Small and Rural Wastewater Systems

EPA Pesticide Factsheets

Many tools, training, technical assistance, and funding resources are available to develop and maintain reliable and affordable wastewater treatment systems in small and rural communities including in tribal and U.S.-Mexico Border area.

Economic Planning for Multicounty Rural Areas: Application of a Linear Programming Model in Northwest Arkansas. Technical Bulletin No. 1653.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Daniel G.

Planners in multicounty rural areas can use the Rural Development, Activity Analysis Planning (RDAAP) model to try to influence the optimal growth of their areas among different general economic goals. The model implies that best industries for rural areas have: high proportion of imported inputs; low transportation costs; high value added/output…

Rural Health Services Funding: A Resource Guide. Revised Edition. Rural Information Center Publication Series, No. 41.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Towner, Sarah R., Comp.

Following the collapse of health care services in many rural areas in recent years, rural health care providers are developing new strategies to meet the needs of their communities and are working creatively to maximize resources. Much of that effort has been enhanced with financial and technical assistance from federal, state, and private…

Sociological Perspectives on Energy and Rural Development: A Review of Major Frameworks for Research on Developing Countries.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Koppel, Bruce; Schlegel, Charles

The principal sociological frameworks used in energy research on developing countries can be appraised in terms of the view of the energy-rural development problem that each framework implies. "Socio-Technical Analysis," which is used most in industrial and organizational sociology and in ecological anthropology, is oriented to the decomposition…

Rural Resources Guide: A Directory of Public and Private Assistance for Small Communities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC.

Designed to help rural officials, including tribal governments and community leaders, quickly identify sources of assistance for rural development, this guide catalogs approximately 440 sources of public and private national level technical and financial resource assistance. The sources of assistance listed generally focus on local governments and…

Calibration of the Highway Safety Manual and development of new safety performance functions for rural multilane highways in Kansas : technical summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-10-01

Rural roads account for 90.3% of the 140,476 total centerline miles of roadways : in Kansas. In recent years, rural fatal crashes have accounted for about 66% : of all fatal crashes. The Highway Safety Manual (HSM) provides models and : methodologies...

Rural Development: Information and Technical Assistance Delivered by the Department of Agriculture in Fiscal Year 1974. Fifth Annual Report to the Congress.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC.

The key role of the U. S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is to help local people make rural America a better place to live and work. The Rural Development (RD) Committee structure, conceived in 1969, consists of national, state, regional, and local committees which aid the USDA. During fiscal year 1974, USDA and the State Extension Services…

Rural planning organizations--their role in transportation planning and project development in Texas : technical report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-10-01

While a formal planning and programming process is established for urbanized areas through Metropolitan : Planning Organizations, no similar requirement has been established for rural areas. Currently, under the : Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficie...

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

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Southern Rural Development Center, State College, MS.

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

Monitoring Rural Development in East Asia. World Bank Staff Working Paper No. 439.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deboeck, Guido; Ng, Ronald

The paper presents results of discussions during an 8-day workshop (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, December 1979) on monitoring and evaluation (M&E) of East Asian and Pacific rural development projects. Major workshop themes identified are managerial, technical, and institutional aspects of monitoring. The introduction discusses previous World Bank…

47 CFR 22.715 - Technical channel assignment criteria for rural radiotelephone stations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 2 2010-10-01 2010-10-01 false Technical channel assignment criteria for rural radiotelephone stations. 22.715 Section 22.715 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES PUBLIC MOBILE SERVICES Rural Radiotelephone Service § 22.715 Technical channel...

47 CFR 22.715 - Technical channel assignment criteria for rural radiotelephone stations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 2 2013-10-01 2013-10-01 false Technical channel assignment criteria for rural radiotelephone stations. 22.715 Section 22.715 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES PUBLIC MOBILE SERVICES Rural Radiotelephone Service § 22.715 Technical channel...

47 CFR 22.715 - Technical channel assignment criteria for rural radiotelephone stations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 2 2011-10-01 2011-10-01 false Technical channel assignment criteria for rural radiotelephone stations. 22.715 Section 22.715 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES PUBLIC MOBILE SERVICES Rural Radiotelephone Service § 22.715 Technical channel...

47 CFR 22.715 - Technical channel assignment criteria for rural radiotelephone stations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-10-01

... 47 Telecommunication 2 2014-10-01 2014-10-01 false Technical channel assignment criteria for rural radiotelephone stations. 22.715 Section 22.715 Telecommunication FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION (CONTINUED) COMMON CARRIER SERVICES PUBLIC MOBILE SERVICES Rural Radiotelephone Service § 22.715 Technical channel...

Evaluation plan : national advanced rural transportation systems : field operational tests of traveler information services in tourism areas : executive summary

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1998-07-01

This evaluation addresses technical challenges of developing advanced traveler information systems (ATIS) in rural environments, institutional benefits and issues, usefulness of the information to the traveling public, effectiveness of various media ...

Rural Women: An Untapped Resource. Proceedings of the Governor's Council on Rural Development Conference (Willmar, Minnesota, May 20-21, 1983).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Minnesota State Dept. of Energy and Economic Development, St. Paul.

The texts of four speeches and seven workshop presentations comprise this report intended to be a resource for rural women seeking careers in business ownership and to assist Minnesota's legislature and others interested in helping them. Presentations provide practical, technical, and inspirational information by 18 women with experience and…

Service providers' experiences of using a telehealth network 12 months after digitisation of a large Australian rural mental health service.

PubMed

Newman, Lareen; Bidargaddi, Niranjan; Schrader, Geoffrey

2016-10-01

Despite evidence of benefits of telehealth networks in increasing access to, or providing, previously unavailable mental health services, care providers still prefer traditional approaches. For psychiatric assessment, digital technology can offer improvements over analog systems for the technical and, subsequently, the social quality of provider-client interaction. This is in turn expected to support greater provider uptake and enhanced patient benefits. Within the framework of Innovation Diffusion Theory, to study service providers' experiences of an existing regional telehealth network for mental health care practice twelve months after digitisation in order to identify the benefits of digital telehealth over an analog system for mental health care purposes in rural Australia. Qualitative interviews and focus groups were conducted with over 40 service providers from June to September 2013 in South Australia, ranging from the metropolitan central operations to health providers located up to 600km away in rural and remote areas of the same state. Participants included rural mental health teams, directors of nursing at rural hospitals, metropolitan-based psychiatrists and registrars, the metropolitan-based mental health team dedicated to rural provider support, rural GPs, administrative staff, and the executive group of the state rural health department. Fieldwork was conducted 12 months after the analog system was digitised. The interview and focus group data were analysed using thematic analysis, focusing on three key areas of innovation diffusion theory: relative advantage, technical complexity and technical compatibility. Five themes with 11 sub-themes were identified: (1) "Existing Uses", with three sub-themes: current mental health use, use by GPs, and use for staff support; (2) "Relative Advantage", with four sub-themes: improved technical quality, improved clinical practice, time and cost benefits for providers, and improved patient care; (3) "Technical Complexity"; (4) "Technical Compatibility" with two sub-themes: technical-clinical and technical-administrative; and (5) "Broader Organisational Culture", with two sub-themes: organizational policy support and 'digital telehealth' culture. The digitised telehealth network was generally well received by providers and adopted into clinical practice. Compared with the previous analog system, staff found advantages in better visual and audio quality, more technical stability with less "drop-out", less time delay to conversations and less confusion for clients. Despite these advantages, providers identified a range of challenges to starting or continuing use and they recommended improvements to increase uptake among mental health service providers and other providers (including GPs), and to clinical uses other than mental health. To further increase uptake and impact of telehealth-mediated mental health care in rural and remote areas, even with a high quality digital system, future research must design innovative care models, consider time and cost incentives for providers to use telehealth, and must focus not only on technical training but also how to best integrate technology with clinical practice and must develop an organization-wide digital telehealth culture. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Renewable energy-based electricity for rural social and economic development in Ghana

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

Weingart, J.

1997-12-01

This paper describes a project whose goals include the establishment of a pilot renewable energy-based rural energy services enterprise to serve communities in the Mamprusi East District, focused on: economically productive activities; community services; household non-thermal energy. The program also seeks to establish the technical, economic, financial, institutional, and socio-cultural requirements for sustainability, to demonstrate bankability and financial sustainability, as a pre-investment prelude to commercial growth of such projects, and to establish technical, financial, and service performance standards for private sector rural energy service companies. This project is being implemented now because the government is undergoing structural reform, including privatizationmore » of the power sector, there is active foreign capital available for international development, and the government and people are committed to and able to pay for renewable energy services.« less

7 CFR 4280.42 - Application evaluation and selection.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... Project plans, its management, and, if applicable, its products and operating plans. (The business plan...) Nature of the Project. Rural Development will award up to 60 points based on whether the Project: (i) Is... connection project (such as streets or utilities)—20 points; (ii) Provides Technical Assistance to rural...

Rural Housing Site Planning in North Carolina. Agricultural Extension Publication 105.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hester, Randolph T., Jr.; And Others

Addressing the problems of rural housing site selection and development in North Carolina, this guide is designed for cooperative and coordinated use by: technical assistance personnel employed by the Farmers Home Administration; local lending institutions; Health Departments; the Agricultural Extension Service; the Soil Conservation Service; and…

ESAs in the Shadows: Meeting Rural Challenges in an Urban State.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bouchard, Rene L.

2003-01-01

Boards of Cooperative Educational Services (BOCES) provide cost-effective shared services to New York's rural districts. Services in career and technical education and staff development offered by the Steuben-Allegany BOCES are described. Future plans include increased cooperation with colleges in providing adult education, evolution of the…

Assessing the Value of Rural California High School Career Technical Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Morehead, Coleen Louise

2015-01-01

While empirical studies on rural education have defined many of the socioeconomic factors associated with rural students nationally, there is a lack of definitive and comprehensive research defining the benefit or value of career technical education for rural California high school students. Consequently, this lack of research may in turn…

The Effectiveness of Videotape Programs as a Communication Tool in the Small-Scale Livestock for Rural Farming Women Project, Honduras.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Johnson-Dean, Lynn

This study examines economic development in Third World countries and the use of portable video systems in development projects. The study, conducted in 1985, attempts to measure the level of effectiveness of videotape programs as a communication tool for training rural subsistence women in Honduras in technical aspects of pig-keeping. Classical…

Impact of U.S. Foreign Policy and Assistance in El Salvador

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-05-03

forestry and environmental education, community organization and economic development, rural health and sanitation and youth development. USAID’s...The compact includes $88 million for technical assistance and financial services to farmers and rural businesses, $100 million to strengthen...Report, February 27, 2009. 31FUSADES (Fundación Salvadoreña para el Desarrollo Económico y Social). 2003. Oportunidad, seguridad, legitimidad

Fostering Entrepreneurship through Business Incubation: The Role and Prospects of Postsecondary Vocational-Technical Education. Report 3: Guidebook of Opportunities for Two-Year Technical Colleges.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hernandez-Gantes, Victor M.; And Others

This guidebook describes opportunities for the participation of postsecondary technical institutions in the economic and entrepreneurship development of urban, suburban, and rural communities. Section 1 describes the organization and format of the guidebook. Section 2 suggests these strategies for establishing a business incubator: organizational…

A Continuing Educational Initiative to Develop Nurses' Mental Health Knowledge and Skills in Rural and Remote Areas.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chang, Esther; Daly, John; Bell, Pamela; Brown, Tracey; Allan, Jan; Hancock, Karen

2002-01-01

Australian nurses (n=202) participated in mental health continuing education delivered via distance methods and regional workshops in rural areas. The majority increased content knowledge and thought audio- and videotapes were effective despite technical difficulties; 90% felt the experiential learning workshops and distance modules integrated…

Center for Support of Mental Health Services in Isolated Rural Areas. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ciarlo, James A.

In 1994, the University of Denver received a grant to develop and operate the Frontier Mental Health Services Resource Network (FMHSRN). FMHSRN's principal aim was to improve delivery of mental health services in sparsely populated "frontier" areas by providing technical assistance to frontier and rural audiences. Traditional…

7 CFR 1944.402 - Grant purposes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) HOUSING Self-Help Technical Assistance Grants § 1944.402 Grant purposes. Farmers Home... organization to: (a) Give technical and supervisory assistance to eligible very low- and low-income families as defined in Appendix 9 of HB-1-3550 (available in any Rural Development office), in carrying out self-help...

7 CFR 1944.402 - Grant purposes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) HOUSING Self-Help Technical Assistance Grants § 1944.402 Grant purposes. Farmers Home... organization to: (a) Give technical and supervisory assistance to eligible very low- and low-income families as defined in Appendix 9 of HB-1-3550 (available in any Rural Development office), in carrying out self-help...

Technical Assistance to Early Interventionists in Rural Areas: An Empirical Evaluation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cooper, Carolyn S.; McEvoy, Mary A.

This study assessed the effectiveness of a model for providing long distance technical assistance on teacher implementation of an intervention designed to increase child-child social interaction. Subjects were 10 preschool special education teachers and 40 preschool-aged children (some developing normally and some with mild to moderate…

Rural health network development: public policy issues and state initiatives.

PubMed

Casey, M M; Wellever, A; Moscovice, I

1997-02-01

Rural health networks are a potential way for rural health care systems to improve access to care, reduce costs, and enhance quality of care. Networks provide a means for rural providers to contract with managed care organizations, develop their own managed care entities, share resources, and structure practice opportunities to support recruitment and retention of rural physicians and other health care professionals. The results of early network development initiatives indicate a need for state officials and others interested in encouraging network development to agree on common rural health network definitions, to identify clearly the goals of network development programs, and to document and analyze program outcomes. Future network development efforts need to be much more comprehensive if they are to have a significant impact on rural health care. This article analyzes public policy issues related to integrated rural health network development, discusses current efforts to encourage network development in rural areas, and suggests actions that states may take if they desire to support rural health network development. These actions include adopting a formal rural health network definition, providing networks with alternatives to certain regulatory requirements, and providing incentives such as matching grants, loans, or technical assistance. Without public sector support for networks, managed care options may continue to be unavailable in many less densely populated rural areas of the country, and locally controlled rural health networks are unlikely to develop as an alternative to the dominant pattern of managed care expansion by large urban entities. Implementation of Medicare reform legislation could provide significant incentives for the development of rural health networks, depending on the reimbursement provisions, financial solvency standards, and antitrust exemptions for provider-sponsored networks in the final legislation and federal regulations.

Factors influencing private health providers' technical quality of care for acute respiratory infections among under-five children in rural West Bengal, India.

PubMed

Chakraborty, Sarbani; Frick, Kevin

2002-11-01

In many developing countries, private health practitioners provide a significant portion of curative care for diseases which are of public health importance. Currently, health sector reform efforts in these countries are fostering increased participation of private providers in the delivery of health services, including those of public health importance. Guaranteeing good technical quality of care is critical to the process. However, little is known about private providers' technical quality of care (disease management practices) and the factors influencing these services. The purpose of this study was to contribute information on this topic. The study was conducted among private providers in rural West Bengal, India and focused on providers' disease management practices for acute respiratory infections (ARI) among under-five children. World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines for ARI case management were used as the expected standard of care. Observations of patient-provider encounters and interviews with the providers and mothers were the main sources of data. The study found that private health providers in rural West Bengal have inadequate technical quality of care. The problem was related both to low levels of performance (limited potential) and inconsistency in performance (within-provider variation). Limited potential for good technical quality for ARI among the providers was related to lack of knowledge (technical incompetence). One of the important factors influencing within-provider variation was patient load. Since rural private providers operate on a fee-for-service payment system, there are incentives related to seeing many patients. The study concluded that to bring about sustainable improvements in private providers' ARI disease management practices, training programs and interventions that improved compliance were necessary.

Natural amenities and rural population migration: a technical document supporting the Forest Service 2010 RPA Assessment

Treesearch

H. Ken Cordell; Vahé Heboyan; Florence Santos; John C. Bergstrom

2011-01-01

Research has suggested that significant relationships exist between rural population change and natural amenities. Thus, understanding and predicting domestic migration trends as a function of changes in natural amenities is important for effective regional growth and development policies and strategies. In this study, we first estimated an econometric model which...

Multi-service terminal adapter based on IP technology applications in rural area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Li; Li, Xiaobo; Yan, Juntao; Ren, Xupeng

Take advantage of ample modern existing telecom network resources to rural areas may achieve it's information society gradually. This includes the establishment of integrated rural information service platform, modern remote education center and electronic administration management platform for rural areas. The geographical and economic constraints must be overcome for structuring the rural service support system, in order to provide technical support, information products and information services to modern rural information service system. It is important that development an access platform based IP technology, which supports multi-service access in order to implement a variety of types of mobile terminal equipment adapter access and to reduce restrictions on mobile terminal equipment.

Progress towards millennium development goal 1 in northern rural Nicaragua: Findings from a health and demographic surveillance site

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background Millennium Development Goal 1 encourages local initiatives for the eradication of extreme poverty. However, monitoring is indispensable to insure that actions performed at higher policy levels attain success. Poverty in rural areas in low- and middle-income countries remains chronic. Nevertheless, a rural area (Cuatro Santos) in northern Nicaragua has made substantial progress toward poverty eradication by 2015. We examined the level of poverty there and described interventions aimed at reducing it. Methods Household data collected from a Health and Demographic Surveillance System was used to analyze poverty and the transition out of it, as well as background information on family members. In the follow-up, information about specific interventions (i.e., installation of piped drinking water, latrines, access to microcredit, home gardening, and technical education) linked them to the demographic data. A propensity score was used to measure the association between the interventions and the resulting transition from poverty. Results Between 2004 and 2009, poverty was reduced as a number of interventions increased. Although microcredit was inequitably distributed across the population, combined with home gardening and technical training, it resulted in significant poverty reduction in this rural area. Conclusions Sustainable interventions reduced poverty in the rural areas studied by about one- third. PMID:22894144

Progress towards Millennium Development Goal 1 in northern rural Nicaragua: findings from a health and demographic surveillance site.

PubMed

Pérez, Wilton; Blandón, Elmer Zelaya; Persson, Lars-Åke; Peña, Rodolfo; Källestål, Carina

2012-08-15

Millennium Development Goal 1 encourages local initiatives for the eradication of extreme poverty. However, monitoring is indispensable to insure that actions performed at higher policy levels attain success. Poverty in rural areas in low- and middle-income countries remains chronic. Nevertheless, a rural area (Cuatro Santos) in northern Nicaragua has made substantial progress toward poverty eradication by 2015. We examined the level of poverty there and described interventions aimed at reducing it. Household data collected from a Health and Demographic Surveillance System was used to analyze poverty and the transition out of it, as well as background information on family members. In the follow-up, information about specific interventions (i.e., installation of piped drinking water, latrines, access to microcredit, home gardening, and technical education) linked them to the demographic data. A propensity score was used to measure the association between the interventions and the resulting transition from poverty. Between 2004 and 2009, poverty was reduced as a number of interventions increased. Although microcredit was inequitably distributed across the population, combined with home gardening and technical training, it resulted in significant poverty reduction in this rural area. Sustainable interventions reduced poverty in the rural areas studied by about one-third.

Farmers' Knowledge Attributes Contribute to Attaining Higher Farm Technical Efficiency: A Transition Economy Case

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Manevska-Tasevska, Gordana

2013-01-01

Purpose: This study sought to explore how farmers' knowledge attributes influence the technical efficiency of their farms. In addition, farm efficiency was compared to the actual Macedonian Rural Development Programme (RDP) (2007-2013) and instruments considered to improve Macedonian education potential were evaluated. Design/methodology/approach:…

75 FR 71414 - Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-23

..., including through the use of appropriate automated, electronic, mechanical, or other technological... endangering the environment. Rural Development provides financial and technical assistance to help communities...

77 FR 4986 - Inviting Rural Business Enterprise Grant Program Applications for Grants To Provide Technical...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-01

... 56, Room 2300, P.O. Box 25426, Denver, CO 80225-0426, (720) 544- 2903/TDD (800) 659-3656. Delaware... Place, P.O. Box 147010, Gainesville, FL 32614-7010, (352) 338-3400/TDD (352) 338- 3499. Georgia USDA... (318) 473-7655. Maine USDA Rural Development State Office, 967 Illinois Avenue, Suite 4, P.O. Box 405...

The Native Telehealth Outreach and Technical Assistance Program: a community-based approach to the development of multimedia-focused health care information.

PubMed

Dick, Rhonda Wiegman; Manson, Spero M; Hansen, Amy L; Huggins, Annie; Trullinger, Lori

2007-01-01

The development and dissemination of culturally relevant health care information has traditionally taken a "top-down" approach. Governmental funding agencies and research institutions have too often dictated the importance and focus of health-related research and information dissemination. In addition, the digital divide has affected rural communities in such a way that their members often do not possess the knowledge or experience necessary to use technological resources. And, even when they do, their skills may be limited, adequate only for implementing applications and programs designed by others who live and work outside of these communities. This need became the driving force in the creation of the Native Telehealth Outreach and Technical Assistance Program. The goal of the program is to equip Native community members, at both the lay and professional levels, with the means to use technology to address tribal health care needs. The transfer of relevant technical knowledge and skills enables participants to develop projects which enhance the community-wide dissemination of health care information. Nine community health advocates and professionals participated in the initial cohort. Eight of the participants successfully developed multimedia-based projects including Web sites, interactive CD-ROMs, and video focusing on a variety of health concerns. At the conclusion of the 18-month program period, projects were disseminated throughout rural communities. The NTOTAP staff continues to evaluate the use of these projects and their benefits within the rural communities.

77 FR 4885 - Rural Business Investment Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-02-01

...-AA80 Rural Business Investment Program AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service and Rural Utilities... several technical amendments to correct the Rural Business Investment Program (RBIP) regulation, including one to conform to the 2008 Farm Bill provision that allows a Rural Business Investment Company two...

DEVELOPMENT OF SUSTAINABLE WATER SYSTEMS IN YORO, HONDURAS

EPA Science Inventory

Rural communities in developing countries often find it difficult to provide safe water to its residents due to costs, technical expertise, and economy of scale. In addition, the natural environment in such communities may be sensitive to traditional water supply solutions,...

Towards the systematic development of medical networking technology.

PubMed

Faust, Oliver; Shetty, Ravindra; Sree, S Vinitha; Acharya, Sripathi; Acharya U, Rajendra; Ng, E Y K; Poo, Chua Kok; Suri, Jasjit

2011-12-01

Currently, there is a disparity in the availability of doctors between urban and rural areas of developing countries. Most experienced doctors and specialists, as well as advanced diagnostic technologies, are available in urban areas. People living in rural areas have less or sometimes even no access to affordable healthcare facilities. Increasing the number of doctors and charitable medical hospitals or deploying advanced medical technologies in these areas might not be economically feasible, especially in developing countries. We need to mobilize science and technology to master this complex, large scale problem in an objective, logical, and professional way. This can only be achieved with a collaborative effort where a team of experts works on both technical and non-technical aspects of this health care divide. In this paper we use a systems engineering framework to discuss hospital networks which might be solution for the problem. We argue that with the advancement in communication and networking technologies, economically middle class people and even some rural poor have access to internet and mobile communication systems. Thus, Hospital Digital Networking Technologies (HDNT), such as telemedicine, can be developed to utilize internet, mobile and satellite communication systems to connect primitive rural healthcare centers to well advanced modern urban setups and thereby provide better consultation and diagnostic care to the needy people. This paper describes requirements and limitations of the HDNTs. It also presents the features of telemedicine, the implementation issues and the application of wireless technologies in the field of medical networking.

Statewide ITS architecture development : a case study : Arizona's rural statewide ITS architecture : building a framework for statewide ITS integration

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-09-01

This is one of seven studies exploring processes for developing Intelligent Transportation Systems (ITS) architectures for regional, statewide, or commercial vehicle applications. This study was prepared for a broad-based, non-technical audience. In ...

78 FR 60244 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-10-01

... collections are best assured of having their full effect if received within 30 days of this notification.... Rural Utilities Service (RUS) announced the application window for funding Rural Libraries, Technical... three funding opportunities were reviewed and awards were made for Satellite and Technical Assistance...

WASH (Water and Sanitation for Health) Rainwater Information Center.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Campbell, D.

1986-01-01

Describes project funded by U.S. Agency for International Development to provide short-term technical assistance (general, technology transfer, institutional development and training, information support) to rural and urban fringe water supply and sanitation projects. Initial steps, special collection, and future components of rainwater network…

New Food Product Development Assistance for Rural Food Enterprises.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stoll, William F.

1988-01-01

This article describes examples of new food product development activities engaged in at the University of Minnesota Technical College with local industry, showing how they have been used as teaching models in the classroom. These activities have led to a program of New Product Development Assistance for small food companies in southeastern…

7 CFR 2003.18 - Functional organization of RHS.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... and 504 Rural Housing direct and guaranteed loan and grant programs, Rural Housing and Self-Help Site loans, the Self-Help Technical Assistance grant program, Housing Application Packaging and Technical and Supervisory Assistance grants, and Home Improvement and Repaid loans and grants. The office directs the...

7 CFR 2003.18 - Functional organization of RHS.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... and 504 Rural Housing direct and guaranteed loan and grant programs, Rural Housing and Self-Help Site loans, the Self-Help Technical Assistance grant program, Housing Application Packaging and Technical and Supervisory Assistance grants, and Home Improvement and Repaid loans and grants. The office directs the...

7 CFR 2003.18 - Functional organization of RHS.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... and 504 Rural Housing direct and guaranteed loan and grant programs, Rural Housing and Self-Help Site loans, the Self-Help Technical Assistance grant program, Housing Application Packaging and Technical and Supervisory Assistance grants, and Home Improvement and Repaid loans and grants. The office directs the...

7 CFR 2003.18 - Functional organization of RHS.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... and 504 Rural Housing direct and guaranteed loan and grant programs, Rural Housing and Self-Help Site loans, the Self-Help Technical Assistance grant program, Housing Application Packaging and Technical and Supervisory Assistance grants, and Home Improvement and Repaid loans and grants. The office directs the...

Health Service Delivery in Developing Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benyoussef, Amor

1977-01-01

Reviews recent work dealing with methodological and technical issues in health and development; presents examples of the application of social sciences, including health demography and economics, in questions of health services delivery; and analyzes delivery of health services to rural and nomadic populations in Africa, Asia, and Latin America.…

Rural-urban migration and socioeconomic development in Ghana: some discussions.

PubMed

Twumasi-ankrah, K

1995-01-01

This article presents a discussion of rural-urban migration as a source of social and behavioral change in Ghana. It explores the extent to which the urban social environment in Ghana generates conflicts for migrants with a different value orientation and the degree of influence of the urban social environment on migrants' behavior. The first part of the discussion focuses on the nature of Ghana's urbanization process, the motivation and characteristics of rural-urban migrants, and the nature of the social interaction between migrants and the social urban environment. Migrants contribute directly and indirectly to rural development in many ways. Some urban migrants achieve economic and material wealth and, through their attachment to voluntary tribal associations, assist local community development. Government can augment this process of migrant investment in rural life by identifying these actions as patriotic efforts and awarding citizenship medals or challenge grants. Governments need to review their citizenship laws carefully in light of the "brain drain" issues in the new world order and maximize the flow of resources, technical skills, and ideas from international migrants. A high-quality rural labor force can be enticed to live in rural areas by offering higher salaries and benefits, low income tax rates, better housing, and rural electrification and sanitation. Private firms should be offered incentives to locate in rural areas and increase employment opportunities for rural labor. Career advancement of development planners should be tied to program success or some form of public accountability for careful allocation of resources in rural areas. Fertility policies should be sensitive to urban subgroups. Urban and rural social differences are minor and do not impede urban assimilation, but unemployment and underemployment are problems for many.

Five years' experience in a (really) rural teleradiology practice. Was it worth it? The successes and the failures

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Telepak, Robert J.; Freede, Emily; Jaramillo, Richard E.; Alverson, Dale C.

1998-07-01

During the past 5 years (1992 - 1997) the Department of Radiology of the University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center has developed an active teleradiology program. Contracts are in place to provide both routine and emergency image interpretations 24 hours per day, every day of the year. Several rural hospitals are served as well as the Navajo Indian Health Service. Areas of success: include significantly improved radiologic service to the rural sites, specialty consultations to general radiologists, successful teaching of teleradiology practice to radiology residents and staff, good diagnostic quality images, a small but real profit, improved quality assurance for the rural sites, and no significant medical-legal problems. Failures include: significant telecommunications problems, lack of acceptance and utilization by some of the rural sites, poor QA compliance by some sites, a long period of disappointing technical support by equipment vendors, and slow acceptance of DICOM by equipment manufacturers. The successes outweigh the failures. We would do it again -- but somewhat differently. We offer advice to institutions developing a new rural teleradiology operation.

7 CFR 1940.303 - General policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... other relevant factors in program development and decision-making processes. (b) In assessing the... SERVICE, RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, AND FARM SERVICE AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) PROGRAM... decision-makers with both the technical and human aspects of environmental planning. (c) When adverse...

Distributed architecture and distributed processing mode in urban sewage treatment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhou, Ruipeng; Yang, Yuanming

2017-05-01

Decentralized rural sewage treatment facility over the broad area, a larger operation and management difficult, based on the analysis of rural sewage treatment model based on the response to these challenges, we describe the principle, structure and function in networking technology and network communications technology as the core of distributed remote monitoring system, through the application of case analysis to explore remote monitoring system features in a decentralized rural sewage treatment facilities in the daily operation and management. Practice shows that the remote monitoring system to provide technical support for the long-term operation and effective supervision of the facilities, and reduced operating, maintenance and supervision costs for development.

A Professional Development Climate Course for Sustainable Agriculture in Australia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

George, David; Clewett, Jeff; Birch, Colin; Wright, Anthony; Allen, Wendy

2009-01-01

There are few professional development courses in Australia for the rural sector concerned with climate variability, climate change and sustainable agriculture. The lack of educators with a sound technical background in climate science and its applications in agriculture prevents the delivery of courses either stand-alone or embedded in other…

Making use of renewable energy

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

Johnston, J.C.

1984-01-01

This book describes renewable energy projects proposed for the rural areas of developing countries. Topics considered include biogas generation in Zimbabwe, biogas technology for water pumping in Botswana, soil fertility and energy problems in rural development in the Zaire rain forest, international scientific collaboration on biogas technologies for rural development, alcohol from biomass, an ethanol project in Zimbabwe, biomass alcohol and the fuel-food issue, solar water heating in Zimbabwe, absorbent box solar cookers, solar crop drying in Zimbabwe, the use of passive solar energy in Botswana buildings, the potential of mini hydro systems, woodfuel as a potential renewable energy source,more » small-scale afforestation for domestic needs in the communal lands of Zimbabwe, muscle power, the use of human energy in construction, hand-operated water pumps, animal power for water pumping in Botswana, the production of charcoal in Zambia, improving the efficiency of a traditional charcoal-burning Burmese cooking stove, social impacts, non-engineering constraints affecting energy use in a rural area, women and energy, and non-technical factors influencing the establishment of fuels-from-crops industries in developing countries.« less

Technology Facilitation in the Rural School: An Analysis of Options.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawkes, Mark; Halverson, Pamela; Brockmueller, Bradley

2002-01-01

A study examining technology support in rural schools surveyed 129 school technology coordinators in four upper plains states. Heavy pedagogical and technical demands were placed on rural technology coordinators. Rural technology coordinators should have teaching experience and advanced degree work in network administration, computer hardware…

Factors Influencing Operating Speeds and Safety on Rural and Suburban Roads

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-05-01

The objective of this project was to develop a technical report that describes treatments that result in driver self-selection of appropriate operational speeds on curve and tangent sections. The study was conducted in two phases. The first phase inc...

Design and Technical Validation of a Telemedicine Service for Rural Healthcare in Ecuador.

PubMed

Vasquez-Cevallos, Leonel A; Bobokova, Jana; González-Granda, Patricia V; Iniesta, José M; Gómez, Enrique J; Hernando, M Elena

2017-12-12

Telemedicine is becoming increasingly important in Ecuador, especially in areas such as rural primary healthcare and medical education. Rural telemedicine programs in the country need to be strengthened by means of a technological platform adapted to local surroundings and offering advantages such as access to specialized care, continuing education, and so on, combined with modest investment requirements. This present article presents the design of a Telemedicine Platform (TMP) for rural healthcare services in Ecuador and a preliminary technical validation with medical students and teachers. An initial field study was designed to capture the requirements of the TMP. In a second phase, the TMP was validated in an academic environment along three consecutive academic courses. Assessment was by means of user polls and analyzing user interactions as registered automatically by the platform. The TMP was developed using Web-based technology and open code software. One hundred twenty-four students and 6 specialized faculty members participated in the study, conducting a total of 262 teleconsultations of clinical cases and 226 responses, respectively. The validation results show that the TMP is a useful communication tool for the documentation and discussion of clinical cases. Moreover, its usage may be recommended as a teaching methodology, to strengthen the skills of medical undergraduates. The results indicate that implementing the system in rural healthcare services in Ecuador would be feasible.

The Use of Modern Media for Rural Education in Developing Countries--The Organisational Problems.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gutelman, M.

In developing countries, the means of both providing school-age children with a basic education and extending secondary and technical education are adversely affected by the lack of educational facilities. In addition, vast numbers of adults need to be taught to read and write so that they can participate in the process of development. Experts on…

Pharmacist Staffing, Technology Use, and Implementation of Medication Safety Practices in Rural Hospitals

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Casey, Michelle M.; Moscovice, Ira S.; Davidson, Gestur

2006-01-01

Context: Medication safety is clearly an important quality issue for rural hospitals. However, rural hospitals face special challenges implementing medication safety practices in terms of their staffing and financial and technical resources. Purpose: This study assessed the capacity of small rural hospitals to implement medication safety…

7 CFR Exhibit F to Subpart I of... - Site Option Loan to Technical Assistance Grantees

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

...) RURAL HOUSING SERVICE, RURAL BUSINESS-COOPERATIVE SERVICE, RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, AND FARM SERVICE... decision reviewed following the procedure established in subpart B of part 1900 of this chapter. (2) Review...

Financial performance monitoring of the technical efficiency of critical access hospitals: a data envelopment analysis and logistic regression modeling approach.

PubMed

Wilson, Asa B; Kerr, Bernard J; Bastian, Nathaniel D; Fulton, Lawrence V

2012-01-01

From 1980 to 1999, rural designated hospitals closed at a disproportionally high rate. In response to this emergent threat to healthcare access in rural settings, the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 made provisions for the creation of a new rural hospital--the critical access hospital (CAH). The conversion to CAH and the associated cost-based reimbursement scheme significantly slowed the closure rate of rural hospitals. This work investigates which methods can ensure the long-term viability of small hospitals. This article uses a two-step design to focus on a hypothesized relationship between technical efficiency of CAHs and a recently developed set of financial monitors for these entities. The goal is to identify the financial performance measures associated with efficiency. The first step uses data envelopment analysis (DEA) to differentiate efficient from inefficient facilities within a data set of 183 CAHs. Determining DEA efficiency is an a priori categorization of hospitals in the data set as efficient or inefficient. In the second step, DEA efficiency is the categorical dependent variable (efficient = 0, inefficient = 1) in the subsequent binary logistic regression (LR) model. A set of six financial monitors selected from the array of 20 measures were the LR independent variables. We use a binary LR to test the null hypothesis that recently developed CAH financial indicators had no predictive value for categorizing a CAH as efficient or inefficient, (i.e., there is no relationship between DEA efficiency and fiscal performance).

A Factory without Walls: Microbusinesses in Appalachia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baldwin, Fred D.

1999-01-01

Describes various programs in Appalachia that offer small loans and extensive technical assistance and training to entrepreneurs that operate microbusinesses (businesses with five or fewer employees). Discusses the potential of entrepreneurs and microbusinesses to stimulate economic development in small towns and rural areas such as Garrett…

Sustainability Challenge of Micro Hydro Power Development in Indonesia

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Didik, H.; Bambang, P. N.; Asep, S.; Purwanto, Y. A.

2018-05-01

Rural electrification using renewable energy is the best choice for many locations that far away from national grid. Many renewable energy project have been built for rural electrification such as micro hydro power plant (MHPP) and solar photovoltaic (SPV). Sustainability still the main challenge of off-grid renewable energy development for off-grid rural electrification in Indonesia. The objective of this paper is to review sustainability of micro hydro power development in Indonesia. The research method was done by field observation, interview with MHPP management, and reviewing some research about MHPP in Indonesia. Sustainability issues include various aspects that can be classified into 5 dimensions: technical, economic, socio-cultural, institutional, and environmental. In technical factors that lead to sustainability problem are: improper MHPP design and construction, improper operation and maintenance, availability of spare parts and expertise. In the economic dimension are generally related to: low electricity tariff and utilization of MHPP for productive use. In the social dimension are: the growth of consumer’s load exceeding the capacity, reduced number of consumers, lack of external institutional support. In the institutional side, it is generally related to the ability of human resources in managing, operating and maintaining of MHPP. Environmental factors that lead the sustainability problems of MHPP are: scarcity of water discharge, conflict of water resources, land conversion over the watershed, and natural disasters.

AN INNOVATIVE DESIGN FOR ANAEROBIC CO-DIGESTION OF ANIMAL WASTES FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT IN RURAL COMMUNITIES

EPA Science Inventory

With the aim of the Phase I project to develop an innovative anaerobic co-digestion design for the treatment of dairy manure and poultry waste, our Phase I team has evaluated the technical and economic feasibility of the anaerobic co-digestion design concept with a thorough in...

Economic Openness and the Marginalization of Small Family Farmers: Aligning Curriculum To Meet the Needs of Rural Adolescents in Brazil.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Audrey-Marie Schuh

Economic liberalization and the rise of global competition have increased the importance of agricultural, technical, and business skills for small farmers in Brazil. However, many rural farmers are unable to attend agricultural technical schools due to low educational attainment. The first section of this paper discusses the impact that…

[Evaluating the efficiency of basic public health service project in Beijing rural areas based on data envelopment analysis].

PubMed

Zhang, Gui-lin; Pan, Xi-long

2013-04-18

To measure the efficiency changes of basic public health service in Beijing rural areas and to provide some suggestions for the basic public health service project throughout China. In the study, stratified random samples from 32 township health centers (THCs) were measured by data envelopment analysis (DEA) model with the panel data from 2007 to 2009. (1) The average total efficiency score of samples was 0.972. The TE non-efficient THCs were with excess in all input indicators and insufficient outputs in technology management, health promotion and chronic disease management. (2) The total factor productivity (TFP) from 2007 to 2008 increased 8.8%, which was attributed to technology change. The TFP decreased by 6.6% from 2008 to 2009, but the technical efficiency increased by 3.3%. There is room for improvemrnt in the basic public health service project in Beijing rural areas. Scale efficiency should be improved and the common development of technical efficiency and technology progress promoted in order to increase the project outputs.

Education, skills, and working environments of workers in India's rural industry.

PubMed

Chadha, G K; Sahu, P P; Rout, B

2001-01-01

Based on a mix of official data and results of a survey conducted in May-June 2000 as part of an ongoing Swedish-Indian-Chinese collaborative study, this paper describes the working conditions of workers engaged in rural industry in India. First, it reports the education and skills of such workers. Educational attainment is presented in terms of both general and technical education. The role played by public institutions in the development of skills is examined. A view of the environment in which these workers work, on the one hand, and the physical/economic conditions of work, on the other, is then developed. Locational and gender disparities are illustrated by rural-urban and male-female comparisons to the extent that the available data permit. Child labor is briefly discussed. The findings are disturbing. The authors offer suggestions for improvement.

Managing rapid urbanization in the third world: some aspects of policy.

PubMed

Hope, K R

1989-01-01

A priority task for developing countries is the formulation of national urbanization policies that: 1) foster the full development of national resources; 2) promote cohesion among regions, especially where there are striking inequities in per capita output; 3) prevent or correct the overconcentration of economic activity in a few urban centers; and 4) create a more efficient, equitable management of growth within cities. Although urban households tend to be served better by the health and educational sectors than their rural counterparts, the urban poor are denied these benefits in the absence of special programs to ensure universal access. The urban poor are further denied access to the benefits of urban centers through a transportation policy that is oriented more toward roads and cars than public transit systems. Of major concern are the overcrowded squatter settlements that have developed in response to massive rural-urban migration. Since the landlessness, joblessness, and demoralization in rural areas and the consequent urban influx are at the root of the urban crisis in the Third World, integrated rural development is essential to retain substantial new additions to the urban labor force in rural areas. Land reform is the single strategy with the greatest potential to improve the quality of life of the landless poor and small holders. Other needs include programs of labor-intensive rural public works to provide supplementary income-earning opportunities and improve the rural infrastructure and more widespread participation of the rural poor in the development process. Increasingly sophisticated administrative and financing systems will be required to carry out a national urbanization policy, and current politicized bureaucracies must be replaced by a reliance on technically skilled professional administrators.

Women and Development: Three Experimental Projects

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Clason, Carla

1975-01-01

A review of three experimental projects implemented by Unesco in the late 1960's to improve the status and equal educational opportunities of women includes: (1) Upper Volta, education for rural women; (2) Nepal, training primary school teachers; and (3) Chile, access of women to technical education. (LH)

M-X Environmental Technical Report. Economic Model.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-12-22

TABLE PAGE C-4. Estimated off base school facility costs. 147 C-5. Estimated development costs to other public facilities. 148 C-6. Estimated utility... development costs. 149 C-7. Estimated non-residential building development . 151 E-1. Adjustments to baseline population projections to account for...the fringes of the rural deployment areas themselves. These metropolitan areas potentially would experience significant indirect employment growth as a

7 CFR 634.23 - Water quality plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Water quality plan. 634.23 Section 634.23 Agriculture... AGRICULTURE LONG TERM CONTRACTING RURAL CLEAN WATER PROGRAM Participant RCWP Contracts § 634.23 Water quality plan. (a) The participant's water quality plan, developed with technical assistance by the NRCS or its...

Rural Women Proprietorship Project. Research and Development Annual Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hazard Community Coll., KY.

A project was created to provide individualized and technical training specially designed for women who desired to become small business owners. Recruitment of eastern Kentucky women in the Hazard Community College five-county service area was done through direct mailing; posting of flyers; and newspaper, radio, and television publicity. In…

Safety project development capacity for small communities in coordination with Local Technical Assistance Program (LTAP) center.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-10-01

The goal of Floridas 2012 Strategic Highway Safety Plan is to reduce serious and fatal crashes on all of Florida's road system, including small rural communities. However, there are a few challenges in the way: most small communities lack technica...

7 CFR 634.23 - Water quality plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Water quality plan. 634.23 Section 634.23 Agriculture... AGRICULTURE LONG TERM CONTRACTING RURAL CLEAN WATER PROGRAM Participant RCWP Contracts § 634.23 Water quality plan. (a) The participant's water quality plan, developed with technical assistance by the NRCS or its...

7 CFR 634.23 - Water quality plan.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 6 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Water quality plan. 634.23 Section 634.23 Agriculture... AGRICULTURE LONG TERM CONTRACTING RURAL CLEAN WATER PROGRAM Participant RCWP Contracts § 634.23 Water quality plan. (a) The participant's water quality plan, developed with technical assistance by the NRCS or its...

College and Community in Partnership: The Furniture College at Letterfrack.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rosenfeld, Stuart A.

2001-01-01

A community economic development organization in rural Ireland partnered with a technical college to build a college to teach furniture design and manufacturing, with an emphasis on entrepreneurship and new production technologies. The college has been successful in attracting good students and helping them find employment. A research and…

7 CFR 1775.35 - Eligibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... (CONTINUED) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANTS Technical Assistance and Training Grants § 1775.35 Eligibility. (a... provide technical assistance and/or training on a regional basis to associations as provided in § 1775.33... resources to provide technical assistance and/or training to associations in rural areas through its staff...

Implementing OpenMRS for patient monitoring in an HIV/AIDS care and treatment program in rural Mozambique.

PubMed

Manders, Eric-Jan; José, Eurico; Solis, Manuel; Burlison, Janeen; Nhampossa, José Leopoldo; Moon, Troy

2010-01-01

We have adopted the Open Medical Record System (OpenMRS) framework to implement an electronic patient monitoring system for an HIV care and treatment program in Mozambique. The program provides technical assistance to the Ministry of Health supporting the scale up of integrated HIV care and support services in health facilities in rural resource limited settings. The implementation is in use for adult and pediatric programs, with ongoing roll-out to cover all supported sites. We describe early experiences in adapting the system to the program needs, addressing infrastructure challenges, creating a regional support team, training data entry staff, migrating a legacy database, deployment, and current use. We find that OpenMRS offers excellent prospects for in-country development of health information systems, even in severely resource limited settings. However, it also requires considerable organizational infrastructure investment and technical capacity building to ensure continued local support.

Integrated waste management for rural development in Egypt.

PubMed

Shehata, S M; El Shimi, S A; Elkattan, M H; Ali, B E; El-Housseini, M; El Sayad, S A; Mahmoud, M S; Zaki, A M; Hamdi, Y A; El-Nawawy, A S

2004-01-01

Rural areas generate a large amount of plant and animal residues that can be recycled and utilized instead of relocation and/or burning. This will lead to increasing the benefits from agricultural sector in rural communities and ensuring a better environment. To increase the economic output and environmental benefits of recycling agricultural residues, integrated system should be considered, e.g., energy--compost-recycled water system; composting--co-composting system; food-feed compost system, ensilage of crop residues. The present work was a pilot study for optimizing integrated systems for bioconversion agricultural residues completed by establishing a Training Center for Recycling Agricultural Residues (TCRAR) thereby ensuring the dissemination of the technical, environmental, and socioeconomic aspects to farmers, live stock producers, extensions service staff, and private sector. Three integrated subsystems for bioconversion of agricultural residues were developed. They were based on (i) energy--manure-recycled water system, (ii) composting and co-composting system, and (iii) food-feed/compost system.

Technological Education for the Rural Community (TERC) Project: Technical Mathematics for the Advanced Manufacturing Technician

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

McCormack, Sherry L.; Zieman, Stuart

2017-01-01

Hopkinsville Community College's Technological Education for the Rural Community (TERC) project is funded through the National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education (NSF ATE) division. It is advancing innovative educational pathways for technological education promoted at the community college level serving rural communities to fill…

Renewable Energy for Rural Health Clinics (Energia Removable para Centros de Salud Rurales)

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

Jimenez, A. C.; Olson, K.

This guide provides a broad understanding of the technical, social, and organizational aspects of health clinic electrification, especially through the use of renewable energy sources. It is intended to be used primarily by decision makers within governments or private agencies to accurately assess their health clinic's needs, select appropriate and cost-effective technologies to meet those needs, and to put into place effective infrastructure to install and maintain the hardware. This is the first in a series of rural applications guidebooks that the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) Village Power Program is commissioning to couple commercial renewable systems with rural applications.more » The guidebooks are complemented by NREL's Village Power Program's development activities, international pilot projects, and visiting professionals program. For more information on the NREL Village Power Program, visit the Renewables for Sustainable Village Power web site at http://www.rsvp.nrel .gov/rsvp/.« less

The Use of a Satellite Human Interaction System in Conjunction with a Satellite Media Distribution System. Satellite Technology Demonstration, Technical Report No. 0217.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dale, Joyce B.

Satellite Technology Demonstration (STD) was designed to provide data on the use of a satellite to deliver educational programs to 56 rural-isolated schools in eight Rocky Mountain States. Three series were broadcast: (1) a junior high school career development, (2) career development for public school administrators and teachers, and (3) topical…

Energy Conservation in Small Schools. Small Schools Digest.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gardener, Clark

Information concerning methods and available materials for conserving energy is needed by small, rural schools to offset continued increasing energy costs and lack of financial support and technical assistance. The first step in developing an energy conservation policy is to obtain school board commitment and to establish an energy saving policy.…

Using "EC-Assess" to Assess a Small Biofuels Project in Honduras

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ngassa, Franklin Chamda

2010-01-01

Biofuels may contribute to both rural economic development and climate change mitigation and adaptation. The Gota Verde Project in Yoro, Honduras, attempts to demonstrate the technical and economic feasibility of small-scale biofuel production for local use by implementing a distinctive approach to feedstock production that encourages small farm…

The USAID/DOE Mexico Renewable Energy Program: Using technology to build new markets

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanley, Charles J.

1997-02-01

Under the Mexico Renewable Energy Program, managed by Sandia National Laboratories, sustainable markets for renewable energy technologies are developed through the implementation of pilot projects. Sandia provides technical assistance to several Mexican rural development organizations so they can gain the technical and institutional capability to appropriately utilize renewables within their ongoing programs. Activities in the area of water pumping have shown great replication potential, where the tremendous rural demand for water represents a potential renewable market of over 2 billion. Thirty-six photovoltaic water pumping projects have been installed thus far in the Mexican states of Chihuahua, Sonora, Baja California Sur, and Quintana Roo, and 60 more will be implemented this year. The majority of these projects are in partnership with the Mexican Trust for Shared Risk (FIRCO), which has asked Sandia for assistance in extending the program nationwide. This replication is beginning in five new states, and will continue to grow. Sandia is keeping the U.S. renewable energy industry involved in the program through facilitating partnerships between U.S. and Mexican vendors, and through commercialization assistance with new systems technologies. The program is sponsored by the Department of Energy and the U.S. Agency for International Development.

Program-Wide Positive Behavioral Interventions and Supports in Rural Preschools

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Steed, Elizabeth A.; Pomerleau, Tina; Muscott, Howard; Rohde, Leigh

2013-01-01

This article describes the quantitative findings from an evaluation of program-wide positive behavioral interventions and supports (PBIS) in three rural preschool programs. Each rural preschool program included children 3 through 5 years of age with and without disabilities. Following 3 years of on-site training, technical assistance, and coaching…

Program Integration: An Alternative for Improving County Rural Human Services Delivery. Technical Paper No. 13.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Rural Pennsylvania, Harrisburg.

This report examines program integration as a way to improve the delivery of rural human services in Pennsylvania. A panel of policymakers, human services providers, and representatives of state agencies identified barriers to effective rural human services delivery and generated policy recommendations. Most county-based human services in…

Act No. 24994 of 19 January 1989. Basic Law on the Rural Development of the Peruvian Amazon Region.

PubMed

1989-01-01

This Act sets forth the government's policy on rural development of the Peruvian Amazon region. Major objectives of the Act include the promotion of new rural settlements in the Amazon region, the promotion of migration from the Andes to the Amazon region, and the stimulation of agriculture, livestock, and forestry activities in the Amazon region. The following are the means that the government will use, among others, to attain these goals: 1) the development of Population Displacement Programmes, which will give individual persons and families economic and logistic support in moving; 2) the establishment of Civic Colonizing Services, temporary mobile units, which will offer settlers health services, education services, technical assistance with respect to agriculture and livestock, and promotional credits; 3) the creation of the Council for Amazon River Transport to coordinate and recommend activities to improve river transport; 4) the granting to settlers of land, free education for their children, medical care, technical training and assistance with respect to agriculture, and a supply of seeds; 5) the exemption of certain investors from payment of income taxes; and 6) the granting of a wide range of incentives for agricultural production. The Act also creates a Council for Planning and Development in the Amazon Region to draw up and approve a Plan for the Development of the Amazon Region. It calls for the rational use of the natural resources of the Amazon Region in the framework of preserving the ecosystem and preventing its ruin and delegates to the regional governments the authority to enter into contracts on the use of forest materials and to undertake reforestation programs. Finally, the Act provides various guarantees for the native population, including guarantees with respect to land and preservation of ethnic and social identity.

Report on the International Workshop on Drug Prevention and Treatment in Rural Settings Organized by United Nation Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and World Health Organization (WHO).

PubMed

Milano, Giulia; Saenz, Elizabeth; Clark, Nicolas; Busse, Anja; Gale, John; Campello, Giovanna; Mattfeld, Elizabeth; Maalouf, Wadih; Heikkila, Hanna; Martelli, Antonietta; Morales, Brian; Gerra, Gilberto

2017-11-10

Very little evidence has been reported in literature regarding the misuse of substances in rural areas. Despite the common perception of rural communities as a protective and risk-mitigating environment, the scientific literature demonstrated the existence of many risk factors in rural communities. The Drug Prevention and Health Branch (DHB) of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC), and the World Health Organization (WHO), in June 2016, organized a meeting of experts in treatment and prevention of SUDs in rural settings. The content presented during the meeting and the related discussion have provided materials for the preparation of an outline document, which is the basis to create a technical tool on SUDs prevention and treatment in rural settings. The UNODC framework for interventions in rural settings is a technical tool aimed to assist policy makers and managers at the national level. This paper is a report on UNODC/WHO efforts to improve the clinical conditions of people affected by SUDs and living in rural areas. The purpose of this article is to draw attention on a severe clinical and social problem in a reality forgotten by everyone.

Geo-Hazards and Mountain Road Development in Nepal: Understanding the Science-Policy-Governance Interface

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dugar, Sumit; Dahal, Vaskar

2015-04-01

The foothills of Nepalese Himalayas located in the neotectonic mountain environment are among some of the most unstable and geomorphologically dynamic landscapes in the world. Young fold mountains in this region are characterized by complex tectonics that influence the occurrence of earthquakes, while climatic processes such as intense orographic rainfall often dictate the occurrence of floods and landslides. Development of linear infrastructures, such as roads, in mountainous terrain characterized by high relief and orogeny is considerably challenging where the complexity of landscape in steep and irregular topography, difficult ground conditions and weak geology, presents engineers and planners with numerous difficulties to construct and maintain mountain roads. Whilst application of engineering geology, geomorphic interpretation of terrain in terms of physiography and hydrology, and identification of geo-hazards along the road corridor is critical for long term operation of mountain roads, low-cost arterial roads in the Himalayan foothills generally fail to incorporate standard road slope engineering structures. This research provides unique insights on policy and governance issues in developing mountainous countries such as Nepal, where achieving a sound balance between sustainability and affordability is a major challenge for road construction. Road development in Nepal is a complex issue where socio-economic and political factors influence the budget allocation for road construction in rural hilly areas. Moreover, most mountain roads are constructed without any geological or geo-technical site investigations due to rampant corruption and lack of adequate engineering supervision. Despite having good examples of rural road construction practices such as the Dharan-Dhankuta Road in Eastern Nepal where comprehensive terrain-evaluation methods and geo-technical surveys led to an improved understanding of road construction, learnings from this project have not informed other road development schemes in Nepal. Geomorphological surveys and robust geo-hazard assessments that factor the spatial and temporal dimensions of the seismic, fluvial and sediment hazards along the road corridor are critical for sustainable development of mountain roads. However, scientific and technical research studies seldom inform mountain road development primarily due to lack of co-ordination between the respective government agencies, access to journal papers in developing countries and unwillingness to adopt novel interventions in rural road construction practices. These challenges are further exacerbated by weak governance and lack of proper policy enforcement that often leads to construction of poorly engineered roads, thereby increasing the risk of rural infrastructural damage from geo-hazards. Though there exists a disconnect between the science-policy-governance interface where information on geo-hazards is neglected in mountain road development due to lack of scientific research and government apathy, there is an opportunity to spur dialogue and sensitize these issues via trans-disciplinary approaches on disaster risk management.

WRRSP: Wyoming rural road safety program.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-05-01

SAFETEA-LU contains language indicating that State Department of Transportations (DOTs) will be required to address : safety on local and rural roads. The Wyoming Local Technical Assistant Program (LTAP) coordinated an effort in cooperation with the ...

Maintaining data integrity in a rural clinical trial.

PubMed

Van den Broeck, Jan; Mackay, Melanie; Mpontshane, Nontobeko; Kany Kany Luabeya, Angelique; Chhagan, Meera; Bennish, Michael L

2007-01-01

Clinical trials conducted in rural resource-poor settings face special challenges in ensuring quality of data collection and handling. The variable nature of these challenges, ways to overcome them, and the resulting data quality are rarely reported in the literature. To provide a detailed example of establishing local data handling capacity for a clinical trial conducted in a rural area, highlight challenges and solutions in establishing such capacity, and to report the data quality obtained by the trial. We provide a descriptive case study of a data system for biological samples and questionnaire data, and the problems encountered during its implementation. To determine the quality of data we analyzed test-retest studies using Kappa statistics of inter- and intra-observer agreement on categorical data. We calculated Technical Errors of Measurement of anthropometric measurements, audit trail analysis was done to assess error correction rates, and residual error rates were calculated by database-to-source document comparison. Initial difficulties included the unavailability of experienced research nurses, programmers and data managers in this rural area and the difficulty of designing new software tools and a complex database while making them error-free. National and international collaboration and external monitoring helped ensure good data handling and implementation of good clinical practice. Data collection, fieldwork supervision and query handling depended on streamlined transport over large distances. The involvement of a community advisory board was helpful in addressing cultural issues and establishing community acceptability of data collection methods. Data accessibility for safety monitoring required special attention. Kappa values and Technical Errors of Measurement showed acceptable values. Residual error rates in key variables were low. The article describes the experience of a single-site trial and does not address challenges particular to multi-site trials. Obtaining and maintaining data integrity in rural clinical trials is feasible, can result in acceptable data quality and can be used to develop capacity in developing country sites. It does, however, involve special challenges and requirements.

Managing to harvest? Perspectives on the potential of aquaculture

PubMed Central

Muir, James

2005-01-01

Aquaculture has been one of the most rapid and technically innovative of food production sectors globally, with significant investment, scientific and technical development and production growth in many parts of the world over the past two decades. While this has had a significant effect on the global supply of aquatic food products and had an important impact in rural and urban food supply and employment in many developing economies, growth and increasing internationalization has not been without concern for natural resource use, environmental impact and social disruption. The expectations for production and diversification are now significant and while the scientific and technical means are already available to meet much of the intended targets, practical constraints of investment, profitability, resource access and system efficiency are likely to become far more important constraints for the future. This review offers a contemporary perspective on the ways in which the sector might develop, its interactions with constraints and the strategies that may be required to ensure that future development is both positive and sustainable. PMID:15713597

Economic Development at the Grass Roots: A Guide for Creating Partnerships between Main Street Programs and California Community Colleges.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perfumo-Kreiss, Paulette; Harrison, Laurie

The California Main Street Program (MSP) provides technical assistance to rural communities facing rapid growth and downtown decay, serving as a vehicle for local stimulation and revitalization of downtown area businesses. This five-part handbook presents strategies for creating partnerships between California's MSPs and the state's community…

Agricultural Extension Services and Market Regulation: Learning from a Comparison of Six EU Countries

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Laurent, Catherine; Cerf, Marianne; Labarthe, Pierre

2006-01-01

If farmers are to meet the new challenges facing agriculture (environment, rural development, etc.), appropriate knowledge has to be produced. But observations in six EU countries (France, Germany, Greece, the Netherlands, Spain and the UK) show that unexpected problems arise when technical support for agriculture is linked to market regulation,…

SOME TRAINING AND SERVICES NEEDED IN AGRICULTURE. MISCELLANEOUS PUBLICATION NO. 966.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

CAMPBELL, PROCTOR

THERE WILL BE A CONTINUING AND INCREASING NEED FOR TECHNICAL TRAINING AND SERVICES DURING THE NEXT 10 TO 20 YEARS TO FULFILL FARMERS' REQUIREMENTS IN PRODUCING, HARVESTING, AND MARKETING AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS AND FOR DEVELOPING AND OPERATING NONAGRICULTURAL ENTERPRISES BY FARMERS IN RURAL AREAS. THIS NEED IS APPARENT IN THE AREAS OF MANAGEMENT,…

Emphasis. Volume 3, Number 3, Spring 1980 through Volume 5, Number 2, Winter 1982 (Seven Issues).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Assael, Daniel, Ed.; And Others

1982-01-01

Seven issues of the newsletter/journal from the Technical Assistance Development System (TADS) address a vareity of topics related to special education for young handicapped children. Among articles included are a description of a rural workshop sponsored by an affiliate of the Handicapped Children's Early Education Program (HCEEP), electronics…

Biomass power for rural development. Technical progress report, January 1--March 31, 1998

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

Neuhauser, E.

Brief progress reports are presented on the following tasks: design packages for retrofits at the Dunkirk Station; fuel supply and site development plans; major equipment guarantees and project risk sharing; power production commitment; power plant site plan, construction and environmental permits; and experimental strategies for system evaluation. The paper then discusses in more detail the following: feedstock development efforts; clone-site testing and genetic studies; and efforts at outreach, extension and technology transfer.

Career and Technical Education Works for Rural Communities

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Warnock, Tania

2004-01-01

In Oklahoma, the state's CareerTech system is helping to provide resources and expertise to preserve the quality of life in rural communities. Just as many metropolitan areas feel the choke of urban sprawl, rural Oklahoma has, to a great extent, become the carbon copy of small towns across this country that are losing jobs, people and wealth.…

The impact of a bundled policy intervention on improving the performance of rural healthcare in China.

PubMed

Wu, Jian; Li, Xiaofang; Song, Yao; Shao, Hui; Shi, Qian; Qin, Doudou; Xie, Shuangbao; Shi, Lizheng

2016-03-10

The strategy of health policy has been changed for improving the performances to meeting the increasing healthcare demands. However, limited evidences were found to prove that the bundled payment was valid for service delivering in public sector. This study was designed to evaluate the effectiveness of a bundled policy on strengthening the county-village communication and improving the quality of chronic disease management. This is a retrospective cohort study using the data collected in 2011, 2012 and 2014 from the Rural Health Development Project in China. The policy intervention included performance-related contract with health facilities, developing technical guideline for doctors and nurses, routine monitoring of performance, and efforts to increase public awareness about the services. There were two intervention counties in Henan Province, China, while one county with similar characteristics in Henan was selected as control. Funding allocation, work load and salary for health care workers, volume of township-to-village technical assistance were reported before and after the policy was implemented. Our study also examined the policy impacts on improving treatment outcomes of diabetes and hypertension care. There were substantial increases in the provision of the basic package of services including 96.6 % of patients with hypertension, 91.2 % of patients with diabetes under the health management system. After the intervention, there were 34.3 % (hypertension) and 42.0 % (diabetes) increase in regular follow-up visit rates, 24.6 and 17.2 % increase in blood pressure and blood glucose control rates, respectively. The family health records system covered 96 % of the rural families. Technical assistance between township health centres and village clinics were enhanced. Compared with baseline, the monthly training meeting and field supervision & guidance between township health centres and village clinics increased 1.0 meeting, 1.5 field visits, respectively, while the increases in the control county were only 0.3 meeting and 0.3 field visits. At the end of this study, 93.8 % of health workers achieved their performance goals. More patients were referred to appropriate levels of care. This bundled policy intervention effectively improved rural health care delivery. The result of our study can be used for local governments to implement performance-based health system management in developing country.

Literature research of the Nutrition Improvement Programme for Rural Compulsory Education Students in China.

PubMed

Zhang, Fan; Hu, Xiaoqi; Tian, Zuyin; Zhang, Qian; Ma, Guansheng

2015-04-01

To describe the Nutrition Improvement Programme for Rural Compulsory Education Students (NIPRCES) in China and to share the experiences of developing and implementing nationwide school meal programmes with other countries. The article is based on a literature review of technical documents and reports of NIPRCES and relevant national legislation, technical reports and studies on school nutrition, minutes of meetings and national conferences, and official documents of the National Office of Student Nutrition and the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. People's Republic of China. Published papers, national policies, legislation and unpublished official documents. A total of 23 million rural compulsory education students were covered by NIPRCES. In the development and implementation process of NIPRCES, fifteen ministries and national committees were involved and an efficient collaborative mechanism was established. All NIPRCES-covered schools were required to serve meals on a daily basis. By the end of June 2012, the proportions of students choosing 'school feeding', 'food package' and 'family feeding' modes were respectively 64.0 %, 32.0 % and 4.0 %. The central government subsidized school meals annually by more than $US 2.5 billion and invested $US 4.8 billion on school kitchens to support this programme. The NIPRCES is a significant movement of governmental nutritional intervention in China. Food safety, financial security, decentralization and other potential concerns should be considered and lessons can be learned from other countries. Further relevant research and a nationwide monitoring and evaluation programme are needed.

7 CFR 1944.408 - [Reserved

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) HOUSING Self-Help Technical Assistance Grants § 1944.408 [Reserved] ... 7 Agriculture 13 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true [Reserved] 1944.408 Section 1944.408 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL HOUSING SERVICE, RURAL BUSINESS-COOPERATIVE...

7 CFR 1944.418 - [Reserved

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) HOUSING Self-Help Technical Assistance Grants § 1944.418 [Reserved] ... 7 Agriculture 13 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true [Reserved] 1944.418 Section 1944.418 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL HOUSING SERVICE, RURAL BUSINESS-COOPERATIVE...

7 CFR 1944.414 - [Reserved

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) HOUSING Self-Help Technical Assistance Grants § 1944.414 [Reserved] ... 7 Agriculture 13 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true [Reserved] 1944.414 Section 1944.414 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL HOUSING SERVICE, RURAL BUSINESS-COOPERATIVE...

7 CFR 2003.26 - Functional organization of RBS.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... BUSINESS-COOPERATIVE SERVICE, RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, AND FARM SERVICE AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE... loans and technical assistance to businesses and communities for rural citizens and cooperatives..., contracting, automated information systems, and accounting. The staff provides analysis and recommendations on...

7 CFR 2003.26 - Functional organization of RBS.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... BUSINESS-COOPERATIVE SERVICE, RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, AND FARM SERVICE AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE... loans and technical assistance to businesses and communities for rural citizens and cooperatives..., contracting, automated information systems, and accounting. The staff provides analysis and recommendations on...

7 CFR 2003.26 - Functional organization of RBS.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... BUSINESS-COOPERATIVE SERVICE, RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, AND FARM SERVICE AGENCY, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE... loans and technical assistance to businesses and communities for rural citizens and cooperatives..., contracting, automated information systems, and accounting. The staff provides analysis and recommendations on...

Hypothermia in a Rural Setting: An Emergency Medicine Simulation Scenario

PubMed Central

Jong, Robert; Heroux, Aron; Dubrowski, Adam

2017-01-01

Patients presenting with hypothermia in a rural emergency department can be quite challenging to manage without significant mortality and morbidity. Standard medical school curricula do not fully prepare trainees for the unique aspects of practice in northern rural and remote communities. Training opportunities on site may provide a solution to this lack of experience. However, these communities often have limited simulation-based resources and expertise for conducting and developing simulation scenarios. In this technical report, we outline a hypothermia simulation that utilizes only basic resources and is, thus, practical for rural and remote facilities. The aim of this report is to better equip trainees, clinicians, and emergency department staff who may encounter such a scenario in their practice. While the simulation is specifically designed for medical students, resident doctors, and emergency department staff, it could also be applicable in other low-resource settings, such as military bases, search and rescue stations, and arctic travel and tourism infirmaries. PMID:29511605

The World Bank and poverty.

PubMed

Lipton, M; Shakow, A

1982-06-01

During the 1970s it was World Bank policy to use its funds to raise the productivity and living standards of the poor. It has increased its lending for sector and subsectors considered to offer the most direct benefits to the poor such as rural development, population, health, and nutrition. Projects with particular emphasis on poverty have benefitted large numbers of poor people and have had good economic rates of return. Lending for rural projects increased in the 1970s from US$2.6 billion in 1969-73 to over US$13 billion in 1978-81; rural development projects audited in 1979 benfitted 660 small farmers for every US$1 million loaned compared with 47 farmers/US$1 million in other agricultural projects. Some problems are: 1) low-risk technical packages appropriate for poor farmers in semi-arid rainfed areas are not readily available; 2) the Bank's rural development strategy seeks mainly to raise the production of small farms, but other aspects need to be emphasized; 3) domestic pricing and postharvest policies often undermine the success of projects aimed at the rural poor; and 4) success in rural development often rests on sociological and cultural factors, difficult areas that deserve more attention. For urban areas the Bank has strongly endorsed providing "sites and sources" instead of structures; since 1972, 52 Bank projects centered on urban shelter involving US$1.6 billion have been undertaken. Cost recovery is established at 66-95%. About 5% of Bank lending is for education and despite the importance of population, health, and nutrition, these areas absorb less than 1% of the Bank's total lending program. Only US$400 million in population loans were made to 13 countries in the 1970s and only recently have separate health projects been started. Emphasis for the 1980s must be on rural development, urban shelter, primary education, health, education, and population.

Seven Experiment Designs Addressing Problems of Safety and Capacity on Two-Lane Rural Highways : Volume 7. Experimental Design to Develop and Evaluate Measures for Reducing the Effects of Roadside Friction on Traffic Flow

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1994-04-01

This operational test case study is one of six performed in response to a Volpe National Transportation Systems Center technical task directive (TTD) to Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) entitled, "IVHS Institutional Issues and Ca...

Seven Experiment Designs Addressing Problems of Safety and Capacity on Two-Lane Rural Highways : Volume 4. Experimental Design to Develop and Evaluate Remedial Aids to Urban Drivers of Slow Moving Vehicles on a Grade

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1994-04-01

This operational test case study is one of six performed in response to a Volpe National Transportation Systems Center technical task directive (TTD) to Science Applications International Corporation (SAIC) entitled, IVHS Institutional Issues and ...

The Development of a Materials Distribution Service for a Satellite-Based Educational Telecommunications Experiment. Satellite Technology Demonstration, Technical Report No. 0501.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lonsdale, Helen C.

Because 16mm film programs for classroom use are expensive and distribution is unpredictable, the Satellite Technology Demonstration (STD) established a Materials Distribution Service (MDS) to transmit material via satellite to rural sites in the Rocky Mountains. The STD leased 300 programs from Encyclopedia Britannica Educational Corporation and…

Context-specific energy strategies: coupling energy system visions with feasible implementation scenarios.

PubMed

Trutnevyte, Evelina; Stauffacher, Michael; Schlegel, Matthias; Scholz, Roland W

2012-09-04

Conventional energy strategy defines an energy system vision (the goal), energy scenarios with technical choices and an implementation mechanism (such as economic incentives). Due to the lead of a generic vision, when applied in a specific regional context, such a strategy can deviate from the optimal one with, for instance, the lowest environmental impacts. This paper proposes an approach for developing energy strategies by simultaneously, rather than sequentially, combining multiple energy system visions and technically feasible, cost-effective energy scenarios that meet environmental constraints at a given place. The approach is illustrated by developing a residential heat supply strategy for a Swiss region. In the analyzed case, urban municipalities should focus on reducing heat demand, and rural municipalities should focus on harvesting local energy sources, primarily wood. Solar thermal units are cost-competitive in all municipalities, and their deployment should be fostered by information campaigns. Heat pumps and building refurbishment are not competitive; thus, economic incentives are essential, especially for urban municipalities. In rural municipalities, wood is cost-competitive, and community-based initiatives are likely to be most successful. Thus, the paper shows that energy strategies should be spatially differentiated. The suggested approach can be transferred to other regions and spatial scales.

7 CFR 1944.407 - Limitations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) HOUSING Self-Help Technical Assistance Grants § 1944.407 Limitations. The amount of... Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL HOUSING SERVICE, RURAL BUSINESS-COOPERATIVE... typical needed repairs, and the cost savings between self-help and contractor rehabilitation and repair...

7 CFR 1944.510 - Applicant eligibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 13 2014-01-01 2013-01-01 true Applicant eligibility. 1944.510 Section 1944.510 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL HOUSING SERVICE, RURAL BUSINESS...) PROGRAM REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) HOUSING Technical and Supervisory Assistance Grants § 1944.510 Applicant...

7 CFR 1944.510 - Applicant eligibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 13 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Applicant eligibility. 1944.510 Section 1944.510 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL HOUSING SERVICE, RURAL BUSINESS...) PROGRAM REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) HOUSING Technical and Supervisory Assistance Grants § 1944.510 Applicant...

7 CFR 1944.547 - Management assistance.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 13 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Management assistance. 1944.547 Section 1944.547 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL HOUSING SERVICE, RURAL BUSINESS...) PROGRAM REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) HOUSING Technical and Supervisory Assistance Grants § 1944.547 Management...

Information technology and hospice palliative care: social, cultural, ethical and technical implications in a rural setting.

PubMed

Kuziemsky, Craig; Jewers, Heather; Appleby, Brenda; Foshay, Neil; Maccaull, Wendy; Miller, Keith; Macdonald, Madonna

2012-01-01

There is a need to better understand the specific settings in which health information technology (HIT) is used and implemented. Factors that will determine the successful implementation of HIT are context-specific and often reside not at the technical level but rather at the process and people level. This paper provides the results of a needs assessment for HIT to support hospice palliative care (HPC) delivery in rural settings. Roundtable discussions using the nominal group technique were done to identify priority issues regarding HIT usage to support rural HPC delivery. Qualitative content analysis was then used to identify sociotechnical themes from the roundtable data. Twenty priority issues were identified at the roundtable session. Content analysis grouped the priority issues into one central theme and five supporting themes to form a sociotechnical framework for patient-centered care in rural settings. There are several sociotechnical themes and associated issues that need to be considered prior to implementing HIT in rural HPC settings. Proactive evaluation of these issues can enhance HIT implementation and also help to make ethical aspects of HIT design more explicit.

The National Rural Alcohol and Drug Abuse Network Awards for Excellence 2004: Submitted and Award-Winning Papers. Technical Assistance Publication Series (TAP) 28

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, 2006

2006-01-01

This TAP presents seven papers submitted to the 2004 National Rural Alcohol and Drug Abuse Network (NRADAN) Awards for Excellence. Each paper describes effective and innovative models of treatment and prevention services in rural populations. This publication seeks to promote and showcase research addressing the unique and special challenges of…

7 CFR 1944.406 - Prohibited use of grant funds.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... (CONTINUED) PROGRAM REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) HOUSING Self-Help Technical Assistance Grants § 1944.406....406 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL HOUSING SERVICE, RURAL... construction work for participating families in the self-help projects. (b) Buying real estate or building...

7 CFR 1944.419 - Final grantee evaluation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

...) PROGRAM REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) HOUSING Self-Help Technical Assistance Grants § 1944.419 Final grantee... Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL HOUSING SERVICE, RURAL BUSINESS..., application, this regulation, and any amendments. (a) This is a quantitative evaluation of the grantee to...

7 CFR 1944.409 - Executive Order 12372.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

...) PROGRAM REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) HOUSING Self-Help Technical Assistance Grants § 1944.409 Executive Order 12372. The self-help program is subject to the provision of Executive Order 12372 which requires... Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL HOUSING SERVICE, RURAL BUSINESS...

75 FR 28778 - Broadband Initiatives Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-05-24

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Rural Utilities Service RIN 0572-ZA01 Broadband Initiatives Program AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, Department of Agriculture. ACTION: Notice of Extension of filing Public... Initiatives Program (BIP), published in the Federal Register at 75 FR 3820 (January 22, 2010). Such technical...

7 CFR 1944.536 - Grant closing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 13 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Grant closing. 1944.536 Section 1944.536 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL HOUSING SERVICE, RURAL BUSINESS-COOPERATIVE... REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) HOUSING Technical and Supervisory Assistance Grants § 1944.536 Grant closing. Closing...

Health Facility Graduation from Donor-Supported Intensive Technical Assistance and Associated Factors in Zambia.

PubMed

Koni, Phillip; Chishinga, Nathaniel; Nyirenda, Lameck; Kasonde, Prisca; Nsakanya, Richard; Welsh, Michael

2015-01-01

The FHI360-led Zambia Prevention Care and Treatment partnership II (ZPCT II) with funding from United States Agency for International Development, supports the Zambian Ministry of Health in scaling up HIV/AIDS services. To improve the quality of HIV/AIDS services, ZPCT II provides technical assistance until desired standards are met and districts are weaned-off intensive technical support, a process referred to as district graduation. This study describes the graduation process and determines performance domains associated with district graduation. Data were collected from 275 health facilities in 39 districts in 5 provinces of Zambia between 2008 and 2012. Performance in technical capacity, commodity management, data management and human resources domains were assessed in the following services areas: HIV counselling and testing and prevention of mother to child transmission, antiretroviral therapy/clinical care, pharmacy and laboratory. The overall mean percentage score was calculated by obtaining the mean of mean percentage scores for the four domains. Logistic regression models were used to obtain odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the domain mean percentage scores in graduated versus non-graduated districts; according to rural-urban, and province strata. 24 districts out of 39 graduated from intensive donor supported technical assistance while 15 districts did not graduate. The overall mean percentage score for all four domains was statistically significantly higher in graduated than non-graduated districts (93.2% versus 91.2%, OR = 1.34, 95%CI:1.20-1.49); including rural settings (92.4% versus 89.4%, OR = 1.43,95%CI:1.24-1.65). The mean percentage score in human resource domain was statistically significantly higher in graduated than non-graduated districts (93.6% versus 71.6%, OR = 5.81, 95%CI: 4.29-7.86) and in both rural and urban settings. QA/QI tools can be used to assess performance at health facilities and determine readiness for district graduation. Human resources management domain was found to be an important factor associated with district graduation.

Health Facility Graduation from Donor-Supported Intensive Technical Assistance and Associated Factors in Zambia

PubMed Central

Koni, Phillip; Chishinga, Nathaniel; Nyirenda, Lameck; Kasonde, Prisca; Nsakanya, Richard; Welsh, Michael

2015-01-01

Introduction The FHI360-led Zambia Prevention Care and Treatment partnership II (ZPCT II) with funding from United States Agency for International Development, supports the Zambian Ministry of Health in scaling up HIV/AIDS services. To improve the quality of HIV/AIDS services, ZPCT II provides technical assistance until desired standards are met and districts are weaned-off intensive technical support, a process referred to as district graduation. This study describes the graduation process and determines performance domains associated with district graduation. Methods Data were collected from 275 health facilities in 39 districts in 5 provinces of Zambia between 2008 and 2012. Performance in technical capacity, commodity management, data management and human resources domains were assessed in the following services areas: HIV counselling and testing and prevention of mother to child transmission, antiretroviral therapy/clinical care, pharmacy and laboratory. The overall mean percentage score was calculated by obtaining the mean of mean percentage scores for the four domains. Logistic regression models were used to obtain odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) for the domain mean percentage scores in graduated versus non-graduated districts; according to rural-urban, and province strata. Results 24 districts out of 39 graduated from intensive donor supported technical assistance while 15 districts did not graduate. The overall mean percentage score for all four domains was statistically significantly higher in graduated than non-graduated districts (93.2% versus 91.2%, OR = 1.34, 95%CI:1.20–1.49); including rural settings (92.4% versus 89.4%, OR = 1.43,95%CI:1.24–1.65). The mean percentage score in human resource domain was statistically significantly higher in graduated than non-graduated districts (93.6% versus 71.6%, OR = 5.81, 95%CI: 4.29–7.86) and in both rural and urban settings. Conclusions QA/QI tools can be used to assess performance at health facilities and determine readiness for district graduation. Human resources management domain was found to be an important factor associated with district graduation. PMID:26098555

Lifelong learning of Chinese rural physicians: preliminary psychometrics and influencing factors.

PubMed

Li, Honghe; Wang, Ziwei; Jiang, Nan; Liu, Yang; Wen, Deliang

2015-10-30

There are more than 4.9 million rural health workers undertaking the health care need of rural population of over 629 million in China. The lifelong learning of physicians is vital in maintaining up-to-date and qualified health care, but rural physicians in many developing countries lack adequate medical professional developments. There has also been no empirical research focused on the lifelong learning of rural physician populations. The purpose of this study was to investigate the primary levels of lifelong learning of the rural physicians and to analyze group differences. We conducted a cross-sectional study on 1197 rural physicians using the Jefferson Scale of Physician Lifelong Learning (JSPLL). Cronbach's α coefficient, exploratory factor analysis, independent sample t-test, and one-way ANOVA followed by Student-Newman-Keuls test were performed to analyze the data. For Chinese rural physicians, the JSPLL was reliable (Cronbach's α coefficient = 0.872) and valid, with exploratory factor analysis fitting a 3-factor model and accounting for a total of 60.46 % of the variance. The mean lifelong learning score was 45.56. Rural physicians generally performed worse in the technical skills in seeking information domain. Rural physicians with 21-30 working years have a lower score of lifelong learning (P < 0.05) than other phases of working years. Career satisfaction and professional titles had a significantly positive influence on physicians' orientation towards lifelong learning (P < 0.05). The overall lifelong learning scores of physicians who received more training after completion of medical school were higher than those with less additional post-medical school training (P <0.05). The JSPLL is effective for the Chinese rural physician population. In order to cope with impacting factors on rural physicians' lifelong learning, the results of the study reinforced the importance of continuing medical education and career satisfaction for lifelong learning and the need for medical schools and hospitals to provide reasonable strategies and necessary support for rural physicians with different amounts of working years. Providing rural physicians more educational opportunities and helping them access educational resources may be an effective strategy for improving their orientation to lifelong learning.

The Facilitator. Technical Note No. 11.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barriga, Patricio; And Others

This paper describes the concept, training, and experiences of community facilitators as change agents in a nonformal education project in rural Ecuador. Presently, the social, economic, and political context of the rural Ecuadorian consists of poverty, racial prejudice, economic exploitation, and psychological dependency. The project attempted to…

7 CFR 1944.416 - Grant closing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) HOUSING Self-Help Technical Assistance Grants § 1944.416 Grant closing. The grant is... 7 Agriculture 13 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Grant closing. 1944.416 Section 1944.416 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL HOUSING SERVICE, RURAL BUSINESS-COOPERATIVE...

7 CFR 4280.121 - Servicing grants.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LOANS AND GRANTS Rural Energy for America Program General Renewable Energy System and Energy Efficiency Improvement Grants § 4280.121 Servicing grants. (a... technical merit score for the project remains the same or is higher. Prior to changing a contractor or...

7 CFR 4280.121 - Servicing grants.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LOANS AND GRANTS Rural Energy for America Program General Renewable Energy System and Energy Efficiency Improvement Grants § 4280.121 Servicing grants. (a... technical merit score for the project remains the same or is higher. Prior to changing a contractor or...

7 CFR 4280.121 - Servicing grants.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LOANS AND GRANTS Rural Energy for America Program General Renewable Energy System and Energy Efficiency Improvement Grants § 4280.121 Servicing grants. (a... technical merit score for the project remains the same or is higher. Prior to changing a contractor or...

7 CFR 4290.50 - Definition of terms.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Distribution to the RBIC's partners, shareholders, or members. Enterprise means a Person engaged in a business... means management, marketing, and other technical assistance that assists a Smaller Enterprise with its... decennial census. Rural Business Concern means an Enterprise whose Principal Office is located in a Rural...

Leadership development for rural health.

PubMed

Size, Tim

2006-01-01

Leadership is the capacity to help transform a vision of the future into reality. Individuals who can and will exercise leadership are like a river's current--a part past where we now stand, a part yet to come. We have an ongoing need to remember and to look toward the next "generation." A key responsibility of those here now, is to mentor and to create structures for mentoring, in order to maximize the flow and effectiveness of tomorrow's leaders. When recruiting organizational leaders, the recruitment and interview process must seek individuals who in addition to technical competence, also have demonstrated leadership in their prior work and activities. To exercise effective leadership, we must work to know who we are, how we relate to others, and the environment around us. "Servant leadership" is a perspective held by many throughout the rural health community and offers a key set attributes of leadership useful to rural health. To implement the Institute of Medicine's recommendations in Through Collaboration: the Future of Rural Health, we must develop leaders skilled in collaboration, both internal to their organization and across organizations. The National Advisory Committee on Rural Health and Human Services had it right when they said to the Secretary and to the rest of us, "the best way to honor Jim is to consciously work to help develop the next generation of rural health leaders." There are, of course, a multitude of leadership institutes, programs, and courses throughout America; this is not a call for yet another separate entity. But it is a call to each of us in rural health to assure that we are deliberate in how we identify "emerging leaders from and for rural communities and provide them with the training and resources to play a lead role in ensuring access to quality healthcare in their states and communities." Let's get started.

Northeast Texas Agricultural Literacy Network (A-Lit-NeT: A Rural College Partnership Project). Handbook for Customizing Workplace Literacy to Employer Training Needs.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carnes, John

Problems associated with the poor academic and technical preparation of many workers can be addressed through the use of occupational analysis techniques coupled with the development of curricula based on the results of such analyses. This workplace literacy handbook describes five stages in analyzing business literacy needs and developing…

The Impacts of the Woody Biomass Utilization Grant Program in Eastern Oregon and Eastern Arizona

Treesearch

Emily Jane Davis; Yeon-Su Kim; Cassandra Moseley; Max Niel Sen-Pincus; Ted Bilek

2014-01-01

From 2005–10, the USDA Forest Service’s Woody Biomass Utilization Grant program provided grants for equipment acquisition and technical assistance to rural businesses and other entities. These grants were intended to encourage enterprise development, address market barriers to biomass utilization (ranging from small-diameter sawtimber to chips and logging residues),...

Developing Printed Supplementary Materials to Accompany Satellite Programming for Junior High School Students. Satellite Technology Demonstration, Technical Report No. 0508.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Lonsdale, Helen C.; O'Neill, Donald W.

To implement a career education program for junior high school students in the rural, isolated areas of the Rocky Mountain States, Satellite Technology Demonstration (STD) tested the use of a satellite-assisted communications system for the delivery of social services. A magazine was designed to promote acceptance of the television programing and…

7 CFR 1944.412 - Docket preparation.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

...) PROGRAM REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) HOUSING Self-Help Technical Assistance Grants § 1944.412 Docket... Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL HOUSING SERVICE, RURAL BUSINESS... Fair Housing Marketing Plan 3 1 1-O and 1C 1-C Certified Copy Authorizing Resolution 1 1 1-O - Self...

The Interrelationship between Study of the Fundamentals of Science and the Labor Education of Rural Schoolchildren

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nikolaev, M. A.

1975-01-01

In the rural school the tasks of polytechnical labor education are determined by the objective demands of scientific and technical progress in agricultural production, by its content, and by the nature of the labor of leading workers. (Author)

Identifying best practices for managing operating costs for rural and small urban transportation systems: technical report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-08-01

Rural and small urban transit providers across the United States face fiscal challenges caused by the growing : gap between the cost of providing transit service and available federal, state, and local funding. In Texas, the : fiscal challenges facin...

7 CFR 1775.33 - Objectives.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 12 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Objectives. 1775.33 Section 1775.33 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANTS Technical Assistance and Training Grants § 1775.33 Objectives. The...

7 CFR 1775.32 - [Reserved

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 12 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false [Reserved] 1775.32 Section 1775.32 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANTS Technical Assistance and Training Grants § 1775.32 [Reserved] ...

Establishing an online continuing and professional development library for nurses and midwives in east, central, and southern Africa

PubMed Central

Hosey, Kristen N.; Kalula, Alphonce; Voss, Joachim

2016-01-01

Over the previous 4 years, the African Health Profession Regulatory Collaborative for nurses and midwives has supported 12 countries to establish national continuing and professional development frameworks and programs, linking continuing education to nursing and midwifery re-licensure through technical assistance and improvement grants. However, lack of electronic media and rural practice sites, differences in priority content, and varying legal frameworks make providing accessible, certifiable, and up-to-date online continuing education content for the more than 300,000 nurses and midwives in the 17 member countries of the East, Central, and Southern Africa College of Nursing a major challenge. We report here on how the East, Central, and Southern Africa College of Nursing, with technical assistance from an Afya Bora Fellow, developed an online continuing professional development library hosted on their Website using data collected in a survey of nursing and midwifery leaders in the region. PMID:27086190

Selecting, Adapting, and Implementing Evidence-based Interventions in Rural Settings: An Analysis of 70 Community Examples.

PubMed

Smith, Tina Anderson; Adimu, Tanisa Foxworth; Martinez, Amanda Phillips; Minyard, Karen

2016-01-01

This paper explores how communities translate evidence-based and promising health practices to rural contexts. A descriptive, qualitative analysis was conducted using data from 70 grantees funded by the Federal Office of Rural Health Policy to implement evidence-based health practices in rural settings. Findings were organized using The Interactive Systems Framework for Dissemination and Implementation. Grantees broadly interpreted evidence-based and promising practices, resulting in the implementation of a patchwork of health-related interventions that fell along a spectrum of evidentiary rigor. The cohort faced common challenges translating recognized practices into rural community settings and reported making deliberate modifications to original models as a result. Opportunities for building a more robust rural health evidence base include investments to incentivize evidence-based programming in rural settings; rural-specific research and theory-building; translation of existing evidence using a rural lens; technical assistance to support rural innovation; and prioritization of evaluation locally.

Deployment Area Selection and Land Withdrawal/Acquisition. M-X/MPS (M-X/Multiple Protective Shelter) Environmental Technical Report. Economic Model.

DTIC Science & Technology

1981-10-02

Estimated non-residential building development . 176 D-I Correspondence between RIMS sectors and 1974 Census of Agriculture reporting categories. 185 D-2...deployment would be the development of new economic sectors . For example, building an M-X operating N.’ base or DDA facilities in a county would be likely...construction sectors . For the rural Nevada/Utah ROI counties, many of these location quotients are significantly less than one and in many cases zero because

Development of the hard and soft constraints based optimisation model for unit sizing of the hybrid renewable energy system designed for microgrid applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sundaramoorthy, Kumaravel

2017-02-01

The hybrid energy systems (HESs) based electricity generation system has become a more attractive solution for rural electrification nowadays. Economically feasible and technically reliable HESs are solidly based on an optimisation stage. This article discusses about the optimal unit sizing model with the objective function to minimise the total cost of the HES. Three typical rural sites from southern part of India have been selected for the application of the developed optimisation methodology. Feasibility studies and sensitivity analysis on the optimal HES are discussed elaborately in this article. A comparison has been carried out with the Hybrid Optimization Model for Electric Renewable optimisation model for three sites. The optimal HES is found with less total net present rate and rate of energy compared with the existing method

Teaching by videoconference: a commentary on best practice for rural education in health professions.

PubMed

Birden, Hudson; Page, Sue

2005-01-01

This article offers a primer on how to get started in videoconferencing, focusing on practical approaches to technical and protocol issues. The technical capabilities of videoconferencing systems, linked with initiatives supporting greater rural access to broadband, means videoconferencing is expanding rapidly as a health education tool. Forethought allows the purchase of the most appropriate equipment, reducing costs overall and increasing the functionality of the system. Adherence to simple matters, including etiquette, ensures the experience is enjoyable as well as educational. Consideration should be given to the role of videoconferencing in expanding the social as well as academic opportunities for rural clinicians and students. Videoconferencing is a useful adjunct to traditional educational delivery modes, and can enable quality education opportunities that would be prohibitive due to time, travel, and cost constraints.

Population-dynamics focussed rapid rural mapping and characterisation of the peri-urban interface of Kampala, Uganda

PubMed Central

Makita, K.; Fèvre, E.M.; Waiswa, C.; Bronsvoort, M.D.C.; Eisler, M.C.; Welburn, S.C.

2010-01-01

In developing countries, cities are rapidly expanding and urban and peri-urban agriculture (UPA) has an important role in feeding these growing urban populations; however such agriculture also carries public health risks such as zoonotic disease transmission. It is important to assess the role of UPA in food security and public health risks to make evidence-based decisions on policies. Describing and mapping the peri-urban interface (PUI) are the essential first steps for such an assessment. Kampala, the capital city of Uganda is a rapidly expanding city where the PUI has not previously been mapped or properly described. In this paper we provide a spatial representation of the entire PUI of Kampala economic zone and determine the socio-economic factors related with peri-urbanicity using a population-dynamics focussed rapid rural mapping. This fills a technical gap of rapid rural mapping and offers a simple and rapid methodology for describing the PUI which can be applied in any city in developing countries for wide range of studies. PMID:22210972

NREL technical assistance to Argentina

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

Lilienthal, P.

1997-12-01

This paper describes assistance to Argentina from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory which has touched on four programs: tariff analysis for rural concessions programs; wind/diesel hybrid retrofits in Patagonia; small hybrid systems designs for rural schools; an assessment of wind resources. The paper expands briefly on the first two points.

Using Strategic Planning To Improve Rural Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

D'Amico, Joseph J.

This paper describes the elements of strategic planning and applies them to educational reform and improvement. The paper also describes how a planning model, Strategic Planning for Educational Reform and Improvement (SPERI), was used by Rural Assistance Councils (RACs) in Pennsylvania and Delaware, with technical assistance from Research for…

Effect of vehicle color and background visibility for improving safety on rural Kansas highways : [technical summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-06-01

The effect of vehicle color on crash involvement has been an interesting topic for several : decades; however, the effect of vehicle color on its visibility to drivers has not been : studied in detail, especially at rural intersections. There has bee...

Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs Annual Report, 1999.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Western Illinois Univ., Macomb. Illinois Inst. for Rural Affairs.

The Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs (IIRA) started at Western Illinois University in 1989. An outgrowth of the population declines and economic stagnation during the early 1980s, it provides a comprehensive program of applied research, technical assistance, policy evaluation, and educational outreach to community leaders and residents in…

The Field Program Associate in the Partnership for Rural Improvement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jongeward, Ray E.; Druian, Janice M.

To describe how Partnership for Rural Improvement (PRI) field program associates perceive themselves performing their role functions, three associates and two assistants responded to questions about: their tasks, responsibilities, and roles; how they got started; what skills they needed; and what materials or technical assistance could benefit…

7 CFR 1775.37 - Allocation of funds.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 12 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Allocation of funds. 1775.37 Section 1775.37 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANTS Technical Assistance and Training Grants § 1775.37...

Factors affecting sustainability of rural water schemes in Swaziland

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Peter, Graciana; Nkambule, Sizwe E.

The Millennium Development Goal (MDG) target to reduce the proportion of people without sustainable access to safe drinking water by the year 2015 has been met as of 2010, but huge disparities exist. Some regions, particularly Sub-Saharan Africa are lagging behind it is also in this region where up to 30% of the rural schemes are not functional at any given time. There is need for more studies on factors affecting sustainability and necessary measures which when implemented will improve the sustainability of rural water schemes. The main objective of this study was to assess the main factors affecting the sustainability of rural water schemes in Swaziland using a Multi-Criteria Analysis Approach. The main factors considered were: financial, social, technical, environmental and institutional. The study was done in Lubombo region. Fifteen functional water schemes in 11 communities were studied. Data was collected using questionnaires, checklist and focused group discussion guide. A total of 174 heads of households were interviewed. Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) was used to analyse the data and to calculate sustainability scores for water schemes. SPSS was also used to classify sustainability scores according to sustainability categories: sustainable, partially sustainable and non-sustainable. The averages of the ratings for the different sub-factors studied and the results on the sustainability scores for the sustainable, partially sustainable and non-sustainable schemes were then computed and compared to establish the main factors influencing sustainability of the water schemes. The results indicated technical and social factors as most critical while financial and institutional, although important, played a lesser role. Factors which contributed to the sustainability of water schemes were: functionality; design flow; water fetching time; ability to meet additional demand; use by population; equity; participation in decision making on operation and maintenance; existence of fund for operation and maintenance; willingness to contribute money; existence of a user’s committee; participation in the initial planning and design of the water scheme; and coordination between the local leaders and user’s committee. The main factors which made the schemes unsustainable were: long fetching time; non-involvement in decision making; lack of willingness to contribute funds; absence of users committee; and lack of cooperation between local leaders and the users committee. Water service providers should address the technical, social, financial and institutional factors identified affecting sustainability in their planning and implementation of rural water schemes.

Technical and social evaluation of arsenic mitigation in rural Bangladesh.

PubMed

Shafiquzzaman, Md; Azam, Md Shafiul; Mishima, Iori; Nakajima, Jun

2009-10-01

Technical and social performances of an arsenic-removal technology--the sono arsenic filter--in rural areas of Bangladesh were investigated. Results of arsenic field-test showed that filtered water met the Bangladesh standard (< 50 microg/L) after two years of continuous use. A questionnaire was administrated among 198 sono arsenic filter-user and 230 non-user families. Seventy-two percent of filters (n = 198) were working at the time of the survey. Another 28% of the filters were abandoned due to breakage. The abandonment percentage (28%) was lower than other mitigation options currently implemented in Bangladesh. Households were reluctant to repair the broken filters on their own. High cost, problems with maintenance of filters, weak sludge-disposal guidance, and slow flow rate were the other demerits of the filter. These results indicate that the implementation approaches of the sono arsenic filter suffered from lack of ownership and long-term sustainability. Continuous use of arsenic-contaminated tubewells by the non-user households demonstrated the lack of alternative water supply in the survey area. Willingness of households to pay (about 30%) and preference of household filter (50%) suggest the need to develop a low-cost household arsenic filter. Development of community-based organization would be also necessary to implement a long-term, sustainable plan for household-based technology.

7 CFR 1944.401 - Objective.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) HOUSING Self-Help Technical Assistance Grants § 1944.401 Objective. This subpart sets... to eligible applicants to finance programs of technical and supervisory assistance for self-help... aid needy very low- and low-income families in carrying out self-help housing efforts in rural areas...

7 CFR 4280.21 - Eligible REDG Ultimate Recipients and Projects.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... eligible entities to provide medical training and related professional health care skills to rural health... facilitate medical or educational services or job training; or (6) Project feasibility studies and Technical Assistance. A qualified Independent Provider must perform feasibility studies or Technical Assistance. (b...

The need for a national urbanization policy in Nepal.

PubMed

Ertur, O

1994-09-01

There is a need for a national urbanization policy in Nepal as a means of redressing regional disparities in development between the hills, the Kathmandu Valley, and the Terai versus rural and urban areas. A settlement system would complement urban and rural development and reduce dependency on India. An urbanization policy would be both systematic and guided by public and private investment in existing urban and rural settlements. Regional investment in development would contribute to commercialization and agricultural industrialization (development and linkage of market towns and service centers, strengthening of basic infrastructure and land use patterns, strengthening of urban areas around transportation centers, promoting nonfarm employment opportunities, establishing strong financial and technical institutions in middle-sized cities, and strengthening municipalities' mobilization of local resources and financing). Nepal has been one of the least developed countries in its region. The agricultural economy provides economic support for 80% of total population. In 1991, density was 130 person per sq. km. 9% of the total population live in urban areas, but the rate of urban growth is the highest among South Asian Regional Cooperation countries (7.3% in Nepal compared to 6.1% in Bangladesh and 3.7% in India). Rural markets and towns are rapidly becoming urbanized but without basic infrastructure. The spatial component of urbanization must be emphasized. Total population increased in the Terai from 37% in 1971 to 47% in 1991, which increased population density by 31% but not cultivation. Harsh physical conditions in mountainous regions and lack of cultivable land are push factors. Pull factors are employment opportunities in emerging urban centers and the availability of agricultural employment in the Terai. Movement to lowlands is enhanced by the eradication of malaria. 53% of the urban population is in the Terai in 1991, which also has 65% of cultivable land, 35% of roads, and 63% of industry. Urban settlements increased from 10 in 1951 to 33 in 1987 and 36 in 1991. In the Terai, the increases are from five to 21 urban centers. The central and eastern region have experienced faster urban growth than the other three regions. Kathmandu is the most populated urban center followed by Biratnagar, Pokhara, and Birganj. Government ministries are ill-equipped to handle the technical and manpower needs in the process of urbanization.

Connecting Learning & Work: The Rural Experience. Proceedings of the School-to-Work in Rural Communities in the Northeast, Technical Assistance Conference (Saratoga Springs, New York, November 17-18, 1997).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sullivan Educational Associates, Delmar, NY.

Funded through the 1994 School-to-Work (STW) Opportunities Act, state STW systems must serve all students but have tended to have an urban focus because private sector resources are more available in urban areas. Although effective, urban models that rely on large employers have been difficult to replicate in rural areas. In November 1997, state…

An Assessment of the Support Service Needs of Career and Technical Education Teachers and Their Students with Limited English Proficiency in Selected Pennsylvania AVTS's

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wichowski, Chester P.; Nunez, Frances

2005-01-01

A survey was conducted among a population of 350 Career and Technical Education, CTE, teachers from 12 Career Technical Education Centers, CTC, sites in seven counties throughout Pennsylvania (return rate = 64%). The participating schools demographic settings, which were selected by the respondents, were closely divided between rural (37.9%) and…

Residential Fuel Cell Demonstration Handbook

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Torrero, E.; McClelland, R.

2002-07-01

This report is a guide for rural electric cooperatives engaged in field testing of equipment and in assessing related application and market issues. Dispersed generation and its companion fuel cell technology have attracted increased interest by rural electric cooperatives and their customers. In addition, fuel cells are a particularly interesting source because their power quality, efficiency, and environmental benefits have now been coupled with major manufacturer development efforts. The overall effort is structured to measure the performance, durability, reliability, and maintainability of these systems, to identify promising types of applications and modes of operation, and to assess the related prospect for future use. In addition, technical successes and shortcomings will be identified by demonstration participants and manufacturers using real-world experience garnered under typical operating environments.

Curricular Comprehensiveness in Small Rural Community Colleges. "Horizons Issues" Monograph Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atwell, Charles A.; Sullins, W. Robert

A nationwide study was conducted to assess the degree of curricular comprehensiveness in small rural community colleges and to identify funding mechanisms and strategies that affect comprehensiveness. Data were collected on transfer and occupational-technical offerings from 160 public two-year colleges that enrolled fewer than 2,500 headcount…

Rural vs. Suburban Residential Choice: A Progress Report. Technical Report 107A.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gray, Morris J.; And Others

As part of an ongoing investigation to determine the locational behavior of single-family-housing residents on the metropolitan fringe, a pilot study was conducted which simulated residential choice by asking respondents to rate the economy, convenience, and desirability of rural housing descriptions relative to a standard suburban residence. Four…

7 CFR 1775.34 - Source of funds.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 12 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Source of funds. 1775.34 Section 1775.34 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANTS Technical Assistance and Training Grants § 1775.34 Source of funds...

7 CFR 1775.38-1775.60 - [Reserved

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 12 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false [Reserved] 1775.38-1775.60 Section 1775.38-1775.60 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANTS Technical Assistance and Training Grants §§ 1775.38-1775...

Competences in Demand within the Spanish Agricultural Engineering Sector

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Perdigones, Alicia; Valera, Diego Luis; Moreda, Guillermo Pedro; García, Jose Luis

2014-01-01

The Rural Engineering Department (Technical University of Madrid) ran three competence surveys during the 2006-2007 and 2007-2008 academic years and evaluated: (1) the competences gained by agricultural engineer's degree and agricultural technical engineer's degree students (360 respondents); (2) the competences demanded by agricultural employers…

Proposal for Land Consolidation Project Solutions for Selected Problem Areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wojcik-Len, Justyna; Strek, Zanna

2017-12-01

One of the economic tools for supporting agricultural policy are the activities implemented under the Rural Development Program (RDP). By encouraging agricultural activities and creating equal opportunities for development of farms, among others in areas with unfavourable environmental conditions characterized by low productivity of soils exposed to degradation, decision makers can contribute to improving the spatial structure of rural areas. In Poland, one of the major concerns are agricultural problem areas (regions). In view of this situation, the aim of this article was to characterize the problem areas in question and propose land consolidation project solutions for selected fragments of those areas. This paper presents the results of a review of literature and an analysis of geodetic and cartographic data regarding the problem areas. The process of land consolidation, which is one of the technical and legal instruments supporting the development of rural areas, was characterized. The study allowed the present authors to establish criteria for selecting agricultural problem areas for land consolidation. To develop a proposal for rational management of the problem areas, key general criteria (location, topography, soil quality and usefulness) and specific criteria were defined and assigned weights. A conception of alternative development of the agricultural problem areas was created as part of a land consolidation project. The results were used to create a methodology for the development of agricultural problem areas to be employed during land consolidation in rural areas. Every agricultural space includes areas with unfavourable environmental and soil conditions determined by natural or anthropogenic factors. Development of agricultural problem areas through land consolidation should take into account the specific functions assigned to these areas in land use plans, as well as to comply with legal regulations.

Comprehensive Learning Centers: Using Technology To Supplement the Classroom.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Groomes, M. Rudy

Orangeburg-Calhoun Technical College (OCTC) is a public two-year technical college located in rural South Carolina. Some prominent examples of the use of technology at OCTC include the following: (1) the Health Sciences Satellite Media Center houses software and audiovisual equipment which provides instructional support to seven health science…

Evaluation of world's largest social welfare scheme: An assessment using non-parametric approach.

PubMed

Singh, Sanjeet

2016-08-01

Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MGNREGA) is the world's largest social welfare scheme in India for the poverty alleviation through rural employment generation. This paper aims to evaluate and rank the performance of the states in India under MGNREGA scheme. A non-parametric approach, Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) is used to calculate the overall technical, pure technical, and scale efficiencies of states in India. The sample data is drawn from the annual official reports published by the Ministry of Rural Development, Government of India. Based on three selected input parameters (expenditure indicators) and five output parameters (employment generation indicators), I apply both input and output oriented DEA models to estimate how well the states utilize their resources and generate outputs during the financial year 2013-14. The relative performance evaluation has been made under the assumption of constant returns and also under variable returns to scale to assess the impact of scale on performance. The results indicate that the main source of inefficiency is both technical and managerial practices adopted. 11 states are overall technically efficient and operate at the optimum scale whereas 18 states are pure technical or managerially efficient. It has been found that for some states it necessary to alter scheme size to perform at par with the best performing states. For inefficient states optimal input and output targets along with the resource savings and output gains are calculated. Analysis shows that if all inefficient states operate at optimal input and output levels, on an average 17.89% of total expenditure and a total amount of $780million could have been saved in a single year. Most of the inefficient states perform poorly when it comes to the participation of women and disadvantaged sections (SC&ST) in the scheme. In order to catch up with the performance of best performing states, inefficient states on an average need to enhance women participation by 133%. In addition, the states are also ranked using the cross efficiency approach and results are analyzed. State of Tamil Nadu occupies the top position followed by Puducherry, Punjab, and Rajasthan in the ranking list. To the best of my knowledge, this is the first pan-India level study to evaluate and rank the performance of MGNREGA scheme quantitatively and so comprehensively. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Point of care investigations in pediatric care to improve health care in rural areas.

PubMed

Walia, Kamini

2013-07-01

The good quality laboratory services in developing countries are often limited to major urban centers. As a result, many commercially available high-quality diagnostic tests for infectious diseases are neither accessible nor affordable to patients in the rural areas. Health facilities in rural areas are compromised and this limits the usability and performance of the best medical diagnostic technologies in rural areas as they are designed for air-conditioned laboratories, refrigerated storage of chemicals, a constant supply of calibrators and reagents, stable electrical power, highly trained personnel and rapid transportation of samples. The advent of new technologies have allowed miniaturization and integration of complex functions, which has made it possible for sophisticated diagnostic tools to move out of the developed-world laboratory in the form of a "point of care"(POC) tests. Many diagnostic tests are being developed using these platforms. However, the challenge is to develop diagnostics which are inexpensive, rugged and well suited to the medical and social contexts of the developing world and do not compromise on accuracy and reliability. The already available POC tests which are reliable and affordable, like for HIV infection, malaria, syphilis, and some neglected tropical diseases, and POC tests being developed for other diseases if correctly used and effectively regulated after rigorous evaluation, have the potential to make a difference in clinical management and improve surveillance. In order to use these tests effectively they would need to be supported by technically competent manpower, availability of good-quality reagents, and healthcare providers who value and are able to interpret laboratory results to guide treatment; and a system for timely communication between the laboratory and the healthcare provider. Strengthening the laboratories at the rural level can enable utilization of these diagnostics for improving the diagnosis and management of infectious diseases among children which require prompt treatment and thus, considerably reduce morbidity and mortality among the pediatric age group.

Literacy and Numeracy Needs and Priorities: A Case Study of Regional TAFE Courses in Western Australia.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Chapman, Anne; Pyvis, David

Rural Technical and Further Education (TAFE) students making the transition from rural and remote areas of Australia to urban university environments are likely to face educational challenges. Different understandings of literacy and numeracy held by the TAFE and tertiary sectors intensify these challenges. Case studies of four Western Australia…

Follow-Up of Online Instruction: Effectiveness of Peer Coaching Seminar Course. PRISM Technical Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hornberger, Breann

This paper presents an evaluation of the Peer Coaching Seminar Course offered through the Peer Coaching Rural Inservice Model (PRISM) project at the North Dakota Center for Persons with Disabilities. This online course was designed to help rural teachers learn both peer coaching and classroom management skills. Twenty first- or second-year…

An Outreach Program: Addressing the Needs of the Physically Impaired in Rural Communities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Moore, Elizabeth; Allen, Deborah

The paper describes a joint effort by the Easter Seal Society and the Arkansas State Department of Education to help rural districts provide appropriate services to orthopedically impaired students. The resulting outreach program provided on-site (school or home) evaluation of students' needs and practical guidelines in non-technical terms to meet…

The Influence of Rule Structure and Problem Composition on Conceptual Learning Among Rural Hawaiian Children. Technical Report #75.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ciborowski, Tom; Price-Williams, D.

The conceptual and problem solving skills of Hawaiian rural elementary school students in the Kamehameha Early Education Program were investigated by comparing the logical connecting rules of conjunction (red and triangle) to inclusive disjunction (red and/or triangle) with respect to Traditional problems (selection of attributes from 2 different…

Rural Substance Abuse: State of Knowledge and Issues. NIDA Research Monograph 168.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Robertson, Elizabeth B., Ed.; Sloboda, Zili, Ed.; Boyd, Gayle M., Ed.; Beatty, Lula, Ed.; Kozel, Nicholas J., Ed.

This research monograph is based on papers from a technical review meeting of the same name, held April 26-27, 1994. It provides information about the special nature or context of rural communities that might impact patterns of drug and alcohol consumption and delivery of prevention and treatment services; health, social, and economic consequences…

Factors Related to Predicting Grade Point Averages of Dislocated Workers at a Rural Community College

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gregory, James Brent

2010-01-01

The purpose of the study was to examine relationships which existed between selected demographics and college grade point averages "GPAs" for dislocated workers and non dislocated workers enrolled in career-technical courses at a rural community college. The variables included in the study are age, gender, and marital status. The study…

LC Data QUEST: A Technical Architecture for Community Federated Clinical Data Sharing.

PubMed

Stephens, Kari A; Lin, Ching-Ping; Baldwin, Laura-Mae; Echo-Hawk, Abigail; Keppel, Gina A; Buchwald, Dedra; Whitener, Ron J; Korngiebel, Diane M; Berg, Alfred O; Black, Robert A; Tarczy-Hornoch, Peter

2012-01-01

The University of Washington Institute of Translational Health Sciences is engaged in a project, LC Data QUEST, building data sharing capacity in primary care practices serving rural and tribal populations in the Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho region to build research infrastructure. We report on the iterative process of developing the technical architecture for semantically aligning electronic health data in primary care settings across our pilot sites and tools that will facilitate linkages between the research and practice communities. Our architecture emphasizes sustainable technical solutions for addressing data extraction, alignment, quality, and metadata management. The architecture provides immediate benefits to participating partners via a clinical decision support tool and data querying functionality to support local quality improvement efforts. The FInDiT tool catalogues type, quantity, and quality of the data that are available across the LC Data QUEST data sharing architecture. These tools facilitate the bi-directional process of translational research.

LC Data QUEST: A Technical Architecture for Community Federated Clinical Data Sharing

PubMed Central

Stephens, Kari A.; Lin, Ching-Ping; Baldwin, Laura-Mae; Echo-Hawk, Abigail; Keppel, Gina A.; Buchwald, Dedra; Whitener, Ron J.; Korngiebel, Diane M.; Berg, Alfred O.; Black, Robert A.; Tarczy-Hornoch, Peter

2012-01-01

The University of Washington Institute of Translational Health Sciences is engaged in a project, LC Data QUEST, building data sharing capacity in primary care practices serving rural and tribal populations in the Washington, Wyoming, Alaska, Montana, Idaho region to build research infrastructure. We report on the iterative process of developing the technical architecture for semantically aligning electronic health data in primary care settings across our pilot sites and tools that will facilitate linkages between the research and practice communities. Our architecture emphasizes sustainable technical solutions for addressing data extraction, alignment, quality, and metadata management. The architecture provides immediate benefits to participating partners via a clinical decision support tool and data querying functionality to support local quality improvement efforts. The FInDiT tool catalogues type, quantity, and quality of the data that are available across the LC Data QUEST data sharing architecture. These tools facilitate the bi-directional process of translational research. PMID:22779052

Affordable remote-area power supply in the Philippines

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heruela, C. S.

The feasibility of photovoltaic (PV) systems for electrifying remote areas of the Philippines is discussed. In particular, a technical description is given of those PV systems that are appropriate to the needs of remote, but populated, rural areas and have been developed as part of the Philippine-German Solar Energy Project. Details are provided of a financing scheme, piloted by the Project on an unelectrified island, to make PV systems affordable to rural users. An analysis is presented of the potential of large-scale applications of PV systems in developing countries such as the Philippines, and a description is provided of current efforts to promote the use of such technology. A storage battery is identified as an essential component of a PV system. As a consequence, the wide use of PV systems will have a very significant impact on the market for storage batteries in countries embarking on PV-utilization programmes. It is clear, therefore, that battery manufacturers should take an interest in future development in PV applications.

Lessons learned while implementing an HIV/AIDS care and treatment program in rural Mozambique.

PubMed

Moon, Troy D; Burlison, Janeen R; Sidat, Mohsin; Pires, Paulo; Silva, Wilson; Solis, Manuel; Rocha, Michele; Arregui, Chiqui; Manders, Eric J; Vergara, Alfredo E; Vermund, Sten H

2010-04-23

Mozambique has severe resource constraints, yet with international partnerships, the nation has placed over 145,000 HIV-infected persons on antiretroviral therapies (ART) through May-2009. HIV clinical services are provided at > 215 clinical venues in all 11 of Mozambique's provinces. Friends in Global Health (FGH) , affiliated with Vanderbilt University in the United States (US), is a locally licensed non-governmental organization (NGO) working exclusively in small city and rural venues in Zambézia Province whose population reaches approximately 4 million persons. Our approach to clinical capacity building is based on: 1) technical assistance to national health system facilities to implement ART clinical services at the district level, 2) human capacity development, and 3) health system strengthening. Challenges in this setting are daunting, including: 1) human resource constraints, 2) infrastructure limitations, 3) centralized care for large populations spread out over large distances, 4) continued high social stigma related to HIV, 5) limited livelihood options in rural areas and 6) limited educational opportunities in rural areas. Sustainability in rural Mozambique will depend on transitioning services from emergency foreign partners to local authorities and continued funding. It will also require "wrap-around" programs that help build economic capacity with agricultural, educational, and commercial initiatives. Sustainability is undermined by serious health manpower and infrastructure limitations. Recent U.S. government pronouncements suggest that the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief will support concurrent community and business development. FGH, with its Mozambican government counterparts, see the evolution of an emergency response to a sustainable chronic disease management program as an essential and logical step. We have presented six key challenges that are essential to address in rural Mozambique.

Lessons learned while implementing an HIV/AIDS care and treatment program in rural Mozambique

PubMed Central

Moon, Troy D.; Burlison, Janeen R.; Sidat, Mohsin; Pires, Paulo; Silva, Wilson; Solis, Manuel; Rocha, Michele; Arregui, Chiqui; Manders, Eric J.; Vergara, Alfredo E.; Vermund, Sten H.

2014-01-01

Mozambique has severe resource constraints, yet with international partnerships, the nation has placed over 145,000 HIV-infected persons on antiretroviral therapies (ART) through May-2009. HIV clinical services are provided at > 215 clinical venues in all 11 of Mozambique’s provinces. Friends in Global Health (FGH), affiliated with Vanderbilt University in the United States (US), is a locally licensed non-governmental organization (NGO) working exclusively in small city and rural venues in Zambézia Province whose population reaches approximately 4 million persons. Our approach to clinical capacity building is based on: 1) technical assistance to national health system facilities to implement ART clinical services at the district level, 2) human capacity development, and 3) health system strengthening. Challenges in this setting are daunting, including: 1) human resource constraints, 2) infrastructure limitations, 3) centralized care for large populations spread out over large distances, 4) continued high social stigma related to HIV, 5) limited livelihood options in rural areas and 6) limited educational opportunities in rural areas. Sustainability in rural Mozambique will depend on transitioning services from emergency foreign partners to local authorities and continued funding. It will also require “wrap-around” programs that help build economic capacity with agricultural, educational, and commercial initiatives. Sustainability is undermined by serious health manpower and infrastructure limitations. Recent U.S. government pronouncements suggest that the U.S. President’s Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief will support concurrent community and business development. FGH, with its Mozambican government counterparts, see the evolution of an emergency response to a sustainable chronic disease management program as an essential and logical step. We have presented six key challenges that are essential to address in rural Mozambique. PMID:25097450

Knowledge as a Resource--Networks Do Matter: A Study of SME Firms in Rural Illinois.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Solymossy, Emeric

2000-01-01

Networks among people and businesses facilitate the capture and diffusion of technical and organizational knowledge and can be classified by type of knowledge being exchanged. Types include buyer-supplier information, technical problem-solving information, and informal community information. A survey of 141 small and medium-sized enterprises…

Community YouthMapping: Female Youth Voices through Empowerment and Workforce Preparation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zedan, Shoroke H.

2007-01-01

The structure and admission policy of secondary and postsecondary education in Egypt constitutes a culture of great prestige in general school and university education, as opposed to vocational school and technical education. Youth mainly from rural and underdeveloped urban areas enroll in technical education. Because of poverty, many girls and…

The Electronic Library and the Online Classroom: A Technical, Legal, Ethical, and Moral Perspective.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Latimore, Ritchie R.

This paper addresses online classroom and electronic library issues which include the myriad of technical difficulties encountered, along with physical and intellectual property rights. It also makes a statistical comparison of two proportions of Internet access between city and rural schools. An inescapable time lag between the introduction of…

Expanding access to off-grid rural electrification in Africa: An analysis of community-based micro-grids in Kenya

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kirubi, Charles Gathu

Community micro-grids have played a central role in increasing access to off-grid rural electrification (RE) in many regions of the developing world, notably South Asia. However, the promise of community micro-grids in sub-Sahara Africa remains largely unexplored. My study explores the potential and limits of community micro-grids as options for increasing access to off-grid RE in sub-Sahara Africa. Contextualized in five community micro-grids in rural Kenya, my study is framed through theories of collective action and combines qualitative and quantitative methods, including household surveys, electronic data logging and regression analysis. The main contribution of my research is demonstrating the circumstances under which community micro-grids can contribute to rural development and the conditions under which individuals are likely to initiate and participate in such projects collectively. With regard to rural development, I demonstrate that access to electricity enables the use of electric equipment and tools by small and micro-enterprises, resulting in significant improvement in productivity per worker (100--200% depending on the task at hand) and a corresponding growth in income levels in the order of 20--70%, depending on the product made. Access to electricity simultaneously enables and improves delivery of social and business services from a wide range of village-level infrastructure (e.g. schools, markets, water pumps) while improving the productivity of agricultural activities. Moreover, when local electricity users have an ability to charge and enforce cost-reflective tariffs and electricity consumption is closely linked to productive uses that generate incomes, cost recovery is feasible. By their nature---a new technology delivering highly valued services by the elites and other members, limited local experience and expertise, high capital costs---community micro-grids are good candidates for elite-domination. Even so, elite control does not necessarily lead to elite capture. Experiences from different micro-grid settings illustrate the manner in which a coincidence of interest between the elites and the rest of members and access to external support can create incentives and mechanisms to enable community-wide access to scarce services, hence mitigating elite capture. Moreover, access to external support was found to increase the likelihood of participation for the relatively poor households. The policy-relevant message from this research is two-fold. In rural areas with suitable sites for micro-hydro power, the potential for community micro-grids appear considerable to the extent that this option would seem to represent "the road not taken" as far as policies and initiatives aimed at expanding RE are concerned in Kenya and other African countries with comparable settings. However, local participatory initiatives not complimented by external technical assistance run a considerable risk of locking rural households into relatively more costly and poor-quality services. By taking advantage of existing and/or building a dense network of local organizations, including micro-finance agencies, the government and development partners can make available to local communities the necessary support---financial, technical or regulatory---essential for efficient design of micro-grids in addition to facilitating equitable distribution of electricity benefits.

Marketing of rural and remote pharmacy practice via the digital medium.

PubMed

Peterson, G M; Fitzmaurice, K D; Rasiah, R L; Kruup, H

2010-08-01

The shortage of community and hospital pharmacists is particularly acute in rural and remote areas of Australia. Pharmacy students, in particular, as those who may be able to alleviate this shortage, need to be made more aware of the challenges and rewards of rural pharmacy practice. A marketing tool was developed to promote rural and remote pharmacy practice as a career option. A DVD was produced from interviews with health professionals working in rural and remote areas of Australia. This DVD will complement current rural practical placements, which have been incorporated into the curriculum of Australian schools of pharmacy. Interviews were conducted with healthcare professionals from areas in Tasmania, Northern Queensland and the Northern Territory. Interviewees included pharmacists, graduate pharmacists, pharmacy students, aboriginal health workers and a general practitioner. Each of the interviewees was able to provide personal accounts of experiences in rural and remote healthcare, and roles and opportunities for pharmacists. A final draft of the DVD was shown to University of Tasmania students to assess the impact and quality of the production. A number of common themes arose from interviewing and these were subsequently converted into five key chapters of the DVD - Lifestyle, Belonging, Diversity, Indigenous Health and 'Give it a go'. The final DVD, produced from over 15 h of footage, runs for 35 min. Students reported positive feedback on both the technical quality and the information contained within the DVD; 37% of students who viewed the DVD felt that it increased their awareness of what rural pharmacy has to offer. The rural pharmacy, 'Enjoy the Lifestyle' DVD can be used to increase awareness of rural and remote pharmacy practice to students and other pharmacists, and complements other pharmacy workforce strategies for rural and remote areas of Australia. It could also be a useful approach for adaptation in other countries.

7 CFR Exhibit E to Subpart I of... - Guidance for Recipients of Self-Help Technical Assistance Grants (Section 523 of Housing Act of...

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL HOUSING SERVICE, RURAL BUSINESS-COOPERATIVE... evaluation. A. Family Labor Contribution 1. Does your organization maintain a list of each family and a... participating families counselling them when the family contribution is falling behind? Yes No 3. Are there...

Interorganizational Special Education Programming in Rural Areas: Technical Report on the Multisite Naturalistic Field Study. Volumes I through IV.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Skrtic, Thomas M.; And Others

The report discusses a field study of the implementation of major requirements of P.L. 94-142, the Education For All Handicapped Children Act, by rural districts, and presents detailed case studies of five districts' responses. The first volume introduces the naturalistic model of inquiry, noting its philosophical underpinnings and basic…

An electronic consumer health library: NetWellness.

PubMed Central

Guard, R; Haag, D; Kaya, B; Marine, S; Morris, T; Schick, L; Shoemaker, S

1996-01-01

NetWellness is a community-based, consumer-defined grant program supporting the delivery of electronic health information to rural residents of southern Ohio and urban and suburban communities in the Greater Cincinnati tri-state region. NetWellness is a collaboratively developed and publicly and privately funded demonstration project. Information is delivered via ISDN, standard dial, dedicated network connections, and the Internet. TriState Online (Greater Cincinnati's Free-Net) and other southern Ohio Free-Nets are key access points in the larger project communities. The other access points are more than forty workstations distributed at public sites throughout the project's primary geographical area. Design strengths and limitations, training initiatives, technical issues, and the project's impact on medical librarianship are examined in this paper. Also discussed are ways of determining community needs and interest, building political alliances, finding and developing funding sources, and overcoming technical obstacles. NetWellness's Internet address is: http:@www.netwellness.org. PMID:8913548

Bridging the Information Gap: Remote Sensing and Micro Hydropower Feasibility in Data-Scarce Regions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Muller, Marc Francois

Access to electricity remains an impediment to development in many parts of the world, particularly in rural areas with low population densities and prohibitive grid extension costs. In that context, community-scale run-of-river hydropower---micro-hydropower---is an attractive local power generation option, particularly in mountainous regions, where appropriate slope and runoff conditions occur. Despite their promise, micro hydropower programs have generally failed to have a significant impact on rural electrification in developing nations. In Nepal, despite very favorable conditions and approximately 50 years of experience, the technology supplies only 4% of the 10 million households that do not have access to the central electricity grid. These poor results point towards a major information gap between technical experts, who may lack the incentives or local knowledge needed to design appropriate systems for rural villages, and local users, who have excellent knowledge of the community but lack technical expertise to design and manage infrastructure. Both groups suffer from a limited basis for evidence-based decision making due to sparse environmental data available to support the technical components of infrastructure design. This dissertation draws on recent advances in remote sensing data, stochastic modeling techniques and open source platforms to bridge that information gap. Streamflow is a key environmental driver of hydropower production that is particularly challenging to model due to its stochastic nature and the complexity of the underlying natural processes. The first part of the dissertation addresses the general challenge of Predicting streamflow in Ungauged Basins (PUB). It first develops an algorithm to optimize the use of rain gauge observations to improve the accuracy of remote sensing precipitation measures. It then derives and validates a process-based model to estimate streamflow distribution in seasonally dry climates using the stochastic nature of rainfall, and proposes a novel geostatistical method to regionalize its parameters across the stream network. Although motivated by the needs of micro hydropower design in Nepal, these techniques represent contributions to the broader international challenge of PUB and can be applied worldwide. The economic drivers of rural electrification are then considered by presenting an econometric technique to estimate the cost function and demand curve of micro hydropower in Nepal. The empirical strategy uses topography-based instrumental variables to identify price elasticities. All developed methods are assembled in a computer tool, along with a search algorithm that uses a digital elevation model to optimize the placement of micro hydropower infrastructure. The tool---Micro Hydro [em]Power---is an open source application that can be accessed and operated on a web-browser (http://mfmul.shinyapps.io/mhpower). Its purpose is to assist local communities in the design and evaluation of micro hydropower alternatives in their locality, while using cost and demand information provided by local users to generate accurate feasibility maps at the national level, thus bridging the information gap.

Contributing to Tourism Industry Vitality of a Natural Resource Based Region through Educational/Technical Assistance. Staff Paper Series P83-20.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Blank, Uel; And Others

From 1979 to 1982 an extension education program provided assistance to the tourism industry in rural communities adjoining northeastern Minnesota's Boundary Waters Canoe Area (BWCA). Program activities involved needs assessment, educational and technical assistance to communities and tourism-related firms, marketing programs, grants management…

Credit with Education and Title II Programs. Technical Note. Food and Nutrition Technical Assistance.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Reid, Helen

"Credit with Education" is a way to provide self-financing microfinance (or small-scale banking) to women, primarily in very poor rural areas, while at the same time providing education for business and family survival. Within the village banking environment, attempts to integrate education with village bank meetings have fallen into two…

Promoting Equal Access of Girls/Women to Technical and Vocational Education.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mishra, Arun; Khanna, Pinki; Shrivastava, Nalini

Despite United Nations' efforts, inequality of access for girls and women to technical and vocational education (TVE) persists in India. Challenges of the 21st century with regard to ensuring equal access of girls and women to TVE include: increasing the participation of girls (especially rural girls) in TVE; overcoming gender bias and…

Influence of Technology on the Leadership of 21st-Century Career and Technical Education Administrators

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Suarez, Linda Maria

2012-01-01

The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine how the technology beliefs of New York State Career and Technical Education Board of Cooperative Education Services administrators influenced their leadership behaviors. The participants were from a purposive selection from five suburban and rural Boards of Cooperative Education Services in…

Teachers' Perceptions and Students' Lived Experiences in Vocational-Technical Subjects in a Rural High School in Zimbabwe

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Masinire, Alfred

2015-01-01

This paper explores the construction of dominant models of gender among students in the Vocational-Technical. In the backdrop of dominant narratives that structure gender policies and practices in schooling in Zimbabwe, the paper elaborates upon how students' daily experiences in workrooms perpetuate the feminisation and masculinisation of fields…

Bridging the engineering gap: integrated systems thinking

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weintré, J. R.; Delfi, M.

2017-09-01

On visits to rural Indonesia it is apparent that the advances made possible by technical engineered solutions, are rarely at the same pace as the human captivation of technical development. This uneven pace has limited the application of labour-saving equipment and efficiency. It is suggested to be of primary importance to advance technical application skills among communities as part of the continuous advancement cycle in our human environment. A creative approach to inclusive technology and internal transfer of equipment knowledge in society, reduces barriers and could diminish structural or societal undesired situations. Earlier theoretical concepts provide us a lens for describing the practices of habitus, conceptualization of social capital and integrated systems thinking. The interrelationship and complexities in technical and social systems requires to be investigated. This paper aims to describe those, combined with technological applications in an empirical ethnographic approach. The study analyses the negotiations of community members with the available technology. It intends to foster a better understanding of the various cultural-economic values by exploring the systems thinking theory, with a focus on rice cultivation in Indonesia, Japan and Australia. This research suggests that cultural, economic and technical advances vary considerably and human expectations are strongly influenced by local culture.

Helicopter Evacuation Following a Rural Trauma: An Emergency Medicine Simulation Scenario Using Innovative Simulation Technology

PubMed Central

Whalen, Desmond; Harty, Chris; Ravalia, Mohamed; Renouf, Tia; Alani, Sabrina; Brown, Robert

2016-01-01

The relevance of simulation as a teaching tool for medical professionals working in rural and remote contexts is apparent when low-frequency, high-risk situations are considered. Simulation training has been shown to enhance learning and improve patient outcomes in urban settings. However, there are few simulation scenarios designed to teach rural trauma management during complex medical transportation. In this technical report, we present a scenario using a medevac helicopter (Replica of Sikorsky S-92 designed by Virtual Marine Technology, St. John's, NL) at a rural community. This case can be used for training primary care physicians who are working in a rural or remote setting, or as an innovative addition to emergency medicine and pre-hospital care training programs. PMID:27081585

Renewable energy for rural electrification in developing countries

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Morgenstern, Joy

The environmental destruction caused by traditional methods of generating electricity and the environmental benefits of using renewable energy technologies are well-known. In additional to the environmental benefits, small, decentralized renewable energy systems are often the most economical way to electrify the rural areas of developing countries, where most of the world's unelectrified population lives. However, diffusion of these systems is proceeding very slowly and many of these projects have failed. This dissertation examines the hypothesis that an important determinant of the success of these projects is the extent to which they are compatible with the social and cultural attributes of the communities in which they are located. The hypothesis was examined by evaluating sixteen solar, wind and hybrid electrification projects in Mexico, using a procedure which rates projects according to criteria which reflect technical, economic and financial, environmental, and sociocultural factors deemed necessary to achieve success. Reasons for poor ratings within these criteria were then used to determine six preconditions for project success. The evaluation indicates that most of the wind and hybrid projects visited had low success ratings because of technical problems. The solar home system projects experienced few technical problems, yet many were unsuccessful. Most of the projects were unsustainable due to lack of financial resources, insufficient financial mechanisms, poor user training. In none of the communities were the projects economically viable, nor were they compatible with the needs of the users. The future success of even the most successful projects seen is doubtful because of the lack of provision for any maintenance by trained technicians and the scarcity of financial resources. A direct relationship between failure at the sociocultural criteria and overall project failure was not found. In most cases, failure at particular criteria could be attributed to the project developers' inability to fulfill social and cultural aspects of the preconditions for success, thus establishing an indirect but causal relationship between sociocultural attributes of communities and project success.

Educational and Vocational Goals of Rural Youth in North Carolina, Technical Bulletin No. 163.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sperry, Irwin V.; Kivett, Vira R.

The purposes of this study were (1) to describe similarities and differences in educational goals of rural youth and of their parents for them, and (2) to determine the relationships of the similarities and differences to such factors as membership or non-membership in clubs, sex, leve l of living, residence, size of family, state, and area. The…

Experimental and Demonstration Project for Rural Workers at Tuskegee Institute (1966-1967). (February 1, 1966-August 31, 1968). Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tuskegee Inst., AL.

A project to provide basic education, counseling and occupational training to 125 unemployed or underemployed heads of families or households from rural areas of Alabama, and to secure employment for them at the conclusion of the program was conducted at Tuskegee. The four technical areas in which training was offered were brickmasonry, carpentry,…

Programming as an Instrument for Community Involvement: Designing Topical Television Programs for Rural Adult Audiences. Satellite Technology Demonstration Technical Report No. 0503.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Darby, Keith

The overall objective of the Satellite Technology Demonstration (STD) was to test the feasibility of delivering television Programing via satellite to isolated, rural locations. Community members at various STD sites were surveyed to determine how they felt about a variety of topics which were planned for an adult evening series. Topics in…

Rural sewage treatment processing in Yongjia County, Zhejiang Province

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, W. H.; Kuan, T. H.

2016-08-01

Issues regarding water pollution in rural areas of China have garnered increased attention over the years. Further discussion on the circumstances and results of existing domestic sewage treatment methods may serve as an appropriate reference in solving these important issues. This article explored the current conditions of water contamination in rural areas of China, introduced the characteristics and effects of applicable sewage treatment technology, and summarized the results of the planning, installation, and operation of rural sewage treatment facilities in Yongjia County in Zhejiang Province. However, relying on a single technical design rule is not adequate for solving the practical problems that these villages face. Instead, methods of planning rural sewage treatment should be adapted to better suit local conditions and different residential forms. It is crucial, ultimately, for any domestic sewage treatment system in a rural area to be commissioned, engineered, and maintained by a market-oriented professional company.

M-X Environmental Technical Report. Alternative Potential Operating Base Locations, Milford.

DTIC Science & Technology

1980-12-22

ordinances also give similar direction to subdivision developments , building construction, etc. Rural Land Use Oil/gas leases exist southwest of Milford...2.2.9 Effects on Mining and Geology 2-63 ii .A LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1.i.1-1 Total employment and percent share by major economic sectors for...selected counties in Utah, 1977 1-3 1.1.1-2 Employment growth by sector , selected counties in Utah, 1967-1977 1-4 1.1.1-3 Earnings by economi sector

[Locoregional anesthesia for pediatric surgery in remote rural settings: experience of an NGO in Bangladesh].

PubMed

Sleth, J C; Coulon, M; Fesseau, R; Rami, L

2010-12-01

Performing safe pediatric anesthesia in developing countries is a technical challenge for NGOs working in remote locations. The aim of this study is to describe our experience aboard a hospital ship working off the coast of northern Bangladesh. Anesthesia protocol records for a 3-year period were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 463 procedures were performed with no severe anesthetic complications. Regional anesthesia was performed in 83% of patients. It was carried out alone in 15% of patients and in association with IV or IM ketamine sedation in 68%. General anesthesia was performed using ketamine in 17% of patients. Tracheal intubation was carried out in only 3 cases. These findings indicate that regional anesthesia in association with ketamine as sedation agent is a simple and safe technique for pediatric anesthesia in remote rural settings.

Women in science, engineering and technology (SET): a report on the Indonesian experience.

PubMed

Hermawati, W; Luhulima, A S

2000-01-01

This paper presents the preliminary results of a study by the Gender Working Group, Indonesian Institute of Sciences, on women's contribution to, and benefits to women from, science, engineering and technology (SET), specifically the benefits accruing to disadvantaged women in urban and rural areas in Indonesia. Previous studies on the participation of women in SET have shown the under-representation of women in all SET activities, including decision-making and advisory positions. However, some studies have shown that if gender perspectives are included in the design and implementation of development activities, disadvantaged women in urban and rural areas could greatly benefit from SET in development projects. The two case studies in North Sulawesi and Central Lombok provinces show that the projects have enabled the expansion of employment opportunities for women and thus increased their technical skills and income. In addition, the projects have also contributed to enhancing women's self-confidence, self-reliance and communication skills.

Sustainability issues in rural water supply in Asia.

PubMed

1998-03-01

This article identifies some sustainability issues in management of water supplies in rural Asia. The International Drinking Water Supply and Sanitation Decade was 1981-90. At present, less than 50% of the rural population in several Asian countries have access to safe water, and even less have access to adequate sanitation. Access does not ensure quality of services or supplies. Data on coverage is inadequate and does not take into account water quality, hours of service, reliability of supplies, distance to the source, and community use patterns. It is difficult to improve access to the poor. There is no single uniform strategy that works for all parts of a country. Countries need to promote community management that has strategic vision and appropriate priorities. Local management is constrained by centralized authority, the orientation of sector agencies, and staff with weak managerial, financial, technical, and communications skills. Many countries lack resources to maintain water delivery infrastructures and to prevent deterioration of services. There is a need to develop low cost appropriate technologies, management requirements, health education, community participation, mobilization of women, and synergistic, nonsequential development. Demand for water and sanitation is driven by survival and privacy issues. Rural water supply programs should view water as an economic and social good. Water management is effective when decisions are made locally. Local governments need to be strengthened in order to be able to perform demand management, select institutional options, and to take care of the unserviced.

Vocational Education's New Job: Defend Thyself--Supporters Hope Congress Will Deflect Budget Knife

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cavanagh, Sean

2005-01-01

When educators from across the country, and even other nations, are looking for ideas on how to blend career and technical training with demanding academics, their search often takes them to this rural pocket of southern Delaware, the home of Sussex Technical High School. Fifteen years after overhauling its mission, this school framed by fields…

76 FR 72708 - Medicare Program; Renaming and Other Changes to the Advisory Panel on Hospital Outpatient Payment...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-11-25

.... L. Hambrick, M.D., J.D., Chair, a CMS Medical Officer. Ruth L. Bush, M.D., M.P.H. Kari S. Cornicelli..., rural or urban practice, points of view, medical or technical specialty, type of hospital, hospital... the member based upon their technical expertise in hospital payment systems; hospital medical care...

Socio-economic factors of bacillary dysentery based on spatial correlation analysis in Guangxi Province, China.

PubMed

Nie, Chengjing; Li, Hairong; Yang, Linsheng; Zhong, Gemei; Zhang, Lan

2014-01-01

In the past decade, bacillary dysentery was still a big public health problem in China, especially in Guangxi Province, where thousands of severe diarrhea cases occur every year. Reported bacillary dysentery cases in Guangxi Province were obtained from local Centers for Diseases Prevention and Control. The 14 socio-economic indexes were selected as potential explanatory variables for the study. The spatial correlation analysis was used to explore the associations between the selected factors and bacillary dysentery incidence at county level, which was based on the software of ArcGIS10.2 and GeoDA 0.9.5i. The proportion of primary industry, the proportion of younger than 5-year-old children in total population, the number of hospitals per thousand persons and the rates of bacillary dysentery incidence show statistically significant positive correlation. But the proportion of secondary industry, per capital GDP, per capital government revenue, rural population proportion, popularization rate of tap water in rural area, access rate to the sanitation toilets in rural, number of beds in hospitals per thousand persons, medical and technical personnel per thousand persons and the rate of bacillary dysentery incidence show statistically significant negative correlation. The socio-economic factors can be divided into four aspects, including economic development, health development, medical development and human own condition. The four aspects were not isolated from each other, but interacted with each other.

Balancing livestock production and wildlife conservation in and around southern Africa's transfrontier conservation areas.

PubMed

Thomson, G R; Penrith, M-L; Atkinson, M W; Atkinson, S J; Cassidy, D; Osofsky, S A

2013-12-01

Biodiversity conservation, of which the transfrontier conservation area movement is an integral part, and more effective livestock production/trade are pivotal to future rural development in southern Africa. For that reason, it is imperative to effectively ameliorate the obstacles that have impeded progress towards the coexistence of these two sectors for more than half a century. Transboundary animal diseases, foot and mouth disease in particular, have been and continue to be the most important of these obstacles. Fortunately, new developments in international sanitary standards applicable to trade in commodities and products derived from animals are beginning to make a solution possible. However, while progress in principle has been achieved, practical implementation remains problematic for technical reasons, exacerbated by inconsistent attitudes towards acceptance of non-traditional international trade standards. This paper describes the background to this situation, progress that has been achieved in the recent past and remaining difficulties that need to be overcome to advance towards achievement of balanced rural development in southern Africa. © 2013 Blackwell Verlag GmbH.

Aid in a city at war: the case of Mogadishu, Somalia.

PubMed

Grünewald, François

2012-07-01

Mogadishu, the capital of Somalia, has been central to life, war, and peace in the country for almost two decades. Its urban characteristics, though, have been put to one side for the most part. In recent years, Mogadishu-related issues have been merged mostly into a global agenda for South and Central Somalia, resulting in the technical and coordination approaches employed in the city largely being reproductions of solutions utilised in refugee camps and rural areas. Unfortunately, urban problems require urban solutions. The aid system is just starting to discover how specific aid in cities at war should be, both from an organisational and a technical standpoint. The enhancement of aid practices in an urban setting implies, among other things, a more strategic approach to the specific spatial characteristics of the city, a more fine-tuned analysis of the technical requirements of the urban service delivery systems, and a better understanding of the role of urban institutions. © 2012 The Author(s). Journal compilation © Overseas Development Institute, 2012.

Assessment of Wind Home System's Potential in Coastal Areas of Pakistan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Memon, Mujeebudin; Harijan, Khanji; Uqaili, Mohammad Aslam

2007-10-01

About 50 and 90 percent of the total population of rural coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan provinces respectively have no access to electricity and meet lighting requirements through kerosene and LPG. The population density in rural coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan provinces is about 100-150 and 10-50 persons per km2 respectively. Extension of existing centralized grid system to rural areas with very low population density and small-scattered loads is economically and technically unfeasible. In this situation, decentralized renewable electricity especially wind power appears to be one of the viable option. This paper presents the assessment of potential of wind home systems (WHS) for rural electrification in coastal areas of Pakistan using the wind speed data recorded by Pakistan Metrological Department (PMD) and power curve of a reference wind turbine. Pakistan has 1050 km long coastline, of which, 250 km is falling in Sindh and 800 km in Balochistan. A 150 Wp wind turbine could generate about 345 kWh and 250 kWh of electricity per year in coastal areas of Sindh and Balochistan respectively, which would be sufficient for meeting the electricity demand of a rural household. The average theoretical potential of WHS in the coastal area of Sindh and Balochistan is about 2245 and 1800 FLH respectively. The total installed capacity and technical potential of WHS in the coastal area of the country has been estimated as 63.75 MW and 135 GWh/year respectively.

Factors influencing sustainability of communally-managed water facilities in rural areas of Zimbabwe

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kativhu, T.; Mazvimavi, D.; Tevera, D.; Nhapi, I.

2017-08-01

Sustainability of point water facilities is a major development challenge in many rural settings of developing countries not sparing those in the Sub-Saharan Africa region. This study was done in Zimbabwe to investigate the factors influencing sustainability of rural water supply systems. A total of 399 water points were studied in Nyanga, Chivi and Gwanda districts. Data was collected using a questionnaire, observation checklist and key informant interview guide. Multi-Criteria analysis was used to assess the sustainability of water points and inferential statistical analysis such as Chi square tests and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were used to determine if there were significant differences on selected variables across districts and types of lifting devices used in the study area. The thematic approach was used to analyze qualitative data. Results show that most water points were not functional and only 17% across the districts were found to be sustainable. A fusion of social, technical, financial, environmental and institutional factors was found to be influencing sustainability. On technical factors the ANOVA results show that the type of lifting device fitted at a water point significantly influences sustainability (F = 37.4, p < 0.01). Availability of spare parts at community level was found to be determining the downtime period of different lifting devices in the studied wards. Absence of user committees was found to be central in influencing sustainability as water points that did not have user committees were not sustainable and most of them were not functional during the time of the survey. Active participation by communities at the planning stage of water projects was also found to be critical for sustainability although field results showed passive participation by communities at this critical project stage. Financial factors of adequacy of financial contributions and establishment of operation and maintenance funds were also found to be of great importance in sustaining water supply systems. It is recommended that all factors should be considered when assessing sustainability since they are interrelated.

The modular socket system in a rural setting in Indonesia.

PubMed

Giesberts, Bob; Ennion, Liezel; Hjelmstrom, Olle; Karma, Agusni; Lechler, Knut; Hekman, Edsko; Bergsma, Arjen

2018-06-01

Prosthetic services are inaccessible to people living in rural areas. Systems like the modular socket system have the potential to be fabricated outside of the prosthetic workshop. This study aimed to evaluate the patient's performance and satisfaction with the use of the modular socket system, and the technical feasibility of its implementation in a rural setting. A quantitative longitudinal descriptive study design was followed. A total of 15 persons with a lower limb amputation were fitted with the modular socket system and followed over 4-6 months. Performance was measured using a 2-min walk test, 10-m walk test and mobility and function questionnaire. Satisfaction was measured by the Socket Fit Comfort Score, Prosthesis Evaluation Questionnaire and EuroQoL 5 Dimensions 5 Levels. Notes on technical feasibility were taken at the moment of fitting ( t 0 ), at 1-3 months post fitting ( t 1 ) and at the end evaluation at 4-6 months post fitting ( t 2 ). Performance did not change between t 0 and t 2 . The comfort of the socket fit reduced between t 0 and t 2 . Satisfaction with prosthesis and general health status stayed constant over time. The average fitting-time for the modular socket system was 6.4 h. The modular socket system can be considered a useful alternative for use in rural settings. Clinical relevance The use of the modular socket system is feasible and can improve accessibility to prosthetic technology in rural areas. Experienced prosthetic users were satisfied with the performance and the device. The shorter manufacturing time and use of only hand-held tools makes it an ideal alternative for use in remote and rural settings.

Using communication technology to support professional development in teaching science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sundberg, Cheryl White

The impact of collaboration via communication technology on follow-up to on-site professional development was the central focus of this hypothesis-generating study. The study used a combination of quantitative methodology and qualitative methodology. A convenient sample of 18 teachers was drawn from 208 teachers in an existing professional development program in science in a southeastern state. The statewide professional development program focused on energy education with a strong emphasis on using technology to enhance learning. Data sources included E-mail messages, lesson plans, photographs, workshop evaluations, surveys, and the report of an external reviewer. The study focused on two on-site workshops, February and June 2000 that were designed to model constructivist pedagogy and instruct teachers in effective utilization of computer-based laboratories in science classrooms. Follow-up to the on-site workshops was facilitated with several communication technologies (Internet, E-mail, telephone, and mail). The research found E-mail was the preferred mode for follow-up to on-site workshops because of the convenience of the medium. Barriers to effective distance professional development were time constraints, equipment failure, and lack of consistent Internet access to teachers in rural and under-served areas. Teacher characteristics of the sample, teacher efficacy, technical skill, experience, and constructivist pedagogy did not appear to impact the use of communication technologies as a means of follow-up to on-site professional development workshops. However, teacher efficacy might have negatively impacted effective implementation of calculator-based laboratory technology in the classroom. The study found E-mail was the most convenient and efficient way to facilitate follow-up to on-site professional development. Teacher characteristics (efficacy, technical skill, experience, and constructivist pedagogy) did not appear to impact the use of E-mail to facilitate follow-up to on-site professional development. Consistent access to the Internet was problematic for teachers in rural and under-served areas.

Impact of an interprofessional education program on developing skilled graduates well-equipped to practise in rural and underserved areas.

PubMed

Mpofu, Ratie; Daniels, Priscilla S; Adonis, Tracy-Ann; Karuguti, Wallace M

2014-01-01

Poverty, limited access to resources and a lack of infrastructure characterise the division of rural areas from urban South Africa. Low numbers of social welfare professionals compound the problem. With education linked inextricably in social responsibility, higher education institutions (HEIs) are called upon increasingly to create conditions that encourage students and graduates to practise in more socially responsible ways, involving more than mere disciplinary expertise or technical knowledge, and that consider the problems of rural areas. Use of interprofessional education (IPE) programs, based on teamwork, could enable HEIs to train and guide health sciences students in how best to cooperate with each other and combine their skills to mutual benefit. This would enable them to develop professional skills facilitated by interactive engagement within community settings. Referencing experience gained in Australia and elsewhere, the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences (FCHS) at the University of Western Cape (UWC) has developed and applied an IPE program for South Africa. Students were placed in interdisciplinary groups in a rural and underserved municipality of the Western Cape - 17 students participated in a study on the effectiveness of this program. A quantitative self-administered questionnaire, followed by qualitative focus group discussions, established student perceptions of their IPE experience, how the experience influenced their intentions for or against future practice in rural and underserved areas, and their interest in future interprofessional collaboration and practice. More than 75% of the participating students agreed that they had learnt to develop knowledge base, procedural and healthcare practice presentation skills, along with preparing written community health histories. Student willingness to practise in rural areas was evidenced, citing community- and resource-based factors as determinants; however, concerns that some community members had 'own agendas' were expressed. Nearly all students highly appreciated their learning and service delivery development, but 47% felt that their educational experience did not go as far as expected. Student concerns were a lack of structured student placement for IPE to occur in the program, as well as limited staff supervision of students. The UWC FCHS IPE program is evidenced as a valid approach to encouraging health sciences students and graduates to choose to practise in more socially responsible ways. However, improvement of placement and supervision methodology and practice should be explored at faculty level and implemented in future IPE programs.

Measuring the efficiency of the Greek rural primary health care using a restricted DEA model; the case of southern and western Greece.

PubMed

Oikonomou, Nikolaos; Tountas, Yannis; Mariolis, Argiris; Souliotis, Kyriakos; Athanasakis, Kostas; Kyriopoulos, John

2016-12-01

This is a study to measure the efficiency of the rural Health Centres (HCs) and their Regional Surgeries (RSs) of the 6th Health Prefecture (HP) of Greece, which covers Southern and Western Greece. Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) was applied under Constant and Variable Returns to Scale, using a weight-restricted, output-oriented model, to calculate pure technical efficiency (PΤΕ), scale efficiency (SE) and total technical efficiency (TE). The selection of inputs, outputs and their relative weights in the model was based on two consecutive consensus panels of experts on Primary Health Care (PHC). Medical personnel, nursing personnel and technological equipment were chosen as inputs and were attributed appropriate weight restrictions. Acute, chronic and preventive consultations where chosen as outputs; each output was constructed by smaller subcategories of different relative importance. Data were collected through a questionnaire sent to all HCs of the covered area. From the 42 HCs which provided complete data, the study identified 9 as technical efficient, 5 as scale efficient and 2 as total efficient. The mean TE, PTE and SE scores of the HCs of the 6th Health Prefecture were 0.57, 0.67 and 0.87, respectively. The results demonstrate noteworthy variation in efficiency in the productive process of the HCs of Southern and Western Greece. The dominant form of inefficiency was technical inefficiency. The HCs of the 6th HP can theoretically produce 33 % more output on average, using their current production factors. These results indicated potential for considerable efficiency improvement in most rural health care units. Emphasis on prevention and chronic disease management, as well as wider structural and organisational reforms, are discussed from the viewpoint of how to increase efficiency.

7 CFR 610.4 - Technical assistance furnished.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

..., zoning (rural, urban, and flood plain), school, and institution boards, highway departments, and tax assessors. (3) Citizen groups, youth groups, recreation groups, and garden clubs. (4) State and local units...

7 CFR 610.4 - Technical assistance furnished.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

..., zoning (rural, urban, and flood plain), school, and institution boards, highway departments, and tax assessors. (3) Citizen groups, youth groups, recreation groups, and garden clubs. (4) State and local units...

Ushering in the Twenty First Century: Emphasis on the Rural South. Proceedings of the Professional Agricultural Workers Conference (44th, Tuskegee, Alabama, December 7-9, 1986).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Williams, Thomas T., Ed.

This volume includes material by providers and users of technical agricultural assistance on ways to improve the quality of life for clientele served by land-grant colleges and Tuskegee University. The conference theme involved issues emerging for rural Southern farms as they enter the 21st century. In examining alternatives for the future, the…

Smart street lighting solution for remote rural areas of India

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hajra, Debdyut

2017-09-01

Though many smart street lighting solutions is available for urban areas, comparatively fewer solutions exist for rural areas. In the recent times, village streets have been illuminated with artificial lights as a part of rural development drive undertaken by the governments of respective countries. But, vehicle and pedestrian traffic is quite low through village roads. Hence, if light remains on all night long on such roads, then there is a huge wastage of energy. This calls for solutions to reduce this energy loss in an efficient manner. There are a lot of factors which must be kept in mind while designing solutions. Many villages lack the proper infrastructure to support new technologies. Communication facilities are limited, lack of local technically skilled labor, lack of security, etc. After evaluating these opportunities and challenges, an attempt has been made to devise a smart street lighting solution tailored for remote rural areas in India. One part of the solution discusses how intensity of the LED street lights can be varied according to the ambient lighting conditions using sensors and LED switching in LED matrix. An artificial intelligence (AI) has also been modelled to identify traffic conditions using PIR sensors and object identification through image processing and independently control the lights. It also tracks the performance and status of each light. It would send this data and necessary notifications to a distant control center for human evaluation. This solution is also applicable for other rural areas throughout the world.

7 CFR 4284.508 - Use of grant funds.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

..., small businesses and other similar entities in rural areas served by the Center: (a) Applied research... accordance with the subpart. (e) Providing technical assistance, research services and advisory services for...

28 CFR 90.16 - Availability and allocation of funds.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-07-01

... aside a portion for evaluation, training and technical assistance, a base amount shall be allocated for... not limited to, populations underserved because of geographic location (such as rural isolation...

28 CFR 90.16 - Availability and allocation of funds.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-07-01

... aside a portion for evaluation, training and technical assistance, a base amount shall be allocated for... not limited to, populations underserved because of geographic location (such as rural isolation...

PTC '84 - Pacific Telecommunications Conference, 6th, Honolulu, HI, January 8-11, 1984, Proceedings

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wedemeyer, D. J.; Harms, L. S.

Various papers on telecommunications are presented. The general topics addressed include: basic communications needs in the Pacific hemisphere; communication needs of businesses in the local, national, and regional marketplace; needs for telecommunication in rural communities; communication needs of minority groups; technical and institutional responses to meeting needs; and developments in high technology. Also addressed are: telecommunication and information technology to meet basic needs; issues and policy considerations in the Pacific telecommunications environment; effects of telecommunications development on daily social activity; problems and progress of new technology; economic demand for telecommunications in the Pacific region as a reflection of needs.

Climate Change Impacts on the Built Environment in the United States and Implications for Sustainability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Quattrochi, Dale A.

2012-01-01

As an integral part of the National Climate Assessment (NCA), technical assessment reports for 13 regions in the U.S. that describe the scientific rationale to support climate change impacts within the purview of these regions, and provide adaptation or mitigation measures in response to these impacts. These technical assessments focus on climate change impacts on sectors that are important environmental, biophysical, and social and economic aspects of sustainability within the U.S.: Climate change science, Ecosystems and biodiversity, Water resources, Human health, Energy supply and use, Water/energy/land use, Transportation, Urban/infrastructure/vulnerability, Agriculture, Impacts of climate change on tribal/indigenous and native lands and resources, Forestry, Land use/land cover change, Rural communities development, and Impacts on biogeochemical cycles, with implications for ecosystems and biodiversity. There is a critical and timely need for the development of mitigation and adaptation strategies in response to climate change by the policy and decision making communities, to insure resiliency and sustainability of the built environment in the future.

Installed Base as a Facilitator for User-Driven Innovation: How Can User Innovation Challenge Existing Institutional Barriers?

PubMed Central

Andersen, Synnøve Thomassen; Jansen, Arild

2012-01-01

The paper addresses an ICT-based, user-driven innovation process in the health sector in rural areas in Norway. The empirical base is the introduction of a new model for psychiatric health provision. This model is supported by a technical solution based on mobile phones that is aimed to help the communication between professional health personnel and patients. This innovation was made possible through the use of standard mobile technology rather than more sophisticated systems. The users were heavily involved in the development work. Our analysis shows that by thinking simple and small-scale solutions, including to take the user's needs and premises as a point of departure rather than focusing on advanced technology, the implementation process was made possible. We show that by combining theory on information infrastructures, user-oriented system development, and innovation in a three-layered analytical framework, we can explain the interrelationship between technical, organizational, and health professional factors that made this innovation a success. PMID:23304134

Funding options for research: facing the market as well as government.

PubMed

Mitchell, G; Nossal, G

1999-06-01

Parasitology is a challenge. At one level, the structural and genetic complexities of parasites provide ample technical challenges in regard to an understanding of parasite variability and adaptability, epidemiological diversity, drug resistance, etc. The intricacies of host parasite relationships including the immunology of parasitism will continually surprise yet frustrate the vaccine developer and keep the bravest immunoparasitologist busy and creative for decades. As if the technical considerations were not challenging enough, we see difficulties arising in sustaining a research endeavour and preserving a critical mass of researchers through the generation of high-level, long-term funding support. Contributing to this situation is the fact that most parasitic diseases of major impact in humans are largely centred around the rural poor in tropical, less industrially-developed countries and therefore of little or of fickle interest to the strictly commercially oriented. Moreover, the focus in the rural industries has moved away from aspects of on-farm production with lower priority given to studies on even the 'economically-important' parasites of livestock. It is contended that this may change again with pressures and clear marketing advantages to preserving a 'clean and green' image for Australia's primary industries. Overall, the extraordinary technical and conceptual advances in recent times have been tempered by uncertainties in research funding and severe cuts from some traditional sources for both fundamental and strategic/applied research in Parasitology. Several have highlighted the fact that deliverables in terms of new methods of disease control have been sparse and some claims made in the past have certainly been exaggerated. Yet the prospects and achievements at the front end of the long R&D pathway have never been brighter. In this article we examine the merits of a 'portfolio approach' to generating research funds in Parasitology and Science and Technology in Australia more generally, with an emphasis on strategies that, through welding good science with clear, medium-term product objectives, increase research funding opportunities.

Dynamics of land-use change and conservation in the Prairie Pothole Region of the United States: environmental and economic implications with linkages to rural community well-being

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gascoigne, William; Hoag, Dana; Johnson, Rex; Koontz, Lynne

2013-01-01

Rural America has changed dramatically over the last century, from having over half the population living in rural settings to only 20 percent residing in a rural area today, and outmigration of younger populations from rural communities remains a constant issue for local governing officials. A declining tax base and concurrent rising costs for maintenance and repair of aging infrastructure add further challenges to policy decisions. Reduced enrollment has caused school closures or mergers. Farm consolidation and technical advances reduced the demand for local labor. On the positive side, however, record-high commodity prices have amplified farm income to new heights. The increased revenues can lead to farmers spending additional money within the local region, while at the same time increased transportation of products has impacted local infrastructure such as roads and bridges. Such dynamics present challenges for municipal leaders charged with promoting economic development and balanced spending, while at the same time maintaining the way of life and rural character that are so important to area residents. The Prairie Pothole Region (PPR) of the United States covers much of the Northern Great Plains, including parts of North and South Dakota, Minnesota, Iowa, and a small part of Montana, and extends across a broad swath of Alberta and Saskatchewan. The region is defined largely by its rural character but has experienced extensive land conversion over the last century, with agricultural areas replacing native prairie habitat. Additional pressures arise from oil and gas development, global markets for agricultural production, and increased demands for biofuel feedstocks. Record-high commodity prices increase pressure on the native prairie as farmers look for new cropland acres. The volatility of commodity prices has raised fears over the intensity of land conversion to row-crop agriculture, the economic health and resiliency of rural communities, and ultimately, population dynamics and outmigration of younger generations. Land-use pressures are increased by the exponential growth of oil and gas production in the region, where some 8,200 wells are now in production within the Williston Basin of North Dakota, accompanied by increased population pressures on housing and municipal services. The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Conservation Reserve Program (CRP)--a cropland retirement program with close to 4.8 million acres enrolled in the PPR--faces uncertainty in upcoming legislative actions, with a large majority of property enrollments scheduled to expire by 2017. The CRP historically has provided improved habitat conditions, reductions of soil damage through erosion and loss of nutrients, and sequestration of millions of tons of atmospheric carbon. In turn, wildlife-related recreation levels have increased in many parts of the PPR, with money spent in local communities. Contemporary resource-management and rural-development planning increasingly emphasize the need for diversification and integration of resource-extractive industries with nonmarket-based recreational and amenity values that tie into quality of life. Ultimately, each community is unique in its environmental, social, economic, and fiscal endowments. One rural-development policy may work better in one community than another. In addition, rural-development issues such as migration, job growth, and taxes are diverse in themselves. The goal of this report is to qualitatively and quantitatively discuss the economic impacts of land-use decisions in rural areas, particularly in the PPR.

Water system hardware and management rehabilitation: Qualitative evidence from Ghana, Kenya, and Zambia.

PubMed

Klug, Tori; Shields, Katherine F; Cronk, Ryan; Kelly, Emma; Behnke, Nikki; Lee, Kristen; Bartram, Jamie

2017-05-01

Sufficient, safe, continuously available drinking water is important for human health and development, yet one in three handpumps in sub-Saharan Africa are non-functional at any given time. Community management, coupled with access to external technical expertise and spare parts, is a widely promoted model for rural water supply management. However, there is limited evidence describing how community management can address common hardware and management failures of rural water systems in sub-Saharan Africa. We identified hardware and management rehabilitation pathways using qualitative data from 267 interviews and 57 focus group discussions in Ghana, Kenya, and Zambia. Study participants were water committee members, community members, and local leaders in 18 communities (six in each study country) with water systems managed by a water committee and supported by World Vision (WV), an international non-governmental organization (NGO). Government, WV or private sector employees engaged in supporting the water systems were also interviewed. Inductive analysis was used to allow for pathways to emerge from the data, based on the perspectives and experiences of study participants. Four hardware rehabilitation pathways were identified, based on the types of support used in rehabilitation. Types of support were differentiated as community or external. External support includes financial and/or technical support from government or WV employees. Community actor understanding of who to contact when a hardware breakdown occurs and easy access to technical experts were consistent reasons for rapid rehabilitation for all hardware rehabilitation pathways. Three management rehabilitation pathways were identified. All require the involvement of community leaders and were best carried out when the action was participatory. The rehabilitation pathways show how available resources can be leveraged to restore hardware breakdowns and management failures for rural water systems in sub-Saharan Africa. Governments, NGOs, and private sector actors can better build capacity of community actors by focusing on their role in rehabilitating hardware and management and to ensure that they are able to quickly contact external support actors when needed for rehabilitation. Using qualitative and participatory methods allows for insight into rapid rehabilitation of hardware and management. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier GmbH. All rights reserved.

Building a community of practice in rural medical education: growing our own together.

PubMed

Longenecker, Randall L; Schmitz, David

2017-01-01

This article chronicles the rise, decline, and recent resurgence of rural training track residency programs (RTTs) in the USA over the past 30 years and the emergence of a healthy community of practice in rural medical education. This has occurred during a time in the USA when federal and state funding of graduate medical education has been relatively stagnant and the rules around finance and accreditation of rural programs have been challenging. Many of the early family residency programs developed in the 1970s included a curricular focus on rural practice. However, by the 1980s, these programs were not yet producing the desired numbers of rural physicians. In response, in 1986, Maudlin and others at the family medicine residency in Spokane developed the first 1-2 RTT in Colville, Washington. In the 1990s, and by 2000, early news of success led to a peak of 35 active programs. However, over the next decade these programs experienced significant hardship due to a lack of funding and a general decline in student interest in family medicine. By 2010, only 25 programs remained. In 2010, in an effort to sustain the 1-2 RTT as a national strategy in training physicians for rural practice, a federally funded consortium of individuals and programs established the RTT Technical Assistance program (RTT TA). Building on the pattern of peer support and collaboration set by earlier groups, the RTT TA consortium expanded the existing community of practice in rural medical education in support of RTTs. In-person meetings, peer consultation and visitation, coordinated efforts at student recruitment, and collaborative rural medical education research were all elements of the consortium's strategy. Rather than anchoring its efforts in medical schools or hospitals, this consortium engaged as partners a wider variety of stakeholders. This included physician educators still living and practicing in rural communities ('local experts'), rural medical educator peers, program directors, professional groups, academic units, governmental entities such as state offices of rural health, and national associations with a stake in rural medical education. The consortium has succeeded in (1) supporting established and new RTTs, (2) increasing medical student interest in these programs, and (3) demonstrating the effectiveness of this strategy through a minimum dataset and registry of RTT trainees. From a low of 21 programs in 2012, the number has grown to 32, accounting for a total of 68 positions in each year of training. The RTT Collaborative, the non-profit that has emerged as the sustainable product of that federal funding, is now supported by a national cooperative of participating rural programs and continues the work. Growing a community of practice in this fashion requires the organic building of relationships over time. The RTT TA consortium, and now the RTT Collaborative as a sustainable successor, have laid a strong foundation for community-engaged rural health professions education into the future - from each growing their own, to 'growing our own … together.

75 FR 72778 - Pipeline Safety: Technical Pipeline Safety Advisory Committee Meeting

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-11-26

... pipeline safety regulations to the remaining unregulated rural onshore hazardous liquid low-stress... Low-Stress Lines'' on June 22, 2010 (75 FR 35366). The meeting agenda will include the committee's...

Rural Career and Technical Education Expansion Act of 2009

THOMAS, 111th Congress

Rep. Wilson, Charles A. [D-OH-6

2009-05-14

House - 06/11/2009 Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness. (All Actions) Tracker: This bill has the status IntroducedHere are the steps for Status of Legislation:

Understanding Partnerships: A Rural College's Role in Recycling Refuse.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Adams, Frank G.

2000-01-01

Describes the partnership that was formed by a county government, three city governments, Weyerhaeuser Company, and Cossatot Technical College in Arkansas to solve the refuse problem when the local landfill closed. (JOW)

Assessing the technical efficiency of health posts in rural Guatemala: a data envelopment analysis.

PubMed

Hernández, Alison R; San Sebastián, Miguel

2014-01-01

Strengthening health service delivery to the rural poor is an important means of redressing inequities. Meso-level managers can help enhance efficiency in the utilization of existing resources through the application of practical tools to analyze routinely collected data reflecting inputs and outputs. This study aimed to assess the efficiency and change in productivity of health posts over two years in a rural department of Guatemala. Data envelopment analysis was used to measure health posts' technical efficiency and productivity change for 2008 and 2009. Input/output data were collected from the regional health office of Alta Verapaz for 34 health posts from the 19 districts comprising the health region. Technical efficiency varied widely across health posts, with mean scores of 0.78 (SD=0.24) and 0.75 (SD=0.21) in 2008 and 2009, respectively. Overall, productivity increased by 4%, though 47% of health posts experienced a decline in productivity. Results were combined on a bivariate plot to identify health posts at the high and low extremes of efficiency, which should be followed up to determine how and why their production processes are operating differently. Assessing efficiency using the data that are available at the meso-level can serve as a first step in strengthening performance. Further work is required to support managers in the routine application of efficiency analysis and putting the results to use in guiding efforts to improve service delivery and increase utilization.

Assessing the technical efficiency of health posts in rural Guatemala: a data envelopment analysis

PubMed Central

Hernández, Alison R.; Sebastián, Miguel San

2014-01-01

Introduction Strengthening health service delivery to the rural poor is an important means of redressing inequities. Meso-level managers can help enhance efficiency in the utilization of existing resources through the application of practical tools to analyze routinely collected data reflecting inputs and outputs. This study aimed to assess the efficiency and change in productivity of health posts over two years in a rural department of Guatemala. Methods Data envelopment analysis was used to measure health posts’ technical efficiency and productivity change for 2008 and 2009. Input/output data were collected from the regional health office of Alta Verapaz for 34 health posts from the 19 districts comprising the health region. Results Technical efficiency varied widely across health posts, with mean scores of 0.78 (SD=0.24) and 0.75 (SD=0.21) in 2008 and 2009, respectively. Overall, productivity increased by 4%, though 47% of health posts experienced a decline in productivity. Results were combined on a bivariate plot to identify health posts at the high and low extremes of efficiency, which should be followed up to determine how and why their production processes are operating differently. Conclusions Assessing efficiency using the data that are available at the meso-level can serve as a first step in strengthening performance. Further work is required to support managers in the routine application of efficiency analysis and putting the results to use in guiding efforts to improve service delivery and increase utilization. PMID:24461356

Empowered women from rural areas of Bolivia promote community development.

PubMed

Ríos, Roxana; Olmedo, Catón; Fernández, Luis

2007-01-01

Abstract: The United States Agency for Development in Bolivia (USAID/Bolivia) created in 2002 PROSALUD- Partners for Development Project (PfD) with the aim of improving the population's well-being. The project used three components: small grant scheme, technical assistance and database system management. Through the small grants scheme, the PfD supported a Community Participation Strategy (CPS) project over a three year period. The project involved the rural areas of six Bolivian departments and suburban areas of three Bolivian cities. The main objective was to increase health service utilization with a particular emphasis on empowerment of women, strengthening of local organizations and increasing the demand for health services. Women from both the urban and rural areas, and from different indigenous groups, were trained in project management, health promotion, reproductive health and family planning, advocacy and community participation. Participatory methodologies have allowed empowering women in decision making and capacity building throughout the entire project process. The experience shows that it is important to work with formally established grass-root community organizations and strengthen leadership within them. Additionally, the sub-projects demonstrated that interventions are more successful when promoters speak and write native languages, women are more motivated and empowered, projects are designed to be responsive to daily necessities identified by the communities and health services are culturally suitable. A preliminary evaluation, in both quantitative and qualitative terms, shows an overall improvement in health knowledge and practice, and utilization of health services.

Socio-Economic Factors of Bacillary Dysentery Based on Spatial Correlation Analysis in Guangxi Province, China

PubMed Central

Nie, Chengjing; Li, Hairong; Yang, Linsheng; Zhong, Gemei; Zhang, Lan

2014-01-01

Background In the past decade, bacillary dysentery was still a big public health problem in China, especially in Guangxi Province, where thousands of severe diarrhea cases occur every year. Methods Reported bacillary dysentery cases in Guangxi Province were obtained from local Centers for Diseases Prevention and Control. The 14 socio-economic indexes were selected as potential explanatory variables for the study. The spatial correlation analysis was used to explore the associations between the selected factors and bacillary dysentery incidence at county level, which was based on the software of ArcGIS10.2 and GeoDA 0.9.5i. Results The proportion of primary industry, the proportion of younger than 5-year-old children in total population, the number of hospitals per thousand persons and the rates of bacillary dysentery incidence show statistically significant positive correlation. But the proportion of secondary industry, per capital GDP, per capital government revenue, rural population proportion, popularization rate of tap water in rural area, access rate to the sanitation toilets in rural, number of beds in hospitals per thousand persons, medical and technical personnel per thousand persons and the rate of bacillary dysentery incidence show statistically significant negative correlation. The socio-economic factors can be divided into four aspects, including economic development, health development, medical development and human own condition. The four aspects were not isolated from each other, but interacted with each other. PMID:25036182

[The role of national rural organization and agricultural extension services in relation to women].

PubMed

Martius Von Harder, G

1985-01-01

Rural extension services are designed to provide rural dwellers with information needed to further technical or social development and to solve problems. Extension agents should be fully aware of their responsibility for the advice they provide. The number of rural and agricultural development and extension agencies has multiplied greatly in the past 2 decades. Agricultural extension is the principal component of most rural development strategies. Training given to men is usually economic, while that for women is devoted to household and social functioning. Programs for women usually lag general development programs. Training of women is usually not included in agricultural extension programs, especially in countries practicing segregation of the sexes. Agricultural extension programs are generally limited to cultivation techniques and neglect transformation and storage of crops and seed preparation for increased production. Measures that could improve productivity of women's agriculture-related work are expected to be delivered through the intermediacy of their husbands, but the husbands may not appreciate the import of such messages if they are not familiar with their wives' work. Agricultural training should consider all stages of production, should be delivered to the individuals actually performing the tasks, and should be ecologically appropriate. The overall objective of agricultural extension is to increase production, but most programs do not specify who is to use the surplus or to benefit from it. The rural population or the urban population may be the prime beneficiary, or cash crops may be produced for export. Although increased production should benefit the rural population through a better food supply, in reality most extension programs are devoted to cash crops for export and are less than fully successful because of problems of crop distribution and marketing and other shortcomings. Where men and women perform the same agricultural work, it should be possible for training sessions to be held jointly for both sexes, but cultural tabus and sexual division of labor may be such that different programs and personnel are required for men and women. There are currently numerous limitations on the inclusion of women in extension programs, including official policies against female employment and ignorance of the contribution of female agricultural work and social customs which discourage female social participation. There may be few or no women extension workers, female extension agents may try to avoid fieldwork, they may spend most of their time training women in household management, or their mobility may be strictly limited by family responsibilities.

7 CFR 1942.307 - Limitations on use of grant funds.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... assistance, the grantee shall coordinate with FS and Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) to ascertain if... technical assistance under the above program. The grantee will provide documentation to FS and RBS regarding...

7 CFR 1942.307 - Limitations on use of grant funds.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... assistance, the grantee shall coordinate with FS and Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) to ascertain if... technical assistance under the above program. The grantee will provide documentation to FS and RBS regarding...

7 CFR 1942.307 - Limitations on use of grant funds.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... assistance, the grantee shall coordinate with FS and Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) to ascertain if... technical assistance under the above program. The grantee will provide documentation to FS and RBS regarding...

7 CFR 1942.307 - Limitations on use of grant funds.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... assistance, the grantee shall coordinate with FS and Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) to ascertain if... technical assistance under the above program. The grantee will provide documentation to FS and RBS regarding...

7 CFR 1942.307 - Limitations on use of grant funds.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... assistance, the grantee shall coordinate with FS and Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS) to ascertain if... technical assistance under the above program. The grantee will provide documentation to FS and RBS regarding...

Rural Households' Attitude and Economic Strategies Toward the Conversion of Cropland to Forest and Grassland Program (CCFG): A Case Study in Qira, China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ma, Hua; Lu, Yonglong; Xing, Ying; He, Guizhen; Sun, Yamei

2009-06-01

The Conversion of Cropland to Forest and Grassland Program (CCFG), which was initiated by the Chinese government in 1999, is a cropland retirement program with integrated objectives for ecological preservation and local development. The purpose of this article was to study the influencing factors of attitude and economic strategies in rural households toward the CCFG. Rural households’ knowledge, attitude and economic strategies toward the CCFG were investigated through a questionnaire survey in Qira, China. Influencing factors of attitude and strategies of households were analyzed using a logit model technique. The analysis indicated that household’s income level, environmental knowledge of the program, and program implementation were significant influencing factors in a household’s attitude toward the CCFG, while major influencing factors of household strategies were their regional background and availability of income generation sources. Meaningful association was not found between attitude and strategy choices. Rich households had more strategy choices, while poor households were usually confined to low input strategies with uncertain income. To sustain their livelihood, the poor need extra assistances in marketing, loan granting, employment training, information, and technical services.

The theory-practice gap of black carbon mitigation technologies in rural China

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Weishi; Li, Aitong; Xu, Yuan; Liu, Junfeng

2018-02-01

Black carbon mitigation has received increasing attention for its potential contribution to both climate change mitigation and air pollution control. Although different bottom-up models concerned with unit mitigation costs of various technologies allow the assessment of alternative policies for optimized cost-effectiveness, the lack of adequate data often forced many reluctant explicit and implicit assumptions that deviate away from actual situations of rural residential energy consumption in developing countries, where most black carbon emissions occur. To gauge the theory-practice gap in black carbon mitigation - the unit cost differences that lie between what is estimated in the theory and what is practically achieved on the ground - this study conducted an extensive field survey and analysis of nine mitigation technologies in rural China, covering both northern and southern regions with different residential energy consumption patterns. With a special focus on two temporal characteristics of those technologies - lifetimes and annual utilization rates, this study quantitatively measured the unit cost gaps and explain the technical as well as sociopolitical mechanisms behind. Structural and behavioral barriers, which have affected the technologies' performance, are discussed together with policy implications to narrow those gaps.

Biomass power for rural development: Phase 2. Technical progress report, April 1--June 30, 1998

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

Neuhauser, E.

1998-11-01

The project undertaken by the Salix Consortium is a multi-phased, multi-partner endeavor. Phase-1 focused on initial development and testing of the technology and agreements necessary to demonstrate commercial willow production in Phase-2. The Phase-1 objectives have been successfully completed: preparing final design plans for two utility pulverized coal boilers, developing fuel supply plans for the project, obtaining power production commitments from the power companies for Phase-2, obtaining construction and environmental permits, and developing an experimental strategy for crop production and power generation improvements needed to assure commercial success. The R and D effort also addresses environmental issues pertaining to introductionmore » of the willow energy system. Beyond those Phase-1 requirements the Consortium has already successfully demonstrated cofiring at Greenidge Station and developed the required nursery capacity for acreage scale-up. This past summer 105 acres were prepared in advance for the spring planting in 1998. Having completed the above tasks, the Consortium is well positioned to begin Phase-2. In phase-2 every aspect of willow production and power generation from willow will be demonstrated. The ultimate objective of Phase-2 is to transition the work performed under the Rural Energy for the Future project into a thriving, self-supported energy crop enterprise.« less

[The applied of computer for analysis on contraceptive efficacy of IUD of rural women in Guangdong province].

PubMed

Jia, G H

1989-12-01

This paper discussed the usage and effect of IUD-type O use for rural married women in Guangdong province. The continuation rate of IUD-type O is 71.7 per cent 100 women in one year. The main problem for failure was expulsion. This paper have used a combination of univariate and multivariate analytic methods. On the whole, the important factors were number of gravid and parity, number of induced abortion and medical technical level etc.

[Dry toilets: a means of alternative sanitation].

PubMed

García-Ubaque, César A; Vaca-Bohórquez, Martha L; García-Ubaque, Juan C

2014-01-01

Evaluating dry toilet use in a rural area of Colombia. Fifteen families were selected by convenience sampling from the rural area of a municipality in the Cundinamarca department in Colombia. A dry (composting) toilet was installed in one house and used for demonstration purposes over a five-month period. An ex-post evaluation was made concerning technical and economic matters. A dry toilet is easy to construct/install and has environmental benefits associated with less contamination of water sources reduction and a reduced amount of chemical fertilizer. Dry toilets’ construction and operating costs may represent savings of Col$616973456 (US$308487) in the municipality being studied, compared to the costs involved in conventional toilet use. However, cultural barriers were found regarding their use. A large percentage of households in many countries’ rural sectors do not have a sewerage system for disposing of human waste. This situation creates significant challenges regarding environmental health and ecosystem conservation. Dry toilets represent an environmentally-acceptable solution from a technical and economic perspective; however, work is required concerning social and cultural factors producing cultural perceptions and prejudices about handling excreta to provide the necessary coverage and produce a significant impact on people’s awareness.

Promoting small towns for rural development: a view from Nepal.

PubMed

Bajracharya, B N

1995-06-01

Two small villages in Nepal are the subjects of case studies that illustrate the role of small towns in provision of services, employment, and market operations. Some general findings are that small towns act as service centers for distribution of basic essential goods such as food grains, salt, kerosene, and fabric for hill and mountain areas. The role of small towns as market centers and in the provision of employment is limited. In resource-poor areas small towns are less diversified. Towns with agricultural surpluses are more developed. Small hill towns satisfy consumption rather than production needs. The growth of rural areas and towns in rural areas in Nepal is dependent on arable land and levels of production in hill areas. Limited land and low levels of production have an adverse impact. Movement of people, goods, and services is limited by difficult terrain and lack of access to good roads. Variability in access to off-farm jobs and services available in small towns varies with ethnicity and place of residence. The best development strategy for small towns in Nepal is market-oriented territorial development, which retains surpluses in the local area and integrates markets in the larger economy. The strategy would decentralize planning into small territorial units that include both small towns and groups of villages, provide institutional support for the rural poor, expand off-farm employment, and include investment in region-serving functions. Subsistence agriculture needs to include diversification of high value cash crops based on local comparative advantage suitable for hill climate and terrain. Small farmers must produce both cash and subsistence crops. Government should provide market space and paved areas, weighing facilities, and overnight storage facilities. Products would be processed at the village level. Subdistricts must be established according to spatial and social linkages between villages and the service center and coordinated at the district level. Group marketing, transport to large urban centers, and agricultural technical services are needed.

Sustainable Biofuels A Transitions Approach to Understanding the Global Expansion of Ethanol and Biodiesel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cottes, Jeffrey Jacob

Between 1998 and 2008, the promise of biofuels to increase rural development, enhance energy security, and reduce greenhouse gas emissions stimulated their diffusion across international markets. This rapid expansion of ethanol and biodiesel encouraged many jurisdictions to implement biofuels expansion policies and programs. Global biofuels, characterised by mass production and international trade of ethanol and biodiesel, occurred despite their long history as marginal technologies on the fringe of the petroleum-based transportation energy regime. The first purpose of this dissertation is to examine the global expansion of ethanol and biodiesel to understand how these recurrent socio-technological failures co-evolved with petroleum transportation fuels. Drawing from the field of socio-technical transitions, this dissertation also assesses the global expansion of ethanol and biodiesel to determine whether or not these first generation biofuels are sustainable. Numerous studies have assessed the technical effects of ethanol and biodiesel, but effects-based technical assessments of transport biofuels are unable to explain the interaction of wider system elements. The configuration of multi-level factors (i.e., niche development, the technological regime, and the socio-technical landscape) informs the present and emerging social functions of biofuels, which become relevant when determining how biofuels might become a sustainable energy option. The biofuels regimes that evolved in Brazil, the United States, and the European Union provide case studies show how ethanol and biodiesel expanded from fringe fuels to global commodities. The production infrastructures within these dominant biofuels regimes contribute to a persistence of unsustainable first generation biofuels that can inhibit the technical development and sustainability of biofuels. However, new and emerging ethanol and biodiesel markets are relatively small in comparison to the dominant regimes, and can readily adapt to technical and regulatory change. This dissertation argues that dominant biofuels regimes have not produced a sustainable energy option. It explores the Canadian case to evaluate the opportunities for niche development, and suggests that small markets can develop niche innovations by regulating the insertion of sustainability criteria in order to de-align the dominant trajectory of global biofuels production regimes and encourage their re-alignment in a more sustainable configuration.

Research on the application of vehicle network in optimization of automobile supply supply chain

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jing, Xuelei; Jia, Baoxian

2017-09-01

The four key areas of the development of Internet-connected (intelligent transportation) with great potential for development,environmental monitoring, goods tracking, and the development of smart grid are the core supporting technologies of many applications. In order to improve the adaptability of data distribution, so that it can be used in urban, rural or highway and other different car networking scenarios, the study test and hypothetical test of the technical means to accurately estimate the different car network scene parameters indicators, and then different scenarios take different distribution strategies. Taking into account the limited nature of the data distribution of the Internet network data, the paper uses the idea of a customer to optimize the simulation

Home telemonitoring of vital signs--technical challenges and future directions.

PubMed

Celler, Branko G; Sparks, Ross S

2015-01-01

The telemonitoring of vital signs from the home is an essential element of telehealth services for the management of patients with chronic conditions, such as congestive heart failure (CHF), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), diabetes, or poorly controlled hypertension. Telehealth is now being deployed widely in both rural and urban settings, and in this paper, we discuss the contribution made by biomedical instrumentation, user interfaces, and automated risk stratification algorithms in developing a clinical diagnostic quality longitudinal health record at home. We identify technical challenges in the acquisition of high-quality biometric signals from unsupervised patients at home, identify new technical solutions and user interfaces, and propose new measurement modalities and signal processing techniques for increasing the quality and value of vital signs monitoring at home. We also discuss use of vital signs data for the automated risk stratification of patients, so that clinical resources can be targeted to those most at risk of unscheduled admission to hospital. New research is also proposed to integrate primary care, hospital, personal genomic, and telehealth electronic health records, and apply predictive analytics and data mining for enhancing clinical decision support.

Randomized Trial of Supported Employment Integrated With Assertive Community Treatment for Rural Adults With Severe Mental Illness

PubMed Central

Gold, Paul B; Meisler, Neil; Santos, Alberto B; Carnemolla, Mark A; Williams, Olivia H; Keleher, Jennie

2006-01-01

Urban-based randomized clinical trials of integrated supported employment (SE) and mental health services in the United States on average have doubled the employment rates of adults with severe mental illness (SMI) compared to traditional vocational rehabilitation. However, studies have not yet explored if the service integrative functions of SE will be effective in coordinating rural-based services that are limited, loosely linked, and geographically dispersed. In addition, SE's ability to replicate the work outcomes of urban programs in rural economies with scarce and less diverse job opportunities remains unknown. In a rural South Carolina county, we designed and implemented a program blending Assertive Community Treatment (ACT) with an SE model, Individual Placement and Support (IPS). The ACT-IPS program operated with ACT and IPS subteams that tightly integrated vocational with mental health services within each self-contained team. In a 24-month randomized clinical trial, we compared ACT-IPS to a traditional program providing parallel vocational and mental health services on competitive work outcomes for adults with SMI (N = 143; 69% schizophrenia, 77% African American). More ACT-IPS participants held competitive jobs (64 versus 26%; p < .001, effect size [ES] = 0.38) and earned more income (median [Mdn] = $549, interquartile range [IQR] = $0–$5,145, versus Mdn = $0, IQR = $0–$40; p < .001, ES = 0.70) than comparison participants. The competitive work outcomes of this rural ACT-IPS program closely resemble those of urban SE programs. However, achieving economic self-sufficiently and developing careers probably require increasing access to higher education and jobs imparting marketable technical skills. PMID:16177278

Disseminating Ambient Assisted Living in Rural Areas

PubMed Central

Leitner, Gerhard; Felfernig, Alexander; Fercher, Anton J.; Hitz, Martin

2014-01-01

The smart home, ambient intelligence and ambient assisted living have been intensively researched for decades. Although rural areas are an important potential market, because they represent about 80% of the territory of the EU countries and around 125 million inhabitants, there is currently a lack of applicable AAL solutions. This paper discusses the theoretical foundations of AAL in rural areas. This discussion is underlined by the achievements of the empirical field study, Casa Vecchia, which has been carried out over a four-year period in a rural area in Austria. The major goal of Casa Vecchia was to evaluate the feasibility of a specific form of AAL for rural areas: bringing AAL technology to the homes of the elderly, rather than moving seniors to special-equipped care facilities. The Casa Vecchia project thoroughly investigated the possibilities, challenges and drawbacks of AAL related to this specific approach. The findings are promising and somewhat surprising and indicate that further technical, interactional and socio-psychological research is required to make AAL in rural areas reasonable in the future. PMID:25068862

Thermal springs of Malaysia and their potentialdevelopment

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahim Samsudin, Abdul; Hamzah, Umar; Rahman, Rakmi Ab.; Siwar, Chamhuri; Fauzi Mohd. Jani, Mohd; Othman, Redzuan

The study on the potential development of hot springs for the tourism industry in Malaysiawas conducted. Out of the 40 hot springs covered, the study identified 9 hot springs having a high potential for development, 14 having medium potential and the remaining 17 having low or least potential for development. This conclusion was arrived at after considering the technical and economic feasibility of the various hot springs. Technical feasibility criteria includes geological factors, water quality, temperature and flow rate. The economic feasibility criteria considers measures such as accessibility, current and market potentials in terms of visitors, surrounding attractions and existing inventory and facilities available. A geological input indicates that high potential hot springs are located close to or within the granite body and associated with major permeable fault zones. They normally occur at low elevation adjacent to topographic highs. High potential hot springs are also characterised by high water temperature, substantial flowrate and very good water quality which is important for water-body contact activities such as soaking. Economic criteria for high potential hot springs are associated with good accessibility, good market, good surrounding attractions like rural and village setting and well developed facilities and infrastructures.

Biomass power for rural development. Technical progress report, May 1, 1996--December 31, 1996

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

Neuhauser, E.

Developing commercial energy crops for power generation by the year 2000 is the focus of the DOE/USDA sponsored Biomass Power for Rural Development project. The New York based Salix Consortium project is a multi-partner endeavor, implemented in three stages. Phase-I, Final Design and Project Development, will conclude with the preparation of construction and/or operating permits, feedstock production plans, and contracts ready for signature. Field trials of willow (Salix) have been initiated at several locations in New York (Tully, Lockport, King Ferry, La Facette, Massena, and Himrod) and co-firing tests are underway at Greenidge Station (NYSEG). Phase-II of the project willmore » focus on scale-up of willow crop acreage, construction of co-firing facilities at Dunkirk Station (NMPC), and final modifications for Greenidge Station. There will be testing of the energy crop as part of the gasification trials expected to occur at BED`s McNeill power station and potentially at one of GPU`s facilities. Phase-III will represent full-scale commercialization of the energy crop and power generation on a sustainable basis. Willow has been selected as the energy crop of choice for many reasons. Willow is well suited to the climate of the Northeastern United States, and initial field trials have demonstrated that the yields required for the success of the project are obtainable. Like other energy crops, willow has rural development benefits and could serve to diversify local crop production, provide new sources of income for participating growers, and create new jobs. Willow could be used to put a large base of idle acreage back into crop production. Additionally, the willow coppicing system integrates well with current farm operations and utilizes agricultural practices that are already familiar to farmers.« less

Rural and remote care

PubMed Central

Marciniuk, Darcy

2016-01-01

The challenges of providing quality respiratory care to persons living in rural or remote communities can be daunting. These populations are often vulnerable in terms of both health status and access to care, highlighting the need for innovation in service delivery. The rapidly expanding options available using telehealthcare technologies have the capacity to allow patients in rural and remote communities to connect with providers at distant sites and to facilitate the provision of diagnostic, monitoring, and therapeutic services. Successful implementation of telehealthcare programs in rural and remote settings is, however, contingent upon accounting for key technical, organizational, social, and legal considerations at the individual, community, and system levels. This review article discusses five types of telehealthcare delivery that can facilitate respiratory care for residents of rural or remote communities: remote monitoring (including wearable and ambient systems; remote consultations (between providers and between patients and providers), remote pulmonary rehabilitation, telepharmacy, and remote sleep monitoring. Current and future challenges related to telehealthcare are discussed. PMID:26902542

Biomass power for rural development. Technical progress report, January 1, 1997--March 31, 1997

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

Neuhauser, E.

Detailed task progress reports and schedules are provided for the DOE/USDA sponsored Biomass Power for Rural Development project. The focus of the project is on developing commercial energy crops for power generation by the year 2000. The New York based Salix Consortium project is a multi-partner endeavor, implemented in three stages. Phase-1, Final Design and Project Development, will conclude with the preparation of construction and/or operating permits, feedstock production plans, and contracts ready for signature. Field trials of willow (Salix) have been initiated at several locations in New York (Tully, Lockport, King Ferry, La Fayette, Massena, and Himrod) and co-firingmore » tests are underway at Greenidge Station (NYSEG) and Dunkirk Station (NMPC). Phase-II of the project will focus on scale-up of willow crop acreage, construction of co-firing facilities at Dunkirk Station (NMPC), and final modifications for Greenidge Station. Cofiring willow is also under consideration for GPU`s Seward Station where testing is under way. There will be an evaluation of the energy crop as part of the gasification trials occurring at BED`s McNeill power station. Phase-III will represent fullscale commercialization of the energy crop and power generation on a sustainable basis.« less

Biomass power for rural development. Technical progress report, April 1, 1997--June 30, 1997

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

Neuhauser, E.

Detailed task progress reports and schedules are provided for the DOE/USDA sponsored Biomass Power for Rural Development project. The focus of the project is on developing commercial energy crops for power generation by the year 2000. The New York based Salix Consortium project is a multi-partner endeavor, implemented in three stages. Phase-I, Final Design and Project Development, will conclude with the preparation of construction and/or operating permits, feedstock production plans, and contracts ready for signature. Field trials of willow (Salix) have been initiated at several locations in New York (Tully, Lockport, King Ferry, La Fayette, Massena, and Himrod) and co-firingmore » tests are underway at Greenidge Station (NYSEG) and Dunkirk Station (NMPC). Phase-H of the project will focus on scale-up of willow crop acreage, construction of co-firing facilities at Dunkirk Station (NMPC), and final modifications for Greenidge Station. Cofiring willow is also under consideration for GPU`s Seward Station where testing is under way. There will be an evaluation of the energy crop as part of the gasification trials occurring at BED`s McNeill power station. Phase-III will represent fullscale commercialization of the energy crop and power generation on a sustainable basis.« less

Influence of Science, Technology, and Engineering Curriculum on Rural Midwestern High School Student Career Decisions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Killingsworth, John

Low degree completion in technical and engineering degrees is a growing concern for policymakers and educators in the United States. This study was an examination of the behaviors of adolescents specific to career decisions related to technology and engineering. The central research question for this study was: do rural, Midwestern high school technical and engineering curricula serve to engage students sufficiently to encourage them to persist through high school while sustaining their interests in technology and engineering careers? Engaging students in technology and engineering fields is the challenge for educators throughout the country and the Midwest. Rural schools have the additional challenge of meeting those issues because of resource limitations. Students in three Midwestern schools were surveyed to determine the level of interest in technology and engineering. The generalized likelihood ratio test was used to overcome concerns for small sample sizes. Accounting for dependent variables, multiple independent variables are examined using descriptive statistics to determine which have greater influence on career decisions, specifically those related to technology and engineering. A typical science curriculum is defined for rural Midwestern high schools. This study concludes that such curriculum achieves the goal of maintaining or increasing student interest and engagement in STEM careers. Furthermore, those schools that incorporate contextual and experiential learning activities into the curriculum demonstrate increased results in influencing student career choices toward technology and engineering careers. Implications for parents, educators, and industry professionals are discussed.

ReSCA: decision support tool for remediation planning after the Chernobyl accident.

PubMed

Ulanovsky, A; Jacob, P; Fesenko, S; Bogdevitch, I; Kashparov, V; Sanzharova, N

2011-03-01

Radioactive contamination of the environment following the Chernobyl accident still provide a substantial impact on the population of affected territories in Belarus, Russia, and Ukraine. Reduction of population exposure can be achieved by performing remediation activities in these areas. Resulting from the IAEA Technical Co-operation Projects with these countries, the program ReSCA (Remediation Strategies after the Chernobyl Accident) has been developed to provide assistance to decision makers and to facilitate a selection of an optimized remediation strategy in rural settlements. The paper provides in-depth description of the program, its algorithm, and structure. © Springer-Verlag 2010

ERCMExpress. Volume 3, Issue 5

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Taylor, Matt

2007-01-01

The Emergency Response and Crisis Management (ECRM) Technical Assistance Center's newsletter "ERCMExpress" provides comprehensive information on key issues in school emergency management. Many nontraditional schools across the United States, such as storefront schools, rural schools, and alternative education facilities, face challenges…

Gravel road paving guidelines, technical summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-11-01

The percentage of gravel roads in rural areas in Kansas is higher than most states. A wide variation of traffic volumes across different regions and variations of local conditions and scenarios present a great challenge for local agencies to determin...

Variations in Medicare Reimbursement in Radiation Oncology: An Analysis of the Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data Set

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

Vu, Charles C.; Lanni, Thomas B.; Robertson, John M., E-mail: JRobertson@beaumont.edu

Purpose: The purposes of this study were to summarize recently published data on Medicare reimbursement to individual radiation oncologists and to identify the causes of variation in Medicare reimbursement in radiation oncology. Methods and Materials: The Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data: Physician and Other Supplier Public Use File (POSPUF), which details nearly all services provided by radiation oncologists in 2012, was used for this study. The data were filtered and analyzed by physician and by billing code. Statistical analysis was performed to identify differences in reimbursements based on sex, rurality, billing of technical services, or location in a certificatemore » of need (CON) state. Results: There were 4135 radiation oncologists who received a total of $1,499,625,803 in payments from Medicare in 2012. Seventy-five percent of radiation oncologists were male. The median reimbursement was $146,453. The code with the highest total reimbursement was 77418 (radiation treatment delivery intensity modulated radiation therapy [IMRT]). The most commonly billed evaluation and management (E/M) code for new visits was 99205 (49%). The most commonly billed E/M code for established visits was 99213 (54%). Forty percent of providers billed none of their new office visits using 99205 (the highest E/M billing code), whereas 34% of providers billed all of their new office visits using 99205. For the 1510 radiation oncologists (37%) who billed technical services, median Medicare reimbursement was $606,008, compared with $93,921 for all other radiation oncologists (P<.001). On multivariate analysis, technical services billing (P<.001), male sex (P<.001), and rural location (P=.007) were predictive of higher Medicare reimbursement. Conclusions: The billing of technical services, with their high capital and labor overhead requirements, limits any comparison in reimbursement between individual radiation oncologists or between radiation oncologists and other specialists. Male sex and rural practice location are independent predictors of higher total Medicare reimbursements.« less

Variations in Medicare Reimbursement in Radiation Oncology: An Analysis of the Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data Set.

PubMed

Vu, Charles C; Lanni, Thomas B; Robertson, John M

2016-04-01

The purposes of this study were to summarize recently published data on Medicare reimbursement to individual radiation oncologists and to identify the causes of variation in Medicare reimbursement in radiation oncology. The Medicare Provider Utilization and Payment Data: Physician and Other Supplier Public Use File (POSPUF), which details nearly all services provided by radiation oncologists in 2012, was used for this study. The data were filtered and analyzed by physician and by billing code. Statistical analysis was performed to identify differences in reimbursements based on sex, rurality, billing of technical services, or location in a certificate of need (CON) state. There were 4135 radiation oncologists who received a total of $1,499,625,803 in payments from Medicare in 2012. Seventy-five percent of radiation oncologists were male. The median reimbursement was $146,453. The code with the highest total reimbursement was 77418 (radiation treatment delivery intensity modulated radiation therapy [IMRT]). The most commonly billed evaluation and management (E/M) code for new visits was 99205 (49%). The most commonly billed E/M code for established visits was 99213 (54%). Forty percent of providers billed none of their new office visits using 99205 (the highest E/M billing code), whereas 34% of providers billed all of their new office visits using 99205. For the 1510 radiation oncologists (37%) who billed technical services, median Medicare reimbursement was $606,008, compared with $93,921 for all other radiation oncologists (P<.001). On multivariate analysis, technical services billing (P<.001), male sex (P<.001), and rural location (P=.007) were predictive of higher Medicare reimbursement. The billing of technical services, with their high capital and labor overhead requirements, limits any comparison in reimbursement between individual radiation oncologists or between radiation oncologists and other specialists. Male sex and rural practice location are independent predictors of higher total Medicare reimbursements. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

A case study of the counterpart technical support policy to improve rural health services in Beijing.

PubMed

Jian, Weiyan; Chan, Kit Yee; Tang, Shunv; Reidpath, Daniel D

2012-12-29

There is, globally, an often observed inequality in the health services available in urban and rural areas. One strategy to overcome the inequality is to require urban doctors to spend time in rural hospitals. This approach was adopted by the Beijing Municipality (population of 20.19 million) to improve rural health services, but the approach has never been systematically evaluated. Drawing upon 1.6 million cases from 24 participating hospitals in Beijing (13 urban and 11 rural hospitals) from before and after the implementation of the policy, changes in the rural-urban hospital performance gap were examined. Hospital performance was assessed using changes in six indices over-time: Diagnosis Related Groups quantity, case-mix index (CMI), cost expenditure index (CEI), time expenditure index (TEI), and mortality rates of low- and high-risk diseases. Significant reductions in rural-urban gaps were observed in DRGs quantity and mortality rates for both high- and low-risk diseases. These results signify improvements of rural hospitals in terms of medical safety, and capacity to treat emergency cases and more diverse illnesses. No changes in the rural-urban gap in CMI were observed. Post-implementation, cost and time efficiencies worsened for the rural hospitals but improved for urban hospitals, leading to a widening rural-urban gap in hospital efficiency. The strategy for reducing urban-rural gaps in health services adopted, by the Beijing Municipality shows some promise. Gains were not consistent, however, across all performance indicators, and further improvements will need to be tried and evaluated.

Analysis of the division of the urban-rural ecotone in the city of Zhuhai

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Cui, Nan; Zhou, Sulong; Guo, Luo

2018-02-01

In this study, a high-resolution remote sensing image of downtown Zhuhai (2010) was used to analyze the division of the urban-rural ecotone. Based on the information entropy theory, the study analyzed the characteristics of the ecotone’s land use and entropy value distribution, the break entropy values of the inner and outer boundary, as determined by mutation detection, were 0.51 and 0.46, respectively, providing a range for the rough classification of the rural-urban ecotone. The results showed that the boundaries of the ecotone were dynamic and the landscape turbulence of the urban fringe in the section between rural and urban areas was greater than that of the core area and imagery area of Zhuhai city. We concluded that this study provided technical support for urban planning and administration in the city of Zhuhai.

Community leadership competencies in the Northeast US: implications for training public health educators.

PubMed Central

Strand, G A

1981-01-01

A survey was conducted to determine leadership competencies as perceived by 679 community residents (urban/rural) in six states of the Northeast United States. Respondents were asked to rate the extent to which it is important for a community leader to use each competency listed in the instrument. A factor analysis reduced the list of 39 competency items examined into nine distinct factors. Alpha internal consistency estimates revealed the strength of correlation among items in each factor. A series of one-way analyses of variance failed to show a significant difference between urban/rural community respondents' scores for each factor. The findings suggest specific leadership competencies which should be emphasized in training experiences. Conceptual competencies were identified as most important (problem delineation, organization, management of change, etc.), followed by human competencies (demeanor, empathy, attitudes) and technical competencies (budgeting, supervision, needs assessment) respectively. Items within each factor have implications for development of specific content areas in a leadership training curriculum for public health educators. PMID:7468880

Development Strategy for Mobilecommunications Market in Chinese Rural Area

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Liwei; Zhang, Yanjun; Xu, Liying; Li, Daoliang

Based on full analysis of rural mobile communication market, in order to explore mobile operators in rural areas of information services for sustainable development model, this paper presents three different aspects, including rural mobile communications market demand, the rural market for mobile communications business model and development strategies for rural mobile communications market research business. It supplies some valuable references for operators to develop rural users rapidly, develop the rural market effectively and to get access to develop a broad space.

Use of Barriers in Rural Open Road Conditions--A Synthesis Study : [Technical Summary

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-01-01

Although sufficiently wide medians and clear zones improve : roadside safety, the AASHTO Design Policy allows : for the use of barriers under restricted conditions. Recent : experience with Indianas I-69 corridor challenges : the current design pr...

7 CFR 1775.7 - Environmental requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 12 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Environmental requirements. 1775.7 Section 1775.7 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANTS General Provisions § 1775.7 Environmental requirements...

7 CFR 1944.510 - Applicant eligibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

...-income rural families; (e) Have the ability and willingness to work within established guidelines; and (f... capacity, it must either: (1) Have necessary background and experience with proven ability to perform... or administrative experience which indicates an ability to provide responsible technical and...

7 CFR 1944.510 - Applicant eligibility.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

...-income rural families; (e) Have the ability and willingness to work within established guidelines; and (f... capacity, it must either: (1) Have necessary background and experience with proven ability to perform... or administrative experience which indicates an ability to provide responsible technical and...

7 CFR 1775.7 - Environmental requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 12 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Environmental requirements. 1775.7 Section 1775.7 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANTS General Provisions § 1775.7 Environmental requirements...

7 CFR 23.1 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... utilize and build upon the research, extension, and community service capability of public and private institutions of higher education in each State to expand scientific inquiry and education backup for rural... manner, scientific information, technical assistance, and feasibility studies required to improve the...

7 CFR 23.1 - General.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... utilize and build upon the research, extension, and community service capability of public and private institutions of higher education in each State to expand scientific inquiry and education backup for rural... manner, scientific information, technical assistance, and feasibility studies required to improve the...

Appropriate training and retention of community doctors in rural areas: a case study from Mali.

PubMed

Van Dormael, Monique; Dugas, Sylvie; Kone, Yacouba; Coulibaly, Seydou; Sy, Mansour; Marchal, Bruno; Desplats, Dominique

2008-11-18

While attraction of doctors to rural settings is increasing in Mali, there is concern for their retention. An orientation course for young practicing rural doctors was set up in 2003 by a professional association and a NGO. The underlying assumption was that rurally relevant training would strengthen doctors' competences and self-confidence, improve job satisfaction, and consequently contribute to retention. Programme evaluation distinguished trainees' opinions, competences and behaviour. Data were collected through participant observation, group discussions, satisfaction questionnaires, a monitoring tool of learning progress, and follow up visits. Retention was assessed for all 65 trainees between 2003 and 2007. The programme consisted of four classroom modules--clinical skills, community health, practice management and communication skills--and a practicum supervised by an experienced rural doctor. Out of the 65 trained doctors between 2003 and 2007, 55 were still engaged in rural practice end of 2007, suggesting high retention for the Malian context. Participants viewed the training as crucial to face technical and social problems related to rural practice. Discussing professional experience with senior rural doctors contributed to socialisation to novel professional roles. Mechanisms underlying training effects on retention include increased self confidence, self esteem as rural doctor, and sense of belonging to a professional group sharing a common professional identity. Retention can however not be attributed solely to the training intervention, as rural doctors benefit from other incentives and support mechanisms (follow up visits, continuing training, mentoring...) affecting job satisfaction. Training increasing self confidence and self esteem of rural practitioners may contribute to retention of skilled professionals in rural areas. While reorientations of curricula in training institutions are necessary, other types of professional support are needed. This experience suggests that professional associations dedicated to strengthening quality of care can contribute significantly to rural practitioners' morale.

Rural women in Africa and technological change: some issues.

PubMed

Date-bah, E; Stevens, Y

1981-01-01

The attempt is made in this discussion to highlight some of the important sociological and technical issues relating to rural women in Africa and technological change which appear to have been underplayed, misconceived or overlooked in the past. Attention is directed to the rural woman as a member of the family unit, the image of the rural man, rural women as a diversified group, community and national governmental commitment to rural technology innovations, the use of already existing traditional groups and institutions to effect rural technological change, and design specifications and shortcomings of equipment and tools (manufacturing costs, exploitation of locally available energy resources, the simplicity of the devices), and infrastructural and marketing problems. Numberous projects aimed at improving the lot of women in the rural areas have focused only on women, rather than the woman as a member of an extended as well as a nuclear family unit. Consequently, they have failed, for rural women do not exist or operate in isolation. It is difficult to believe the overall image in much of the literature that the husbands of rural women show no sympathy or regard for their wives. In the effort to attract investment to improve upon the position of rural women, reality should not be distorted with this one-sided view. Men should be involved in the technology planned for rural women, and the technological change should be planned and implemented in such a way that it results in an improvement in the relationship between the rural couple and generally between members of the rural family and between males and females in the village. Another problem is overgeneralization, and it must be recognized that considerable differentiation exists between rural women themselves. The importance of community, governmental and political commitment to rural technology innovations in order to ensure their success is neglected in the literature. The government and polictical leadership can do much to introduce improved technologies in the rural areas. The use of existing traditional institutions to bring about tecnological change in the rural areas needs to be stressed. Primary reasons why some of the improved devices introduced for use by rural women have been rejected include the following: the devices fail to meet the priority needs of the women and socioeconomic and cultural factors are not considered in their design. Most developing countries are without the required industries to produce the needed basic components. Exploitation of some of the available natural resources would make life much easier for rural women. As rural societies are usually imperfectly linked to bacly organized markets, infrastructural facilities, such as feeder roads, would have to be improved. The following are among the hypotheses suggested by this review: technological innovations linked to existing traditional skills and methods are likely to have easier acceptance in the rural areas than those divorced from these skills and methods; and technological innovations which are disseminated through existing traditional institutions and groups are likely to have easier acceptance. Guidelines for future research are included.

The worldwide market for photovoltaics in the rural sector

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Brainard, W. A.

1982-01-01

Attention is given to the assessment of results obtained by three NASA studies aimed at determining the global market for stand-alone photovoltaic (PV) power systems in the village power, cottage industry, and agricultural applications areas of the rural sector. An attempt was made to identify technical, social, and institutional barriers to PV system implementation, as well as the funding sources available to potential users. Country- and sector-specific results are discussed, and marketing strategies appropriate for each sector are suggested for the benefit of American PV products manufacturers.

Arsenic removal methods for drinking water in the developing countries: technological developments and research needs.

PubMed

Kabir, Fayzul; Chowdhury, Shakhawat

2017-11-01

Arsenic pollution of drinking water is a concern, particularly in the developing countries. Removal of arsenic from drinking water is strongly recommended. Despite the availability of efficient technologies for arsenic removal, the small and rural communities in the developing countries are not capable of employing most of these technologies due to their high cost and technical complexity. There is a need for the "low-cost" and "easy to use" technologies to protect the humans in the arsenic affected developing countries. In this study, arsenic removal technologies were summarized and the low-cost technologies were reviewed. The advantages and disadvantages of these technologies were identified and their scopes of applications and improvements were investigated. The costs were compared in context to the capacity of the low-income populations in the developing countries. Finally, future research directions were proposed to protect the low-income populations in the developing countries.

What is safe and clean water in rural Bolivian communities? A preliminary investigation of heavy metal contamination in rural community water systems in the Bolivian Altiplano

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Borella, M.; Guido, Z.; Borella, P.; Ketron, T.

2009-12-01

A proliferation of potable water systems utilizing groundwater is currently underway in the Lake Titicaca region of the Bolivian Altiplano. With the aid of national and international organizations, rural communities are developing groundwater sources because the region’s surface water is highly contaminated with waterborne pathogens—the primary factor contributing to high child mortality rates in developing nations. According to UNICEF, 86 percent of Bolivian families have access to “improved” water systems, which predominantly take the form of deep groundwater wells or contained natural springs. While the water systems have worked well to reduce pathogens in drinking water systems that cause illnesses such as dysentery, the water is rarely tested for heavy metal contamination, such as arsenic and lead. While bacteria analysis is essential, it is not the only component of healthy drinking water. Testing for heavy metals is especially important in the Bolivian Altiplano because abundant volcanic deposits and massive sulfide deposits suggest that in some areas it is likely that the water contains elevated concentrations of heavy metals. In this study, Terra Resource Development International, A California-based 502(c)3 nonprofit organization, partnered with Stanford University, the Technical University of Bolivia, and the Bolivian Geologic and Mining Survey to collect water samples in 36 rural community situated in four watersheds feeding into Lake Titicaca. Water was collected from shallow, hand dug wells, deep groundwater wells, springs, and small rivers in the Tiwanku, Laja, Batallas, Achacachi watersheds and were analyzed for inorganic contaminants. Samples were analyzed at Stanford’s Environmental Measurements Facility using the Inductively Coupled Plasma (ICP) Spectrometer for major ions and heavy metals. Results will help determine which, if any, community water systems are at risk of heavy metal contamination, where more comprehensive sampling is needed, and will inform Bolivian water managers of the potential need for heavy metal analysis.

Safe drinking water production in rural areas: a comparison between developed and less developed countries.

PubMed

Cotruvo, J A; Trevant, C

2000-01-01

At the fundamental level, there are remarkable parallels between developed and less developed countries in problems of providing safe drinking water in rural areas, but of course, they differ greatly in degree and in the opportunities for resolution. Small water supplies frequently encounter difficulty accessing sufficient quantities of drinking water for all domestic uses. If the water must be treated for safety reasons, then treatment facilities and trained operating personnel and finances are always in short supply. Ideally, each solution should be sustainable within its own cultural, political and economic context, and preferably with local personnel and financial resources. Otherwise, the water supply will be continuously dependent on outside resources and thus will not be able to control its destiny, and its future will be questionable. The history of success in this regard has been inconsistent, particularly in less developed but also in some developed countries. The traditional and ideal solution in developing countries has been central water treatment and a piped distribution network, however, results have had a mixed history primarily due to high initial costs and operation and maintenance, inadequate access to training, management and finance sufficient to support a fairly complex system for the long term. These complete systems are also slow to be implemented so waterborne disease continues in the interim. Thus, non-traditional, creative, cost-effective practical solutions that can be more rapidly implemented are needed. Some of these options could involve: small package central treatment coupled with non piped distribution, e.g. community supplied bottled water; decentralized treatment for the home using basic filtration and/or disinfection; higher levels of technology to deal with chemical contaminants e.g. natural fluoride or arsenic. These technological options coupled with training, technical support and other essential elements like community commitment provide opportunities that should be explored both for rural small communities and in rapidly growing periurban areas in developing countries.

Extension materials for meat-borne parasitic diseases in developing countries.

PubMed

Rimm, Mogens

2003-06-01

In support of a project on porcine cysticercosis in Tanzania, an educational video was prepared to inform the rural communities on the health risks and prevention of the parasitic disease. This paper describes the process involved in making the video, especially the importance of establishing a good understanding between veterinary public health officials and the video producer. Important steps in the process include determining the target audience, the film's core message, the construction of the "story", script development, the filming and editing activities, and, importantly, the development of strategies for production and use of the film as extension material. Suggestions on logistical and technical aspects of filming and viewing are also discussed. The experience gained in Tanzania will be of value to others planning similar projects elsewhere.

Expansion of antiretroviral treatment to rural health centre level by a mobile service in Mumbwa district, Zambia

PubMed Central

Dube, Christopher; Hayakawa, Tadao; Kakimoto, Kazuhiro; Yamada, Norio; Simpungwe, James B

2010-01-01

Abstract Problem Despite the Government’s effort to expand services to district level, it is still hard for people living with HIV to access antiretroviral treatment (ART) in rural Zambia. Strong demands for expanding ART services at the rural health centre level face challenges of resource shortages. Approach The Mumbwa district health management team introduced mobile ART services using human resources and technical support from district hospitals, and community involvement at four rural health centres in the first quarter of 2007. This paper discusses the uptake of the mobile ART services in rural Mumbwa. Local setting Mumbwa is a rural district with an area of 23 000 km2 and a population of 167 000. Before the introduction of mobile services, ART services were provided only at Mumbwa District Hospital. Relevant changes The mobile services improved accessibility to ART, especially for clients in better functional status, i.e. still able to work. In addition, these mobile services may reduce the number of cases “lost to follow-up”. This might be due to the closer involvement of the community and the better support offered by these services to rural clients. Lessons learnt These mobile ART services helped expand services to rural health facilities where resources are limited, bringing them as close as possible to where clients live. PMID:20931065

7 CFR 1944.417 - Servicing actions after grant closing.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) PROGRAM REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) HOUSING Self-Help Technical Assistance... 7 Agriculture 13 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Servicing actions after grant closing. 1944.417 Section 1944.417 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL HOUSING...

7 CFR 1944.421 - Refunding of an existing grantee.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) PROGRAM REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) HOUSING Self-Help Technical Assistance Grants § 1944.421 Refunding of an existing grantee. Grantees wishing to continue with self-help efforts after the... 1944.421 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL HOUSING SERVICE...

7 CFR 1942.310 - Other considerations.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

...) Floodplains and wetlands. All projects must comply with Executive Order 11988 “Floodplain Management” and... grant program established by this subpart is to improve business, industry and employment in rural areas... projects that minimize the potential to adversely impact the environment. (2) Technical assistance. The...

Coordination and safety procedures for mail delivery on roadways without shoulders : technical report.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2009-08-01

This research utilized interviews, focus groups, and surveys of U.S. Postal Service (USPS) and Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT) employees to determine safety and coordination issues related to mail delivery on rural, two-lane highways witho...

Analysis and methods of improvement of safety at high-speed rural intersections [technical summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-01-01

INTRODUCTION: Since 2006, INDOT has been preparing an annual fivepercent : report that identifies intersections and segments : on Indiana state roads that require attention due to the : excessive number and severity of crashes. Many of the : identifi...

The Ninth National Conference on Rural Public Transportation - Final Report

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1990-09-01

This report consists of transcriptions from the sessions of the subject conference, held in October 1989 in San Antonio, Texas. This biennial conference is one of the premier technical sessions held on the topic, and covered the full range of topics ...

75 FR 38082 - Solicitation of Applications for the Research and Evaluation Program: FY 2010 Triple Bottom Line...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-07-01

...Pursuant to the Research and Evaluation program, the Economic Development Administration (EDA) seeks applications to research, develop, and disseminate metrics to enable policymakers and practitioners to more effectively understand how to assess the triple bottom line (economic, environmental, and social impacts) of various economic development activities. EDA's mission is to lead the Federal economic development agenda by promoting innovation and competitiveness, preparing American regions for growth and success in the worldwide economy. Through its Research and Evaluation program, EDA works towards fulfilling its mission by funding research and technical assistance projects to promote competitiveness and innovation in distressed rural and urban regions throughout the United States and its territories. By working in conjunction with its research partners, EDA will help States, local governments, and community-based organizations to achieve their highest economic potential.

Saudi Arabia's experience in solar energy applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huraib, Fahad S.

The progress in solar energy research in Saudi Arabia is discussed with emphasis on the efforts of a government research entity - King Adbulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST). Three programs currently underway at KACST are considered: the continuation of activities initiated under the Solar Energy Research American/Saudi (SOLERAS) program, a Saudi/German program, and projects developed and conducted completely by KACST. The objectives, management structure, and program organization of SOLEARS are outlined, and attention is focused on urban, rural/agricultural, and industrial applications as well as resource development activities and accomplishments. Solar-hydrogen projects pursued together with Germany are reviewed, and their objectives, program management, and technical plans are covered. Domestic programs dealing with photovoltaic-powered lightning and hot-water systems are summarized.

[World deliberations in Rio].

PubMed

Annis, B

1991-01-01

The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED) was held in Rio de Janeiro in June 1992 and dealt with world trade, environmental education, environmental emergencies, the transfer of technology and financial resources, and the restructuring of international systems for tackling environmental problems. Other issues on the agenda were the protection of the atmosphere, the ozone shield, deforestation, the conservation of biological diversity, sustainable urban and rural development, and the safeguarding of human health and quality of life. The preparation for the conference took place through a series of meetings, which also featured the problems of rural areas in the Americas. Some environmental organizations based in Washington, D.C. had become impassive over the years and promoted bipartisan and apolitical issues in order to obtain funds. Nonetheless, some groups criticized the projects of the World Bank. In 1990 the World Bank established the World Environmental Program for developing countries, which envisioned the execution of 15 projects and 11 technical assistance proposals. Nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) were also active in this effort. The Interamerican Development Bank also launched a forest policy for preserving forest resources. This was the consequence of the 1982 scheme that aimed at protecting forest populations and promoting sustainable forest industries. At another conference of development specialists the discrimination against women was cited as a major factor in the deleterious use of natural resources. A new development concept was urged that would incorporate the rights and participation of women as a central strategy in solving the global environmental crisis. The global population is growing at a rate of 95 million people per year, which underlines the need for better representation of women, poor people, and rural areas in state agencies and multilateral and environmental organizations for promoting sustainable local development. The increasing use of energy, the North-South dichotomy, and the issue of global warming were also explored.

Final Technical Report

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

Lisa M. Daniels

2002-05-08

This project was very successful in terms of providing a unique source of information for rural communities and landowners. We are very pleased with the overall results and believe that this is a vital program for the sustainable development of wind energy. The outreach materials created by Windustry are filling a serious void in information about how local communities and rural landowners can participate in wind development projects. In our program implementation we learned how great the demand is for this type of information both through our hotline calls and website usage. We also realized that the materials require constantmore » updating and maintenance. There is a balance that needs to be found in printing the materials to have handouts ready at meetings for our primary target audience and more research and revisions for the website materials. All of this work is of an ongoing nature. Since this funding was awarded for one year, Windustry will be seeking other funding sources to continue the work in future years. Below is a summary of the Windustry accomplishments as well a sampling of website usage reports. Windustry is appreciative of the US DOE for its support of this wind energy industry work and the Wind Powering America initiative.« less

Quality Assurance Framework Implementation Guide for Isolated Community Power Systems

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

Esterly, Sean R.; Baring-Gould, Edward I.; Burman, Kari A.

This implementation guide is a companion document to the 'Quality Assurance Framework for Mini-Grids' technical report. This document is intended to be used by one of the many stakeholder groups that take part in the implementation of isolated power systems. Although the QAF could be applied to a single system, it was designed primarily to be used within the context of a larger national or regional rural electrification program in which many individual systems are being installed. This guide includes a detailed overview of the Quality Assurance Framework and provides guidance focused on the implementation of the Framework from themore » perspective of the different stakeholders that are commonly involved in expanding energy development within specific communities or regions. For the successful long-term implementation of a specific rural electrification program using mini-grid systems, six key stakeholders have been identified that are typically engaged, each with a different set of priorities 1. Regulatory agency 2. Governmental ministry 3. System developers 4. Mini-utility 5. Investors 6. Customers/consumers. This document is broken into two distinct sections. The first focuses on the administrative processes in the development and operation of community-based mini-grid programs, while the second focuses on the process around the installation of the mini-grid project itself.« less

Teen pregnancy prevention: a rural model using school and community collaboration.

PubMed

Barnes, N D; Harrod, S E

1993-11-01

From 1980 to 1989 there were 2069 babies born to teenage mothers in northeastern Connecticut, accounting for more than 10% of all births in this region. A Connecticut model program that combats teen pregnancy and emphasizes a collaborative venture between a state-funded community-based pregnancy prevention program and a regional vocational-technical high school located in a rural setting is described. Beginning in the fall of 1987, a group of local providers and concerned citizens formed a steering committee which was given funding to initiate services in early 1988. The objectives of the Northeast Connecticut Teen Pregnancy Prevention Program were (a) to enhance the capacity of parents to prevent teen pregnancy, (b) to increase public education concerning the prevention of teenage pregnancy, (c) to increase the coordinated planning of teen pregnancy prevention resources, and (d) to mobilize additional teen pregnancy prevention resources. At the regional vocational-technical high school in rural north eastern Connecticut a pregnancy prevention program for students in grades 9 through 12 was designed called Contemporary Life Issues Clinic (CLIC). This voluntary experiential program lasted 8 weeks for male and female students. Each week, one session operated during regular school hours. Students preregistered for each week's activity or clinic in the guidance office. CLIC's consisted of eight topics with accompanying activities aimed at improving sexual responsibility; increasing the decision-making skills of students; encouraging the development of coping skills; fostering emotional growth; cultivating success-oriented attitudes; providing information in pregnancy prevention, sexually transmitted disease including AIDS; and providing information regarding the financial and legal implications of parenthood. During the fall of 1990, CLIC had 98 participants. The majority of the students were young women. The most heavily attended session dealt with contraception; the fewest participants attended the session devoted to sexually transmitted diseases. CLIC has the potential for expansion and improvement.

Feasibility of Using Unbound Mixed Recycled Aggregates from CDW over Expansive Clay Subgrade in Unpaved Rural Roads

PubMed Central

Del Rey, Isaac; Ayuso, Jesús; Galvín, Adela P.; Jiménez, José R.; Barbudo, Auxi

2016-01-01

Social awareness aims to increase practical skills, such as sustainable development, which seeks to increase the use of different types of waste in construction activities. Although insufficient attention is sometimes given to these actions, it is essential to spread information regarding new studies in the field of waste recycling, which encourages and promotes waste use. Reusing and recycling construction waste in the creation of buildings and infrastructure are fundamental strategies to achieving sustainability in the construction and engineering sectors. In this context, the concept of waste would no longer exist, as waste would become a material resource. Therefore, this study analyses the behaviours of two unbound mixed recycled aggregates (MRA) in the structural layers of an unpaved rural road with low traffic (category T43). The sections were built on inappropriate soil (A-7-6) with a high degree of free swelling. The experimental road consisted of three sections: the first was made with natural aggregates (NA) that were used as a control, the second was composed of MRA in the subbase and NA in the base, and the third section was completely composed of MRA. The materials were characterised in the laboratory. The behaviours of the structural layers in the experimental road were determined by controlling compaction (“in situ” density and moisture) and measuring the deflections and load capacity (deflectometer) during the 18 months after construction. The results show that the sections made with recycled aggregates meet the technical specifications required by General Technical Specifications for Road and Bridge Works (PG-3). Therefore, the water-soluble sulphate content and Los Angeles abrasion coefficient limits can be increased for recycled aggregates without compromising the quality of this type of road with low traffic. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study regarding the use of unbound MRA made from construction and demolition waste (CDW) in the construction of an unpaved rural road with low traffic on an expansive clay subgrade. PMID:28774053

7 CFR 22.204 - Rural development committees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Rural development committees. 22.204 Section 22.204 Agriculture Office of the Secretary of Agriculture RURAL DEVELOPMENT COORDINATION Roles and Responsibilities of Federal Government § 22.204 Rural development committees. State rural development committees...

7 CFR 22.204 - Rural development committees.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Rural development committees. 22.204 Section 22.204 Agriculture Office of the Secretary of Agriculture RURAL DEVELOPMENT COORDINATION Roles and Responsibilities of Federal Government § 22.204 Rural development committees. State rural development committees...

Profiles in Rural Economic Development: A Guidebook of Selected Successful Rural Area Initiatives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Thomas, Margaret G.

This guidebook presents 64 profiles of successful economic development initiatives in the small towns and rural areas of 37 states. Intended for use by rural and small town leaders and rural economic development specialists, the guide provides ideas, encouragement, and an "insider perspective" on alternative rural development strategies.…

Pilot of a mobile money school fee payment system in rural Benin.

PubMed

Adida, Claire L; Chabi Bouko, Adam; Verink, Alex; Chockalingam, Ganz; Burney, Jennifer

2018-01-01

We present a rationale for, and results from, the pilot of a direct individual-to-institution remittance system in the context of school fee payment in rural Benin. Data confirm that school fees act as an impediment to educational attainment, and in very rural poor settings such as northern Benin, students often depend on extended family and kinship networks to pay fees. But existing remittance options are costly, in terms of fees, time, and risk. We pilot a new technology bundle in a single public high school in northeastern Benin, and evaluate its effectiveness. Here we describe the technical and institutional implementation of the project, as well as our findings from the first year of operation. We discuss takeaways and implications for scale-up.

Pilot of a mobile money school fee payment system in rural Benin

PubMed Central

Chabi Bouko, Adam; Verink, Alex; Chockalingam, Ganz; Burney, Jennifer

2018-01-01

We present a rationale for, and results from, the pilot of a direct individual-to-institution remittance system in the context of school fee payment in rural Benin. Data confirm that school fees act as an impediment to educational attainment, and in very rural poor settings such as northern Benin, students often depend on extended family and kinship networks to pay fees. But existing remittance options are costly, in terms of fees, time, and risk. We pilot a new technology bundle in a single public high school in northeastern Benin, and evaluate its effectiveness. Here we describe the technical and institutional implementation of the project, as well as our findings from the first year of operation. We discuss takeaways and implications for scale-up. PMID:29889839

Introduction of mobile phones for use by volunteer community health workers in support of integrated community case management in Bushenyi District, Uganda: development and implementation process.

PubMed

Tumusiime, David Katuruba; Agaba, Gad; Kyomuhangi, Teddy; Finch, Jan; Kabakyenga, Jerome; MacLeod, Stuart

2014-01-01

A substantial literature suggests that mobile phones have great potential to improve management and survival of acutely ill children in rural Africa. The national strategy of the Ugandan Ministry of Health calls for employment of volunteer community health workers (CHWs) in implementation of Integrated Community Case Management (iCCM) of common illnesses (diarrhea, acute respiratory infection, pneumonia, fever/malaria) affecting children under five years of age. A mobile phone enabled system was developed within iCCM aiming to improve access by CHWs to medical advice and to strengthen reporting of data on danger signs and symptoms for acutely ill children under five years of age. Herein critical steps in development, implementation, and integration of mobile phone technology within iCCM are described. Mechanisms to improve diagnosis, treatment and referral of sick children under five were defined. Treatment algorithms were developed by the project technical team and mounted and piloted on the mobile phones, using an iterative process involving technical support personnel, health care providers, and academic support. Using a purposefully developed mobile phone training manual, CHWs were trained over an intensive five-day course to make timely diagnoses, recognize clinical danger signs, communicate about referrals and initiate treatment with appropriate essential drugs. Performance by CHWs and the accuracy and completeness of their submitted data was closely monitored post training test period and during the subsequent nine month community trial. In the full trial, the number of referrals and correctly treated children, based on the agreed treatment algorithms, was recorded. Births, deaths, and medication stocks were also tracked. Seven distinct phases were required to develop a robust mobile phone enabled system in support of the iCCM program. Over a nine month period, 96 CHWs were trained to use mobile phones and their competence to initiate a community trial was established through performance monitoring. Local information/communication consultants, working in concert with a university based department of pediatrics, can design and implement a robust mobile phone based system that may be anticipated to contribute to efficient delivery of iCCM by trained volunteer CHWs in rural settings in Uganda.

Opportunities and Challenges for Solar Minigrid Development in Rural India

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

Thirumurthy, N.; Harrington, L.; Martin, D.

2012-09-01

The goal of this report is to inform investors about the potential of solar minigrid technologies to serve India's rural market. Under the US-India Energy Dialogue, the US Department of Energy's (DOE) National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) is supporting the Indian Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE)'s Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar Mission (JNNSM) in performing a business-case and policy-oriented analysis on the deployment of solar minigrids in India. The JNNSM scheme targets the development of 2GW of off-grid solar power by 2022 and provides large subsidies to meet this target. NREL worked with electricity capacity and demand data suppliedmore » by the Ladakh Renewable Energy Development Agency (LREDA) from Leh District, to develop a technical approach for solar minigrid development. Based on the NREL-developed, simulated solar insolation data for the city of Leh, a 250-kW solar photovoltaic (PV) system can produce 427,737 kWh over a 12-month period. The business case analysis, based on several different scenarios and JNNSM incentives shows the cost of power ranges from Rs. 6.3/kWh (US$0.126) to Rs. 9/kWh (US$0.18). At these rates, solar power is a cheaper alternative to diesel. An assessment of the macro-environment elements--including political, economic, environmental, social, and technological--was also performed to identify factors that may impact India?s energy development initiatives.« less

7 CFR 1944.415 - Grant approval and other approving authorities.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

..., DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) PROGRAM REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) HOUSING Self-Help Technical Assistance... 7 Agriculture 13 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Grant approval and other approving authorities. 1944.415 Section 1944.415 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL...

7 CFR 1944.422 - Audit and other report requirements.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) PROGRAM REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) HOUSING Self-Help Technical Assistance Grants § 1944... 7 Agriculture 13 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Audit and other report requirements. 1944.422 Section 1944.422 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL HOUSING SERVICE...

7 CFR 1944.411 - Conditions for approving a grant.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) PROGRAM REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) HOUSING Self-Help Technical Assistance Grants § 1944... 1944.411 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL HOUSING SERVICE... of the Departmental Regulations found in 7 CFR part 3015 and part 3016. (d) A resolution has been...

Business Clusters: Building on Local Strengths.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Baldwin, Fred D.

2001-01-01

The Northwest Pennsylvania Industrial Resource Center's "wood cluster initiative" illustrates the benefits of rural business clusters. The initiative is turning a loose grouping of timber and forest-product firms into a competitive system by providing technical assistance, helping businesses plan and conduct job training programs,…

Regional IV Technical Training Workshops in Transportation: Financing in the 1990's, Selected Presentations

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1993-05-01

The workshop offered sixteen individual workshops and five group sessions dealing with a variety of topics related to generating funding, operating efficiencies and cost savings for rural and small urban providers. The subject areas covered in this r...

Report of concrete pavement evaluation : project 105 C-4181-01 Donahoo Road, Wyandotte County : [technical summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2013-12-01

The physical properties of hardened concrete cores and fresh concrete test results were compared with aggregate gradation workability differences. The concrete cores were taken from a rural two-lane concrete road in northeastern Kansas constructed in...

7 CFR 4280.129 - Evaluation of guaranteed loan applications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

...-COOPERATIVE SERVICE AND RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LOANS AND GRANTS Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements Program Section B. Guaranteed Loans § 4280.129 Evaluation of... both the borrower and project are eligible, the project has technical merit, there is reasonable...

7 CFR 4280.129 - Evaluation of guaranteed loan applications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

...-COOPERATIVE SERVICE AND RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE LOANS AND GRANTS Renewable Energy Systems and Energy Efficiency Improvements Program Section B. Guaranteed Loans § 4280.129 Evaluation of... both the borrower and project are eligible, the project has technical merit, there is reasonable...

Great plains regional climate assessment technical report

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

The Great Plains region (GP) plays important role in providing food and energy to the economy of the United States. Multiple climatic and non-climatic stressors put multiple sectors, livelihoods and communities at risk, including agriculture, water, ecosystems and rural and tribal communities. The G...

47 CFR 22.717 - Procedure for mutually exclusive applications in the Rural Radiotelephone Service.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-10-01

... channel in the same area, or the technical proposals are otherwise in conflict. See § 22.567. (b) A... exclusive applications of any type in either service to be “cut off” (excluded from a same-day filing group...

Using Microenterprise Programs in the Rural United States.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wallace, George

2000-01-01

Directed at the chronically unemployed, poor single parents, and welfare recipients, microenterprise programs provide access to loans and technical training for the express purpose of creating small-scale self-sufficient entrepreneurs no longer dependent on public support. Lessons from international microenterprise programs, federal funding…

Diversity modelling for electrical power system simulation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sharip, R. M.; Abu Zarim, M. A. U. A.

2013-12-01

This paper considers diversity of generation and demand profiles against the different future energy scenarios and evaluates these on a technical basis. Compared to previous studies, this research applied a forecasting concept based on possible growth rates from publically electrical distribution scenarios concerning the UK. These scenarios were created by different bodies considering aspects such as environment, policy, regulation, economic and technical. In line with these scenarios, forecasting is on a long term timescale (up to every ten years from 2020 until 2050) in order to create a possible output of generation mix and demand profiles to be used as an appropriate boundary condition for the network simulation. The network considered is a segment of rural LV populated with a mixture of different housing types. The profiles for the 'future' energy and demand have been successfully modelled by applying a forecasting method. The network results under these profiles shows for the cases studied that even though the value of the power produced from each Micro-generation is often in line with the demand requirements of an individual dwelling there will be no problems arising from high penetration of Micro-generation and demand side management for each dwellings considered. The results obtained highlight the technical issues/changes for energy delivery and management to rural customers under the future energy scenarios.

Adapting Agriculture Platforms for Nutrition: A Case Study of a Participatory, Video-Based Agricultural Extension Platform in India

PubMed Central

Kadiyala, Suneetha; Morgan, Emily H.; Cyriac, Shruthi; Margolies, Amy; Roopnaraine, Terry

2016-01-01

Successful integration of nutrition interventions into large-scale development programmes from nutrition-relevant sectors, such as agriculture, can address critical underlying determinants of undernutrition and enhance the coverage and effectiveness of on-going nutrition-specific activities. However, evidence on how this can be done is limited. This study examines the feasibility of delivering maternal, infant, and young child nutrition behaviour change communication through an innovative agricultural extension programme serving nutritionally vulnerable groups in rural India. The existing agriculture programme involves participatory production of low-cost videos promoting best practices and broad dissemination through village-level women’s self-help groups. For the nutrition intervention, 10 videos promoting specific maternal, infant, and young child nutrition practices were produced and disseminated in 30 villages. A range of methods was used to collect data, including in-depth interviews with project staff, frontline health workers, and self-help group members and their families; structured observations of mediated video dissemination sessions; nutrition knowledge tests with project staff and self-help group members; and a social network questionnaire to assess diffusion of promoted nutrition messages. We found the nutrition intervention to be well-received by rural communities and viewed as complementary to existing frontline health services. However, compared to agriculture, nutrition content required more time, creativity, and technical support to develop and deliver. Experimentation with promoted nutrition behaviours was high, but sharing of information from the videos with non-viewers was limited. Key lessons learned include the benefits of and need for collaboration with existing health services; continued technical support for implementing partners; engagement with local cultural norms and beliefs; empowerment of women’s group members to champion nutrition; and enhancement of message diffusion mechanisms to reach pregnant women and mothers of young children at scale. Understanding the experience of developing and delivering this intervention will benefit the design of new nutrition interventions which seek to leverage agriculture platforms. PMID:27736897

Adapting Agriculture Platforms for Nutrition: A Case Study of a Participatory, Video-Based Agricultural Extension Platform in India.

PubMed

Kadiyala, Suneetha; Morgan, Emily H; Cyriac, Shruthi; Margolies, Amy; Roopnaraine, Terry

2016-01-01

Successful integration of nutrition interventions into large-scale development programmes from nutrition-relevant sectors, such as agriculture, can address critical underlying determinants of undernutrition and enhance the coverage and effectiveness of on-going nutrition-specific activities. However, evidence on how this can be done is limited. This study examines the feasibility of delivering maternal, infant, and young child nutrition behaviour change communication through an innovative agricultural extension programme serving nutritionally vulnerable groups in rural India. The existing agriculture programme involves participatory production of low-cost videos promoting best practices and broad dissemination through village-level women's self-help groups. For the nutrition intervention, 10 videos promoting specific maternal, infant, and young child nutrition practices were produced and disseminated in 30 villages. A range of methods was used to collect data, including in-depth interviews with project staff, frontline health workers, and self-help group members and their families; structured observations of mediated video dissemination sessions; nutrition knowledge tests with project staff and self-help group members; and a social network questionnaire to assess diffusion of promoted nutrition messages. We found the nutrition intervention to be well-received by rural communities and viewed as complementary to existing frontline health services. However, compared to agriculture, nutrition content required more time, creativity, and technical support to develop and deliver. Experimentation with promoted nutrition behaviours was high, but sharing of information from the videos with non-viewers was limited. Key lessons learned include the benefits of and need for collaboration with existing health services; continued technical support for implementing partners; engagement with local cultural norms and beliefs; empowerment of women's group members to champion nutrition; and enhancement of message diffusion mechanisms to reach pregnant women and mothers of young children at scale. Understanding the experience of developing and delivering this intervention will benefit the design of new nutrition interventions which seek to leverage agriculture platforms.

Electronic data capture in a rural African setting: evaluating experiences with different systems in Malawi.

PubMed

King, Carina; Hall, Jenny; Banda, Masford; Beard, James; Bird, Jon; Kazembe, Peter; Fottrell, Ed

2014-01-01

As hardware for electronic data capture (EDC), such as smartphones or tablets, becomes cheaper and more widely available, the potential for using such hardware as data capture tools in routine healthcare and research is increasing. We aim to highlight the advantages and disadvantages of four EDC systems being used simultaneously in rural Malawi: two for Android devices (CommCare and ODK Collect), one for PALM and Windows OS (Pendragon), and a custom-built application for Android (Mobile InterVA--MIVA). We report on the personal field and development experience of fieldworkers, project managers, and EDC system developers. Fieldworkers preferred using EDC to paper-based systems, although some struggled with the technology at first. Highlighted features include in-built skip patterns for all systems, and specifically the 'case' function that CommCare offers. MIVA as a standalone app required considerably more time and expertise than the other systems to create and could not be customised for our specific research needs; however, it facilitates standardised routine data collection. CommCare and ODK Collect both have user-friendly web-interfaces for form development and good technical support. CommCare requires Internet to build an application and download it to a device, whereas all steps can be done offline with ODK Collect, a desirable feature in low connectivity settings. Pendragon required more complex programming of logic, using a Microsoft Access application, and generally had less technical support. Start-up costs varied between systems, and all were considered more expensive than setting up a paper-based system; however running costs were generally low and therefore thought to be cost-effective over the course of our projects. EDC offers many opportunities for efficient data collection, but brings some issues requiring consideration when designing a study; the decision of which hardware and software to use should be informed by the aim of data collection, budget, and local circumstances.

Electronic data capture in a rural African setting: evaluating experiences with different systems in Malawi

PubMed Central

King, Carina; Hall, Jenny; Banda, Masford; Beard, James; Bird, Jon; Kazembe, Peter; Fottrell, Ed

2014-01-01

Background As hardware for electronic data capture (EDC), such as smartphones or tablets, becomes cheaper and more widely available, the potential for using such hardware as data capture tools in routine healthcare and research is increasing. Objective We aim to highlight the advantages and disadvantages of four EDC systems being used simultaneously in rural Malawi: two for Android devices (CommCare and ODK Collect), one for PALM and Windows OS (Pendragon), and a custom-built application for Android (Mobile InterVA – MIVA). Design We report on the personal field and development experience of fieldworkers, project managers, and EDC system developers. Results Fieldworkers preferred using EDC to paper-based systems, although some struggled with the technology at first. Highlighted features include in-built skip patterns for all systems, and specifically the ‘case’ function that CommCare offers. MIVA as a standalone app required considerably more time and expertise than the other systems to create and could not be customised for our specific research needs; however, it facilitates standardised routine data collection. CommCare and ODK Collect both have user-friendly web-interfaces for form development and good technical support. CommCare requires Internet to build an application and download it to a device, whereas all steps can be done offline with ODK Collect, a desirable feature in low connectivity settings. Pendragon required more complex programming of logic, using a Microsoft Access application, and generally had less technical support. Start-up costs varied between systems, and all were considered more expensive than setting up a paper-based system; however running costs were generally low and therefore thought to be cost-effective over the course of our projects. Conclusions EDC offers many opportunities for efficient data collection, but brings some issues requiring consideration when designing a study; the decision of which hardware and software to use should be informed by the aim of data collection, budget, and local circumstances. PMID:25363364

Biomass power for rural development. Technical progress report, October 1--December 31, 1997

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

Neuhauser, E.

The focus of the DOE/USDA sponsored biomass power for rural development project is to develop commercial energy crops for power generation by the year 2000. The New York based Salix Consortium project is a multi-partner endeavor, implemented in three stages. Phase-1, Final Design and Project Development, will conclude with the preparation of construction and/or operating permits, feedstock production plans, and contracts ready for signature. Field trials of willow (Salix) have been initiated at several locations in New York (Tully, Lockport, King Ferry, La Fayette, Massena, and Himrod) and co-firing tests are underway at Greenidge Station (NYSEG) and Dunkirk Station (NMPC).more » Phase-2 of the project will focus on scale-up of willow crop acreage, construction of co-firing facilities at Dunkirk Station (NMPC), and final modifications for Greenidge Station. Cofiring willow is also under consideration for GPU`s Seward Station where testing is underway. There will be an evaluation of the energy crop as part of the gasification trials occurring at BED`s McNeill Power Station. Phase-3 will represent fullscale commercialization of the energy crop and power generation on a sustainable basis. During the fourth quarter of 1997 the Consortium submitted a Phase-2 proposal. A few of the other more important milestones are outlined below. The first quarter of 1998 will be dominated by pre-planting activity in the spring.« less

Strategies of Rural Development in Asia--A Discussion. Summary of Discussion, Research Studies and Country Statements Presented to the Seminar on Approaches to Rural Development in Asia (Malaysia, May-June, 1975).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Inayatullah, C., Ed.

A 10-day seminar for senior government officials concerned with making rural development policies in selected Asian countries focused on programs adopted by various Asian governments to tackle rural development problems. To compare various approaches, seven indicators of rural development were used: agricultural productivity; rural employment;…

Key factors for the implementation of successful, stand-alone village electrification schemes in Peru

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sanchez-Campos, Teodoro

The hypothesis of this work is that there are social, financial, technical, managerial institutional and political key factors that may either support or prevent the success of small stand alone energy systems in rural areas. This research work aims at contributing to the identification of such factors and study their relevance to the performance and sustainability of stand alone energy systems in rural areas; to meet its purpose, a wide range of literature was reviewed including rural electrification programmes and projects, research and development projects on access to electricity in rural areas, impact studies and others, and a field research survey was done the Andes and Upper Jungle regions in Peru. Nineteen possible critical factors were identified, thirteen with relevance at the local context (the community or village), and six with relevance at the national (or wider) context. From literature review it was found that the possible local critical factors were relevant only to four categories of factors instead of the six considered initially (i.e. social, financial, technological and managerial): the other two categories, political and institutional were found to be more relevant to the national context, therefore those were included in the group of possible critical factors of wider context. A series of questionnaires were designed to collect field data information, which was later used to analyse and establish the relation of each identified factor with the success of the systems studied. The survey research was implemented in 14 villages, 7 with small diesel sets and 7 with small hydropower schemes, all spread in the Andes and Upper Jungle of Peru, which were carefully selected to be representative of regions with isolated stand alone systems and with different socioeconomic background. Out of the 13 possible critical factors of local context, it was found that only 3 are really critical, the others are important but not critical; one of them (technical assistance) was found to be closely linked to national capacity, therefore for practical reasons both are considered as one critical factor or wider context. Although more research study is needed to establish a more clearer result on the factors of wider context (national context), it was found that out of the 6 factors of wider context only one appears to be critical, the other 5 are important but not critical. Therefore the summary of critical factors is as follows: a) Critical Factors of Local Context o Management o Local capacity b) Critical Factors of National Context o Technical Support/national capacity On the local factors, management appears to be the most critical of all factors, because with good management, most of the other factors can be overcome. It was also found that "The small enterprise model" tested by Practical Action on small scale hydropower schemes is proving to be successful and other organisations are starting to use it in different contexts. Therefore future research is recommended on this particular management model in order to be useful for rural electrification programmes based on decentralised energy generation systems.

Rural water supply and related services in developing countries — Comparative analysis of several approaches

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bajard, Y.; Draper, M.; Viens, P.

1981-05-01

The proposed paper deals with a comparative analysis of several approaches possible and actually used for a joint action of local institutions and foreign aid in the field of water supply and related services such as sanitation to villages and small rural agglomerations (market towns, etc.) in developing countries. This comparative analysis is based on examples of actual programmes in this field. The authors have participated in most of the programmes selected as examples, at various levels and in various capacities, from conception to design, implementation and/or evaluation (i.e. rural development programmes in Ivory Coast, Ghana (upper region), Benin and Ethiopia. The authors were not involved in other examples such as water supply and/or sanitation to small urban centres in Benin, Ivory Coast, etc. They have, however, witnessed them directly and have obtained, therefore, first-hand information on their organization, execution and results. Several typical examples of actual projects are briefly defined and characterized. The paper undertakes, then, to compare, in a clinical fashion, the advantages and drawbacks of the approaches taken in the various examples presented. The paper finally proposes a recommendation for a realistic approach to joint action between local/domestic and foreign financing/assistance agencies and executing bodies (consultants, contractors) in the field of rural water supply, sanitation, and more generally, health improvement. The definition of this line of approach is made in terms of logical framework, i.e. goals, purposes, outputs and inputs at the various stages of the project, up to actual evaluation of execution and impact if possible; description of practical indicators of the two types of evaluation. A particular attention is given to the problems of technological choices, in view of the constraints imposed by the natural environment, by the human and social patterns; in view also of the institutions and the economy. Another point of importance taken into consideration by the paper is the problem of information, education, and support to users for the introduction, implementation, operation and maintenance of technical developments at village level. Conclusions are drawn as to the relative advantages of this approach over the "classical" approach and its replicability.

Application of the Rural Development Index to Analysis of Rural Regions in Poland and Slovakia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Michalek, Jerzy; Zarnekow, Nana

2012-01-01

The main purpose of this research was to construct a multi-dimensional (composite) index measuring the overall level of rural development and quality of life in individual rural regions of a given EU country. In the Rural Development Index (RDI) the rural development domains are represented by hundreds of partial socio-economic, environmental,…

7 CFR 1940.968 - Rural Economic Development Review Panel Grant (Panel Grant).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 13 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Rural Economic Development Review Panel Grant (Panel... of Certain Rural Development Programs § 1940.968 Rural Economic Development Review Panel Grant (Panel... associated with a State rural economic development review panel. (b) Objective. The objective of the Panel...

7 CFR 1944.420 - Extension or revision of the grant agreement.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) PROGRAM REGULATIONS (CONTINUED) HOUSING Self-Help Technical Assistance... 7 Agriculture 13 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true Extension or revision of the grant agreement. 1944.420 Section 1944.420 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL HOUSING...

7 CFR 1709.110 - Use of grant funds.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Use of grant funds. 1709.110 Section 1709.110 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF... help establish the financial and technical sustainability of the project, provided that such costs do...

7 CFR 1709.110 - Use of grant funds.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false Use of grant funds. 1709.110 Section 1709.110 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF... help establish the financial and technical sustainability of the project, provided that such costs do...

7 CFR 1709.110 - Use of grant funds.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false Use of grant funds. 1709.110 Section 1709.110 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF... help establish the financial and technical sustainability of the project, provided that such costs do...

7 CFR 1709.110 - Use of grant funds.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false Use of grant funds. 1709.110 Section 1709.110 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF... help establish the financial and technical sustainability of the project, provided that such costs do...

Videoconferencing Via Satellite: Opening Congress to the People. Technical Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wood, Fred B.; And Others

The value of satellite videoconferencing in providing a new mechanism for informed dialogue between congressmen and constituents is evaluated through actual demonstrations. The experimental demonstrations described include large and small group congressional-constituent meetings in urban and rural areas, and a congressional subcommittee hearing…

75 FR 34249 - Centers for Independent Living Program-Training and Technical Assistance

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-16

... rural settings. To meet this priority, applicants must demonstrate all of the following in their... and Rehabilitative Services, Department of Education. ACTION: Notice of final priority. SUMMARY: The Assistant Secretary for Special Education and Rehabilitative Services announces a priority under the Centers...

Investigating Rural Teachers' Professional Development, Instructional Knowledge, and Classroom Practice

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Glover, Todd A.; Nugent, Gwen C.; Chumney, Frances L.; Ihlo, Tanya; Shapiro, Edward S.; Guard, Kirra; Koziol, Natalie; Bovaird, Jim

2016-01-01

Teachers Speak was a national survey study designed to investigate the characteristics of rural elementary school teachers' existing professional development; differences in professional development practices between rural and non-rural settings; and the potential influence of professional development characteristics on rural teachers' knowledge,…

Rural Development Reorganization Act of 1984; and the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development Policy Report. Hearing before the Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, and Rural Development of the Committee on Agriculture, House of Representatives, Ninety-Eighth Congress, Second Session on H.R. 5024.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House Committee on Agriculture.

Testimonies were heard in reference to the administration's annual rural development policy report and H.R. 5024, the Rural Development Reorganization Act of 1984. The bill provides that the Department of Agriculture shall be known as the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development, transfers the administration of certain conservation programs…

7 CFR 2.45 - Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Economic and Community Development.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... the Under Secretary for Rural Development § 2.45 Deputy Under Secretary for Rural Economic and... Under Secretary for Rural Economic and Community Development, to be exercised only during the absence or... may hereafter be delegated to the Under Secretary for Rural Economic and Community Development. ...

Nature, Types and Scale of Rural Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hill, Frances

The issue of rural development has been surrounded by a number of debates regarding its nature, types, and scale. Included among the sources of controversy relating to rural development are the following areas: (1) the relation between rural development and rural industrialization, (2) the distribution of benefits and costs associated with…

Education for Rural Development: Embedding Rural Dimensions in Initial Teacher Preparation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Masinire, Alfred; Maringe, Felix; Nkambule, Thabisile

2014-01-01

In South Africa, rural education and development are issues of social justice, especially in places that were previously established as homelands. This article presents some of the tensions that are inherent in the conceptions of rurality, rural education and the possibility of sustainable rural education and development. We propose the notion of…

A Bibliography of Rural Development: Listings by Topic.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Parker, Carrie G.; And Others

Over 776 journal articles pertaining to rural development are cited. Entries are arranged by topic: agriculture, area development, community, economic development, environmental improvement, facilities and services, human resource development, leadership, organization, rural development, rural-urban relationships, and social action. Some articles…

Economic and Social Aspects of Applying Biodiesel Fuel in Road Transport

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bukljaš Skočibušić, Mihaela; Jolić, Natalija; Bukljaš, Zdravko

The world trend in automotive industry represents the improvement of the existing vehicle power plants and their further development as well as the use of various alternative fuels. Such tendencies should not be considered only from an entirely technical aspect, but also from the economic, social and strategic aspects of the modern society. In this sense it is necessary to give priority to biodiesel fuel. The production of biodiesel fuel has to be developed in compliance with the increasingly severe exhaust emission standards in designing and realization of road transport means. From the economic aspect at macro-economic level, the development of biodiesel will reflect on the condition of industrial production, employment, additional inflow of financial means into agriculture and the economic development of rural areas, as well as the foreign currency reserves of a country along with the reduction in the dependence of macroeconomic parameters on the external factors.

7 CFR 1940.956 - State rural economic development review panel.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 13 2010-01-01 2009-01-01 true State rural economic development review panel. 1940... Rural Development Programs § 1940.956 State rural economic development review panel. (a) General. In order for a State to become or remain an eligible State, the State must have a rural economic...

7 CFR 1940.956 - State rural economic development review panel.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 13 2014-01-01 2013-01-01 true State rural economic development review panel. 1940... Rural Development Programs § 1940.956 State rural economic development review panel. (a) General. In order for a State to become or remain an eligible State, the State must have a rural economic...

7 CFR 1940.956 - State rural economic development review panel.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 13 2013-01-01 2013-01-01 false State rural economic development review panel. 1940... Rural Development Programs § 1940.956 State rural economic development review panel. (a) General. In order for a State to become or remain an eligible State, the State must have a rural economic...

7 CFR 1940.956 - State rural economic development review panel.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 13 2012-01-01 2012-01-01 false State rural economic development review panel. 1940... Rural Development Programs § 1940.956 State rural economic development review panel. (a) General. In order for a State to become or remain an eligible State, the State must have a rural economic...

7 CFR 1940.956 - State rural economic development review panel.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 13 2011-01-01 2009-01-01 true State rural economic development review panel. 1940... Rural Development Programs § 1940.956 State rural economic development review panel. (a) General. In order for a State to become or remain an eligible State, the State must have a rural economic...

Toward a More Holistic Evaluation Approach for Rural Development

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Miyoshi, Koichi

2013-01-01

The discussion on and development of a holistic evaluation approach for rural development will be indispensable to improving and enriching the lives of rural people. This approach can be developed by considering the conceptualization of community policy structure in rural areas, the localization of policy structure in the rural community, and the…

Beyond the Conventional Wisdom: Rural Development As If Australia's Rural People Really Mattered. Background Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sher, Jonathan; Sher, Katrina Rowe

This paper proposes a framework for developing a national rural development policy in Australia. Some common relevant misconceptions are that rural Australia and rural Australians are peripheral to the national economy and the nation's future, that farmers and farming communities are the alpha and omega of rural Australia, and that whatever is…

The Internet and World-Wide-Web: Potential Benefits to Rural Schools.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Barker, Bruce O.

The Internet is a decentralized collection of computer networks managed by separate groups using a common set of technical standards. The Internet has tremendous potential as an educational resource by providing access to networking through worldwide electronic mail, various databases, and electronic bulletin boards; collaborative investigation…

Guidelines for replacement of deficient bridges with low-water stream crossings in the rural Midwest : technical summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2017-02-01

This report provides guidance to public officials and engineers considering the replacement of a deficient or obsolete bridge with a low-water stream crossing (LWSC). An LWSC is a structure that is occasionally overtopped by floodwaters and is likely...

"Ohio 4-H CARTEENS": Peer Intervention Safety Program.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cropper, Rebecca J.

1999-01-01

Ohio 4-H's CARTEENS seeks to reduce juvenile traffic violations in a program designed and presented by teen peer educators with guidance and technical assistance from the state highway patrol. Teens examined court data to determine content, which includes defensive driving, rural road safety, and dealing with peer pressure. (SK)

The economics of potential reduction of the rural road system in Kansas : technical summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-11-01

The increasing size of farms in Kansas has led to increasing farm vehicle size as well. Tractor and combine weight and width has increased and the majority of farmers deliver their grain in semi-trucks. Tandem axle trucks are used to deliver farm sup...

Evaluation of interactive highway safety design model crash prediction tools for two-lane rural roads on Kansas Department of Transportation projects : [technical summary].

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2014-01-01

Historically, project-level decisions for the selection of highway features to promote safety were based on either engineering judgment or adherence to accepted national guidance. These tools have allowed highway designers to produce facilities that ...

7 CFR 1775.2 - Definitions.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 12 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false Definitions. 1775.2 Section 1775.2 Agriculture Regulations of the Department of Agriculture (Continued) RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE (CONTINUED) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANTS General Provisions § 1775.2 Definitions. The following definitions apply to subparts A through D of this...

7 CFR 4280.129 - Evaluation of RES and EEI guaranteed loan applications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2013 CFR

2013-01-01

... GRANTS Rural Energy for America Program General Renewable Energy System and Energy Efficiency Improvement... Agency will evaluate each application and make a determination as to whether the borrower and project are eligible, the project has technical merit, there is reasonable assurance of repayment, there is sufficient...

7 CFR 4280.129 - Evaluation of RES and EEI guaranteed loan applications.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2012 CFR

2012-01-01

... GRANTS Rural Energy for America Program General Renewable Energy System and Energy Efficiency Improvement... Agency will evaluate each application and make a determination as to whether the borrower and project are eligible, the project has technical merit, there is reasonable assurance of repayment, there is sufficient...

77 FR 34004 - Submission for OMB Review; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-08

... displays a currently valid OMB control number and the agency informs potential persons who are to respond... information unless it displays a currently valid OMB control number. Rural Housing Service Title: 7 CFR 1944-I, ``Self-Help Technical Assistance Grants''. OMB Control Number: 0575-0043. Summary of Collection: This...

78 FR 40092 - Inviting Rural Business Enterprise Grant Program Applications for Grants To Provide Technical...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-07-03

... corporate felony convictions and corporate Federal tax delinquencies, applicants that are not delinquent on... result in a zero-point score for that criterion and will impact the overall evaluation of the application... Felony Convictions and Corporate Felony Tax Delinquencies Applications from corporate applicants...

Providing technical assistance in an environment of uncertainty : a case study in coordinating transportation and land use.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2005-01-01

This study examined the feasibility of just one approach to coordinating transportation and land use planning. The lack of such coordination in the United States has been the subject of much criticism. In rural areas, the locality usually controls la...

The World on a Wire.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Cliburn, Jill K.

1997-01-01

Northwest Iowa Power Co-op, Northwest Iowa Telephone, and MCI formed Pioneer Holdings to bring the latest telecommunications services to residents, schools, and businesses in rural Iowa. A half-dozen towns and co-ops have joined Pioneer, which gives customers access to all telecom services offered by MCI, as well as technical, regulatory, and…

Efficacy of Dual Enrollment in Rural Southwest Virginia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carter, Karen Glass

2009-01-01

The intent of this dissertation was to determine if enrollment into a career and technical education dual enrollment program encouraged students to continue their education into postsecondary education and if workplace readiness skills were increased. This study completed a factorial analysis of student demographic and factorial data as associated…

The Learning Fund: Income Generation through NFE. Technical Note No. 22.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Iskander, Anwas; And Others

The Learning Fund Program sponsored by PENMAS, the Indonesian Directorate of Community Education, successfully uses community-based learning activities to promote entrepreneurship and managerial skills among Indonesia's rural poor. Currently, the program integrates the learning, financial, and equipment resources necessary to help over 5,400 small…

Evaluating the time-dependent and bond characteristics of lightweight concrete mixes for Kansas prestressed concrete bridges : technical summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2011-07-01

The majority of the bridges in Kansas are in rural areas. Many of these are : becoming structurally deficient, and are in need of replacement. Due to the location of : these bridges, cost of transporting prestressed girders to these areas often makes...

Study of KDOT Policy on Lane and Shoulder Minimum Width for Application of Centerline Rumble Strips : Technical Summary

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2012-08-01

Roadway departure crashes correspond to approximately 40% of all traffic crashes. According to the most recent national crash statistics, in 2009, there were 11,185 fatal roadway departure crashes on rural highways, resulting in 23,169 fatalities. Th...

STD Uplink Complex. Satellite Technology Demonstration, Technical Report No. 0418.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Potter, James G.

The Health, Education, Telecommunications (HET) experiment, and the Federation of Rocky Mountain States have collaborated with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration to provide health education and other community service broadcasts to rural areas of the Rocky Mountains. In order to access the signal of the ATS-6 (Applications…

A decision support system for rainfed agricultural areas of Mexico

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Rural inhabitants of arid lands lack sufficient water to fulfill their agricultural and household needs. They do not have readily available technical information to support decisions regarding the course of action they should follow to handle the agro-climatic risk. In this paper, a computer model (...

7 CFR 22.101 - The Rural Development Act of 1972 (Pub. L. 92-419).

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 1 2010-01-01 2010-01-01 false The Rural Development Act of 1972 (Pub. L. 92-419). 22.101 Section 22.101 Agriculture Office of the Secretary of Agriculture RURAL DEVELOPMENT COORDINATION General § 22.101 The Rural Development Act of 1972 (Pub. L. 92-419). The Rural Development Act of 1972...

Installation of solar PV systems in Sri Lanka

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

Fernando, M.P.T.P.

1995-10-01

The tropical country of Sri Lanka has hydroelectric power plants sufficient to provide electricity to only 40% of its 25,000 villages. The electric power needs of the average Sri Lankan rural communities are basic: three or four lights to illuminate their house and a power supply for their televisions. Solar radiation is abundant throughout the year. To take advantage of this resource, the Sarvodaya Rural Technical Services launched a Solar PV pilot demonstration project in the rural areas not served by the electric grid. The systems were being installed on an individual residence basis and funded by loans. Social andmore » cultural problems which have arisen during the course of the project have slowed its implementation. This study identifies the problems and makes recommendations to resolve the current problems and avoid new ones.« less

75 FR 36349 - Announcement of Rural Cooperative Development Grant Application Deadlines

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-06-25

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Rural Business-Cooperative Service Announcement of Rural Cooperative Development Grant Application Deadlines AGENCY: Rural Business-Cooperative Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice of...: Overview Federal Agency: Rural Business-Cooperative Service (RBS). Funding Opportunity Title: Rural...

7 CFR 1951.218 - Use of Rural Development loans and grants for other purposes.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

...) RURAL HOUSING SERVICE, RURAL BUSINESS-COOPERATIVE SERVICE, RURAL UTILITIES SERVICE, AND FARM SERVICE... Servicing of Community and Direct Business Programs Loans and Grants § 1951.218 Use of Rural Development... the Administrator of the Rural Housing Service or Rural Business-Cooperative Service that has the...

Technical efficiency of rural primary health care system for diabetes treatment in Iran: a stochastic frontier analysis.

PubMed

Qorbani, Mostafa; Farzadfar, Farshad; Majdzadeh, Reza; Mohammad, Kazem; Motevalian, Abbas

2017-01-01

Our aim was to explore the technical efficiency (TE) of the Iranian rural primary healthcare (PHC) system for diabetes treatment coverage rate using the stochastic frontier analysis (SFA) as well as to examine the strength and significance of the effect of human resources density on diabetes treatment. In the SFA model diabetes treatment coverage rate, as a output, is a function of health system inputs (Behvarz worker density, physician density, and rural health center density) and non-health system inputs (urbanization rate, median age of population, and wealth index) as a set of covariates. Data about the rate of self-reported diabetes treatment coverage was obtained from the Non-Communicable Disease Surveillance Survey, data about health system inputs were collected from the health census database and data about non-health system inputs were collected from the census data and household survey. In 2008, rate of diabetes treatment coverage was 67% (95% CI: 63%-71%) nationally, and at the provincial level it varied from 44% to 81%. The TE score at the national level was 87.84%, with considerable variation across provinces (from 59.65% to 98.28%).Among health system and non-health system inputs, only the Behvarz density (per 1000 population)was significantly associated with diabetes treatment coverage (β (95%CI): 0.50 (0.29-0.70), p  < 0.001). Our findings show that although the rural PHC system can considered efficient in diabetes treatment at the national level, a wide variation exists in TE at the provincial level. Because the only variable that is predictor of TE is the Behvarz density, the PHC system may extend the diabetes treatment coverage by using this group of health care workers.

Decentralized approaches to wastewater treatment and management: applicability in developing countries.

PubMed

Massoud, May A; Tarhini, Akram; Nasr, Joumana A

2009-01-01

Providing reliable and affordable wastewater treatment in rural areas is a challenge in many parts of the world, particularly in developing countries. The problems and limitations of the centralized approaches for wastewater treatment are progressively surfacing. Centralized wastewater collection and treatment systems are costly to build and operate, especially in areas with low population densities and dispersed households. Developing countries lack both the funding to construct centralized facilities and the technical expertise to manage and operate them. Alternatively, the decentralized approach for wastewater treatment which employs a combination of onsite and/or cluster systems is gaining more attention. Such an approach allows for flexibility in management, and simple as well as complex technologies are available. The decentralized system is not only a long-term solution for small communities but is more reliable and cost effective. This paper presents a review of the various decentralized approaches to wastewater treatment and management. A discussion as to their applicability in developing countries, primarily in rural areas, and challenges faced is emphasized all through the paper. While there are many impediments and challenges towards wastewater management in developing countries, these can be overcome by suitable planning and policy implementation. Understanding the receiving environment is crucial for technology selection and should be accomplished by conducting a comprehensive site evaluation process. Centralized management of the decentralized wastewater treatment systems is essential to ensure they are inspected and maintained regularly. Management strategies should be site specific accounting for social, cultural, environmental and economic conditions in the target area.

The Road to Rural Primary Care: A Narrative Review of Factors That Help Develop, Recruit, and Retain Rural Primary Care Physicians.

PubMed

Parlier, Anna Beth; Galvin, Shelley L; Thach, Sarah; Kruidenier, David; Fagan, Ernest Blake

2018-01-01

To examine the literature documenting successes in recruiting and retaining rural primary care physicians. The authors conducted a narrative review of literature on individual, educational, and professional characteristics and experiences that lead to recruitment and retention of rural primary care physicians. In May 2016, they searched MEDLINE, PubMed, CINAHL, ERIC, Web of Science, Google Scholar, the Grey Literature Report, and reference lists of included studies for literature published in or after 1990 in the United States, Canada, or Australia. The authors identified 83 articles meeting inclusion criteria. They synthesized results and developed a theoretical model that proposes how the findings interact and influence rural recruitment and retention. The authors' proposed theoretical model suggests factors interact across multiple dimensions to facilitate the development of a rural physician identity. Rural upbringing, personal attributes, positive rural exposure, preparation for rural life and medicine, partner receptivity to rural living, financial incentives, integration into rural communities, and good work-life balance influence recruitment and retention. However, attending medical schools and/or residencies with a rural emphasis and participating in rural training may reflect, rather than produce, intention for rural practice. Many factors enhance rural physician identity development and influence whether physicians enter, remain in, and thrive in rural practice. To help trainees and young physicians develop the professional identity of a rural physician, multifactorial medical training approaches aimed at encouraging long-term rural practice should focus on rural-specific clinical and nonclinical competencies while providing trainees with positive rural experiences.

An Analysis of North Carolina's Rural Health Problems as Perceived by County Rural Development Panels.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hamilton, Vance E., Comp.

A State Task Force on Rural Health was formed (January 1973) by the State Rural Development Committee to identify and analyze major rural health problems in North Carolina and to recommend alleviation strategies. The Task Force submitted open-ended questionnaires to members of the County Rural Development Panels to secure their perceptions of…

A Hard Look at USDA's Rural Development Programs. The Report of the Rural Revitalization Task Force to the Secretary of Agriculture.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Agriculture Graduate School, Washington, DC.

This report addresses current economic conditions in rural America and offers recommendations about the role the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) can play in providing rural development. The Task Force identifies issues for rural policy in the 1990's focusing on economic development. Current rural programs are described and…

Wireless multihop backhauls for rural areas: A preliminary study.

PubMed

Zaidi, Zainab; Lan, Kun-Chan

2017-01-01

Rural areas have very low revenue potential. The major issue in providing low-cost broadband to rural areas is to provide reliable backhaul connections that spread over tens or even hundreds of miles, connecting villages to the nearest service provider. Along with aerial networks of Google and Facebook, there has been a considerable amount of research toward long-distance terrestrial WiFi links. As a comparison, WiFi routers are easier to be deployed and maintained by non-technical people from the local communities, whereas the aerial networks require professional support to operate. Moreover, they are still in the experimentation phase. However, the long distance WiFi links require high-gain directional antennas and very expensive tall towers for high data rates. On the other hand, multihop paths with stronger links may provide better data rates without the need of tall towers. In this paper, we evaluated the concept of using such multihop WiFi links for long backhaul connections. Our simulation results show that these networks can possibly be a cost-effective and practical solution for rural connectivity. These initial results can serve as a first step to understand the comprehensive feasibility of using multihop WiFi networks for backhaul connections in rural area.

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

Leboeuf, C.; Taylor, R.W.; Corbus, D.

A cooperative renewable energy project is underway between the U.S. Department of Energy (through the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, NREL), and the Federal Republic of Brazil (through the Centro de Pesquisas de Energia Eletrica, CEPEL). The objectives of this joint US/Brazilian program are to establish technical, institutional, and economic confidence in using renewable energy systems to meet the needs of the people of rural Brazil, to build ongoing partnerships beneficial to both countries, and to demonstrate the potential for large-scale rural electrification through the use of renewable energy systems. Phase 1 of this program resulted in the deployment of moremore » than 700 photovoltaic (PV) electric lighting systems in the Brazilian states of Pernambuco and Ceara. Phase 2 of the program extends the pilot project into six additional Brazilian states and demonstrates a wider variety of stand-alone end uses, including the use of wind electric power generation for selected sites and applications. Additionally, Phase 2 also includes the development of two hybrid village power systems, including one comprising PV, wind, battery, and diesel power sources. This paper focuses on this hybrid system, which is located in the Amazon River delta.« less

[Major rural accident: the pesticide "rain" case in Lucas do Rio Verde city - MT].

PubMed

Pignati, Wanderlei Antonio; Machado, Jorge M H; Cabral, James F

2007-01-01

The article reports the environmental accident caused by aerial pesticide spraying that reached the urban space of Lucas do Rio Verde-MT, in March 2006. It was characterized as a "major rural accident" of environmental and occupational aspects whose seriousness and extension crossed the agriculturally productive unit boundaries causing sanitary, social and environmental impact. This case study had as its objective the understanding of the social-technical scene of the accident and the monitoring process in health-environment in a research-action dynamic. The information was collected through interviews, documents and daily observation reports. It also referred to accidents, multidisciplinary and participatory analyses with the participation of local institutions of health, agriculture and environment, political and union leaderships, ranchers and farmers, the public prosecutor's office, journalists and the University. The study shows that the pesticide "use and abuse" monitoring actions have been extended to [a] "movement for the sustainable development of the region" supported by the participative monitoring and the fight for democracy and social justice in the search of a sustainable agriculture and/or environment.

Joining Rural Development Theory and Rural Education Practice.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hammer, Patricia Cahape

Karl N. Stauber proposes three goals for rural development policy: helping the rural middle class survive, reducing concentrated rural poverty, and sustaining and improving the quality of the natural environment. In contrast to other visions, he advises policy that focuses on rural places rather than rural economic sectors such as agriculture,…

Enrolled nurse to registered nurse: is there a link between initial educational preparation and course completion?

PubMed

Rapley, Pat; Davidson, Laura; Nathan, Pauline; Dhaliwal, Satvinder S

2008-01-01

There is a shortage of registered nurses (RN) globally and equally in rural areas of Australia. The sparsely populated areas of rural Australia prompted the development of an external-mode EN-to-RN pathway course for enrolled nurses (EN) who want to complete a nursing degree. However, the awarding of advanced standing for EN clinical experience, regardless of educational background, is a new initiative that needs to be evaluated. Hence, this paper reports on the link between initial EN educational preparation and its impact on course completion. This exploratory correlation study used existing course data from four cohorts between 2000 and 2003. The comparisons included educational background, years of experience, and location of the EN-to-RN students. Significant differences were not found between rural and metropolitan students who completed or who withdrew from the course. Logistic regression analysis indicated that ENs in this sample with a hospital-based certificate rather than a technical college qualification were more likely to complete the course: Location and years of experience as an EN did not contribute significantly to course completion. The findings provide support for the same recognition of prior learning, regardless of educational background, for ENs entering a bachelor level nursing degree. The findings have relevance for Australia and other countries with similar challenges for ENs who want to become RNs without relocating to a city.

Rural Area Revitalization Act of 1987; and the Rural Development Reorganization Act of 1987. Hearing on H.R. 1800 and H.R. 2026 before the Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, and Rural Development of the Committee on Agriculture. House of Representatives, One Hundredth Congress, First Session.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. House Committee on Agriculture.

Testimony of H.R. 1800, the Rural Area Revitalization Act, and H.R. 2026, the Rural Development Reorganization Act focuses on the need for federal attention to rural problems other than agriculture. The Rural Area Revitalization Act authorizes expansion of capital available for lending in rural areas, a grant program of $25 million per year for…

Toward a Comprehensive Rural Development Policy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Knutson, Ronald D.; And Others

Rural development is broader than just agriculture. Farm policy cannot solve rural community problems. Rural problems are sufficiently unique to require special emphasis and special programs. Since rural development has a broader focus than the local community, its problems need to be addressed by all levels of government as well as the private…

Rural Development: Part 4, S. 2223--The Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act and Amendment No. 153 (To S. 1483), to Establish the Rural Community Development Bank. Hearings Before the Subcommittee on Rural Development of the Committee on Agriculture and Forestry, United States Senate, 92d Congress, 1st Session, July 23; September 21-24, 1971.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Congress of the U.S., Washington, DC. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry.

Transcripts of Senate hearings on S. 2223 (the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act) and on Amendment No. 153 (to S. 1483) to establish the rural community development bank are presented in this document. In addition to some 25 miscellaneous documents, statements of representatives from municipal, state, and national organizations are…

Local soil quality assessment of north-central Namibia: integrating farmers' and technical knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Prudat, Brice; Bloemertz, Lena; Kuhn, Nikolaus J.

2018-02-01

Soil degradation is a major threat for farmers of semi-arid north-central Namibia. Soil conservation practices can be promoted by the development of soil quality (SQ) evaluation toolboxes that provide ways to evaluate soil degradation. However, such toolboxes must be adapted to local conditions to reach farmers. Based on qualitative (interviews and soil descriptions) and quantitative (laboratory analyses) data, we developed a set of SQ indicators relevant for our study area that integrates farmers' field experiences (FFEs) and technical knowledge. We suggest using participatory mapping to delineate soil units (Oshikwanyama soil units, KwSUs) based on FFEs, which highlight mostly soil properties that integrate long-term productivity and soil hydrological characteristics (i.e. internal SQ). The actual SQ evaluation of a location depends on the KwSU described and is thereafter assessed by field soil texture (i.e. chemical fertility potential) and by soil colour shade (i.e. SOC status). This three-level information aims to reveal SQ improvement potential by comparing, for any location, (a) estimated clay content against median clay content (specific to KwSU) and (b) soil organic status against calculated optimal values (depends on clay content). The combination of farmers' and technical assessment cumulates advantages of both systems of knowledge, namely the integrated long-term knowledge of the farmers and a short- and medium-term SQ status assessment. The toolbox is a suggestion for evaluating SQ and aims to help farmers, rural development planners and researchers from all fields of studies understanding SQ issues in north-central Namibia. This suggested SQ toolbox is adapted to a restricted area of north-central Namibia, but similar tools could be developed in most areas where small-scale agriculture prevails.

Projects for People: An International Exchange Focused on Drinking Water Quality in Rural Peru

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Weathers, T. S.; Tarazona Vasquez, F.; Bailey, E.; Duong, V.; Gonzales Vera, R.; LaPorte, D.; Rojas Cala, B.; Torres Atencia, S.; Vasquez Auqui, J.

2016-12-01

The integration of human-centered design with technical engineering in a classroom setting can be challenging but immensely rewarding if coupled with a community-focused experience. Undergraduate students participated in an international exchange to address drinking water quality in the community of Huamancaca, located in the Junin region of Peru. Technical research and experimentation often comes easily to students in undergraduate engineering programs, however, implementation within a community requires a social license to operate. The objectives of this study were to address the technical challenges of designing a sustainable and effective water filtration system while also ensuring community support and education, coupled with user ownership of the process. In tandem with filter media experimentation with biochar and activated carbon produced using locally available agricultural waste from potatoes and carrots, we visited the people of Huamancaca to understand their needs and concerns. This direct communication with the community was invaluable; we observed that many of the residents' water quality problems could be solved with education. For example, proper sanitation techniques and appropriate addition of bleach or sufficient boiling time may make up for inconsistent water quality provided by the local distribution system. An education plan may also be developed for water treatment plant operators covering chlorine dosage for effective residual treatment within the distribution network in addition to filtration. Upon site visitation and sample collection, we realized that open communication with city officials, operators, business owners, and residents in both technical and social settings is essential for continued collaboration within this community. Solving a tangible problem or designing a product that can be effectively adopted is not a concept that is rigorously addressed in undergraduate education, however the setbacks, challenges, and triumphs experienced when interacting with a community can provide valuable lessons for career development.­

[Controversy in the treatment of a critically ill neonate in a rural health service].

PubMed

Márquez-González, Horacio; Valdez-Martínez, Edith

2015-01-01

Cardiopulmonary resuscitation of newborns with perinatal hypoxia faces serious ethical, moral, medical and legal problems, particularly in rural areas. Ethical and moral issues have to do with the medical-parents relationship; with values, preferences and priorities of each of these groups; and with the scarce resources situation. Medical-technical problems are related to asphyxia complications, and their prognostic and therapeutic implications. Legal considerations arising from the fact of killing or letting die. In this article is analyzed the real case of a neonate with severe perinatal hypoxia in order to enhance the understanding of the incorporation of ethics in everyday clinical practice.

Poverty and gender perspective in productive projects for rural women in Mexico: impact evaluation of a pilot project.

PubMed

Urquieta-Salomón, José E; Tepichin-Valle, Ana María; Téllez-Rojo, Martha María

2009-02-01

The objective of this study is to evaluate the impact of a pilot study that promoted productive and capacity-building activities among deprived rural women of Mexico. The evaluation design is observational; 1,278 women are interviewed, and the comparison group is estimated by propensity score matching. The results show a positive impact on the carrying out of agricultural activities, in the autonomy of women in decision making, as does their perception of their role in the household. However, the project does not decrease the number of hours set aside for household chores or improve the women's technical and administrative skills.

Local scale water-food nexus: Use of borehole-garden permaculture to realise the full potential of rural water supplies in Malawi.

PubMed

Rivett, Michael O; Halcrow, Alistair W; Schmalfuss, Janine; Stark, John A; Truslove, Jonathan P; Kumwenda, Steve; Harawa, Kettie A; Nhlema, Muthi; Songola, Chrispine; Wanangwa, Gift J; Miller, Alexandra V M; Kalin, Robert M

2018-03-01

Local-scale opportunities to address challenges of the water-food nexus in the developing world need to be embraced. Borehole-garden permaculture is advocated as one such opportunity that involves the sustainable use of groundwater spilt at hand-pump operated borehole supplies that is otherwise wasted. Spilt water may also pose health risks when accumulating as a stagnant pond. Rural village community use of this grey-water in permaculture projects to irrigate borehole gardens is proposed to primarily provide economic benefit whereby garden-produce revenue helps fund borehole water-point maintenance. Water-supply sustainability, increased food/nutrition security, health protection from malaria, and business opportunity benefits may also arise. Our goal has been to develop an, experience-based, framework for delivery of sustainable borehole-garden permaculture and associated benefits. This is based upon data collection and permaculture implementation across the rural Chikwawa District of Malawi during 2009-17. We use, stakeholder interviews to identify issues influencing uptake, gathering of stagnant pond occurrence data to estimate amelioration opportunity, quantification of permaculture profitability to validate economic potential, and critical assessment of recent permaculture uptake to identify continuing problems. Permaculture was implemented at 123 sites representing 6% of District water points, rising to 26% local area coverage. Most implementations were at, or near, newly drilled community-supply boreholes; hence, amelioration of prevalent stagnant ponds elsewhere remains a concern. The envisaged benefits of permaculture were manifest and early data affirm projected garden profitability and spin-off benefits of water-point banking and community micro-loan access. However, a diversity of technical, economic, social and governance issues were found to influence uptake and performance. Example issues include greater need for improved bespoke garden design input, on-going project performance assessment, and coordinated involvement of multi-sector governmental-development bodies to underpin the integrated natural-resource management required. The developed framework aims to manage the identified issues and requires the concerted action of all stakeholders. Based on the probable ubiquity of underlying issues, the framework is expected to be generalizable to the wider developing world. However, this particular application of permaculture represents a fraction of its greater potential opportunity for rural communities that should be explored. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Development of thermoacoustic engine operating by waste heat from cooking stove

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, B. M.; Abakr, Y. A.; Riley, P. H.; Hann, D. B.

2012-06-01

There are about 1.5 billion people worldwide use biomass as their primary form of energy in household cooking[1]. They do not have access to electricity, and are too remote to benefit from grid electrical supply. In many rural communities, stoves are made without technical advancements, mostly using open fires cooking stoves which have been proven to be extremely low efficiency, and about 93% of the energy generated is lost during cooking. The cooking is done inside a dwelling and creates significant health hazard to the family members and pollution to environment. SCORE (www.score.uk.com) is an international collaboration research project to design and build a low-cost, high efficiency woodstove that uses about half amount of the wood of an open wood fire, and uses the waste heat of the stove to power a thermoacoustic engine (TAE) to produce electricity for applications such as LED lighting, charging mobile phones or charging a 12V battery. This paper reviews on the development of two types of the thermoacoustic engine powered by waste heat from cooking stove which is either using Propane gas or burning of wood as a cooking energy to produce an acceptable amount of electricity for the use of rural communities.

A case study of the counterpart technical support policy to improve rural health services in Beijing

PubMed Central

2012-01-01

Background There is, globally, an often observed inequality in the health services available in urban and rural areas. One strategy to overcome the inequality is to require urban doctors to spend time in rural hospitals. This approach was adopted by the Beijing Municipality (population of 20.19 million) to improve rural health services, but the approach has never been systematically evaluated. Methods Drawing upon 1.6 million cases from 24 participating hospitals in Beijing (13 urban and 11 rural hospitals) from before and after the implementation of the policy, changes in the rural–urban hospital performance gap were examined. Hospital performance was assessed using changes in six indices over-time: Diagnosis Related Groups quantity, case-mix index (CMI), cost expenditure index (CEI), time expenditure index (TEI), and mortality rates of low- and high-risk diseases. Results Significant reductions in rural–urban gaps were observed in DRGs quantity and mortality rates for both high- and low-risk diseases. These results signify improvements of rural hospitals in terms of medical safety, and capacity to treat emergency cases and more diverse illnesses. No changes in the rural–urban gap in CMI were observed. Post-implementation, cost and time efficiencies worsened for the rural hospitals but improved for urban hospitals, leading to a widening rural–urban gap in hospital efficiency. Conclusions The strategy for reducing urban–rural gaps in health services adopted, by the Beijing Municipality shows some promise. Gains were not consistent, however, across all performance indicators, and further improvements will need to be tried and evaluated. PMID:23272703

Rural development and urban migration: can we keep them down on the farm?

PubMed

Rhoda, R

1983-01-01

This study tests the hypothesis that rural development projects and programs reduce rural-urban migration. The author presents various factors in the social theories of migration, including those relating to origin and destination, intervening obstacles such as distance, and personal factors. 3 economic models of migration are the human capital or cost-benefit approach, the expected income model, and the intersectoral linkage model. Empirical studies of migration indicate that: 1) rural areas with high rates of out-migration tend to have high population densities or high ratios of labor to arable land, 2) distance inhibits migration, 3) rural-urban migration is positively correlated with family income level, and 4) selectivity differences in socioeconomic status between migrants and nonmigrants often are grouped into development packages which might include irrigation, new varieties of seed, subsidized credit, increased extension, and improved marketing arrangements. The migration impacts of some of these efforts are described: 1) land reform usually is expected to slow rural out-migration because it normally increases labor utilization in rural areas, but this is a limited effect, 2) migration effects of the Green Revolution technology are mainly in rural-rural migration, and 3) agricultural mechanization may stimulate rural-urban migration in the long run. Development of rural social services migh have various effects on rural-urban migration. Better rural education, which improves the chances of urban employment, will stimulate rural-urban migration, while successful rural family planning programs will have a negative effect in the long run as there will be reduced population pressure on arable land. Better rural health services might reduce the incentive for rural-urban migration as well. It is suggested that governments reconsider policies which rely on rural development to curb rural-urban migration and alleviate problems of urban poverty and underemployment.

Investigation of the impacts of rural development on Iowa's secondary road systems.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-09-01

"Today, many of Iowas counties are experiencing an increase in rural development. Two specific types of development were focused on : for this research: rural residential subdivisions and livestock production operations. Rural residential developm...

Investigation of the impacts of rural development on Iowa's secondary road systems.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2010-09-01

Today, many of Iowas counties are experiencing an increase in rural development. Two specific types of development were focused on : for this research: rural residential subdivisions and livestock production operations. Rural residential developme...

Towards a Rural Sociological Imagination: Ethnography and Schooling in Mobile Modernity

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Corbett, Michael

2015-01-01

In 1959, C. Wright Mills coined the phrase "the sociological imagination" to offer a critical assessment of a discipline he saw descending into a technical or abstract empiricist practice that he feared would ultimately deepen human alienation and oppression. Mills positioned the sociologist as a careful, critical scholar working in the…

Evaluation of the operational and demonstration test of short-range weather forecasting decision support within an advanced rural traveler information system

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1996-11-01

THIS IS THE TECHNICAL SUMMARY OF THE RESEARCH REPORT, COMMERCIAL MOTOR VEHICLE DRIVER FATIOUE AND ALERTNESS STUDY BY WYLIE ET AL., THE LARGEST AND MOST COMPREHENSIVE OVER-THE-ROAD STUDY ON THIS SUBJECT EVER CONDUCTED IN NORTH AMERICA. THE DATA COLLEC...

Ashton-Warner Literacy Method. Technical Note No. 5.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gunter, Jock

This document describes a literacy project in rural Ecuador using a modified version of Sylvia Ashton Warner's language experience approach. This method allows learners to approach written culture on their own terms by learning words important to their life, then transferring these works to sentences and stories. The approach reduces the rural…

Targeted Teacher Recruitment: What Is the Issue and Why Does It Matter? Policy Snapshot

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Aragon, Stephanie

2018-01-01

Districts across the country are facing severe shortages of teachers--especially in certain subjects (math, science, special education, career and technical education, and bilingual education) and in specific schools (urban, rural, high-poverty, high-minority, and low-achieving). The severity of the teacher shortage problem varies significantly by…

Evaluation of temporary traffic signals in conjunction with pilot car operations at two-way long temporary work zones : technical summary.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2016-05-01

The primary objective of this study was to evaluate the use of Portable Traffic Signal (PTS) systems at long, rural two-lane work zones and to compare three different conditions for controlling one-lane traffic in conjunction with pilot car operation...

77 FR 26245 - Household Water Well System Grant Program Announcement of Application Deadlines and Funding

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-03

... facilities to Rural Americans in greatest need. Central water systems may not be the only or best solution to... Services for Persons with Limited English Proficiency. '' For information on limited English proficiency... that require solutions. Demonstrate the well owners' need for financial and technical assistance...

A Teaching Artist in Rural Schools: Sowing Seeds for Creative Expression

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kuper, Kate

2006-01-01

For nearly 25 years, the author has driven the highways and back roads of Illinois, teaching dance to school children, leading family programs, performing lecture/demonstrations, and choreographing technically simple, conceptually complex pieces with and for young dancers. The author's home base is Champaign/Urbana (C/U), twin cities with a…

Market Rummy. Technical Note No. 4.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gunter, Jock

A card game, "Mercado," or Market Rummy, designed to teach basic market skills to rural Ecuadorians is described. Two to five people can play the game, which is presently used in night community meetings and in the educational program in coastal cooperatives. The game consists of two decks of cards: one represents money, the other…

Hacienda. Technical Note No. 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hoxeng, James

This paper describes a simulation game, "Hacienda," designed to replicate the economic and social realities of the peasants' situation in rural Ecuador. The game involves three to 15 players (and often more), one of whom, by a roll of the dice, takes the role of "hacendado," or hacienda owner, who gains title to all the…

Public Information; The Plan, Its Execution, the Results. Satellite Technology Demonstration, Technical Report No. 0132.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Mott, Robert A.; Lauck, Helen

The Satellite Technology Demonstration (STD) is an attempt to use new satellite technology and low-cost ground terminals to deliver community service broadcast to rural areas. Since community involvement was one of the projects highest priorities, clear communication between local, state, national, and international agencies was imperative. The…

Design for sustainable development--household drinking water filter for arsenic and pathogen treatment in Nepal.

PubMed

Ngai, Tommy K K; Shrestha, Roshan R; Dangol, Bipin; Maharjan, Makhan; Murcott, Susan E

2007-10-01

In the last 20 years, the widespread adoption of shallow tubewells in Nepal Terai region enabled substantial improvement in access to water, but recent national water quality testing showed that 3% of these sources contain arsenic above the Nepali interim guideline of 50 microg/L, and up to 60% contain unsafe microbial contamination. To combat this crisis, MIT, ENPHO and CAWST together researched, developed and implemented a household water treatment technology by applying an iterative, learning development framework. A pilot study comparing 3 technologies against technical, social, and economic criteria showed that the Kanchan Arsenic Filter (KAF) is the most promising technology for Nepal. A two-year technical and social evaluation of over 1000 KAFs deployed in rural villages of Nepal determined that the KAF typically removes 85-90% arsenic, 90-95% iron, 80-95% turbidity, and 85-99% total coliforms. Then 83% of the households continued to use the filter after 1 year, mainly motivated by the clean appearance, improved taste, and reduced odour of the filtered water, as compared to the original water source. Although over 5,000 filters have been implemented in Nepal by January 2007, further research rooted in sustainable development is necessary to understand the technology diffusion and scale-up process, in order to expand access to safe water in the country and beyond.

Technological characterization of sheep production systems in Brazil.

PubMed

Raineri, Camila; Nunes, Bruno César Prosdocimi; Gameiro, Augusto Hauber

2015-04-01

Sheep production has expanded in Brazil focusing on lamb meat, mostly to meet demanding internal markets in the state of São Paulo. Such markets present a demand which internal production is insufficient to meet. However, sheep farmers face many technical difficulties to produce quality lambs at viable costs. This study aimed at investigating the main characteristics of sheep production systems of the state of São Paulo, Brazil, in order to provide resources for the development of technologies, policies and other initiatives focused on the activity. We designed in panel meetings the characteristics of representative sheep farms in five regions of the state, concerning: (i) property and manpower profile; (ii) flock; (iii) handling techniques; (iv) facilities and equipment; (v) food production; and (vi) technical indicators. Results demonstrate that the predominant sheep farming in the state employs low technology, presenting low productivity despite its evolution in recent years. We verified great technical deficiency regarding farmers, who are new in this business and usually do not have access to technologies. Producers' unawareness about basic handling procedures and techniques as well as their lack of flock records can contribute to the activity's unsustainability. There is need for improving rural extension and diffusion of technologies. © 2015 Japanese Society of Animal Science.

An experiment to enable commercial mobile satellite service

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Lovell, R. R.; Knouse, G. H.; Weber, W. J.

1982-01-01

A Mobile Satellite Experiment (MSAT-X) is described, based on a planned cooperative U.S./Canadian program. The experiment would establish network architecture, develop system and ground-segment technology, and define the technical characteristics needed to help structure the regulatory/institutional framework needed to enable a first-generation commercial satellite service. A satellite of this type would augment terrestrial systems, both cellular and noncellular, in the thin-route/rural areas of the country where service is either unavailable or inadequate. Applications range from wide-area radio/dispatch (e.g., oil exploration and interstate trucking) to extension of the public mobile telephone service. Market estimates are provided and experiment objectives and requirements are delineated. The requirements are being developed in close coordination with the Department of Communications (DOC) of Canada and with industry and potential-user organizations. The paper closes with a development plan and milestone chart.

Annual Progress Report, January 1, 1974-December 31, 1974. [Southern Rural Development Center, Mississippi State University.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Southern Rural Development Center, State College, MS.

The Southern Rural Development Center's (SRDC) first annual report documents its organizational structure and provides a point by point summary of accomplishments relative to the following goals: (1) Develop, plan, and inventory existing rural development research knowledge; (2) Inventory rural development research needs and priorities; (3)…

7 CFR 22.306 - Financing rural development planning.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2011 CFR

2011-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 1 2011-01-01 2011-01-01 false Financing rural development planning. 22.306 Section 22.306 Agriculture Office of the Secretary of Agriculture RURAL DEVELOPMENT COORDINATION Roles and Responsibilities of State Governments § 22.306 Financing rural development planning. States will be required to...

77 FR 35657 - Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-06-14

... Information Collection Activity; Comment Request AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice and... 35, as amended), the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development administers rural utilities programs through the Rural Utilities Service. The USDA Rural Development invites...

US/Brazil joint pilot project objectives

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

NONE

1997-12-01

This paper describes a joint US/Brazil pilot project for rural electrification, whose major goals are: to establish technical, institutional, and economic confidence in using renewable energy (PV and wind) to meet the needs of the citizens of rural Brazil; to establish on-going institutional, individual and business relationships necessary to implement sustainable programs and commitments; to lay the groundwork for larger scale rural electrification through the use of distributed renewable technologies. The projects have supported low power home lighting systems, lighting and refrigeration for schools and medical centers, and water pumping systems. This is viewed as a long term project, wheremore » much of the equipment will come from the US, but Brazil will be responsible for program management, and sharing data gained from the program. The paper describes in detail the Brazilian program which was instituted to support this phased project.« less

Better Country: A Strategy for Rural Development in the 1980's.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC.

The report of the 25-member National Advisory Council on Rural Development, appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture, defines rural needs and sets forth strategies for rural development in the 1980's. A review of the decade between 1970 and 1980 discusses rapid economic growth of rural areas, social progress, and changes in public service, and…

A Bibliography on Rural Development in Tanzania. MSU Rural Development Paper No. 3.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kocher, James E.; Fleisher, Beverly

Rural development is understood to mean both the increased productivity of agriculture and other rural economic activities and the enhancement of the material well-being of the rural people (who comprise about 90% of Tanzania's 16 million population) through education, improved health, and better nutrition. Seven hundred and sixty-one books,…

Rural America at a Glance. Rural Development Research Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Economic Research Service (USDA), Washington, DC.

This report highlights the most recent indicators of social and economic conditions in rural areas for use in developing rural policies and programs. The economic expansion of the 1990s greatly benefited rural economies. Rural areas attracted both urban residents and immigrants. Hispanics accounted for over 25 percent of nonmetropolitan population…

Implications of Land Policy and Rural Development in Botswana.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Milazi, Dominic

1988-01-01

Examines land tenure alteration in relation to rural development programs in Botswana. Development efforts have had a class differentiated effect, aiding the relatively well-off cattle owners, but ignoring the small crop producers. A rural development strategy that benefits all rural groups must contain measures specifically tailored to each. (DHP)

7 CFR 1735.9 - USDA Rural Development State Director notification.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2014 CFR

2014-01-01

... 7 Agriculture 11 2014-01-01 2014-01-01 false USDA Rural Development State Director notification....9 USDA Rural Development State Director notification. Applicants shall complete a notification form which will be a public document that the RUS provides to USDA Rural Development State Directors and...

77 FR 26735 - Information Collection Activity; Comment Request

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2012-05-07

... AGENCY: Rural Utilities Service, USDA. ACTION: Notice and request for comments. SUMMARY: In accordance... Department of Agriculture (USDA) Rural Development administers rural utilities programs through the Rural Utilities Service (RUS). The USDA Rural Development invites comments on the following information...

Health, livelihoods, and nutrition in low-income rural systems.

PubMed

Joffe, Michael

2007-06-01

Absolute poverty remains a major challenge: the proportion of the world population living with hunger, food insecurity, and undernutrition has fallen, but the absolute number remains stubbornly large. An even larger number of people have enough to eat but suffer from severe micronutrient deficiencies. To provide a conceptual framework showing the interdependence of hunger and poverty with ill health among the rural poor. Review of the relevant health, nutrition, agriculture, and economics literature and organization of the findings into a systems framework. Economic growth is not a sufficient answer to rural poverty. The predicament of poor households can be represented in terms of a self-reinforcing cycle involving nutrition, health, and productivity. The degree of poverty limits the quantity and quality of food intake. Macro- and micronutrient deficiencies interfere with child growth and development and impair immune function, resulting in a predisposition to infectious diseases. Health status strongly influences the quantity and quality of labor and achieved educational status. The high risk of child mortality prevents households from going through the demographic transition to smaller families and better-educated children. The death of a working adult may be catastrophic for the household. This self-reinforcing cycle means that the beneficial effects of an intervention are propagated around the cycle, potentiating its impact. Each main element--nutrition, health, and productivity--also has numerous other determinants and can be influenced by interventions. Interventions that increase the carrying capacity of the household's environment are likely to be more sustainable than "technical fixes," such as lifesaving medical treatment. The self-reinforcing cycle is likely to be self-perpetuating without outside intervention. For any rural area where poverty reduction is planned, the key bottlenecks need to be identified. This can be done by using a causal diagram, as described in this paper.

Unmet needs in health training among nurses in rural Chinese township health centers: a cross-sectional hospital-based study.

PubMed

Mo, Yan; Hu, Guijie; Yi, Yanhua; Ying, Yanping; Huang, Huiqiao; Huang, Zhongxian; Lin, Jiafeng

2017-01-01

Maintaining a sufficient and competent rural nursing workforce is an important goal of the Chinese health delivery system. However, few studies have investigated the health training status or conducted a needs assessment of rural Chinese nurses during this time of great transformations in health policy. This study was conducted to explore the current health training status of nurses working in rural Chinese township health centers (THCs) and to ascertain their perceived needs. A cross-sectional survey using a self-administered structured questionnaire was conducted among 240 THC nurses in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China from March 2014 to August 2014. The survey questionnaire was adapted from the Second Chinese Survey of Demographic Data and Training Demand for Health Professionals in THCs developed by the Ministry of Education. The nurses in THCs were young, with a low educational level. Their perceived needs for health training included further clinical studies at city-level hospitals to improve their skills and theoretical studies at medical universities in emergency medicine and general practice. Overall, 71.9% of the nurses with a secondary technical school background expected to pursue junior college studies, and 68.5% of the nurses with a junior college education expected to pursue a bachelor's degree. A decentralized program with theoretical studies at medical universities and practical studies at county hospitals was regarded as feasible by 66.9% of the respondents. Health-training programs for nurses in Chinese THCs must be improved in terms of coverage, delivery mode, and content. A decentralized degree-linked training program in which medical universities and city hospitals collaborate would be an appropriate mode of delivery.

7 CFR 4284.502 - Policy.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-01-01

.... Rural cooperative development grants will be used to facilitate the creation or retention of jobs in rural areas through the development of new rural cooperatives, Value-Added processing and rural...

Planning Frontiers in Rural America: Papers and Proceedings of the Boone Conference, Volume II (Boone, North Carolina, March 16-18, 1975).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gade, Ole, Ed.

Representing a broad segment of people interested in rural America, this document presents 16 speeches. Speeches on rural development implementation at Federal, state, and regional levels include: "The Rural Development Concept" (calls for a national rural development policy which provides for a multicommunity, regional framework strengthened by…

Education in Rural America: Object or Instrumentality of Rural Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hobbs, Daryl

Rural schools have had a traditional role as major vehicles of rural economic development. During the rapid economic changes of the 20th century rural schools supplied the literate migrants who flocked to the cities to become the human capital for urban based expansion. Rural schools also provided the literate farmers who stayed at home and…

Rural America in Passage: Statistics for Policy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Gilford, Dorothy M., Ed.; And Others

The Panel on Statistics for Rural Development Policy was established to assess the current quality and availability of data for rural development policy--a more difficult task than might first appear. Until recent decades, rural development was commonly understood to be the development of agriculture. As science and technology transformed U. S.…

Charting New Paths: Rural Development in the South. 2001-2002 Annual Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Southern Rural Development Center, Mississippi State.

The Southern Rural Development Center (SRDC) seeks to strengthen the capacity of the region's 29 land-grant institutions to address critical, contemporary rural development issues impacting the well-being of people and communities in the rural South. Work force development, education, leadership training, food security, civic engagement, urban…

Progress Report on Rural Development for Fiscal Year 1970.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC.

Rural development progress relative to State-U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) committees is presented via exemplary citation in this 1970 report. Summaries are given for: (1) Status of State-USDA Organization for Rural Development, (2) Functional Relationships of USDA Committees on Rural Development, (3) Activities and Projects Underway, (4)…

Plan of Work for Rural Development in North Carolina, July 1, 1975 - June 30, 1976.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hyatt, George, Jr.; And Others

Serving primarily as a policy group for local Rural Development Panels, the North Carolina Rural Development Committee's major objective for 1976 is to work with local leaders, private businesses and governmental agencies at all levels in planning and implementing comprehensive rural development programs. Specifically, the Committee's objectives…

Improved milk production performance of smallholder farms in West Java (Indonesia).

PubMed

Sembada, Pria; Duteurtre, Guillaume; Purwanto, Bagus Priyo; Suryahadi

2016-04-01

In Indonesia, because of the rapidly growing demand for dairy products, the development of milk production in rural communities can play a strong role in reducing poverty. However, the development of smallholder dairy production requires adequate support from the government, development organizations, and private firms. To assess the needs and situations of poor dairy farmers, we conducted a study in Ciater sub-district in West Java Province to compare the current situation with the situation that prevailed 4 years ago, i.e., before the implementation of a dairy development project. Data were collected from 61 farms in June 2014. The average number of cows on the farms surveyed was three to four, and each relied on cultivating an average of 0.4 ha of forage. Results showed that thanks to the project activities, milk productivity per cow and net income from milk production increased by 25% between 2010 and 2014. These results underline the importance of providing training and technical support for the development of the livelihoods of dairy smallholders.

[Columbia: strategy for the introduction of educational technology].

PubMed

Jaramillo, C E

1979-01-01

Educational technology has in Colombia a recent history, and its importance is known only to limited circles; therefore this phenomenon has not been understood nor studied by large areas of the national opinion. The public is completely ignorant in this field and the government encourages this situation. The 1st step was made in 1948 by a priest who used the radio as a tool for the education of the citizens. This project faced several technical and scientific obstacles, such as the large volume of the radios, the rarity of electricity in rural areas, the cost of receiving sets and the lack of a technical service. However, the project developed; its actual name is ACPO and its broadcasting station is Radio Sutatenza. ACPO's main function is to provide the rural areas of Colombia with "education and culture"; to do this, ACPO has powerful resources such as: a broadcasting network which covers the whole country plus some neighbouring countries; one of South America's most modern presses; and powerful economic means. From its creation to this day, the education of the Colombian peasant has been the monopoly of ACPO. Television appeared in Colombia in 1954. It was imported with the prospect of using it in the field of education. Television is in the hands of the Organization of American States, which created multinational centres. The system is controlled from Florida, where the staff is trained. In 1969 the international audio-visual centre (Cavisat project) was created, whose base is in Colombia; its goal, a world-wide policy of education available to everyone. The strategy of the Colombian government is to open up education to any type of research, thus preparing the ground for the new imperialistic strategy: to create conditions in which educational technology becomes a need so that its level of development and the logic with which the system was conceived impose with their own strength the general decisions which become necessary in order to transform it into an official model for Colombian education.

75 FR 19353 - Notice of Funding Availability: Rural Development Voucher Program

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-04-14

... DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Rural Housing Service Notice of Funding Availability: Rural Development... Availability SUMMARY: This notice informs the public that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) in Fiscal... the requirements in the Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related...

Schooling and Factors Affecting Decisions on Schooling by Household Members in the Rural Areas of Turkey

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olgun, Akin; Gumus, Sevtap Guler; Adanacioglu, Hakan

2010-01-01

Despite the fact that rural education has always been one of the most important means of rural development, it has been ignored in many developing countries, with the result that rural development has not achieved great success. The problems of education in rural areas are not only related to the amount the country spends on education or to the…

A study on the stakeholder of holistic rural tourism: A case of Yangzhou

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gao, Yuanheng; Wang, Yan

2017-10-01

Holistic rural tourism is an important model to rural economy; however, there are a number of issues in the developing of the holistic rural tourism, one of the most prominent problems is the interests of community residents cannot be guaranteed. From the perspective of the stakeholders, the article describes the main stakeholders in the development of holistic rural tourism and analyzes the demands of different stakeholders' interests. The paper summarizes the principles of distribution mechanism of holistic rural tourism interests. Finally, it proposes the primary distribution mechanism and re-distribution mechanism of holistic rural tourism interests to provide some inspiration for the interest distribution in the sustainable development of holistic rural tourism.

Disparities in supports for student wellness promotion efforts among secondary schools in Minnesota

PubMed Central

O’Connell, Michael; Davey, Cynthia S.; Caspi, Caitlin; Kubik, Martha Y.; Nanney, Marilyn S.

2016-01-01

BACKGROUND We examined whether there are differences in the presence of supports for student wellness promotion (1) between schools in city, suburban and rural locations and, (2) among rural schools, according to distance from a metropolitan center. METHODS The analysis was conducted in a sample of 309 secondary schools using 2012 Minnesota School Health Profiles surveys and National Center for Educational Statistics Common Core Data. Scores for overall support addressed school health improvement coordination (range: 0–29), collaboration on health education activities (range: 0–5), and teachers’ professional preparation (range: 0–7). RESULTS Mean overall scores for health improvement coordination (10.5 ± 7.3), collaboration on health education activities (3.0 ± 1.5) and professional preparation (4.0 ± 1.9) indicated supports are lacking in schools across city, suburban and rural locations. Comparison of overall scores did not identify disparities; however, weaknesses and strengths of particular relevance for rural schools were identified in examining specific aspects of support. For example, the proportion of rural schools having a written school improvement plan was 54.8% compared to 84.6% of city schools and 64.3% of suburban schools (p = .01). CONCLUSIONS Tailored training and technical assistance are needed to better support schools in implementing recommended wellness policies and practices. PMID:28076918

Wireless multihop backhauls for rural areas: A preliminary study

PubMed Central

Zaidi, Zainab; Lan, Kun-chan

2017-01-01

Rural areas have very low revenue potential. The major issue in providing low-cost broadband to rural areas is to provide reliable backhaul connections that spread over tens or even hundreds of miles, connecting villages to the nearest service provider. Along with aerial networks of Google and Facebook, there has been a considerable amount of research toward long-distance terrestrial WiFi links. As a comparison, WiFi routers are easier to be deployed and maintained by non-technical people from the local communities, whereas the aerial networks require professional support to operate. Moreover, they are still in the experimentation phase. However, the long distance WiFi links require high-gain directional antennas and very expensive tall towers for high data rates. On the other hand, multihop paths with stronger links may provide better data rates without the need of tall towers. In this paper, we evaluated the concept of using such multihop WiFi links for long backhaul connections. Our simulation results show that these networks can possibly be a cost-effective and practical solution for rural connectivity. These initial results can serve as a first step to understand the comprehensive feasibility of using multihop WiFi networks for backhaul connections in rural area. PMID:28403167

Partnership for Self-Reliant Change: Institute for Integrated Rural Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dancey, John

1994-01-01

The Institute for Integrated Rural Development in the Maharashtra State of India seeks to break the cycle of poverty through sustainable rural development. It works closely with rural women on health and nutrition education and in other community partnerships based on horizontal structures. (SK)

Rural Development in the United States: Connecting Theory, Practice, and Possibilities.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Galston, William A.; Baehler, Karen J.

This book synthesizes and analyzes much of the theoretical and practical literature on rural economic development and related issues from the past two decades with the aim of initiating construction of a new model for U.S. rural development policy. Part I emphasizes the national and global context within which U.S. rural development must take…

Education and Rural Development Planning. Report of a Regional Seminar (Bangkok, December 8-16, 1980).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Bangkok (Thailand). Regional Office for Education in Asia and the Pacific.

The report of a regional seminar on rural development planning specifies as its objectives: to study the problems of rural development planning, and to elucidate training requirements for managers of rural development projects, with particular reference to the links between education and productive work and employment. The first chapter gives…

Rural Development Research: A Foundation for Policy. Contributions in Economics and Economic History, Number 170.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Rowley, Thomas D., Ed.; And Others

This book addresses the need for research information that can be used as a foundation for rural development policy. Part I deals with the four components of rural development: education (human capital), entrepreneurship, physical infrastructure, and social infrastructure. Part II examines analytic methods of measuring rural development efforts,…

Rich Schools--Poor Schools: Challenges for Rural and Urban Pennsylvania. Technical Paper No. 8.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Center for Rural Pennsylvania, Harrisburg.

This report examines the wealth of Pennsylvania school districts, the effort districts exert to support education, school expenditures, and the effects of district wealth on students. Important findings related to disparities in wealth and spending on education include: (1) the polarization of wealth distribution during the 1980s made over 90% of…

An Empirical Study of Decisions Involving Post-Secondary Vocational School Training. Volume II--Technical Report. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Olson, Lawrence S.

A study examined decisions involving private, postsecondary vocational schooling using three large, national sets of data (from the National Longitudinal Surveys) on males. Particular attention is paid to three target groups: inner-city and rural individuals and dropouts. Various equations were estimated using a life-cycle model of time allocation…

76 FR 578 - Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) for Fiscal Year 2010; Rural Innovation Fund Program...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-01-05

.... SUMMARY: On December 22, 2010, HUD posted on http://www.Grants.gov its Notice of Funding Availability... publication announces that HUD has posted on http://www.Grants.gov a technical correction that, most... Fund grant.'' The revised NOFA can be found and downloaded from http://www.Grants.gov , using the CFDA...

The Spray-Rite Kit. A Guide to Using Chemicals on the Farm.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Stevens, Nick; And Others

This resource is designed to assist rural adult literacy students. It deals with chemicals on the farm and aims to help students understand the technical language, concepts, and operations associated with spraying safely and effectively. The kit proceeds step-by-step from purchase to disposal. Material is divided into two sections. Section 1…

76 FR 45248 - PJM Interconnection, L.L.C., PJM Power Providers Group v. PJM Interconnection, L.L.C...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2011-07-28

...-002; Docket No. EL11-20-001] PJM Interconnection, L.L.C., PJM Power Providers Group v. PJM Interconnection, L.L.C.; Supplemental Notice of Staff Technical Conference On June 13, 2011, the Commission issued... Resources Services, Inc., Maryland Public Service Commission, Monitoring Analytics, L.L.C., National Rural...

An Historical Overview of the Production Requirement for the Satellite Technology Demonstration. Technical Report No. 0504.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Smith, Myron P.; Sosey, Phillip

The Satellite Technology Demonstration employs the latest telecommunications technology to deliver community oriented programing to rural areas. To meet the demand for contemporary broadcasts responsive to community needs, a studio was constructed in the Denver area to produce and coordinate future programs for the Rocky Mountains area. Problems…

Psychology and Rural America: Current Status and Future Directions.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Murray, J. Dennis; Keller, Peter A.

1991-01-01

Rural people constitute about one-fourth of the U.S. population; their special mental health needs have largely been neglected. Psychologists are needed to practice in rural areas, to develop rural service models, and to support the development of state and federal policies that address rural needs. (DM)

Developing rural palliative care: validating a conceptual model.

PubMed

Kelley, Mary Lou; Williams, Allison; DeMiglio, Lily; Mettam, Hilary

2011-01-01

The purpose of this research was to validate a conceptual model for developing palliative care in rural communities. This model articulates how local rural healthcare providers develop palliative care services according to four sequential phases. The model has roots in concepts of community capacity development, evolves from collaborative, generalist rural practice, and utilizes existing health services infrastructure. It addresses how rural providers manage challenges, specifically those related to: lack of resources, minimal community understanding of palliative care, health professionals' resistance, the bureaucracy of the health system, and the obstacles of providing services in rural environments. Seven semi-structured focus groups were conducted with interdisciplinary health providers in 7 rural communities in two Canadian provinces. Using a constant comparative analysis approach, focus group data were analyzed by examining participants' statements in relation to the model and comparing emerging themes in the development of rural palliative care to the elements of the model. The data validated the conceptual model as the model was able to theoretically predict and explain the experiences of the 7 rural communities that participated in the study. New emerging themes from the data elaborated existing elements in the model and informed the requirement for minor revisions. The model was validated and slightly revised, as suggested by the data. The model was confirmed as being a useful theoretical tool for conceptualizing the development of rural palliative care that is applicable in diverse rural communities.

An Analysis of Ict Development Strategy Framework in Chinese Rural Areas

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Duan, Meiying; Warren, Martyn; Lang, Yunwen; Lu, Shaokun; Yang, Linnan

Information and Communication Technology (ICT) development strategy in Chinese rural areas is an indispensable part of national development strategies. This paper reviews the ICT framework in agriculture and rural areas launched by the Department of Agriculture in China. It compares the rural ICT policies and strategies between China and the European Union (EU). The ICT development strategy framework is analyzed based on the situation in Chinese rural area and the experiences of the EU. Some lessons and suggestions are provided.

Rural Development. Federal Programs that Focus on Rural America and Its Economic Development. Briefing Report to the Ranking Minority Member, Subcommittee on Conservation, Credit, and Rural Development, Committee on Agriculture, House of Representatives.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

General Accounting Office, Washington, DC. Resources, Community, and Economic Development Div.

This report identifies those federal programs that are essentially rural and pursue economic development purposes. Using the 10 Beale population codes, 2,097 of the 3,096 U.S. counties, containing 16% of the U.S. population, were defined as rural (had urban populations of less than 20,000). The approximately 800 federal domestic assistance…

Beneficial effects of a woman-focused development programme on child survival: evidence from rural Bangladesh.

PubMed

Bhuiya, Abbas; Chowdhury, Mushtaque

2002-11-01

This paper reports results from a prospective study of the impact of a woman-focused development programme on child survival in Matlab, a rural area of Bangladesh. The programme was targeted to households owning less than 50 decimals of land and members selling more than 100 days of labour for living in a year. Programme components included formation of women's groups for saving and credit, training on skill development, functional literacy including legal and social awareness, and technical and marketing support to projects undertaken with the loan money from the organization. A total of 13,549 children born alive during 1988-97 in the study area were included in the study. Hazards of mortality during pre- and post-intervention periods were compared among the programme participants and non-participants controlling the effects of other relevant variables. There has been a substantial reduction in mortality during the post-intervention period; however, the reduction was much greater for infants whose mothers participated in the development programme compared to infants of non-participant mothers from similar socioeconomic background. In a relative sense, there has been a 52% reduction of the pre-intervention level hazard of death of children during infancy of participant mothers compared to 31% reduction for the infants of non-participant mothers from similar socioeconomic background. There had also been a substantial reduction in hazard of death during childhood (1-4 year age group), however, the reduction was statistically similar for all groups of children irrespective of their mothers' participation in the development programmes.

Rural Development, Poverty, and Natural Resources: Workshop Paper Series. Part I. Sociodemographic and Economic Changes in Rural America; Rural Policy: An Independent View.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deavers, Kenneth L.; And Others

A paper examining recent changes in the social and economic development of rural America--with comments by a different author--and a paper discussing rural policy comprise this workshop collection. Placing the changes of the 1970s in a broader historical perspective and developing a general framework within which to consider the influence of…

Cytopathology whole slide images and virtual microscopy adaptive tutorials: A software pilot

PubMed Central

Van Es, Simone L.; Pryor, Wendy M.; Belinson, Zack; Salisbury, Elizabeth L.; Velan, Gary M.

2015-01-01

Background: The constant growth in the body of knowledge in medicine requires pathologists and pathology trainees to engage in continuing education. Providing them with equitable access to efficient and effective forms of education in pathology (especially in remote and rural settings) is important, but challenging. Methods: We developed three pilot cytopathology virtual microscopy adaptive tutorials (VMATs) to explore a novel adaptive E-learning platform (AeLP) which can incorporate whole slide images for pathology education. We collected user feedback to further develop this educational material and to subsequently deploy randomized trials in both pathology specialist trainee and also medical student cohorts. Cytopathology whole slide images were first acquired then novel VMATs teaching cytopathology were created using the AeLP, an intelligent tutoring system developed by Smart Sparrow. The pilot was run for Australian pathologists and trainees through the education section of Royal College of Pathologists of Australasia website over a period of 9 months. Feedback on the usability, impact on learning and any technical issues was obtained using 5-point Likert scale items and open-ended feedback in online questionnaires. Results: A total of 181 pathologists and pathology trainees anonymously attempted the three adaptive tutorials, a smaller proportion of whom went on to provide feedback at the end of each tutorial. VMATs were perceived as effective and efficient E-learning tools for pathology education. User feedback was positive. There were no significant technical issues. Conclusion: During this pilot, the user feedback on the educational content and interface and the lack of technical issues were helpful. Large scale trials of similar online cytopathology adaptive tutorials were planned for the future. PMID:26605119

Designing Observation and Modeling Systems to Inform Decisions and Policies on Freshwater Objectives in New Zealand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Baisden, W. T.; Ellis, T.; Rissman, C.; Moore, C.; Matthews, A.

2016-12-01

Declines in New Zealand's freshwater quality have led to legislation - the 2014 National Policy Statement on Freshwater Management (NPS-FM) - which requires regional governments to set "objectives" and design policies accordingly. In most regions, increases in freshwater contaminants are derived largely from intensifying agriculture and come as nitrogen, phosphorous or sediment, or a combination thereof. Here, the development and application of N and O isotopes as natural tracers for nitrate is examined as a case study, in the context of a wider hierarchy of observations such as N concentrations, flow and broader hydrochemistry used for NPS-FM implementation. The analysis of N and O isotopes in nitrate provides specific information on sources and removal processes that cannot be obtained by other measurements. Yet, despite considerable development of the technical methodology and environment-specific interpretation, application of measurements has faced barriers. Many may be typical of science in a small advanced nation with a population of 4.5 million, but others are unique due to New Zealand's limited rural population base and large diversity in physical geography, as well as a unique economic reliance on highly productive pastoral agricultural systems. Seventeen different regional governments are empowered to regulate in ways consistent with local consultation and democracy within their catchment boundaries, but with limited resources to align highly technical observational data to policies and decisions, as well as supporting models. The resulting gaps in communication and technical capability combine with a diversity of approaches to pose both challenges and opportunities for development and application of hierarchical observation systems. Success appears to lie in ensuring decision frameworks can be `mapped', so that different frameworks can be compared, and the benefits of sophisticated observations understood directly in relation to influence on regional policy and on-farm management decisions.

Lessons from the Deployment of the SPIRIT App to Support Collaborative Care for Rural Patients with Complex Psychiatric Conditions

PubMed Central

Bauer, Amy M.; Hodsdon, Sarah; Hunter, Suzanne; Choi, Youlim; Bechtel, Jared; Fortney, John C.

2017-01-01

We report the design and deployment of a mobile health system for patients receiving primary care-based mental health services (Collaborative Care) for post-traumatic stress disorder and/or bipolar disorder in rural health centers. Here we describe the clinical model, our participatory approach to designing and deploying the mobile system, and describe the final system. We focus on the integration of the system into providers’ clinical workflow and patient registry system. We present lessons learned about the technical and training requirements for integration into practice that can inform future efforts to incorporate health technologies to improve care for patients with psychiatric conditions. PMID:29075683

Influence of parental education on Honduran medical students' labour perspectives: rural work and emigration.

PubMed

Zambrano, Lysien I; Pereyra-Elías, Reneé; Reyes-García, Selvin Z; Fuentes, Itzel; Mayta-Tristán, Percy

2015-01-01

We sought to evaluate the intentions of Honduran medical students to emigrate or to work in a rural setting, and their association with parental education. We performed a cross-sectional, analytic study at a Honduran medical school. Student participants completed a structured questionnaire, which assessed their intentions to emigrate or work in a rural setting after finishing medical school and the highest level of education achieved by their parents. We calculated crude and adjusted prevalence ratios with their respective 95% confidence intervals. Of 868 surveys distributed, 564 were completed. The mean age of the participants was 21 (standard deviation 3) years, and 62.2% were female. Of the respondents, 16.6% intended to emigrate to work and 11.2% intended to work in a rural setting. Higher paternal education (i.e., technical, university and postgraduate training) was associated with a higher rate of intention to emigrate. Students whose fathers underwent postgraduate education were less likely to intend to work in a rural setting. For maternal education, only the postgraduate level was associated with the outcomes in some of the tested models. The frequency of students intending to emigrate was relatively low. However, the frequency of students being willing to work in rural settings was also low. Students whose parents had higher levels of education were more likely to intend to work abroad and less likely to intend to work in a rural area. These factors should be considered in medical schools' selection processes to improve retention and ensure adequate distribution of physicians.

Chronic disease management systems registries in rural health care.

PubMed

Skinner, Anne; Fraser-Maginn, Roslyn; Mueller, Keith J

2006-05-01

Health care quality is being addressed from a variety of policy perspectives. The 2001 Institute of Medicine report, Crossing the Quality Chasm, calls for sweeping action involving a five-part strategy for change in the U.S. health care system. This agenda for change includes use of evidence-based approaches to address common conditions, the majority of which are chronic. A Chronic Disease Management System (CDMS), or registry, is a tool that helps providers efficiently collect and analyze patient information to promote quality care for the rural population. CDMSs can provide a technological entry point for the impending use of Electronic Medical Records. A CDMS is a patient-centered electronic database tool that helps providers diagnose, treat, and manage chronic diseases. The purpose of this brief is to discuss the different types of CDMSs used by a sample of 14 state organizations and 19 local rural clinics in Maine, Nebraska, New Mexico, South Carolina, Washington, and Wisconsin. As part of a larger study examining the challenges and innovations in implementing disease management programs in rural areas, we conducted interviews with national, state, and local contacts. During interviews, respondents helped us understand the usefulness and functionalities of commonly used CDMSs in rural facilities. Our focus was on the use of CDMSs in the management of diabetes, a disease prevalent in rural populations. (1) CDMSs are readily available to rural clinics and are being implemented and maintained by clinic staff with minimal expenditures for technology. (2) Use of a standardized system in a collaborative helps provide data comparisons and share costs involved with technical assistance services across the group.

Sources of Inequities in Rural America: Implications for Rural Community Development and Research. Community Development Research Series.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Fujimoto, Isao; Zone, Martin

As part of a series prepared to acquaint small community officials with information on the latest community related research findings at the University of California at Davis, this monograph explicates the way in which tax structure, rural development assumptions, and even rural development policies and subsidies contribute to the inequities found…

Usability and feasibility of a tablet-based Decision-Support and Integrated Record-keeping (DESIRE) tool in the nurse management of hypertension in rural western Kenya.

PubMed

Vedanthan, Rajesh; Blank, Evan; Tuikong, Nelly; Kamano, Jemima; Misoi, Lawrence; Tulienge, Deborah; Hutchinson, Claire; Ascheim, Deborah D; Kimaiyo, Sylvester; Fuster, Valentin; Were, Martin C

2015-03-01

Mobile health (mHealth) applications have recently proliferated, especially in low- and middle-income countries, complementing task-redistribution strategies with clinical decision support. Relatively few studies address usability and feasibility issues that may impact success or failure of implementation, and few have been conducted for non-communicable diseases such as hypertension. To conduct iterative usability and feasibility testing of a tablet-based Decision Support and Integrated Record-keeping (DESIRE) tool, a technology intended to assist rural clinicians taking care of hypertension patients at the community level in a resource-limited setting in western Kenya. Usability testing consisted of "think aloud" exercises and "mock patient encounters" with five nurses, as well as one focus group discussion. Feasibility testing consisted of semi-structured interviews of five nurses and two members of the implementation team, and one focus group discussion with nurses. Content analysis was performed using both deductive codes and significant inductive codes. Critical incidents were identified and ranked according to severity. A cause-of-error analysis was used to develop corresponding design change suggestions. Fifty-seven critical incidents were identified in usability testing, 21 of which were unique. The cause-of-error analysis yielded 23 design change suggestions. Feasibility themes included barriers to implementation along both human and technical axes, facilitators to implementation, provider issues, patient issues and feature requests. This participatory, iterative human-centered design process revealed previously unaddressed usability and feasibility issues affecting the implementation of the DESIRE tool in western Kenya. In addition to well-known technical issues, we highlight the importance of human factors that can impact implementation of mHealth interventions. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ireland Ltd. All rights reserved.

Usability and Feasibility of a Tablet-Based Decision-Support and Integrated Record-Keeping (DESIRE) Tool in the Nurse Management of Hypertension in Rural Western Kenya

PubMed Central

Vedanthan, Rajesh; Blank, Evan; Tuikong, Nelly; Kamano, Jemima; Misoi, Lawrence; Tulienge, Deborah; Hutchinson, Claire; Ascheim, Deborah D.; Kimaiyo, Sylvester; Fuster, Valentin; Were, Martin C.

2015-01-01

Background Mobile health (mHealth) applications have recently proliferated, especially in low- and middle-income countries, complementing task-redistribution strategies with clinical decision support. Relatively few studies address usability and feasibility issues that may impact success or failure of implementation, and few have been conducted for non-communicable diseases such as hypertension. Objective To conduct iterative usability and feasibility testing of a tablet-based Decision Support and Integrated Record-keeping (DESIRE) tool, a technology intended to assist rural clinicians taking care of hypertension patients at the community level in a resource-limited setting in western Kenya. Methods Usability testing consisted of “think aloud” exercises and “mock patient encounters” with five nurses, as well as one focus group discussion. Feasibility testing consisted of semi-structured interviews of five nurses and two members of the implementation team, and one focus group discussion with nurses. Content analysis was performed using both deductive codes and significant inductive codes. Critical incidents were identified and ranked according to severity. A cause-of-error analysis was used to develop corresponding design change suggestions. Results Fifty-seven critical incidents were identified in usability testing, 21 of which were unique. The cause-of-error analysis yielded 23 design change suggestions. Feasibility themes included barriers to implementation along both human and technical axes, facilitators to implementation, provider issues, patient issues and feature requests. Conclusions This participatory, iterative human-centered design process revealed previously unaddressed usability and feasibility issues affecting the implementation of the DESIRE tool in western Kenya. In addition to well-known technical issues, we highlight the importance of human factors that can impact implementation of mHealth interventions. PMID:25612791

Airborne trace elements near a petrochemical industrial complex in Thailand assessed by the lichen Parmotrema tinctorum (Despr. ex Nyl.) Hale.

PubMed

Boonpeng, Chaiwat; Polyiam, Wetchasart; Sriviboon, Chutima; Sangiamdee, Duangkamon; Watthana, Santi; Nimis, Pier Luigi; Boonpragob, Kansri

2017-05-01

Several trace elements discharged by the petrochemical industry are toxic to humans and the ecosystem. In this study, we assessed airborne trace elements in the vicinity of the Map Ta Phut petrochemical industrial complex in Thailand by transplanting the lichen Parmotrema tinctorum to eight industrial, two rural, and one clean air sites between October 2013 and June 2014. After 242 days, the concentrations of As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Hg, Mo, Ni, Pb, Sb, Ti, V, and Zn in lichens at most industrial sites were higher than those at the rural and the control sites; in particular, As, Cu, Mo, Sb, V, and Zn were significantly higher than at the control site (p < 0.05). Contamination factors (CFs) indicated that Cd, Cu, Mo, and Sb, which have severe health impacts, heavily contaminated at most industrial sites. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that most elements were associated with industry, with lesser contributions from traffic and agriculture. Based on the pollution load indexes (PLIs), two industrial sites were highly polluted, five were moderately polluted, and one had a low pollution level, whereas the pollution load at the rural sites was comparable to background levels. This study reinforces the utility of lichens as cost-effective biomonitors of airborne elements, suitable for use in developing countries, where adequate numbers of air monitoring instruments are unavailable due to financial, technical, and policy constraints.

Public health communications for safe motherhood.

PubMed

Kessel, E

1994-03-30

Public health communication aims to influence health practices of large populations, including maternal health care providers (traditional birth attendants, (TBAs), nurse-midwives, other indigenous practitioners, and physicians). A quality assurance process is needed to give public sector health providers feedback. Computerized record keeping is needing for quality assurance of maternal health programs. The Indian Rural Medical Association has trained more than 20,000 rural indigenous practitioners in West Bengal. Training of TBAs is expensive and rarely successful. However, trained health professional leading group discussions of TBAs is successful at teaching them about correct maternity care. Health education messages integrated into popular songs and drama is a way to reach large illiterate audiences. Even though a few donor agencies and governments provide time and technical assistance to take advantage of the mass media as a means to communicate health messages, the private sector has most of the potential. Commercial advertisements pay for Video on Wheels, which, with 100 medium-sized trucks each fitted with a 100-inch screen, plays movies for rural citizens of India. They are exposed to public and family planning messages. Jain Satellite Television (JST) broadcasts 24 hours a day and plans to broadcast programs on development, health and family planning, women's issues, and continuing education for all health care providers (physicians, nurses, TBAs, community workers, and indigenous practitioners). JST and the International Federation for Family Health plan to telecast courses as part of an Open University of Health Sciences.

Delaware's Rural Assistance Council Promotes the Rural Agenda in the First State.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

VanSciver, James H.

The Delaware Research for Better Schools Rural Assistance Council's (RAC) mission is to develop a rural assistance agenda for the state. The Council stated four objectives: (1) identifying the most pressing needs of Delaware's rural schools and school districts; (2) developing plans, in cooperation with appropriate state organizations, for…

Rural Communities: Human and Symbolic Capital Development, Fields Apart.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Atkin, Chris

2003-01-01

Considers the nature of rurality as a social construct and implications for policymakers considering lifelong education in developed economies of the world. Discussion focuses on three key questions: (1) what is rurality?; (2) what effect has rurality on cultural identity; and (3) what are rural and urban young people's perceptions of formal…

Educational Planning Methodology for the Integrated Development of Rural Areas. Reports Studies... S.83.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization, Paris (France).

A summary of educational planning methodologies tested in Argentina, Guatemala, Brazil, Ecuador, and Bolivia, the document offers opinions and proposals about integrated rural development. Integrated rural development is seen as a social, economic, political, and cultural process in rural areas, designed to improve living conditions. Chapters…

Agrarian Reform and Rural Development.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Biswas, Margaret R.

1979-01-01

This paper presents the plight of the world's poor, which was discussed at The World Conference on Agrarian Reform and Rural Development in July, 1979. Urban bias is attributed to the failure of rural development. More participation of rural people is needed. Progress is being made. Examples of literary programs in Iraq and the Sudan are included.…

MSAT system and service description

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sward, D. J.; Lok, M. F.

1986-09-01

A satellite based mobile communications system known as MSAT, was developed in Canada. It will be used primarily in rural and remote regions where the wide-area coverage and extended range features are of greatest benefit. Applications can be found in trucking, mineral exploration, forestry, law enforcement, coastal and in-land shipping, light aircraft communications, national paging, environmental sensing, remote monitoring and control of utilities, and emergency relief. The services which are likely to be offered initially on MSAT include mobile radio, mobile telephone, mobile data, wide-area paging, supervisory control, and data collection. Maritime and aeronautical services can also be provided as well as conventional telephone service to locations which for technical and economic reasons cannot be served by the fixed terrestrial and satellite infrastructures.

Sustaining “Meaningful Use” of Health Information Technology in Low-Resource Practices

PubMed Central

Green, Lee A.; Potworowski, Georges; Day, Anya; May-Gentile, Rachelle; Vibbert, Danielle; Maki, Bruce; Kiesel, Leslie

2015-01-01

PURPOSE The implementation of electronic health records (EHRs) has been extensively studied, but their maintenance once implemented has not. The Regional Extension Center (REC) program provides implementation assistance to priority practices—those with limited financial, technical, and organizational resources—but the assistance is time limited. Our objective was to identify potential barriers to maintenance of meaningful use of EHRs in priority primary care practices using a qualitative observational study for federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and priority practices in Michigan. METHODS We conducted cognitive task analysis (CTA) interviews and direct observations of health information technology implementation in FQHCs. In addition, we conducted semistructured interviews with implementation specialists serving priority practices to detect emergent themes relevant to maintenance. RESULTS Maintaining EHR technology will require ongoing expert technical support indefinitely beyond implementation to address upgrades and security needs. Maintaining meaningful use for quality improvement will require ongoing support for leadership and change management. Priority practices not associated with larger systems lack access to the necessary technical expertise, financial resources, and leverage with vendors to continue alone. Rural priority practices are particularly challenged, because expertise is often not available locally. CONCLUSIONS Priority practices, especially in rural areas, are at high risk for falling on the wrong side of a “digital divide” as payers and regulators enact increasing expectations for EHR use and information management. For those without affiliation to maintain the necessary expert staff, ongoing support will be needed for those practices to remain viable. PMID:25583887

Sustaining "meaningful use" of health information technology in low-resource practices.

PubMed

Green, Lee A; Potworowski, Georges; Day, Anya; May-Gentile, Rachelle; Vibbert, Danielle; Maki, Bruce; Kiesel, Leslie

2015-01-01

The implementation of electronic health records (EHRs) has been extensively studied, but their maintenance once implemented has not. The Regional Extension Center (REC) program provides implementation assistance to priority practices-those with limited financial, technical, and organizational resources-but the assistance is time limited. Our objective was to identify potential barriers to maintenance of meaningful use of EHRs in priority primary care practices using a qualitative observational study for federally qualified health centers (FQHCs) and priority practices in Michigan. We conducted cognitive task analysis (CTA) interviews and direct observations of health information technology implementation in FQHCs. In addition, we conducted semistructured interviews with implementation specialists serving priority practices to detect emergent themes relevant to maintenance. Maintaining EHR technology will require ongoing expert technical support indefinitely beyond implementation to address upgrades and security needs. Maintaining meaningful use for quality improvement will require ongoing support for leadership and change management. Priority practices not associated with larger systems lack access to the necessary technical expertise, financial resources, and leverage with vendors to continue alone. Rural priority practices are particularly challenged, because expertise is often not available locally. Priority practices, especially in rural areas, are at high risk for falling on the wrong side of a "digital divide" as payers and regulators enact increasing expectations for EHR use and information management. For those without affiliation to maintain the necessary expert staff, ongoing support will be needed for those practices to remain viable. © 2015 Annals of Family Medicine, Inc.

[Population planning unit is developed in the Congo].

PubMed

Amouali, C; Poukouta, P

1989-01-01

This article is an update on the demographic situation in the Congo and the institutionalization of a population unit in The Ministry of Plan. From 1974-84 the population increased 44.9% going from 1,319,790 to 1,912,429 at a growth rate of 3.48% and possibly doubling in 20 years (2005). However, the major transformation has been the growth of the urban areas over the rural. From 1974-84 the rural population went from 819,430 to 934,849 while the urban population went from 500,360 in 1974 to 977,580 in 1984. The growth rate of the rural areas was 1.22% while that for the urban was 6.38% Infant mortality rate stands at 73/1000; life expectancy is 46.9 for men and 50.0 for women. The average fertility rate is 6. This demographic situation with the inherent problems of the rapidly growing urbanization of the 2 principal cities, Brazzaville and Pointe-Noire, has led to problems in health services and high morbidity and mortality rates. The Government has created 3 national organizations to coordinate population activities in the country: 1) The National Council on Population, (1988) an interministerial council, presided over by the Prime Minister, that defines and formulates national population policies as integral components to the country's socioeconomic development plans; 2) The National Commission on Population (CONAPO), headed by the Minister of Plan, Finance and Economics as the administrative organ of The National Council on Population, and responsible for the technical and evaluation activities of The National Council on Population; and 3) The Population Planning Unit headed by the Director of Human Resources in the Ministry of Plan responsible for identifying, formulating and evaluating population policies in the Congo. These institutions were created as a result of the 1974 Bucharest Conference and the 1984 Arusha Conference were population and development were considered integral components, and of results of 2 censuses and population surveys highlighting the demographic situation in the Congo.

RURAL RECREATION ENTERPRISES FOR PROFIT, AN AID TO RURAL AREAS DEVELOPMENT.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Department of Agriculture, Washington, DC.

MANY RURAL AREAS OF THE U.S. POSSESS ENOUGH SPACE AND NATURAL ATTRACTIONS TO SERVE AS A BASIS FOR ESTABLISHING EITHER PART OR FULL-TIME RECREATIONAL ENTERPRISES. MOST OUTDOOR LEISURE ACTIVITIES CENTER AROUND WATER, HUNTING AND FISHING, ADMIRING SCENERY, AND ENJOYING THE NATURAL RURAL LANDSCAPE. THUS THE DEVELOPMENT OF RURAL RECREATION RESOURCES IS…

Development of the Language Proficiency of Five- to Seven-Year-Olds in Rural Areas

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Poolman, B. G.; Leseman, P. P. M.; Doornenbal, J. M.; Minnaert, A. E. M. G.

2017-01-01

Rural children are a largely understudied population in language and literacy research, despite the fact that these children often enter school with delays in their language development. Since most rural areas suffered from so-called selective rural outmigration, many parents in rural areas are lower or middle educated. The home literacy climate,…

Natural Resource Dependence, Rural Development, and Rural Poverty. Rural Development Research Report Number 48.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deavers, Kenneth L.; Brown, David L.

Rural areas' population growth, location, level of economic activity and social well-being depend less on natural resource endowments than on such factors as transportation, communication, labor force characteristics, and urbanization. General causes of the 1970's urban-to-rural migration included fewer changes in the structure of agriculture,…

The Diverse Social and Economic Structure of Nonmetropolitan America. Rural Development Research Report No. 49.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Bender, Lloyd D.; And Others

Effective rural development planning depends on facts and analysis based, not on rural averages, but on the diverse social and economic structure of rural America. Programs tailored to particular types of rural economies may be more effective than generalized programs. Because of their unique characteristics, government policies and economic…

Social and Economic Trends in Rural America. The White House Rural Development Background Paper.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Deavers, Kenneth L.; Brown, David L.

Emphasizing developmental problems caused by the rapid population and employment growth in rural America during the 1970's, this document describes social, economic, and governmental trends in rural America and suggests some federal policy choices that might be made in support of rural development. Problem areas and policy suggestions are…

The Carter Administration: Small Community and Rural Development Policy.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carter, Jimmy

The Carter Administration is adopting a Small Community and Rural Development Policy because: (1) rural America's human and natural resources are a mainstay of the nation's economy and way of life; (2) many rural areas are in the midst of significant economic and demographic change; (3) rural people and communities have greater unmet basic human…

The study of the developing model of the rural timeshare tourism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xu, Zhe; Tang, Beibei

2011-10-01

At present, the booming rural tourism, as a new tourism developing approach of the formation of the penetration and integration of the primary and tertiary industry, the agriculture and tourism, has played an increasingly important role in solving the "three rural" issue, speeding up the development of the new rural socialist, therefore the rural tourism products have got more concerning, gradually move closer from the sub-products of the tourism to the main product of the domestic tourism market. So the rural tourism innovating management and service model, upgrading the industry, meeting the fashion, feature, personalization and information needs of current people's rural leisure tourism, have very great theoretical significance and application values.

78 FR 17418 - Rural Health Information Technology Network Development Grant

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2013-03-21

... Information Technology Network Development Grant AGENCY: Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA...-competitive replacement award under the Rural Health Information Technology Network Development Grant (RHITND... relinquishing its fiduciary responsibilities for the Rural Health Information Technology Network Development...

Development of the Nursing Community Apgar Questionnaire (NCAQ): a rural nurse recruitment and retention tool.

PubMed

Prengaman, M P; Bigbee, J L; Baker, E; Schmitz, D F

2014-01-01

Health professional shortages are a significant issue throughout the USA, particularly in rural communities. Filling nurse vacancies is a costly concern for many critical access hospitals (CAH), which serve as the primary source of health care for rural communities. CAHs and rural communities have strengths and weaknesses that affect their recruitment and retention of rural nurses. The purpose of this study was to develop a tool that rural communities and CAHs can utilize to assess their strengths and weaknesses related to nurse recruitment and retention. The Nursing Community Apgar Questionnaire (NCAQ) was developed based on an extensive literature review, visits to multiple rural sites, and consultations with rural nurses, rural nurse administrators and content experts. A quantitative interview tool consisting of 50 factors that affect rural nurse recruitment and retention was developed. The tool allows participants to rate each factor in terms of advantage and importance level. The tool also includes three open-ended questions for qualitative analysis. The NCAQ was designed to identify rural communities' and CAHs' strengths and challenges related to rural nurse recruitment and retention. The NCAQ will be piloted and a database developed for CAHs to compare their results with those in the database. Furthermore, the NCAQ results may be utilized to prioritize resource allocation and tailor rural nurse recruitment and retention efforts to highlight a community's strengths. The NCAQ will function as a useful real-time tool for CAHs looking to assess and improve their rural nurse recruitment and retention practices and compare their results with those of their peers. Longitudinal results will allow CAHs and their communities to evaluate their progress over time. As the database grows in size, state, regional, and national results can be compared, trends may be discovered and best practices identified.