating to National...

32 CFR 2001.36 - Classified information in the custody of private organizations or individuals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... information by a private organization or individual provided that all access and safeguarding requirements of... 32 National Defense 6 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Classified information in the custody of private organizations or individuals. 2001.36 Section 2001.36 National Defense Other Regulations Relating to National...

32 CFR 2001.36 - Classified information in the custody of private organizations or individuals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... information by a private organization or individual provided that all access and safeguarding requirements of... 32 National Defense 6 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Classified information in the custody of private organizations or individuals. 2001.36 Section 2001.36 National Defense Other Regulations Relating to National...

32 CFR 2001.36 - Classified information in the custody of private organizations or individuals.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... information by a private organization or individual provided that all access and safeguarding requirements of... 32 National Defense 6 2011-07-01 2011-07-01 false Classified information in the custody of private organizations or individuals. 2001.36 Section 2001.36 National Defense Other Regulations Relating to National...

76 FR 48882 - Agency Information Collections Activities; Comment Request for Uranium Concentrations in Private...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-09

... water quality issues that affect private well owners. Please note that we may not conduct or sponsor... objectives of this survey are to obtain information on water quality issues that affect private well owners... of Management and Budget (OMB) to approve the new information collection (IC) described below. As...

Does workplace social capital protect against long-term sickness absence? Linking workplace aggregated social capital to sickness absence registry data.

PubMed

Hansen, Anne-Sophie K; Madsen, Ida E H; Thorsen, Sannie Vester; Melkevik, Ole; Bjørner, Jakob Bue; Andersen, Ingelise; Rugulies, Reiner

2018-05-01

Most previous prospective studies have examined workplace social capital as a resource of the individual. However, literature suggests that social capital is a collective good. In the present study we examined whether a high level of workplace aggregated social capital (WASC) predicts a decreased risk of individual-level long-term sickness absence (LTSA) in Danish private sector employees. A sample of 2043 employees (aged 18-64 years, 38.5% women) from 260 Danish private-sector companies filled in a questionnaire on workplace social capital and covariates. WASC was calculated by assigning the company-averaged social capital score to all employees of each company. We derived LTSA, defined as sickness absence of more than three weeks, from a national register. We examined if WASC predicted employee LTSA using multilevel survival analyses, while excluding participants with LTSA in the three months preceding baseline. We found no statistically significant association in any of the analyses. The hazard ratio for LTSA in the fully adjusted model was 0.93 (95% CI 0.77-1.13) per one standard deviation increase in WASC. When using WASC as a categorical exposure we found a statistically non-significant tendency towards a decreased risk of LTSA in employees with medium WASC (fully adjusted model: HR 0.78 (95% CI 0.48-1.27)). Post hoc analyses with workplace social capital as a resource of the individual showed similar results. WASC did not predict LTSA in this sample of Danish private-sector employees.

Does workplace social capital protect against long-term sickness absence? Linking workplace aggregated social capital to sickness absence registry data

PubMed Central

Hansen, Anne-Sophie K.; Madsen, Ida E. H.; Thorsen, Sannie Vester; Melkevik, Ole; Bjørner, Jakob Bue; Andersen, Ingelise; Rugulies, Reiner

2017-01-01

Aims: Most previous prospective studies have examined workplace social capital as a resource of the individual. However, literature suggests that social capital is a collective good. In the present study we examined whether a high level of workplace aggregated social capital (WASC) predicts a decreased risk of individual-level long-term sickness absence (LTSA) in Danish private sector employees. Methods: A sample of 2043 employees (aged 18–64 years, 38.5% women) from 260 Danish private-sector companies filled in a questionnaire on workplace social capital and covariates. WASC was calculated by assigning the company-averaged social capital score to all employees of each company. We derived LTSA, defined as sickness absence of more than three weeks, from a national register. We examined if WASC predicted employee LTSA using multilevel survival analyses, while excluding participants with LTSA in the three months preceding baseline. Results: We found no statistically significant association in any of the analyses. The hazard ratio for LTSA in the fully adjusted model was 0.93 (95% CI 0.77–1.13) per one standard deviation increase in WASC. When using WASC as a categorical exposure we found a statistically non-significant tendency towards a decreased risk of LTSA in employees with medium WASC (fully adjusted model: HR 0.78 (95% CI 0.48–1.27)). Post hoc analyses with workplace social capital as a resource of the individual showed similar results. Conclusions: WASC did not predict LTSA in this sample of Danish private-sector employees. PMID:28784025

Prediction markets and their potential role in biomedical research--a review.

PubMed

Pfeiffer, Thomas; Almenberg, Johan

2010-01-01

Predictions markets are marketplaces for trading contracts with payoffs that depend on the outcome of future events. Popular examples are markets on the outcome of presidential elections, where contracts pay $1 if a specific candidate wins the election and $0 if someone else wins. Contract prices on prediction markets can be interpreted as forecasts regarding the outcome of future events. Further attractive properties include the potential to aggregate private information, to generate and disseminate a consensus among the market participants, and to offer incentives for the acquisition of information. It has been argued that these properties might be valuable in the context of scientific research. In this review, we give an overview of key properties of prediction markets and discuss potential benefits for science. To illustrate these benefits for biomedical research, we discuss an example application in the context of decision making in research on the genetics of diseases. Moreover, some potential practical problems of prediction market application in science are discussed, and solutions are outlined. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Learning about individuals' health from aggregate data.

PubMed

Colbaugh, Rich; Glass, Kristin

2017-07-01

There is growing awareness that user-generated social media content contains valuable health-related information and is more convenient to collect than typical health data. For example, Twitter has been employed to predict aggregate-level outcomes, such as regional rates of diabetes and child poverty, and to identify individual cases of depression and food poisoning. Models which make aggregate-level inferences can be induced from aggregate data, and consequently are straightforward to build. In contrast, learning models that produce individual-level (IL) predictions, which are more informative, usually requires a large number of difficult-to-acquire labeled IL examples. This paper presents a new machine learning method which achieves the best of both worlds, enabling IL models to be learned from aggregate labels. The algorithm makes predictions by combining unsupervised feature extraction, aggregate-based modeling, and optimal integration of aggregate-level and IL information. Two case studies illustrate how to learn health-relevant IL prediction models using only aggregate labels, and show that these models perform as well as state-of-the-art models trained on hundreds or thousands of labeled individuals.

The Politics of Pipes: The Persistence of Small Water Networks in Post-Privatization Manila

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cheng, Deborah

This project examines the politics of water provision in low-income areas of large, developing cities. In the last two decades, water privatization has become a global paradigm, emerging as a potential means for addressing the urban water crisis. In Manila, the site of the world's largest water privatization project, service to low-income areas has improved significantly in the post-privatization era. But whereas expansion of a water utility typically involves the replacement of informal providers, the experience in Manila demonstrates that the rapid connection of low-income areas actually hinges, in part, on the selective inclusion and exclusion of these smaller actors. Based on an ethnography of the private utilities and community-based providers, I use the persistence of small water networks as a lens for exploring the limits of water privatization in Manila. I focus on what I call micro-networks---community-built infrastructure that extends the formal, private utilities into low-income neighborhoods that the utilities do not wish to serve directly. In such a setup, the utility provides water only as far as the community boundary; beyond that, the micro-network operator constructs internal infrastructure, monitors for leakage and theft, and collects bills. But while these communities may gain access to safer water, they are also subject to higher costs and heightened disciplinary measures. By tracing the ways in which the utilities selectively use micro-networks to manage sub-populations, I show how the utilities make low-income spaces more governable. Delegating localized water management to micro-network operators depoliticizes the utilities' roles, shifting the sociopolitical difficulties of water provision to community organizations, while allowing the utilities to claim that these areas are served. This research leads to three related arguments. First, the persistence of small water networks highlights lingering inequities in access to water, for micro-network consumers are subject to disparities in cost, materials, and personal freedoms. Though Manila's water privatization project has resulted in significant improvements to the centralized system, its success must be tempered by the inequalities that remain. Second, the two utilities are largely able to shape both the geographies of water access and the production of knowledge. For this reason, the utilities typically use micro-networks where cost recovery may be difficult---such as in areas with uncertain land tenure or where higher levels of nonpayment are perceived---while including these areas in their aggregate coverage statistics. Third, the presence of multiple providers of water and other basic services blurs the boundaries between public, private, and community. But that blurriness serves to consolidate the private utilities' power, while increasing the opacity by which citizens navigate processes related to urban water provision. The persistence of micro-networks thus allows us to understand the ways in which low-income spaces are made more governable. By focusing on this peri-urban frontier, this project asserts that differentiation and discipline serve simultaneously as tools of governance and as points of contestation. What emerges is a waterscape consisting not of one type of privatization---where service and access are uniformly provided---but multiple, coexisting, and differentiated privatizations.

Open for business: private networks create a marketplace for health information exchange.

PubMed

Dimick, Chris

2012-05-01

Large health systems and their IT vendors are creating private information exchange networks at a time when federally funded state operations are gearing up for launch, Is there room for private and public offerings in the new HIE marketplace?

Public Sector/Private Sector Interaction in Providing Information Services. Report to the NCLIS from the Public Sector/Private Sector Task Force.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

National Commission on Libraries and Information Science, Washington, DC.

The results of a 2-year study on the interactions between government and private sector information activities are presented in terms of principles and guidelines for federal policy to support the development and use of information resources, products, and services, and to implement the principles. Discussions address sources of conflict between…

Forest Management Expenses of Mississippi's Nonindustrial Private Forest Landowners

Treesearch

Kathryn G. Arano; Tamara L. Cushing; Ian A. Munn

2002-01-01

Detailed information about the forest management expenditures incurred by nonindustrial private forest (NIPF) landowners over time provides a wealth of information about costs associated with forestland ownership, management practices implemented hv NIPF landowners, and changes in management intensity over time. A survey of Mississippi's nonindustrial private...

Advancing the Framework: Use of Health Data—A Report of a Working Conference of the American Medical Informatics Association

PubMed Central

Bloomrosen, Meryl; Detmer, Don

2008-01-01

The fields of health informatics and biomedical research increasingly depend on the availability of aggregated health data. Yet, despite over fifteen years of policy work on health data issues, the United States (U.S.) lacks coherent policy to guide users striving to navigate the ethical, political, technical, and economic challenges associated with health data use. In 2007, building on more than a decade of previous work, the American Medical Informatics Association (AMIA) convened a panel of experts to stimulate discussion about and action on a national framework for health data use. This initiative is being carried out in the context of rapidly accelerating advances in the fields of health informatics and biomedical research, many of which are dependent on the availability of aggregated health data. Use of these data poses complex challenges that must be addressed by public policy. This paper highlights the results of the meeting, presents data stewardship as a key building block in the national framework, and outlines stewardship principles for the management of health information. The authors also introduce a taxonomy developed to focus definitions and terminology in the evolving field of health data applications. Finally, they identify areas for further policy analysis and recommend that public and private sector organizations elevate consideration of a national framework on the uses of health data to a top priority. PMID:18755988

78 FR 43241 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Submission to OMB for Reinstatement, Without Change, of...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-19

... liabilities of privately- insured credit unions, other financial institutions, or their successor in interest... of privately-insured credit unions or other financial institutions. NCUA will use the information in... purchase assets or assume liabilities of a privately-insured credit union or other financial institution...

78 FR 76641 - Renewal of Approved Information Collection

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-18

... 286 1 286 Private Sector/Typical Land Use Application and Permit 43 CFR Part 2920 Form 2920-1 10 120 1,200 Private Sector/Complex Totals 407 1,597 Jean Sonneman, Bureau of Land Management, Information... individuals, private entities, and State or local governments seeking leases, permits, and easements for the...

76 FR 41826 - State, Local, Tribal, and Private Sector Policy Advisory Committee (SLTPS-PAC)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-15

... NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION Information Security Oversight Office State, Local, Tribal, and Private Sector Policy Advisory Committee (SLTPS-PAC) AGENCY: National Archives and Records... Information Program for State, Local, Tribal, and Private Sector Entities. DATES: The meeting will be held on...

76 FR 76430 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Documents Required Aboard Private Aircraft

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-12-07

... certificate of registration, which is also called a ``pink slip'' and is a duplicate copy of the Aircraft... Activities: Documents Required Aboard Private Aircraft AGENCY: U.S. Customs and Border Protection, Department... Required Aboard Private Aircraft. This is a proposed extension of an information collection that was...

Implementation of RNTCP in a private medical college: five years' experience.

PubMed

Arora, Vijay; Jaiswal, Ashish K; Gupta, Sonisha; Gupta, Mohan B; Jain, Vidhushi; Ghanchi, Firoz

2012-07-01

Revised National Tuberculosis Control Programme (RNTCP) recognizes the need for involvement of all sectors, public and private, to create an epidemiological impact on Tuberculosis control. The private health sector in the country is an important source of care, even with the availability of public health services and Directly Observed Treatment Strategy (DOTS). The data regarding Private-Private mix in our country is lacking. To evaluate the contribution of {private health sector (Private Medical Colleges and Private practioners (PP)} in TB case-detection, diagnosis and treatment outcomes in Delhi NCR, Ghaziabad, India. We analyzed the TB registers from May 2006-Dec 2010 from our institution and recruited the patients in our study, irrespective of the source. We strengthened the referral by promoting educational intra and inter departmental activities and awareness programme with more stress on retrieval action by contact tracing and counselling. We made a list of PP in our drainage area and regularly met them and tried to understand the barriers in referring cases to DOTS centre. During the study, we tried to maintain the flow of information working as a single window information system. We regularly passed on the information of follow up of patients to private practioners referred to us by them to generate confidence in them. During the study, no incentive was offered to any patient. Various indicators and data were collected annually and analyzed statistically. Retrospective, Descriptive Analysis. There was a substantial increase of 116.3% in the total patients referred from all sources to Santosh Hospital. The proportion of extra-pulmonary cases was 29.1% to 34.4% of all total cases from the year 2006 to 2010. During subsequent years, we found a significant increase in referral from Private Practioners that was the result of our activities performed in private set up. It was 12.5%, 21.2%, 30.8%, 27.3%, and 29% during 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2010 respectively. The outcome in our study was in accordance with the outcome at national level under RNTCP. Because of extensive educational activities, single window information system and referring the patients back to private sector after completion of treatment increased the confidence amongst the private physicians. These results strengthen the Private-Private Collaboration and show that a stronger link can be developed between medical college and private setup, leading to implementation of successful Private-Private Strategy.

Keeping Public Information Public.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kelley, Wayne P.

1998-01-01

Discusses the trend toward the transfer of federal government information from the public domain to the private sector. Topics include free access, privatization, information-policy revision, accountability, copyright issues, costs, pricing, and market needs versus public needs. (LRW)

78 FR 59711 - Renewal of Approved Information Collection

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-09-27

... Application and Permit, 43 CFR Part 2920, Form 2920-1, 286 1 286 Private Sector/Typical Land Use Application and Permit, 43 CFR Part 2920, Form 2920-1, 10 120 1,200 Private Sector/Complex Totals 407 1,597 Jean... information from individuals, private entities, and State or local governments seeking leases, permits, and...

78 FR 44536 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Licensing of Private Remote-Sensing Space Systems

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-24

... Collection; Comment Request; Licensing of Private Remote-Sensing Space Systems AGENCY: National Oceanic and... for the licensing of private operators of remote-sensing space systems. The information in applications and subsequent reports is needed to ensure compliance with the Land Remote- Sensing Policy Act of...

Geospatial cryptography: enabling researchers to access private, spatially referenced, human subjects data for cancer control and prevention.

PubMed

Jacquez, Geoffrey M; Essex, Aleksander; Curtis, Andrew; Kohler, Betsy; Sherman, Recinda; Emam, Khaled El; Shi, Chen; Kaufmann, Andy; Beale, Linda; Cusick, Thomas; Goldberg, Daniel; Goovaerts, Pierre

2017-07-01

As the volume, accuracy and precision of digital geographic information have increased, concerns regarding individual privacy and confidentiality have come to the forefront. Not only do these challenge a basic tenet underlying the advancement of science by posing substantial obstacles to the sharing of data to validate research results, but they are obstacles to conducting certain research projects in the first place. Geospatial cryptography involves the specification, design, implementation and application of cryptographic techniques to address privacy, confidentiality and security concerns for geographically referenced data. This article defines geospatial cryptography and demonstrates its application in cancer control and surveillance. Four use cases are considered: (1) national-level de-duplication among state or province-based cancer registries; (2) sharing of confidential data across cancer registries to support case aggregation across administrative geographies; (3) secure data linkage; and (4) cancer cluster investigation and surveillance. A secure multi-party system for geospatial cryptography is developed. Solutions under geospatial cryptography are presented and computation time is calculated. As services provided by cancer registries to the research community, de-duplication, case aggregation across administrative geographies and secure data linkage are often time-consuming and in some instances precluded by confidentiality and security concerns. Geospatial cryptography provides secure solutions that hold significant promise for addressing these concerns and for accelerating the pace of research with human subjects data residing in our nation's cancer registries. Pursuit of the research directions posed herein conceivably would lead to a geospatially encrypted geographic information system (GEGIS) designed specifically to promote the sharing and spatial analysis of confidential data. Geospatial cryptography holds substantial promise for accelerating the pace of research with spatially referenced human subjects data.

Design and implementation of an audit trail in compliance with US regulations.

PubMed

Jiang, Keyuan; Cao, Xiang

2011-10-01

Audit trails have been used widely to ensure quality of study data and have been implemented in computerized clinical trials data systems. Increasingly, there is a need to audit access to study participant identifiable information to provide assurance that study participant privacy is protected and confidentiality is maintained. In the United States, several federal regulations specify how the audit trail function should be implemented. To describe the development and implementation of a comprehensive audit trail system that meets the regulatory requirements of assuring data quality and integrity and protecting participant privacy and that is also easy to implement and maintain. The audit trail system was designed and developed after we examined regulatory requirements, data access methods, prevailing application architecture, and good security practices. Our comprehensive audit trail system was developed and implemented at the database level using a commercially available database management software product. It captures both data access and data changes with the correct user identifier. Documentation of access is initiated automatically in response to either data retrieval or data change at the database level. Currently, our system has been implemented only on one commercial database management system. Although our audit trail algorithm does not allow for logging aggregate operations, aggregation does not reveal sensitive private participant information. Careful consideration must be given to data items selected for monitoring because selection of all data items using our system can dramatically increase the requirements for computer disk space. Evaluating the criticality and sensitivity of individual data items selected can control the storage requirements for clinical trial audit trail records. Our audit trail system is capable of logging data access and data change operations to satisfy regulatory requirements. Our approach is applicable to virtually any data that can be stored in a relational database.

Idaho forest carbon projections from 2017 to 2117 under forest disturbance and climate change scenarios

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hudak, A. T.; Crookston, N.; Kennedy, R. E.; Domke, G. M.; Fekety, P.; Falkowski, M. J.

2017-12-01

Commercial off-the-shelf lidar collections associated with tree measures in field plots allow aboveground biomass (AGB) estimation with high confidence. Predictive models developed from such datasets are used operationally to map AGB across lidar project areas. We use a random selection of these pixel-level AGB predictions as training for predicting AGB annually across Idaho and western Montana, primarily from Landsat time series imagery processed through LandTrendr. At both the landscape and regional scales, Random Forests is used for predictive AGB modeling. To project future carbon dynamics, we use Climate-FVS (Forest Vegetation Simulator), the tree growth engine used by foresters to inform forest planning decisions, under either constant or changing climate scenarios. Disturbance data compiled from LandTrendr (Kennedy et al. 2010) using TimeSync (Cohen et al. 2010) in forested lands of Idaho (n=509) and western Montana (n=288) are used to generate probabilities of disturbance (harvest, fire, or insect) by land ownership class (public, private) as well as the magnitude of disturbance. Our verification approach is to aggregate the regional, annual AGB predictions at the county level and compare them to annual county-level AGB summarized independently from systematic, field-based, annual inventories conducted by the US Forest Inventory and Analysis (FIA) Program nationally. This analysis shows that when federal lands are disturbed the magnitude is generally high and when other lands are disturbed the magnitudes are more moderate. The probability of disturbance in corporate lands is higher than in other lands but the magnitudes are generally lower. This is consistent with the much higher prevalence of fire and insects occurring on federal lands, and greater harvest activity on private lands. We found large forest carbon losses in drier southern Idaho, only partially offset by carbon gains in wetter northern Idaho, due to anticipated climate change. Public and private forest managers can use these forest carbon projections to 2117 to inform 2017 decisions on which tree species and seed sources to select for planting, and implement forest management strategies now that may seek to maximize forest carbon sequestration for greenhouse gas abatement a century from now.

Evaluation of Immunization Knowledge, Practices, and Service-delivery in the Private Sector in Cambodia

PubMed Central

Soeung, Sann Chan; Grundy, John; Morn, Cheng; Samnang, Chham

2008-01-01

A study of private-sector immunization services was undertaken to assess scope of practice and quality of care and to identify opportunities for the development of models of collaboration between the public and the private health sector. A questionnaire survey was conducted with health providers at 127 private facilities; clinical practices were directly observed; and a policy forum was held for government representatives, private healthcare providers, and international partners. In terms of prevalence of private-sector provision of immunization services, 93% of the private inpatient clinics surveyed provided immunization services. The private sector demonstrated a lack of quality of care and management in terms of health workers’ knowledge of immunization schedules, waste and vaccine management practices, and exchange of health information with the public sector. Policy and operational guidelines are required for private-sector immunization practices that address critical subject areas, such as setting of standards, capacity-building, public-sector monitoring, and exchange of health information between the public and the private sector. Such public/private collaborations will keep pace with the trends towards the development of private-sector provision of health services in developing countries. PMID:18637533

76 FR 39645 - Exemptions for Advisers to Venture Capital Funds, Private Fund Advisers With Less Than $150...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-06

... FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brian McLaughlin Johnson, Tram N. Nguyen or David A. Vaughan, at (202) 551..., 100 F Street, NE., Washington, DC 20549-8549. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Commission is adopting... States 4. United States Person C. Foreign Private Advisers 1. Clients 2. Private Fund Investor 3. In the...

5 CFR 2641.207 - One-year restriction on any former private sector assignee under the Information Technology...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... private sector assignee under the Information Technology Exchange Program representing, aiding, counseling... assignee under the Information Technology Exchange Program representing, aiding, counseling or assisting in... the Information Technology Exchange Program, 5 U.S.C. chapter 37, no former assignee shall knowingly...

5 CFR 2641.207 - One-year restriction on any former private sector assignee under the Information Technology...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... private sector assignee under the Information Technology Exchange Program representing, aiding, counseling... assignee under the Information Technology Exchange Program representing, aiding, counseling or assisting in... the Information Technology Exchange Program, 5 U.S.C. chapter 37, no former assignee shall knowingly...

5 CFR 2641.207 - One-year restriction on any former private sector assignee under the Information Technology...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... private sector assignee under the Information Technology Exchange Program representing, aiding, counseling... assignee under the Information Technology Exchange Program representing, aiding, counseling or assisting in... the Information Technology Exchange Program, 5 U.S.C. chapter 37, no former assignee shall knowingly...

5 CFR 2641.207 - One-year restriction on any former private sector assignee under the Information Technology...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... private sector assignee under the Information Technology Exchange Program representing, aiding, counseling... assignee under the Information Technology Exchange Program representing, aiding, counseling or assisting in... the Information Technology Exchange Program, 5 U.S.C. chapter 37, no former assignee shall knowingly...

5 CFR 2641.207 - One-year restriction on any former private sector assignee under the Information Technology...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... private sector assignee under the Information Technology Exchange Program representing, aiding, counseling... assignee under the Information Technology Exchange Program representing, aiding, counseling or assisting in... the Information Technology Exchange Program, 5 U.S.C. chapter 37, no former assignee shall knowingly...

78 FR 8499 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Comment Request; Private School Universe Survey 2013-16

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-02-06

...; Comment Request; Private School Universe Survey 2013-16 AGENCY: Department of Education (ED), Institute of... notice will be considered public records. Title of Collection: Private School Universe Survey 2013-16... Private School Universe Survey (PSS) is the NCES collection of basic data from the universe of private...

Multirobot autonomous landmine detection using distributed multisensor information aggregation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jumadinova, Janyl; Dasgupta, Prithviraj

2012-06-01

We consider the problem of distributed sensor information fusion by multiple autonomous robots within the context of landmine detection. We assume that different landmines can be composed of different types of material and robots are equipped with different types of sensors, while each robot has only one type of landmine detection sensor on it. We introduce a novel technique that uses a market-based information aggregation mechanism called a prediction market. Each robot is provided with a software agent that uses sensory input of the robot and performs calculations of the prediction market technique. The result of the agent's calculations is a 'belief' representing the confidence of the agent in identifying the object as a landmine. The beliefs from different robots are aggregated by the market mechanism and passed on to a decision maker agent. The decision maker agent uses this aggregate belief information about a potential landmine and makes decisions about which other robots should be deployed to its location, so that the landmine can be confirmed rapidly and accurately. Our experimental results show that, for identical data distributions and settings, using our prediction market-based information aggregation technique increases the accuracy of object classification favorably as compared to two other commonly used techniques.

Hospital Utilization and Universal Health Insurance Coverage: Evidence from the Massachusetts Health Care Reform Act.

PubMed

Cseh, Attila; Koford, Brandon C; Phelps, Ryan T

2015-12-01

The Affordable Care Act is currently in the roll-out phase. To gauge the likely implications of the national policy we analyze how the Massachusetts Health Care Reform Act impacted various hospitalization outcomes in each of the 25 major diagnostic categories (MDC). We utilize a difference-in-difference approach to identify the impact of the Massachusetts reform on insurance coverage and patient outcomes. This identification is achieved using six years of data from the Nationwide Inpatient Sample from the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project. We report MDC-specific estimates of the impact of the reform on insurance coverage and type as well as length of stay, number of diagnoses, and number of procedures. The requirement of universal insurance coverage increased the probability of being covered by insurance. This increase was in part a result of an increase in the probability of being covered by Medicaid. The percentage of admissions covered by private insurance fell. The number of diagnoses rose as a result of the law in the vast majority of diagnostic categories. Our results related to length of stay suggest that looking at aggregate results hides a wealth of information. The most disparate outcomes were pregnancy related. The length of stay for new-born babies and neonates rose dramatically. In aggregate, this increase serves to mute decreases across other diagnoses. Also, the number of procedures fell within the MDCs for pregnancy and child birth and that for new-born babies and neonates. The Massachusetts Health Care Reform appears to have been effective at increasing insurance take-up rates. These increases may have come at the cost of lower private insurance coverage. The number of diagnoses per admission was increased by the policy across nearly all MDCs. Understanding the changes in length of stay as a result of the Massachusetts reform, and perhaps the Affordable Care Act, requires MDC-specific analysis. It appears that the most important distinction to make is to differentiate care related to new-born babies and neonates from that related to other diagnostic categories.

How Should Health Data Be Used?

PubMed

Kaplan, Bonnie

2016-04-01

Electronic health records, data sharing, big data, data mining, and secondary use are enabling exciting opportunities for improving health and healthcare while also exacerbating privacy concerns. Two court cases about selling prescription data, the Sorrell case in the U.S. and the Source case in the U.K., raise questions of what constitutes "privacy" and "public interest"; they present an opportunity for ethical analysis of data privacy, commodifying data for sale and ownership, combining public and private data, data for research, and transparency and consent. These interwoven issues involve discussion of big data benefits and harms and touch on common dualities of the individual versus the aggregate or the public interest, research (or, more broadly, innovation) versus privacy, individual versus institutional power, identification versus identity and authentication, and virtual versus real individuals and contextualized information. Transparency, flexibility, and accountability are needed for assessing appropriate, judicious, and ethical data uses and users, as some are more compatible with societal norms and values than others.

Contractor Past Performance Information (PPI) in Source Selection: A Comparison Study of Public and Private Sector

DTIC Science & Technology

2005-05-01

efficiencies similar to those in the private sector . However, along the way, Government and private sector industry have begun to disagree about how PPI is...double that of the private sector due to an evaluation process that is cumbersome, time-consuming, and lacking the efficiencies enjoyed by private

Method of recommending items to a user based on user interest

DOEpatents

Bollen, John; Van De Sompel, Herbert

2013-11-05

Although recording of usage data is common in scholarly information services, its exploitation for the creation of value-added services remains limited due to concerns regarding, among others, user privacy, data validity, and the lack of accepted standards for the representation, sharing and aggregation of usage data. A technical, standards-based architecture for sharing usage information is presented. In this architecture, OpenURL-compliant linking servers aggregate usage information of a specific user community as it navigates the distributed information environment that it has access to. This usage information is made OAI-PMH harvestable so that usage information exposed by many linking servers can be aggregated to facilitate the creation of value-added services with a reach beyond that of a single community or a single information service.

Usage based indicators to assess the impact of scholarly works: architecture and method

DOEpatents

Bollen, Johan [Santa Fe, NM; Van De Sompel, Herbert [Santa Fe, NM

2012-03-13

Although recording of usage data is common in scholarly information services, its exploitation for the creation of value-added services remains limited due to concerns regarding, among others, user privacy, data validity, and the lack of accepted standards for the representation, sharing and aggregation of usage data. A technical, standards-based architecture for sharing usage information is presented. In this architecture, OpenURL-compliant linking servers aggregate usage information of a specific user community as it navigates the distributed information environment that it has access to. This usage information is made OAI-PMH harvestable so that usage information exposed by many linking servers can be aggregated to facilitate the creation of value-added services with a reach beyond that of a single community or a single information service.

Competition, Jobs, and Information Policy: The Case for Private-Sector Information Services: U.S. Patents.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ebersole, Joseph L.

1994-01-01

Discusses the argument for private-sector involvement in the distribution of government information, using U.S. patents as an example. Highlights include industry competitiveness; jobs creation; public access; identifying users; costs; user fees; existing systems of information dissemination; and implications of the Internet and NREN (National…

76 FR 51345 - On Behalf of the Accessibility Committee of the Federal Chief Information Officers Council...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-08-18

... usability of government information and data for persons with disabilities. Input from private industry is sought on the following questions: What is private industry doing to implement information technology (IT...? What are state and local governments doing to implement information technology accessibility that the...

Empirical study of fuzzy compatibility measures and aggregation operators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cross, Valerie V.; Sudkamp, Thomas A.

1992-02-01

Two fundamental requirements for the generation of support using incomplete and imprecise information are the ability to measure the compatibility of discriminatory information with domain knowledge and the ability to fuse information obtained from disparate sources. A generic architecture utilizing the generalized fuzzy relational database model has been developed to empirically investigate the support generation capabilities of various compatibility measures and aggregation operators. This paper examines the effectiveness of combinations of compatibility measures from the set-theoretic, geometric distance, and logic- based classes paired with t-norm and generalized mean families of aggregation operators.

Cloud-based Predictive Modeling System and its Application to Asthma Readmission Prediction

PubMed Central

Chen, Robert; Su, Hang; Khalilia, Mohammed; Lin, Sizhe; Peng, Yue; Davis, Tod; Hirsh, Daniel A; Searles, Elizabeth; Tejedor-Sojo, Javier; Thompson, Michael; Sun, Jimeng

2015-01-01

The predictive modeling process is time consuming and requires clinical researchers to handle complex electronic health record (EHR) data in restricted computational environments. To address this problem, we implemented a cloud-based predictive modeling system via a hybrid setup combining a secure private server with the Amazon Web Services (AWS) Elastic MapReduce platform. EHR data is preprocessed on a private server and the resulting de-identified event sequences are hosted on AWS. Based on user-specified modeling configurations, an on-demand web service launches a cluster of Elastic Compute 2 (EC2) instances on AWS to perform feature selection and classification algorithms in a distributed fashion. Afterwards, the secure private server aggregates results and displays them via interactive visualization. We tested the system on a pediatric asthma readmission task on a de-identified EHR dataset of 2,967 patients. We conduct a larger scale experiment on the CMS Linkable 2008–2010 Medicare Data Entrepreneurs’ Synthetic Public Use File dataset of 2 million patients, which achieves over 25-fold speedup compared to sequential execution. PMID:26958172

76 FR 66119 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Revision of a Currently-Approved Information Collection...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-10-25

... Request: Application for Certificate of Registration for Foreign Motor Carriers and Foreign Motor Private... Certificate of Registration for Foreign Motor Carriers and Foreign Motor Private Carriers,'' that requires... of Information Technology, IT Operations Division, Department of Transportation, Federal Motor...

Quantum Private Comparison Protocol with Linear Optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luo, Qing-bin; Yang, Guo-wu; She, Kun; Li, Xiaoyu

2016-12-01

In this paper, we propose an innovative quantum private comparison(QPC) protocol based on partial Bell-state measurement from the view of linear optics, which enabling two parties to compare the equality of their private information with the help of a semi-honest third party. Partial Bell-state measurement has been realized by using only linear optical elements in experimental measurement-device-independent quantum key distribution(MDI-QKD) schemes, which makes us believe that our protocol can be realized in the near future. The security analysis shows that the participants will not leak their private information.

User’s Manual for the National Water Information System of the U.S. Geological Survey: Aggregate Water-Use Data System, Version 3.2

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nawyn, John P.; Sargent, B. Pierre; Hoopes, Barbara; Augenstein, Todd; Rowland, Kathleen M.; Barber, Nancy L.

2017-10-06

The Aggregate Water-Use Data System (AWUDS) is the database management system used to enter, store, and analyze state aggregate water-use data. It is part of the U.S. Geological Survey National Water Information System. AWUDS has a graphical user interface that facilitates data entry, revision, review, and approval. This document provides information on the basic functions of AWUDS and the steps for carrying out common tasks that are a part of compiling an aggregated dataset. Also included are explanations of terminology and descriptions of user-interface structure, procedures for using the AWUDS operations, and dataset-naming conventions. Information on water-use category definitions, data-collection methods, and data sources are found in the report “Guidelines for preparation of State water-use estimates,” available at https://pubs.er.usgs.gov/publication/ofr20171029.

Shaping Collective Functions in Privatized Agricultural Knowledge and Information Systems: The Positioning and Embedding of a Network Broker in the Dutch Dairy Sector

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Klerkx, Laurens; Leeuwis, Cees

2009-01-01

This paper examines new organizational arrangements that have emerged in the context of a privatized extension system. It investigates the positioning and embedding of a network broker aimed at enhancing interaction in the privatized agricultural knowledge and information system (AKIS), to assess whether tensions reported in other sectors also…

[How to improve resource allocation in health care for better equity in Africa? Some directions for the future].

PubMed

Marek, Tonia

2008-12-01

Most projects financed by governments often end in deceptive results; certain indicators of health improve little, and certain not at all. Why? One cause could be the concentration of initiatives in the public sector, whereas half of heath care spending in Africa is in the private sector. It is time to consider the health care system in its entirety, and not just the public part. In this article the private sector is defined as all service provision provided by non-governmental supplier, either in the formal private sector (pharmacy, private hospital, etc.) or in the informal private sector (local, traditional therapists, informal consultations, for example).

77 FR 30351 - Sec. 221 Public Private Partnerships Public Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-22

... statute requires that such a program be based on public- private partnership (PPP) principles and maximize the use of private sector capital. The purpose of this meeting is to serve as an information sharing... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Aviation Administration Sec. 221 Public Private Partnerships...

The USWRP Workshop on the Weather Research Needs of the Private Sector.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pielke, Roger A., Jr.; Abraham, Jim; Abrams, Elliot; Block, Jim; Carbone, Richard; Chang, David; Droegemeier, Kelvin; Emanuel, Kerry; Friday, Elbert W. Joe, Jr.; Gall, Robert; Gaynor, John; Getz, Rodger R.; Glickman, Todd; Hoggatt, Bradley; Hooke, William H.; Johnson, Edward R.; Kalnay, Eugenia; Kimpel, James Jeff; Kocin, Paul; Marler, Byron; Morss, Rebecca; Nathan, Ravi; Nelson, Steve; Pielke, Roger, Sr.; Pirone, Maria; Prater, Erwin; Qualley, Warren; Simmons, Kevin; Smith, Michael; Thomson, John; Wilson, Greg

2003-07-01

Private sector meteorology is a rapidly growing enterprise. It has been estimated that the provision of weather information has, by some estimates, a global market totaling in the billions of dollars. Further, the decisions based on such information could easily total trillions of dollars in the U.S. economy alone. The private sector clearly plays an important, and growing, role at the interface of weather research and the weather information needs of society. To date, little information has been paid to the connections of the meteorological research community and the scientific needs of the private sector. Thus, the time is ripe to stimulate a more active dialogue between what is generally considered the "basic" research community of physical and social scientists and those individuals and businesses that provide weather information to myriad customers across the U.S. economy. In December 2000, the U.S. Weather Research Program (supported by NSF, NOAA, NASA, and the U.S. Navy) sponsored a workshop in Palm Springs, California, to bring together weather researchers and representatives of private sector meteorology to discuss needs, wants, opportunities, and challenges and how to enhance the linkages between the two relatively detached communities. The workshop focused on developing a better understanding of the relations of research and private sector meteorology, which ultimately means a better understanding of one of the important connections of research and societal needs.

A Game Theory Algorithm for Intra-Cluster Data Aggregation in a Vehicular Ad Hoc Network

PubMed Central

Chen, Yuzhong; Weng, Shining; Guo, Wenzhong; Xiong, Naixue

2016-01-01

Vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) have an important role in urban management and planning. The effective integration of vehicle information in VANETs is critical to traffic analysis, large-scale vehicle route planning and intelligent transportation scheduling. However, given the limitations in the precision of the output information of a single sensor and the difficulty of information sharing among various sensors in a highly dynamic VANET, effectively performing data aggregation in VANETs remains a challenge. Moreover, current studies have mainly focused on data aggregation in large-scale environments but have rarely discussed the issue of intra-cluster data aggregation in VANETs. In this study, we propose a multi-player game theory algorithm for intra-cluster data aggregation in VANETs by analyzing the competitive and cooperative relationships among sensor nodes. Several sensor-centric metrics are proposed to measure the data redundancy and stability of a cluster. We then study the utility function to achieve efficient intra-cluster data aggregation by considering both data redundancy and cluster stability. In particular, we prove the existence of a unique Nash equilibrium in the game model, and conduct extensive experiments to validate the proposed algorithm. Results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm has advantages over typical data aggregation algorithms in both accuracy and efficiency. PMID:26907272

A Game Theory Algorithm for Intra-Cluster Data Aggregation in a Vehicular Ad Hoc Network.

PubMed

Chen, Yuzhong; Weng, Shining; Guo, Wenzhong; Xiong, Naixue

2016-02-19

Vehicular ad hoc networks (VANETs) have an important role in urban management and planning. The effective integration of vehicle information in VANETs is critical to traffic analysis, large-scale vehicle route planning and intelligent transportation scheduling. However, given the limitations in the precision of the output information of a single sensor and the difficulty of information sharing among various sensors in a highly dynamic VANET, effectively performing data aggregation in VANETs remains a challenge. Moreover, current studies have mainly focused on data aggregation in large-scale environments but have rarely discussed the issue of intra-cluster data aggregation in VANETs. In this study, we propose a multi-player game theory algorithm for intra-cluster data aggregation in VANETs by analyzing the competitive and cooperative relationships among sensor nodes. Several sensor-centric metrics are proposed to measure the data redundancy and stability of a cluster. We then study the utility function to achieve efficient intra-cluster data aggregation by considering both data redundancy and cluster stability. In particular, we prove the existence of a unique Nash equilibrium in the game model, and conduct extensive experiments to validate the proposed algorithm. Results demonstrate that the proposed algorithm has advantages over typical data aggregation algorithms in both accuracy and efficiency.

Just between us: Exclusive communications in online social networks.

PubMed

Carpenter, Jordan; Green, Melanie; Laflam, Jeff

2018-01-01

Social media websites such as Facebook are used for relationship development and maintenance often through self-disclosure and sharing of personal information. However, not all forms of social media communication may be equally suitable for this task. This paper explores users' norms about the appropriateness of using private vs. public Facebook messages to communicate different kinds of personal information, and the effectiveness of these types of communication in building relationships. Study 1, a survey, revealed that users endorse conflicting expectations about preferences for receiving information publicly or privately. Study 2, a field experiment testing the effects of private versus public Facebook communications on actual relationship development using participants' own Facebook pages, suggested that private messages lead to greater closeness.

Aggregation-induced emission spectral shift as a measure of local concentration of a pH-activatable rhodamine-based smart probe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Arsov, Zoran; Urbančič, Iztok; Štrancar, Janez

2018-02-01

Generating activatable probes that report about molecular vicinity through contact-based mechanisms such as aggregation can be very convenient. Specifically, such probes change a particular spectral property only at the intended biologically relevant target. Xanthene derivatives, for example rhodamines, are able to form aggregates. It is typical to examine aggregation by absorption spectroscopy but for microscopy applications utilizing fluorescent probes it is very important to perform characterization by measuring fluorescence spectra. First we show that excitation spectra of aqueous solutions of rhodamine 6G can be very informative about the aggregation features. Next we establish the dependence of the fluorescence emission spectral maximum shift on the dimer concentration. The obtained information helped us confirm the possibility of aggregation of a recently designed and synthesized rhodamine 6G-based pH-activatable fluorescent probe and to study its pH and concentration dependence. The size of the aggregation-induced emission spectral shift at specific position on the sample can be measured by fluorescence microspectroscopy, which at particular pH allows estimation of the local concentration of the observed probe at microscopic level. Therefore, we show that besides aggregation-caused quenching and aggregation-induced emission also aggregation-induced emission spectral shift can be a useful photophysical phenomenon.

An Enhanced Collaborative-Software Environment for Information Fusion at the Unit of Action

DTIC Science & Technology

2007-12-07

GRAY CONVOY RED CONVOY DISMOUNT SA-18 D O DISMOUNT W/ SURVEILANCE EQUIPDISMOUNT UNKNOWN zC-LFFRLIFEFORM < SA-18 FIXED WING CLASSIFIED INFORMATION...Ground Truth Semantic-aggregation hierarchy (evaluation-use only) BSGs GTGs BSOS GTOS Reports Figure 4: Semantic-Aggregation Hierarchy PIR/SIR CIFAR...Finally, GTOs can be aggregated into GTGs (ground-truth groups) using the provided ground-truth force structure hierarchy for GTOs. GTGs can only be

Exploring Arkansas's Private Education Sector. School Survey Series #6

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Catt, Andrew D.

2016-01-01

This report synthesizes information about Arkansas's private schools from two separate surveys conducted by the Friedman Foundation and the U.S. Department of Education (USDOE). If the Friedman Foundation survey data are representative of the state's private schools, then Arkansas's private schools have enough empty seats to increase current…

77 FR 35659 - Request for Information Regarding Complaints From Private Education Loan Borrowers

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-14

... Regarding Complaints From Private Education Loan Borrowers AGENCY: Bureau of Consumer Financial Protection... and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (Dodd-Frank Act) established a Private Education Loan Ombudsman... borrowers of private education loans. Among other things, the Dodd-Frank Act directs the Ombudsman to...

75 FR 80082 - State, Local, Tribal, And Private Sector Policy Advisory Committee (SLTPS-PAC)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-12-21

..., Tribal, And Private Sector Policy Advisory Committee (SLTPS-PAC) AGENCY: Information Security Oversight... State, Local, Tribal, and Private Sector Policy Advisory Committee (SLTPS-PAC). The SLTPS-PAC will..., Tribal, and Private Sector Entities, as specified in Executive Order 13549 and its implementing directive...

Collection of Private School Finance Data: Development of a Questionnaire.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Isaacs, Julia B.; Garet, Michael S.; Sherman, Joel D.

Data on private school finance are not available to inform educational policy discussions about private education. Because of interest in private school finances, the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) contracted with the Pelavin Research Center of the American Institutes for Research to explore the feasibility of collecting data…

Public, Private and Nonpublic Schools: High School Graduates, 2002-03.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bobek, Joanne R., Comp.

2004-01-01

This publication provides a compilation of statistical information covering Pennsylvania high school graduates in public, private and nonpublic schools for the 2002-03 school year. Information is provided on race/ethnicity, gender and planned post-high school activity of graduates, including those who are college-bound. Information is also…

Public, Private and Nonpublic Schools High School Graduates, 2004-05

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bobek, Joanne R., Comp.

2006-01-01

This publication provides a compilation of statistical information covering Pennsylvania high school graduates in public, private and nonpublic schools for the 2004-05 school year. Information is provided on race/ethnicity, gender and intended post-high school activity of graduates, including those who are college-bound. Information is also…

Public, Private and Nonpublic Schools High School Graduates, 2003-04

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bobek, Joanne R., Comp.

2005-01-01

This publication provides a compilation of statistical information covering Pennsylvania high school graduates in public, private and nonpublic schools for the 2003-04 school year. Information is provided on race/ethnicity, gender and intended post-high school activity of graduates, including those who are college-bound. Information is also…

Experimental quantum private queries with linear optics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

de Martini, Francesco; Giovannetti, Vittorio; Lloyd, Seth; Maccone, Lorenzo; Nagali, Eleonora; Sansoni, Linda; Sciarrino, Fabio

2009-07-01

The quantum private query is a quantum cryptographic protocol to recover information from a database, preserving both user and data privacy: the user can test whether someone has retained information on which query was asked and the database provider can test the amount of information released. Here we discuss a variant of the quantum private query algorithm that admits a simple linear optical implementation: it employs the photon’s momentum (or time slot) as address qubits and its polarization as bus qubit. A proof-of-principle experimental realization is implemented.

Implementation of Quantum Private Queries Using Nuclear Magnetic Resonance

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Chuan; Hao, Liang; Zhao, Lian-Jie

2011-08-01

We present a modified protocol for the realization of a quantum private query process on a classical database. Using one-qubit query and CNOT operation, the query process can be realized in a two-mode database. In the query process, the data privacy is preserved as the sender would not reveal any information about the database besides her query information, and the database provider cannot retain any information about the query. We implement the quantum private query protocol in a nuclear magnetic resonance system. The density matrix of the memory registers are constructed.

Private information alone can trigger trapping of ant colonies in local feeding optima.

PubMed

Czaczkes, Tomer J; Salmane, Anete K; Klampfleuthner, Felicia A M; Heinze, Jürgen

2016-03-01

Ant colonies are famous for using trail pheromones to make collective decisions. Trail pheromone systems are characterised by positive feedback, which results in rapid collective decision making. However, in an iconic experiment, ants were shown to become 'trapped' in exploiting a poor food source, if it was discovered earlier. This has conventionally been explained by the established pheromone trail becoming too strong for new trails to compete. However, many social insects have a well-developed memory, and private information often overrules conflicting social information. Thus, route memory could also explain this collective 'trapping' effect. Here, we disentangled the effects of social and private information in two 'trapping' experiments: one in which ants were presented with a good and a poor food source, and one in which ants were presented with a long and a short path to the same food source. We found that private information is sufficient to trigger trapping in selecting the poorer of two food sources, and may be sufficient to cause it altogether. Memories did not trigger trapping in the shortest path experiment, probably because sufficiently detailed memories did not form. The fact that collective decisions can be triggered by private information alone may require other collective patterns previously attributed solely to social information use to be reconsidered. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

Quantum Private Comparison of Equality Based on Five-Particle Cluster State

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chang, Yan; Zhang, Wen-Bo; Zhang, Shi-Bin; Wang, Hai-Chun; Yan, Li-Li; Han, Gui-Hua; Sheng, Zhi-Wei; Huang, Yuan-Yuan; Suo, Wang; Xiong, Jin-Xin

2016-12-01

A protocol for quantum private comparison of equality (QPCE) is proposed based on five-particle cluster state with the help of a semi-honest third party (TP). In our protocol, TP is allowed to misbehave on its own but can not conspire with either of two parties. Compared with most two-user QPCE protocols, our protocol not only can compare two groups of private information (each group has two users) in one execution, but also compare just two private information. Compared with the multi-user QPCE protocol proposed, our protocol is safer with more reasonable assumptions of TP. The qubit efficiency is computed and analyzed. Our protocol can also be generalized to the case of 2N participants with one TP. The 2N-participant protocol can compare two groups (each group has N private information) in one execution or just N private information. Supported by NSFC under Grant Nos. 61402058, 61572086, the Fund for Middle and Young Academic Leaders of CUIT under Grant No. J201511, the Science and Technology Support Project of Sichuan Province of China under Grant No. 2013GZX0137, the Fund for Young Persons Project of Sichuan Province of China under Grant No. 12ZB017, and the Foundation of Cyberspace Security Key Laboratory of Sichuan Higher Education Institutions under Grant No. szjj2014-074

Is More Always Better?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bell, Steven J.

2003-01-01

Discusses full-text databases and whether existing aggregator databases are meeting user needs. Topics include the need for better search interfaces; concepts of quality research and information retrieval; information overload; full text in electronic journal collections versus aggregator databases; underrepresentation of certain disciplines; and…

Commercial Building Tenant Energy Usage Data Aggregation and Privacy: Technical Appendix

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

Livingston, Olga V.; Pulsipher, Trenton C.; Anderson, David M.

2014-11-12

This technical appendix accompanies report PNNL–23786 “Commercial Building Tenant Energy Usage Data Aggregation and Privacy”. The objective is to provide background information on the methods utilized in the statistical analysis of the aggregation thresholds.

The rules of information aggregation and emergence of collective intelligent behavior.

PubMed

Bettencourt, Luís M A

2009-10-01

Information is a peculiar quantity. Unlike matter and energy, which are conserved by the laws of physics, the aggregation of knowledge from many sources can in fact produce more information (synergy) or less (redundancy) than the sum of its parts. This feature can endow groups with problem-solving strategies that are superior to those possible among noninteracting individuals and, in turn, may provide a selection drive toward collective cooperation and coordination. Here we explore the formal properties of information aggregation as a general principle for explaining features of social organization. We quantify information in terms of the general formalism of information theory, which also prescribes the rules of how different pieces of evidence inform the solution of a given problem. We then show how several canonical examples of collective cognition and coordination can be understood through principles of minimization of uncertainty (maximization of predictability) under information pooling over many individuals. We discuss in some detail how collective coordination in swarms, markets, natural language processing, and collaborative filtering may be guided by the optimal aggregation of information in social collectives. We also identify circumstances when these processes fail, leading, for example, to inefficient markets. The contrast to approaches to understand coordination and collaboration via decision and game theory is also briefly discussed. Copyright © 2009 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

Information Fusion - Methods and Aggregation Operators

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torra, Vicenç

Information fusion techniques are commonly applied in Data Mining and Knowledge Discovery. In this chapter, we will give an overview of such applications considering their three main uses. This is, we consider fusion methods for data preprocessing, model building and information extraction. Some aggregation operators (i.e. particular fusion methods) and their properties are briefly described as well.

78 FR 41959 - State, Local, Tribal, and Private Sector Policy Advisory Committee (SLTPS-PAC); Notice of Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-12

...] State, Local, Tribal, and Private Sector Policy Advisory Committee (SLTPS-PAC); Notice of Meeting AGENCY... Classified National Security Information Program for State, Local, Tribal, and Private Sector Entities. FOR..., announcement is made for the following committee meeting. Name of Committee: State, Local, Tribal, and Private...

78 FR 75376 - State, Local, Tribal, and Private Sector Policy Advisory Committee (SLTP-PAC)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-11

...] State, Local, Tribal, and Private Sector Policy Advisory Committee (SLTP-PAC) AGENCY: National Archives... (NARA) announces a meeting of the State, Local, Tribal, and Private Sector Policy Advisory Committee... Information Program for State, Local, Tribal, and Private Sector Entities. The meeting will be open to the...

Career Education: Collaboration with the Private Sector. Information Series No. 246.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bhaerman, Robert D.

This paper reviews three aspects of career education-private sector collaboration: (1) the general and specific approaches that have been utilized during the past 10 years by the career education movement and the private sector in developing career education collaboration in the private sector; (2) the major results of these activities, focusing…

47 CFR 0.409 - Commission policy on private printing of FCC forms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 1 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Commission policy on private printing of FCC... ORGANIZATION General Information General § 0.409 Commission policy on private printing of FCC forms. The Commission has established a policy regarding the printing of blank FCC forms by private companies if they...

Does Privatization Affect Access to Government Information?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Caponio, Joseph F.; Geffner, Janet

This paper begins by pointing out that privatization, or relying on the private sector to provide commercial goods and services for government departments and agencies, is a tool that has been used effectively by the federal government for several decades. It then presents the theoretical basis for privatization, describes a number of methods used…

Public perception of drinking water from private water supplies: focus group analyses

PubMed Central

Jones, Andria Q; Dewey, Catherine E; Doré, Kathryn; Majowicz, Shannon E; McEwen, Scott A; Waltner-Toews, David; Henson, Spencer J; Mathews, Eric

2005-01-01

Background Over four million Canadians receive their drinking water from private water supplies, and numerous studies report that these supplies often exceed the minimal acceptable standards for contamination. Canadians in rural areas test their water intermittently, if at all, and treatment of water from private supplies is not common. Understanding the perceptions of drinking water among residents served by private systems will enable public health professionals to better target education and outreach activities, and to address the needs and concerns of residents in their jurisdictions. The purpose of this study was to explore the drinking water perceptions and self-described behaviours and needs of participants served by private water systems in the City of Hamilton, Ontario (Canada). Methods In September 2003, three focus group discussions were conducted; two with men and women aged 36–65 years, and one with men and women 20–35 years of age. Results Overall, participants had positive perceptions of their private water supplies, particularly in the older age group. Concerns included bacterial and chemical contamination from agricultural sources. Testing of water from private supplies was minimal and was done less frequently than recommended by the provincial government. Barriers to water testing included the inconvenience of the testing process, acceptable test results in the past, resident complacency and lack of knowledge. The younger participants greatly emphasized their need for more information on private water supplies. Participants from all groups wanted more information on water testing, and various media for information dissemination were discussed. Conclusion While most participants were confident in the safety of their private water supply, the factual basis for these opinions is uncertain. Improved dissemination of information pertaining to private water supplies in this population is needed. Observed differences in the concerns expressed by users of different water systems and age groups may suggest the need for targeted public education strategies. These focus groups provided significant insight into the public perception of private water supplies and the need for public health outreach activities; however, to obtain a more representative understanding of the perceptions in this population, it is important that a larger scale investigation be performed. PMID:16336678

10 CFR 1004.11 - Handling information of a private business, foreign government, or an international organization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

..., or an international organization. (a) Whenever a document submitted to the DOE contains information... 10 Energy 4 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Handling information of a private business, foreign government, or an international organization. 1004.11 Section 1004.11 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (GENERAL...

10 CFR 1004.11 - Handling information of a private business, foreign government, or an international organization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

..., or an international organization. (a) Whenever a document submitted to the DOE contains information... 10 Energy 4 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Handling information of a private business, foreign government, or an international organization. 1004.11 Section 1004.11 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (GENERAL...

10 CFR 1004.11 - Handling information of a private business, foreign government, or an international organization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

..., or an international organization. (a) Whenever a document submitted to the DOE contains information... 10 Energy 4 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Handling information of a private business, foreign government, or an international organization. 1004.11 Section 1004.11 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (GENERAL...

10 CFR 1004.11 - Handling information of a private business, foreign government, or an international organization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

..., or an international organization. (a) Whenever a document submitted to the DOE contains information... 10 Energy 4 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Handling information of a private business, foreign government, or an international organization. 1004.11 Section 1004.11 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (GENERAL...

10 CFR 1004.11 - Handling information of a private business, foreign government, or an international organization.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

..., or an international organization. (a) Whenever a document submitted to the DOE contains information... 10 Energy 4 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Handling information of a private business, foreign government, or an international organization. 1004.11 Section 1004.11 Energy DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY (GENERAL...

Use of Air-cooled Blast Furnace Slag as Coarse Aggregate in Concrete Pavements

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-03-01

This report presents available information regarding the use of air-cooled blast furnace slag (ACBFS) as coarse aggregate in concrete pavements. The report discusses ACBFS aggregate production and properties, and the properties of concrete produced w...

Maximal privacy without coherence.

PubMed

Leung, Debbie; Li, Ke; Smith, Graeme; Smolin, John A

2014-07-18

Privacy is a fundamental feature of quantum mechanics. A coherently transmitted quantum state is inherently private. Remarkably, coherent quantum communication is not a prerequisite for privacy: there are quantum channels that are too noisy to transmit any quantum information reliably that can nevertheless send private classical information. Here, we ask how much private classical information a channel can transmit if it has little quantum capacity. We present a class of channels N(d) with input dimension d(2), quantum capacity Q(N(d)) ≤ 1, and private capacity P(N(d)) = log d. These channels asymptotically saturate an interesting inequality P(N) ≤ (1/2)[log d(A) + Q(N)] for any channel N with input dimension d(A) and capture the essence of privacy stripped of the confounding influence of coherence.

Between hype and veracity; privatization of municipal solid waste management and its impacts on the informal waste sector.

PubMed

Sandhu, Kiran; Burton, Paul; Dedekorkut-Howes, Aysin

2017-01-01

The informal waste recycling sector has been an indispensable but ironically invisible part of the waste management systems in developing countries as India, often completely disregarded and overlooked by decision makers and policy frameworks. The turn towards liberalization of economy since 1991 in India opened the doors for privatization of urban services and the waste sector found favor with private companies facilitated by the local governments. In joining the privatization bandwagon, the local governments aim to create an image of a progressive city demonstrated most visibly through apt management of municipal solid waste. Resultantly, the long important stakeholder, the informal sector has been sidelined and left to face the adverse impacts of privatization. There is hardly any recognition of its contributions or any attempt to integrate it within the formal waste management systems. The study investigates the impacts of privatization on the waste pickers in waste recycling operations. Highlighting the other dimension of waste collection and management in urban India the study focuses on the waste pickers and small time informal scrap dealers and this is done by taking the case study of Amritsar city, which is an important historic centre and a metropolitan city in the state of Punjab, India. The paper develops an analytical framework, drawing from literature review to analyze the impacts. In conclusion, it supports the case for involving informal waste sector towards achieving sustainable waste management in the city. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A fractal comparison of real and Austrian business cycle models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mulligan, Robert F.

2010-06-01

Rescaled range and power spectral density analysis are applied to examine a diverse set of macromonetary data for fractal character and stochastic dependence. Fractal statistics are used to evaluate two competing models of the business cycle, Austrian business cycle theory and real business cycle theory. Strong evidence is found for antipersistent stochastic dependence in transactions money (M1) and components of the monetary aggregates most directly concerned with transactions, which suggests an activist monetary policy. Savings assets exhibit persistent long memory, as do those monetary aggregates which include savings assets, such as savings money (M2), M2 minus small time deposits, and money of zero maturity (MZM). Virtually all measures of economic activity display antipersistence, and this finding is invariant to whether the measures are adjusted for inflation, including real gross domestic product, real consumption expenditures, real fixed private investment, and labor productivity. This strongly disconfirms real business cycle theory.

28 CFR 22.28 - Use of data identifiable to a private person for judicial, legislative or administrative purposes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CONFIDENTIALITY OF IDENTIFIABLE RESEARCH AND STATISTICAL INFORMATION § 22.28 Use of...) Research or statistical information identifiable to a private person shall be immune from legal process and...

28 CFR 22.28 - Use of data identifiable to a private person for judicial, legislative or administrative purposes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE CONFIDENTIALITY OF IDENTIFIABLE RESEARCH AND STATISTICAL INFORMATION § 22.28 Use of...) Research or statistical information identifiable to a private person shall be immune from legal process and...

Secure quantum private information retrieval using phase-encoded queries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Olejnik, Lukasz

2011-08-01

We propose a quantum solution to the classical private information retrieval (PIR) problem, which allows one to query a database in a private manner. The protocol offers privacy thresholds and allows the user to obtain information from a database in a way that offers the potential adversary, in this model the database owner, no possibility of deterministically establishing the query contents. This protocol may also be viewed as a solution to the symmetrically private information retrieval problem in that it can offer database security (inability for a querying user to steal its contents). Compared to classical solutions, the protocol offers substantial improvement in terms of communication complexity. In comparison with the recent quantum private queries [Phys. Rev. Lett.PRLTAO0031-900710.1103/PhysRevLett.100.230502 100, 230502 (2008)] protocol, it is more efficient in terms of communication complexity and the number of rounds, while offering a clear privacy parameter. We discuss the security of the protocol and analyze its strengths and conclude that using this technique makes it challenging to obtain the unconditional (in the information-theoretic sense) privacy degree; nevertheless, in addition to being simple, the protocol still offers a privacy level. The oracle used in the protocol is inspired both by the classical computational PIR solutions as well as the Deutsch-Jozsa oracle.

Secure quantum private information retrieval using phase-encoded queries

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

Olejnik, Lukasz

We propose a quantum solution to the classical private information retrieval (PIR) problem, which allows one to query a database in a private manner. The protocol offers privacy thresholds and allows the user to obtain information from a database in a way that offers the potential adversary, in this model the database owner, no possibility of deterministically establishing the query contents. This protocol may also be viewed as a solution to the symmetrically private information retrieval problem in that it can offer database security (inability for a querying user to steal its contents). Compared to classical solutions, the protocol offersmore » substantial improvement in terms of communication complexity. In comparison with the recent quantum private queries [Phys. Rev. Lett. 100, 230502 (2008)] protocol, it is more efficient in terms of communication complexity and the number of rounds, while offering a clear privacy parameter. We discuss the security of the protocol and analyze its strengths and conclude that using this technique makes it challenging to obtain the unconditional (in the information-theoretic sense) privacy degree; nevertheless, in addition to being simple, the protocol still offers a privacy level. The oracle used in the protocol is inspired both by the classical computational PIR solutions as well as the Deutsch-Jozsa oracle.« less

Concepts of Information Literacy and Information Literacy Standards among Undergraduate Students in Public and Private Universities in the State of Kuwait

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Al-Issa, Reham E.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative study was to explore the experiences of undergraduate college students attending a public and a private university in the State of Kuwait to understand how they develop their understanding and valuing of information literacy and information literacy standards. Data from student and faculty interviews and student…

State Parity Laws and Access to Treatment for Substance Use Disorder in the United States: Implications for Federal Parity Legislation

PubMed Central

Wen, Hefei; Cummings, Janet R.; Hockenberry, Jason M.; Gaydos, Laura M.; Druss, Benjamin G.

2014-01-01

Context The passage of the 2008 Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act (MHPAEA) and the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA) incorporated parity for substance use disorder (SUD) into federal legislation. Yet prior research provides us with scant evidence as to whether federal parity legislation will hold the potential for improving access to SUD treatment. Objective This study examined the effect of state-level SUD parity laws on state-aggregate SUD treatment rates from 2000 to 2008, to shed light on the impact of the recent federal-level SUD parity legislation. Design A quasi-experimental study design using a two-way (state and year) fixed-effect method Setting and Participants All known specialty SUD treatment facilities in the United States Interventions State-level SUD parity laws between 2000 and 2008 Main Outcome Measures State-aggregate SUD treatment rates in: (1) all specialty SUD treatment facilities, and (2) specialty SUD treatment facilities accepting private insurance Results The implementation of any SUD parity law increased the treatment rate by 9 percent (p<0.01) in all specialty SUD treatment facilities and by 15 percent (p<0.05) in facilities accepting private insurance. Full parity and parity-if-offered (i.e., parity only if SUD coverage is offered) increased SUD treatment rate by 13 percent (p<0.05) and 8 percent (p<0.05) in all facilities, and by 21 percent (p<0.05) and 10 percent (p<0.05) in those accepting private insurance. Conclusions We found a positive effect of the implementation of state SUD parity legislation on access to specialty SUD treatment. Furthermore, the positive association was more pronounced in states with more comprehensive parity laws. Our findings suggest that federal parity legislation holds the potential to improve access to SUD treatment. PMID:24154931

Do medical doctors respond to economic incentives?

PubMed

Andreassen, Leif; Di Tommaso, Maria Laura; Strøm, Steinar

2013-03-01

A longitudinal analysis of married physicians labor supply is carried out on Norwegian data from 1997 to 1999. The model utilized for estimation implies that physicians can choose among 10 different job packages which are a combination of part time/full time, hospital/primary care, private/public sector, and not working. Their current choice is influenced by past available options due to a habit persistence parameter in the utility function. In the estimation we take into account the budget constraint, including all features of the tax system. Our results imply that an overall wage increase or less progressive taxation moves married physicians toward full time job packages, in particular to full time jobs in the private sector. But the overall and aggregate labor supply elasticities in the population of employed doctors are rather low compared to previous estimates. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Locus-Specific Mutation Databases for Neurodegenerative Brain Diseases

PubMed Central

Cruts, Marc; Theuns, Jessie; Van Broeckhoven, Christine

2012-01-01

The Alzheimer disease and frontotemporal dementia (AD&FTLD) and Parkinson disease (PD) Mutation Databases make available curated information of sequence variations in genes causing Mendelian forms of the most common neurodegenerative brain disease AD, frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD), and PD. They are established resources for clinical geneticists, neurologists, and researchers in need of comprehensive, referenced genetic, epidemiologic, clinical, neuropathological, and/or cell biological information of specific gene mutations in these diseases. In addition, the aggregate analysis of all information available in the databases provides unique opportunities to extract mutation characteristics and genotype–phenotype correlations, which would be otherwise unnoticed and unexplored. Such analyses revealed that 61.4% of mutations are private to one single family, while only 5.7% of mutations occur in 10 or more families. The five mutations with most frequent independent observations occur in 21% of AD, 43% of FTLD, and 48% of PD families recorded in the Mutation Databases, respectively. Although these figures are inevitably biased by a publishing policy favoring novel mutations, they probably also reflect the occurrence of multiple rare and few relatively common mutations in the inherited forms of these diseases. Finally, with the exception of the PD genes PARK2 and PINK1, all other genes are associated with more than one clinical diagnosis or characteristics thereof. Hum Mutat 33:1340–1344, 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. PMID:22581678

77 FR 41204 - State, Local, Tribal, and Private Sector Policy Advisory Committee (SLTPS-PAC)

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-12

..., Tribal, and Private Sector Policy Advisory Committee (SLTPS-PAC) AGENCY: Information Security Oversight..., announcement is made for the committee meeting of the State, Local, Tribal, and Private Sector Policy Advisory..., Local, Tribal, and Private Sector Entities. DATES: The meeting will be held on July 25, 2012, 10:00 a.m...

Trends in private and commercial recreation

Treesearch

Arlin F. Epperson

1980-01-01

Although there has been substantial growth in the supply of outdoor recreation resources, there is no existing system or program to track annual changes in private and commercial facilities or enterprises. This paper traces efforts to assess the supply of private recreation resources and provides the reader with information on where to look for data on the private...

District decision-making for health in low-income settings: a qualitative study in Uttar Pradesh, India, on engaging the private health sector in sharing health-related data

PubMed Central

Gautham, Meenakshi; Spicer, Neil; Subharwal, Manish; Gupta, Sanjay; Srivastava, Aradhana; Bhattacharyya, Sanghita; Avan, Bilal Iqbal; Schellenberg, Joanna

2016-01-01

Health information systems are an important planning and monitoring tool for public health services, but may lack information from the private health sector. In this fourth article in a series on district decision-making for health, we assessed the extent of maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH)-related data sharing between the private and public sectors in two districts of Uttar Pradesh, India; analysed barriers to data sharing; and identified key inputs required for data sharing. Between March 2013 and August 2014, we conducted 74 key informant interviews at national, state and district levels. Respondents were stakeholders from national, state and district health departments, professional associations, non-governmental programmes and private commercial health facilities with 3–200 beds. Qualitative data were analysed using a framework based on a priori and emerging themes. Private facilities registered for ultrasounds and abortions submitted standardized records on these services, which is compulsory under Indian laws. Data sharing for other services was weak, but most facilities maintained basic records related to institutional deliveries and newborns. Public health facilities in blocks collected these data from a few private facilities using different methods. The major barriers to data sharing included the public sector’s non-standardized data collection and utilization systems for MNCH and lack of communication and follow up with private facilities. Private facilities feared information disclosure and the additional burden of reporting, but were willing to share data if asked officially, provided the process was simple and they were assured of confidentiality. Unregistered facilities, managed by providers without a biomedical qualification, also conducted institutional deliveries, but were outside any reporting loops. Our findings suggest that even without legislation, the public sector could set up an effective MNCH data sharing strategy with private registered facilities by developing a standardized and simple system with consistent communication and follow up. PMID:27591205

Comparing employee health benefits in the public and private sectors, 1997.

PubMed

Long, S H; Marquis, M S

1999-01-01

Data from the 1997 Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Employer Health Insurance Survey provide new information comparing public- and private-sector employee health benefits. The federal government is ahead of other employers in adopting managed competition principles using financial incentives and consumer information to promote choosing efficient plans. Federal employees experience a $200 annual compensation gap relative to those in the private sector, but it is partly explained by advantage in purchasing power. In contrast, state and local governments make higher payments toward health insurance than private-sector employers do. Their premiums are equivalent, but they pay a greater share of the total cost.

ACToR: Aggregated Computational Toxicology Resource (T)

EPA Science Inventory

The EPA Aggregated Computational Toxicology Resource (ACToR) is a set of databases compiling information on chemicals in the environment from a large number of public and in-house EPA sources. ACToR has 3 main goals: (1) The serve as a repository of public toxicology information ...

Choosing the route to traveler information systems deployment : decision factors for creating public/private business plans

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-01-01

Advanced traveler information systems (ATIS) are moving beyond the research stage to become fully integrated elements of urban transportation management systems. By definition, ATIS work best when multiple public and private organizations are able to...

Advanced Traveler Information Service (ATIS) : private sector perceptions and public sector activities

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2000-01-01

This paper presents the results of a study by the United States Department of Transportation Volpe Center to determine the nature and extent of the data gap between the needs of private sector Advanced Traveler Information Service (ATIS) provid...

Characterization of wet aggregate stability of soils by ¹H-NMR relaxometry.

PubMed

Buchmann, C; Meyer, M; Schaumann, G E

2015-09-01

For the assessment of soil structural stability against hydraulic stress, wet sieving or constant head permeability tests are typically used but rather limited in their intrinsic information value. The multiple applications of several tests is the only possibility to assess important processes and mechanisms during soil aggregate breakdown, e.g. the influences of soil fragment release or differential swelling on the porous systems of soils or soil aggregate columns. Consequently, the development of new techniques for a faster and more detailed wet aggregate stability assessment is required. (1)H nuclear magnetic resonance relaxometry ((1)H-NMR relaxometry) might provide these requirements because it has already been successfully applied on soils. We evaluated the potential of (1)H-NMR relaxometry for the assessment of wet aggregate stability of soils, with more detailed information on occurring mechanisms at the same time. Therefore, we conducted single wet sieving and constant head permeability tests on untreated and 1% polyacrylic acid-treated soil aggregates of different textures and organic matter contents, subsequently measured by (1)H-NMR relaxometry after percolation. The stability of the soil aggregates were mainly depending on their organic matter contents and the type of aggregate stabilization, whereby additional effects of clay swelling on the measured wet aggregate stability were identified by the transverse relaxation time (T2) distributions. Regression analyses showed that only the percentage of water stable aggregates could be determined accurately from percolated soil aggregate columns by (1)H-NMR relaxometry measurements. (1)H-NMR relaxometry seems a promising technique for wet aggregate stability measurements but should be further developed for nonpercolated aggregate columns and real soil samples. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

22 CFR 203.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-04-01

... Relations AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT REGISTRATION OF PRIVATE VOLUNTARY ORGANIZATIONS (PVOs) § 203... information may be accessed in the daily course of conducting business. (e) International Private Voluntary... country in which it is domiciled; (2) Is a private nongovernmental organization (NGO) that solicits and...

22 CFR 203.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-04-01

... Relations AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT REGISTRATION OF PRIVATE VOLUNTARY ORGANIZATIONS (PVOs) § 203... information may be accessed in the daily course of conducting business. (e) International Private Voluntary... country in which it is domiciled; (2) Is a private nongovernmental organization (NGO) that solicits and...

22 CFR 203.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-04-01

... Relations AGENCY FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT REGISTRATION OF PRIVATE VOLUNTARY ORGANIZATIONS (PVOs) § 203... information may be accessed in the daily course of conducting business. (e) International Private Voluntary... country in which it is domiciled; (2) Is a private nongovernmental organization (NGO) that solicits and...

Early Amyloidogenic Oligomerization Studied through Fluorescence Lifetime Correlation Spectroscopy

PubMed Central

Paredes, Jose M.; Casares, Salvador; Ruedas-Rama, Maria J.; Fernandez, Elena; Castello, Fabio; Varela, Lorena; Orte, Angel

2012-01-01

Amyloidogenic protein aggregation is a persistent biomedical problem. Despite active research in disease-related aggregation, the need for multidisciplinary approaches to the problem is evident. Recent advances in single-molecule fluorescence spectroscopy are valuable for examining heterogenic biomolecular systems. In this work, we have explored the initial stages of amyloidogenic aggregation by employing fluorescence lifetime correlation spectroscopy (FLCS), an advanced modification of conventional fluorescence correlation spectroscopy (FCS) that utilizes time-resolved information. FLCS provides size distributions and kinetics for the oligomer growth of the SH3 domain of α-spectrin, whose N47A mutant forms amyloid fibrils at pH 3.2 and 37 °C in the presence of salt. The combination of FCS with additional fluorescence lifetime information provides an exciting approach to focus on the initial aggregation stages, allowing a better understanding of the fibrillization process, by providing multidimensional information, valuable in combination with other conventional methodologies. PMID:22949804

Public performance reporting and hospital choice: a cross-sectional study of patients undergoing cancer surgery in the Australian private healthcare sector

PubMed Central

Bismark, Marie; Dunt, David; Miller, Julie A.; Kelaher, Margaret

2018-01-01

Objectives National mandatory public performance reporting (PPR) for Australian public hospitals, including measures of cancer surgery waiting times, was introduced in 2011. PPR is voluntary for private hospitals. The aims of this study were to assess whether PPR of hospital data is used by patients with breast, bowel or lung cancer when selecting a hospital for elective surgery and how PPR could be improved to meet their information needs. Design A national cross-sectional postal questionnaire. Setting Australian private healthcare sector. Participants Private patients with breast, bowel or lung cancer who attended a public or private hospital for elective surgery (n=243) in 2016. Outcome measures Patients’ choice of hospital, use of PPR information and preferred areas of PPR information. Descriptive and conventional qualitative content analyses were conducted. Results Two hundred and twenty-eight respondents (94%) attended a private hospital. Almost half could choose a hospital. Choice of hospital was not influenced by PPR data (92% unaware) but by their specialist (90%). Respondents considered PPR to be important (71%) but they did not want to see the information, preferring their general practitioners (GPs) to tell them about it (40%). Respondents considered surgery costs (59%), complications (58%) and recovery success rates (57%) to be important areas of information that should be publicly reported. Almost half suggested that quality indicators should be reported at the individual clinician level. Analysis of the open-ended questions identified four themes: (1) decision-making factors; (2) data credibility; (3) unmet information needs and (4) unintended consequences. Conclusions PPR of hospital data had no substantial impact on patients’ choice of hospital. Nonetheless, many respondents expressed interest in using it in future. To increase PPR awareness and usability, personalised and integrated information on cost and quality of hospitals is required. Dissemination of PPR information via specialists and GPs could assist patients to interpret the data and support decision-making. PMID:29703855

75 FR 104 - Manufacturing & Services' Sustainable Manufacturing Initiative; Update

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-01-04

... with the private sector to determine the appropriate role of the federal government in establishing... publicize legislative and regulatory information and analyses that would enhance private sector... 20230 (or via the Internet at [email protected] ). FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: William McElnea...

National Faculty Salary Survey by Discipline and Rank in Private Colleges and Universities, 1985-86.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Appalachian State Univ., Boone, NC.

Salary data for full-time faculty in 46 selected disciplines at 440 private colleges and universities are presented based on the 1985-86 National Faculty Salary Survey by Discipline and Rank in Private Colleges and Universities. Information was collected on salaries for 38,890 faculty members employed at 440 private colleges and universities.…

Private School Statistics: A Review of Private and Federal Data Concerns. Special Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Orr, David B.

In 1986, the Center for Education Statistics (CES) initiated a series of meetings with a wide range of private school representatives. At these meetings, a need for more complete information on the data collection efforts of the various private groups was identified, and as a result, CES agreed to investigate the extent and nature of the education…

How do patients access the private sector in Chennai, India? An evaluation of delays in tuberculosis diagnosis.

PubMed

Bronner Murrison, L; Ananthakrishnan, R; Swaminathan, A; Auguesteen, S; Krishnan, N; Pai, M; Dowdy, D W

2016-04-01

The diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis (TB) in India are characterized by heavy private-sector involvement. Delays in treatment remain poorly characterized among patients seeking care in the Indian private sector. To assess delays in TB diagnosis and treatment initiation among patients diagnosed in the private sector, and pathways to care in an urban setting. Cross-sectional survey of 289 consecutive patients diagnosed with TB in the private sector and referred for anti-tuberculosis treatment through a public-private mix program in Chennai from January 2014 to February 2015. Among 212 patients with pulmonary TB, 90% first contacted a formal private provider, and 78% were diagnosed by the first or second provider seen after a median of three visits per provider. Median total delay was 51 days (mean 68). Consulting an informal (rather than formally trained) provider first was associated with significant increases in total delay (absolute increase 22.8 days, 95%CI 6.2-39.5) and in the risk of prolonged delay >90 days (aRR 2.4, 95%CI 1.3-4.4). Even among patients seeking care in the formal (vs. informal) private sector in Chennai, diagnostic delays are substantial. Novel strategies are required to engage private providers, who often serve as the first point of contact.

Private payer telehealth reimbursement in the United States.

PubMed

Antoniotti, Nina M; Drude, Kenneth P; Rowe, Nancy

2014-06-01

Significant information is available about government-reimbursed telehealth services such as Medicare and Medicaid across the United States. Although currently 20 states mandate reimbursement for telehealth services and some private insurers have voluntarily covered those services in other states, relatively little is known about telehealth provider experiences with reimbursement from private insurance payers. To investigate this, the American Telemedicine Association's (ATA's) Telemental Health Special Interest Group (SIG), the Policy Group, and the Business and Finance SIG, with the help of ATA staff, conducted a national private payer reimbursement online survey in 2012 using Survey Monkey™ (Palo Alto, CA) ( www.surveymonkey.com/ ). Survey responses were received from respondents in 46 of the 50 states. The survey found that telehealth services are being reimbursed by private payers but that progress in reimbursement has been relatively slow compared with earlier surveys. Key findings from this study were that government payers as well as several major private payers are highly influential in payment policies for telehealth private payers, that private payers have administrative rules regarding telehealth reimbursement that are barriers to services and reimbursement, and that some providers would benefit from being better informed about billing and coding for telehealth services and how to advocate for telehealth services reimbursement.

Improved estimates of Belgian private health expenditure can give important lessons to other OECD countries.

PubMed

Calcoen, Piet; Moens, Dirk; Verlinden, Pieter; van de Ven, Wynand P M M; Pacolet, Jozef

2015-03-01

OECD Health Data are a well-known source for detailed information about health expenditure. These data enable us to analyze health policy issues over time and in comparison with other countries. However, current official Belgian estimates of private expenditure (as published in the OECD Health Data) have proven not to be reliable. We distinguish four potential major sources of problems with estimating private health spending: interpretation of definitions, formulation of assumptions, missing or incomplete data and incorrect data. Using alternative sources of billing information, we have reached more accurate estimates of private and out-of-pocket expenditure. For Belgium we found differences of more than 100% between our estimates and the official Belgian estimates of private health expenditure (as published in the OECD Health Data). For instance, according to OECD Health Data private expenditure on hospitals in Belgium amounts to €3.1 billion, while according to our alternative calculations these expenses represent only €1.1 billion. Total private expenditure differs only 1%, but this is a mere coincidence. This exercise may be of interest to other OECD countries looking to improve their estimates of private expenditure on health. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Quantity and quality of information, education and communication during antenatal visit at private and public sector hospitals of Bahawalpur, Pakistan.

PubMed

Mahar, Benazeer; Kumar, Ramesh; Rizvi, Narjis; Bahalkani, Habib Akhtar; Haq, Mahboobul; Soomro, Jamila

2012-01-01

Information, education and communication (IEC) by health care provider to pregnant woman during the antenatal visit are very crucial for healthier outcome of pregnancy. This study analysed the quality and quantity of antenatal visit at a private and a public hospital of Bahawalpur, Pakistan. An exit interview was conducted from 216 pregnant women by using validated, reliable and pre-tested adapted questionnaire. First sample was selected by simple random sampling, for rest of the sample selection systematic random sampling was adapted by selecting every 7th women for interview. Ethical considerations were taken. Average communication time among pregnant woman and her healthcare provider was 3 minute in public and 8 minutes in private hospital. IEC mainly focused on diet and nutrition in private (86%) and (53%) public, advice for family planning after delivery was discussed with 13% versus 7% in public and private setting. None of the respondents in both facilities got advice or counselling on breastfeeding and neonatal care. Birth preparedness components were discussed, woman in public and private hospital respectively. In both settings antenatal clients were not received information and education communication according to World Health Organization guidelines. Quality and quantity of IEC during antenatal care was found very poor in both public and private sector hospitals of urban Pakistan.

Informed herbivore movement and interplant communication determine the effects of induced resistance in an individual-based model.

PubMed

Rubin, Ilan N; Ellner, Stephen P; Kessler, André; Morrell, Kimberly A

2015-09-01

1. Plant induced resistance to herbivory affects the spatial distribution of herbivores, as well as their performance. In recent years, theories regarding the benefit to plants of induced resistance have shifted from ideas of optimal resource allocation towards a more eclectic set of theories that consider spatial and temporal plant variability and the spatial distribution of herbivores among plants. However, consensus is lacking on whether induced resistance causes increased herbivore aggregation or increased evenness, as both trends have been experimentally documented. 2. We created a spatial individual-based model that can describe many plant-herbivore systems with induced resistance, in order to analyse how different aspects of induced resistance might affect herbivore distribution, and the total damage to a plant population, during a growing season. 3. We analyse the specific effects on herbivore aggregation of informed herbivore movement (preferential movement to less-damaged plants) and of information transfer between plants about herbivore attacks, in order to identify mechanisms driving both aggregation and evenness. We also investigate how the resulting herbivore distributions affect the total damage to plants and aggregation of damage. 4. Even, random and aggregated herbivore distributions can all occur in our model with induced resistance. Highest levels of aggregation occurred in the models with informed herbivore movement, and the most even distributions occurred when the average number of herbivores per plant was low. With constitutive resistance, only random distributions occur. Damage to plants was spatially correlated, unless plants recover very quickly from damage; herbivore spatial autocorrelation was always weak. 5. Our model and results provide a simple explanation for the apparent conflict between experimental results, indicating that both increased aggregation and increased evenness of herbivores can result from induced resistance. We demonstrate that information transfer from plants to herbivores, and from plants to neighbouring plants, can both be major factors in determining non-random herbivore distributions. © 2015 The Authors. Journal of Animal Ecology © 2015 British Ecological Society.

Outlook. Number 301

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Council for American Private Education, 2005

2005-01-01

Outlook is the monthly newsletter for the Council for American Private Education (CAPE). Each issue contains information relating to private education such as: new legislation and regulations, the most recent research, court rulings, national trends, federal initiatives, private school news briefs, and more. This issue contains the following…

Outlook. Number 328

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Council for American Private Education, 2007

2007-01-01

Outlook is the monthly newsletter for the Council for American Private Education (CAPE). Each issue contains information relating to private education such as: new legislation and regulations, the most recent research, court rulings, national trends, federal initiatives, private school news briefs, and more. This issue contains the following…

Outlook. Number 315

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Council for American Private Education, 2006

2006-01-01

Outlook is the monthly newsletter for the Council for American Private Education (CAPE). Each issue contains information relating to private education such as: new legislation and regulations, the most recent research, court rulings, national trends, federal initiatives, private school news briefs, and more. This issue contains the following…

Outlook. Number 311

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Council for American Private Education, 2006

2006-01-01

Outlook is the monthly newsletter for the Council for American Private Education (CAPE). Each issue contains information relating to private education such as: new legislation and regulations, the most recent research, court rulings, national trends, federal initiatives, private school news briefs, and more. This issue contains the following…

Outlook. Number 317

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Council for American Private Education, 2006

2006-01-01

Outlook is the monthly newsletter for the Council for American Private Education (CAPE). Each issue contains information relating to private education such as: new legislation and regulations, the most recent research, court rulings, national trends, federal initiatives, private school news briefs, and more. This issue contains the following…

Outlook. Number 378

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Council for American Private Education, 2012

2012-01-01

Outlook is CAPE's monthly newsletter. Each issue is packed with information relating to private education: new legislation and regulations, the most recent research, court rulings, national trends, federal initiatives, private school news briefs, and much more. This issue contains the following articles: (1) Private School Students Surpass SAT…

Outlook. Number 314

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Council for American Private Education, 2006

2006-01-01

Outlook is the monthly newsletter for the Council for American Private Education (CAPE). Each issue contains information relating to private education such as: new legislation and regulations, the most recent research, court rulings, national trends, federal initiatives, private school news briefs, and more. This issue contains the following…

Outlook. Number 330

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Council for American Private Education, 2007

2007-01-01

Outlook is the monthly newsletter for the Council for American Private Education (CAPE). Each issue contains information relating to private education such as: new legislation and regulations, the most recent research, court rulings, national trends, federal initiatives, private school news briefs, and more. This issue contains the following…

Outlook. Number 347

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Council for American Private Education, 2009

2009-01-01

"Outlook" is the monthly newsletter for the Council for American Private Education (CAPE). Each issue contains information relating to private education such as: new legislation and regulations, the most recent research, court rulings, national trends, federal initiatives, private school news briefs, and more. This issue includes: (1)…

Outlook. Number 336

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Council for American Private Education, 2008

2008-01-01

Outlook is the monthly newsletter for the Council for American Private Education (CAPE). Each issue contains information relating to private education such as: new legislation and regulations, the most recent research, court rulings, national trends, federal initiatives, private school news briefs, and more. This issue contains the following…

The use of data mining by private health insurance companies and customers' privacy.

PubMed

Al-Saggaf, Yeslam

2015-07-01

This article examines privacy threats arising from the use of data mining by private Australian health insurance companies. Qualitative interviews were conducted with key experts, and Australian governmental and nongovernmental websites relevant to private health insurance were searched. Using Rationale, a critical thinking tool, the themes and considerations elicited through this empirical approach were developed into an argument about the use of data mining by private health insurance companies. The argument is followed by an ethical analysis guided by classical philosophical theories-utilitarianism, Mill's harm principle, Kant's deontological theory, and Helen Nissenbaum's contextual integrity framework. Both the argument and the ethical analysis find the use of data mining by private health insurance companies in Australia to be unethical. Although private health insurance companies in Australia cannot use data mining for risk rating to cherry-pick customers and cannot use customers' personal information for unintended purposes, this article nonetheless concludes that the secondary use of customers' personal information and the absence of customers' consent still suggest that the use of data mining by private health insurance companies is wrong.

Nearest private query based on quantum oblivious key distribution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Min; Shi, Run-hua; Luo, Zhen-yu; Peng, Zhen-wan

2017-12-01

Nearest private query is a special private query which involves two parties, a user and a data owner, where the user has a private input (e.g., an integer) and the data owner has a private data set, and the user wants to query which element in the owner's private data set is the nearest to his input without revealing their respective private information. In this paper, we first present a quantum protocol for nearest private query, which is based on quantum oblivious key distribution (QOKD). Compared to the classical related protocols, our protocol has the advantages of the higher security and the better feasibility, so it has a better prospect of applications.

Privatization of solid waste collection services: Lessons from Gaborone

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

Bolaane, Benjamin, E-mail: bolaaneb@mopipi.ub.bw; Isaac, Emmanuel, E-mail: eisaac300@gmail.com

Highlights: • We compared efficiency and effectiveness of waste collection by the public and private sector. • Public sector performs better than private sector in some areas and vice versa. • Outsourcing waste collection in developing countries is hindered by limited capacity on contractual issues. • Outsourcing collection in developing countries is hampered by inadequate waste information. • There is need to build capacity in the public sector of developing countries to support outsourcing. - Abstract: Formal privatization of solid waste collection activities has often been flagged as a suitable intervention for some of the challenges of solid waste managementmore » experienced by developing countries. Proponents of outsourcing collection to the private sector argue that in contrast to the public sector, it is more effective and efficient in delivering services. This essay is a comparative case study of efficiency and effectiveness attributes between the public and the formal private sector, in relation to the collection of commercial waste in Gaborone. The paper is based on analysis of secondary data and key informant interviews. It was found that while, the private sector performed comparatively well in most of the chosen indicators of efficiency and effectiveness, the public sector also had areas where it had a competitive advantage. For instance, the private sector used the collection crew more efficiently, while the public sector was found to have a more reliable workforce. The study recommends that, while formal private sector participation in waste collection has some positive effects in terms of quality of service rendered, in most developing countries, it has to be enhanced by building sufficient capacity within the public sector on information about services contracted out and evaluation of performance criteria within the contracting process.« less

An information model for a virtual private optical network (OVPN) using virtual routers (VRs)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Vo, Viet Minh Nhat

2002-05-01

This paper describes a virtual private optical network architecture (Optical VPN - OVPN) based on virtual router (VR). It improves over architectures suggested for virtual private networks by using virtual routers with optical networks. The new things in this architecture are necessary changes to adapt to devices and protocols used in optical networks. This paper also presents information models for the OVPN: at the architecture level and at the service level. These are extensions to the DEN (directory enable network) and CIM (Common Information Model) for OVPNs using VRs. The goal is to propose a common management model using policies.

Temperature dependent rapid annealing effect induces amorphous aggregation of human serum albumin.

PubMed

Ishtikhar, Mohd; Ali, Mohd Sajid; Atta, Ayman M; Al-Lohedan, Hammad; Badr, Gamal; Khan, Rizwan Hasan

2016-01-01

This study represents an analysis of the thermal aggregation of human serum albumin (HSA) induced by novel rosin modified compounds. The aggregation process causes conformational alterations in the secondary and tertiary structures of the proteins. The conversion of globular protein to amorphous aggregates was carried out by spectroscopic, calorimetric and microscopic techniques to investigate the factors that are responsible for the structural, conformational and morphological alteration in the protein. Our outcome results show that the aggregation of HSA was dependent on the hydrophobicity, charge and temperature, because the formation of amorphous aggregates occurs in the presence of a novel cationic rosin compound, quaternary amine of rosin diethylaminoethyl ester (QRMAE), at 40°C and pH 7.4 (but at 25°C on similar pH value, there was no evidence of aggregate formation). In addition, the parent compound of QRMAE, i.e., abietic acid, and other derivatives such as nonionic rosin compounds [(RMPEG-750) and (RMA-MPEG-750)] do not shows the aggregating property. This work provides precise and necessary information that aid in the understanding the effects of rosin derivative compounds on HSA. This study also restrains important information for athletes, health providers, pharmaceutical companies, industries, and soft drink-processing companies. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

The safety and quality of childbirth in the context of health systems: mapping maternal health provision in Lebanon

PubMed Central

DeJong, Jocelyn; Akik, Chaza; El Kak, Faysal; Osman, Hibah; El-Jardali, Fadi

2010-01-01

Objective to provide basic information on the distribution (public/private and geographically) and the nature of maternity health provision in Lebanon, including relevant health outcome data at the hospital level in order to compare key features of provision with maternal/neonatal health outcomes. Design a self-completion questionnaire was sent to private hospitals by the Syndicate of Private Hospitals in collaboration with the study team and to all public hospitals in Lebanon with a functioning maternity ward by the study team in cooperation with the Ministry of Public Health. Setting childbirth in an institutional setting by a trained attendant is almost universal in Lebanon and the predominant model of care is obstetrician-led rather than midwife-led. Yet due to a 15-year-old civil war and a highly privatised health sector, Lebanon lacks systematic or publically available data on the organisation, distribution and quality of maternal health services. An accreditation system for private hospitals was recently initiated to regulate the quality of hospital care in Lebanon. Participants in total, 58 (out of 125 eligible) hospitals responded to the survey (46% total response rate). Only hospital-level aggregate data were collected. Measurements the survey addressed the volume of services, mode of payment for deliveries, number of health providers, number of labour and childbirth units, availability of neonatal intensive care units, fetal monitors and infusion rate regulation pumps for oxytocin, as well as health outcome data related to childbirth care and stillbirths for the year 2008. Findings the study provides the first data on maternal health provision from a survey of all eligible hospitals in Lebanon. More than three-quarters of deliveries occur in private hospitals, but the Ministry of Public Health is the single most important source of payment for childbirth. The reported hospital caesarean section rate is high at 40.8%. Essential equipment for safe maternal and newborn health care is widely available in Lebanon, but over half of the hospitals that responded lack a neonatal intensive care unit. The ratio of reported numbers of midwives to deliveries is three times that of obstetricians to deliveries. Key conclusions and implications for practice there is a need for greater interaction between maternal/neonatal health, health system specialists and policy makers on how the health system can support both the adoption of evidence-based interventions and, ultimately, better maternal and perinatal health outcomes. PMID:20691519

Information Technology Training: Practices of Leading Private Sector Companies.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

General Accounting Office, Washington, DC.

The General Accounting Office (GAO) examined private-sector workforce training practices for information technology (IT) and non-IT professionals. Data were collected from the following sources: a literature review; discussions with academic and professional authorities; interviews with executives and managers at leading companies regarding their…

Choosing the route to traveler information systems deployment : decision factors for creating public-private business plans : an action guide

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-01-01

This document presents a guide designed to help public private partnerships in their efforts to provide Advanced Traveler Information Systems (ATIS) services. It first examines why ATIS can be useful in managing transportation networks and increasing...

78 FR 37591 - Making the Most of Big Data: Request for Information

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-21

... expanded collaboration between the public and private sectors. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Overview: Aiming... collaboration between the public and private sectors. The Administration is particularly interested in projects... innovation projects across the country. Later this year, the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP...

77 FR 76076 - Information Security Oversight Office; State, Local, Tribal, and Private Sector Policy Advisory...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-26

... NATIONAL ARCHIVES AND RECORDS ADMINISTRATION Information Security Oversight Office; State, Local, Tribal, and Private Sector Policy Advisory Committee (SLTPS-PAC) AGENCY: National Archives and Records....m. to 12:00 noon. ADDRESSES: National Archives and Records Administration, 700 Pennsylvania Avenue...

75 FR 16826 - Notice of Proposed Information Collection

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-02

...): ``Private Rental Survey,'' OMB Control No. 1084-0033, and that it is seeking comments on its provisions... providing comments should reference OMB control number 1084-0033, ``Private Rental Survey.'' FOR FURTHER... Control Number: 1084-0033. Current Expiration Date: 07/31/2010. Type of Review: Information Collection...

Live Cell Characterization of DNA Aggregation Delivered through Lipofection

PubMed Central

Mieruszynski, Stephen; Briggs, Candida; Digman, Michelle A.; Gratton, Enrico; Jones, Mark R

2015-01-01

DNA trafficking phenomena, such as information on where and to what extent DNA aggregation occurs, have yet to be fully characterised in the live cell. Here we characterise the aggregation of DNA when delivered through lipofection by applying the Number and Brightness (N&B) approach. The N&B analysis demonstrates extensive aggregation throughout the live cell with DNA clusters in the extremity of the cell and peri-nuclear areas. Once within the nucleus aggregation had decreased 3-fold. In addition, we show that increasing serum concentration of cell media results in greater cytoplasmic aggregation. Further, the effects of the DNA fragment size on aggregation was explored, where larger DNA constructs exhibited less aggregation. This study demonstrates the first quantification of DNA aggregation when delivered through lipofection in live cells. In addition, this study has presents a model for alternative uses of this imaging approach, which was originally developed to study protein oligomerization and aggregation. PMID:26013547

15 CFR 1160.3 - Assistance to industrial technology partnerships.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... INNOVATION Promotion of Private Sector Industrial Technology Partnerships § 1160.3 Assistance to industrial...) Workshops. Upon request, the Secretary may hold workshops with representatives from the private sector and... information. Accordingly, the Department will develop and maintain a list of specific public and private...

15 CFR 1160.3 - Assistance to industrial technology partnerships.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... INNOVATION Promotion of Private Sector Industrial Technology Partnerships § 1160.3 Assistance to industrial...) Workshops. Upon request, the Secretary may hold workshops with representatives from the private sector and... information. Accordingly, the Department will develop and maintain a list of specific public and private...

15 CFR 1160.3 - Assistance to industrial technology partnerships.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... INNOVATION Promotion of Private Sector Industrial Technology Partnerships § 1160.3 Assistance to industrial...) Workshops. Upon request, the Secretary may hold workshops with representatives from the private sector and... information. Accordingly, the Department will develop and maintain a list of specific public and private...

Women's use of private and government health facilities for childbirth in Nairobi's informal settlements.

PubMed

Bazant, Eva S; Koenig, Michael A; Fotso, Jean-Christophe; Mills, Samuel

2009-03-01

The private sector's role in increasing the use of maternal health care for the poor in developing countries has received increasing attention, yet few data exist for urban slums. Using household-survey data from 1,926 mothers in two informal settlements in Nairobi, Kenya, collected in 2006, we describe and examine the factors associated with women's use of private and government health facilities for childbirth. More women gave birth at private facilities located in the settlements than at government facilities, and one-third of the women gave birth at home or with the assistance of a traditional birth attendant. In multivariate models, women's education, ethnic group, and household wealth were associated with institutional deliveries, especially in government hospitals. Residents in the more disadvantaged settlement were more likely than those in the better-off settlement to give birth in private facilities. In urban areas, maternal health services in both the government and private sectors should be strengthened, and efforts made to reach out to women who give birth at home.

Securely Measuring the Overlap between Private Datasets with Cryptosets

PubMed Central

Swamidass, S. Joshua; Matlock, Matthew; Rozenblit, Leon

2015-01-01

Many scientific questions are best approached by sharing data—collected by different groups or across large collaborative networks—into a combined analysis. Unfortunately, some of the most interesting and powerful datasets—like health records, genetic data, and drug discovery data—cannot be freely shared because they contain sensitive information. In many situations, knowing if private datasets overlap determines if it is worthwhile to navigate the institutional, ethical, and legal barriers that govern access to sensitive, private data. We report the first method of publicly measuring the overlap between private datasets that is secure under a malicious model without relying on private protocols or message passing. This method uses a publicly shareable summary of a dataset’s contents, its cryptoset, to estimate its overlap with other datasets. Cryptosets approach “information-theoretic” security, the strongest type of security possible in cryptography, which is not even crackable with infinite computing power. We empirically and theoretically assess both the accuracy of these estimates and the security of the approach, demonstrating that cryptosets are informative, with a stable accuracy, and secure. PMID:25714898

Efficient differentially private learning improves drug sensitivity prediction.

PubMed

Honkela, Antti; Das, Mrinal; Nieminen, Arttu; Dikmen, Onur; Kaski, Samuel

2018-02-06

Users of a personalised recommendation system face a dilemma: recommendations can be improved by learning from data, but only if other users are willing to share their private information. Good personalised predictions are vitally important in precision medicine, but genomic information on which the predictions are based is also particularly sensitive, as it directly identifies the patients and hence cannot easily be anonymised. Differential privacy has emerged as a potentially promising solution: privacy is considered sufficient if presence of individual patients cannot be distinguished. However, differentially private learning with current methods does not improve predictions with feasible data sizes and dimensionalities. We show that useful predictors can be learned under powerful differential privacy guarantees, and even from moderately-sized data sets, by demonstrating significant improvements in the accuracy of private drug sensitivity prediction with a new robust private regression method. Our method matches the predictive accuracy of the state-of-the-art non-private lasso regression using only 4x more samples under relatively strong differential privacy guarantees. Good performance with limited data is achieved by limiting the sharing of private information by decreasing the dimensionality and by projecting outliers to fit tighter bounds, therefore needing to add less noise for equal privacy. The proposed differentially private regression method combines theoretical appeal and asymptotic efficiency with good prediction accuracy even with moderate-sized data. As already the simple-to-implement method shows promise on the challenging genomic data, we anticipate rapid progress towards practical applications in many fields. This article was reviewed by Zoltan Gaspari and David Kreil.

Factors associated to referral of tuberculosis suspects by private practitioners to community health centres in Bali Province, Indonesia.

PubMed

Artawan Eka Putra, I Wayan Gede; Utami, Ni Wayan Arya; Suarjana, I Ketut; Duana, I Made Kerta; Astiti, Cok Istri Darma; Putra, I W; Probandari, Ari; Tiemersma, Edine W; Wahyuni, Chatarina Umbul

2013-10-28

The contrast between the low proportion of tuberculosis (TB) suspects referred from private practitioners in Bali province and the high volume of TB suspects seeking care at private practices suggests problems with TB suspect referral from private practitioners to the public health sector. We aimed to identify key factors associated with the referral of TB suspects by private practitioners. We conducted a case-control study conducted in Bali province, Indonesia. The cases were private practitioners who had referred at least one TB suspect to a community health centre between 1 January 2007 and the start of data collection, while the controls were private practitioners who had not referred a single TB suspect in the same time. The following factors were independently associated with referral of TB suspects by private practitioners: having received information about the directly observed treatment short-course (DOTS) strategy (OR 2.0; 95% CI 1.1-3.8), ever having been visited by a district TB program officer (OR 2.1; 95% CI 1.0-4.5), availability of TB suspect referral forms in the practice (OR 2.8; 95% CI 1.5-5.2), and less than 5 km distance between the private practice and the laboratory for smear examination (OR 2.2; 95% CI 1.2-4.0). Education and exposure of private practitioners to the TB program improves referral of TB suspects from private practitioners to the national TB program. We recommend that the TB program provides all private practitioners with information about the DOTS strategy and TB suspect referral forms, and organizes regular visits to private practitioners.

Factors associated to referral of tuberculosis suspects by private practitioners to community health centres in Bali Province, Indonesia

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background The contrast between the low proportion of tuberculosis (TB) suspects referred from private practitioners in Bali province and the high volume of TB suspects seeking care at private practices suggests problems with TB suspect referral from private practitioners to the public health sector. We aimed to identify key factors associated with the referral of TB suspects by private practitioners. Methods We conducted a case-control study conducted in Bali province, Indonesia. The cases were private practitioners who had referred at least one TB suspect to a community health centre between 1 January 2007 and the start of data collection, while the controls were private practitioners who had not referred a single TB suspect in the same time. Results The following factors were independently associated with referral of TB suspects by private practitioners: having received information about the directly observed treatment short-course (DOTS) strategy (OR 2.0; 95% CI 1.1 – 3.8), ever having been visited by a district TB program officer (OR 2.1; 95% CI 1.0 – 4.5), availability of TB suspect referral forms in the practice (OR 2.8; 95% CI 1.5-5.2), and less than 5 km distance between the private practice and the laboratory for smear examination (OR 2.2; 95% CI 1.2-4.0). Conclusions Education and exposure of private practitioners to the TB program improves referral of TB suspects from private practitioners to the national TB program. We recommend that the TB program provides all private practitioners with information about the DOTS strategy and TB suspect referral forms, and organizes regular visits to private practitioners. PMID:24165352

Possibility-induced simplified neutrosophic aggregation operators and their application to multi-criteria group decision-making

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Şahin, Rıdvan; Liu, Peide

2017-07-01

Simplified neutrosophic set (SNS) is an appropriate tool used to express the incompleteness, indeterminacy and uncertainty of the evaluation objects in decision-making process. In this study, we define the concept of possibility SNS including two types of information such as the neutrosophic performance provided from the evaluation objects and its possibility degree using a value ranging from zero to one. Then by extending the existing neutrosophic information, aggregation models for SNSs that cannot be used effectively to fusion the two different information described above, we propose two novel neutrosophic aggregation operators considering possibility, which are named as a possibility-induced simplified neutrosophic weighted arithmetic averaging operator and possibility-induced simplified neutrosophic weighted geometric averaging operator, and discuss their properties. Moreover, we develop a useful method based on the proposed aggregation operators for solving a multi-criteria group decision-making problem with the possibility simplified neutrosophic information, in which the weights of decision-makers and decision criteria are calculated based on entropy measure. Finally, a practical example is utilised to show the practicality and effectiveness of the proposed method.

76 FR 44081 - Agency Information Collection Activities; Revision of a Currently-Approved Information Collection...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-22

... Request: Application for Certificate of Registration for Foreign Motor Carriers and Foreign Motor Private... for Certificate of Registration for Foreign Motor Carriers and Foreign Motor Private Carriers... Number FMCSA-2011-0178 using any of the following methods: Federal eRulemaking Portal: http://www...

77 FR 4574 - Notice of Proposed Information Collection: Comment Request; Production of Material or Provision...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-01-30

... to Demands in Legal Proceedings Among Private Litigants AGENCY: Office of the General Counsel, HUD... forms of information technology, e.g., permitting electronic submission of responses. This Notice also... Response to Demands in Legal Proceedings Among Private Litigants. OMB Control Number, if applicable: 2501...

78 FR 23744 - Proposed Establishment of a Federally Funded Research and Development Center-First Notice

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-04-22

... technologies in the government and private sectors. The activity includes staff support for information... cybersecurity technologies in the government and private sectors. [cir] Generate technical expertise to create a... cybersecurity approaches that address the real world needs of complex Information Technology (IT) systems. By...

Modification of DeLon and Mclean Model in the Success of Information System for Good University Governance

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tajuddin, Muhammad

2015-01-01

Information System (IS) is a requirement for private colleges in improving their governance to reach Good University Governance (GUG). From 2006 to 2008 information technology (IT) assistance had been granted to 1,072 private colleges and continued by grant development program. Considering such a big IT grant, there is a need to study the IT grant…

DC Fast Charger Usage in the Pacific Northwest

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

Salisbury, Shawn; Smart, John

2015-02-01

This document will describe the use of a number of Direct Current Fast Charging Stations throughout Washington and Oregon as a part of of the West Coast Electric Highway. It will detail the usage frequency and location of the charging stations INL has data from. It will also include aggregated data from hundreds of privately owned vehicles that were enrolled in the EV Project regarding driving distance when using one of the West Coast Electric Highway fast chargers. This document is a white paper that will be published on the INL AVTA website.

Aqueduct: an interactive tool to empower global water risk assessment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Reig, Paul; Gassert, Francis

2013-04-01

The Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas (Aqueduct) is a publicly available, global database and interactive tool that maps indicators of water related risks for decision makers worldwide. Aqueduct makes use of the latest geo-statistical modeling techniques to compute a composite index and translate the most recently available hydrological data into practical information on water related risks for companies, investors, and governments alike. Twelve global indicators are grouped into a Water Risk Framework designed in response to the growing concerns from private sector actors around water scarcity, water quality, climate change, and increasing demand for freshwater. The Aqueduct framework includes indicators of water stress, variability in supply, storage, flood, drought, groundwater, water quality and social conflict, addressing both spatial and temporal variation in water hazards. It organizes indicators into three categories of risk that bring together multiple dimensions of water related risk into comprehensive aggregated scores, which allow for dynamic weighting to capture users' unique exposure to water hazards. All information is compiled into an online, open access platform, from which decision-makers can view indicators, scores, and maps, conduct global risk assessments, and export data and shape files for further analysis. Companies can use this tool to evaluate their exposure to water risks across operations and supply chains, investors to assess water-related risks in their portfolio, and public-sector actors to better understand water security. Additionally, the open nature of the data and maps allow other organizations to build off of this effort with new research, for example in the areas of water-energy or water-food relationships. This presentation will showcase the Aqueduct Water Risk Atlas online tool and the features and functionalities it offers, as well as explain how it can be used for both private and public sector applications. The session will feature a live demonstration of how the tool can be applied to evaluate exposure to water-related risks worldwide and drive change on the ground by prioritizing areas for investment to increase resilience to natural hazards.

Database integration of protocol-specific neurological imaging datasets

PubMed Central

Pacurar, Emil E.; Sethi, Sean K.; Habib, Charbel; Laze, Marius O.; Martis-Laze, Rachel; Haacke, E. Mark

2016-01-01

For many years now, Magnetic Resonance Innovations (MR Innovations), a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) software development, technology, and research company, has been aggregating a multitude of MRI data from different scanning sites through its collaborations and research contracts. The majority of the data has adhered to neuroimaging protocols developed by our group which has helped ensure its quality and consistency. The protocols involved include the study of: traumatic brain injury, extracranial venous imaging for multiple sclerosis and Parkinson's disease, and stroke. The database has proven invaluable in helping to establish disease biomarkers, validate findings across multiple data sets, develop and refine signal processing algorithms, and establish both public and private research collaborations. Myriad Masters and PhD dissertations have been possible thanks to the availability of this database. As an example of a project that cuts across diseases, we have used the data and specialized software to develop new guidelines for detecting cerebral microbleeds. Ultimately, the database has been vital in our ability to provide tools and information for researchers and radiologists in diagnosing their patients, and we encourage collaborations and welcome sharing of similar data in this database. PMID:25959660

77 FR 58423 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-20

... aggregate hour burden for electronic and manual response firms is estimated to be 11,785 (87,454 x 8 / 60... it will request 500 broker-dealers to supply the contact information identified in Rule 17a-25(c) and estimates the total aggregate burden hours to be 125. Thus, the annual aggregate burden for all respondents...

Impaired Heme Binding and Aggregation of Mutant Cystathionine β-Synthase Subunits in Homocystinuria

PubMed Central

Janošík, Miroslav; Oliveriusová, Jana; Janošíková, Bohumila; Sokolová, Jitka; Kraus, Eva; Kraus, Jan P.; Kožich, Viktor

2001-01-01

During the past 20 years, cystathionine β-synthase (CBS) deficiency has been detected in the former Czechoslovakia with a calculated frequency of 1:349,000. The clinical manifestation was typical of homocystinuria, and about half of the 21 patients were not responsive to pyridoxine. Twelve distinct mutations were detected in 30 independent homocystinuric alleles. One half of the alleles carried either the c.833 T→C or the IVS11−2A→C mutation; the remaining alleles contained private mutations. The abundance of five mutant mRNAs with premature stop codons was analyzed by PCR-RFLP. Two mRNAs, c.828_931ins104 (IVS7+1G→A) and c.1226 G→A, were severely reduced in the cytoplasm as a result of nonsense-mediated decay. In contrast, the other three mRNAs—c.19_20insC, c.28_29delG, and c.210_235del26 (IVS1−1G→C)—were stable. Native western blot analysis of 14 mutant fibroblast lines showed a paucity of CBS antigen, which was detectable only in aggregates. Five mutations—A114V (c.341C→T), A155T (c.463G→A), E176K (c.526G→A), I278T (c.833T→C), and W409_G453del (IVS11−2A→C)—were expressed in Escherichia coli. All five mutant proteins formed substantially more aggregates than did the wild-type CBS, and no aggregates contained heme. These data suggest that abnormal folding, impaired heme binding, and aggregation of mutant CBS polypeptides may be common pathogenic mechanisms in CBS deficiency. PMID:11359213

Spatial Associations and Network Dynamics Between the Vaccine Exemption Dicsussion in Twitter and the Corresponding Geographic Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coronado, Alejandra

Recent outbreaks of vaccine-preventable diseases in the United States have drawn attention to the phenomena of vaccine hesitancy and refusal. Hesitancy is seen through the increasing use of exemptions from state vaccine mandates and the recent use of social media for expressing opinions and perspectives related to vaccination. This research places the vaccination narrative into a geographic context and seeks to understand the relationship between vaccine refusal in physical space and the vaccine discussion in cyberspace. Vaccines have long been considered an effective means of eradicating diseases. Recently, however, California has experienced a decline in vaccination rates and an increase in vaccine exemptions. Until the passing of Senate Bill 277 (SB277) in 2015, children were allowed by California law to skip immunizations if a parent submitted a personal beliefs exemption (PBEs). Under SB277, children who are not vaccinated cannot attend school. Some children are still allowed to skip immunizations by submitting a medical exemption (PMEs) at enrollment. Other children are conditionally admitted to school on the 'condition' that they complete any remaining vaccinations when due. This research analyzed the spatial distribution of vaccine exemptions in kindergarten schools in California using the 2015-2016 school immunization data. The two methods used for analysis included Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) and choropleth maps using data aggregated by county. The results from the choropleth maps show that personal belief exemptions for public, private, and charter kindergarten schools are highly concentrated in northern and rural counties. Aggregating vaccine exemptions at the county level and normalizing by school enrollment showed that counties with high ratios of vaccine exemptions vary across public, private, and charter schools. This research also explored the diffusion networks of the vaccine exemption topic in Twitter. Twitter messages related to the California vaccine exemption topic were collected for the whole United States. However, this research only focused on analyzing tweets in California. Two types of information diffusion networks, retweet network and mention network, were examined. This research quantified the influence of users in the networks by applying two network metrics--degree centrality and betweenness centrality. Degree centrality measures the number of connections of a node and is useful to asses which nodes are central for spreading information and influencing others in their immediate neighborhood. Betweenness centrality identifies brokers of information or nodes that connect disparate clusters. Nodes with high betweenness centrality have control over the flow of information in the network. The results suggest that influential users are ranked differently by degree centrality and betweenness centrality for both networks. The results showed that ordinary users may also have strong impacts in the diffusion of information as seen by their high betweenness values despite their low degree centrality. Retweets were found to be more prominent in the diffusion of the vaccine exemption topic compared to mentions. Social network analysis does not capture diffusion processes from a spatial perspective. This research included the spatial context of the mention and retweet networks by using the location information embedded in each node. Nodes were aggregated at the county level and social networks were transformed into visual maps with spatial context. In addition to spatial networks, this research also created chord diagrams to represent the outbound flow and interactions between counties. The findings suggest that county population plays a role in the diffusion of information by social media. Highly populated counties, such as Los Angeles and Sacramento provided a large amount of mention and retweet activity. Additionally, the mention and retweet spatial networks showed counties to have higher in-degree value than out-degree values which indicates more in-flow hubs than out-flow hubs in the network. Unlike the results from the inter-personal social networks, the mention and retweet networks showed that the counties with the highest degree centralities also resulted being the counties with the highest betweenness centrality. Highly populated counties, such as Los Angeles and Sacramento, had very high betweenness centralities in both retweet and mention activity, which means that they served as the bridge and information broker for spreading information related to the vaccine exemption topic. This research is important because most vaccine literature is written from an epidemiological perspective and lacks a geographical component. This research presented an example of applying the spatial social network concept for studying the interaction dynamics between geographic areas. This research expanded studying inter-personal diffusion networks by adding a spatial component. The objective of this research was to study vaccine exemption use and information diffusion across a cyber-physical space in means of better understanding the dynamics of public opinions, views, and responses to the vaccine exemption topic. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.).

Practical private database queries based on a quantum-key-distribution protocol

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

Jakobi, Markus; Humboldt-Universitaet zu Berlin, D-10117 Berlin; Simon, Christoph

2011-02-15

Private queries allow a user, Alice, to learn an element of a database held by a provider, Bob, without revealing which element she is interested in, while limiting her information about the other elements. We propose to implement private queries based on a quantum-key-distribution protocol, with changes only in the classical postprocessing of the key. This approach makes our scheme both easy to implement and loss tolerant. While unconditionally secure private queries are known to be impossible, we argue that an interesting degree of security can be achieved by relying on fundamental physical principles instead of unverifiable security assumptions inmore » order to protect both the user and the database. We think that the scope exists for such practical private queries to become another remarkable application of quantum information in the footsteps of quantum key distribution.« less

77 FR 14725 - Notice of Request for Extension of Approval of an Information Collection; Standards for Privately...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-03-13

... Quarantine Facilities for Ruminants AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA. ACTION... privately owned quarantine facilities for ruminants. DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on... privately owned quarantine facilities for ruminants, contact Dr. Langston Hull, Senior Staff Veterinarian...

78 FR 37542 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-06-21

...; Affected Public: Private Sector (Business or other for- profit and Not-for-profit institutions); Number of...: Occasionally; Affected Public: Private Sector--Business or other for- profits; Number of Respondents: 500...); Frequency: Monthly; Affected Public: Private sector (business or other for-profits and not-for-profit...

Exploring Ohio's Private Education Sector. School Survey Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Catt, Andrew D.

2014-01-01

Exploring Ohio's Private Education Sector is the second entry in the Friedman Foundation for Educational Choice's "School Survey Series." This report synthesizes information on Ohio's private schools collected by the U.S. Department of Education and the Ohio Department of Education (ODE). Two appendices provide supplementary tables and…

Private Training Providers: Their Characteristics and Training Activities. Support Document

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Harris, Roger; Simons, Michele; McCarthy, Carmel

2006-01-01

This document was produced by the authors based on their research for the report, "Private Training Providers: Their Characteristics and Training Activities," [ED495181] and is an added resource for further information. That study examined the nature of the training activity of private registered training organisations (RTOs) offered to…

77 FR 73614 - Notice of Request for Extension of Approval of an Information Collection; Permanent, Privately...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-12-11

... Horse Quarantine Facilities AGENCY: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service, USDA. ACTION: Extension..., privately owned horse quarantine facilities. DATES: We will consider all comments that we receive on or... for permanent, privately owned horse quarantine facilities, contact Dr. Ellen Buck, Staff Veterinary...

Social Influences in Sequential Decision Making

PubMed Central

Schöbel, Markus; Rieskamp, Jörg; Huber, Rafael

2016-01-01

People often make decisions in a social environment. The present work examines social influence on people’s decisions in a sequential decision-making situation. In the first experimental study, we implemented an information cascade paradigm, illustrating that people infer information from decisions of others and use this information to make their own decisions. We followed a cognitive modeling approach to elicit the weight people give to social as compared to private individual information. The proposed social influence model shows that participants overweight their own private information relative to social information, contrary to the normative Bayesian account. In our second study, we embedded the abstract decision problem of Study 1 in a medical decision-making problem. We examined whether in a medical situation people also take others’ authority into account in addition to the information that their decisions convey. The social influence model illustrates that people weight social information differentially according to the authority of other decision makers. The influence of authority was strongest when an authority's decision contrasted with private information. Both studies illustrate how the social environment provides sources of information that people integrate differently for their decisions. PMID:26784448

Social Influences in Sequential Decision Making.

PubMed

Schöbel, Markus; Rieskamp, Jörg; Huber, Rafael

2016-01-01

People often make decisions in a social environment. The present work examines social influence on people's decisions in a sequential decision-making situation. In the first experimental study, we implemented an information cascade paradigm, illustrating that people infer information from decisions of others and use this information to make their own decisions. We followed a cognitive modeling approach to elicit the weight people give to social as compared to private individual information. The proposed social influence model shows that participants overweight their own private information relative to social information, contrary to the normative Bayesian account. In our second study, we embedded the abstract decision problem of Study 1 in a medical decision-making problem. We examined whether in a medical situation people also take others' authority into account in addition to the information that their decisions convey. The social influence model illustrates that people weight social information differentially according to the authority of other decision makers. The influence of authority was strongest when an authority's decision contrasted with private information. Both studies illustrate how the social environment provides sources of information that people integrate differently for their decisions.

District decision-making for health in low-income settings: a qualitative study in Uttar Pradesh, India, on engaging the private health sector in sharing health-related data.

PubMed

Gautham, Meenakshi; Spicer, Neil; Subharwal, Manish; Gupta, Sanjay; Srivastava, Aradhana; Bhattacharyya, Sanghita; Avan, Bilal Iqbal; Schellenberg, Joanna

2016-09-01

Health information systems are an important planning and monitoring tool for public health services, but may lack information from the private health sector. In this fourth article in a series on district decision-making for health, we assessed the extent of maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH)-related data sharing between the private and public sectors in two districts of Uttar Pradesh, India; analysed barriers to data sharing; and identified key inputs required for data sharing. Between March 2013 and August 2014, we conducted 74 key informant interviews at national, state and district levels. Respondents were stakeholders from national, state and district health departments, professional associations, non-governmental programmes and private commercial health facilities with 3-200 beds. Qualitative data were analysed using a framework based on a priori and emerging themes. Private facilities registered for ultrasounds and abortions submitted standardized records on these services, which is compulsory under Indian laws. Data sharing for other services was weak, but most facilities maintained basic records related to institutional deliveries and newborns. Public health facilities in blocks collected these data from a few private facilities using different methods. The major barriers to data sharing included the public sector's non-standardized data collection and utilization systems for MNCH and lack of communication and follow up with private facilities. Private facilities feared information disclosure and the additional burden of reporting, but were willing to share data if asked officially, provided the process was simple and they were assured of confidentiality. Unregistered facilities, managed by providers without a biomedical qualification, also conducted institutional deliveries, but were outside any reporting loops. Our findings suggest that even without legislation, the public sector could set up an effective MNCH data sharing strategy with private registered facilities by developing a standardized and simple system with consistent communication and follow up. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine.

Private patients in NHS hospitals: comparison of two sources of information.

PubMed

Williams, B T; Pearson, J

1999-03-01

The use of National Health Service (NHS) hospitals to treat private patients is debatable on the grounds of equity of access. Hospital Episodes Statistics (HES) annual reports are the only routine source of information on the scale of this activity. The accuracy of the information is doubted. This enquiry tested the completeness of HES data against information obtained directly from private patient unit managers. Managers of the 71 pay bed units in NHS hospitals in England were asked to supply from local registers and accounts the numbers of in-patients and day cases admitted in 1995-1996. Their reports were matched with the numbers of first consultant episodes for private in-patients and day cases shown for those hospitals in the HES data file for that year. Of the 71 units 62 responded; 53 of these gave usable data. The 53 included, and 18 excluded from the comparison, matched on median and range of bed numbers. Managers identified 16 per cent more total admissions than did HES, 62,572 against 54,131; 13 per cent more in-patient admissions, 39,776 against 35,319; and 21 per cent more day cases, 22,796 against 18,812. More total admissions were reported by managers of 38 pay bed units than were recorded in HES, fewer by 12, and equal numbers by three. Similar sized discrepancies were noted for in-patient admissions and day cases. Reasons for the under-reporting of private patients in HES included the use of separate patient administration systems for private patients with a failure to feed data to HES, and the omission of some provider units altogether by a minority of trusts from the returns made to the Department of Health. Overall, HES underestimates the amount of private patient activity reported directly by NHS hospitals. No method of validating private patient data is currently available. An amendment to an existing statistical return would provide a check on numbers. Central guidance on the inclusion of private patient activity in data transmitted by providers to the HES processing agency should be reinforced.

Secret-key-assisted private classical communication capacity over quantum channels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hsieh, Min-Hsiu; Luo, Zhicheng; Brun, Todd

2008-10-01

We prove a regularized formula for the secret-key-assisted capacity region of a quantum channel for transmitting private classical information. This result parallels the work of Devetak (e-print arXiv:quant-ph/0512015) on entanglement-assisted quantum communication capacity . This formula provides a family protocol, the private father protocol, under the resource inequality framework that includes private classical communication without secret-key assistance as a child protocol.

47 CFR 64.1600 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

...) Aggregate information. The term “aggregate information” means collective data that relate to a group or category of services or customers, from which individual customer identities or characteristics have been...

47 CFR 64.1600 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

...) Aggregate information. The term “aggregate information” means collective data that relate to a group or category of services or customers, from which individual customer identities or characteristics have been...

47 CFR 64.1600 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

...) Aggregate information. The term “aggregate information” means collective data that relate to a group or category of services or customers, from which individual customer identities or characteristics have been...

Quantum Private Queries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giovannetti, Vittorio; Lloyd, Seth; Maccone, Lorenzo

2008-06-01

We propose a cheat sensitive quantum protocol to perform a private search on a classical database which is efficient in terms of communication complexity. It allows a user to retrieve an item from the database provider without revealing which item he or she retrieved: if the provider tries to obtain information on the query, the person querying the database can find it out. The protocol ensures also perfect data privacy of the database: the information that the user can retrieve in a single query is bounded and does not depend on the size of the database. With respect to the known (quantum and classical) strategies for private information retrieval, our protocol displays an exponential reduction in communication complexity and in running-time computational complexity.

Examination of the factors and issues for an environmental technology utilization partnership between the private sector and the Department of Energy. Final report

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

Brouse, P.

1997-05-01

The Department of Energy (DOE) held a meeting on November 12, 1992 to evaluate the DOE relations with industry and university partners concerning environmental technology utilization. The goal of this meeting was to receive feedback from DOE industry and university partners for the identification of opportunities to improve the DOE cooperative work processes with the private sector. The meeting was designed to collect information and to turn that information into action to improve private sector partnerships with DOE.

The Process of Privatization of Health Care Provision in Poland.

PubMed

Kaczmarek, Krzysztof; Flynn, Hannah; Letka-Paralusz, Edyta; Krajewski-Siuda, Krzysztof; Gericke, Christian A

In January 1999, a new institutional structure for Poland's health care system was laid out, instigated by the dramatic change in both the political and economic system. Following the dissolution of state socialism, private financing of health care services was encouraged to fill an important role in meeting rising consumer demand and to encourage a more efficient use of resources through competition and private initiative. However, from the outset of the intended transformations, systemic limitations to the privatization process hindered progression, resulting in varying rates of privatization amongst the distinct health care sectors. The aim of this paper is to describe the privatization process and to analyze its pace and differences in strategic approach in all major health care sectors. Policy analysis of legislation, government directives, and published national and international scientific literature on Polish health reforms between 1999 and 2012 was conducted. The analysis demonstrates a clear disparity in privatization rates in different sectors. The pharmaceutical industry is fully privatized in 2012, and the ambulatory and dental sectors both systematically increased their private market shares to around 70% of all services provided. However, despite a steady increase in the number of private hospitals in Poland since 1999, their overall role in the health care system is comparatively limited. Unclear legal regulations have resulted in a gray area between public and private health care, where informal payments impede the intended function of the system. If left unchanged, official health care in Poland is likely to become an increasingly residual service for the worst-off population segments that are unable to afford the legal private sector or the informal payments which guarantee a higher quality service in the public sector. Copyright © 2013, International Society for Pharmacoeconomics and Outcomes Research (ISPOR). Published by Elsevier Inc.

Data Aggregation in Multi-Agent Systems in the Presence of Hybrid Faults

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Srinivasan, Satish Mahadevan

2010-01-01

Data Aggregation (DA) is a set of functions that provide components of a distributed system access to global information for purposes of network management and user services. With the diverse new capabilities that networks can provide, applicability of DA is growing. DA is useful in dealing with multi-value domain information and often requires…

Did Budget Cuts in Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital Payment Affect Hospital Quality of Care?

PubMed Central

Hsieh, Hui-Min; Bazzoli, Gloria J.; Chen, Hsueh-Fen; Stratton, Leslie S.; Clement, Dolores G.

2014-01-01

Background Medicaid Disproportionate Share Hospital (DSH) payments are one of the major sources of financial support for hospitals providing care to low-income patients. However, Medicaid DSH payments will be redirected from hospitals to subsidize individual health insurance purchase through US national health reform. Objectives The purpose of this study is to examine the association between Medicaid DSH payment reductions and nursing-sensitive and birth-related quality of care among Medicaid/uninsured and privately insured patients. Research Design and Method Economic theory of hospital behavior was used as a conceptual framework, and longitudinal data for California hospitals for 1996–2003 were examined. Hospital fixed effects regression models were estimated. The unit of analysis is at the hospital-level, examining two aggregated measures based on the payer category of discharged patients (i.e., Medicaid/uninsured and privately insured). Principal Findings The overall study findings provide at best weak evidence of an association between net Medicaid DSH payments and hospital quality of care for either Medicaid/uninsured or the privately insured patients. The magnitudes of the effects are small and only a few have significant DSH effects. Conclusions Although this study does not find evidence suggesting that reducing Medicaid DSH payments had a strong negative impact on hospital quality of care for Medicaid/uninsured or privately insured patients, the results are not necessarily predictive of the impact national health care reform will have. Research is necessary to monitor hospital quality of care as this reform is implemented. PMID:24714580

The ecology of population dispersal: Modeling alternative basin-plateau foraging strategies to explain the Numic expansion.

PubMed

Magargal, Kate E; Parker, Ashley K; Vernon, Kenneth Blake; Rath, Will; Codding, Brian F

2017-07-08

The expansion of Numic speaking populations into the Great Basin required individuals to adapt to a relatively unproductive landscape. Researchers have proposed numerous social and subsistence strategies to explain how and why these settlers were able to replace any established populations, including private property and intensive plant processing. Here we evaluate these hypotheses and propose a new strategy involving the use of landscape fire to increase resource encounter rates. Implementing a novel, spatially explicit, multi-scalar prey choice model, we examine how individual decisions approximating each alternative strategy (private property, anthropogenic fire, and intensive plant processing) would aggregate at the patch and band level to confer an overall benefit to this colonizing population. Analysis relies on experimental data reporting resource profitability and abundance, ecological data on the historic distribution of vegetation patches, and ethnohistoric data on the distribution of Numic bands. Model results show that while resource privatization and landscape fires produce a substantial advantage, intensified plant processing garners the greatest benefit. The relative benefits of alternative strategies vary significantly across ecological patches resulting in variation across ethnographic band ranges. Combined, a Numic strategy including all three alternatives would substantially increase subsistence yields. The application of a strategy set that includes landscape fire, privatization and intensified processing of seeds and nuts, explains why the Numa were able to outcompete local populations. This approach provides a framework to help explain how individual decisions can result in such population replacement events throughout human history. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Alkali-aggregate reactivity (AAR) facts book.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-03-01

This document provides detailed information on alkali-aggregate reactivity (AAR). It primarily discusses alkali-silica reaction (ASR), covering the chemistry, symptoms, test methods, prevention, specifications, diagnosis and prognosis, and mitigation...

8 CFR 214.12 - Preliminary enrollment of schools in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... of schools in the Student and Exchange Visitor Information System (SEVIS). (a) Private elementary and private secondary schools, public high schools, post-secondary schools, language schools, and vocational... 8 Aliens and Nationality 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Preliminary enrollment of schools in the...

77 FR 61833 - Proposed Collection; Comment Request for Information Collection Tools

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-11

... 1995, Public Law 104-13 (44 U.S.C. 3506(c)(2)(A)). Currently, the IRS is soliciting comments concerning... Private Foundation or Section 4947(a)(1) Nonexempt charitable Trust Treated as a Private Foundation, and... the Internal revenue Code; Form 5227, Split-Interest Trust Information Return; Revenue Procedure 97-33...

Statistical Bulletin: Annual Report On Economic Indicators, 1979.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

American Samoa Development Planning Office, Pago Pago.

Designed to serve as the basis for systematic collection of statistical information for government and the private sector, this bulletin presents a wide variety of economic indicators in tabular form. The data, selected to facilitate government and private planning efforts, are displayed in 25 tables and 27 graphs. Information is organized under…

Workforce Issues: Employment Practices in Selected Large Private Companies

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-03-13

pay practices, and other programs in place or planned to deal with issues such as family concerns, alternatives to traditional work arrangements...older workers, and managing the increasingly diverse workforce. We will issue further reports as we obtain more in-depth information on approaches...the August 11.89 file compiled by Trinet. Inc., a provider (f information on American businesses , This file has information on public and private U.S

Public perceptions of drinking water: a postal survey of residents with private water supplies

PubMed Central

Jones, Andria Q; Dewey, Catherine E; Doré, Kathryn; Majowicz, Shannon E; McEwen, Scott A; David, Waltner-Toews; Eric, Mathews; Carr, Deborah J; Henson, Spencer J

2006-01-01

Background In Canada, the legal responsibility for the condition of private water supplies, including private wells and cisterns, rests with their owners. However, there are reports that Canadians test these water supplies intermittently and that treatment of such water is uncommon. An estimated 45% of all waterborne outbreaks in Canada involve non-municipal systems. An understanding of the perceptions and needs of Canadians served by private water supplies is essential, as it would enable public health professionals to better target public education and drinking water policy. The purpose of this study was to investigate the public perceptions of private water supplies in the City of Hamilton, Ontario (Canada), with the intent of informing public education and outreach strategies within the population. Methods A cross-sectional postal survey of 246 residences with private water supplies was conducted in May 2004. Questions pertained to the perceptions of water quality and alternative water sources, water testing behaviours and the self-identified need for further information. Results Private wells, cisterns or both, were the source of household water for 71%, 16% and 13% of respondents, respectively. Although respondents rated their water quality highly, 80% also had concerns with its safety. The most common concerns pertained to bacterial and chemical contamination of their water supply and its potential negative effect on health. Approximately 56% and 61% of respondents used in-home treatment devices and bottled water within their homes, respectively, mainly due to perceived improvements in the safety and aesthetic qualities compared to regular tap water. Testing of private water supplies was performed infrequently: 8% of respondents tested at a frequency that meets current provincial guidelines. Two-thirds of respondents wanted more information on various topics related to private water supplies. Flyers and newspapers were the two media reported most likely to be used. Conclusion Although respondents rated their water quality highly, the majority had concerns regarding the water from their private supply, and the use of bottled water and water treatment devices was extensive. The results of this study suggest important lines of inquiry and provide support and input for public education programs, particularly those related to private water testing, in this population. PMID:16608511

Automation of aggregate characterization using laser profiling and digital image analysis

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kim, Hyoungkwan

2002-08-01

Particle morphological properties such as size, shape, angularity, and texture are key properties that are frequently used to characterize aggregates. The characteristics of aggregates are crucial to the strength, durability, and serviceability of the structure in which they are used. Thus, it is important to select aggregates that have proper characteristics for each specific application. Use of improper aggregate can cause rapid deterioration or even failure of the structure. The current standard aggregate test methods are generally labor-intensive, time-consuming, and subject to human errors. Moreover, important properties of aggregates may not be captured by the standard methods due to a lack of an objective way of quantifying critical aggregate properties. Increased quality expectations of products along with recent technological advances in information technology are motivating new developments to provide fast and accurate aggregate characterization. The resulting information can enable a real time quality control of aggregate production as well as lead to better design and construction methods of portland cement concrete and hot mix asphalt. This dissertation presents a system to measure various morphological characteristics of construction aggregates effectively. Automatic measurement of various particle properties is of great interest because it has the potential to solve such problems in manual measurements as subjectivity, labor intensity, and slow speed. The main efforts of this research are placed on three-dimensional (3D) laser profiling, particle segmentation algorithms, particle measurement algorithms, and generalized particle descriptors. First, true 3D data of aggregate particles obtained by laser profiling are transformed into digital images. Second, a segmentation algorithm and a particle measurement algorithm are developed to separate particles and process each particle data individually with the aid of various kinds of digital image technologies. Finally, in order to provide a generalized, quantitative, and representative way to characterize aggregate particles, 3D particle descriptors are developed using the multi-resolution analysis feature of wavelet transforms. Verification tests show that this approach could characterize various aggregate properties in a fast, accurate, and reliable way. When implemented, this ability to automatically analyze multiple characteristics of an aggregate sample is expected to provide not only economic but also intangible strategic gains.

Reduction in soil aggregate size distribution due to wind erosion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Swet, Nitzan; Katra, Itzhak

2017-04-01

Soil erosion process by wind causes emission of fine soil particles, and thus alters the topsoil's properties, fertility, and erodibility. Topsoil resistance to erosion depends on its physicochemical properties, especially on the soil aggregation. Although the key role of aggregates in soil erodibility, quantitative information on the relations between soil aggregate size distribution (ASD) and erosion is still lucking. This study focuses on ASD analyses before and after soil erosion by wind. Wind tunnel experiments and soil analyses were conducted on semiarid loess topsoils with different initial conditions of aggregation. The results show that in all initial soil conditions saltation of sand particles caused the breakdown of macro-aggregates > 500 µm, resulting in increase of micro-aggregates (63-250 µm). The micro-aggregate production increases with the wind shear velocity (up to 0.61 m s-1) for soils with available macro-aggregates. The findings highlight dynamics in soil aggregation in response to erosion process, and therefore the significance of ASD in quantifying soil degradation and soil loss potential.

77 FR 70854 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-27

... annual aggregate hour burden for electronic and manual response firms is estimated to be 11,780 (87,454 x... estimates that it will request 500 broker-dealers to supply the contact information identified in Rule 17a-25(c) and estimates the total aggregate burden hours to be 125. Thus, the annual aggregate burden for...

Review of Private Sector Personnel Screening Practices

DTIC Science & Technology

2000-10-01

private sector investigative sources or methods would be useful to the DoD for conducting national security background investigations. The federal government by and large examines more sources and conducts more thorough investigations than industry. In general, private employers (1) have less access to information about applicants...outsource many elements of background checks. It is recommended that the DoD periodically evaluate private sector screening programs and data sources in order to monitor

Multicriteria Decision-Making Approach with Hesitant Interval-Valued Intuitionistic Fuzzy Sets

PubMed Central

Peng, Juan-juan; Wang, Jian-qiang; Wang, Jing; Chen, Xiao-hong

2014-01-01

The definition of hesitant interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy sets (HIVIFSs) is developed based on interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy sets (IVIFSs) and hesitant fuzzy sets (HFSs). Then, some operations on HIVIFSs are introduced in detail, and their properties are further discussed. In addition, some hesitant interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy number aggregation operators based on t-conorms and t-norms are proposed, which can be used to aggregate decision-makers' information in multicriteria decision-making (MCDM) problems. Some valuable proposals of these operators are studied. In particular, based on algebraic and Einstein t-conorms and t-norms, some hesitant interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy algebraic aggregation operators and Einstein aggregation operators can be obtained, respectively. Furthermore, an approach of MCDM problems based on the proposed aggregation operators is given using hesitant interval-valued intuitionistic fuzzy information. Finally, an illustrative example is provided to demonstrate the applicability and effectiveness of the developed approach, and the study is supported by a sensitivity analysis and a comparison analysis. PMID:24983009

Thermodynamic criteria analysis for the use of taro starch spherical aggregates as microencapsulant matrix.

PubMed

Hoyos-Leyva, Javier D; Bello-Pérez, Luis A; Alvarez-Ramirez, J

2018-09-01

Spherical aggregates can be obtained from taro starch by spray-drying without using bonding agents. Accurate information about thermal issues of spherical aggregates can provide valuable information for assessing the application as encapsulant. Spherical aggregates of taro starch were obtained by spray-drying and analyzed using dynamic vapour sorption. The use of the Guggenheim, Anderson and de Boer (GAB) model indicated a Type II isotherm pattern with weaker interactions in the multilayer region. Differential enthalpy and entropy estimates reflected a mesoporous microstructure, implying that energetic mechanisms dominate over transport mechanisms in the sorption process. The limitation by energetic mechanisms was corroborated with enthalpy-entropy compensation estimates. The diffusivity coefficient was of the order of 10 -8  m 2 ·s -1 , which is in line with results obtained for common materials used for encapsulation purposes. The thermodynamic properties and the lack of a bonding agent indicated the viability of spherical aggregates of taro starch for encapsulation of biocompounds. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Government Collection of Private Information: Background and Issues Related to the USA PATRIOT Act Reauthorization

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-23

3 History of Congressional Action ...term is defined in Fourth Amendment jurisprudence. Namely, government action constitutes a search when it intrudes upon a person’s “reasonable...eavesdropping deter vigorous citizen dissent and discussion of Government action in private conversation. For private dissent, no less than open public

Government Collection of Private Information: Background and Issues Related to the USA PATRIOT Act Reauthorization

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-12-09

3 History of Congressional Action ...in Fourth Amendment jurisprudence. Namely, government action constitutes a search when it intrudes upon a person’s “reasonable expectation of privacy...vigorous citizen dissent and discussion of Government action in private conversation. For private dissent, no less than open public discourse, is

32 CFR 516.55 - Witnesses for a State or private litigant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... 32 National Defense 3 2011-07-01 2009-07-01 true Witnesses for a State or private litigant. 516.55... AUTHORITIES AND PUBLIC RELATIONS LITIGATION Release of Information and Appearance of Witnesses Scope Status, Travel, and Expenses of Witnesses § 516.55 Witnesses for a State or private litigant. (a) Status of...

32 CFR 516.55 - Witnesses for a State or private litigant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-07-01

... 32 National Defense 3 2013-07-01 2013-07-01 false Witnesses for a State or private litigant. 516... CIVIL AUTHORITIES AND PUBLIC RELATIONS LITIGATION Release of Information and Appearance of Witnesses Scope Status, Travel, and Expenses of Witnesses § 516.55 Witnesses for a State or private litigant. (a...

32 CFR 516.55 - Witnesses for a State or private litigant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-07-01

... 32 National Defense 3 2014-07-01 2014-07-01 false Witnesses for a State or private litigant. 516... CIVIL AUTHORITIES AND PUBLIC RELATIONS LITIGATION Release of Information and Appearance of Witnesses Scope Status, Travel, and Expenses of Witnesses § 516.55 Witnesses for a State or private litigant. (a...

32 CFR 516.55 - Witnesses for a State or private litigant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-07-01

... 32 National Defense 3 2012-07-01 2009-07-01 true Witnesses for a State or private litigant. 516.55... AUTHORITIES AND PUBLIC RELATIONS LITIGATION Release of Information and Appearance of Witnesses Scope Status, Travel, and Expenses of Witnesses § 516.55 Witnesses for a State or private litigant. (a) Status of...

System Expertise Training Courses in Private Sector: Can They Be Given Online?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Balci Demirci, Birim

2014-01-01

It is widely known that there are many schools in the private sector offering courses in Computer Technology, Computer Engineering, Information Systems and similar disciplines in addition to Universities presenting such courses. The private sector programs are extremely popular with students already studying at university as well as being of great…

75 FR 48731 - Notice of Availability for Public Comment on the Draft Joint Subcommittee on Ocean Science and...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-08-11

..., the academic community and the private sector in providing IOOS environmental information, products... Subcommittee on Ocean Science and Technology--Interagency Ocean Observation Committee Public-Private Use Policy... a 60-day public comment period for the Public-Private Use Policy mandated by the Integrated Coastal...

75 FR 32360 - Proposed Information Collection; Comment Request; Licensing of Private Remote-Sensing Space Systems

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-08

... Collection; Comment Request; Licensing of Private Remote-Sensing Space Systems AGENCY: National Oceanic and.... Abstract NOAA has established requirements for the licensing of private operators of remote-sensing space... Land Remote- Sensing Policy Act of 1992 and with the national security and international obligations of...

Private lands and outdoor recreation in the United States

Treesearch

R. Jeff Teasley; John C. Bergstrom; H. Ken Cordell; Stanley J. Zarnoch; Paul Gentle

1999-01-01

Outdoor recreation on private land is influenced by myriad factors. To provide background and context on these factors, this chapter first overviews the private land situation in the United States and provides general information and discussion related to ownership and tenure, land-use patterns, legal restrictions, and economic conditions, including taxation issues....

Does Private Tutoring Increase Students' Academic Performance? Evidence from Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Berberoglu, Giray; Tansel, Aysit

2014-01-01

This paper investigates the effectiveness of private tutoring in Turkey. The authors introduce their study by providing some background information on the two major national examinations and three different kinds of tutoring. They then describe how they aimed to analyse whether attending private tutoring centres (PTCs) enhances Turkish students'…

Communication complexity and information complexity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pankratov, Denis

Information complexity enables the use of information-theoretic tools in communication complexity theory. Prior to the results presented in this thesis, information complexity was mainly used for proving lower bounds and direct-sum theorems in the setting of communication complexity. We present three results that demonstrate new connections between information complexity and communication complexity. In the first contribution we thoroughly study the information complexity of the smallest nontrivial two-party function: the AND function. While computing the communication complexity of AND is trivial, computing its exact information complexity presents a major technical challenge. In overcoming this challenge, we reveal that information complexity gives rise to rich geometrical structures. Our analysis of information complexity relies on new analytic techniques and new characterizations of communication protocols. We also uncover a connection of information complexity to the theory of elliptic partial differential equations. Once we compute the exact information complexity of AND, we can compute exact communication complexity of several related functions on n-bit inputs with some additional technical work. Previous combinatorial and algebraic techniques could only prove bounds of the form theta( n). Interestingly, this level of precision is typical in the area of information theory, so our result demonstrates that this meta-property of precise bounds carries over to information complexity and in certain cases even to communication complexity. Our result does not only strengthen the lower bound on communication complexity of disjointness by making it more exact, but it also shows that information complexity provides the exact upper bound on communication complexity. In fact, this result is more general and applies to a whole class of communication problems. In the second contribution, we use self-reduction methods to prove strong lower bounds on the information complexity of two of the most studied functions in the communication complexity literature: Gap Hamming Distance (GHD) and Inner Product mod 2 (IP). In our first result we affirm the conjecture that the information complexity of GHD is linear even under the uniform distribution. This strengthens the O(n) bound shown by Kerenidis et al. (2012) and answers an open problem by Chakrabarti et al. (2012). We also prove that the information complexity of IP is arbitrarily close to the trivial upper bound n as the permitted error tends to zero, again strengthening the O(n) lower bound proved by Braverman and Weinstein (2011). More importantly, our proofs demonstrate that self-reducibility makes the connection between information complexity and communication complexity lower bounds a two-way connection. Whereas numerous results in the past used information complexity techniques to derive new communication complexity lower bounds, we explore a generic way, in which communication complexity lower bounds imply information complexity lower bounds in a black-box manner. In the third contribution we consider the roles that private and public randomness play in the definition of information complexity. In communication complexity, private randomness can be trivially simulated by public randomness. Moreover, the communication cost of simulating public randomness with private randomness is well understood due to Newman's theorem (1991). In information complexity, the roles of public and private randomness are reversed: public randomness can be trivially simulated by private randomness. However, the information cost of simulating private randomness with public randomness is not understood. We show that protocols that use only public randomness admit a rather strong compression. In particular, efficient simulation of private randomness by public randomness would imply a version of a direct sum theorem in the setting of communication complexity. This establishes a yet another connection between the two areas. (Abstract shortened by UMI.).

Public or private care: where do specialists spend their time?

PubMed

Freed, Gary L; Turbitt, Erin; Allen, Amy

2017-10-01

Objectives The aim of the present study was to provide data to help clarify the public-private division of clinical care provision by doctors in Australia. Methods A secondary analysis was performed of data from the workforce survey administered by the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency. The questionnaire included demographic and employment questions. Analysis included frequency distributions of demographic variables and mean and median calculations of employment data. Data were analysed from those currently employed in eight adult specialities chosen to provide a mix of surgical and medical fields. The specialties were orthopaedic surgery, otolaryngology, ophthalmology, cardiology, neurology, nephrology, gastroenterology and rheumatology. Results For the specialities analysed in the present study, a large majority of the time spent in patient care was provided in the private sector. For the surgical specialties studied, on average less than 30% of clinical time was spent in the public sector. There was considerable variation among specialties in whether a greater proportion of time was spent in out-patient versus in-patient care and how that was divided between the public and private sectors. Conclusions Ensuring Australians have a medical workforce that meets the needs of the population will require assessments of the public and private medical markets, the needs of each market and the adequacy with which current physician clinical time allocation meets those requirements. By appreciating this nuance, Australia can develop policies and strategies for the current and future speciality workforce to meet the nation's needs. What is known about the topic? Australian medical specialists can split their clinical practice time between the public (e.g. public hospitals, public clinics) and private (e.g. private hospitals, private consulting rooms) sectors. For all medical specialists combined, working hours have been reported to be similar in the public and private sectors. In aggregate, 48% of specialists work across both sectors, 33% work only in public practice and 19% work only in private practice. What does this paper add? Because of the potential for significant variability across specialties, these consolidated figures may be problematic in assessing the public and private allocation of the physician workforce. Herein we provide the first speciality-specific data on the public-private mix of practice in Australia. Among the most important findings from the present study is that, for many specialists in Australia, a large majority of time is spent providing care to patients in the private sector. For the surgical specialties studied, on average less than 30% of clinical time is spent in the public sector. What are the implications for practitioners? Public policies that are designed to ensure an adequate medical workforce will need to take into account the division of time providing care in the public vs. the private sector. Public perceptions of shortages in the public sector may increase the availability of public sector positions.

Do Low-Cost Private School Leavers in the Informal Settlement Have a Good Chance of Admission to a Government Secondary school? A Study from Kibera in Kenya

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ohba, Asayo

2013-01-01

There are growing numbers of low-cost private schools in urban informal settlements in developing countries. It has been argued that these institutions may constitute alternatives for government schools, as they are able to meet the educational needs of children in urban informal settlements. This study explores the question of whether low-cost…

78 FR 77545 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; Topaz Exchange LLC; Notice of Filing and Immediate Effectiveness...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-23

.... The Top Quote Feed provides real-time aggregated volume of all quotes and orders at the top price... aggregated volume of all quotes and orders available at each of the top five price levels on the Exchange... information that can help subscribers make informed investment decisions, and operate in the same manner as...

Identification of walked-upon materials in auditory, kinesthetic, haptic, and audio-haptic conditions.

PubMed

Giordano, Bruno L; Visell, Yon; Yao, Hsin-Yun; Hayward, Vincent; Cooperstock, Jeremy R; McAdams, Stephen

2012-05-01

Locomotion generates multisensory information about walked-upon objects. How perceptual systems use such information to get to know the environment remains unexplored. The ability to identify solid (e.g., marble) and aggregate (e.g., gravel) walked-upon materials was investigated in auditory, haptic or audio-haptic conditions, and in a kinesthetic condition where tactile information was perturbed with a vibromechanical noise. Overall, identification performance was better than chance in all experimental conditions and for both solids and the better identified aggregates. Despite large mechanical differences between the response of solids and aggregates to locomotion, for both material categories discrimination was at its worst in the auditory and kinesthetic conditions and at its best in the haptic and audio-haptic conditions. An analysis of the dominance of sensory information in the audio-haptic context supported a focus on the most accurate modality, haptics, but only for the identification of solid materials. When identifying aggregates, response biases appeared to produce a focus on the least accurate modality--kinesthesia. When walking on loose materials such as gravel, individuals do not perceive surfaces by focusing on the most accurate modality, but by focusing on the modality that would most promptly signal postural instabilities.

Evaluation of available data sources to prioritize parishes for arsenic monitoring and outreach related to private well drinking water.

PubMed

Katner, Adrienne; Lackovic, Michelle; Streva, Kate; Paul, Vanessa; Trachtman, William Clay

2015-01-01

The objective of this assessment was to identify and evaluate data sets for use in the surveillance of arsenic hazards and private well drinking water use in Louisiana. Features, strengths, and limitations of the data sets are described, and prioritization criteria are applied to identify areas in need of further monitoring or outreach. Recent efforts have been made by the Environmental Public Health Tracking Network to evaluate the quality of private well water data for the purpose of supporting state and national surveillance activities. Like most states, Louisiana does not collect or mandate reporting of private well water quality data. Therefore, responding to public concerns about private well water quality requires an identification and evaluation of existing data. Data evaluated include measures of arsenic in groundwater and soil, private well water use, and biomonitoring results. The Environmental Protection Agency's Safe Drinking Water Information System and the US Geological Survey's Water Use data set were the most informative, nationally available data sets for conducting private well water arsenic surveillance. Three priority parishes were identified on the basis of a selection criteria, although all parishes require more private well sampling data. While the data reviewed enabled preliminary identification of parishes in need of monitoring and outreach, data limitations (particularly, a lack of statewide well water quality data) prevent a comprehensive evaluation of well water arsenic hazards and private well water use. A large number of unregistered wells further impede risk determination. Reliance on existing data sources is necessary, but development of metadata documentation is essential to prevent data misinterpretation. Increased outreach and policies to promote or mandate private well testing and reporting are needed to enable a comprehensive private well water tracking system.

Is the practice of public or private sector doctors more evidence-based? A qualitative study from Vellore, India.

PubMed

Akinyemi, Oluwaseun O; Martineau, Tim; Tharyan, Prathap

2015-06-01

The literature on the use of evidence-based practice is sparse, both in the public and private sectors in middle-and low-income countries, and the present literature shows that physician understanding and use of evidence-based practice is poor. The study aimed to explore the perception of medical practitioners in the private for-profit, private not-for-profit and government sectors in Vellore, India, on evidence-based practice, in order to explain the factors affecting the use of evidence-based practice among the practitioners and to inform local policy and management decisions for improvement in quality of care. Qualitative methodology was employed in the study. Sixteen in-depth and two key informant interviews were carried out with medical practitioners selected by purposive sampling in the private for-profit, private not-for-profit and government sectors. The interviews explored participants' knowledge of evidence-based practice, factors affecting its use and possible ways of improving the use of evidence-based practice among physicians in all the health sectors. Data from the in-depth and key informant interviews were analyzed with the NVIVO (version 8) software package using the framework approach. Although most practitioners interviewed have heard of evidence-based practice, knowledge about evidence-based practice seems inadequate. However, doctors in the private not-for-profit sector seem to be more familiar with the concept of evidence-based practice. Also, practitioners in the private not-for profit sector appear to use medical evidence more in their practices compared to government practitioners or doctors in the private for-profit sector. Perceived factors affecting physician use of evidence-based practice include lack of personal time for literature appraisal as a result of high case load, weak regulatory system, pressure from patients, caregivers and pharmaceutical companies, as well as financial considerations. Opinions of the respondents are that use of evidence-based practice is mostly found among practitioners in the private not-for-profit health sector. Better training in evidence-based practice, improved regulatory system and greater collaboration between the public, private for-profit and private not-for-profit sectors with regards to training in evidence-based practice - literature search and critical appraisal skills - were suggested as needed to improve the present situation.

Market power, private information and the optimal scale of pollution permit markets with application to North Carolina’s Neuse River

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

We extend the analysis of optimal scale in pollution permit markets by allowing for both market power and private information. The effect of these considerations on optimal scale is determined by analyzing pollution of nitrogen from Waste Water Treatment Plants (WWTP) into North Carolina’s Neuse Riv...

Effectiveness and Efficiencies of Private Military Corporations

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-06-01

generalize. While some private military corporations provide direct combat services , others provide ancillary services —such as laundry and food...collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington headquarters Services , Directorate for Information...for traditional military forces. The PMC consists of a for profit firm that provides military services that range from combat operations to training

Building the vision, a series of AZTech ITS model deployment success stories for the Phoenix metropolitan area : number eleven : information connection, creating a state-of-the-art privatized traveler information system

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-01-01

As an international showcase for intelligent transportation, AZTech has a mission of creating a regional intermodal transportation system through public and private partnerships. In working toward this lofty goal, AZTech's most valuable commodity has...

77 FR 54367 - Sharing Information Between the Department of Veterans Affairs and the Department of Defense

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-09-05

... by the private sector, of $100 million or more (adjusted annually for inflation) in any one year. This rule will have no such effect on State, local, and tribal governments, or on the private sector..., Veterans Health Administration Privacy Officer (10P2C1), Health Information Governance, Office of...

Fault-tolerant symmetrically-private information retrieval

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Tian-Yin; Cai, Xiao-Qiu; Zhang, Rui-Ling

2016-08-01

We propose two symmetrically-private information retrieval protocols based on quantum key distribution, which provide a good degree of database and user privacy while being flexible, loss-resistant and easily generalized to a large database similar to the precedent works. Furthermore, one protocol is robust to a collective-dephasing noise, and the other is robust to a collective-rotation noise.

Women Leading and Owning Schools in Bangladesh: Opportunities in Public, Informal, and Private Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sperandio, Jill

2007-01-01

In this article I describe the extent to which Bangladeshi women have taken advantage of the increased opportunities both to lead and manage educational institutions and to own them. I use data from government and informal sector educational institutions and interviews with female private school owners collected during fieldwork in Bangladesh. I…

One Approach to a Pluralist Dilemma: Private School Aid Policy in France, 1959-1985.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fowler, Frances C.

Information about the French policy of government aid to private schools is presented in this report to promote understanding in the United States of the pluralist dilemma raised by the private school aid issue. An historical longitudinal policy evaluation involved document analysis and interviews with 16 French policy actors. The French policy is…

Public/Private Sector Interactions: The Implications for Networking. A Discussion Report Prepared by the Network Advisory Committee.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Network Planning Paper, 1983

1983-01-01

At a 2-day meeting in October 1982, the Library of Congress Network Advisory Committee (NAC) members discussed the complex issues involved in public and private sector interactions and their relationship to networking activities. The report, "Public Sector/Private Sector Interaction in Providing Information Services," prepared by the…

What Works in Student Retention? Fourth National Survey. Private Four-Year Colleges and Universities Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

ACT, Inc., 2010

2010-01-01

This report presents the findings for private four-year colleges that participated in ACT's 2010 What Works in Student Retention survey. The report contains information pertinent to only these institutions. Appended are: (1) Data for Private Four-Year Colleges and Universities; and (2) What Works in Student Retention: Instrument. (Contains 15…

Alternative Fuels Data Center

Science.gov Websites

to achieve the Replacement Fuel Goal. For more information on the Private and Local Government Fleet Private and Local Government Fleets Under the Energy Policy Act (EPAct) of 1992, the U.S . Department of Energy (DOE) was directed to determine whether private and local government fleets should be

Patients as healthcare consumers in the public and private sectors: a qualitative study of acupuncture in the UK.

PubMed

Bishop, Felicity L; Barlow, Fiona; Coghlan, Beverly; Lee, Philippa; Lewith, George T

2011-05-27

The aim of this study was to compare patients' experiences of public and private sector healthcare, using acupuncture as an example. In the UK, acupuncture is popular with patients, is recommended in official guidelines for low back pain, and is available in both the private sector and the public sector (NHS). Consumerism was used as a theoretical framework to explore patients' experiences. Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted in 2007-8 with a purposive sample of 27 patients who had recently used acupuncture for painful conditions in the private sector and/or in the NHS. Inductive thematic analysis was used to develop themes that summarised the bulk of the data and provided insights into consumerism in NHS- and private practice-based acupuncture. Five main themes were identified: value for money and willingness to pay; free and fair access; individualised holistic care: feeling cared for; consequences of choice: empowerment and vulnerability; and "just added extras": physical environment. Patients who had received acupuncture in the private sector constructed detailed accounts of the benefits of private care. Patients who had not received acupuncture in the private sector expected minimal differences from NHS care, and those differences were seen as not integral to treatment. The private sector facilitated consumerist behaviour to a greater extent than did the NHS, but private consumers appeared to base their decisions on unreliable and incomplete information. Patients used and experienced acupuncture differently in the NHS compared to the private sector. Eight different faces of consumerist behaviour were identified, but six were dominant: consumer as chooser, consumer as pragmatist, consumer as patient, consumer as earnest explorer, consumer as victim, and consumer as citizen. The decision to use acupuncture in either the private sector or the NHS was rarely well-informed: NHS and private patients both had misconceptions about acupuncture in the other sector. Future research should evaluate whether the differences we identified in patients' experiences across private and public healthcare are common, whether they translate into significant differences in clinical outcomes, and whether similar faces of consumerism characterise patients' experiences of other interventions in the private and public sectors.

Patients as healthcare consumers in the public and private sectors: a qualitative study of acupuncture in the UK

PubMed Central

2011-01-01

Background The aim of this study was to compare patients' experiences of public and private sector healthcare, using acupuncture as an example. In the UK, acupuncture is popular with patients, is recommended in official guidelines for low back pain, and is available in both the private sector and the public sector (NHS). Consumerism was used as a theoretical framework to explore patients' experiences. Methods Semi-structured face-to-face interviews were conducted in 2007-8 with a purposive sample of 27 patients who had recently used acupuncture for painful conditions in the private sector and/or in the NHS. Inductive thematic analysis was used to develop themes that summarised the bulk of the data and provided insights into consumerism in NHS- and private practice-based acupuncture. Results Five main themes were identified: value for money and willingness to pay; free and fair access; individualised holistic care: feeling cared for; consequences of choice: empowerment and vulnerability; and "just added extras": physical environment. Patients who had received acupuncture in the private sector constructed detailed accounts of the benefits of private care. Patients who had not received acupuncture in the private sector expected minimal differences from NHS care, and those differences were seen as not integral to treatment. The private sector facilitated consumerist behaviour to a greater extent than did the NHS, but private consumers appeared to base their decisions on unreliable and incomplete information. Conclusions Patients used and experienced acupuncture differently in the NHS compared to the private sector. Eight different faces of consumerist behaviour were identified, but six were dominant: consumer as chooser, consumer as pragmatist, consumer as patient, consumer as earnest explorer, consumer as victim, and consumer as citizen. The decision to use acupuncture in either the private sector or the NHS was rarely well-informed: NHS and private patients both had misconceptions about acupuncture in the other sector. Future research should evaluate whether the differences we identified in patients' experiences across private and public healthcare are common, whether they translate into significant differences in clinical outcomes, and whether similar faces of consumerism characterise patients' experiences of other interventions in the private and public sectors. PMID:21619572

Aggregate measures of ecosystem services: Can we take the pulse of nature?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Meyerson, L.A.; Baron, Jill S.; Melillo, J.M.; Naiman, R.J.; O'Malley, R.I.; Orians, G.; Palmer, Margaret A.; Pfaff, Alexander S.P.; Running, S.W.; Sala, O.E.

2005-01-01

National scale aggregate indicators of ecosystem services are useful for stimulating and supporting a broad public discussion about trends in the provision of these services. There are important considerations involved in producing an aggregate indicator, including whether the scientific and technological capacity exists, how to address varying perceptions of the societal importance of different services, and how to communicate information about these services to both decision makers and the general public. Although the challenges are formidable, they are not insurmountable. Quantification of ecosystem services and dissemination of information to decision makers and the public is critical for the responsible and sustainable management of natural resources.

Who, What, Where: an analysis of private sector family planning provision in 57 low- and middle-income countries.

PubMed

Campbell, Oona M R; Benova, Lenka; Macleod, David; Goodman, Catherine; Footman, Katharine; Pereira, Audrey L; Lynch, Caroline A

2015-12-01

Family planning service delivery has been neglected; rigorous analyses of the patterns of contraceptive provision are needed to inform strategies to address this neglect. We used 57 nationally representative Demographic and Health Surveys in low- and middle-income countries (2000-2013) in four geographic regions to estimate need for contraceptive services, and examined the sector of provision, by women's socio-economic position. We also assessed method mix and whether women were informed of side effects. Modern contraceptive use among women in need was lowest in sub-Saharan Africa (39%), with other regions ranging from 64% to 72%. The private sector share of the family planning market was 37-39% of users across the regions and 37% overall (median across countries: 41%). Private sector users accessed medical providers (range across regions: 30-60%, overall mean: 54% and median across countries 23%), specialised drug sellers (range across regions: 31-52%, overall mean: 36% and median across countries: 43%) and retailers (range across regions: 3-14%, overall mean: 6% and median across countries: 6%). Private retailers played a more important role in sub-Saharan Africa (14%) than in other regions (3-5%). NGOs and FBOs served a small percentage. Privileged women (richest wealth quintile, urban residents or secondary-/tertiary-level education) used private sector services more than the less privileged. Contraceptive method types with higher requirements (medical skills) for provision were less likely to be acquired from the private sector, while short-acting methods/injectables were more likely. The percentages of women informed of side effects varied by method and provider subtype, but within subtypes were higher among public than private medical providers for four of five methods assessed. Given the importance of private sector providers, we need to understand why women choose their services, what quality services the private sector provides, and how it can be improved. However, when prioritising one of the two sectors (public vs. private), it is critical to consider the potential impact on contraceptive prevalence and equity of met need. © 2015 The Authors. Tropical Medicine & International Health Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Probable causes of increasing brucellosis in free-ranging elk of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cross, P.C.; Cole, E.K.; Dobson, A.P.; Edwards, W.H.; Hamlin, K.L.; Luikart, G.; Middleton, A.D.; Scurlock, B.M.; White, P.J.

2010-01-01

While many wildlife species are threatened, some populations have recovered from previous overexploitation, and data linking these population increases with disease dynamics are limited. We present data suggesting that free-ranging elk (Cervus elaphus) are a maintenance host for Brucella abortus in new areas of the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem (GYE). Brucellosis seroprevalence in free-ranging elk increased from 0-7% in 1991-1992 to 8-20% in 2006-2007 in four of six herd units around the GYE. These levels of brucellosis are comparable to some herd units where elk are artificially aggregated on supplemental feeding grounds. There are several possible mechanisms for this increase that we evaluated using statistical and population modeling approaches. Simulations of an age-structured population model suggest that the observed levels of seroprevalence are unlikely to be sustained by dispersal from supplemental feeding areas with relatively high seroprevalence or an older age structure. Increases in brucellosis seroprevalence and the total elk population size in areas with feeding grounds have not been statistically detectable. Meanwhile, the rate of seroprevalence increase outside the feeding grounds was related to the population size and density of each herd unit. Therefore, the data suggest that enhanced elk-to-elk transmission in free-ranging populations may be occurring due to larger winter elk aggregations. Elk populations inside and outside of the GYE that traditionally did not maintain brucellosis may now be at risk due to recent population increases. In particular, some neighboring populations of Montana elk were 5-9 times larger in 2007 than in the 1970s, with some aggregations comparable to the Wyoming feeding-ground populations. Addressing the unintended consequences of these increasing populations is complicated by limited hunter access to private lands, which places many ungulate populations out of administrative control. Agency-landowner hunting access partnerships and the protection of large predators are two management strategies that may be used to target high ungulate densities in private refuges and reduce the current and future burden of disease. ?? 2010 by the Ecological Society of America.

A Proposal for Public and Private Partnership in Extension.

PubMed

Krell, Rayda K; Fisher, Marc L; Steffey, Kevin L

2016-01-01

Public funding for Extension in the United States has been decreasing for many years, but farmers' need for robust information on which to make management decisions has not diminished. The current Extension funding challenges provide motivation to explore a different model for developing and delivering extension. The private sector has partnered with the public sector to fund and conduct agricultural research, but partnering on extension delivery has occurred far less frequently. The fundamental academic strength and established Extension network of the public sector combined with the ability of the private sector to encourage and deliver practical, implementable solutions has the potential to provide measurable benefits to farmers. This paper describes the current Extension climate, presents data from a survey about Extension and industry relationships, presents case studies of successful public- and private-sector extension partnerships, and proposes a framework for evaluating the state of effective partnerships. Synergistic public-private extension efforts could ensure that farmers receive the most current and balanced information available to help with their management decisions.

A Proposal for Public and Private Partnership in Extension

PubMed Central

Krell, Rayda K.; Fisher, Marc L.; Steffey, Kevin L.

2016-01-01

Public funding for Extension in the United States has been decreasing for many years, but farmers’ need for robust information on which to make management decisions has not diminished. The current Extension funding challenges provide motivation to explore a different model for developing and delivering extension. The private sector has partnered with the public sector to fund and conduct agricultural research, but partnering on extension delivery has occurred far less frequently. The fundamental academic strength and established Extension network of the public sector combined with the ability of the private sector to encourage and deliver practical, implementable solutions has the potential to provide measurable benefits to farmers. This paper describes the current Extension climate, presents data from a survey about Extension and industry relationships, presents case studies of successful public- and private-sector extension partnerships, and proposes a framework for evaluating the state of effective partnerships. Synergistic public–private extension efforts could ensure that farmers receive the most current and balanced information available to help with their management decisions. PMID:26949567

Performance reporting for consumers: issues for the Australian private hospital sector.

PubMed

Sheahan, Margo; Little, Russ; Leggat, Sandra G

2007-05-30

A group of consumers of private hospital services and their carers collaborated with staff of a Melbourne private hospital and with industry representatives to develop a consumer-driven performance report on cardiac services. During the development process participating consumers identified situational and structural barriers to their right to be informed of costs, to choice and to quality care. Their growing appreciation of these barriers led them to a different perspective on performance reporting, which resulted in their redirecting the project. The consumer participants no longer wanted a performance report that provided comparative quantitative data. Instead they designed a report that outlined the structures, systems and processes the hospital had in place to address the quality and safety of services provided. In addition, consumer participants developed a decision support tool for consumers to use in navigating the private health care sector. The journey of these consumers in creating a consumer driven performance report for a private hospital service may assist those responsible for governance of Australia's health system in choosing appropriate strategies and mechanisms to enhance private hospital accountability. The situational and institutional industry barriers to choice, information and quality identified by these consumers need to be addressed before public performance reporting for private hospitals is introduced in Australia.

Privatization of solid waste collection services: Lessons from Gaborone.

PubMed

Bolaane, Benjamin; Isaac, Emmanuel

2015-06-01

Formal privatization of solid waste collection activities has often been flagged as a suitable intervention for some of the challenges of solid waste management experienced by developing countries. Proponents of outsourcing collection to the private sector argue that in contrast to the public sector, it is more effective and efficient in delivering services. This essay is a comparative case study of efficiency and effectiveness attributes between the public and the formal private sector, in relation to the collection of commercial waste in Gaborone. The paper is based on analysis of secondary data and key informant interviews. It was found that while, the private sector performed comparatively well in most of the chosen indicators of efficiency and effectiveness, the public sector also had areas where it had a competitive advantage. For instance, the private sector used the collection crew more efficiently, while the public sector was found to have a more reliable workforce. The study recommends that, while formal private sector participation in waste collection has some positive effects in terms of quality of service rendered, in most developing countries, it has to be enhanced by building sufficient capacity within the public sector on information about services contracted out and evaluation of performance criteria within the contracting process. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Performance reporting for consumers: issues for the Australian private hospital sector

PubMed Central

Sheahan, Margo; Little, Russ; Leggat, Sandra G

2007-01-01

A group of consumers of private hospital services and their carers collaborated with staff of a Melbourne private hospital and with industry representatives to develop a consumer-driven performance report on cardiac services. During the development process participating consumers identified situational and structural barriers to their right to be informed of costs, to choice and to quality care. Their growing appreciation of these barriers led them to a different perspective on performance reporting, which resulted in their redirecting the project. The consumer participants no longer wanted a performance report that provided comparative quantitative data. Instead they designed a report that outlined the structures, systems and processes the hospital had in place to address the quality and safety of services provided. In addition, consumer participants developed a decision support tool for consumers to use in navigating the private health care sector. The journey of these consumers in creating a consumer driven performance report for a private hospital service may assist those responsible for governance of Australia's health system in choosing appropriate strategies and mechanisms to enhance private hospital accountability. The situational and institutional industry barriers to choice, information and quality identified by these consumers need to be addressed before public performance reporting for private hospitals is introduced in Australia. PMID:17537238

What makes 'big data' different from 'regular data' within radiology? The easiest answer: when it no longer fits into Excel!

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lindsköld, L.; Alvfeldt, G.; Wintell, M.

2015-03-01

One of the challenges of today's healthcare is that data from radiology is heterogeneous, stored and managed in silos created by PACS vendors. Also seen is a lack of coordinated use of harmonized reference information models and established healthcare standards. Radiology in Region Västra Götaland has been entering the world of "Big Data" since 2006, 34 departments split into 4 private image center, 2 small-size hospital, 4 middle-sized hospital groups and one University hospital. Using the same information infrastructure as a means of collaborating and sharing information between. As an organization building for the future we must meet the values and requirements of the stakeholders and count the patient as the major actor. Can "Big Data" analytics be a valuable asset from a regional management perspective? Our initial findings indicates that this is the case, based on three different perspectives - work practice changes, understanding data quality when sharing information and introducing new services in work practice. Going from local to enterprise workflow utilizing the power of "Big Data", not only by volume but also by combining diverse sources and aggregate the information domains, visualize new trends as well as dependencies more effectively. Building trust by the use of Big Data in healthcare involves a long and winding journey, but the persevering infrastructure-oriented organization will give new ways of collaboration for the enterprise it serves. It also involves continuous negotiation with people concerning how and why they should collaborate with new actors within the region to achieve patient centric care. This will nurture a more open-minded, hopeful and life-affirming holistic approach involving all stakeholders, newcomers' specialists and patients.

Organizational Productivity Measurement: The Development and Evaluation of an Integrated Approach.

DTIC Science & Technology

1987-07-01

measurement and aggregation strategy also has applications in management r information systems, performance appraisal , and other situations where multiple...larger organizational units. The basic measurement and aggregation strategy also has applications in manage- "".". ment information systems, criterion...much has been written on the subject of organizational productiv- ity, there is little consensus concerning its definition ( Tuttle , 1983). Such a lack

Using time-delayed mutual information to discover and interpret temporal correlation structure in complex populations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Albers, D. J.; Hripcsak, George

2012-03-01

This paper addresses how to calculate and interpret the time-delayed mutual information (TDMI) for a complex, diversely and sparsely measured, possibly non-stationary population of time-series of unknown composition and origin. The primary vehicle used for this analysis is a comparison between the time-delayed mutual information averaged over the population and the time-delayed mutual information of an aggregated population (here, aggregation implies the population is conjoined before any statistical estimates are implemented). Through the use of information theoretic tools, a sequence of practically implementable calculations are detailed that allow for the average and aggregate time-delayed mutual information to be interpreted. Moreover, these calculations can also be used to understand the degree of homo or heterogeneity present in the population. To demonstrate that the proposed methods can be used in nearly any situation, the methods are applied and demonstrated on the time series of glucose measurements from two different subpopulations of individuals from the Columbia University Medical Center electronic health record repository, revealing a picture of the composition of the population as well as physiological features.

Extending Value of Information Methods to Include the Co-Net Benefits of Earth Observations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Macauley, M.

2015-12-01

The widening relevance of Earth observations information across the spectrum of natural and environmental resources markedly enhances the value of these observations. An example is observations of forest extent, species composition, health, and change; this information can help in assessing carbon sequestration, biodiversity and habitat, watershed management, fuelwood potential, and other ecosystem services as well as inform the opportunity cost of forest removal for alternative land use such as agriculture, pasture, or development. These "stacked" indicators or co- net benefits add significant value to Earth observations. In part because of reliance on case studies, much previous research about the value of information from Earth observations has assessed individual applications rather than aggregate across applications, thus tending to undervalue the observations. Aggregating across applications is difficult, however, because it requires common units of measurement: controlling for spatial, spectral, and temporal attributes of the observations; and consistent application of value of information techniques. This paper will discuss general principles of co-net benefit aggregation and illustrate its application to attributing value to Earth observations.

Bayesian markets to elicit private information.

PubMed

Baillon, Aurélien

2017-07-25

Financial markets reveal what investors think about the future, and prediction markets are used to forecast election results. Could markets also encourage people to reveal private information, such as subjective judgments (e.g., "Are you satisfied with your life?") or unverifiable facts? This paper shows how to design such markets, called Bayesian markets. People trade an asset whose value represents the proportion of affirmative answers to a question. Their trading position then reveals their own answer to the question. The results of this paper are based on a Bayesian setup in which people use their private information (their "type") as a signal. Hence, beliefs about others' types are correlated with one's own type. Bayesian markets transform this correlation into a mechanism that rewards truth telling. These markets avoid two complications of alternative methods: they need no knowledge of prior information and no elicitation of metabeliefs regarding others' signals.

Optimal public rationing and price response.

PubMed

Grassi, Simona; Ma, Ching-To Albert

2011-12-01

We study optimal public health care rationing and private sector price responses. Consumers differ in their wealth and illness severity (defined as treatment cost). Due to a limited budget, some consumers must be rationed. Rationed consumers may purchase from a monopolistic private market. We consider two information regimes. In the first, the public supplier rations consumers according to their wealth information (means testing). In equilibrium, the public supplier must ration both rich and poor consumers. Rationing some poor consumers implements price reduction in the private market. In the second information regime, the public supplier rations consumers according to consumers' wealth and cost information. In equilibrium, consumers are allocated the good if and only if their costs are below a threshold (cost effectiveness). Rationing based on cost results in higher equilibrium consumer surplus than rationing based on wealth. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Bayesian markets to elicit private information

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Financial markets reveal what investors think about the future, and prediction markets are used to forecast election results. Could markets also encourage people to reveal private information, such as subjective judgments (e.g., “Are you satisfied with your life?”) or unverifiable facts? This paper shows how to design such markets, called Bayesian markets. People trade an asset whose value represents the proportion of affirmative answers to a question. Their trading position then reveals their own answer to the question. The results of this paper are based on a Bayesian setup in which people use their private information (their “type”) as a signal. Hence, beliefs about others’ types are correlated with one’s own type. Bayesian markets transform this correlation into a mechanism that rewards truth telling. These markets avoid two complications of alternative methods: they need no knowledge of prior information and no elicitation of metabeliefs regarding others’ signals. PMID:28696293

Illinois Pesticide Applicator Study Guide. A Training Manual for Private and Commercial Pesticide Applicators and Operators. Special Publication 39.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bever, Wayne; And Others

This study guide is designed to provide the necessary information to prepare for certification as a private or commercial pesticide applicator. In addition to providing basic information covering the various sections of the amended Federal Insecticide, Fungicide, and Rodenticide Act, it contains a glossary of common pesticide terms, a list of…

Relativistic quantum private database queries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Si-Jia; Yang, Yu-Guang; Zhang, Ming-Ou

2015-04-01

Recently, Jakobi et al. (Phys Rev A 83, 022301, 2011) suggested the first practical private database query protocol (J-protocol) based on the Scarani et al. (Phys Rev Lett 92, 057901, 2004) quantum key distribution protocol. Unfortunately, the J-protocol is just a cheat-sensitive private database query protocol. In this paper, we present an idealized relativistic quantum private database query protocol based on Minkowski causality and the properties of quantum information. Also, we prove that the protocol is secure in terms of the user security and the database security.

Understanding curcumin-induced modulation of protein aggregation.

PubMed

Ahmad, Basir; Borana, Mohanish S; Chaudhary, Ankur P

2017-07-01

Curcumin, a diarylheptanoid compound, found in spice turmeric is known to alter the aggregation of proteins and reduce the toxicity of the aggregates. This review looks at the molecular basis of modulating protein aggregation and toxicity of the aggregates. Foremost, we identify the interaction of curcumin and its derivatives with proteins/peptides and the effect of their interaction on the conformational stability and unfolding/folding pathway(s). The unfolding/folding processes generate partially folded/unfolded intermediate, which serve as aggregation precursor state. Secondly, we discuss the effect of curcumin binding on the kinetics parameters of the aggregation process, which give information about the mechanism of the aggregation inhibition. We describe, in addition, that curcumin can accelerate/promote fibril formation by binding to oligomeric intermediate(s) accumulated in the aggregation pathway. Finally, we discuss the correlation of curcumin-induced monomeric and/or oligomeric precursor states with aggregate structure and toxicity. On the basis of these discussions, we propose a model describing curcumin-induced inhibition/promotion of formation of amyloid-like fibrils. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

75 FR 8049 - Notice of Proposed Information Collection Requests

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-02-23

... Management. Institute of Education Sciences Type of Review: Revision. Title: Private School Universe Survey...: 15,867. Burden Hours: 3,186. Abstract: Since 1989, the Private School Universe Survey (PSS) provides...

Efficient Double Auction Mechanisms in the Energy Grid with Connected and Islanded Microgrids

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faqiry, Mohammad Nazif

The future energy grid is expected to operate in a decentralized fashion as a network of autonomous microgrids that are coordinated by a Distribution System Operator (DSO), which should allocate energy to them in an efficient manner. Each microgrid operating in either islanded or grid-connected mode may be considered to manage its own resources. This can take place through auctions with individual units of the microgrid as the agents. This research proposes efficient auction mechanisms for the energy grid, with is-landed and connected microgrids. The microgrid level auction is carried out by means of an intermediate agent called an aggregator. The individual consumer and producer units are modeled as selfish agents. With the microgrid in islanded mode, two aggregator-level auction classes are analyzed: (i) price-heterogeneous, and (ii) price homogeneous. Under the price heterogeneity paradigm, this research extends earlier work on the well-known, single-sided Kelly mechanism to double auctions. As in Kelly auctions, the proposed algorithm implements the bidding without using any agent level private infor-mation (i.e. generation capacity and utility functions). The proposed auction is shown to be an efficient mechanism that maximizes the social welfare, i.e. the sum of the utilities of all the agents. Furthermore, the research considers the situation where a subset of agents act as a coalition to redistribute the allocated energy and price using any other specific fairness criterion. The price homogeneous double auction algorithm proposed in this research ad-dresses the problem of price-anticipation, where each agent tries to influence the equilibri-um price of energy by placing strategic bids. As a result of this behavior, the auction's efficiency is lowered. This research proposes a novel approach that is implemented by the aggregator, called virtual bidding, where the efficiency can be asymptotically maximized, even in the presence of price anticipatory bidders. Next, an auction mechanism for the energy grid, with multiple connected mi-crogrids is considered. A globally efficient bi-level auction algorithm is proposed. At the upper-level, the algorithm takes into account physical grid constraints in allocating energy to the microgrids. It is implemented by the DSO as a linear objective quadratic constraint problem that allows price heterogeneity across the aggregators. In parallel, each aggrega-tor implements its own lower-level price homogeneous auction with virtual bidding. The research concludes with a preliminary study on extending the DSO level auc-tion to multi-period day-ahead scheduling. It takes into account storage units and conven-tional generators that are present in the grid by formulating the auction as a mixed inte-ger linear programming problem.

I'm so Aggregated...and I Think I Like It: Taking Another Look at Electronic Journal Aggregation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Emery, Jill

2008-01-01

It has been a decade since the first aggregator journal packages began to become available at academic and public libraries throughout the United States of America. During these 10 years, the library and information science community has published numerous articles on the pros and cons of this method of delivery and these collections, more than…

Colorado River fish monitoring in Grand Canyon, Arizona; 2002–14 humpback chub aggregations

USGS Publications Warehouse

Persons, William R.; Van Haverbeke, David R.; Dodrill, Michael J.

2017-01-31

The humpback chub (Gila cypha) is an endangered cyprinid species endemic to the Colorado River. The largest remaining population of the species spawns and rears in the Little Colorado River in Grand Canyon. Construction and operation of Glen Canyon Dam has altered the main-stem Colorado River in Glen and Grand Canyons. Cold, clear water releases from the dam result in a river that is generally unsuitable for successful humpback chub reproduction. During the early 1990s, nine locations within the main-stem Colorado River were identified as humpback chub aggregations—areas with a consistent and disjunct group of fish with no significant exchange of individuals with other aggregations. We monitored main-stem Colorado River aggregations of humpback chub in Grand Canyon during 2010 to 2014 and compared our results to previous investigations. Relative abundance, as described by catch per unit effort (fish per hour) of adult humpback chub at most main-stem aggregations, generally increased from the 1990s to 2014. In addition, distribution of humpback chub in the main-stem Colorado River has increased since the 1990s. Movement of humpback chub between the Little Colorado River and other aggregations likely adds fish to those aggregations. There is clear evidence of reproduction near the 30-Mile aggregation, and reproduction at Middle Granite Gorge and downstream seems likely based on catches of gravid fish and captures of very young fish, especially during relatively warm water releases from Glen Canyon Dam, 2004 to 2011. Humpback chub relative abundance at Shinumo and Havasu Creek inflows increased following translocations of young humpback chub starting in 2009. In light of this information, we modify the original nine aggregations, combining two previously separate aggregations and dropping two locations to form six distinct aggregations of humpback chub. Trends in humpback chub abundance at main-stem aggregations, relative to management actions (for example, translocations) or changing environmental conditions (for example, river warming), informs management of the species across a riverscape scale within the Colorado River.

Evolution of mixed surfactant aggregates in solutions and at solid/solution interfaces

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Rui

Surfactant systems have been widely used in such as enhanced oil recovery, waste treatment and metallurgy, etc., in order to solve the problem of global energy crisis, to remove the pollutants and to generate novel energy resources. Almost all surfactant systems are invariably mixtures due to beneficial and economic considerations. The sizes and shapes of aggregates in solutions and at solid/solution interfaces become important, since the nanostructures of mixed aggregates determine solution and adsorption properties. A major hurdle in science is the lack of information on the type of complexes and aggregates formed by mixtures and the lack of techniques for deriving such information. Using techniques such as analytical ultracentrifuge, small angle neutron scattering, surface tension, fluorescence, cryo-TEM, light scattering and ultrafiltration, the nanostructures of aggregates of sugar based n-dodecyl-beta-D-maltoside (DM) and nonionic pentaethyleneglycol monododecyl ether or nonyl phenol ethoxylated decyl ether (NP-10) and their mixtures have been investigated to prove the hypothesis that the aggregation behavior is linked to packing of the surfactant governed by the molecular interactions as well as the molecular structures. The results from both sedimentation velocity and sedimentation equilibrium experiments suggest coexistence of two types of micelles in nonyl phenol ethoxylated decyl ether solutions and its mixtures with n-dodecyl-beta-D-maltoside while only one micellar species is present in n-dodecyl-beta-D-maltoside solutions, in good agreement with those from small angle neutron scattering, cryo-TEM, light scattering and ultrafiltration. Type I micelles were primary micelles at cmc while type II micelles were elongated micelles. On the other hand, the nanostructures of mixed surface aggregates have been quantitatively predicted for the first time using a modified packing index. As a continuation of the Somasundaran-Fuersteneau adsorption model, a modified one-step model has been developed to fully understand the adsorption behavior of surfactant mixtures and obtained thermodynamic information on aggregation number and standard free energy for surface aggregation. The findings are expected to provide fundamental basis for the design optimal surfactant schemes for desired purposes.

Surrogate Decision Makers and Proxy Ownership: Challenges of Privacy Management in Health Care Decision Making

PubMed Central

Bute, Jennifer J.; Petronio, Sandra; Torke, Alexia M.

2016-01-01

This study explored the communicative experiences of surrogates who served as decision makers for patients who were unable to convey health information and choices about treatment options. Drawing on assumptions from communication privacy management theory (Petronio, 2002), 35 surrogates were interviewed to explore how they navigated the role of guardian of patients’ private health information while the patient was hospitalized. This research determined that surrogates are not only guardians and thereby co-owners of the patients’ private health information, they actually served in a “proxy ownership” role. Surrogates described obstacles to both obtaining and sharing private health information about the patient, suggesting that their rights as legitimate co-owners of the patients’ information were not fully acknowledged by the medical teams. Surrogates also described challenges in performing the proxy ownership role when they were not fully aware of the patient's wishes. Theoretical and practical implications of these challenges are discussed. PMID:25175060

76 FR 21749 - Proposed Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-04-18

... administrators of the Tribal HPOG program, workforce development and TANF agencies, public and private university... to the Employers interview will be local or regional employers at public or private companies or...

Cord blood stem cell banking: a snapshot of the Italian situation.

PubMed

Capone, Francesca; Lombardini, Letizia; Pupella, Simonetta; Grazzini, Giuliano; Costa, Alessandro Nanni; Migliaccio, Giovanni

2011-09-01

In Italy, the law does not permit the setting up of private banks to preserve cord blood (CB) stem cells for personal use. However, since 2007 the right to export and preserve them in private laboratories located outside Italy has existed, and an increasing number of women are requesting this collection of umbilical CB at delivery to enable storage of stem cells for autologous use. Since private banks recruit clients mainly via the Internet, we examined the content of 24 Italian-language websites that offer stem cells storage (from CB or amniotic fluid), to assess what information is available. We found that the majority of private banks give no clear information about the procedures of collection, processing, and banking of CB units and that the standards offered by private CB banks strongly differ in terms of exclusion or acceptance criteria from the public banks. These factors may well influence the overall quality of the CB units stored in private CB banks. Of note, during the period 2007 to 2009, the number collected for autologous use did not create a downward trend on the number of units stored in public CB banks for allogeneic use. CB is a valuable community resource but expectant parents should be better informed as to the quality variables necessary for its storage, both by institutions and by professionals. Currently, most of the advertising is insufficient to justify the expense and the hopes pinned on autologous use of CB stem cells. © 2011 American Association of Blood Banks.

Criteria for Developing a Successful Privatization Project

DTIC Science & Technology

1989-05-01

conceptualization and planning are required when pursuing privatization projects. In fact, privatization project proponents need to know how to...selection of projects for analysis, methods of acquiring information about these projects, and the analysis framwork . Chapter IV includes the analysis. A...performed an analysis to determine cormion conceptual and creative approaches and lessons learned. This analysis was then used to develop criteria for

The New Business Look in Employment and Training Programs. The Private Sector Initiative Program (PSIP). Second Edition.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Garcia, Uvaldo

Intended to inform local communities (especially the business sector) of ways to join government-sponsored employment and training programs with the private employment market, this handbook provides broad guidelines for use in the establishment and operation of the Private Industry Council (PIC). (The PIC is the primary vehicle created by Title…

On the Public-Private School Achievement Debate. Faculty Research Working Papers Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peterson, Paul E.; Llaudet, Elena

2006-01-01

On July 14, 2006, the U. S. Department of Education's National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) released a study that compared the performance in reading and math of 4th and 8th-graders attending private and public schools. Using information from a nationwide, representative sample of public and private school students collected in 2003 as…

How Principals in Public and Private Schools Use Their Time: 2011-12. Stats in Brief. NCES 2018-054

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoyer, Kathleen Mulvaney; Sparks, Dinah

2017-01-01

The data in this brief come from the nationally representative 2011-12 Schools and Staffing Survey (SASS) Public and Private School Principal Data Files and the Public and Private School Data Files. Principals who participated in SASS provided information about the percentage of time spent on various tasks by answering the question: "On…

The Epimed Monitor ICU Database®: a cloud-based national registry for adult intensive care unit patients in Brazil.

PubMed

Zampieri, Fernando Godinho; Soares, Márcio; Borges, Lunna Perdigão; Salluh, Jorge Ibrain Figueira; Ranzani, Otávio Tavares

2017-01-01

To describe the Epimed Monitor Database®, a Brazilian intensive care unit quality improvement database. We described the Epimed Monitor® Database, including its structure and core data. We presented aggregated informative data from intensive care unit admissions from 2010 to 2016 using descriptive statistics. We also described the expansion and growth of the database along with the geographical distribution of participating units in Brazil. The core data from the database includes demographic, administrative and physiological parameters, as well as specific report forms used to gather detailed data regarding the use of intensive care unit resources, infectious episodes, adverse events and checklists for adherence to best clinical practices. As of the end of 2016, 598 adult intensive care units in 318 hospitals totaling 8,160 intensive care unit beds were participating in the database. Most units were located at private hospitals in the southeastern region of the country. The number of yearly admissions rose during this period and included a predominance of medical admissions. The proportion of admissions due to cardiovascular disease declined, while admissions due to sepsis or infections became more common. Illness severity (Simplified Acute Physiology Score - SAPS 3 - 62 points), patient age (mean = 62 years) and hospital mortality (approximately 17%) remained reasonably stable during this time period. A large private database of critically ill patients is feasible and may provide relevant nationwide epidemiological data for quality improvement and benchmarking purposes among the participating intensive care units. This database is useful not only for administrative reasons but also for the improvement of daily care by facilitating the adoption of best practices and use for clinical research.

Characteristics associated with use of public and private web sites as sources of health care information: results from a national survey.

PubMed

Miller, Edward Alan; West, Darrell M

2007-03-01

We sought to determine the frequency with which Americans access health information from governmental (public sector) and nongovernmental (private sector) web sites and to identify similarities and differences in the characteristics associated with use of each type. Data derive from 928 individuals who responded to a November 2005 national survey. In addition to forms of health communication, we asked about age, gender, race, income, education, insurance, lifestyle, residence, satisfaction, literacy, and health. We report the extent of web site use stratified by sponsorship type-public and private. We also use chi tests to examine bivariate associations. Logistic regression and multiple imputation of missing data were used to examine the correlates of use in a multivariate context. More than twice as many respondents visited private web sites (29.6%) than public web sites (13.2%). However, just 23.6% and 18.9% of private and public web site visitors, respectively, reported doing so once a month or more. Both public and private web site visitors were more likely to be better-educated respondents (odds ratio [OR]=0.83, OR=1.57) reporting greater concerns about health care access (OR=1.28, OR=1.20) than nonvisitors. Younger individuals (OR=0.83) living in urban areas (OR=1.59) with stronger health literacy (OR=1.24) and reporting greater concerns about health care affordability (OR=1.59) were more likely to visit privately sponsored web sites but nonpublicly sponsored ones. Relatively low utilization levels necessitate a concerted effort to improve the quality, accessibility, and relevance of Internet health information. Efforts to close the digital divide must recognize differences in user characteristics across governmental and nongovernmental web site providers.

Improving uptake and use of malaria rapid diagnostic tests in the context of artemisinin drug resistance containment in eastern Myanmar: an evaluation of incentive schemes among informal private healthcare providers.

PubMed

Aung, Tin; White, Christopher; Montagu, Dominic; McFarland, Willi; Hlaing, Thaung; Khin, Hnin Su Su; San, Aung Kyaw; Briegleb, Christina; Chen, Ingrid; Sudhinaraset, May

2015-03-06

As efforts to contain artemisinin resistance and eliminate Plasmodium falciparum intensify, the accurate diagnosis and prompt effective treatment of malaria are increasingly needed in Myanmar and the Greater Mekong Sub-region (GMS). Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) have been shown to be safe, feasible, and effective at promoting appropriate treatment for suspected malaria, which are of particular importance to drug resistance containment. The informal private sector is often the first point of care for fever cases in malaria endemic areas across Myanmar and the GMS, but there is little published information about informal private provider practices, quality of service provision, or potential to contribute to malaria control and elimination efforts. This study tested different incentives to increase RDT use and improve the quality of care among informal private healthcare providers in Myanmar. The study randomized six townships in the Mon and Shan states of rural Myanmar into three intervention arms: 1) RDT price subsidies, 2) price subsidies with product-related financial incentives, and 3) price subsidies with intensified information, education and counselling (IEC). The study assessed the uptake of RDT use in the communities by cross-sectional surveys of 3,150 households at baseline and six months post-intervention (6,400 households total, 832 fever cases). The study also used mystery clients among 171 providers to assess quality of service provision across intervention arms. The pilot intervention trained over 600 informal private healthcare providers. The study found a price subsidy with intensified IEC, resulted in the highest uptake of RDTs in the community, as compared to subsidies alone or merchandise-related financial incentives. Moreover, intensified IEC led to improvements in the quality of care, with mystery client surveys showing almost double the number of correct treatment following diagnostic test results as compared to a simple subsidy. Results show that training and quality supervision of informal private healthcare providers can result in improved demand for, and appropriate use of RDTs in drug resistance containment areas in eastern Myanmar. Future studies should assess the sustainability of such interventions and the scale and level of intensity required over time as public sector service provision expands.

Sustainability in Supply Chain Management: Aggregate Planning from Sustainability Perspective.

PubMed

Türkay, Metin; Saraçoğlu, Öztürk; Arslan, Mehmet Can

2016-01-01

Supply chain management that considers the flow of raw materials, products and information has become a focal issue in modern manufacturing and service systems. Supply chain management requires effective use of assets and information that has far reaching implications beyond satisfaction of customer demand, flow of goods, services or capital. Aggregate planning, a fundamental decision model in supply chain management, refers to the determination of production, inventory, capacity and labor usage levels in the medium term. Traditionally standard mathematical programming formulation is used to devise the aggregate plan so as to minimize the total cost of operations. However, this formulation is purely an economic model that does not include sustainability considerations. In this study, we revise the standard aggregate planning formulation to account for additional environmental and social criteria to incorporate triple bottom line consideration of sustainability. We show how these additional criteria can be appended to traditional cost accounting in order to address sustainability in aggregate planning. We analyze the revised models and interpret the results on a case study from real life that would be insightful for decision makers.

Sustainability in Supply Chain Management: Aggregate Planning from Sustainability Perspective

PubMed Central

Türkay, Metin; Saraçoğlu, Öztürk; Arslan, Mehmet Can

2016-01-01

Supply chain management that considers the flow of raw materials, products and information has become a focal issue in modern manufacturing and service systems. Supply chain management requires effective use of assets and information that has far reaching implications beyond satisfaction of customer demand, flow of goods, services or capital. Aggregate planning, a fundamental decision model in supply chain management, refers to the determination of production, inventory, capacity and labor usage levels in the medium term. Traditionally standard mathematical programming formulation is used to devise the aggregate plan so as to minimize the total cost of operations. However, this formulation is purely an economic model that does not include sustainability considerations. In this study, we revise the standard aggregate planning formulation to account for additional environmental and social criteria to incorporate triple bottom line consideration of sustainability. We show how these additional criteria can be appended to traditional cost accounting in order to address sustainability in aggregate planning. We analyze the revised models and interpret the results on a case study from real life that would be insightful for decision makers. PMID:26807848

Collecting and Connecting the Dots: Leveraging Technology to Enhance the Collection of Information and the Dissemination of Intelligence

DTIC Science & Technology

2009-09-01

explore govern ment information sharing initiatives with the public and private sectors. 3. Immediate Consumers The immediate benefit of this thesis...comm unity as a whole should consider the benefits of for ming collaborative information sharing networks with both public and private partners to...fusion efforts as well as the benefits of staffing both JTTF and national operations centers. If not prac tical due to the size or reso urces of the

System and method of designing models in a feedback loop

DOEpatents

Gosink, Luke C.; Pulsipher, Trenton C.; Sego, Landon H.

2017-02-14

A method and system for designing models is disclosed. The method includes selecting a plurality of models for modeling a common event of interest. The method further includes aggregating the results of the models and analyzing each model compared to the aggregate result to obtain comparative information. The method also includes providing the information back to the plurality of models to design more accurate models through a feedback loop.

Collective Intelligence: Aggregation of Information from Neighbors in a Guessing Game.

PubMed

Pérez, Toni; Zamora, Jordi; Eguíluz, Víctor M

2016-01-01

Complex systems show the capacity to aggregate information and to display coordinated activity. In the case of social systems the interaction of different individuals leads to the emergence of norms, trends in political positions, opinions, cultural traits, and even scientific progress. Examples of collective behavior can be observed in activities like the Wikipedia and Linux, where individuals aggregate their knowledge for the benefit of the community, and citizen science, where the potential of collectives to solve complex problems is exploited. Here, we conducted an online experiment to investigate the performance of a collective when solving a guessing problem in which each actor is endowed with partial information and placed as the nodes of an interaction network. We measure the performance of the collective in terms of the temporal evolution of the accuracy, finding no statistical difference in the performance for two classes of networks, regular lattices and random networks. We also determine that a Bayesian description captures the behavior pattern the individuals follow in aggregating information from neighbors to make decisions. In comparison with other simple decision models, the strategy followed by the players reveals a suboptimal performance of the collective. Our contribution provides the basis for the micro-macro connection between individual based descriptions and collective phenomena.

Collective Intelligence: Aggregation of Information from Neighbors in a Guessing Game

PubMed Central

Pérez, Toni; Zamora, Jordi; Eguíluz, Víctor M.

2016-01-01

Complex systems show the capacity to aggregate information and to display coordinated activity. In the case of social systems the interaction of different individuals leads to the emergence of norms, trends in political positions, opinions, cultural traits, and even scientific progress. Examples of collective behavior can be observed in activities like the Wikipedia and Linux, where individuals aggregate their knowledge for the benefit of the community, and citizen science, where the potential of collectives to solve complex problems is exploited. Here, we conducted an online experiment to investigate the performance of a collective when solving a guessing problem in which each actor is endowed with partial information and placed as the nodes of an interaction network. We measure the performance of the collective in terms of the temporal evolution of the accuracy, finding no statistical difference in the performance for two classes of networks, regular lattices and random networks. We also determine that a Bayesian description captures the behavior pattern the individuals follow in aggregating information from neighbors to make decisions. In comparison with other simple decision models, the strategy followed by the players reveals a suboptimal performance of the collective. Our contribution provides the basis for the micro-macro connection between individual based descriptions and collective phenomena. PMID:27093274

Professional Leadership Experiences with Formal and Informal Mentoring of College Deans of Education at 4-Year Nonprofit Private Colleges and Universities in California

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baartman, Ingrid

2011-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine professional leadership experiences of college deans of education with formal and informal mentoring in the course of their career progression at 4-year nonprofit private colleges and universities in California. Methodology: Using a mixed-methods approach that emphasized the qualitative data…

76 FR 40873 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request-Food Distribution...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-12

... or other forms of information technology. Comments may be sent to: Laura Castro, Branch Chief, Policy... individuals and households, 500 businesses and other for-profit companies, 11,211 private not-for-profit....00 542.37 178,980.93 0.12 21,935.87 Governments Private For Profit 500.00 9.12 4,560.00 1.04 4,740.00...

Recreational Pilot and Private Pilot Knowledge Test Guide

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1995-01-01

The Flight Standards Service of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has developed this guide to help : applicants meet the knowledge requirements for recreational pilot and private pilot certification. : This guide contains information about el...

Multi-attribute Regret-Based Dynamic Pricing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jumadinova, Janyl; Dasgupta, Prithviraj

In this paper, we consider the problem of dynamic pricing by a set of competing sellers in an information economy where buyers differentiate products along multiple attributes, and buyer preferences can change temporally. Previous research in this area has either focused on dynamic pricing along a limited number of (e.g. binary) attributes, or, assumes that each seller has access to private information such as preference distribution of buyers, and profit/price information of other sellers. However, in real information markets, private information about buyers and sellers cannot be assumed to be available a priori. Moreover, due to the competition between sellers, each seller faces a tradeoff between accuracy and rapidity of the pricing mechanism. In this paper, we describe a multi-attribute dynamic pricing algorithm based on minimax regret that can be used by a seller's agent called a pricebot, to maximize the seller's utility. Our simulation results show that the minimax regret based dynamic pricing algorithm performs significantly better than other algorithms for rapidly and dynamically tracking consumer attributes without using any private information from either buyers or sellers.

Office of Naval Research Aggregate Dynamics in the Sea Workshop Held at Pacific Grove, California on September 22-24, 1986

DTIC Science & Technology

1986-09-01

collision, etc.) originate from largely biogenically derived component particles. Local loss terms include sinking, advection and decomposition which...Some quarry or scrape away the aggregate surface, others consume entire particles. Bacterial decomposition on the particle surfaces may also weaken...major role in the degradation of aggregates. Only limited information is available regarding microbial colonization, hydrolysis , and metabolism of the

H-aggregate analysis of P3HT thin films-Capability and limitation of photoluminescence and UV/Vis spectroscopy.

PubMed

Ehrenreich, Philipp; Birkhold, Susanne T; Zimmermann, Eugen; Hu, Hao; Kim, Kwang-Dae; Weickert, Jonas; Pfadler, Thomas; Schmidt-Mende, Lukas

2016-09-01

Polymer morphology and aggregation play an essential role for efficient charge carrier transport and charge separation in polymer-based electronic devices. It is a common method to apply the H-aggregate model to UV/Vis or photoluminescence spectra in order to analyze polymer aggregation. In this work we present strategies to obtain reliable and conclusive information on polymer aggregation and morphology based on the application of an H-aggregate analysis on UV/Vis and photoluminescence spectra. We demonstrate, with P3HT as model system, that thickness dependent reflection behavior can lead to misinterpretation of UV/Vis spectra within the H-aggregate model. Values for the exciton bandwidth can deviate by a factor of two for polymer thicknesses below 150 nm. In contrast, photoluminescence spectra are found to be a reliable basis for characterization of polymer aggregation due to their weaker dependence on the wavelength dependent refractive index of the polymer. We demonstrate this by studying the influence of surface characteristics on polymer aggregation for spin-coated thin-films that are commonly used in organic and hybrid solar cells.

Quality Circles in the Navy: Productivity Improvement or Just Another Program?

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-07-01

related problems and recommend solutions to management. Interest in implementation of QCs is spreading rapidly in both the public and private sectors . Ci...main objectives are to (I) describe QCs, (2) provide information regarding current interest and involvement in QCs in Navy and private sector ...3 QCs in the Private Sector . .. ......... ......... ... 4 Current Use of QCs in the Navy .. .. ...... ............. 4 Impact of QCs

Training and Educating the Work Force in the Nineties: The Rationale for Public/Private Collaboration. Public/Private Ventures. Information Series No. 331.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Thomas J.; Trist, Carolyn

The need for partnerships among deliverers of training in the public and private sectors has reached a critical point if U.S. businesses are to remain competitive. The work force and workplace are being transformed by demographic trends, economic and employment trends, a growing skills mismatch, and concerns over educational effectiveness. Two…

The Growth of Private and For-Profit Higher Education Providers in the UK. Research Report

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fielden, John

2010-01-01

This report was commissioned by Universities UK's Longer Term Strategy Group to examine private and for-profit providers' role in the delivery of higher education in the UK, and to inform further discussions on this issue. The private higher education sector is emerging as a growing force in many parts of the world and presents a range of…

User-centered evaluation of Arizona BioPathway: an information extraction, integration, and visualization system.

PubMed

Quiñones, Karin D; Su, Hua; Marshall, Byron; Eggers, Shauna; Chen, Hsinchun

2007-09-01

Explosive growth in biomedical research has made automated information extraction, knowledge integration, and visualization increasingly important and critically needed. The Arizona BioPathway (ABP) system extracts and displays biological regulatory pathway information from the abstracts of journal articles. This study uses relations extracted from more than 200 PubMed abstracts presented in a tabular and graphical user interface with built-in search and aggregation functionality. This paper presents a task-centered assessment of the usefulness and usability of the ABP system focusing on its relation aggregation and visualization functionalities. Results suggest that our graph-based visualization is more efficient in supporting pathway analysis tasks and is perceived as more useful and easier to use as compared to a text-based literature-viewing method. Relation aggregation significantly contributes to knowledge-acquisition efficiency. Together, the graphic and tabular views in the ABP Visualizer provide a flexible and effective interface for pathway relation browsing and analysis. Our study contributes to pathway-related research and biological information extraction by assessing the value of a multiview, relation-based interface that supports user-controlled exploration of pathway information across multiple granularities.

Data Albums: An Event Driven Search, Aggregation and Curation Tool for Earth Science

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Ramachandran, Rahul; Kulkarni, Ajinkya; Maskey, Manil; Bakare, Rohan; Basyal, Sabin; Li, Xiang; Flynn, Shannon

2014-01-01

Approaches used in Earth science research such as case study analysis and climatology studies involve discovering and gathering diverse data sets and information to support the research goals. To gather relevant data and information for case studies and climatology analysis is both tedious and time consuming. Current Earth science data systems are designed with the assumption that researchers access data primarily by instrument or geophysical parameter. In cases where researchers are interested in studying a significant event, they have to manually assemble a variety of datasets relevant to it by searching the different distributed data systems. This paper presents a specialized search, aggregation and curation tool for Earth science to address these challenges. The search rool automatically creates curated 'Data Albums', aggregated collections of information related to a specific event, containing links to relevant data files [granules] from different instruments, tools and services for visualization and analysis, and information about the event contained in news reports, images or videos to supplement research analysis. Curation in the tool is driven via an ontology based relevancy ranking algorithm to filter out non relevant information and data.

Impact of Internet on Cytology Information Management.

PubMed

Luić, Ljerka; Molnar, Livia

2016-01-01

Internet technologies and services impose global information standards in the sphere of healthcare as a whole, which are then implied and applied in the domain of cytology laboratories. Web-based operations form a significant operating segment of any contemporary cytology laboratory as they enable operations by the use of technology, which is usually free of the restrictions imposed by the traditional way of business (geographic area and narrow localisation of activities). In their operations, almost all healthcare organisations currently create and use electronic data anddocuments, which can originate both inside and outside the organisation. An enormous amount of information thus used and exchanged may be processed timely and in a high-quality way only by integrated information systems, given three basic safety requirements: data confidentiality, integrity and availability. In the Republic of Croatia, integration of private and public healthcare information systems has been ongoing for several years but the private healthcare does not yet operate as an integrated system. Instead, each office operates using its own separate information system, i.e. This paper elaborates the argument that the sample private cytology laboratory possesses an IT system that meets current market and stakeholder needs of the healthcare sector in Croatia, given that private doctors' offices/polyclinics use IT technologies in their operations but make only partial use of Internet capacities in the segment of communication with their business associates and patients, implying the need to continue the research on a statistically relevant sample of EU countries.

Review of the President’s Fiscal Year 2009 Budget Request for the Defense Health Program’s Private Sector Care Budget Activity Group

DTIC Science & Technology

2008-05-28

2009 budget request for the Defense Health Program’s Private Sector Care BAG. To do this, we reviewed (1) DOD’s justification for the request for the... Private Sector Care BAG, including the underlying estimates and the extent to which DOD considered historical information; and (2) changes between this...develop the budget requests for the Private Sector Care BAG in fiscal years 2008 and 2009. We also interviewed officials and analyzed documents from

Private sector deployment of intelligent transportation systems : current status and trends

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2006-02-01

This report summarizes the current state of deployment of Intelligent Transportation Systems and related technologies by the private sector in the United States. Coverage is focused primarily on in-vehicle entertainment, information and communication...

Bound entangled states with a private key and their classical counterpart.

PubMed

Ozols, Maris; Smith, Graeme; Smolin, John A

2014-03-21

Entanglement is a fundamental resource for quantum information processing. In its pure form, it allows quantum teleportation and sharing classical secrets. Realistic quantum states are noisy and their usefulness is only partially understood. Bound-entangled states are central to this question--they have no distillable entanglement, yet sometimes still have a private classical key. We present a construction of bound-entangled states with a private key based on classical probability distributions. From this emerge states possessing a new classical analogue of bound entanglement, distinct from the long-sought bound information. We also find states of smaller dimensions and higher key rates than previously known. Our construction has implications for classical cryptography: we show that existing protocols are insufficient for extracting private key from our distributions due to their "bound-entangled" nature. We propose a simple extension of existing protocols that can extract a key from them.

Successful public-private partnerships: The NYPD shield model.

PubMed

Amadeo, Vincent; Iannone, Stephen

2017-12-01

This article will identify the challenges that post 9/11 law enforcement faces regarding privatepublic partnerships and describe in detail the NYPD Shield programme, created to combat those challenges. Recommendations made by the 911 Commission included the incorporation of the private sector into future homeland security strategies. One such strategy is NYPD Shield. This programme is a nationally recognized award-winning public-private partnership dedicated to providing counterterrorism training and information sharing with government agencies, non-government organizations, private businesses, and the community. Information is shared through several platforms that include a dedicated website, instruction of counterterrorism training curricula, e-mail alerts, intelligence assessments and the hosting of quarterly conferences. This article also details how the NYPD Shield is providing its successful template to other law enforcement agencies enabling them to initiate similar programmes in their respective jurisdictions, and in doing so joining a National Shield Network.

Aggregation of Adenovirus 2 in Source Water and Impacts on Disinfection by Chlorine

PubMed Central

Cromeans, Theresa L.; Metcalfe, Maureen G.; Humphrey, Charles D.; Hill, Vincent R.

2016-01-01

It is generally accepted that viral particles in source water are likely to be found as aggregates attached to other particles. For this reason, it is important to investigate the disinfection efficacy of chlorine on aggregated viruses. A method to produce adenovirus particle aggregation was developed for this study. Negative stain electron microscopy was used to measure aggregation before and after addition of virus particles to surface water at different pH and specific conductance levels. The impact of aggregation on the efficacy of chlorine disinfection was also examined. Disinfection experiments with human adenovirus 2 (HAdV2) in source water were conducted using 0.2 mg/L free chlorine at 5 °C. Aggregation of HAdV2 in source water (≥3 aggregated particles) remained higher at higher specific conductance and pH levels. However, aggregation was highly variable, with the percentage of particles present in aggregates ranging from 43 to 71 %. Upon addition into source water, the aggregation percentage dropped dramatically. On average, chlorination CT values (chlorine concentration in mg/L × time in min) for 3-log10 inactivation of aggregated HAdV2 were up to three times higher than those for dispersed HAdV2, indicating that aggregation reduced the disinfection rate. This information can be used by water utilities and regulators to guide decision making regarding disinfection of viruses in water. PMID:26910058

Aggregation of Adenovirus 2 in Source Water and Impacts on Disinfection by Chlorine.

PubMed

Kahler, Amy M; Cromeans, Theresa L; Metcalfe, Maureen G; Humphrey, Charles D; Hill, Vincent R

2016-06-01

It is generally accepted that viral particles in source water are likely to be found as aggregates attached to other particles. For this reason, it is important to investigate the disinfection efficacy of chlorine on aggregated viruses. A method to produce adenovirus particle aggregation was developed for this study. Negative stain electron microscopy was used to measure aggregation before and after addition of virus particles to surface water at different pH and specific conductance levels. The impact of aggregation on the efficacy of chlorine disinfection was also examined. Disinfection experiments with human adenovirus 2 (HAdV2) in source water were conducted using 0.2 mg/L free chlorine at 5 °C. Aggregation of HAdV2 in source water (≥3 aggregated particles) remained higher at higher specific conductance and pH levels. However, aggregation was highly variable, with the percentage of particles present in aggregates ranging from 43 to 71 %. Upon addition into source water, the aggregation percentage dropped dramatically. On average, chlorination CT values (chlorine concentration in mg/L × time in min) for 3-log10 inactivation of aggregated HAdV2 were up to three times higher than those for dispersed HAdV2, indicating that aggregation reduced the disinfection rate. This information can be used by water utilities and regulators to guide decision making regarding disinfection of viruses in water.

The road not taken: social vs. private comparisons in Asperger׳s syndrome and high functioning autism.

PubMed

Dvash, Jonathan; Ben-Zèev, Aaron; Noga, Adler; Shamay-Tsoory, Simone

2014-05-30

Evaluation of the outcomes of our decisions may instigate comparisons of our actual outcome with those of others (social comparisons) or comparisons with alternative outcomes of choices not made (private comparisons). Previous research has suggested a deficit in attention to social information among individuals with autism spectrum disorders. As social comparison involves the processing of social information, here we investigated the orientation towards and sensitivity to social vs. private comparisons in individuals with autism spectrum disorders. We compared the sensitivity to social vs. private comparisons among individuals diagnosed with Asperger's Syndrome (AS) or High Functioning Autism, using a task that entailed monetary rewards. Results showed that while individuals with AS generally demonstrate comparable sensitivity to absolute and relative rewards, they show less sensitivity to social comparison as compared to controls. Furthermore, they are characterized by a higher sensitivity to private rather than social comparison. These results suggest that low sensitivity to social comparisons is an important factor to consider in autism spectrum disorders. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Dataset of aggregate producers in New Mexico

USGS Publications Warehouse

Orris, Greta J.

2000-01-01

This report presents data, including latitude and longitude, for aggregate sites in New Mexico that were believed to be active in the period 1997-1999. The data are presented in paper form in Part A of this report and as Microsoft Excel 97 and Data Interchange Format (DIF) files in Part B. The work was undertaken as part of the effort to update information for the National Atlas. This compilation includes data from: the files of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS); company contacts; the New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources, New Mexico Bureau of Mine Inspection, and the Mining and Minerals Division of the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (Hatton and others, 1998); the Bureau of Land Management Information; and direct communications with some of the aggregate operators. Additional information on most of the sites is available in Hatton and others (1998).

New Mexico aggregate production sites, 1997-1999

USGS Publications Warehouse

Orris, Greta J.

2000-01-01

This report presents data, including latitude and longitude, for aggregate sites in New Mexico that were believed to be active in the period 1997-1999. The data are presented in paper form in Part A of this report and as Microsoft Excel 97 and Data Interchange Format (DIF) files in Part B. The work was undertaken as part of the effort to update information for the National Atlas. This compilation includes data from: the files of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS); company contacts; the New Mexico Bureau of Mines and Mineral Resources, New Mexico Bureau of Mine Inspection, and the Mining and Minerals Division of the New Mexico Energy, Minerals and Natural Resources Department (Hatton and others, 1998); the Bureau of Land Management Information; and direct communications with some of the aggregate operators. Additional information on most of the sites is available in Hatton and others (1998).

Quantifying the effects of social influence

PubMed Central

Mavrodiev, Pavlin; Tessone, Claudio J.; Schweitzer, Frank

2013-01-01

How do humans respond to indirect social influence when making decisions? We analysed an experiment where subjects had to guess the answer to factual questions, having only aggregated information about the answers of others. While the response of humans to aggregated information is a widely observed phenomenon, it has not been investigated quantitatively, in a controlled setting. We found that the adjustment of individual guesses depends linearly on the distance to the mean of all guesses. This is a remarkable, and yet surprisingly simple regularity. It holds across all questions analysed, even though the correct answers differ by several orders of magnitude. Our finding supports the assumption that individual diversity does not affect the response to indirect social influence. We argue that the nature of the response crucially changes with the level of information aggregation. This insight contributes to the empirical foundation of models for collective decisions under social influence. PMID:23449043

Quantitative Analysis of Gender Stereotypes and Information Aggregation in a National Election

PubMed Central

Tumminello, Michele; Miccichè, Salvatore; Varho, Jan; Piilo, Jyrki; Mantegna, Rosario N.

2013-01-01

By analyzing a database of a questionnaire answered by a large majority of candidates and elected in a parliamentary election, we quantitatively verify that (i) female candidates on average present political profiles which are more compassionate and more concerned with social welfare issues than male candidates and (ii) the voting procedure acts as a process of information aggregation. Our results show that information aggregation proceeds with at least two distinct paths. In the first case candidates characterize themselves with a political profile aiming to describe the profile of the majority of voters. This is typically the case of candidates of political parties which are competing for the center of the various political dimensions. In the second case, candidates choose a political profile manifesting a clear difference from opposite political profiles endorsed by candidates of a political party positioned at the opposite extreme of some political dimension. PMID:23555606

Exploring a public-private partnership new-graduate physiotherapy recruitment program: a qualitative study.

PubMed

Schmidt, David; Dmytryk, Neil

2014-12-01

Difficulty in attracting allied health staff to rural areas is well known. In 2012, a small rural health facility and local private practice created an informal public-private partnership to recruit two new-graduate physiotherapists. Graduates were employed part-time in both the public and private sectors. This qualitative case study employed an appreciative enquiry framework to explore this partnership model. Three focus groups were held, and a combination of content and thematic analysis was used to derive and organise themes arising from the data. A regional public health service and private physiotherapy practice in the Bega Valley region of south-eastern New South Wales, Australia. New-graduate and second-year physiotherapists (n = 5), private sector managers (n = 3), and public sector managers (n = 4). Perceived benefits of the partnership model and improvements that could be made to further develop the model. Organisational benefits of a shared public-private role included the ability to attract high-quality applicants to difficult-to-fill positions, reduced the risk of new-graduate attrition due to social isolation, enhanced networking between sectors, and enhanced staff skill development through a broad range of clinical and non-clinical experiences. The model relied on management flexibility and has potential to expand to other areas and professions. Dedicated funding support, targeted recruitment strategies and increased planning to ease the transition into the workplace would further enhance the model. An informal public-private partnership to overcome established workforce shortages has proven successful to the benefit of the new graduates and both the public and private sectors. © 2014 National Rural Health Alliance Inc.

Importance of positive feedbacks and overconfidence in a self-fulfilling Ising model of financial markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sornette, Didier; Zhou, Wei-Xing

2006-10-01

Following a long tradition of physicists who have noticed that the Ising model provides a general background to build realistic models of social interactions, we study a model of financial price dynamics resulting from the collective aggregate decisions of agents. This model incorporates imitation, the impact of external news and private information. It has the structure of a dynamical Ising model in which agents have two opinions (buy or sell) with coupling coefficients, which evolve in time with a memory of how past news have explained realized market returns. We study two versions of the model, which differ on how the agents interpret the predictive power of news. We show that the stylized facts of financial markets are reproduced only when agents are overconfident and mis-attribute the success of news to predict return to herding effects, thereby providing positive feedbacks leading to the model functioning close to the critical point. Our model exhibits a rich multifractal structure characterized by a continuous spectrum of exponents of the power law relaxation of endogenous bursts of volatility, in good agreement with previous analytical predictions obtained with the multifractal random walk model and with empirical facts.

[Causes of occupational injuries in Spain: a longitudinal analysis with panel data].

PubMed

García Mainar, Inmaculada; Montuenga Gómez, Víctor

2009-01-01

To investigate the influence of several personal and occupational characteristics on the occurrence of occupation injuries, expressed in different categories (minor, serious, fatal and overall) by applying tools that are widely used in economic analyses. Panel data were used to estimate occupational injuries in an aggregate manner: both by regions and occupational categories and by industries and occupational categories. Data on occupational injuries were drawn from the Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs while the remaining information was drawn from the Workforce Population Survey for all quarters from 1999 to 2002. Permanent workers, male workers, public sector employees and those with secondary education or who had received on-the-job training were safer at their workplaces. Male and foreign workers were at greater risk of occupational injuries. The risk of serious or fatal accidents was reduced by greater work experience and was increased by working longer hours. Prevention would help to reduce the risk of accidents in temporary, male, private-sector and foreign workers. To reduce the incidence of serious and fatal accidents, the number of hours worked should be limited, especially in employees without extensive work experience.

Targeting cyclone relief within the village: kinship, sharing, and capture.

PubMed

Takasaki, Yoshito

2011-01-01

This article investigates the targeting of cyclone relief within villages in Fiji. It focuses on how relief allocation is linked with informal risk sharing and elite capture, both of which are directly related to kinship. The results are as follows. First, food aid is initially targeted toward kin groups according to their aggregate shocks and then shared among group members. Right after the cyclone, when aid is scarce, households with damage to their housing and with greater crop damage are allocated less aid within the group. Instead, they receive greater net private transfers in other forms, especially in labor sharing. Consistent patterns are found in village, cropping, and housing rehabilitations. Second, there is no elite capture of food aid in the kin group, and instead, traditional kin leaders share food with others; however, non-kin-based community leaders capture aid when it is allocated across kin groups. Third, distinct from food aid demanded by all, tarpaulins demanded by victims only strongly target individual housing damage at the village level—not the kin group—independent of social status. As with food aid, victims with greater crop damage are given a lower priority. Implications for relief policies are discussed.

Phase II Private Sector Financed Military Family Housing Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska

DTIC Science & Technology

2004-06-01

collection of information, including suggestions for reducing this burden, to Washington Headquarters Services, Directorate for Information Operations and...of Proposed Action and Alternatives Phase II Private Sector Financed Military Family Housing 2-11 Existing mature trees within the housing area...would be retained in place to the maximum extent practicable. Removal of mature trees would be avoided wherever possible in order to retain the

Tank waste remediation system privatization infrastructure program requirements and document management process guide

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

ROOT, R.W.

1999-05-18

This guide provides the Tank Waste Remediation System Privatization Infrastructure Program management with processes and requirements to appropriately control information and documents in accordance with the Tank Waste Remediation System Configuration Management Plan (Vann 1998b). This includes documents and information created by the program, as well as non-program generated materials submitted to the project. It provides appropriate approval/control, distribution and filing systems.

Natural Gas Vans To Help Clear the Air In Metro Denver

Science.gov Websites

officials think the test will yield information that can be used by private or public fleet managers evaluation also marks a unique partnership among government, industry and private organizations. The Ford

41 CFR 101-29.102 - Use of metric system of measurement in Federal product descriptions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

..., and the private sector on metric matters, and (b) Review, prepare, and revise Federal standardization... during the overage document review or when the agency is informed by the private sector that metric...

75 FR 68018 - Airport Privatization Pilot Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-04

... DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION Federal Aviation Administration [Docket No. 2010-1052] Airport Privatization Pilot Program AGENCY: Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), DOT. ACTION: Notice of Receipt and... FAA Docket Number 2010-1052. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dave Cushing (202-267-8348) Airport...

Exploring Factors Affecting Voluntary Adoption of Electronic Medical Records Among Physicians and Clinical Assistants of Small or Solo Private General Practice Clinics.

PubMed

Or, Calvin; Tong, Ellen; Tan, Joseph; Chan, Summer

2018-05-29

The health care reform initiative led by the Hong Kong government's Food and Health Bureau has started the implementation of an electronic sharing platform to provide an information infrastructure that enables public hospitals and private clinics to share their electronic medical records (EMRs) for improved access to patients' health care information. However, previous attempts to convince the private clinics to adopt EMRs to document health information have faced challenges, as the EMR adoption has been voluntary. The lack of electronic data shared by private clinics carries direct impacts to the efficacy of electronic record sharing between public and private healthcare providers. To increase the likelihood of buy-in, it is essential to proactively identify the users' and organizations' needs and capabilities before large-scale implementation. As part of the reform initiative, this study examined factors affecting the adoption of EMRs in small or solo private general practice clinics, by analyzing the experiences and opinions of the physicians and clinical assistants during the pilot implementation of the technology, with the purpose to learn from it before full-scale rollout. In-depth, semistructured interviews were conducted with 23 physicians and clinical assistants from seven small or solo private general practice clinics to evaluate their experiences, expectations, and opinions regarding the deployment of EMRs. Interview transcripts were content analyzed to identify key factors. Factors affecting the adoption of EMRs to record and manage health care information were identified as follows: system interface design; system functions; stability and reliability of hardware, software, and computing networks; financial and time costs; task and outcome performance, work practice, and clinical workflow; physical space in clinics; trust in technology; users' information technology literacy; training and technical support; and social and organizational influences. The factors are interrelated with the others. The adoption factors identified are multifaceted, ranging from technological characteristics, clinician-technology interactions, skills and knowledge, and the user-workflow-technology fit. Other findings, which have been relatively underrepresented in previous studies, contribute unique insights about the influence of work and social environment on the adoption of EMRs, including limited clinic space and the effects of physicians' decision to use the technology on clinical staffs' adoption decisions. Potential strategies to address the concerns, overcome adoption barriers, and define relevant policies are discussed.

Mental health services at selected private schools.

PubMed

Van Hoof, Thomas J; Sherwin, Tierney E; Baggish, Rosemary C; Tacy, Peter B; Meehan, Thomas P

2004-04-01

Private schools educate a significant percentage of US children and adolescents. Private schools, particularly where students reside during the academic year, assume responsibility for the health and well-being of their students. Children and adolescents experience mental health problems at a predictable rate, and private schools need a mechanism for addressing their students' mental health needs. Understanding that need requires data to guide the services and programs a school may put in place. Having data helps inform those services, and comparative data from other schools provides feedback and perspective. This project surveyed type and frequency of mental health problems experienced by students who received a formal evaluation at 11 private schools in Connecticut during academic year 2001-2002.

National transit summaries and data trends from the 1993 National Transit Database section 15 report year

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1995-05-01

This report provides a summary on the state of the national mass transit industry by highlighting aggregate financial and operational characteristics and trend information for key statistics and performance indicators. These aggregate data represent ...

Advanced situation awareness with localised environmental community observatories in the Future Internet

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sabeur, Z. A.; Denis, H.; Nativi, S.

2012-04-01

The phenomenal advances in information and communication technologies over the last decade have led to offering unprecedented connectivity with real potentials for "Smart living" between large segments of human populations around the world. In particular, Voluntary Groups(VGs) and individuals with interest in monitoring the state of their local environment can be connected through the internet and collaboratively generate important localised environmental observations. These could be considered as the Community Observatories(CO) of the Future Internet(FI). However, a set of FI enablers are needed to be deployed for these communities to become effective COs in the Future Internet. For example, these communities will require access to services for the intelligent processing of heterogeneous data and capture of advancend situation awarness about the environment. This important enablement will really unlock the communities true potential for participating in localised monitoring of the environment in addition to their contribution in the creation of business entreprise. Among the eight Usage Areas(UA) projects of the FP7 FI-PPP programme, the ENVIROFI Integrated Project focuses on the specifications of the Future Internet enablers of the Environment UA. The specifications are developed under multiple environmental domains in context of users needs for the development of mash-up applications in the Future Internet. It will enable users access to real-time, on-demand fused information with advanced situation awareness about the environment at localised scales. The mash-up applications shall get access to rich spatio-temporal information from structured fusion services which aggregate COs information with existing environmental monitoring stations data, established by research organisations and private entreprise. These applications are being developed in ENVIROFI for the atmospheric, marine and biodiversity domains, together with a potential to be extended to other domains and scenarios concerning smart and safe living in the Future Internet.

Health literacy, health information seeking behaviors and internet use among patients attending a private and public clinic in the same geographic area.

PubMed

Gutierrez, Natalia; Kindratt, Tiffany B; Pagels, Patti; Foster, Barbara; Gimpel, Nora E

2014-02-01

Despite the growing body of health information available online, patients with limited health literacy may lack either internet access or skills necessary to utilize this information. Nonetheless, patients at all health literacy levels may prefer other primary sources to obtain health information. We conducted a cross-sectional study to measure health literacy of patients attending two clinics in Dallas, TX and determine associations between health literacy, health information access and internet usage before and after controlling for confounders. Patients from both clinics (county N = 265; private N = 233) completed a brief survey which included sociodemographics, internet patterns, confidence in filling out medical forms and a self-administered Newest Vital Sign to measure health literacy. In the county clinic, most patients (61.5 %) were Hispanic, had low income (<$19,000/year), limited education (<11th grade) and a high likelihood or possibility of limited health literacy (68.5 %). In the private clinic, participants were mostly black (40.4 %) or white (38.6 %), had higher incomes (≥$46,000), higher education (technical college or college) and adequate health literacy (75.1 %). The primary source of obtaining health information in both clinics was their health care professional (50.6 % county; 40.1 % private). In multivariate analyses to determine differences by health literacy level, there were no statistically significant differences between patients with limited and adequate health literacy and their primary information source. Regardless of health literacy, patients rely on their health care providers to obtain health information. These results showcase the importance of providers' effective communication with patients to make shared decisions about their health regardless of other factors.

The effectiveness of policy on consumer choices for private road passenger transport emissions reductions in six major economies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mercure, J.-F.; Lam, A.

2015-06-01

The effectiveness of fiscal policy to influence vehicle purchases for emissions reductions in private passenger road transport depends on its ability to incentivise consumers to make choices oriented towards lower emissions vehicles. However, car purchase choices are known to be strongly socially determined, and this sector is highly diverse due to significant socio-economic differences between consumer groups. Here, we present a comprehensive dataset and analysis of the structure of the 2012 private passenger vehicle fleet-years in six major economies across the World (UK, USA, China, India, Japan and Brazil) in terms of price, engine size and emissions distributions. We argue that choices and aggregate elasticities of substitution can be predicted using this data, enabling us to evaluate the effectiveness of potential fiscal and technological change policies on fleet-year emissions reductions. We provide tools to do so based on the distributive structure of prices and emissions in segments of a diverse market, both for conventional as well as unconventional engine technologies. We find that markets differ significantly between nations, and that correlations between engine sizes, emissions and prices exist strongly in some markets and not strongly in others. We furthermore find that markets for unconventional engine technologies have patchy coverages of varying levels. These findings are interpreted in terms of policy strategy.

Assessing gaps and poverty-related inequalities in the public and private sector family planning supply environment of urban Nigeria.

PubMed

Levy, Jessica K; Curtis, Sian; Zimmer, Catherine; Speizer, Ilene S

2014-02-01

Nigeria is the most populous country in Africa, and its population is expected to double in <25 years (Central Intelligence Agency 2012; Fotso et al. 2011). Over half of the population already lives in an urban area, and by 2050, that proportion will increase to three quarters (United Nations, Department of Economic and Social Affairs, Population Division 2012; Measurement Learning & Evaluation Project, Nigerian Urban Reproductive Health Initiative, National Population Commission 2012). Reducing unwanted and unplanned pregnancies through reliable access to high-quality modern contraceptives, especially among the urban poor, could make a major contribution to moderating population growth and improving the livelihood of urban residents. This study uses facility census data to create and assign aggregate-level family planning (FP) supply index scores to 19 local government areas (LGAs) across six selected cities of Nigeria. It then explores the relationships between public and private sector FP services and determines whether contraceptive access and availability in either sector is correlated with community-level wealth. Data show pronounced variability in contraceptive access and availability across LGAs in both sectors, with a positive correlation between public sector and private sector supply environments and only localized associations between the FP supply environments and poverty. These results will be useful for program planners and policy makers to improve equal access to contraception through the expansion or redistribution of services in focused urban areas.

[Relations between official and private veterinary services in epidemiology and the control of contagious diseases].

PubMed

Moura, J A; Bedoya, M; Agudelo, M P

2004-04-01

Growing budget restrictions in many countries have meant that official Veterinary Services cannot assume responsibility for any new activities. The natural reaction is to turn to private veterinary services to provide the support needed to strengthen the control and surveillance of priority diseases and thereby support the development of the livestock sector and the establishment of safe international trade. In this context, official Veterinary Services must work together with private veterinarians, delegating various technical animal health activities, so that they may focus their efforts on those tasks that cannot be delegated: standardisation, control, auditing, general system co-ordination, epidemiological surveillance, etc., as well as organising veterinary policy in order to make best use of budget resources. For these relations to be efficient, a dynamic, two-way epidemiological information mechanism must be created, whereby private veterinarians periodically keep governments informed, on the basis of an agreed methodology. Moreover, the official Veterinary Services must systematically transmit information on List A and B diseases of the OIE (World organisation for animal health), and perform detailed analyses of epidemiologically significant events. The article proposes the establishment of relations between public and private veterinary services as a way in which to provide the livestock sector with the health and hygiene conditions that are necessary for effective disease control, which in turn provides greater security for international trade and increased consumer protection.

Commercial Building Tenant Energy Usage Aggregation and Privacy

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

Livingston, Olga V.; Pulsipher, Trenton C.; Anderson, David M.

A growing number of building owners are benchmarking their building energy use. This requires the building owner to acquire monthly whole-building energy usage information, which can be challenging for buildings in which individual tenants have their own utility meters and accounts with the utility. Some utilities and utility regulators have turned to aggregation of customer energy use data (CEUD) as a way to give building owners whole-building energy usage data while protecting customer privacy. Meter profile aggregation adds a layer of protection that decreases the risk of revealing CEUD as the number of meters aggregated increases. The report statistically characterizesmore » the similarity between individual energy usage patterns and whole-building totals at various levels of meter aggregation.« less

Does Growth in Private Schooling Contribute to Education for All? Evidence from a Longitudinal, Two Cohort Study in Andhra Pradesh, India

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Woodhead, Martin; Frost, Melanie; James, Zoe

2013-01-01

This paper informs debates about the potential role for low-fee private schooling in achieving Education for All goals in India. It reports "Young Lives" longitudinal data for two cohorts (2906 children) in the state of Andhra Pradesh. Eight year olds uptake of private schooling increased from 24 per cent (children born in 1994-5) to 44…

Threats to private forest lands in the U.S.A.: a forests on the edge study

Treesearch

Mark H. Hatfield; Ronald E. McRoberts; Dacia M. Meneguzzo; Sara Comas

2010-01-01

The Forests on the Edge project, sponsored by the USDA Forest Service, uses geographic information systems to construct and analyze maps depicting threats to the contributions of America’s private forest lands. For this study, watersheds across the conterminous United States are evaluated with respect to the amount of their private forest land. Watersheds with at least...

Differences in public and private sector adoption of telemedicine: Indian case study for sectoral adoption.

PubMed

Sood, Sanjay P; Negash, Solomon; Mbarika, Victor W A; Kifle, Mengistu; Prakash, Nupur

2007-01-01

Telemedicine is the use of communication networks to exchange medical information for providing healthcare services and medical education from one site to another. The application of telemedicine is more promising in economically developing countries with agrarian societies. The American Telemedicine Association (ATA) identifies three healthcare services: clinical medical services, health and medical education, and consumer health information. However, it is not clear how these services can be adopted by different sectors: public and private. This paper looks at four Indian case studies, two each in public and private sectors to understand two research questions: Are there differences in telemedicine adoption between public and private hospitals. If there are differences: What are the differences in telemedicine adoption between public and private sectors? Authors have used the extant literature in telemedicine and healthcare to frame theoretical background, describe the research setting, present the case studies, and provide discussion and conclusions about their findings. Authors believe that as India continues to develop its telemedicine infrastructures, especially with continued government support through subsidies to private telemedicine initiatives, its upward trend in healthcare will continue. This is expected to put India on the path to increase its life expectancy rates, especially for it rural community which constitute over 70% of its populace.

A practical guideline for identifying research intent with projects that collect private, identifiable health information.

PubMed

Amdur, Robert J; Speers, Marjorie A

2003-06-01

Radiation oncologists frequently engage in activities that involve the collection and analysis of data from medical records. Access to health information is an ethical issue because, if not done according to appropriate guidelines, it constitutes an invasion of privacy or breach in confidentiality. To protect patients for the social harm that may result from medical record review, our society has established laws and regulations that apply to projects that require medical record review. A major branch point in the guidelines for such projects is whether private information will be collected for research or nonresearch purposes. However, a problem with discussing privacy protection in terms of a research versus nonresearch model is that it is difficult to make this distinction for many kinds of projects. The purpose of this paper is to establish a practical guideline that can be used to decide if a project that involves analysis of private, identifiable medical information should be considered research from the regulatory standpoint.

SHARE: system design and case studies for statistical health information release

PubMed Central

Gardner, James; Xiong, Li; Xiao, Yonghui; Gao, Jingjing; Post, Andrew R; Jiang, Xiaoqian; Ohno-Machado, Lucila

2013-01-01

Objectives We present SHARE, a new system for statistical health information release with differential privacy. We present two case studies that evaluate the software on real medical datasets and demonstrate the feasibility and utility of applying the differential privacy framework on biomedical data. Materials and Methods SHARE releases statistical information in electronic health records with differential privacy, a strong privacy framework for statistical data release. It includes a number of state-of-the-art methods for releasing multidimensional histograms and longitudinal patterns. We performed a variety of experiments on two real datasets, the surveillance, epidemiology and end results (SEER) breast cancer dataset and the Emory electronic medical record (EeMR) dataset, to demonstrate the feasibility and utility of SHARE. Results Experimental results indicate that SHARE can deal with heterogeneous data present in medical data, and that the released statistics are useful. The Kullback–Leibler divergence between the released multidimensional histograms and the original data distribution is below 0.5 and 0.01 for seven-dimensional and three-dimensional data cubes generated from the SEER dataset, respectively. The relative error for longitudinal pattern queries on the EeMR dataset varies between 0 and 0.3. While the results are promising, they also suggest that challenges remain in applying statistical data release using the differential privacy framework for higher dimensional data. Conclusions SHARE is one of the first systems to provide a mechanism for custodians to release differentially private aggregate statistics for a variety of use cases in the medical domain. This proof-of-concept system is intended to be applied to large-scale medical data warehouses. PMID:23059729

Aggregation of Minnesota water-use data and transfer of data to the National Water-Use Data System; Procedures and programs

USGS Publications Warehouse

Trotta, L.C.

1988-01-01

The Minnesota Water-Use Data System stores data on the quantity of withdrawals and discharge in Minnesota. To transfer these data into the U.S. Geological Survey 's National Water-Use Data System properly, certain procedures must be followed. Uniform data categorization and entry allows comparison of water use from State to State. The data in the National Water-Use Data System are aggregated by county and by watershed (hydrologic unit). This report documents the data aggregation and transfer process as developed by the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, the Minnesota State Planning Agency/Planning Information Center, and the U.S. Geological Survey as part of the National Water-Use Information Program.

Role of emerging private hospitals in a post-Soviet mixed health system: a mixed methods comparative study of private and public hospital inpatient care in Mongolia.

PubMed

Tsevelvaanchig, Uranchimeg; Gouda, Hebe; Baker, Peter; Hill, Peter S

2017-05-01

The collapse of the Soviet Union in 1990 severely impacted the health sector in Mongolia. Limited public funding for the post-Soviet model public system and a rapid growth of poorly regulated private providers have been pressing issues for a government seeking to re-establish universal health coverage. However, the evidence available on the role of private providers that would inform sector management is very limited. This study analyses the current contribution of private hospitals in Mongolia for the improvement of accessibility of health care and efficiency. We used mixed research methods. A descriptive analysis of nationally representative hospital admission records from 2013 was followed by semi-structured interviews that were carried out with purposively selected key informants (N = 45), representing the main actors in Mongolia's mixed health system. Private-for-profit hospitals are concentrated in urban areas, where their financial model is most viable. The result is the duplication of private and public inpatient services, both in terms of their geographical location and the range of services delivered. The combination of persistent inpatient-oriented care and perverse financial incentives that privilege admission over outpatient management, have created unnecessary health costs. The engagement of the private sector to improve population health outcomes is constrained by a series of issues of governance, regulation and financing and the failure of the state to manage the private sector as an integral part of its health system planning. For a mixed system like in Mongolia, a comprehensive policy and plan which defines the complementary role of private providers to optimize private public service mix is critical in the early stages of the private sector development. It further supports the importance of a system perspective that combines regulation and incentives in consistent policy, rather than an isolated approach to provide regulation. © The Author 2016. Published by Oxford University Press in association with The London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com

National and surgical health care expenditures, 2005-2025.

PubMed

Muñoz, Eric; Muñoz, William; Wise, Leslie

2010-02-01

Health care expenditures for 2005 in the United States were $1.9733 trillion and 15.9% of the gross domestic product (GDP). Twenty-nine percent of those expenditures were secondary to surgical revenues. Health care expenditures are increasing 2(1/2) times the rate of the general US economy and are being fed by new technologies, new medications, the aging population, more services provided per patient, defensive medicine and little tort reform, the insurance system, and the free rider problem, ie, patients are cared for as emergencies regardless of insurance coverage and legality, which all have contributed to rising health care and surgical expenditures over the last 50 years. The purpose of this study was to project aggregate national health care expenditures, aggregate surgical health care expenditures, and the United States GDP for the years 2005-2025. Model building and existing state and national data were used. Aggregate surgical health care expenditures were computed as 29% of aggregate health care expenditures using a unique model developed by the late Dr. Francis D. Moore. The model of Dr. Moore which used 1981 federal data was verified/tested using data from UMDNJ-University Hospital, and New Jersey and national data from 2005. From 1965 to 2005 mean health care expenditures increased at 4.9% per year, and US GDP increased at a mean of 2.1% per year. Aggregate surgical expenditures are expected to grow from $572 billion in 2005 (4.6% of US GDP) to $912 billion (2005 dollars) in the year 2025 (7.3% of US GDP). Aggregate health care expenditures are projected to increase from $5572 per capita (15.9% of GDP) in 2005 to $8832 per capita (2005 dollars) in 2025 (25.2% of US GDP). Both surgery and national health care expenditures are expected to expand by almost 60% during the period 2005-2025. Thus, surgical health care expenditures by 2025 are likely to be 1/14 of the US economy, and health care expenditures will be (1/4) of the US economy. Real per capita GDP growth is relatively flat in the United States. Rising surgical health care expenditures and national health care expenditures are a significant issue for the US population. Unfortunately, programs at the state and federal level as well as private programs, for the last 50 years have not been able to slow the growth in health care expenditures. These trends are likely to continue and the effects will be: * A change in the US standard of living as surgical and health care expenditures become a larger part of the earned dollar per American especially with the current volatility of the US economy, * A rise in the cost of products made in the United States to pay the rising health care bill with a concomitant change in our national and international standard of living, and * An increasing debt and increases in federal and state taxes which will be required to maintain the current health care system, ie, Medicare, Medicaid, and the private health care insurance payment scheme, which has not changed substantially over the past 40 to 50 years. Surgeons must look at the incremental benefit of new technologies and procedures and determine which to choose if we are to slow the growth of surgical health care expenditures.

Secure Data Aggregation with Fully Homomorphic Encryption in Large-Scale Wireless Sensor Networks.

PubMed

Li, Xing; Chen, Dexin; Li, Chunyan; Wang, Liangmin

2015-07-03

With the rapid development of wireless communication technology, sensor technology, information acquisition and processing technology, sensor networks will finally have a deep influence on all aspects of people's lives. The battery resources of sensor nodes should be managed efficiently in order to prolong network lifetime in large-scale wireless sensor networks (LWSNs). Data aggregation represents an important method to remove redundancy as well as unnecessary data transmission and hence cut down the energy used in communication. As sensor nodes are deployed in hostile environments, the security of the sensitive information such as confidentiality and integrity should be considered. This paper proposes Fully homomorphic Encryption based Secure data Aggregation (FESA) in LWSNs which can protect end-to-end data confidentiality and support arbitrary aggregation operations over encrypted data. In addition, by utilizing message authentication codes (MACs), this scheme can also verify data integrity during data aggregation and forwarding processes so that false data can be detected as early as possible. Although the FHE increase the computation overhead due to its large public key size, simulation results show that it is implementable in LWSNs and performs well. Compared with other protocols, the transmitted data and network overhead are reduced in our scheme.

Probability density function characterization for aggregated large-scale wind power based on Weibull mixtures

DOE PAGES

Gomez-Lazaro, Emilio; Bueso, Maria C.; Kessler, Mathieu; ...

2016-02-02

Here, the Weibull probability distribution has been widely applied to characterize wind speeds for wind energy resources. Wind power generation modeling is different, however, due in particular to power curve limitations, wind turbine control methods, and transmission system operation requirements. These differences are even greater for aggregated wind power generation in power systems with high wind penetration. Consequently, models based on one-Weibull component can provide poor characterizations for aggregated wind power generation. With this aim, the present paper focuses on discussing Weibull mixtures to characterize the probability density function (PDF) for aggregated wind power generation. PDFs of wind power datamore » are firstly classified attending to hourly and seasonal patterns. The selection of the number of components in the mixture is analyzed through two well-known different criteria: the Akaike information criterion (AIC) and the Bayesian information criterion (BIC). Finally, the optimal number of Weibull components for maximum likelihood is explored for the defined patterns, including the estimated weight, scale, and shape parameters. Results show that multi-Weibull models are more suitable to characterize aggregated wind power data due to the impact of distributed generation, variety of wind speed values and wind power curtailment.« less

76 FR 38220 - Submission for OMB Review

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-29

... OVERSEAS PRIVATE INVESTMENT CORPORATION Submission for OMB Review AGENCY: Overseas Private... notifying the public that the agency has prepared an information collection for OMB review and approval... Form Under Review Type of Request: Extension, without change, of a currently approved collection. Title...

76 FR 38220 - Submission for OMB Review

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-29

... OVERSEAS PRIVATE INVESTMENT CORPORATION Submission for OMB Review AGENCY: Overseas Private... notifying the public that the agency has prepared an information collection for OMB review and approval... Form Under Review Type of Request: New form. Title: Short--Form Application for Political Risk...

76 FR 38221 - Submission for OMB Review

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-06-29

... OVERSEAS PRIVATE INVESTMENT CORPORATION Submission for OMB Review AGENCY: Overseas Private... notifying the public that the agency has prepared an information collection for OMB review and approval... Form Under Review Type of Request: Revised form. Title: Self-Monitoring Questionnaire. Form Number...

Evaluating resilience of DNP3-controlled SCADA systems against event buffer flooding

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

Yan, Guanhua; Nicol, David M; Jin, Dong

2010-12-16

The DNP3 protocol is widely used in SCADA systems (particularly electrical power) as a means of communicating observed sensor state information back to a control center. Typical architectures using DNP3 have a two level hierarchy, where a specialized data aggregator device receives observed state from devices within a local region, and the control center collects the aggregated state from the data aggregator. The DNP3 communication between control center and data aggregator is asynchronous with the DNP3 communication between data aggregator and relays; this leads to the possibility of completely filling a data aggregator's buffer of pending events, when a relaymore » is compromised or spoofed and sends overly many (false) events to the data aggregator. This paper investigates how a real-world SCADA device responds to event buffer flooding. A Discrete-Time Markov Chain (DTMC) model is developed for understanding this. The DTMC model is validated by a Moebius simulation model and data collected on real SCADA testbed.« less

49 CFR 172.313 - Poisonous hazardous materials.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... TABLE, SPECIAL PROVISIONS, HAZARDOUS MATERIALS COMMUNICATIONS, EMERGENCY RESPONSE INFORMATION, TRAINING... 1,000 kg (2,205 pounds) or more aggregate gross weight of the material in non-bulk packages marked... aggregate gross weight; and (ii) For different materials in both Hazard Zones A and B, with the...

12 CFR 1402.27 - Aggregating requests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Information § 1402.27 Aggregating requests. A requester may not file multiple requests at the same time, each... in concert, is attempting to break a request down into a series of requests for the purpose of... reasonable is the time period over which the requests have occurred. ...

12 CFR 1402.27 - Aggregating requests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... Information § 1402.27 Aggregating requests. A requester may not file multiple requests at the same time, each... in concert, is attempting to break a request down into a series of requests for the purpose of... reasonable is the time period over which the requests have occurred. ...

12 CFR 1402.27 - Aggregating requests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Information § 1402.27 Aggregating requests. A requester may not file multiple requests at the same time, each... in concert, is attempting to break a request down into a series of requests for the purpose of... reasonable is the time period over which the requests have occurred. ...

Thermal aggregation of glycated bovine serum albumin.

PubMed

Rondeau, Philippe; Navarra, Giovanna; Cacciabaudo, Francesco; Leone, Maurizio; Bourdon, Emmanuel; Militello, Valeria

2010-04-01

Aggregation and glycation processes in proteins have a particular interest in medicine fields and in food technology. Serum albumins are model proteins which are able to self-assembly in aggregates and also sensitive to a non-enzymatic glycation in cases of diabetes. In this work, we firstly reported a study on the glycation and oxidation effects on the structure of bovine serum albumin (BSA). The experimental approach is based on the study of conformational changes of BSA at secondary and tertiary structures by FTIR absorption and fluorescence spectroscopy, respectively. Secondly, we analysed the thermal aggregation process on BSA glycated with different glucose concentrations. Additional information on the aggregation kinetics are obtained by light scattering measurements. The results show that glycation process affects the native structure of BSA. Then, the partial unfolding of the tertiary structure which accompanies the aggregation process is similar both in native and glycated BSA. In particular, the formation of aggregates is progressively inhibited with growing concentration of glucose incubated with BSA. These results bring new insights on how aggregation process is affected by modification of BSA induced by glycation. Copyright 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Melittin Aggregation in Aqueous Solutions: Insight from Molecular Dynamics Simulations.

PubMed

Liao, Chenyi; Esai Selvan, Myvizhi; Zhao, Jun; Slimovitch, Jonathan L; Schneebeli, Severin T; Shelley, Mee; Shelley, John C; Li, Jianing

2015-08-20

Melittin is a natural peptide that aggregates in aqueous solutions with paradigmatic monomer-to-tetramer and coil-to-helix transitions. Since little is known about the molecular mechanisms of melittin aggregation in solution, we simulated its self-aggregation process under various conditions. After confirming the stability of a melittin tetramer in solution, we observed—for the first time in atomistic detail—that four separated melittin monomers aggregate into a tetramer. Our simulated dependence of melittin aggregation on peptide concentration, temperature, and ionic strength is in good agreement with prior experiments. We propose that melittin mainly self-aggregates via a mechanism involving the sequential addition of monomers, which is supported by both qualitative and quantitative evidence obtained from unbiased and metadynamics simulations. Moreover, by combining computer simulations and a theory of the electrical double layer, we provide evidence to suggest why melittin aggregation in solution likely stops at the tetramer, rather than forming higher-order oligomers. Overall, our study not only explains prior experimental results at the molecular level but also provides quantitative mechanistic information that may guide the engineering of melittin for higher efficacy and safety.

Shopping on the Public and Private Health Insurance Marketplaces: Consumer Decision Aids and Plan Presentation.

PubMed

Wong, Charlene A; Kulhari, Sajal; McGeoch, Ellen J; Jones, Arthur T; Weiner, Janet; Polsky, Daniel; Baker, Tom

2018-05-29

The design of the Affordable Care Act's (ACA) health insurance marketplaces influences complex health plan choices. To compare the choice environments of the public health insurance exchanges in the fourth (OEP4) versus third (OEP3) open enrollment period and to examine online marketplace run by private companies, including a total cost estimate comparison. In November-December 2016, we examined the public and private online health insurance exchanges. We navigated each site for "real-shopping" (personal information required) and "window-shopping" (no required personal information). Public (n = 13; 12 state-based marketplaces and HealthCare.gov ) and private (n = 23) online health insurance exchanges. Features included consumer decision aids (e.g., total cost estimators, provider lookups) and plan display (e.g., order of plans). We examined private health insurance exchanges for notable features (i.e., those not found on public exchanges) and compared the total cost estimates on public versus private exchanges for a standardized consumer. Nearly all studied consumer decision aids saw increased deployment in the public marketplaces in OEP4 compared to OEP3. Over half of the public exchanges (n = 7 of 13) had total cost estimators (versus 5 of 14 in OEP3) in window-shopping and integrated provider lookups (window-shopping: 7; real-shopping: 8). The most common default plan orders were by premium or total cost estimate. Notable features on private health insurance exchanges were unique data presentation (e.g., infographics) and further personalized shopping (e.g., recommended plan flags). Health plan total cost estimates varied substantially between the public and private exchanges (average difference $1526). The ACA's public health insurance exchanges offered more tools in OEP4 to help consumers select a plan. While private health insurance exchanges presented notable features, the total cost estimates for a standardized consumer varied widely on public versus private exchanges.

Private Health Plans’ Contracts with Managed Behavioral Healthcare Organizations

PubMed Central

Garnick, Deborah W.; Horgan, Constance M.; Merrick, Elizabeth L.; Hodgkin, Dominic; Reif, Sharon; Quinn, Amity E.; Stewart, Maureen; Creedon, Timothy B.

2015-01-01

Contracts between health plans and managed behavioral health care organizations (MBHOs) influence access and quality of behavioral health care. This report presents information on performance requirements, information sharing, and financial risk from a nationally representative survey of private health plans. Most contracts include geographic access to providers (93.3%) and NCQA’s performance standards (84.2%). Health plans and MBHOs share data (99.0%), generally by the MBHO sending information to the health plan (96.3%). About a quarter of contracts impose financial penalties (23.0%), but few include incentives related to performance standards (<1.0%). Contract terms can shape the provision of behavioral health services in response to changes such as parity legislation or health reform. If current trends continue towards increases in value-based purchasing in the privately financed behavioral health sector, the focus on quality in contracts between health plans and MBHOs will be critical to understand. PMID:26276421

Mutuality and solidarity: assessing risks and sharing losses.

PubMed Central

Wilkie, D

1997-01-01

Mutuality is the principle of private, commercial insurance; individuals enter the pool for sharing losses, and pay according to the best estimate of the risk they bring with them. Solidarity is the sharing of losses with payment according to some other scheme; this is the principle of state social insurance; essential features of solidarity are comprehensiveness and compulsion. Private insurance is subject to the uberrima fides principle, or utmost good faith; each side declares all it knows about the risk. The Disability Discrimination Act requires insurers to justify disability discrimination on the basis of relevant information, acturial, statistical or medical, on which it is reasonable to rely. It could be very damaging to private insurance to abandon uberrima fides. However, although some genetic information is clearly useful to underwriters, other information may be so general as to be of little use. The way in which mortality rates are assessed is also explained. PMID:9304668

Differentially private distributed logistic regression using private and public data.

PubMed

Ji, Zhanglong; Jiang, Xiaoqian; Wang, Shuang; Xiong, Li; Ohno-Machado, Lucila

2014-01-01

Privacy protecting is an important issue in medical informatics and differential privacy is a state-of-the-art framework for data privacy research. Differential privacy offers provable privacy against attackers who have auxiliary information, and can be applied to data mining models (for example, logistic regression). However, differentially private methods sometimes introduce too much noise and make outputs less useful. Given available public data in medical research (e.g. from patients who sign open-consent agreements), we can design algorithms that use both public and private data sets to decrease the amount of noise that is introduced. In this paper, we modify the update step in Newton-Raphson method to propose a differentially private distributed logistic regression model based on both public and private data. We try our algorithm on three different data sets, and show its advantage over: (1) a logistic regression model based solely on public data, and (2) a differentially private distributed logistic regression model based on private data under various scenarios. Logistic regression models built with our new algorithm based on both private and public datasets demonstrate better utility than models that trained on private or public datasets alone without sacrificing the rigorous privacy guarantee.

Effect of Soil Water Content on the Distribution of Diuron into Organomineral Aggregates of Highly Weathered Tropical Soils.

PubMed

Regitano, Jussara B; Rocha, Wadson S D; Bonfleur, Eloana J; Milori, Debora; Alleoni, Luís R F

2016-05-25

We evaluated the effects of soil water content on the retention of diuron and its residual distribution into organomineral aggregates in four Brazilian oxisols. (14)C-Diuron was incubated for days at 25, 50, and 75% of maximum water-holding capacity for each soil. After 42 days, the physical fractionation method was used to obtain >150, 53-150, 20-53, 2-20, and <2 μm aggregate sizes. Diuron retention increased with increasing soil water content for all soils. At lower soil water content, diuron's retention was higher in the sandier soil. It was mostly retained in the fine (<20 μm) aggregates of sandier soil, and for clayed soils, retention was higher in the coarse aggregates (>53 μm). The sorption coefficients (Kd and Koc) generated by batch studies should be carefully used because they do not provide information about aggregation and diffusion effects on pesticides soil sorption.

Avoidable cost of alcohol abuse in Canada.

PubMed

Rehm, Jürgen; Patra, Jayadeep; Gnam, William H; Sarnocinska-Hart, Anna; Popova, Svetlana

2011-01-01

To estimate avoidable burden and avoidable costs of alcohol abuse in Canada for the year 2002. A policy effectiveness approach was used. The impact of six effective and cost-effective alcohol policy interventions aimed to reduce alcohol consumption was modeled. In addition, the effect of privatized alcohol sales that would increase alcohol consumption and alcohol-attributable costs was also modeled. The effects of these interventions were compared with the baseline (aggregate) costs obtained from the second Canadian Study of Social Costs Attributable to Substance Abuse. It was estimated that by implementing six cost-effective policies from about 900 million to two billion Canadian dollars per year could be saved in Canada. The greatest savings due to the implementation of these interventions would be achieved in the lowering of productivity losses, followed by health care, and criminality. Substantial increases in burden and cost would occur if Canadian provinces were to privatize alcohol sales. The implementation of proven effective population-based interventions would reduce alcohol-attributable burden and its costs in Canada to a considerable degree. Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Medicaid capital reimbursement policy and environmental artifacts of nursing home culture change.

PubMed

Miller, Susan C; Cohen, Neal; Lima, Julie C; Mor, Vincent

2014-02-01

To examine how Medicaid capital reimbursement policy is associated with nursing homes (NHs) having high proportions of private rooms and small households. Through a 2009/2010 NH national survey, we identified NHs having small households and high proportions of private rooms (≥76%). A survey of state Medicaid officials and policy document review provided 2009 policy data. Facility- and county-level covariates were from Online Survey, Certification and Reporting, the Area Resource File, and aggregated resident assessment data (minimum data set). The policy of interest was the presence of traditional versus fair rental capital reimbursement policy. Average Medicaid per diem rates and the presence of NH pay-for-performance (p4p) reimbursement were also examined. A total of 1,665 NHs in 40 states were included. Multivariate logistic regression analyses (with clustering on states) were used. In multivariate models, Medicaid capital reimbursement policy was not significantly associated with either outcome. However, there was a significantly greater likelihood of NHs having many private rooms when states had higher Medicaid rates (per $10 increment; adjusted odds ratio [AOR] 1.13; 95% CI 1.049, 1.228), and in states with versus without p4p (AOR 1.78; 95% CI 1.045, 3.036). Also, in states with p4p NHs had a greater likelihood of having small households (AOR 1.78; 95% CI 1.045, 3.0636). Higher NH Medicaid rates and reimbursement incentives may contribute to a higher presence of 2 important environmental artifacts of culture change-an abundance of private rooms and small households. However, longitudinal research examining policy change is needed to establish the cause and effect of the associations observed.

Unified Communications: Simplifying DoD Communication Methods

DTIC Science & Technology

2013-04-18

private key to encrypt the hash. The encrypted hash, together with some other information, such as the hashing algorithm , is known as a digital...virtual private network (VPN). The use of a VPN would allow users to access corporate data while encrypting traffic.35 Another layer of protection would...sign and encrypt emails as well as controlling access to restricted sites. PKI uses a combination of public and private keys for encryption and

Measuring Aggregation of Events about a Mass Using Spatial Point Pattern Methods

PubMed Central

Smith, Michael O.; Ball, Jackson; Holloway, Benjamin B.; Erdelyi, Ferenc; Szabo, Gabor; Stone, Emily; Graham, Jonathan; Lawrence, J. Josh

2017-01-01

We present a methodology that detects event aggregation about a mass surface using 3-dimensional study regions with a point pattern and a mass present. The Aggregation about a Mass function determines aggregation, randomness, or repulsion of events with respect to the mass surface. Our method closely resembles Ripley’s K function but is modified to discern the pattern about the mass surface. We briefly state the definition and derivation of Ripley’s K function and explain how the Aggregation about a Mass function is different. We develop the novel function according to the definition: the Aggregation about a Mass function times the intensity is the expected number of events within a distance h of a mass. Special consideration of edge effects is taken in order to make the function invariant to the location of the mass within the study region. Significance of aggregation or repulsion is determined using simulation envelopes. A simulation study is performed to inform researchers how the Aggregation about a Mass function performs under different types of aggregation. Finally, we apply the Aggregation about a Mass function to neuroscience as a novel analysis tool by examining the spatial pattern of neurotransmitter release sites as events about a neuron. PMID:29046865

Rebuilding and the private cloud of the hospital information system by the virtualization technology.

PubMed

Yamashita, Yoshinori; Ogaito, Tatoku

2013-01-01

In our hospital, we managed an electronic health record system and many section subsystems as a hospital information system. By the expansion of these information systems, a system becomes complicated, and maintenance and operative cost increased. Furthermore, the environment that is available to medical information is demanded anywhere anytime by expansion of the computerization. However, the expansion of the information use becomes necessary for the expansion such as the personal protection of information for security. We became rebuilding and the private cloud of the hospital information system by the virtualization technology to solve such a problem. As a result, we were able to perform a decrease in number of the servers which constituted a system, a decrease in network traffic, reduction of the operative cost.

The Role of Content Aggregators In GEOValue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, D. J.; Breyer, S.; Hogeweg, M.; Foust, J.; Jordan, L.; Plunkett, G.

2016-12-01

Data (aka content) in the form of numbers or layers, and transformed into information by way of maps, images, graphs, charts, tables, even stories, are foundational for a myriad of decision-makers. Recent advances in information technology, as well as civil remote sensing of the Earth, are rapidly allowing us to advance beyond mere static data collection and archiving, further enabling information awareness and understanding, and leading us towards knowledge and better decision making. However, such volumes, velocities, and varieties of data streams also bring with them serious dilemmas with regard to effective organization, cataloging, and easy access. This is where the role of aggregator comes in, with their provision of the necessary sustainability and reliability of information via proven, well-engineered platforms, all with the necessary interoperability and openness as guaranteed through the adoption of established standards. Information technology (IT) giants such as Google, Facebook, IBM and Apple are well known for aggregating just about every aspect of life in modern society, from our music to our mood swings. A use case of the Environmental Systems Research Institute (aka Esri) is presented as a geospatial aggregator. It has over the years, compiled, assembled and produced a carefully curated library of public content into a global "Living Atlas of the World," organized into different themes such as Earth observation, transportation, demographics, natural hazards, ecological land units, elevation, and more. Among a myriad of decision scenarios with this content to be presented is the tracking of sea ice in the Arctic, estimating potential impact to shipping lanes or coastal infrastructure, and forecasting future conditions. Esri as the main aggregator of Living Atlas content continues to welcome not only contributors who will publish new content to be included in this global Atlas, but fellow curators who will assist in reviewing, organizing, and even approving that content, thereby helping to increase and ensure its quality over time.

76 FR 11248 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-03-01

... the standards; and to fulfill certain statutory reporting requirements; Frequency: Occasionally; Affected Public: Private Sector: Business or other for-profits, Not-for-profit institutions; Number of...-1103); Frequency: Once; Affected Public: Private Sector, Business or other for profits; Number of...

78 FR 65656 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-11-01

... of Strategic Operations and Regulatory Affairs; Division of Regulations Development; Attention...: 0938-0832); Frequency: Yearly; Affected Public: Private Sector--Business or other for-profits and Not.... Form Number: CMS-417 (OCN: 0938-0313); Frequency: Annually; Affected Public: Private Sector--Business...

Digital Image Processing in Private Industry.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Connie

1986-01-01

Examines various types of private industry optical disk installations in terms of business requirements for digital image systems in five areas: records management; transaction processing; engineering/manufacturing; information distribution; and office automation. Approaches for implementing image systems are addressed as well as key success…

Processes, information, and accounting gaps in the regulation of Argentina's private railways

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2001-07-17

Almost a decade after Argentina began privatizing its railways, resolution of the conflicts between regulators, users, and operators continues to take longer, and to be more difficult, than expected. This paper argues that many of these conflicts are...

77 FR 44654 - Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) Application Form

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-30

... sustainability of properties and enable owners to leverage private financing to address immediate and long-term.... FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Colette Pollard., Reports Management Officer, QDAM, Department of... the physical and financial sustainability of properties and enable owners to leverage private...

12 CFR 1402.27 - Aggregating requests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 9 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Aggregating requests. 1402.27 Section 1402.27 Banks and Banking FARM CREDIT SYSTEM INSURANCE CORPORATION RELEASING INFORMATION Fees for Provision of... requests and charge accordingly. One element to be considered in determining whether a belief would be...

12 CFR 1402.27 - Aggregating requests.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 12 Banks and Banking 9 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Aggregating requests. 1402.27 Section 1402.27 Banks and Banking FARM CREDIT SYSTEM INSURANCE CORPORATION RELEASING INFORMATION Fees for Provision of... requests and charge accordingly. One element to be considered in determining whether a belief would be...

47 CFR 64.1600 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

...) Aggregate information. The term “aggregate information” means collective data that relate to a group or... Signaling System 7 network. (d) Charge number. The term “charge number” refers to the delivery of the... Signaling System 7 network, that indicates whether the calling party authorizes presentation of the calling...

AN EQUILIBRIUM-APPROACH MODEL FOR SIMULATING CONTAMINANT TRANSFER BETWEEN SURFACES AND SKIN IN SUPPORT OF FQPA

EPA Science Inventory

The Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) demands that exposure of infants and children to pesticide residues from non-dietary sources be included in EPA's aggregate risk assessment. Ideally, the informed assessment would aggregate exposures from all reasonable sources, primarily ...

Effects of red blood cell aggregates dissociation on the estimation of ultrasound speckle image velocimetry.

PubMed

Yeom, Eunseop; Nam, Kweon-Ho; Paeng, Dong-Guk; Lee, Sang-Joon

2014-08-01

Ultrasound speckle image of blood is mainly attributed by red blood cells (RBCs) which tend to form RBC aggregates. RBC aggregates are separated into individual cells when the shear force is over a certain value. The dissociation of RBC aggregates has an influence on the performance of ultrasound speckle image velocimetry (SIV) technique in which a cross-correlation algorithm is applied to the speckle images to get the velocity field information. The present study aims to investigate the effect of the dissociation of RBC aggregates on the estimation quality of SIV technique. Ultrasound B-mode images were captured from the porcine blood circulating in a mock-up flow loop with varying flow rate. To verify the measurement performance of SIV technique, the centerline velocity measured by the SIV technique was compared with that measured by Doppler spectrograms. The dissociation of RBC aggregates was estimated by using decorrelation of speckle patterns in which the subsequent window was shifted as much as the speckle displacement to compensate decorrelation caused by in-plane loss of speckle patterns. The decorrelation of speckles is considerably increased according to shear rate. Its variations are different along the radial direction. Because the dissociation of RBC aggregates changes ultrasound speckles, the estimation quality of SIV technique is significantly correlated with the decorrelation of speckles. This degradation of measurement quality may be improved by increasing the data acquisition rate. This study would be useful for simultaneous measurement of hemodynamic and hemorheological information of blood flows using only speckle images. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

42 CFR 480.120 - Information subject to disclosure.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... subcontracts under those contracts (except for proprietary or business information); (3) Copies of documents..., including a study design and methodology. (b) Aggregate statistical information that does not implicitly or...

Hierarchical models and Bayesian analysis of bird survey information

USGS Publications Warehouse

Sauer, J.R.; Link, W.A.; Royle, J. Andrew; Ralph, C. John; Rich, Terrell D.

2005-01-01

Summary of bird survey information is a critical component of conservation activities, but often our summaries rely on statistical methods that do not accommodate the limitations of the information. Prioritization of species requires ranking and analysis of species by magnitude of population trend, but often magnitude of trend is a misleading measure of actual decline when trend is poorly estimated. Aggregation of population information among regions is also complicated by varying quality of estimates among regions. Hierarchical models provide a reasonable means of accommodating concerns about aggregation and ranking of quantities of varying precision. In these models the need to consider multiple scales is accommodated by placing distributional assumptions on collections of parameters. For collections of species trends, this allows probability statements to be made about the collections of species-specific parameters, rather than about the estimates. We define and illustrate hierarchical models for two commonly encountered situations in bird conservation: (1) Estimating attributes of collections of species estimates, including ranking of trends, estimating number of species with increasing populations, and assessing population stability with regard to predefined trend magnitudes; and (2) estimation of regional population change, aggregating information from bird surveys over strata. User-friendly computer software makes hierarchical models readily accessible to scientists.

Factors in Sustainable Development: Current and Innovative Livestock and Range Management Practices as Perceived by Cattle-Producing Ejidatarios and Private Cattle Ranchers of Sonora, Mexico. A Summary Report of Research. Department Information Bulletin 99-4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamlett, Peggy J.

A study was conducted to identify and compare livestock production and range management practices currently in use in the Texas/Mexico border corridor, and to determine the acceptance of selected innovative practices among cattle ranchers in the State of Sonora, Mexico. Information was collected from private livestock producers who were members of…

Informed choice in women attending private clinics to undergo first-trimester screening for Down syndrome.

PubMed

Jaques, Alice M; Sheffield, Leslie J; Halliday, Jane L

2005-08-01

Informed choice for prenatal screening has long been considered an essential aspect of service provision, and has been researched extensively in the second trimester. This study aims at examining whether women having first-trimester screening in a private clinic had made an informed choice. A cross-sectional survey recruited women having first-trimester screening at specialist ultrasound practices. Two questionnaires containing a validated Multidimensional Measure of Informed Choice (MMIC) were self-administered pre- and post-screening. MMIC was completed by 81% (163/202) of women. Ninety-nine percent of women had a positive attitude towards screening, therefore informed choice was essentially measured on knowledge alone. Pre-screening, 68% made an informed choice, compared with 74% post-screening (chi2 = 1.6, p = 0.21 (McNemar)). Knowledge was associated with education level, information sources and perception of screening as routine or optional. The Australasian Guidelines on prenatal screening state that all women having testing should be provided with written information, and it should be ensured that they have appropriate understanding of the test(s). These guidelines are not being met, even in private clinical care. Health professionals should ensure that all women are provided with suitable information about prenatal screening that is tailored to their level of education and individual needs, and should emphasise that screening is optional. Copyright 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

A method and software framework for enriching private biomedical sources with data from public online repositories.

PubMed

Anguita, Alberto; García-Remesal, Miguel; Graf, Norbert; Maojo, Victor

2016-04-01

Modern biomedical research relies on the semantic integration of heterogeneous data sources to find data correlations. Researchers access multiple datasets of disparate origin, and identify elements-e.g. genes, compounds, pathways-that lead to interesting correlations. Normally, they must refer to additional public databases in order to enrich the information about the identified entities-e.g. scientific literature, published clinical trial results, etc. While semantic integration techniques have traditionally focused on providing homogeneous access to private datasets-thus helping automate the first part of the research, and there exist different solutions for browsing public data, there is still a need for tools that facilitate merging public repositories with private datasets. This paper presents a framework that automatically locates public data of interest to the researcher and semantically integrates it with existing private datasets. The framework has been designed as an extension of traditional data integration systems, and has been validated with an existing data integration platform from a European research project by integrating a private biological dataset with data from the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Position-based coding and convex splitting for private communication over quantum channels

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wilde, Mark M.

2017-10-01

The classical-input quantum-output (cq) wiretap channel is a communication model involving a classical sender X, a legitimate quantum receiver B, and a quantum eavesdropper E. The goal of a private communication protocol that uses such a channel is for the sender X to transmit a message in such a way that the legitimate receiver B can decode it reliably, while the eavesdropper E learns essentially nothing about which message was transmitted. The ɛ -one-shot private capacity of a cq wiretap channel is equal to the maximum number of bits that can be transmitted over the channel, such that the privacy error is no larger than ɛ \\in (0,1). The present paper provides a lower bound on the ɛ -one-shot private classical capacity, by exploiting the recently developed techniques of Anshu, Devabathini, Jain, and Warsi, called position-based coding and convex splitting. The lower bound is equal to a difference of the hypothesis testing mutual information between X and B and the "alternate" smooth max-information between X and E. The one-shot lower bound then leads to a non-trivial lower bound on the second-order coding rate for private classical communication over a memoryless cq wiretap channel.

Assessment of private security guards by Suicide Probability Scale and Brief Symptom Inventory.

PubMed

Dogan, Bulent; Canturk, Gurol; Canturk, Nergis; Guney, Sevgi; Özcan, Ebru

2016-01-01

The aim of the present study was to investigate the influence of suicide probability and relevant sociodemographic features and to provide information for preventing suicide in private security guards working under the stressful conditions and continuous exposure to the negative and traumatic life events. 200 private security guards and 200 personnels of Ankara University participated in the study. A sociodemographic information questionnaire, the Suicide Probability Scale (SPS) and the Brief Symptom Inventory (BSI) were used to collect the data. Gender, marital status, income, religious beliefs, experiencing a life-threatening situation, history of a suicide attempt, smoking and not having a chronic disease caused statistically significant differences in the scores for SPS between the private security guards group and the controls. Moreover there was a statistically significant positive correlation between the total scores of the subscales of SPS and the total scores of BSI. Like police officers and gendarmes, private security guards are at high risk of committing and attempting suicide because of being at stressful work settings and also suffering from secondary trauma. It is required that they should be aware of their tendency to commit suicide and have regular psychiatric screenings.

Automated Data Aggregation for Time-Series Analysis: Study Case on Anaesthesia Data Warehouse.

PubMed

Lamer, Antoine; Jeanne, Mathieu; Ficheur, Grégoire; Marcilly, Romaric

2016-01-01

Data stored in operational databases are not reusable directly. Aggregation modules are necessary to facilitate secondary use. They decrease volume of data while increasing the number of available information. In this paper, we present four automated engines of aggregation, integrated into an anaesthesia data warehouse. Four instances of clinical questions illustrate the use of those engines for various improvements of quality of care: duration of procedure, drug administration, assessment of hypotension and its related treatment.

Privacy-Preserving Predictive Modeling: Harmonization of Contextual Embeddings From Different Sources.

PubMed

Huang, Yingxiang; Lee, Junghye; Wang, Shuang; Sun, Jimeng; Liu, Hongfang; Jiang, Xiaoqian

2018-05-16

Data sharing has been a big challenge in biomedical informatics because of privacy concerns. Contextual embedding models have demonstrated a very strong representative capability to describe medical concepts (and their context), and they have shown promise as an alternative way to support deep-learning applications without the need to disclose original data. However, contextual embedding models acquired from individual hospitals cannot be directly combined because their embedding spaces are different, and naive pooling renders combined embeddings useless. The aim of this study was to present a novel approach to address these issues and to promote sharing representation without sharing data. Without sacrificing privacy, we also aimed to build a global model from representations learned from local private data and synchronize information from multiple sources. We propose a methodology that harmonizes different local contextual embeddings into a global model. We used Word2Vec to generate contextual embeddings from each source and Procrustes to fuse different vector models into one common space by using a list of corresponding pairs as anchor points. We performed prediction analysis with harmonized embeddings. We used sequential medical events extracted from the Medical Information Mart for Intensive Care III database to evaluate the proposed methodology in predicting the next likely diagnosis of a new patient using either structured data or unstructured data. Under different experimental scenarios, we confirmed that the global model built from harmonized local models achieves a more accurate prediction than local models and global models built from naive pooling. Such aggregation of local models using our unique harmonization can serve as the proxy for a global model, combining information from a wide range of institutions and information sources. It allows information unique to a certain hospital to become available to other sites, increasing the fluidity of information flow in health care. ©Yingxiang Huang, Junghye Lee, Shuang Wang, Jimeng Sun, Hongfang Liu, Xiaoqian Jiang. Originally published in JMIR Medical Informatics (http://medinform.jmir.org), 16.05.2018.

Investigating nurse practitioners in the private sector: a theoretically informed research protocol.

PubMed

Adams, Margaret; Gardner, Glenn; Yates, Patsy

2017-06-01

To report a study protocol and the theoretical framework normalisation process theory that informs this protocol for a case study investigation of private sector nurse practitioners. Most research evaluating nurse practitioner service is focused on public, mainly acute care environments where nurse practitioner service is well established with strong structures for governance and sustainability. Conversely, there is lack of clarity in governance for emerging models in the private sector. In a climate of healthcare reform, nurse practitioner service is extending beyond the familiar public health sector. Further research is required to inform knowledge of the practice, operational framework and governance of new nurse practitioner models. The proposed research will use a multiple exploratory case study design to examine private sector nurse practitioner service. Data collection includes interviews, surveys and audits. A sequential mixed method approach to analysis of each case will be conducted. Findings from within-case analysis will lead to a meta-synthesis across all four cases to gain a holistic understanding of the cases under study, private sector nurse practitioner service. Normalisation process theory will be used to guide the research process, specifically coding and analysis of data using theory constructs and the relevant components associated with those constructs. This article provides a blueprint for the research and describes a theoretical framework, normalisation process theory in terms of its flexibility as an analytical framework. Consistent with the goals of best research practice, this study protocol will inform the research community in the field of primary health care about emerging research in this field. Publishing a study protocol ensures researcher fidelity to the analysis plan and supports research collaboration across teams. © 2016 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Data Aggregation System: A system for information retrieval on demand over relational and non-relational distributed data sources

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

Ball, G.; Kuznetsov, V.; Evans, D.

We present the Data Aggregation System, a system for information retrieval and aggregation from heterogenous sources of relational and non-relational data for the Compact Muon Solenoid experiment on the CERN Large Hadron Collider. The experiment currently has a number of organically-developed data sources, including front-ends to a number of different relational databases and non-database data services which do not share common data structures or APIs (Application Programming Interfaces), and cannot at this stage be readily converged. DAS provides a single interface for querying all these services, a caching layer to speed up access to expensive underlying calls and the abilitymore » to merge records from different data services pertaining to a single primary key.« less

77 FR 60160 - Submission for OMB Review

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-02

... OVERSEAS PRIVATE INVESTMENT CORPORATION Submission for OMB Review AGENCY: Overseas Private... notifying the public that the agency has prepared an information collection for OMB review and approval... Corporation, 1100 New York Avenue NW., Washington, DC 20527; (202) 336-8563. Summary Form Under Review Type of...

78 FR 40482 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Proposed Collection; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-05

... following address: CMS, Office of Strategic Operations and Regulatory Affairs, Division of Regulations...): Frequency: Occasionally; Affected Public: Private sector--Business or other for-profits; Number of...; Affected Public: Private sector--Business or other for-profits and Not-for-profit institutions; Number of...

Public and Private Interests in Networking Educational Services for Schools, Households, Communities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sheekey, Arthur D.

1997-01-01

Discusses the networking of educational services for schools, homes, and communities. Highlights include equal access; the development of digital technologies; visions for electronic information services; the public sector; the private sector; creating learning communities; and future possibilities, including funding strategies. (LRW)

The Rising Cost of Private Higher Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suttle, J. Lloyd

1983-01-01

The informational and analytical bases by which Yale University sets tuition levels and long-term pricing policies are illustrated. The rising cost of private higher education is discussed, considering historical trends, inflation, the institution's financial condition, comparative costs from other schools, and effect on enrollment. (MSE)

Flowing Valued Information and Cyber-Physical Situational Awareness

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-01-01

file type” constraints. The basic software supporting encryption and signing uses the OPENSSL software suite (the November 2009 version is...authorities for each organization can use OPENSSL software to generate their public and private keys. The MBTC does need to know the public or private

President's Child Safety Partnership. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

President's Commission on Child Safety Partnership, Washington, DC.

This report presents the findings and recommendations from the President's Child Safety Partnership, a group of citizens representing business, private nonprofit groups, the government, and private individuals appointed by President Reagan to gather accurate information about the nature and extent of violence against children and to identify…

77 FR 60607 - National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, 2012

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-10-04

... released the Blueprint for a Secure Cyber Future--a strategic plan to protect government, the private sector, and the public against cyber threats today and tomorrow. As we continue to improve our... infrastructure, facilitating greater cyber information sharing between government and the private sector, and...

76 FR 58769 - Ports and Maritime Technology Trade Mission to India

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-09-22

... trade. There are 13 major (national government control) and 187 minor (local state/private control... estate, Transport and logistics information systems and technologies, And materials handling equipment... further opportunities to speak with private and government port officials as well as potential...

An empirical typology of private child and family serving agencies.

PubMed

Chuang, Emmeline; Collins-Camargo, Crystal; McBeath, Bowen; Wells, Rebecca; Bunger, Alicia

2014-03-01

Differences in how services are organized and delivered can contribute significantly to variation in outcomes experienced by children and families. However, few comparative studies identify the strengths and limitations of alternative delivery system configurations. The current study provides the first empirical typology of private agencies involved with the formal child welfare system. Data collected in 2011 from a national sample of private agencies were used to classify agencies into five distinct groups based on internal management capacity, service diversification, integration, and policy advocacy. Findings reveal considerable heterogeneity in the population of private child and family serving agencies. Cross-group comparisons suggest that differences in agencies' strategic and structural characteristics correlated with agency directors' perceptions of different pressures in their external environment. Future research can use this typology to better understand local service systems and the extent to which different agency strategies affect performance and other outcomes. Such information has implications for public agency contracting decisions and could inform system-level assessment and planning of services for children and families.

Comparison of two text message (mHealth) campaigns for the Deaf: Contracted out v. conducted in-house.

PubMed

Hacking, Damian; Lau, Yan Kwan; Haricharan, Hanne Jensen; Heap, Marion

2015-11-20

Cell phone-based health information (mobile health or mHealth) campaigns are an emerging technology. This evaluation focused on the aspect of cost of two health information campaigns, one on hypertension and one on pregnancy. Researchers could either contract out the technical components of the campaigns or attempt to run the campaigns themselves, in-house. The in-house campaigns cost an estimated ZAR13 548.72 v. the private provider quotes which ranged from ZAR27 542.97 to ZAR34 227.59. Running the campaigns in-house was more labour intensive and required more technical expertise, but had a reduced delivery failure rate (9.2% in-house v. 30.0% private provider). Running small to medium SMS (text message) campaigns for evaluative purposes proved advantageous over contracting out to private providers. Larger-scale evaluations and full-scale roll-out will require the services of private providers, but it is still essential that researchers actively engage with and monitor the technical aspects of these campaigns.

An empirical typology of private child and family serving agencies

PubMed Central

Collins-Camargo, Crystal; McBeath, Bowen; Wells, Rebecca; Bunger, Alicia

2014-01-01

Differences in how services are organized and delivered can contribute significantly to variation in outcomes experienced by children and families. However, few comparative studies identify the strengths and limitations of alternative delivery system configurations. The current study provides the first empirical typology of private agencies involved with the formal child welfare system. Data collected in 2011 from a national sample of private agencies were used to classify agencies into five distinct groups based on internal management capacity, service diversification, integration, and policy advocacy. Findings reveal considerable heterogeneity in the population of private child and family serving agencies. Cross-group comparisons suggest that differences in agencies’ strategic and structural characteristics correlated with agency directors’ perceptions of different pressures in their external environment. Future research can use this typology to better understand local service systems and the extent to which different agency strategies affect performance and other outcomes. Such information has implications for public agency contracting decisions and could inform system-level assessment and planning of services for children and families. PMID:24648603

Tolerant indirect reciprocity can boost social welfare through solidarity with unconditional cooperators in private monitoring.

PubMed

Okada, Isamu; Sasaki, Tatsuya; Nakai, Yutaka

2017-08-29

Indirect reciprocity is an important mechanism for resolving social dilemmas. Previous studies explore several types of assessment rules that are evolutionarily stable for keeping cooperation regimes. However, little is known about the effects of private information on social systems. Most indirect reciprocity studies assume public monitoring in which individuals share a single assessment for each individual. Here, we consider a private monitoring system that loosens such an unnatural assumption. We explore the stable norms in the private system using an individual-based simulation. We have three main findings. First, narrow and unstable cooperation: cooperation in private monitoring becomes unstable and the restricted norms cannot maintain cooperative regimes while they can in public monitoring. Second, stable coexistence of discriminators and unconditional cooperators: under private monitoring, unconditional cooperation can play a role in keeping a high level of cooperation in tolerant norm situations. Finally, Pareto improvement: private monitoring can achieve a higher cooperation rate than does public monitoring.

Private algebras in quantum information and infinite-dimensional complementarity

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

Crann, Jason, E-mail: jason-crann@carleton.ca; Laboratoire de Mathématiques Paul Painlevé–UMR CNRS 8524, UFR de Mathématiques, Université Lille 1–Sciences et Technologies, 59655 Villeneuve d’Ascq Cédex; Kribs, David W., E-mail: dkribs@uoguelph.ca

We introduce a generalized framework for private quantum codes using von Neumann algebras and the structure of commutants. This leads naturally to a more general notion of complementary channel, which we use to establish a generalized complementarity theorem between private and correctable subalgebras that applies to both the finite and infinite-dimensional settings. Linear bosonic channels are considered and specific examples of Gaussian quantum channels are given to illustrate the new framework together with the complementarity theorem.

Retirement before Age 65 Is a Growing Trend in the Private Sector. Report to the Chairman, Subcommittee on Civil Service, Post Office and General Services, Committee on Governmental Affairs, United States Senate.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

General Accounting Office, Washington, DC.

The General Accounting Office examined retirement age trends in the private sector to assist the Congress in its effort to devise a retirement system for Federal employees. The Census Bureau's Current Population Survey (CPS) was identified as a source of information about private sector retirement patterns. March 1974, 1979, and 1984 data were…

Future Warfare: Anthology Revised Edition

DTIC Science & Technology

2001-06-01

film “ Saving Private Ryan ” are compelling and chilling. But the information age promises to make ground combat considerably less destructive that the...116 Saving Private Ryan , 80–81 Schwarzkopf, Norman, 242, 243–244 Science and technology, 191–202 Scipio, 44 Security beyond the year 2010, 128–131, 137... Private Ryan ” where the true horror of face-to-face ground combat is driven into the psyche of the movie goer. I am increasingly convinced, however

Bugs & Drugs: Chemi-Bio Terrorism & the U.S. Government

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-05-01

APPARENT ADBICATION OF THAT ROLE AND ALLOWING THE PRIVATE SECTOR , IN PARTICULAR, THE MEDIA TO ASSUME THE LEAD IN EDUCATING THE PUBLIC. 15. NUMBER OF...12 CHAPTER 3 The Private Sector Response 28 CHAPTER 4 Where to from Here…? 35 GLOSSARY 41 BIBLIOGRAPHY 46 iv PREFACE 11 September 2001 is...the apparent abdication of that role in favor of allowing the private sector , in particular, the media to assume the lead in informing the public

Can Smartphones and Privacy Coexist Assessing Technologies and Regulations Protecting Personal Data on Android and iOS Devices

DTIC Science & Technology

2016-01-01

does not find any critically private information. To What Extent Do Apps Use Cryptography or Transmit Nonessential Private Data? In a third experiment... cryptography and private data. Specifically, we analyzed 50 banking apps on both iOS and Android to understand how well these apps use cryptography . First...RAND’s Engineering and Applied Sciences Department. His research expertise includes applied cryptography and technology policy. Zev Winkelman is a

Public and private sector interactions: an economic perspective.

PubMed

Maynard, A

1986-01-01

The debate about the public-private mix for health care has been dominated by rhetoric and the failure to evaluate the characteristics of the outcomes of public and private health care systems and to relate these to policy targets. After a brief analysis of the competing, liberal (conservative) and collectivist (socialist), objectives, the nature of the private health care sector in Britain is described and it is shown that growth has faltered due to cost containment problems. This outcome is the product of characteristics of the private health care system, paralleled precisely in the NHS: asymmetry information, monopoly power, moral hazard and third party pays. The final section discusses briefly some remedies for the inefficient and inequitable outcomes which are seen in all health care markets and it is argued that competition within public and private health care systems may enable each system type to achieve its own particular objectives more efficiently.

Information diffusion, Facebook clusters, and the simplicial model of social aggregation: a computational simulation of simplicial diffusers for community health interventions.

PubMed

Kee, Kerk F; Sparks, Lisa; Struppa, Daniele C; Mannucci, Mirco A; Damiano, Alberto

2016-01-01

By integrating the simplicial model of social aggregation with existing research on opinion leadership and diffusion networks, this article introduces the constructs of simplicial diffusers (mathematically defined as nodes embedded in simplexes; a simplex is a socially bonded cluster) and simplicial diffusing sets (mathematically defined as minimal covers of a simplicial complex; a simplicial complex is a social aggregation in which socially bonded clusters are embedded) to propose a strategic approach for information diffusion of cancer screenings as a health intervention on Facebook for community cancer prevention and control. This approach is novel in its incorporation of interpersonally bonded clusters, culturally distinct subgroups, and different united social entities that coexist within a larger community into a computational simulation to select sets of simplicial diffusers with the highest degree of information diffusion for health intervention dissemination. The unique contributions of the article also include seven propositions and five algorithmic steps for computationally modeling the simplicial model with Facebook data.

Integrating data and mashup concepts in Hydro-Meteorological Research: the torrential rainfall event in Genoa (4th November 2011) case study.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bedrina, T.; Parodi, A.; Quarati, A.; Clematis, A.; Rebora, N.; Laiosa, D.

2012-04-01

One of the critical issues in Hydro-Meteorological Research (HMR) is a better exploitation of data archives according to a multidisciplinary perspective. Different Earth science databases offer a huge amount of observational data, which often need to be assembled, processed, combined accordingly HM scientists needs. The cooperation between scientists active in HMR and Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) is essential in the development of innovative tools and applications for manipulating, aggregating and re-arranging heterogeneous information in flexible way. In this paper it is described an application devoted to the collection and integration of HM datasets, originated by public or private sources, freely exposed via Web services API. This application uses the mashup, recently become very popular in many fields, (Chow S.-W., 2007) technology concepts. Such methodology means combination of data and/or programs published by external online sources into an integrated experience. Mashup seems to be a promising methodology to respond to the multiple data-related activities into which HM researchers are daily involved (e.g. finding and retrieving high volume data; learning formats and developing readers; extracting parameters; performing filtering and mask; developing analysis and visualization tools). The specific case study of the recent extreme rainfall event, occurred over Genoa in Italy on the 4th November 2011 is shown through the integration of semi-professional weather observational networks as free available data source in addition to official weather networks.

Bounds on the sample complexity for private learning and private data release

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

Kasiviswanathan, Shiva; Beime, Amos; Nissim, Kobbi

2009-01-01

Learning is a task that generalizes many of the analyses that are applied to collections of data, and in particular, collections of sensitive individual information. Hence, it is natural to ask what can be learned while preserving individual privacy. [Kasiviswanathan, Lee, Nissim, Raskhodnikova, and Smith; FOCS 2008] initiated such a discussion. They formalized the notion of private learning, as a combination of PAC learning and differential privacy, and investigated what concept classes can be learned privately. Somewhat surprisingly, they showed that, ignoring time complexity, every PAC learning task could be performed privately with polynomially many samples, and in many naturalmore » cases this could even be done in polynomial time. While these results seem to equate non-private and private learning, there is still a significant gap: the sample complexity of (non-private) PAC learning is crisply characterized in terms of the VC-dimension of the concept class, whereas this relationship is lost in the constructions of private learners, which exhibit, generally, a higher sample complexity. Looking into this gap, we examine several private learning tasks and give tight bounds on their sample complexity. In particular, we show strong separations between sample complexities of proper and improper private learners (such separation does not exist for non-private learners), and between sample complexities of efficient and inefficient proper private learners. Our results show that VC-dimension is not the right measure for characterizing the sample complexity of proper private learning. We also examine the task of private data release (as initiated by [Blum, Ligett, and Roth; STOC 2008]), and give new lower bounds on the sample complexity. Our results show that the logarithmic dependence on size of the instance space is essential for private data release.« less

Improved de-identification of physician notes through integrative modeling of both public and private medical text

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Physician notes routinely recorded during patient care represent a vast and underutilized resource for human disease studies on a population scale. Their use in research is primarily limited by the need to separate confidential patient information from clinical annotations, a process that is resource-intensive when performed manually. This study seeks to create an automated method for de-identifying physician notes that does not require large amounts of private information: in addition to training a model to recognize Protected Health Information (PHI) within private physician notes, we reverse the problem and train a model to recognize non-PHI words and phrases that appear in public medical texts. Methods Public and private medical text sources were analyzed to distinguish common medical words and phrases from Protected Health Information. Patient identifiers are generally nouns and numbers that appear infrequently in medical literature. To quantify this relationship, term frequencies and part of speech tags were compared between journal publications and physician notes. Standard medical concepts and phrases were then examined across ten medical dictionaries. Lists and rules were included from the US census database and previously published studies. In total, 28 features were used to train decision tree classifiers. Results The model successfully recalled 98% of PHI tokens from 220 discharge summaries. Cost sensitive classification was used to weight recall over precision (98% F10 score, 76% F1 score). More than half of the false negatives were the word “of” appearing in a hospital name. All patient names, phone numbers, and home addresses were at least partially redacted. Medical concepts such as “elevated white blood cell count” were informative for de-identification. The results exceed the previously approved criteria established by four Institutional Review Boards. Conclusions The results indicate that distributional differences between private and public medical text can be used to accurately classify PHI. The data and algorithms reported here are made freely available for evaluation and improvement. PMID:24083569

Improved de-identification of physician notes through integrative modeling of both public and private medical text.

PubMed

McMurry, Andrew J; Fitch, Britt; Savova, Guergana; Kohane, Isaac S; Reis, Ben Y

2013-10-02

Physician notes routinely recorded during patient care represent a vast and underutilized resource for human disease studies on a population scale. Their use in research is primarily limited by the need to separate confidential patient information from clinical annotations, a process that is resource-intensive when performed manually. This study seeks to create an automated method for de-identifying physician notes that does not require large amounts of private information: in addition to training a model to recognize Protected Health Information (PHI) within private physician notes, we reverse the problem and train a model to recognize non-PHI words and phrases that appear in public medical texts. Public and private medical text sources were analyzed to distinguish common medical words and phrases from Protected Health Information. Patient identifiers are generally nouns and numbers that appear infrequently in medical literature. To quantify this relationship, term frequencies and part of speech tags were compared between journal publications and physician notes. Standard medical concepts and phrases were then examined across ten medical dictionaries. Lists and rules were included from the US census database and previously published studies. In total, 28 features were used to train decision tree classifiers. The model successfully recalled 98% of PHI tokens from 220 discharge summaries. Cost sensitive classification was used to weight recall over precision (98% F10 score, 76% F1 score). More than half of the false negatives were the word "of" appearing in a hospital name. All patient names, phone numbers, and home addresses were at least partially redacted. Medical concepts such as "elevated white blood cell count" were informative for de-identification. The results exceed the previously approved criteria established by four Institutional Review Boards. The results indicate that distributional differences between private and public medical text can be used to accurately classify PHI. The data and algorithms reported here are made freely available for evaluation and improvement.

The Information Highway.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gore, Al

1994-01-01

The new information marketplace is based on a network of wide, two-way highways comprised of private owners and developers, makers of information appliances (televisions, telephones, computers, and combinations of all three), information providers (local broadcasters, digital libraries, information service providers, and entrepreneurs), and…

Differentially private distributed logistic regression using private and public data

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Privacy protecting is an important issue in medical informatics and differential privacy is a state-of-the-art framework for data privacy research. Differential privacy offers provable privacy against attackers who have auxiliary information, and can be applied to data mining models (for example, logistic regression). However, differentially private methods sometimes introduce too much noise and make outputs less useful. Given available public data in medical research (e.g. from patients who sign open-consent agreements), we can design algorithms that use both public and private data sets to decrease the amount of noise that is introduced. Methodology In this paper, we modify the update step in Newton-Raphson method to propose a differentially private distributed logistic regression model based on both public and private data. Experiments and results We try our algorithm on three different data sets, and show its advantage over: (1) a logistic regression model based solely on public data, and (2) a differentially private distributed logistic regression model based on private data under various scenarios. Conclusion Logistic regression models built with our new algorithm based on both private and public datasets demonstrate better utility than models that trained on private or public datasets alone without sacrificing the rigorous privacy guarantee. PMID:25079786

Secure multiparty computation of a comparison problem.

PubMed

Liu, Xin; Li, Shundong; Liu, Jian; Chen, Xiubo; Xu, Gang

2016-01-01

Private comparison is fundamental to secure multiparty computation. In this study, we propose novel protocols to privately determine [Formula: see text], or [Formula: see text] in one execution. First, a 0-1-vector encoding method is introduced to encode a number into a vector, and the Goldwasser-Micali encryption scheme is used to compare integers privately. Then, we propose a protocol by using a geometric method to compare rational numbers privately, and the protocol is information-theoretical secure. Using the simulation paradigm, we prove the privacy-preserving property of our protocols in the semi-honest model. The complexity analysis shows that our protocols are more efficient than previous solutions.

Special Choices

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wolf, Patrick J.; Witte, John F.; Fleming, David J.

2012-01-01

Critics of voucher programs often argue that private schools do exclude most disabled students, and the matter occasionally has been the subject of litigation. Yet accurate information on students with disabilities served by private schools is notable for its absence. According to the authors, in 2006, the State of Wisconsin authorized their…

77 FR 44711 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-07-30

... information to verify that the correct amount of tax has been reported. Affected Public: Private Sector... of Public Law 112-56 expanded the Work Opportunity Credit to tax-exempt organizations that hire... to process the tax credit. Affected Public: Private Sector: Not-for-profit institutions. Estimated...

Lifetime Organophosphorous Insecticide Used among Private Pesticide Applicators in the Agricultural Health Study

EPA Science Inventory

Organophosphorous insecticides (OPs) are the most commonly used insecticides in US agriculture, but little information is available regarding specific OP use by individual farmers. We describe OP use for licensed private pesticide applicators from Iowa and North Carolina in the Ag...

15 CFR 287.3 - Responsibilities of the National Institute of Standards and Technology.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... information on Federal, state and private sector conformity assessment activities; and increases public... Standards Policy (ICSP) to coordinate Federal, state and local conformity assessment activities with private sector conformity assessment activities. NIST chairs the ICSP; assists the ICSP in developing and...

10 CFR 431.36 - Compliance Certification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

..., 2003, a manufacturer or private labeler shall not distribute in commerce any basic model of an electric... requirements prescribed in this subpart; (iii) All information reported in the Compliance Certification is true, accurate, and complete; and (iv) The manufacturer or private labeler is aware of the penalties associated...

Accounting for trip frequency in importance-performance analysis

Treesearch

Joshua K. Gill; J.M. Bowker; John C. Bergstrom; Stanley J. Zarnoch

2010-01-01

Understanding customer satisfaction is critical to the successful operation of both privately and publicly managed recreation venues. A popular tool for assessing recreation visitor satisfaction is Importance- Performance Analysis (IPA). IPA provides resource managers, government officials, and private businesses with easy-to-understand and -use information about...

77 FR 71207 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-11-29

... also used to audit a product. Affected Public: Private Sector: Businesses or other for-profits... Public: Private Sector: Businesses or other for-profits. Estimated Total Burden Hours: 419. OMB Number... coverage, for protection of the revenue. The information also provides data to analyze trends in the...

Fundraising Basics for Private School Facilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Roach, Arthur H.

This report examines the process behind setting up and implementing a "capital campaign," a program for raising money for new or renovated facilities at private K-12 schools. The report briefly covers tax information regarding gifts to institutions, then offers advice for setting up a comprehensive development program, including…

78 FR 73876 - Agency Information Collection Activities: Passenger and Crew Manifest

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-12-09

... private aircraft flights. Specific data elements required for each passenger and crew member include: Full... expiration date; and alien registration number where applicable. APIS is authorized under the Aviation and...,937. Private Aircraft Pilots: Estimated Number of Respondents: 460,000. Estimated Number of Total...

A global baseline for spawning aggregations of reef fishes.

PubMed

Sadovy De Mitcheson, Yvonne; Cornish, Andrew; Domeier, Michael; Colin, Patrick L; Russell, Martin; Lindeman, Kenyon C

2008-10-01

Species that periodically and predictably congregate on land or in the sea can be extremely vulnerable to overexploitation. Many coral reef fishes form spawning aggregations that are increasingly the target of fishing. Although serious declines are well known for a few species, the extent of this behavior among fishes and the impacts of aggregation fishing are not appreciated widely. To profile aggregating species globally, establish a baseline for future work, and strengthen the case for protection, we (as members of the Society for the Conservation of Reef Fish Aggregations) developed a global database on the occurrence, history, and management of spawning aggregations. We complemented the database with information from interviews with over 300 fishers in Asia and the western Pacific. Sixty-seven species, mainly commercial, in 9 families aggregate to spawn in the 29 countries or territories considered in the database. Ninety percent of aggregation records were from reef pass channels, promontories, and outer reef-slope drop-offs. Multispecies aggregation sites were common, and spawning seasons of most species typically lasted <3 months. The best-documented species in the database, the Nassau grouper (Epinephelus striatus), has undergone substantial declines in aggregations throughout its range and is now considered threatened. Our findings have important conservation and management implications for aggregating species given that exploitation pressures on them are increasing, there is little effective management, and 79% of those aggregations sufficiently well documented were reported to be in decline. Nonetheless, a few success stories demonstrate the benefits of aggregation management. A major shift in perspective on spawning aggregations of reef fish, from being seen as opportunities for exploitation to acknowledging them as important life-history phenomena in need of management, is urgently needed.

48 CFR 8.608 - Protection of classified and sensitive information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... Prison Industries, Inc. 8.608 Protection of classified and sensitive information. Agencies shall not... about any individual private citizen, including information relating to such person's real property...

48 CFR 8.608 - Protection of classified and sensitive information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... Prison Industries, Inc. 8.608 Protection of classified and sensitive information. Agencies shall not... about any individual private citizen, including information relating to such person's real property...

48 CFR 8.608 - Protection of classified and sensitive information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... Prison Industries, Inc. 8.608 Protection of classified and sensitive information. Agencies shall not... about any individual private citizen, including information relating to such person's real property...

48 CFR 8.608 - Protection of classified and sensitive information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... Prison Industries, Inc. 8.608 Protection of classified and sensitive information. Agencies shall not... about any individual private citizen, including information relating to such person's real property...

48 CFR 8.608 - Protection of classified and sensitive information.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-10-01

... Prison Industries, Inc. 8.608 Protection of classified and sensitive information. Agencies shall not... about any individual private citizen, including information relating to such person's real property...

Accuracy and completeness of patient information in organic World-Wide Web search for Mohs surgery: a prospective cross-sectional multirater study using consensus criteria.

PubMed

Miller, Christopher J; Neuhaus, Isaac M; Sobanko, Joseph F; Veledar, Emir; Alam, Murad

2013-11-01

Many patients obtain medical information from the Internet. Inaccurate information affects patient care and perceptions. To assess the accuracy and completeness of information regarding Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) on the Internet. Prospective cross-sectional Internet-based study reviewing 30 consecutive organic results from three U.S. urban areas on "Mohs surgery" using Google. Text was assessed using a consensus-derived rating scale that quantified necessary and additional or supplementary information about MMS, as well as wrong information. Websites were classified according to type of sponsor. Ninety-one percent of sites conveyed basic information about MMS. There was variation in the mean amount of additional information items (range 0-9) according to website type: 8.4, medical societies; 6.7, academic practices; 5.9, web-based medical information resources; 4.7, private practices; and 4.4, other (p < .001). Cumulatively, academic practices and professional societies (mean 7.42) provided more additional information than private practices and web-based sources (mean 5.11, p < .001). There were no differences based on geographic location. Wrong items included misspelling Mohs (10%), indicating that only plastic surgeons could reconstruct (7%), and noting MMS was never cost-effective (7%). High-ranking websites provide basic information about MMS. Academic practice and professional society sites provide more-comprehensive information, but private practice sites and web-based medical information sources also provide additional information. © 2013 by the American Society for Dermatologic Surgery, Inc. Published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Prediction of the aggregation propensity of proteins from the primary sequence: aggregation properties of proteomes.

PubMed

Castillo, Virginia; Graña-Montes, Ricardo; Sabate, Raimon; Ventura, Salvador

2011-06-01

In the cell, protein folding into stable globular conformations is in competition with aggregation into non-functional and usually toxic structures, since the biophysical properties that promote folding also tend to favor intermolecular contacts, leading to the formation of β-sheet-enriched insoluble assemblies. The formation of protein deposits is linked to at least 20 different human disorders, ranging from dementia to diabetes. Furthermore, protein deposition inside cells represents a major obstacle for the biotechnological production of polypeptides. Importantly, the aggregation behavior of polypeptides appears to be strongly influenced by the intrinsic properties encoded in their sequences and specifically by the presence of selective short regions with high aggregation propensity. This allows computational methods to be used to analyze the aggregation properties of proteins without the previous requirement for structural information. Applications range from the identification of individual amyloidogenic regions in disease-linked polypeptides to the analysis of the aggregation properties of complete proteomes. Herein, we review these theoretical approaches and illustrate how they have become important and useful tools in understanding the molecular mechanisms underlying protein aggregation. Copyright © 2011 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

First-principles calculation of the optical properties of an amphiphilic cyanine dye aggregate.

PubMed

Haverkort, Frank; Stradomska, Anna; de Vries, Alex H; Knoester, Jasper

2014-02-13

Using a first-principles approach, we calculate electronic and optical properties of molecular aggregates of the dye amphi-pseudoisocyanine, whose structures we obtained from molecular dynamics (MD) simulations of the self-aggregation process. Using quantum chemistry methods, we translate the structural information into an effective time-dependent Frenkel exciton Hamiltonian for the dominant optical transitions in the aggregate. This Hamiltonian is used to calculate the absorption spectrum. Detailed analysis of the dynamic fluctuations in the molecular transition energies and intermolecular excitation transfer interactions in this Hamiltonian allows us to elucidate the origin of the relevant time scales; short time scales, on the order of up to a few hundreds of femtoseconds, result from internal motions of the dye molecules, while the longer (a few picosecond) time scales we ascribe to environmental motions. The absorption spectra of the aggregate structures obtained from MD feature a blue-shifted peak compared to that of the monomer; thus, our aggregates can be classified as H-aggregates, although considerable oscillator strength is carried by states along the entire exciton band. Comparison to the experimental absorption spectrum of amphi-PIC aggregates shows that the simulated line shape is too wide, pointing to too much disorder in the internal structure of the simulated aggregates.

Secure Data Aggregation with Fully Homomorphic Encryption in Large-Scale Wireless Sensor Networks

PubMed Central

Li, Xing; Chen, Dexin; Li, Chunyan; Wang, Liangmin

2015-01-01

With the rapid development of wireless communication technology, sensor technology, information acquisition and processing technology, sensor networks will finally have a deep influence on all aspects of people’s lives. The battery resources of sensor nodes should be managed efficiently in order to prolong network lifetime in large-scale wireless sensor networks (LWSNs). Data aggregation represents an important method to remove redundancy as well as unnecessary data transmission and hence cut down the energy used in communication. As sensor nodes are deployed in hostile environments, the security of the sensitive information such as confidentiality and integrity should be considered. This paper proposes Fully homomorphic Encryption based Secure data Aggregation (FESA) in LWSNs which can protect end-to-end data confidentiality and support arbitrary aggregation operations over encrypted data. In addition, by utilizing message authentication codes (MACs), this scheme can also verify data integrity during data aggregation and forwarding processes so that false data can be detected as early as possible. Although the FHE increase the computation overhead due to its large public key size, simulation results show that it is implementable in LWSNs and performs well. Compared with other protocols, the transmitted data and network overhead are reduced in our scheme. PMID:26151208

Common Criteria for Information Technology Security Evaluation: Department of Defense Public Key Infrastructure and Key Management Infrastructure Token Protection Profile (Medium Robustness)

DTIC Science & Technology

2002-03-22

may be derived from detailed inspection of the IC itself or from illicit appropriation of design information. Counterfeit smart cards can be mass...Infrastructure (PKI) as the Internet to securely and privately exchange data and money through the use of a public and a private cryptographic key pair...interference devices (SQDIS), electrical testing, and electron beam testing. • Other attacks, such as UV or X-rays or high temperatures, could cause erasure

Environmental aspects and renewable energy sources in the production of construction aggregate

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Skrzypczak, Izabela; Kokoszka, Wanda; Buda-Ożóg, Lidia; Kogut, Janusz; Słowik, Marta

2017-11-01

The main activity of open pit mining of aggregates are aggregates' exploitation of natural mineral deposits and its modification in order to obtain high-quality aggregates. The development of aggregate production is conditioned by a number of factors. The most important are: documented material resources, mining and manufacturing capabilities, the need of environmental protection (environmental aspects), the subordination of the plan of spatial development, formal and legal issues, as well as economic and financial aspects. While identifying and assessing the environmental impacts of manufacturing aggregates one may distinguish those environmental aspects that have or may have the greatest magnitude of the impact on the environment as a result of industrial activities. Manufacturers producing aggregates located in the areas covered by the special environmental protection require extra diligence in the conduct of mining activities for preservation of natural resources. The article discusses some main environmental aspects of the production of construction aggregates on the example of one of the largest producers of this material in Subcarpathian province of Poland. Environmental protection in production of aggregates may refer to four aspects: the use of natural resources, having excluded land from agriculture and forestry, land reclamation after exploitation, and use of energy from renewable energy sources. The economic and environmental impact of production volume of aggregates is evaluated by the index information capacity method and the method of graphs.

The politics of managed competition: public abuse of the private interest.

PubMed

Robinson, James C

2003-01-01

The doctrine of managed competition in health care sought to achieve the social goals of access and efficiency using market incentives and consumer choice rather than governmental regulation and public administration. In retrospect, it demanded too much from both the public and the private sectors. Rather than develop choice-supporting rules and institutions, the public sector has promoted process regulation and benefit mandates. The private health insurance sector has pursued short-term profitability rather than cooperate in the development of fair competition and informed consumer choice. Purchasers have subsidized inefficient insurance designs in order to exploit tax and regulatory loopholes and to retain an image of corporate paternalism. America's health care system suffers from the public abuse of private interests and the private abuse of the public interest.

Effects of the size and content of protein aggregates on the rheological and structural properties of soy protein isolate emulsion gels induced by CaSO4.

PubMed

Wang, Xufeng; He, Zhiyong; Zeng, Maomao; Qin, Fang; Adhikari, Benu; Chen, Jie

2017-04-15

The effects of the size and content of soy protein isolate (SPI) aggregates on the rheological and textural properties of CaSO 4 -induced SPI emulsion gels were investigated. Considerable differences in the rheological, water-holding, and micro-structural properties were observed. The gels with larger and/or more SPI aggregates showed substantial increase in the elastic modulus and had lower gelation temperatures. Creep data suggested that the size of the SPI aggregates contributed more to the elastic modulus, whereas the increase of aggregate content enhanced the elastic modulus and viscous component of the gels. The water-holding capacity was markedly enhanced (p<0.05) with the increase in both the size and content of SPI aggregates. Confocal laser scanning microscopy and scanning electron microscopy showed that larger and/or more SPI aggregates resulted in more homogeneous networks with smaller oil droplets. These insights provide important information for the product development in relation to soy protein-stabilized emulsions and emulsion gels. Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Comparison of health literacy in privately insured and public hospital orthopaedic patients.

PubMed

Cosic, Filip; Porter, Tabitha; Norsworthy, Cameron; Price, Rohan; Bedi, Harvinder

2018-05-14

Objective The aim of the present study was to quantify and compare patient health literacy between privately insured and public orthopaedic patients. Methods As part of the present cross-sectional study, elective postoperative orthopaedic patients across two sites were recruited and asked to complete a questionnaire at the first postoperative out-patient review. Patients were divided into three groups: (1) a public group (Public); (2) a private group (Private-pre); and (3) a private group that completed the questionnaire immediately after the out-patient review (Private-post). The questionnaire consisted of six questions regarding surgical management, expected recovery time and postoperative instructions. Patients were further asked to grade their satisfaction regarding information received throughout their management. Results In all, 150 patients completed the questionnaire, 50 in each of the three groups. Patients in the Public, Private-pre and Private-post groups answered a mean 2.74, 3.24 and 4.70 of 6 questions correctly respectively. The Private-pre group was 1.46-fold more likely to demonstrate correct health literacy than the Public group, whereas the Private-post group was 2.44-fold more likely to demonstrate improved health literacy than the Private-pre group. Patient satisfaction with information received was not associated with health literacy. Conclusion Limited health literacy in orthopaedic patients continues to be an area of concern. Both private and public orthopaedic patients demonstrated poor health literacy, but private patients demonstrated significant improvement after the out-patient review. What is known about the topic? Limited health literacy is a growing public health issue worldwide, with previous literature demonstrating a prevalence of low health literacy of 26% and marginal health literacy of 20% among all patient populations. Of concern, limited health literacy has been shown to result in a range of adverse health outcomes, including increased mortality and chronic disease morbidity. It has also been associated with an increased rate of hospitalisation and use of healthcare resources. Previous work in the orthopaedic trauma setting has found poor levels of health literacy and poor understanding of diagnosis, management and prognosis in the Australian public health system. Promisingly, it has been shown that simple, targeted interventions can improve patient health literacy. What does this paper add? This study further highlights that health literacy exhibited by orthopaedic patients is poor, particularly among patients in the public healthcare system. The present study is the first to have demonstrated that health literacy is poor among patients in both the public and private healthcare systems, despite these patients having distinctly different demographics. Promisingly, the present study shows that, unlike public orthopaedic out-patient review, private orthopaedic out-patient review appears to be effective in increasing patient health literacy regarding their orthopaedic condition and its management. What are the implications for practitioners? Health literacy is essential for patients to effectively communicate with doctors and achieve good health outcomes. Healthcare professionals need to be aware that a large proportion of patients have poor health literacy and difficulty understanding health-related information, particularly pertaining to that surrounding diagnosis, management and prognosis. This study highlights the need for healthcare professionals to ensure that they communicate with patients at an appropriate level to ensure patient understanding during the pre-, peri- and postoperative stages of management. Further, healthcare professionals should be aware that there is potential to improve patient health literacy at routine out-patient review, provided that this opportunity is used as an educational resource.

Implementation of prevention of mother-to-child transmission of HIV programme through private hospitals of Delhi--policy implications.

PubMed

Gupta, A K; Garg, C R; Joshi, B C; Rawat, N; Dabla, V; Gupta, A

2015-01-01

In India, programme for prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) of HIV is primarily implemented through public health system. State AIDS Control Societies (SACSs) encourage private hospitals to set up integrated counselling and testing centres (ICTCs). However, private hospitals of Delhi did not set up ICTCs. Consequently, there is no information on PMTCT interventions in private hospitals of Delhi. This study was undertaken by Delhi SACS during March 2013 through September 2013 to assess status of implementation of PMTCT programme in various private hospitals of Delhi to assist programme managers in framing national policy to facilitate uniform implementation of National PMTCT guidelines. Out of total 575 private hospitals registered with Government of Delhi, 336 (58.4%) catering to pregnant women were identified. About 100 private hospitals with facility of antenatal care, vaginal/caesarean delivery and postnatal care and minimum 10 indoor beds were selected for study. Study sample comprised of large corporate hospitals (≥100 beds; n = 29), medium-sized hospitals (25 to <100 beds; n = 42) and small nursing homes (10 to <25 beds; n = 29). A pre-tested questionnaire was designed to obtain basic information about hospital in context to PMTCT programme. Interviews of heads of obstetrics and gynaecology and paediatric departments were conducted by trained interviewers. It was observed that in private hospitals in year 2012, out of 38,186 antenatal women tested, 52 (0.14%) were detected HIV-positive. However, against National Policy, HIV testing was done without pre/post-test counselling/or consent of women, no PMTCT protocol existed, delivery of HIV-positive women was not undertaken and no efforts were made to link HIV-positive women to antiretroviral treatment. Major intervention observed was medical termination of pregnancy, which indicates lack of awareness in private hospitals about available interventions under national programme. The role of private hospitals in management of HIV in pregnant women must be recognized and mainstreamed in HIV control efforts. There is an urgent need for capacity building of private health care providers to improve standards of practice. National AIDS Control Organization may consider establishing linkages or adopting model developed by some countries with generalized epidemic for delivering PMTCT services in private health sector.